Michael, Antiochus, and the Covenant: An Alternate View on Daniel 9:24-27

Michael, Antiochus, and the Covenant: An Alternate View on Daniel 9:24-27


Daniel 9:24–27 is often read as a far-future messianic prophecy, but when viewed through a historical lens, the picture is strikingly concrete. The Anointed One and Prince is Michael, God’s guardian of the covenant, while the forces of desecration—both foreign and domestic—play out the trials of the faithful. In this reading:


Michael = Anointed One and Prince, the divine covenantal agent


He who brings desolation = Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the foreign oppressor


The desolator = Hellenistic Jews who collaborated with Antiochus, profiting from the desecration of the temple



Daniel 9:24 – Covenant Completion


"Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy."


The seventy weeks mark the full timeline for covenantal fulfillment. Michael, as the Anointed One and Prince, ensures the faithful are protected and that God’s covenant reaches its intended end. The goal is the purification of the old covenant system and the vindication of the faithful, not distant messianic martyrdom.



Daniel 9:25 – Rebuilding Amid Turbulence


"Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time."


Michael “comes” as the Prince to guide and protect the covenantal people. The “troubled time” refers to political unrest, including the rise of Antiochus IV and pressures from neighboring powers. Jerusalem is rebuilt, but covenant life is under threat, showing the tension between divine protection and human interference.



Daniel 9:26 – Cut Off and Oppressed


"And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed."


The “cutting off” is temporary suspension of covenant protection, as Antiochus IV moves to halt sacrifices and desecrate the temple. The “people of the prince” refers to those who align with human powers—in this case, Hellenistic Jews—who aid the desecration and profit from the turmoil. Floods and wars depict historical persecution and chaos, but Michael, though “cut off” in literary terms, remains the covenant’s guarantor.



Daniel 9:27 – Covenant, Desecration, and Restoration


"And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."


The “he” is Michael, the Anointed One and Prince, sustaining the covenant.


“He who brings desolation” is Antiochus IV, who brings destruction everywhere he goes.


The “desolator” is the Hellenistic Jews who side with Antiochus,  that eventual wrath


The “decreed end” is divine vindication: temple restoration, the faithful preserved, and the covenant fulfilled despite human treachery.



Alternate Rendering of Daniel 9:27


Daniel 9:27 (Impersonal Rendering)


“A covenant will be made strong for many for one week, and in the middle of the week sacrifice and offering will cease; and upon the wing of abominations will come destruction, until the end that is decreed is poured out on the desolator.”



Many Jewish commentaries and modern critical editions, including the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) and scholars like R. L. Thompson or John J. Collins, translate Daniel 9:27 impersonally.




Conclusion


Daniel 9:24–27, read historically, is a narrative about divine oversight in the face of human corruption and foreign oppression. Michael, the Anointed One and Prince, safeguards the covenant. Antiochus IV brings external desecration, while Hellenistic Jews act as internal desolators. The “cutting off” and “desolation” are literary devices highlighting temporary trials, not annihilation. Ultimately, God’s covenant triumphs—the faithful are preserved, sacrifices are restored, and the Anointed One’s protection endures.





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