The day that would come after the long dark night of her exile when her sins would be forgiven and she would be restored and Yahweh would again be her king in his kingdom i.e. the land of Israel.What else is Daniel given insight and understanding to? He is given insight into the timing and understanding of the events that must take place so they can know the time of their restoration. It is from the time that Jerusalem is rebuilt to the time of the anointed one, the ruler. The anointed one was understood by the Jews to be the Messiah. The significance of this is that the Christ event is caught up in Israel's fortunes of forgiveness that will lead to her restoration. I cannot emphasize this enough, that the Christ event is caught up in the salvation of Israel. In New testament interpretation it is also the Christ event which signals the end of wickedness and the establishment of righteousness.

However there are 70 7's as well as 62 7's. After 62 7's" The Anointed" (the Messiah) one will be cut off. After the Messiah has been cut off a ruler will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary (temple). The interpretation that follows is that after Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed, the time of the end is ushered in (end times). This ruler will put an end to sacrifice and will set up an abomination that causes desolation until God puts an end to him.

Now please remember that we are talking about historical events. However these historical events are not interpreted as mere history. These events of history are given a theological interpretation. They are not in any way allegorized nor are they in any way spiritualized. We who are in the time of the New covenant are able to interpret these events in hindsight as the New Testament and Jesus specifically interprets the events of his time in terms of Daniel9 the temple been destroyed and the abomination of desolation in the temple. The arrival of the Christ is the time of Israel's salvation. Even Jews in Jesus's time understood that!! After he is cut off i.e. died on the cross and raised again, what he prophesied concerning the temple and Jerusalem came about in AD 70 after the will of God, the Roman emperor Titus brought God's judgement on Jerusalem and the temple. It was in these events of ad 70 that sacrifice was put to an end. This is the clear interpretation of Mathew 24 & Mark 13.This also fulfills what Daniel 9 says concerning the end of sacrifice. It was by the death of Christ that believing Israel was restored to God as a nation. Read Isaiah 53 in its context and you will find it first talks of Israels restoration to God before that of individuals. This whole drama clearly demonstrates how Israel was restored. It was because her sins were forgiven that sacrifice ended,because there was no longer any need for the temple cultus if her sins had been forgiven. The day of atonement was no longer looking forward to her restoration,because believing Israel had been restored to God. Unbelieving Israel had no part in her restoration. So when we talk of the nations restoration we are talking about believing Israel and not unbelieving Israel. It was by Jesus resurrection that he began to rule and inaugurate the Kingdom of God. It is clear from the book of Acts and other New Testament books that when Jesus poured his Spirit out at Pentecost that the last days had arrived. The last days had come because the Kingdom of God had begun. The period between the Christ event of Jesus Christ and his return will be the last period of Gods dealings with the nations!! We must take note that what was written concerning Israel,s restoration in Daniel9 has already happened, as the Christ, Jesus has visited Israel. Also the judgement spoken of, that puts an end to temple and sacrifice has happened. This cannot happen again. It is inarguable that these events have taken place.

Now many believe that the temple will be rebuilt and sacrifice and the Levitical priesthood reinstituted. First of all we must answer that when Paul wrote about the abomination that causes desolation who sets himself up as God in God's temple. Paul is speaking of exactly of the same event that Jesus prophesied in Mark 13. We must also understand that Paul was talking to the people before these events of ad 70. So for his first recipients of his letter to the Thessalonians ad 70 had not yet happened. But they did happen soon afterward. This criterion is also taken into account in dating the apostles letters, whether they were pre or post ad70. So it is clear what Paul was speaking about happened within a few years of him having written about it? So it is not feasible to say this event must still happen. Also this ruler who sets himself up as God fits the description of the Roman emperor Titus. The Roman emperors were worshiped as gods, because Rome ruled over all the known earth of the time. They said they were "gods" as they were the rulers of the world at that time.

Also nowhere else in scripture does it speak of the temple been rebuilt again after the time of rebuilding after the Babylonian exile. What had happened before in the time of Judas Maccabeus was that he offered a pig on the altar of God in the Temple. He also set himself up as God. Thankfully he was overthrown in the Jewish war led by the Maccabees. He never destroyed the temple or the holy city so he doesn't fit into the picture of Daniel9. Also God had not sent Jesus, his Christ at that time. This is the other reason why this can't fit into another future scheme of things. These events are caught up with the Christ event and happen right after the time of the Christ.

Next we must understand in terms of Daniel 9, the interpretation of these events concerning Jerusalem and the temple .These events happen soon after the time of the Christ. Therefore it follows to the readers of Daniel9, that when these things happen it means the Christ has already visited Israel. So it means that the destroyed temple is a sign to present day Israel that the Christ has already come. This leads me to say to any group who has such aspirations or look for the rebuilding of the temple. Their seeking to rebuild it is to say the Christ has not yet come. They make themselves to be one with present day unbelieving Israel who are still waiting for the Christ. The reason they still wait is because of unbelief that Jesus is the Christ. So Christians should be wary of being deceived. Also to say the sacrificial system must again be put in place is to deny the once and for all sacrifice of Christ. If sacrifice is still to be made it insults the sacrifice of our Lord as not been the once and for all sacrifice. Again it is to say that the promised Christ has not come to die for his peoples sins according to Isaiah52&53. Also it shows total misunderstanding of Hebrews 9&10. Are we to revert again to shadows which pointed to the reality in Christ, once we have that reality? It shows total misunderstanding concerning the work of the Christ, Jesus. Paul in Colossians 2 says that the new moon festivals, Sabbaths, food were all a shadow of the reality, which is Christ.