The following is a brief but detailed study to show that Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Jesus the Christ, came out of Israel and is the divine Jewish Messiah to the world. May it be a blessing to those of the house of Israel and of Judah. (Amen.)
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself” (Daniel 9:26a).
In the verse above, the phrase “cut off” is translated from a form of the Hebrew verb: “Karath.” Specifically, in Daniel 9:26, the transliterated form is: “kā·ra,” Karath: “to cut; by implication to destroy or consume; specifically to make a covenant (i.e. make and alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces).
In Genesis chapter 15 we read that God made a blood covenant with Abraham:
“And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates’” (Genesis 15:17-18).
The Hebrew word translated as “made” in Genesis 15:18 is a form of the same Hebrew word translated as “cut off” in Daniel 9:26: “yik·kā·rê.” In the Hebrew it reads, “Cut Jehovah with Abram a covenant.”
The Bible first explains the blood covenant in Genesis chapter 15. Later, in Exodus, we read:
“Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words’” (Exodus 24:8).
Israel failed to keep this covenant of works, so in Jeremiah 31, God promised the institution of a new covenant of grace:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31).
In case you are wondering, the Hebrew verb translated into English as “make” is a form of the same Hebrew verb translated as “made” in Genesis 15:18 and as, “cut off” in Daniel 9:26. Specifically, in Jeremiah 31:31, the transliterated form is: “wə·ā·rat·tî.”
It’s also interesting to note that the Greek word transliterated as “diatheke” and translated into English as “covenant” in the New Testament also means “testament.”
Jesus said, “This is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). In light of the fact that the Greek word “diatheke” can mean testament or covenant, then the verse above could also be translated as, “This is My blood of the new covenant.”
“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15).
This verse explains that Christ’s death was necessary to establish the new covenant of grace, or the New Testament. A new sacrifice had to be made to replace the sacrifice of the covenant God made with Abraham. Jesus had to be the new sacrifice and be “cut” off like the sacrifice that God required of Abraham in Genesis 15.Now let’s read what Daniel says:
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined” (Daniel 9:25-26).
So here we have Daniel, in light of the knowledge of Genesis 15:18 in the Torah, prophesying over 550 years in advance, that the Jewish Messiah would be executed according to the manner of the establishing of a blood covenant. Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would not immediately set up His kingdom rule. The Messiah would be killed, sacrificed.
In light of this, the Pharisees had absolutely no excuse to deny that Jesus Christ was their promised Messiah, especially after the crucifixion. According to their own testimony, the Pharisees were very knowledgeable of the scriptures. The prophecies in the book of Daniel would have been very familiar to them. It would stand to reason then, that they could have very easily calculated that the period of time to elapse from “the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince” would be 483 years.
Although the Pharisees knew full well that Jesus was the Messiah, the powers of darkness did not want Yeshua to set up His kingdom, and be their judge, so they killed His flesh. However, they could not kill Him. I’m sure the entire meaning of the Hebrew word “karath” would have been familiar to the scribes and Pharisees, as well as the fact that the very same verb is found in Genesis 15:18 in the Torah.
Those who are still waiting for the Messiah’s first coming can trust and believe the words of Daniel. Yeshua is the Messiah who came out of Israel to the world:
“They shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:1b-2).
Yeshua came the first time in humility and only His true sheep recognized Him as their Messiah:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
The blood of Yeshua is the fulfillment of the Atonement:
“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness” (Leviticus 16:15-16).
“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:11-12, 14-15).
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
When Yeshua comes again He will be recognized by all nations as the true Jewish Messiah in great power and glory:
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).
“Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7)
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).
Yeshua is the Son of God and He will rule the earth as the King of Israel. The inauguration of His kingdom on earth to rule the nations was delayed because His people rejected Him as their Messiah. He will soon return at the closing of the Jacob’s Trouble during the Day of the Lord to rule all nations:
“The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.’ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are My Son; today I have become your Father.
Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; You will dash them to pieces like pottery.’ Kiss His Son, or He will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 2:4-9, 12).
Shalom b’Yeshua haMashiach. (Peace in Yeshua the Messiah.)
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Footnote:
The key to understanding the 483 years relates to the fact that Daniel said, “to build Jerusalem,” not just the temple, as was the case with other decrees. The decrees of Cyrus in 539 B.C., (Ezra 1:1-14), of Darius I in 518 B.C., (Ezra 6), and of Artaxerxes I to Ezra in 457 B.C., (Ezra 7:11-26) did not concern the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Only the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah in 445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8) refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Over a century ago, Sir Robert Anderson gave detailed calculations of the 69 weeks prophecy in his book, The Coming Prince first published in 1894. He worked out the calculation by allowing for errors in the calendar, leap years, and the change from B.C. to A.D. He estimated that the 69 weeks ended on the same day as the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, five days before His crucifixion.