In an attempt to try and arrive at some equitable and reasonable understanding as to just when Jesus the Messiah actually appeared on the historical prophetic scene, in accordance with Daniel's Prophetic Time Clock we submit the following body of evidence.
Please review the following applicable OT Passage that will be used as the premise for this argument.
Malachi 3:1
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
What we see in the above Scripture is an OT prophecy by Malachi declaring to the Jews that their coming Messenger of the Covenant Messiah would be preceded by a prophetic Messenger (John the Baptist). Therefore, the Messiah would come without delay (Hebrew pith'owm straightway/immediately) after the preaching of John the Baptist. This prophecy was later confirmed and reiterated by Jesus Himself when He proclaimed to the Jews in Matt. 11:10, Mark 1:2 and Luke 7:27 the following:
Matthew 11:10
For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Moreover, when we read the first chapter of the Gospel of John we find that John s purpose and mission to the Jews and Israel was to REVEAL the coming Messiah.
John 1:31
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
John 1:32
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Acts 1:22
Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Acts 10:37
That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
Acts 13:24
When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
Luke 3:23
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
Please take a moment and re-read Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John and look at John s formal declaration and revelation to Israel of the coming prophesied Messiah Jesus.
If we substitute Malachi s 3:1 description for the Messiah as the Messenger of the Covenant into both Daniel 9:25-26 it will reflect more light upon The Confirmed Covenant of Daniel 9:27.
Daniel 9:25-26
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [Messenger of the Covenant] shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks... And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah [Messenger of the Covenant] be cut off ...
Returning to Malachi 3:1, we need to focus on the transliterated English word to, as highlighted above, in this particular passage. In Hebrew, the actual word is or AL (EL). As such, we must look at all of the available definitions for this Hebrew word of concern. The transliterated word AL (EL) can literally mean the following To, On, With, In, or From...
THE WORD to HAS 5 MEANINGS: To, On, With, In, From
The Hebrew preposition L, or the Hebrew word EL means TO. Closer analysis of Biblical texts, conducted by both Rashi and Radack, show 5 distinct meanings.
The Hebrew word EL can mean:
Why are these acceptable alternative meanings important? If we apply the two alternative meanings of In or With regarding the passage of Malachi 3:1 we have the following results:
Malachi 3:1
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come In or With his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
Now what we see in the above passage is a fulfillment of what Jesus declared regarding the Temple of His Body in John 2:19-21 & Mark 14:58.
John 2:19-21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. [20] Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? [21] But he spake of the temple of his body.