Diving into Daniel: The Coming Prince
Daniel 9:26-27; Luke 21:20-24 - I’m probably a dispensational pre-millennialist but I would most like to be known as a faithful follower of Christ!
“Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.””
Daniel 9:26-27 NASB1995
So I thought Daniel 9:24-25 was challenging. Now we get to the last two verses of Daniel 9 and Gabriel relates some events that have occurred and some that are still in the future, or so it is thought. Of course, commentary varies widely on these two verses and on the timing that is indicated. Let’s dig into verse 26 first.
Jesus was “cut off” (crucified) right after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (after the sixty-two weeks). There is an enigmatic part to this first part of verse 26 in the NASB95 and many other translations: and [He] will have nothing. Other translations, including the NKJV have it phrased this way:
“And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself”
Precept Austin quotes J. Dwight Pentecost (there’s a name for you, and it was the real name of this Biblical scholar who died in 2014) about having “nothing”:
At His crucifixion He would “have nothing” in the sense that Israel had rejected Him and the kingdom could not be instituted at that time. Therefore He did not then receive the royal glory as the King on David’s throne over Israel. John referred to this when he wrote, “He came to that which was His own [i.e., the throne to which He had been appointed by the Father] but His own [i.e., His own people] did not receive Him” (Jn 1:11, 12, 13). Daniel’s prophecy, then, anticipated Christ’s offer of Himself to the nation Israel as her Messiah, the nation’s rejection of Him as Messiah, and His crucifixion. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor )
The next event in this verse is in this phrase: and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
Bruce Hurt, the author of the splendid resource Precept Austin, has a good explanation for this event, which was the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the temple by the Roman army (a “flood” of troops) in A.D. 70:
The people - Who are the people? Recall that Daniel has previously revealed four Gentile world empires that would have a great impact on the fate of Israel - Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (see Daniel 2:31-43-notes; Da 7:1-6-notes, Da 7:7, 8-notes - click to study these passages charted out in parallel with Daniel 9:24-27). As discussed in those passages it becomes obvious that the Roman Empire will be revived ("Revived Roman Empire" - this term per se does not appear in the Bible) again as a ten-nation confederacy during the last days. Thus the people of the prince to come will have some connection with the Romans and a revived Roman Empire.
How do we know? If one looks at the action of these people in destroying the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Holy Jewish Temple in Jerusalem), the most obvious conclusion from history is that this event was fulfilled in the sacking and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70AD, which would identify the people as the Roman Empire led by the Roman General Titus. The prince who is to come would then be associated somehow with the Roman Empire or what has been designated by most evangelical commentaries as the "Revived Roman Empire". Observe carefully that this verse does not state that the prince comes at this time nor that the city is destroyed by him but by his people.
Jesus also described the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 21:
““But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Luke 21:20-24 NASB1995
Another interesting observation from Precept Austin, with links to notes from Revelation:
Even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined - Israel has experienced a steady stream of desolations that began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, including the Medieval Crusades (tragically many of these were more like "mid-evil" for they frequently persecuted Jews and challenged them at sword point to convert or die! - Click article on Anti-Semitism and scroll down to "Crusades"), the Spanish Inquisition, the Russian pogroms, Hitler's demonic Nazi holocaust. (And yet the rise of the Antichrist will commence a Satanically inspired and empowered holocaust beyond any that Israel has previously experienced. See Re 12:13-note, Re 12:14-note, Re 12:15-note, Re 12:16-note, Re 12:17-note where the woman is clearly Israel). The final desolation by the Antichrist is soberly foreshadowed by the first Roman "holocaust" in 70AD.
Not to mention the incredible hatred, terrorism, attacks and wars that the nation of Israel has suffered and endured since its formation in 1948. I am, by the way, a staunch supporter of Israel, period.
Moving into 9:27, according to Precept Austin there are three schools of thought about the timeline after the 69 weeks and into the 70th “week”:
A large group of conservative Biblical scholars, including many that I cite quite often, accepts the Christological prophecy of the Messiah, as noted in Daniel 9:25-26 and also interprets a gap between the 69th and 70th week (Daniel 27). The scholars include David Guzik, John MacArthur, Donald Campbell, Ray Pritchard and John Valvoord (his studies of Daniel are considered a gold standard). The six “infinitives” in 9:24 have also not been completely accomplished at this time, so that is another criteria
Another group accepts Daniel as a prophecy of the Messiah but they do not interpret a gap between the 69th and 70th week. They see the “he” in Daniel 27 as the Messiah, not the Antichrist. This group is mostly composed of amillennialists (those who do not believe in the 1,000 year reign of the Messiah).
A third group of what could be described as “liberal” interpreters of Daniel has the following viewpoint:
This group generally argues that Daniel was written in the second century (late date) after all the historical events prophesied had come to pass and thus they conclude that the entire book represents the author's (not the original Daniel) interpretation of past history. In general the commentators this non-Christological group attempts to find fulfillment of the Daniel's 70 Weeks in the events leading up to the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (See related discussion on Antiochus Epiphanes - Da 8:9-note, Da 8:17-note, Da 8:19-note; see also Daniel notes and additional discussion). In 168 B.C., a pagan altar was constructed on top of the great altar of burnt sacrifices, and a pagan sacrifice was offered under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. This act precipitated the Maccabean revolt which Antiochus attempted unsuccessfully to put down with great cruelty (167-164 B.C.)
