It's good to see each of you here this evening and thankful for this time of worship that we have to come together in the middle of the week. Let's take our hymn books and turn to hymn number 84 and sing this hymn, hymn number 84, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. We're studying the Messiah in our titles of Christ, and all the way back from the garden, when God said that there would be that seed of the woman that should come. All those years, through tight picture of prophecy and promise in the Old Testament, he is the long expected one, and did come exactly as the scriptures tell us. So we'll sing this together. Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free. From our fears and sins release us, let us find a rest in thee. Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth, our heart. Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart. Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a king. Born to reign in us forever now, thy gracious kingdom bring. By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone. By thine all-sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne. Amen. What a prayer. Let's take our Bibles and look together in Genesis chapter 16 as we continue our scripture reading through the book of Genesis. Genesis chapter 16. And Lord willing, we'll try to get through the entire chapter. This has to do with Abram going into Hagar with the purpose of producing a seed because God had not yet given that promise seed. And just like anything we do, we're going to mess it up if we put our hand to it. But the Lord purposed it. Because out of this relationship with Hagar, and that was a custom of the day. If a woman who was married to a man could not bear a child, the woman would often bring her handmaiden to the husband and would desire that a seed be given through that surrogate, if you will. And that's what took place with Hagar. But let's read verses one and two, where this is where Sarah or Sarai proposes a child for Abram through Hagar. It says, now Sarai, Abram's wife, bear him no children. And she had been handmade an Egyptian whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, behold, now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee, go in unto my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. Many years before this, God had promised Abram that he would have many descendants. Remember, we saw that in Genesis chapter 12 and verse two. And to this point, he had no children through his wife, Sarah. One of the most difficult things for us to do is wait, wait on the Lord, stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord. And that's where we see Sarah proposing this Egyptian maid servant. Hagar was almost certainly part of what Abram had received during his time in Egypt. When you go back down to Genesis 12 and verse 15 and very likely Hagar was one of the slaves that was given to him by Pharaoh when he dismissed him and Sarah. And you know what trouble Hagar brought into the family and therefore We can see even here a stumbling, if you will. And yet Abram was the Lord's all the while. That's important for us to remember. Our steps and our stops are ordered of the Lord. But she persuaded Abram. She said, see now the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. At least she recognized the hand of the Lord in that. She understood that God was sovereign. In all things, even over the womb. And even though he had promised descendants to Abram and to Sarai, they began to wonder whether or not the Lord might use other means like families that can't have children. They think about adopting. This was the way that Sarah proposed. Being able to overcome a, what would have been considered to many a public shame. I don't think we can appreciate how much a childless woman suffered in this society. And therefore she took matters into her own hand. And so did Abraham. She said, go to into my maid. Perhaps I shall obtain children by her. So you can say, well, the woman made me do it, but it was a joint decision. She encouraged Abram to take part in what was in that day, essentially a surrogate mother arrangement. According to custom, the child would be considered to be the child of Abram and Sarah and not Abram and Hagar. So there we see. God directed and it says Abram heeded the voice of Sarah. She wasn't the first woman to be tormented by the thought. Maybe my husband would be better off with someone else. That's what she was perhaps thinking. And who knows the consternation of heart that Sarah would have gone through. But verses three and four, here's where we see Abram agreeing with Sarai's suggestion. It says, and Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar, her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram, and dwelt 10 years in the land of Canaan and gave her to her husband, Abram, to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar and she conceived And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. That's typically the consequence when you have two women involved that there's a jealousy. They acted according to how they had consulted together. Now, Abram didn't actually marry Hagar, but he acted toward her as a man would only act toward his wife because that's who she was as with Sarah's permission. And it says after Abram had dwelt 10 years in the land, actually it had been more than 10 years since the promise was made regarding Abram's descendants. But by