What does "the Anointed One will be cut off" in Daniel 9:26 signify? Historical Context of Daniel 9 Daniel prays in 538 BC (Daniel 9:1-2) as the 70-year Babylonian exile nears completion (Jeremiah 25:11-12). Gabriel answers with a larger timetable—“seventy sevens” of years (v. 24)—that stretches from the decree to restore Jerusalem to the consummation of all redemptive goals. Persian administrative archives (e.g., the Elephantine papyri, the Cyrus Cylinder, and the Persepolis tablets) confirm the chronology and policy of restoring captive peoples, matching Ezra 1 and 6. Chronological Framework: The Seventy Weeks 1. Terminus a quo: Artaxerxes I’s decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1-8) dated Nisan 1, 444/445 BC by the Persian king-lists and the Babylonian Astronomical Diaries. 2. Seven ‘sevens’ (49 yrs): finishes Jerusalem’s plaza and moat (v. 25). This matches the rebuilding under Ezra and Nehemiah, completed c. 396 BC. 3. Sixty-two ‘sevens’ (434 yrs): reaches the public appearance of Messiah. Counting 483 prophetic years of 360 days each (173 ,880 days) from Nisan 444 BC arrives at 10 Nisan AD 33, the triumphal entry (Luke 19:38-44). Even with a 365-day calendar, the margin falls within AD 26-33, encompassing the ministry of Jesus. 4. “After the sixty-two weeks” Messiah is “cut off.” The crucifixion on 14 Nisan AD 33 (Passover Preparation) satisfies “after,” not during, the 69th week. Astronomical programs that back-calculate lunar eclipses confirm a full moon on 3 April AD 33, consistent with Passover. This convergence of prophetic year-counts with verifiable celestial events furnishes an objective checkpoint. Fulfillment in the Life and Death of Jesus of Nazareth • Gospel testimony records Jesus’ public ministry beginning “in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1)—AD 27/28—perfectly aligned with the close of the 69th week. • Roman historian Tacitus (Ann. 15.44), Jewish historian Josephus (Ant. 18.63-64), and the Babylonian Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 43a) corroborate that Jesus was executed under Pontius Pilate. • Isaiah 53:8 : “He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He was stricken.” Daniel and Isaiah employ the same verb and sacrificial motif, underscoring substitutionary atonement. Legal and Sacrificial Connotations of “Cut Off” Karath often accompanies covenant enactments requiring blood (Exodus 24:8). Messiah’s being “cut off” indicates He Himself becomes the covenant victim, fulfilling the typology of Genesis 15 where God alone walks between the pieces. Hebrews 9:15-17 interprets Christ’s death as covenant-ratifying. The Targum of Isaiah paraphrases Isaiah 53 with “Messiah will be great...yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him,” showing pre-Christian Jewish expectation of a suffering, slain Messiah. “Will Have Nothing”: Abandonment, Atonement, and Covenant The clause can read “but not for Himself” (KJV) or “and will have nothing” . Both capture that the loss He suffers is altruistic. Mark 15:34 quotes Psalm 22:1, identifying the moment He is deprived even of conscious fellowship with the Father. From a covenantal-law perspective, He forfeits His rights so He can impute righteousness to others (2 Corinthians 5:21). Prophetic Consistency with Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 Isaiah 53 details rejection (v. 3), piercing (v. 5), burial with the rich (v. 9), and resurrection implications (v. 10-11). Psalm 22 foretells crucifixion mechanics centuries before they were practiced in Judea. The Dead Sea Scroll 1QIsaᵃ (pre-Christ) preserves the identical wording used by modern Bibles, silencing claims of Christian redaction. Jewish Reception and Rabbinic Witness The Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin 97-98 anticipates Messiah’s advent roughly four millennia after creation, matching a young-earth chronology (Ussher: 4004 BC). Medieval commentator Rashi (on Daniel 9:26) concedes the passage speaks of “King Messiah,” though he deflects fulfillment. Rabbi Moshe Kohen ibn Crispin (14th c.) calls Isaiah 53 “the plainest” reference to Messiah. Post-temple rabbis wrestled with the timing because the Second Temple’s destruction (AD 70) fell “after” Messiah’s predicted death, exactly as the verse orders. Archaeological and Manuscript Witness to Daniel’s Authenticity • 4QDanᵃ, 4QDanᵇ, and 4QDanᶜ (Dead Sea Scrolls) date to c. 150-100 BC. Their presence at Qumran proves Daniel was accepted as sacred Scripture well before the Maccabean era ends, nullifying late-date theories. • The Septuagint’s Greek Daniel, produced c. 250 BC, contains the identical prophecy. • Babylonian contract tablets demonstrate that Daniel’s Aramaic contains 6th-century loanwords unknown in the 2nd-century, strengthening early authorship. Such textual stability bolsters Jesus’ affirmation: “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Theological Implications: Atonement, Covenant, and Temple Typology 1. Substitutionary Atonement: Messiah suffers covenant-curse for others (Galatians 3:13). 2. New Covenant Ratified: His being “cut off” marks the transition anticipated in Jeremiah 31:31-34. 3. Temple Typology: Daniel links the Messiah’s death with the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem and its sanctuary (9:26 b). By divine design, sacrifices ceased (AD 70), forcing Judaism to grapple with the once-for-all offering (Hebrews 10:12-14). Eschatological Dimension The 70th week remains future (v. 27). Messiah’s prior cutting-off secures the redemptive basis for the ultimate “finish of transgression” and “everlasting righteousness.” The present Church age—“the mystery hidden for ages” (Ephesians 3:9)—occupies the prophetic gap, explaining the delay of national Israel’s full restoration (Romans 11:25-27). Answering Critical Objections • Late-date hypothesis: Dead Sea Scroll evidence, early Greek translation, and 6th-century linguistic features refute it. • Coincidental timetable: Statistical modeling of multiple independent prophecies (birthplace — Micah 5:2; crucifixion method — Psalm 22; resurrection timing — Hosea 6:2) pushes the probability of random fulfillment below 1 in 10³⁰. • Alleged textual corruption: Over 5,800 Greek NT manuscripts plus early versions (P45, P52, P46) secure a text with >99 % purity for relevant Christological passages. Practical Implications for Faith and Salvation The prophecy compels a verdict. If Scripture foretold the precise year, manner, and aftermath of Messiah’s death centuries in advance, then Jesus’ identity as the promised Redeemer stands validated. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Accepting His substitutionary “cutting-off” reconciles the sinner to God, fulfills the chief end of man—to glorify and enjoy Him forever—and inaugurates the only rational worldview that coherently integrates history, morality, science, and hope. |
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