Let’s look at one of the first group’s viewpoints for verse from Enduring Word; I believe that I also subscribe to this viewpoint after analyzing this chapter of Daniel:
He shall confirm a covenant: The “he” Gabriel described is the prince who is to come mentioned in the previous verse. If we know that the prince’s people destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, then we know this coming prince has his ancestral roots in the soil of the ancient Roman Empire.
Therefore, the prince who is to come will in some way be an heir to the Romans, even as the final world government is an heir to the Roman Empire (Daniel 7).
He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week: The coming prince will make a covenant with Israel for the final unit of seven years, completing the seventy weeks prophesied for the Jewish people and Jerusalem.
Covenant with many: The word many here is a specific reference to Israel, not a generalreference to a group. The ancient Hebrew says, “covenant with the many.”
With this covenant Israel will embrace the Antichrist as a political messiah, if not the literal Messiah. Jesus predicted this in John 5:43: I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
Taking the description of what would be accomplished in the 70 Weeks from Daniel 9:24, we know that the 70 Weeks are not yet complete. Yet the events promised in the first 69 weeks are fulfilled, indicated that there is a lengthy “pause” in the 70 Weeks, between the 69th week and the 70th week. The 70th week will begin when the coming prince shall confirm a covenant with the Jewish people. These gaps or pauses in prophecy may seem strange to us, but they are common. Comparing Isaiah 9:6 and Luke 1:31-33 shows another significant pause or gap in prophecy regarding the coming of the Messiah.
We can think of it in this way: God appointed 490 years of special focus on Israel in His redemptive plan. The years were paused by Israel’s rejection of Jesus. Now there is no special focus on Israel in God’s redemptive plan because this is the time of the church. God’s focus will return to Israel when the church is taken away (at the rapture) and the last seven years of man’s rule on this earth begin.
“The 70th week will begin when the Jewish people are restored in unbelief to their land and city; and among them will be found a faithful remnant, owning their sin, and seeking Jehovah’s face.” (Henry Ironside writing in 1911)
In the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering: The coming prince will break the covenant with Israel in the middle of the seven years, the final week (period of seven years).
The Book of Revelation sees this seven year period with both its halves as yet future (Revelation 12:6, 13-14; 13:5-9, 14-15). The middle of the week and the end of sacrifice had not yet happened in 90 A.D.
On the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate: The ending of sacrifice will come with abominations, followed by tremendous desolation.
Abominations translates an ancient Hebrew word (shiqquwts) that is connected to horrific idolatry (Deuteronomy 29:17, 1 Kings 11:5-7, 2 Kings 23:13). The idea is that the coming prince breaks the covenant and brings an end to sacrifice and offering by desecrating the holy place of the temple with a horrific idolatry.
Jesus called this the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15) and indicated that it would be a pivotal sign in the Great Tribulation. Paul referred to the idolatry of the coming prince in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
Until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate: This breaking of the covenant and abomination of desolation has a promised consummation. Before the 70th week is completed, each of the things described in Daniel 9:24 will be accomplished [these are the infinitives] and everlasting righteousness will reign.
I feel a little bit like Eliza Doolittle after studying this. I’m thinking of the breakthrough scene in “My Fair Lady” when she finally “gets it” after Henry Higgins drills her in proper English for weeks and weeks. Exhausted and struggling in the middle of the night, she finally intones “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” instead of the dreadful “The rine in spine sties minely in the pline”. I see the beauty of this prophecy now and am confirming some things about my beliefs beyond the basics.
I’ll leave you with one more thought taken from Precept Austin. This is a condensed list of reasons why Daniel 9:24-27 is so important:
Represents key verses representing end-time prophecies.
Outlines the future history of Israel.
Provides clear evidence that the Bible is inspired by God.
Substantiates the truth that God is completely sovereign.
Has spurred many (Jews and Gentiles) to consider the claims of the Messiah.
Refutes the attempts by many to question the date of the writing of Daniel’s prophecies.
Stimulates a heightened expectation of the return of the Messiah.
As I have noted in other devotionals, our time as believers is best spent in awaiting the triumphant return of Jesus by working for His Kingdom here and now and not in trying to read the obscure tea leaves of which world leader out there today may be the Antichrist. But it is important to understand prophecy, too! Let us pray: Come Lord Jesus!
My next devotional examines Daniel 10:1-9, A terrifying vision!
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - My journey through the book of Daniel has been so eye-opening! Your sovereignty and scriptural inspirations and prophecies fulfilled are more apparent than ever! Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 5/14/2025 to review commentary for Daniel 9:26-27.
Enduring Word commentary by David Guzik is used with written permission.