most accounts, 10 years seems like a long time to wait for the promise of God. Think about certain things that you have prayed over, over the years and 10 years is a long time to wait. The Lord always answers the prayers of his children. It's either yes, no, or wait. And in this case for Abram, it was to wait, but nonetheless, we see him going ahead with what Sarai proposed. And even though it would bring very serious consequences as far as descendants are concerned, because out of this relationship came Ishmael and Ishmael is the father of all of the Arabs that we know today, the Arab nations and the conflicts that there are between Jews and Gentiles or Jews and Arabs. And yet they're all Abraham's seed. If you go and look in the Quran that the Muslims read, they see Abram as their father and rightly so, because they came from Ishmael. But here it says that he went into Hagar and she conceived again, she conceived. How does a person conceive except the Lord brings the conception. So you can argue all you want to that he got outside the will of God and he was not exercising faith here and all these things, but the Lord blessed that union with a conception. And certainly that wasn't with his own power and direction, but it was the Lord who brought it to pass. And so we have to understand. Even with Jacob, you can read some of these in the Old Testament that had multiple wives and the jealousies that came about. Think of Jacob with Rachel and Leah. He worked for Rachel, but the Lord gave him Leah first. And of all the descendants of Israel, of Jacob, there were more that came through Leah than Rachel. And so here it says she conceived, and then we see The consequences, when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. Hagar immediately began to think of herself perhaps as better and greater than Sarai. There's reasons that Sarai would have despised her and a bad situation became worse, but nonetheless, the Lord was directing. And there's where we see in verses five and six, where Sarah shows her anger toward Hagar. It says, and Sarah said unto Abram, my wrong be upon thee. I have given my maid into thy bosom. And when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. That's why I said, she probably began to think of herself as better and greater. And probably carrying the baby around, maybe flaunted a little bit, hugging the baby and kissing it and all this in front of Sarah. And so she said the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said under Sarah, behold, thy maid is in thy hand due to her as it pleases thee. And when Sarah dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. So we see Sarai here putting the blame on Abram. That's what the sin nature does. Depravity never takes the blame. It's always got a fine fault with somebody else. That's the way it was back in the garden in the fall where Adam blamed the woman, the woman blamed the serpent. And I'll tell you, it takes the grace of God to take the blame before the Lord. It doesn't mean that Sarah was any less the Lord's because she was one of those that is mentioned in the New Testament as being an object of God's grace. But in this particular instance, it looked like things have been messed up pretty badly. But I'm thankful that there's no case too hard for God. And there's no sense sitting around and thinking woulda, coulda, shoulda because clearly, The Lord purpose that this should come to pass. And so she puts the matter into Abram's hands. He said, your maid is in your hand due to her as, as you please. Abram seemed to make a bad situation worse by really turning the situation back to Sarah. And not dealing with it necessarily himself as he might have, but again, The Lord was in this, so that's where we read that Sarai dealt harsh harshly with her and she fled from her presence. Sarai's cruelty collided with Hagar's pride and all Hagar could think to do was to run, even with nowhere to go. They're out here in the middle of nowhere. She fled from Sarai's presence, but she couldn't flee from the Lord's presence. When you think about circumstances, even in your own lives, looking back, how they have driven you from one place to another. And yet in fleeing or trying to overcome that situation, the Lord is actually bringing you into mercy. And that's what we're going to see with Hagar here. She might have fled from Sarai, but she couldn't flee from the Lord. So verses seven and nine, as Hagar is fleeing, we see where the angel of the Lord appears to her and instructs her. It says, the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarah's maid, whence comest thou? And whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress, Sarah. