Daniel 9 [Direct Translation]
27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven.” In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
Who Does “He” Refer To?
Daniel 9:27 says: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.'”. Who does “he” refer to here — the Lord, or the Antichrist?
- Reading in order: From verse 24 onward, “he” in verse 26 clearly refers to the Lord. If we read only to the beginning of verse 27, “he” naturally still refers to the Lord.
- The source of confusion: The second half of verse 27 says “he will put an end to sacrifice and offering,” which sounds negative. Following this is mention of “the abomination that causes desolation” (the Antichrist), so some interpret the “he” at the start of verse 27 as referring to the Antichrist.
- Following the timeline: The first half of the seventieth seven corresponds to the period of Jesus’s death and resurrection. The “great evil one” (the Antichrist) does not appear until three-and-a-half years before the Second Coming of Jesus. Therefore, “he” here naturally still refers to the Lord.
With Whom Did the Lord Confirm a Covenant?
Since the word is “confirm,” it implies a covenant already existed — the Lord comes to reaffirm or strengthen it.
1. The Abrahamic Covenant
“I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers… I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God.” (Genesis 17:2, 7)
“I swear by myself… I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore… and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:16–18)
The Abrahamic covenant was established, but its true confirmation came through the new covenant established by Jesus.
2. The Confirmation of the New Covenant
“The days are coming… when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah… I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people… For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31–34)
“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'” (Luke 22:20)
Conclusion:
- Reading in sequence, “he” naturally refers to the Lord.
- “Confirming the covenant” is the Lord’s fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.
- The Antichrist’s appearance belongs to the second half of the seven, not the “he” at the start of verse 27.
Note: Traditionally, some have interpreted this covenant as a seven-year peace treaty made by the Antichrist with many people, which the Antichrist breaks at the midpoint. If you read “The Seventy Sevens and the Seventieth Seven” carefully, you will find that this interpretation is chronologically impossible.
Praise the Lord!