9) "Cut off" means "put to death" according to my Jewish friend. He grew up in Israel and fought in the Yom Kippur war... an Israeli through and through. He came over with his Hebrew Bible and read Daniel 9:27 to me in Hebrew and gave me his notes from the lessons he taught on this subject. I have not confirmed his meaning of the word, but it was a special experience for me either way
So... I pray that one day I will understand Daniel 9:27 correctly and be able to articulate it clearly. Since this verse is the verse that causes so much division in the theological camps, it must be the key to the truth, and all I know right now is that there is a good reason to believe the "he" is the Messiah and not the antichrist.
I agree that a proper understanding of Daniel 9 is the KEY that will unlock everything for us......
Now, I will attempt to show step by step (and my intent is not trying to be insulting by going step by step) how the HE cannot be Jesus Christ (The Messiah).
Daniel 9 26 after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be eliminated. No one will support him.
The army of a future leader will destroy the city and the sanctuary. His[c] end will come in a flood, but devastations will be decreed until the end of the war.[d] 27 For one week, he will make a strong covenant with many people. For a half-week, he will stop both sacrifices and offerings. In their place[e] will be the desolating monstrosities until the decreed destruction sweeps over the devastator.” (CEB) {I find the Common English Bible version makes it read easier}
As you point out in point 9 in your statement and as the CEB translations says "an anointed one will be eliminated" or "put to death"
SO the anointed one IS DEAD after the "sixty-two weeks" -- then there is a period (two in the CEB translation) and the next sentence begins.
"The Army of a future leader" -- destroys both the city and temple ......
Looking at another translation
26 Then after the 62 weeks, the anointed one[k] will be cut down (but not for himself).[l] Then the people of the Coming Commander[m] will destroy both the city and the Sanctuary. Its ending will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war, with desolations having been decreed. 27 He will make a binding covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he will suspend both the sacrifice and grain offerings.(ISV)
As you can see the only difference between these translations is that one translation says "The Army of a future leader" and the other says "Then the people of the Coming Commander" --- basically the same thing except one calls it army the other as people -- BUT both refer to the Commander or Leader.
Both end in periods -- so means both were complete thoughts. Now I know Mr. Matson likes to pretend that grammar says the "HE" has to point back to the last person not in a prepositional phrase -- to make it a clear reading ... which takes Mr. Matson to the anointed one.
HOWEVER, the anointed one is DEAD within this passage -- therefore the anointed one cannot be the HE
Remember we in hindsight know full well that the Jesus Christ did die and He did Rise to life again.... BUT this scripture DOES NOT KNOW this
You simple have the anointed one -- who is dead and the Leader (Commander) of some group of people.....
Therefore the only "LIVING" person within this scripture is the Leader -- therefore it is the Leader who is the "HE"......
Since that is the only singular person who is STILL ALIVE for it to be........ (based off the passage)......
Now Chuck Missler believes it is a leader from the Assyrian branch -- since one third of the Army that destroyed the city in AD70 was Assyrian -- I will not go so far as to state that ... but it will be someone from Roman Legion who did sack the city.