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, return to thy mistress and submit thyself under her hands. When it says here, the angel of the Lord, I put a capital A, just like it says there of the children of Israel, that the angel, the word means messenger of the Lord, was none other than the Lord himself. appearing unto her. And you can see how her escape led her to a spring. And perhaps she was afraid to even go further. In fleeing, you find a place where at least I can find water to drink. But that's where the angel of the Lord met her. I think of the Samaritan woman, how she came to that well. Not knowing that God had purposed that the messenger of the Lord, that is the Lord Jesus Christ himself should encounter her there and that he would speak peace under her. The reason I mentioned this angel of the Lord being none other than God himself, and perhaps even a pre. incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ is because we see this, and this would be a study in of itself, the angel of the Lord. I believe we did touch on that as one of the titles of Christ, where he appeared to Abram in Genesis 22. And he appeared to Moses in Exodus chapter three, always the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord. He later appeared to Balaam in Numbers 22, later appeared unto Israel collectively in Judges two, later appeared to Gideon in Judges six. All of those are the angel of the Lord. He would later appear to Samson's parents and would appear to David, would appear to Elijah. So all of these expressions of the angel of the Lord, I believe are an evidence that the Lord had his eyes on Hagar the whole time. Just like he has his eye on any one of his own, that he is purposed to save and has saved through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He met her at her greatest point of weakness. And I would say that's exactly how the Lord meets us. It's not when we're strong, but when we're weak. The Lord did not come to call the righteous, the scriptures say, but sinners to repentance. And certainly we have an example here when he says to Hagar, return to your mistress. Maybe that's not something she wanted to hear. But that was the direction of the Lord. And he said, submit yourself under her hand. Quit trying to take matters into your own hand. That's really when you say return to, that's repentance. It's a change of heart and mind. Her mind was going one direction, which was the exact opposite, where she needed to go. And now the Lord meets her and changes her direction in which was an inherent promise. where he says, do what I say and he would be her protector, the Lord, the angel of the Lord. Verse 10, the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for multitude. So here we find the Lord giving her a promise. In verse 11, the angel of the Lord said unto her, behold, thou art with child. and shall bear a son and shall call his name Ishmael because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. So he's letting her know what to expect. I will multiply your descendants exceedingly. Here God not only promised a seed of many descendants, but also a protection that he would be the one that would keep these descendants. And that as the promise was fulfilled, That's exactly what happened. Ishmael became the ancestor of the Arab people, as I mentioned, just as later the half-brother Isaac would become the ancestor of the Jewish people. And if you wonder in history why there's those two divisions, that goes back to this. This makes the conflict between Arab and Jew even more prominent. because they're actually brothers who shared the same common father. But the Lord didn't even give the choice of the name to her. He said, you shall call his name Ishmael. And Ishmael here was given a great promise, not only in the number of his descendants, but also that he was the first one in the Bible given his name before he was born. An interesting thought. God had a purpose for this boy and his descendants. And so God gave him that name to show his sovereignty and working out his will. We know that in all of this, the Lord was directing. The name Ishmael, Literally means God will hear. So this wasn't conditioned upon Hagar knowing anything about God and who he is. And she was an Egyptian woman. And yet God makes this promise to her concerning this son and therefore an encouragement. And I think we typically write off the Arabs. In our minds, we think, well, they were of Ishmael, so they were reprobate. But the Lord has his seat among the Arab nations, just as much as he has his elect among the Jews or among the Gentiles. Yes, in general, we can say, just like with the Jews, the majority have been blinded in part, and yet here's a promise that God would hear. But it says at the same time, and this is what is interesting where we get politicians all working to try to resolve the conflicts between the nations, Jews and Arabs. Here, the Lord said he'd be a wild man and his hand would be against every man and every man's hand against him. Isn't that still the same today? I think one of the reasons why the Arabs have not been able to take over the world and dominate. They tried under the Ottoman Empire for centuries. They were from the Turks and ravaged many of the lands for a long time, but the Lord eventually took that kingdom away in the early 1900 when they began to try to provide a land for Israel again. This was proven there would be a wild man. His hand would be against every man. So it means that the life of this son, even though God promised to protect him would not be easy, but God would still look over him and sustain him. I wonder how much we think about that, even with conflicts going on in the world today, that it's the Lord directing and there's not one thing out of place. Everything's exactly the way it's supposed to be. wild man. That's what we all are by nature. And I don't know why we think that's something particular to the Arabs. That's who we are by nature. But here he's showing that they would be known for their violence and murder, even amongst the Arabs themselves. They kill each other more than they kill any other population. And for their own sake, And yet the Lord has purposed that there be a remnant. You can read about it over in Acts chapter two on the day of Pentecost. There were Arabs that were there that day that heard the word of Christ spoken in their language. That's what those tongues were, the wonders of God. And they were turned to Christ. 