Study of the Sanctuary - Part 6

2300 days prophecy

Review of the 70 weeks:

So, the Seventy weeks prophetically represents 490 years. The 490 years began when Artaxerxes sent out the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 7:12-26). The last week of the Prophetic 70 weeks (or the beginning of the last 7 years) was marked by the Anointing of Christ, the Messiah, at His baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. It was at this Baptism that Jesus began His ministry.
            In the Midst of the last week of the prophecy, (A.D. 31) Christ was crucified, and the sacrifices and ordinances of the tabernacle were made to cease. That is when the ceremonial laws were fulfilled. The work of the tabernacle was then moved to the heavenly Sanctuary; Christ became our High Priest and now labors in the Heavenly as our Mediator to make atonement for our sins. No other mediator would I want other than Jesus Himself.
            The end of the 70 weeks was marked in A.D. 34, when the Jews began persecuting the true followers of Christ by the stoning of Steven. At this time the Gospel moved from the Jews and became available to the gentiles (all the earth), to any who would receive it.

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The 70 weeks prophecy and the 2300 days prophecy are connected. To find out how, we need to review the Vision in which Daniel received the prophecy.

Where is the prophecy found?

Daniel 8:13 and 14

13 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?

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

In Chapter eight of Daniel, a vision is given to him about a Ram with two horns, one horn being taller than the other. This Ram was portrayed as powerful and strong, and it pushed towards the West, North, and South so that no beast might stand before him (verse 4). Then, as Daniel was considering the ram, a He Goat came from the West on the face of the whole earth “and touched not the ground…” (5). This goat had a notable horn between its eyes. Now, according to that which is written, the goat charged at the Ram and smote him, and the Ram was powerless against the goat, and the goat cast the ram down and stamped upon him. The goat became very powerful, and when he was strong the horn between his eyes was broken, and four horns came up in its place. “And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10 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. 11 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. 12 And a 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. (Verses 9-12).” After this point in the prophecy is where the 2300 days prophecy was given to Daniel.
            When Daniel received the vision, he was confused about it and sought for the meaning. Then Gabriel was sent unto him to make known to him the meaning. (Verses 15-26).
            In Short, the angel said that the vision would happen at the time of the end. The Angel said, “The Ram that though sawest having two horns are the Kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia (Greece): and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. (20, 21).” Then, four more kings rose up in the same kingdom, but not in the same power. One of these kings, as being described as “a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up (23).” This king is the one who is mighty, but not by his own power. He shall destroy many with peace, and he will stand up against the Prince of princes, but will be defeated.

So, what does this prophecy have to do with the 2300 days, and the cleansing of the Sanctuary? The precise link between the vision and the prophecy is not all very clear to me yet, I am still studying it out, but there is a definite connection between the cleansing of the sanctuary being near the time of the end, and when the “transgression of desolation” shall be set up. (Read Daniel 12, verse 11).

Now I need you to think back a ways to the tabernacle of Israel. What was the cleansing ceremony of the sanctuary?

So, the Prophecy says in Dan 8:14, that the Sanctuary would be cleansed, or begin being cleansed at the end of 2300 days. Remember that in Israel there was an annual event that took place with the sanctuary that all the people of Israel prepared themselves for. This day was called the Day of Atonement. The purpose of the Day of Atonement was to cleanse the sanctuary from all the sins of the people from throughout the year that had been laid upon the sanctuary. (Note: when the evening or morning sacrifice was carried out, the sins that were confessed upon the sacrifice would be ceremonially placed upon the tabernacle until the tenth day of the 7^th month of the year). In the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would make a special offering and sacrifice for the sins of the people and his own. Then, the high priest would take blood of the sacrifice and go into the most holy Place to make atonement to the Father, for intercession for Israel. Once the atonement was made for Israel, the sins would have to be removed from the camp and from the Sanctuary. Thus was the purpose of the Scapegoat. The sins would be put upon the Scape goat, and a fit man would take the goat out of the camp to leave it, outside the camp. The Fit man would then cleanse himself before returning to the camp. Likewise, is the same pattern in the heavenly Sanctuary? (We will look at the Cleansing of the heavenly Sanctuary later in the study).

At the end of the 2300 days prophecy, what sanctuary was to be cleansed? What is the Sanctuary representing here in Dan 8:14? Is the Sanctuary here a symbol of something? Or literal?

It would be a literal sanctuary being mentioned in this verse, but which sanctuary? We already know that the 70 weeks prophecy specified that the physical earthly sanctuary and its ordinances were finished in the midst of the 49^th week (Dan 9:27), so what other sanctuary could there be? The heavenly, of course, because at the end of the 70 weeks the daily sacrifices and oblations had been made to cease. Christ had fulfilled their purpose and thus, when He died, the work was removed from the earthly to the heavenly sanctuary. Therefore, we know that at the end of the 2300 days, it could only be the heavenly sanctuary that would be cleansed, and that it did not represent the earth.

