9:24
“Seventy sevens” represents 490 years (see Lev 25:8). However, this does not necessarily mean 490 actual years, but could be symbolic of the whole of human history, as seven is the number of completeness. There are six purposes given for this period. The first is “transgression”, allowing the sin of the nation to reach its fullness. There are one or two instances in the Old Testament of the sin of nation reaching fulfillment (Gen 15:16). “To put an end to sin”. Things will not always stay the way they are, things will come to an end. There will be a time when sin is no more. “To atone for wickedness”. Sin cannot be just overlooked, it has to be atoned for in order for it to be done away with properly. “To bring in everlasting righteousness. We are not talking about a temporary reprieve from sin, but a permanent change in the state of affairs. There will be everlasting righteousness. “To seal up vision and prophecy”. This is to bring to fulfillment the words spoken of by the prophets, especially Jeremiah. “To anoint the Most Holy Place”. There is to be a dwelling place for God. The temple was just a shadow, the true dwelling place is the church, the faithful people of God.
9:25
It is difficult to interpret the rest of the chapter. The starting point for “from the time the word goes out” could be the time when Cyrus gave the order for the temple to be built (539 BC) or the time of Nehemiah when building actually really got going (445 BC). The “Anointed One” does not necessarily mean the Messiah here in the sense that we think of the Messiah as the term was used in a wider sense. The temple would be rebuilt in times of trouble. This happened with the temple of Ezra and Nehemiah’s day. The true temple (i.e. the faithful people of God) will also be “built” in times of trouble, as Revelation tells us.
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