SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH

This is taken from my commentary note at Daniel 9:6. The difficulty in interpreting this verse is because of the possible meanings associated with the term Messiah or anointed one (BDB 603).

1. used of Jewish kings (e.g., 1 Sam. 2:10; 12:3)

2. used of Jewish priests (e.g., Lev. 4:3,5)

3. used of Cyrus (cf. Isa. 45:1)

4. #1 and #2 are combined in Psalm 110 and Zechariah 4

5. used of God's special coming, Davidic King to bring in the new age of righteousness

a. line of Judah (cf. Gen. 49:10)

b. house of Jesse (cf. 2 Samuel 7)

c. universal reign (cf. Psalm 2; Isa. 9:6; 11:1-5; Mic. 5:1-4ff)

I personally am attracted to the identification of "an anointed one" with Jesus of Nazareth because of

1. the introduction of an eternal Kingdom in Daniel 2 during the fourth empire

2. the introduction of "a son of man" in Dan. 7:13 being given an eternal kingdom

3. the redemptive clauses of Dan. 9:24, which point toward a culmination of fallen world history

4. Jesus' use of the book of Daniel in the NT (cf. Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14)