13 through 16 to wrap up our reading. Here's where we see God blessing and protecting Hagar and Ishmael. It says, and she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, thou God seest me. For she said, have I also here looked after him that seeth me? That's why I said the angel of the Lord, that was the Lord himself, because she says she called the name of the Lord. Wherefore, the well was called Bir Lahairoi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare Abram a son, and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare Ishmael. And Abram was four score and six years old when Hagar bear Ishmael to Abram. So here she declares this angel, the Lord to be the God who sees. And certainly that is the Lord. It's not only, he knows the end from the beginning, but he's decreed the end from the beginning. His foreknowledge is because he knows what he has decreed. It's not that he looks down to see what will happen and then makes his decisions. No, he is the God who sees. And after meeting this angel, the Lord, Hagar knew that if God would be with her and meet her there in the wilderness, he would no doubt be with her having to go back and submit to Sarah. And that's what we see took place. Hagar bore Abram a son. Apparently Hagar did return with a submitted heart. That's what the Lord does when he does a work of grace. And she told the whole story to Abram and Sarai, and Abram named the child Ishmael, just as instructed in the meeting with the angel of the Lord that Hagar described. Perhaps she thought that her circumstances were beyond hope, but when the Lord's gonna do a work, he's gotta bring us to the end of ourselves. And so I see that even in this, that helplessness, the Lord turned to hope because the Lord had his eye upon her all the time. I look forward to continue to read as we continue through This story, gracious father, I thank you for your word, how precious it is to read it. And I pray that you would open our eyes, even as you did with Hagar to behold the one who sees, who knows the end from the beginning, because you've decreed the end from the beginning and at all that you purpose to save. You saw them already in your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that he would come and pay their sin debt, that you might be a just God and savior. Oh, that we would bow and worship you even during this time and that our eyes be open and that you truly feed us of the bread of life, which is your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and cause us to drink of the water of life. and we give you the praise and glory and honor in our dear Savior's name, amen. Let's take our hymn book and we're gonna sing hymn number 143, Rejoice the Lord is King, 143. Rejoice, the Lord is King, your Lord and King adore. Rejoice, give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore. Lift up your heart. Lift up your voice. Rejoice again, I say rejoice. Jesus, the Savior reigns, the God of truth and love. When he had purged our stains, he took his seat above. Lift up your heart. Lift up your voice, rejoice again. I say, rejoice. His kingdom cannot fail. He rules over earth and heaven. The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus. Lift up your heart. Lift up your voice, rejoice again. I say, rejoice. Rejoice in glorious hope. Our Lord the judge shall come and take his servants up to their eternal home. Lift up your heart. Lift up your voice, rejoice again, I say rejoice. Let's take our Bibles and look again in Daniel chapter 9. This is going to be a follow-up from last week's message. Verses 20 to 27. I just read the text and made a few comments, but then spent most of the time explaining the meaning of the word Messiah. And that's really what we're looking at here as we look at the titles of Christ, the Messiah, and the M's. So last time the Messiah, but I would add this title this time, Messiah the Prince, because that's how he is designated here in the book of Daniel. with the time that he wrote this was in captivity in Babylon. And he had actually been reading the prophet Jeremiah. So what I wanna do first here is read again my text in Daniel 9, 20 to 27, and then go back and see what Jeremiah had been shown of the Lord. Jeremiah was contemporary with Daniel. The Lord purposed that Daniel be taken out of the land. When the Babylonians first came down, there were three incursions into Israel and Daniel was part of the first taken out. They like to do that. The Babylonians, they would go for the cream of the crop. Whoever they saw was, could be fit to be trained, to be part of their administration and direction. And they, they would take them out of the land, but Jeremiah, the Lord purpose that he remained in the land. And so everything that Jeremiah prophesied, he lived through, he lived through the destruction of Jerusalem. And the Lord had caused him to do some writing that Daniel had access to. But here in Daniel nine and verse 20, whilst I was speaking and praying, So Daniel was doing some reading in the scrolls, in the scripture and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel. Here we see Daniel as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. When