Daniel 9:24

DISCOURSE: 1140
THE TIME AND ENDS OF CHRIST’S ADVENT

Daniel 9:24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

IT has pleased God on many occasions to manifest his regard to prayer; and to give such speedy and gracious answers to it as should encourage all his people to pour out their hearts before him. Daniel, having understood by books that the seventy years’ captivity in Babylon were drawing to a close, set himself by fasting and prayer to implore mercy for himself and his captive nation: and God instantly sent an angel to testify the acceptance of his prayers, and to reveal to him the period fixed for that far greater deliverance, which should in due time be effected by the Messiah. “Seventy weeks,” according to the prophetic language, mean seventy weeks of years, that is, four hundred and ninety years, a day for a year [Note: Ezekiel 4:6. There is a remarkable coincidence between the seventy years at the end of which this temporal deliverance was to take place, and the seventy weeks of years when the great Deliverer was to come. That space of time (four hundred and ninety years) includes ten Jubilees; at the last of which, not one nation only, but all the nations of the world should hear the sound of the gospel-trumpet, and be restored to their forfeited inheritance.]. Commentators are not agreed respecting the precise year from which the numeration of them begins [Note: The more approved calculations are those which are dated from the seventh, or from the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, and the latter by lunar years.]: but, according to any calculation, the Messiah must have long since come into the world; and the Jews are inexcusable in rejecting so decisive a testimony. The ends of the Messiah’s advent, which are here set forth in a rich variety of expression, will form the subject of our present discourse.

God sent him,

I. To open a way for our salvation—

There were two great obstacles to the salvation of man, namely, guilt and corruption — — — And
For the removal of these the law made no adequate provision—
[There were sacrifices and various other services appointed for the removal of guilt: and the person who complied with the ordinances prescribed, was considered as absolved from his sin. But in the nature of things “it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin.” Indeed the annual repetition of the same offerings on the great day of atonement shewed, that the transgressions, which had been before atoned for, were not fully and finally forgiven: these repeated sacrifices were so many “remembrances of sins,” intended to lead the minds of men to that greater sacrifice, which alone could “make them perfect as pertaining to the conscience,” or procure to them a complete and “eternal redemption [Note: Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 10:1.].”]

But what the law could not do, God sent his only dear Son to effect [Note: Romans 8:3.]—

[“The Messiah was to be cut off, but not for himself [Note: Daniel 9:27.]:” by him Divine justice was to be satisfied, and the hand-writing that was against us, being nailed to his cross, was to be for ever cancelled [Note: Colossians 2:14.]: he was so to “finish transgression, and make an end of sin” that no further sacrifice for it should ever be necessary: by his one offering he was to perfect for ever them that are sanctified [Note: Hebrews 10:11.]. All this has been done: through the blood of his cross, reconciliation is made between God and man [Note: Colossians 1:21.]: God no more abhors the sinner, seeing that he is cleansed from sin in the Redeemer’s blood, and is clothed in that spotless righteousness which Jesus has brought in [Note: 2 Corinthians 5:21.]: nor does the sinner any longer hate God, because he is enabled to behold him as his God and Father in Christ. Thus is the breach completely closed: thus is man restored to the favour and love of God: thus are all typical sacrifices abrogated and annulled [Note: Daniel 9:27.]: and thus are men delivered, no less from the love and practice of sin than from the curse and condemnation due to it [Note: Titus 2:14.]. Sin is no more remembered on the part of God, nor any more practiced on the part of man.]

Thus far the subject is plain. What remains of our text is more difficult to be understood. But I conceive that the true sense of it will be marked, if we consider it as exhibiting yet farther the way devised for our salvation, and the sending of the Messiah,

II.

To complete all that was necessary for its full accomplishment—

Two things were necessary to be effected by him:

1. He was to fulfil for us all that had been predicted—

[There were a great variety of types and prophecies which designated the Messiah’s work and character. The first promise, given immediately after the fall, represented him as “the seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent’s head.” In process of time other prophecies declared the family from which he should spring, the time and place of his birth, the minutest circumstances of his life and death, together with his subsequent exaltation and glory: moreover the whole nature of his undertaking, the various offices he was to sustain, with all the effects of his mission, were exactly delineated. Besides these, there were also many figurative representations instituted of God for the purpose of exhibiting to the world, as in a shadow, those things which were afterwards to be realized and substantially effected. Our first parents were clothed by God himself with the skins of beasts, which they had before been directed to otter in sacrifice; that, in that type, they might see the only true way of atoning for their sin, or covering their shame from the eyes of God. The various ordinances that were appointed under the Mosaic dispensation, the paschal lamb, whose sprinkled blood averted from the Israelites the sword of the destroying angel, while its flesh, eaten with bitter herbs, nourished their bodies; the daily and annual sacrifices, with all the sprinklings and other ceremonies; the habits and services of the priests, the form and furniture of the tabernacle, with many other things, which it would be tedious to enumerate, declared in ten thousand forms the work and offices of the promised Messiah.