Now, coming to the understanding of the sanctuary, there was a man who discovered the 2300 day prophecy and studied it out, and brought it to light just under 200 years ago. His name was William Miller. At the time that Miller came across this portion of truth, it was a common belief that time that the word sanctuary in Daniels vision, meant the earth. So, when Miller read that it said the “Sanctuary would be cleansed” at the end of the 2300 days, he thought the earth would be cleansed. Thus was the founding reason for the great disappointment. But, as we study this prophecy, we will realize the importance of that date 1844.

“The angel had been sent to Daniel for the express purpose of explaining to him the point which he had failed to understand in the vision of the eighth chapter, the statement relative to time—“unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” After bidding Daniel “understand the matter, and consider the vision,” the very first words of the angel are: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy Holy City.” The word here translated “determined” literally signifies “cut off.” Seventy weeks, representing 490 years, are declared by the angel to be cut off, as specially pertaining to the Jews. But from what were they cut off? As the 2300 days was the only period of time mentioned in chapter 8, it must be the period from which the seventy weeks were cut off; the seventy weeks must therefore be a part of the 2300 days, and the two periods must begin together. The seventy weeks were declared by the angel to date from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. If the date of this commandment could be found, then the starting point for the great period of the 2300 days would be ascertained. {GC 326.2}”

Remember, when did the 70 weeks begin?

Remember that the 70 weeks began when the decree from Artaxerxes was declared to go and rebuild Jerusalem? (Ezra 7:12-26). Artaxerxes was actually the third king to proclaim the decree to go and rebuild Jerusalem, but his was the final of the three. Once his decree was sent forth, the beginning of the 70 weeks began, which was in the year 457 B.C.

“Thus far every specification of the prophecies (of the 70 weeks as was shown in last week’s study) is strikingly fulfilled, and the beginning of the seventy weeks is fixed beyond question at 457 B.C., and their expiration in A.D. 34. From this data there is no difficulty in finding the termination of the 2300 days. The seventy weeks—490 days—having been cut off from the 2300, there were 1810 days remaining. After the end of 490 days, the 1810 days were still to be fulfilled. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844. Consequently the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 terminated in the year 1844. At the expiration of this great prophetic period, upon the testimony of the angel of God, “the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” Thus the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary – which was almost universally believed to be at the Second Advent – was definitely pointed out. {GC 328.2}”

Miller and his associates at first believed that the 2300 days would terminate in the spring of 1844, whereas the prophecy points to the autumn of that year. The misapprehension of this point brought disappointment and perplexity to those who had fixed upon the earlier date as the time of the Lord's coming. But this did not in the least affect the strength of the argument that the 2300 days terminated in the year 1844, and that great event represented by the cleansing of the sanctuary must then take place. [GC 328.3]"

Conclusion

Do you understand the 2300 days prophecy in full now? Can you see how the 70 weeks and 2300 days are connected?

The 2300 days (or using the interpretation of a day for a year rule found in Ezekiel 4:6, the 2300 years) is directly connected to the 70 weeks prophecy because they both began at the same time by Artaxerxes decree to rebuild Jerusalem, and by how the 70 weeks Prophecy is said to be “cut off” from the 2300 days. Together, the prophecies began in the year 457 B.C.

The 2300 days (or years) ended 1810 years after the termination of the 70 weeks (A.D. 34) in the autumn of 1844. It was at this time that the work that Christ was doing in the heavenly Sanctuary moved from the Holy place, to making atonement in the Most Holy place. Thus marked the beginning of the cleansing of the Sanctuary.

In the Heavenly Sanctuary, Christ has ascended carrying the sins of all the wicked. In the most holy place, Christ has enacted as our high priest committed to carrying out the service of salvation for sinners. Currently, we are being watched and judged by God in contrast to His law, to see whether or not we are worthy to receive the atoning blood of Christ. This means we currently reside in the time of Judgement.

May we each realize the true impact of this time, its true importance. Let us be sure to examine ourselves and repent and confess all things to Christ, so that He can cover our sins by the blood that He shed for us.

So that HE can make atonement for us. 

Once this the Sunday law is passed, it marks the time when probation begins. Do we not know that these things are near to coming to pass? That the signs of the times that have been given to us as warnings, that the end is near? It surely is near. Amen?

So, may we make use of our time now, so that we can be ready to be with Jesus our savior when He comes soon in the clouds. That is my wish and prayer for each of us.