9:27 he shall confirm. The antecedent of “he” must be the person last mentioned, that is, “the prince that shall come” (Daniel 9:26), the one whose “people” had destroyed the city. The context in these verses seems clearly to preclude any reference to Messiah. This can be none other than the future Antichrist.

9:27 one week. Finally the seventieth week begins, with a treaty made by the Antichrist with the Jews, apparently allowing them to reestablish their temple and its ceremonies in Jerusalem. But note that this “week” of seven years only begins after the following events have taken place after the sixty-ninth week was finished: (1) The Messiah has been cut off, or put to death (A.D. 30); (2) Jerusalem and its temple have been destroyed (A.D. 70); (3) The Jewish people have been exiled into all the nations (A.D. 135); (4) Wars and desolations persist in the world to the end (at least from A.D. 135 to the present, and beyond).

9:27 midst of the week. The future seven-year period will be divided into two halves. The first 3½ years will see the ancient temple worship restored in Jerusalem, under the protection of “the prince that shall come,” who will have achieved sufficient power by this time to make such a treaty (see notes on Daniel 7:25; 8:23-25; etc.). The last half will begin when he breaks this treaty, and demands worship of himself and his Satanic master, setting up his own image in the holy place (Matthew 24:15-21; Daniel 8:9-12; II Thessalonians 2:3-4; etc.). Much of the book of Revelation is occupied with the details of this climactic seven-year period of world history.

9:27 overspreading of abominations. The “overspreading of abominations” can be paraphrased as the “ultimate in blasphemous idolatry.” “Abomination” is a word often used in Scripture for an idol, and “overspreading” refers to wings. Replacing the mercy-seat in the holy place in the temple will be the image of the Beast, and the wings shadowing his image will replace the out-stretched wings of the cherubim. Christ called this “the abomination of desolation” (Mark 13:14). In citing this event as still future, Christ acknowledged that Daniel was, indeed, a prophet.