he says confessing my sin, when the Lord came as the representative of his people, that sin that he confessed, he owned it by imputation, not by inheriting it or infusion, but imputation. So Daniel here, when he's confessing his sin and the sin of his people, he's identifying with them in their judgment, just like the Lord Jesus Christ did in his judgment. He identified with that people that the father gave him yet without sin. In fact, we know that with regard to Daniel's enemies, they sought every way they could to find fault with him. And the only way they found fault was in how he worshiped his God. Again, a parallel with the Lord Jesus Christ, where they sought any way they could to ensnare him, but they could not find any fault with him. Even down to Pilate, who washed his hands of that condemnation and said, I find no fault in him. So we see some parallels even with Daniel here. But he was presenting his supplication before the Lord, it says in verse 20, my God for the holy mountain of my God. The reason he called that mountain in Jerusalem holy, it's because it had been consecrated and set apart by God. All the way back to Abraham when he went up on that Mount Moriah to offer up his son and God brought a ram to him that replaced Isaac as a substitute. It was on that mountain that years later Solomon would build the temple. So it's not that the dirt was holy or that the buildings were holy, but in fact, they'd already been destroyed when Daniel was writing this, but holy in the sense that consecrated to the Lord. That's what sanctification means. It means to set apart to holiness. So while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. Even though the temple was no longer in existence, Yet the Lord purpose that Daniel should offer up prayers during those times that typically the sacrifices were offered in the temple that was non-existent at this point, but it was morning and evening. And he informed me that is Gabriel and talked with me and said, Oh Daniel, I am now come forth to give these skill and understanding. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ had all wisdom. And yet as a man, he grew in wisdom and stature before the Lord, though he were a son, yet he learned obedience. And I see even here, Daniel being a type of the Lord Jesus Christ in needing to understand clearly the scriptures and how they pertain. That's why our Lord studied the scriptures. And he did not lay down his life until every jot and tittle had been fulfilled. Even at the age of 12, he was answering those Jewish religious leaders in the temple when Joseph and Mary were looking for him and found him. And Somewhat scolded him for giving them some worry during the three days they couldn't find him. And what did he say? Don't you know I must be about my father's business even at the age of 12 He was studying even though Daniel here was in captivity It's like our Lord. It could be said was in captivity when he took on a body It was infinite taking on finite he purposed that God should dwell in that body. And to this day, even when he ascended on high, there's a body, there's a man in glory. And if you will, the very Godhead captive in that body, that's how God has purposed it. But in his life, in this world, being a wilderness and submitted to judgment, yet we find him wanting to read what scriptures he had. That's like, it says in Psalm one, blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor sit in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. And in that law, he does meditate day and night. That's Christ. That's what he did when he was on this earth. And that's what we see Daniel here doing. And it says at the beginning of thy supplications, the commandment came forth and I'm come to thee for our thou art greatly beloved. So you could look at this as him being one of God's elect and loved before time. One for whom the Lord Jesus Christ would come in time and pay his debt, but also again, as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ was called the beloved of the father. Three times he caused his voice to be heard when he was on this earth. This is my what beloved son and whom I am well pleased. So again, the parallels continue between Daniel. a type of Christ thou art greatly beloved not just beloved but greatly beloved therefore understand the matter and consider the vision now this is important as we get down into what's this next part the 70 weeks my has there been all kinds of confusion over these 70 weeks all kinds of interpretations but let's see what the Lord has to say he says 70 weeks are determined to upon thy people and upon thy holy city." So with regard to that people, and certainly Daniel would have been interceding on behalf of that people, the Jewish people, the remnant. But here the Lord says 70 weeks are determined. So he's giving a time period. And here's what's important to finish the transgression. and to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint thee most holy." 70 weeks. We have people today that say that, well, 69 of these weeks have been accomplished, but there's still one week out there that still remains to be fulfilled. And so you get all of these prophecies of people and times looking over in the middle East and looking for signs and. of the times and determining when this last week will actually be ushered in. But it says specifically, doesn't it, in verse 24, 70 weeks are determined from the time of