Verse 26
Most Christian interpreters have taken the cutting off of Messiah as a reference to Jesus Christ’s death. He had nothing then in a very real sense.
The prince who will come seems to be a different person from the Messiah. A legitimate translation is "the people of a ruler who will come." [Note: Archer, "Daniel," p. 116.] His people, not he himself, would destroy the city. This happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman army under Titus leveled Jerusalem. The prince who will come, however, was evidently not Titus but a future ruler, namely, the Antichrist (Daniel 7:8). Titus made no covenant with the Jews (Daniel 9:27). However, Titus did initially what this prince will do ultimately. Jerusalem did not end because of a literal flood of water in Titus’ day, but Roman soldiers overwhelmed it (cf. Daniel 11:10; Daniel 11:22; Daniel 11:26; Daniel 11:40; Isaiah 8:8). War preceded the destruction. Gabriel announced that God had determined the city’s desolation (cf. Matthew 24:7-22).
Some interpreters believe that the end of this verse describes conditions that have followed Titus’ destruction and continue even today. [Note: E.g., Pentecost, "Daniel," p. 1364; and Archer, "Daniel," p. 117.] Others think it only describes what Titus did. [Note: E.g., Walvoord, Daniel . . ., p. 231.]
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