Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 81 – Question 82
Quest. 81. He shall confirme the couenant with many for one weeke: how this one weeke is to be vnderstood.
1. Cyrillus Hierosol. cateches. 12. beginning the 69. weekes at Darius, and ending them at the birth of Christ, omitteth the 70. weeke altogether. But that must needs be acknowledged to hauehave beene a great ouersight in Cyril, seeing that the most speciall things to be performed by the Messiah, was done in the 70. and last weeke.
2. Hyppolitus ending the 69. weekes in the natiuitie of Christ, deferreth the 70. and last to the ende of the world, vntounto the preaching of Henoch and Elias: But beside that it was the errour of those times, that Henoch and Elias should come in their owne persons, and preach toward the ende of the world: seeing our Sauiour expoundeth that prophesie (of the comming of Elias) of Iohn Baptist▪ Matth. 11. who came in the spirit of Elias: this last weeke must not be seuered so farre from the 69. weekes: but as the 62. followed immediately the first 7. so after the 7. weekes and the 62. weekes, which make 69. must followe the 70. and last weeke.
3. Eusebius, as Hierome reporteth his opinion in his commentarie vponupon this place, ending the 69. weekes at the baptisme of Christ, taketh the 70. and last weeke for 70. yeares, and so extendeth it vntounto the time of Traian the Emperour, for so long the preaching of the Apostles continued, Iohn the Euangelist suruiuing all the Apostles vntill then. But seeing Eusebius taketh the 69. propheticall weekes but for 7. yeares a peice, he hath no reason to make the last weeke tenne times so much as any of the other; neither is a weeke of yeares in any place so taken in Scripture.
4. Oecolampadius taketh this 70. and last weeke yet more largely, for he beginneth it at Pompeys time when the state of the Iewish commonwealth beganne to decline, and continueth it vntounto the death of Christ, which he reckoneth to be some 98. yeares, and endeth the week in the raigne of the Emperour Hadrian, which is aboue 98. yeares more, in which time all these things happened here spoken of, and then was the finall desolation of the citie: so he taketh the 70. and last weeke, not for any certaine number of yeares, but for the plenitude and fulnesse of time: But seeing the rest of the weekes doe signifie a certaine and definite time, and they are onelyonly taken for weekes of yeares: so must the 70. and last weeke be vnderstood also: and considering that this last weeke is deuided into two halfe weekes, the latter expressed, the other vnderstood, therein must be contained a definite and certaine number: for the parts beeing finite and certaine, so must the whole be likewise.
5. Osiander taketh this last weeke to beginne after Christs resurrection, in which space of seuen yeares many by the preaching of the Gospel were receiued and admitted to the newe couenant: But seeing the Angel saith, that 70. weekes are determined, and cut out, to finish wickednesse, and to seale vp sinnes, which things are performed in the death of Christ, there also must the weekes ende.
6. Many beginne this last weeke at the baptisme of Christ, and ende it 3. yeares and an halfe after, as Melancthon, Iunius edition. 1. Pintus, with others: But seeing it is said, he shall confirme the couenant for one weeke, (he, that is the Messiah) the couenant must be confirmed before the Messiah be slaine: for otherwise how should it appeare that this couenant was confirmed by the Messiah, if it be not done in his time, that is, in the dayes of his flesh: he then must confirme it either before, or at his death: priusquam tollitur è medio, before he be taken out of the way, Vatab. for otherwise it should not be conspicuous, and apparant to be the Messiahs worke.
7. Some doe referre this last weeke vntounto the last seuen yeares which went immediately before the destruction of the citie, Iun. Polan. M. Liuely. But it is sufficiently shewed before, that these 70. weekes must expire in the death of the Messiah, and are not to be extended so farre, see quest. 49.
8. The best interpretation then is this, that this last weeke must beginne 7. yeares before the death of Christ: the first halfe yeare went before his baptisme, as a preparation thereunto: then in the latter halfe weeke these things were performed, as the next words shewe, H. Br. Concent. the whole week is named, because these things were done in the last week: but not in all the weeke, onelyonly in the latter halfe thereof, beginning at Christs baptisme. So Hugo expoundeth it, quia non in principio hebdomadis hae mirabilia coeperunt, ideo determinat, quando haec inchoata sunt, &c. because these things were not done in the beginning of the weeke, therefore he determineth when they should beginne, namely, in the latter halfe weeke, which beganne in the 15. yeare of Tiberius, when Christ was baptised.
Quest. 82. What is vnderstood by the couenant.
1. R. Selom… by the couenant vnderstandeth the truce for 7. yeares which the Romanes made with the Iewes at the time of the besieging of the citie: But Lyranus doth refell this conceit by these two reasons: 1. because Iosephus maketh no mention of any such league or truce, neither in his bookes of the antiquities of the Iewes, nor of the Iew… warres. 2. And if there had beene any such truce, it should hauehave beene made with all the Iewes, not with some onelyonly, as it is here said, he shall confirme this couenant with many.
2. Some referring this last weeke vntounto the destruction of Ierusalem, by this couenant doe vnderstand that speciall fauour, which the Lord shewed, and the fatherly care, which he had of his Church in Ierusalem, who were admonished by a reuelation to depart the citie before the siege beganne, so Iun. Polan. But here rather we are to vnderstand the euerlasting couenant of grace, which Christ hath confirmed with his blood, then any such temporall fauour.
3. M. Calvin seemeth specially to vnderstand this couenant, of the vocation and calling of the Gentiles, which was fulfilled after his resurrection: but this couenant as hath beene said alreadie, was confirmed by Christ at and before his death, not after. Then indeede was this couenant by the preaching of the Apostles published and divulged: but there is difference between the ratification of a couenant, and the publication thereof; as there is between the confirmation of a will, and the execution.
4. Therefore by the couenant here is vnderstood, the couenant of grace made in Christ for remission of sinnes vntounto all that beleeue, Osiander. the new Euangelicall lawe preached by Christ and confirmed in his death, Vatablus, Pintus▪ such as the Prophet Ieremie speaketh of, c. 31. 33. this shall be the couenant which I will make with the house of Israel, After those dayes, saith the Lord, I will put my lawe in their inward parts, &c. I will forgiue their sinnes, and remember their iniquities no more, &c.