the going forth of decree that they should go back and rebuild the city all the way down to the end when it says to seal up the vision and prophecy. And people today are saying there's still prophecy and certain visions that are yet to be fulfilled and they've missed it because this 70 weeks, it says to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. That's speaking of again, Christ the Messiah. That's what the word Messiah means. It's the anointed one. And therefore, we need to consider prayerfully and carefully what is being said here. We're not, I'll just go ahead and say it. We're not looking for another week to be fulfilled because the scriptures say clearly 70 weeks. And when you look at what was to be fulfilled in that 70 weeks, there are six predicted items Here, aren't there? First, what? To finish the transgression. Finish what transgression? Well, finish the transgression of that people that Christ came to save. And either he did it or he didn't. So when he cried from the cross, it is finished there in John. We know that this was in fulfillment. of this prophecy that should take place during those 70 weeks. There's not any transgression yet to be finished as far as the Lord's people are concerned. As far as the elect, as far as those that the father gave to his son, it is finished. And we know that everything that Christ suffered, he suffered according to the determinant counsel It says over there in Acts 2 in verse 23, and foreknowledge of God. There again, what's the foreknowledge of God? It's not just God looking down and seeing what they would do to his son, but it is his foreknowledge of what he has determined and what he has decreed. And We know that all of this was fulfilled in Christ's earthly ministry. That's what he did. He finished the transgression. So complete was the work of the Lord Jesus Christ when he had lived out his life and earned and established that righteousness necessary to answer every one of God's demands on behalf of that people that the father gave him and then laid down his life There remained nothing but righteousness to impute to their account because it was finished as far as the East is from the West. So far has God removed the sin of his people. The work is complete, but second, we see there, there are six items here. Second, to make an end of sins. Now we know that's not speaking the end of sins in general in the world because the world continues in sin. And nor does it mean that he would make an end of sins in every single person. But what he's talking about here and what's being revealed to Daniel, this is why we're studying this. This is the Messiah who was to come. He didn't come to set up some earthly kingdom. But he came to put away sin by his death and the offering of himself. That's why Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews says there in Hebrews 10, 12, and if you want to write these references next to some of these descriptions here, Hebrews 10, 12, it was that he offered the one sacrifice for sins forever. Where was sin put away? It was put away there at the cross. And even in Hebrews one, all the whole epistle to the Hebrews, that's why it was written to the Hebrews. These were Jews that had the old Testament. And yet the writer is showing them that everything that was prophesied concerning this Messiah who was to come was fulfilled there in his death. They couldn't understand how he could be the Messiah and then have to lay down his life. But without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. And that's why Hebrews 1, 3 would be another reference you could put there. When he had by himself, what purged our sins. Purge means to completely put away. And there are many other such passages that we read about in the scripture. So that's the second item. to make an end of sins. They're all tied together. Third, it says there to make reconciliation for iniquity. This word here translated reconciliation is sometimes rendered a tone in some of the way that men write about it, but actually it means reconciliation. There's a one time in the New Testament, you won't find the word atone used in any way with regard to Christ's death because his death was not an atonement. His death was a propitiation. It was a reconciliation. What confuses some is when the translators were writing about Christ's death and that he made an atonement sin. It's actually in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, that word is not the word atonement, it's the word reconciliation, that he made reconciliation. So that means he didn't just come to cover the sin as it was with animal sacrifices, but he came to put it away and therefore Christ's death is an accomplishment. And therefore he made reconciliation. There again, so complete was that work of Christ, the reconciliation that was fulfilled through his death, that there is nothing that stands between God and that people for whom Christ died. That's why Christ, when he went about preaching that the time was at hand, the time is fulfilled. In the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son, made of a woman and made under the law. It was for this purpose, to reconcile the elect of God unto God. You say, well, they were elect, so weren't they already reconciled? No, they were elected unto salvation. And they were given to Christ that he might come and fulfill every condition necessary for God to be just and justified. But he had to do the work. There