All of these Christ was in the exactest manner to fulfil. Some parts of the inspired volume represented him as God, others as a man, yea, as “a worm and no man;” some as victorious, others as suffering; some as living for ever, others as dying; some as the priest, others as the sacrifice; some as a sanctuary, and others as a stumbling-block: all manner of opposites were to unite in him as lines in their centre, in order that, when he should appear, there should not exist a doubt in any unprejudiced mind, but that he was the person foretold; and that every thing respecting him had been fore-ordained in the Divine counsels. Accordingly when he came, he shewed himself to be that very Messiah, who, like a seal, engraven with strokes infinitely diversified, corresponded exactly with the impression which had been given of it to the Church two thousand years before. Thus did he “seal up the vision and prophecy,” completing it in all its parts, and leaving no further occasion for such methods of instruction.]

2. He was to impart to us all that had been promised—

[“The anointing of the most Holy” is generally thought to import, that Christ himself should receive the Spirit; but we apprehend that it imports also his communicating of the Spirit to his Church.
Christ is certainly “the Holy One and the Just,” to whom the character of “The Most Holy” eminently belongs. It is certain also that he was anointed with the Spirit from his very first designation to preach the glad tidings of salvation [Note: Isaiah 61:1.]; and that lie received a further unction when the Spirit descended upon him in a bodily shape like a dove [Note: Matthew 3:16.]. But these do not appear to be the seasons alluded to in the text: the unction there spoken of seems to follow the other ends of his mission; and consequently to relate to something which took place after his ascension to heaven. The Psalmist speaks of Christ after his ascension, and consequent inauguration, when lie says, “Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows [Note: Psalms 45:7.],” In another psalm he declares the same truth in still plainer terms; “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them [Note: Psalms 68:18.].” By consulting the Apostle Paul, we shall find that this gift which Jesus then received, was the Holy Spirit; and that he received it in order that he might communicate it to his Church; for, quoting this very passage, he alters one word in it, and says, “he gave gifts unto men;” and then adds, that he gave these “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ [Note: Ephesians 4:8; Ephesians 4:11.].” But the testimony of another Apostle is absolutely decisive on this point: while St. Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost came down upon all the Apostles, and abode on each of them in the shape of cloven tongues of fire: the Apostle then declared that this was an accomplishment of Joel’s prophecy respecting “the pouring out of God’s Spirit;” and referred them to Jesus as the author of it, and as having received, at this time, the gift of the Spirit for this very end; “therefore,” says he, “being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, Jesus hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear [Note: Acts 2:3; Acts 2:16; Acts 2:33.].” Thus was this holy oil poured out upon the head of our great High Priest, that it might flow down to the skirts of his garments, and reach to the meanest of his members [Note: Psalms 133:2.]

The ends of the Messiah’s advent being so clearly and so fully declared, I wish you to observe—
1.

What abundant provision God has made for our salvation—

[What can we conceive either as necessary or desirable beyond what our blessed Redeemer has done for us? What could the most guilty and abandoned sinner upon earth desire more of Christ, than that he should “finish transgression, make an end of sin, make reconciliation for iniquity, bring in for him an everlasting righteousness, and anoint him” with that same Spirit wherewith he himself is “anointed without measure [Note: John 3:34.]?” Or what evidence of his ability and willingness to do these things would any man have, beyond what the accomplishment of so many types and prophecies affords him? And shall God freely offer us this glorious salvation, and we not deign to receive it? O let us open our eyes, and behold our truest interest: let us not perish in the midst of mercy: let us not be famished when so rich a feast is set before us [Note: Isaiah 25:6.]; but let us comply with the Saviour’s invitation, “Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved [Note: Song of Solomon 5:1.].”]

2. How deeply we are interested in obtaining the knowledge of Christ—

[When the Apostles were asked by our Lord whether they also intended to forsake him, Peter well replied, “Lord, whither shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Thus must we say; for assuredly “there is salvation in no other; there is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ [Note: Acts 4:12.].” In vain will be all our self-righteous endeavours to reconcile ourselves to God, or to renew our polluted hearts. “If Christ wash us not, we have no part with him [Note: John 13:8.]:” if he put not away our sins, they must abide upon us for ever: if he do not impart to us that “unction of the Holy One, whereby we know all things [Note: 1 John 2:20.],” and “can do all things [Note: Philippians 4:13.],” we must perish in our impotency, even as new-born infants that are left to themselves. Shall we then be regardless of the Saviour, and “perish for lack of knowledge,” when God is thus labouring to instruct us? Shall we not rather, like Daniel, pray day and night that we may obtain a clearer knowledge of his will? Our neglect of this is the true reason why, with the Bible in our hands, we understand so little of this subject, and feel so little its sanctifying and saving efficacy. Would to God there were more Daniels in the midst of us! O let us henceforth “give more earnest heed to the things that are spoken;” and treasure up in our minds that truth of God, which alone can sanctify us, which alone can save us.]