Question: “I have been studying the prophecies of Daniel 8 & 9. I do not understand Daniel 9:26 ‘and after threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off.’ Isn’t that at the end of the 69th week where Christ was cut off in the middle of the 70th week?”
Answer: There is an easy way to understand this if we break the prophecy into four sections:
7 weeks, 3 score and two weeks = starting from 457 B.C. to Jesus being anointed with Holy Spirit
7 weeks = starting from 457 B.C. taking us to the time when Jerusalem was rebuilt by Nehemiah
3 score and 2 weeks = starting from after Jerusalem was rebuilt to Jesus anointed with Holy Spirit
1 week = starting from after Jesus was anointed to when the covenant was confirmed/end of 70 week time line (34 A.D.)
Daniel 9:25 lumps 7 weeks and 3 score and 2 weeks together. For a total of 483 weeks from 457 B.C. to the anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit (27 A.D.)
Daniel 9:26 begins after the 7 weeks, therefore it only speaks of the 3 score and 2 weeks to Messiah (anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit). In other words, verse 26 is taking us from after the rebuilding of Jerusalem to Messiah (3 score and 2 weeks).