had to be that reconciliation that took place. And then fourthly, we read here, to bring in everlasting righteousness. Now I like to put a capital R there on that word righteousness. Because there wasn't any righteous man until Christ actually came and walked this earth. And that it was necessary that he come and bring in that everlasting righteousness. Some people say, boy, if we could just go back to the beginning before Adam fell and restart. No, we don't want that because that wasn't righteousness. Adam was created in a state of innocence, but that's not righteousness. And therefore he fell. What we need is a righteousness that can never be taken away. And that's what the scriptures say here, to bring in an everlasting righteousness without end. And there again, when did that occur? When Christ laid down his life. That's why his kingdom is called a kingdom of righteousness. and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit there in Romans chapter 14 and verse 17. And that's why Jeremiah foresaw this in calling him the Lord, our righteousness that was in Christ. And then fifthly, it says to seal up the vision and prophecy. This was to complete everything that had ever been said and prophesied concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. When we read the old Testament, it all looks forward to him, his coming, his suffering and his glorification. When he completed the work ascended on high, there was that ceiling up. if you will, of the vision and prophecy. That means there's no more vision or prophecy being given. That what we have here in the written word, the inspired word, is all that has ever been declared and said concerning this Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who was to come. And what a blessed truth that is. But the sixth point there says to anoint the most holy one to anoint the most holy. Well, that has to do with the Lord Jesus Christ coming and being that anointed one. That's what the word Messiah means. And we know that when he was on this earth, that the spirit of God was upon him. It was in him. He was given the spirit without measure, but it was upon him. And that's a picture of that. anointing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's go on because we want to get to verse 27. Now, therefore, having established all of that, and certainly we see that fulfilled in Christ's coming that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. Here it is unto the Messiah, the Prince. So that descriptive is added to it. The Prince, the ruler. Yes, in his humiliation, he came as a man, submitted himself, not thinking that robbery to be equal with God, as it says in Philippians 2. But who was he? The Prince, the ruler. When he came on this earth, that what men did to him, he wasn't a victim. That's not how he's presented. He was ruling and directing and everything that took place, just like he told Pilate when Pilate said to him, don't you know, I have power to crucify you? And he said to Pilate, you would have no power at all, except it be given of my father. I always like to think, you know, we talk about Christ being on trial before Pilate. It was just the opposite. Pilate was on trial before Christ because Christ was the judge. Christ was holding court there and Pilate could do not one thing other than what had been determined. So that's what we see here with regard to Messiah, the Prince. And it says it shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks. Well, if you had that up, that comes to 69 weeks that the street would be built again. So this goes all the way back to Cyrus. the Persian king that the Lord raised up and in Isaiah called him his servant and gave the decree that he should actually, that Israel should actually go forth and begin to rebuild the street and the wall, even in troublous times. When we were reading through Ezra and Nehemiah, those were those troublous times. And yet nothing could hinder them doing what God had sent them back to do. And here's the important thing, just like up in verse 24 says 70 weeks are determined, so this whole thing needs to be wrapped up in that 70 weeks. So I mentioned 69 weeks, but what about that last week? Right here it says, after three score and two weeks, that is the second part of that 69 weeks, shall Messiah be cut off? Notice after. A lot of people have us in a parentheses right now that somehow that we're waiting for this last week to be fulfilled. No, it says that he would be cut off, but not of himself. And the people of the Prince shall come that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. You know, he's called Messiah, the Prince up there in verse 25, and that's put in a capital P. I like to think that the people of the Prince, it's still him, the Prince directing, that's Christ. And purposing that during this time period of this last week of that 72 weeks, that the city would be destroyed and the sanctuary And the end thereof shall be with a flood and under the end of the war, desolations are determined. We know that all of that took place in 70 AD when the Lord, and that's why I like that term, the people of the Prince. Rome was as much the people of the Prince as the Jews were because he's sovereign. He's overall. And even in that, he was directing as to the destruction of Jerusalem. And this is what the Lord is revealing to Daniel through Gabriel, that all of this would take place when it says there, he would be cut off. That's