SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Four

"Seventy shabuwa are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

1. to finish the transgression, and
2. to make an end of sins, and
3. to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
5. to seal up the vision and prophecy, and
6. to anoint the most Holy." (Daniel 9:24)

In this segment we will examine the second item on the above list:

"to make an end of sins"

First; we will see that this is NOT what ALL of our Bibles say.

"to make an end of sins" King James Version (KJV)
"to make an end of sins" New King James Version (NKJV)
"to put an end to sin" New International Version (NIV)
"to put an end to sin" English Standard Version (ESV)
"to make an end of sin" New American Standard (NASB)
"to put an end to sin" Revised Standard Version (RSV)
"to make an end of sins" American Standard Version (ASV)
"to seal up sins" Young's Literal Version (YNG)
"to make an end of sins" John Darby Version (DBY)
"to make an end of sins" Webster's Version (WEB)
"to make an end of sins" Hebrew Names Version (HNV)

There are many who believe and teach that items 1, 2 and 3 on the list were accomplished at the cross. I would agree with them, but typically, their position on item #2 is based on an interpretation of the phrase, and I can agree with that as well. At the cross, Yeshua brought an end to the dominion sin has over us (Romans 6:14).

I would like to point out the particulars of the Hebrew word translated here as 'sins', in order to further substantiate the fact that Yeshua fulfilled item #2 at the cross. I believe that this logic constitutes yet another proof of that fact, in addition to the common interpretation.

God gave instructions through Moses concerning all the facets of the Law. Among the facets of the Law of Moses were many things that would be ended when the Lamb of God fulfilled them at the cross. All of the ordinances that had to do with the death of an animal fall into that category. Here is an example of one of them.

"And thou shalt offer every day a bullock a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it." (Exodus 29:36)

The bullock that was offered every day as sin offering was a type of the offering for sin that the coming Christ would be. The sin offering was a picture of the atonement which would be made by God in Christ.

[an aside: notice what is anointed here and remember it for later.]

Returning now to our phrase "to make an end of sins" we find that the Hebrew word is translated as 'sins' 182 times. BUT THAT SAME WORD is also translated as 'sin offering' 116 times. Well, so what?

I'm so glad you asked.

If the Hebrew word (#2403) had been translated in Daniel 9:24 as 'sin offering' instead of as 'sin', we might read our phrase as; "to make an end of the sin offering". Interestingly enough, at the cross of Christ, the commandment to make an offering for sin, a sin offering, was fulfilled. Christ was the final sin offering. (compare Hebrews 10:8, 18) That's why believers in Yeshua today don't make bloody offerings. Yeshua is our sin offering.

Now, perhaps the translators all got it right when they translated the Hebrew word as 'sin', but I do find it interesting that the 'sin offering' was done away with, fulfilled at the cross of Christ.

Summary: One of the things that God was going to accomplish during the Seventy shabuwa was to put an end to the 'sin offering' by fulfilling the 'sin offering' in Christ.