Vineyard Labourer Bible College

Study 11

A GREAT PROPHETIC PERIOD

In the book of Daniel chapter 8:14 we find the longest time prophecy in the Bible. Today we can look back on history and see the fulfilment of this prophecy to the letter, but to Daniel it was so hard to understand that it made him sick (verse 27).

Briefly, the vision Daniel received was as follows: He saw two beasts, a ram and a goat, in conflict. The ram was destroyed. Then the goat, which had a great horn between its eyes, went through a change. The great horn was broken and was replaced by four horns. Then from one of these four horns there "came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great." (Verse 9). In Daniel 8:11, 12 we are informed that this horn "cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered." Daniel next heard one saint asking, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." (Verses 13, 14.) The angel Gabriel then explains to Daniel the meaning of this dream in verses 17-27.

Over five hundred years before Jesus was born, the time of Christ's coming, His anointing by the Holy Spirit at His baptism, His death, and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles, were definitely pointed out by this prophecy.

WHAT SAITH THE LORD

1.   What part of the vision did Gabriel get up to when Daniel fainted and was sick? Daniel 8:10-14; Daniel 8:25-27.

"And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel 8:10-14.

"And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it." Daniel 8:25-27.

2.   Whom did God sent a second time to help Daniel understand this? Daniel 9:21-23.

"Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision." Daniel 9:21-23.

3.   How much of the 2,300 days was to be "determined," or "cut off," for Daniel's people, the Jews? Daniel 9:24.

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." Daniel 9:24.

Note: Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34 indicate that in symbolic Bible prophecy a "day" is used to denote a "year". Thus these 2,300 days actually are 2,300 years of time. The 70 weeks "cut off" from the major part of the prophecy for the Jews, would thus represent 490 years of time.

4.   When does this great time prophecy of 2,300 years begin? Daniel 9:25.

"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." Daniel 9:25.

Note: The decree to restore and build Jerusalem was given by the Persian King Artaxerxes in the 457th year B.C., or about 456 1/4 B.C.

5.   When was the Messiah or Christ to appear according to this prophecy? Daniel 9:25.

"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." Daniel 9:25.

Note: The Messiah was to appear "7 weeks and 62 weeks" (score = 20) after the commencement date of the prophecy. That is 69 weeks, or 483 prophetic days or years, after 456 1/4 B.C. This brings us to the date of 26 3/4 A. D., or the 27th year A.D.

6.   Did Jesus become the Messiah in that year? John 1:41; Acts 10:38; Matthew 3:16, 17.

"He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ." John 1:41.

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Acts.10.38.

"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16, 17.

Note: "Messiah" and "Christ" mean the "Anointed One." Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit at His baptism. He was "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23) when He was baptised, and most scholars agree that this was in the year 27 A.D., which is the date that Daniel prophesied it would be.

7.   When was Jesus' death to occur? Daniel 9:26, 27.

"And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:26, 27.

Note: 69 weeks brought us to the "Messiah." One week left from the 70 weeks already "cut off" for the Jews. One week is 7 prophetic days, or 7 years. Jesus was to be "cut off" in the "midst" or "middle" of this week. This would be 3 1/2 years after His anointing. 26 3/4 A.D. + 3 1/2 years = 30 1/4 A.D. Jesus Christ's ministry ended 3 1/2 years after His baptism, with His crucifixion.

8.   What special event happen 3 1/2 years after this that caused the gospel to be preached to the gentiles? Acts 7:58 to 8:1.

"And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts 7: 58, 59.

"And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles." Acts 8:1.

Note: Stephen preached Christ to the Jews. They stoned him to death and persecuted the followers of Jesus in 34 A.D. By this act the Jews, as a nation, fully rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah and their time was "determined" that they were no longer God's special people. But like everyone else in this world, they can be saved as individuals if they accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Galatians 3:28, 29. At this time, because of the persecutions, the gospel was preached to the Gentiles.

9.   After the "cutting off" of the Jewish nation at the end of the 490 years, how much time was left to the closing of 2,300 years?

2,300 years - 490 years = 1810
33 A.D. + 1810 years = 1843 3/4 , or the 1844th year A.D.

10.   What was to take place at the end of the 2,300 years? Daniel 8:14.

"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel 8:14.

11.   If the sanctuary services were done away with at the crucifixion (Colosians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:15), what sanctuary had to be cleansed in 1844?
Hebrews 8:1, 2; 9:23, 24.

"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Hebrews 8:1, 2.

"It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:" Hebrews 9:23, 24.

12.   What was the special name given to the cleansing of the sanctuary in Moses time, which was a pattern of the heavenly? Leviticus 23:27, 28.

"Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God."
Leviticus 23:27, 28.

13.   How often and in what part of the sanctuary did the high priest officiate in on the day of Atonement? Leviticus 16:14-16, 34; Exodus 26:34.

"And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." Leviticus 16:14-16.

"And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses."
Leviticus 16:34.

"And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place." Exodus 26:34.

14.   According to the earthly pattern, therefore, where did Jesus Christ our High Priest go in 1844? (Also see Hebrew 9:7, 11.)

"But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;" Hebrews 9:7, 11.

15.   When was the prophecy to be fulfilled? Daniel 8:17.

"So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision." Daniel 8:17.

From the study we have just completed and the one previous, Unfolding the future, we can clearly see that we are at the end of time. We are fast approaching the day when our High Priest will cease to intercede for us and declare, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:11, 12.

Commitment:- I believe we are at the end of time and that Jesus Christ is my High Priest officiating, before the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, on my behalf.

© S. D. Goeldner, November, 2011. Last updated July, 2019.
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