a term of execution. It was by the cutting off of the Messiah that those six predicted things in verse 24 were to be accomplished. and that it was by the cutting off of the Messiah that you read here in verse 27 when it says, He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. That's that last week. It's a prophetic term. If you take 70 times 7 days in a week comes out to 490, each one representing a year, you can actually count down and calculate from the time the decree went forth all the way down to the cross, that it was that 490 years of which was spoken of here. And it was to be confirmed. You see, this is where people get this wrong because they say here, the people of the Prince, they say that's the Antichrist. And that's somebody who's still to come and in the middle of the week, he's gonna break his covenant. They have all this theory that somehow there's going to be an Antichrist coming. He's going to establish a covenant again with the people of Israel. And in the middle of that week, then he's going to break that covenant. And if you've been following some of the prophecies, they've had different ones. You know, Henry Kissinger back in the day, they said he was Antichrist because he was working to try to negotiate terms with the Jews and the Arabs and all these, that's foolishness. This here, when it says he shall confirm the covenant with many, what did Christ do on the eve of his death there at the Passover table? He said, this is the blood of the new Testament, which is shed for many. He confirmed that covenant. Testament means covenant. And so this was to be confirmed through the sacrifice and the oblation, whereby, when it says there, in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. That's why we don't have any more sacrifices today. No more earthly or animal sacrifices to be offered. Why? Because Christ is the lamb. He's the one that finished the work. And then it goes on, for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate. That's why ultimately in 70 AD, he destroyed, Christ came again in 70 AD in clouds of glory, it says there in Matthew 24, and destroyed that temple because the Jews were determined to continue to offer up sacrifices and oblations of animals that Christ said already had been fulfilled. Even until the consummation, that strong land, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. In other words, the Lord would use Titus and the Roman army to come in and destroy completely that city and that temple. It had no more value and still has no more value today. Quit following these people that say that somehow Christ has to come again and fulfill something that is yet unfulfilled, no. The whole 72 weeks were summed up from beginning the decree given all the way down to the cutting off of the Messiah in the middle of the week. And that is Christ's death. I said early on that this is what Daniel was reading in Jeremiah, just a couple of references, and then we'll stop. Jeremiah 25 and verse 11. This is what Daniel was reading. It says here, and this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment. And these nations shall serve the King of Babylon, how long? 70 years. So while Daniel was looking at that, he figured out it had been 70 years. It was coming up close to 70 years. And it's interesting that when Gabriel came and talked to him, see 70, 70 weeks, these are fulfilled in this prophecy concerning the Messiah. 70 years of judgment, but then 70 years for the complete continuation of God's working with that nation until he ultimately destroyed it. Paul wrote about it to Thessalonians concerning the Jews upon whom the wrath of God has come to the uttermost. Quit calling the Jewish people God's people. Now his people, Paul says, it's not the circumcision of the flesh, but of the heart. And there's neither Jew nor Gentile bond or free in Christ. Also in Jeremiah 29 and verse 10. Remember, Jeremiah lived through this, but this is what Daniel would have been reading when he understood that the end was almost there. In Jeremiah 29 and verse 10, for thus saith the Lord, that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you in causing you to return to this place." And that's when the decree went forth. It went from 70 years down to now 70 weeks, prophetic weeks, from that time all the way down to Christ's death, 490 years. Interesting history, but that's who he is, Messiah, the Prince, and I'm thankful that he is. He's done God's work. He was sent for that purpose. And because of that, sin has been put away for his people and righteousness established forever. Let's sing this final hymn, hymn number 35, Praise My Soul Who the King of Heaven. Hymn number 35. Praise my soul, the King of heaven, to his feet thy tribute bring. ♪ Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven ♪ ♪ Evermore His praises sing ♪ ♪ Alleluia, praise the everlasting King ♪ ♪ Alleluia, praise the everlasting King ♪ ♪ Father like He tends and spares us ♪ ♪ Well our feeble frame He knows ♪ In his hands he gently bears us, rescues us from all our woes. Alleluia, widely yet his mercy flows. Alleluia, widely yet his mercy flows. Angels in the height adore him, ye behold him face to face. ♪ Sun and moon bow down before him ♪ ♪ Dwellers all in time and space ♪ ♪ Alleluia, praise with us the God of grace ♪ ♪ Alleluia, praise with us the God of grace ♪ Amen. With that, we will be dismissed and we'll look forward to the next time, Lord willing.