Chapter 45 – 2300 evenings and mornings
For an understanding of Dan 8:14, it is helpful to consider the context of the whole chapter. But let us look at this verse first:
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
How does the Hebrew text indicate “days” so that we can grapple with the unit of time in this prophecy, cognisant of the year-day principle (chapter 5). The Hebrew uses two words which together have been translated into “days” by the smaller portion of translations: “ereb boqer.” “Ereb” means evening, and “boqer” means morning. The majority of translations are more correct by using evenings and mornings. For example the NIV translates Dan 8:14 as follows:
14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
Daniel 8 is a recapitulation of Dan 2 where the future of the current nation is considered, and the ensuing conquering nations. In Dan 2 the golden head of the image represents Babylon, followed by Medo-Persia and then Greece etc. In Dan 8 Babylon is soon to be conquered with its last king in power. The prophecy begins with the Medes and Persians, followed by Greece. The symbol for Medo-Persia is a ram, and that of Greece is a fierce fast-moving goat. In Dan 2 the consecutive kingdoms are represented by metals, diminishing in value. Dan 8 uses clean animals to represent the two nations. These animals are not just clean in that they may be slaughtered and eaten, they are also animals used for sacrifices to God in the temple.
God did not use sacrificial animals in this prophecy by accident. He designed it in this way because the theme of the chapter is worship. God was worshipped twice a day: when the evening came, and when the day began. A sacrifice was offered in the temple at these occasions. That is why Dan 8:14 uses “evenings and mornings” in its prophecy. The previous verse indicates sacrifices:
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?
We have a saint in the vision concerned about the abolition of the worship of God. Take note that this was not Daniel’s enquiry, but a saint in the vision. Daniel was concerned about the liberation of the Jews from Babylon and was confused by this prophecy, not fully understanding that the subject of this vision did not concern the liberation of the Jews. That is why it is mentioned twice in Dan 8 that this vision had to do with the end of the world in the remote future:
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.
26 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.
Verse 13 indicates that this vision is about the trampling of the sanctuary and the host. For 2300 evenings and mornings the sanctuary and the host of God’s people will be trampled. The Adventist understanding of this period of time begins in 457 BC. Was God’s people persecuted beginning in 457 BC? Was worship of God outlawed at that time? Actually, the exact opposite occurred at that time. The captives of Babylon were set free and given the mandate to rebuild Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The worship of the true God was promoted by king Artaxerxes of Persia. The worship of the true God was suppressed in the Dark Ages, but this is not the suppression spoken of. The vision is for the time of the end. The suppression and persecution of the worshippers of the true God and His church will be at the end of time according to verses 17 and 26.
The 2300 evenings and mornings is in the future still. Is it 2300 years? God forbid. Is it real days? That is more like it. However, I believe it is not 2300 days, but rather the sum of evening and morning sacrifices – half of 2300 days. It will occur during a period of 1150 days. When will it begin and when will it end? The cleansing of the sanctuary is judgement which is the Close of Probation. Our pioneers had it right when they said that God will start judging when that time period is complete. They just had the placing of the time period wrong. With this understanding the end of the 1260-day prophecy is the same as that for the 2300 evenings-and-mornings prophecy. 1150 days is less that 1260 days by 110 days if we take the 3.5-year prophecy to be 1260 days. What marks the beginnings of these prophecies? We have already seen that the 1260-day prophecy begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Latter Rain. What happens 110 days after the outpouring of the Latter Rain? We have already seen that the first four Trumpets sound soon after the Latter Rain (chapter 19). They are natural disasters, and the First Angel’s message makes sense in the context of these disasters. When the fifth Trumpet sounds, an angel opens the door to the abyss (chapter 36) and Satan and his angels are allowed free reign. Satan appears in the form of Christ (chapter 22) and most people on Earth believe that Christ has come to Earth to help mankind through this time of disasters and turmoil. This apparition then mandates the worship of the Trinity on Sundays, and anyone that does not worship the Trinity on Sundays is outlawed. This enforcement of worship and Sunday legislation is effectively the trampling of the sanctuary and the true believers in God. By the way, the pope has expressed concern about the rise of modern-day Arianism, referring to the surge in people who reject the trinity and accept the worship of the One True God and His Only Begotten Son (John 17:3).
The beginning of the 2300 evenings and mornings of Dan 8:14 is therefore the blowing of the fifth Trumpet, when Satan is allowed to coerce false worship, trampling on true worship and true worshippers. This coercion of worship will carry on for 1150 days until Probation Closes.
This view of Dan 8:14 allows the context of Dan 8 to make sense. The event is in the future still – at the end of time as revealed in Dan 8 twice. It brings into context sacrifices and worship and trampling on true worship for the full length of the period of 2300 evenings and mornings. It also gives an alternative to the pioneer understanding of the time period during which the sanctuary was not trampled all the time. It gives an alternative to the uniquely Seventh-Day Adventist doctrine of the Investigative Judgement which does not have a strong hermeneutic foundation (chapter 44).
God bless as you consider this different interpretation of the prophecy of Dan 8:14.
For an understanding of Dan 8:14, it is helpful to consider the context of the whole chapter. But let us look at this verse first:
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
How does the Hebrew text indicate “days” so that we can grapple with the unit of time in this prophecy, cognisant of the year-day principle (chapter 5). The Hebrew uses two words which together have been translated into “days” by the smaller portion of translations: “ereb boqer.” “Ereb” means evening, and “boqer” means morning. The majority of translations are more correct by using evenings and mornings. For example the NIV translates Dan 8:14 as follows:
14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
Daniel 8 is a recapitulation of Dan 2 where the future of the current nation is considered, and the ensuing conquering nations. In Dan 2 the golden head of the image represents Babylon, followed by Medo-Persia and then Greece etc. In Dan 8 Babylon is soon to be conquered with its last king in power. The prophecy begins with the Medes and Persians, followed by Greece. The symbol for Medo-Persia is a ram, and that of Greece is a fierce fast-moving goat. In Dan 2 the consecutive kingdoms are represented by metals, diminishing in value. Dan 8 uses clean animals to represent the two nations. These animals are not just clean in that they may be slaughtered and eaten, they are also animals used for sacrifices to God in the temple.
God did not use sacrificial animals in this prophecy by accident. He designed it in this way because the theme of the chapter is worship. God was worshipped twice a day: when the evening came, and when the day began. A sacrifice was offered in the temple at these occasions. That is why Dan 8:14 uses “evenings and mornings” in its prophecy. The previous verse indicates sacrifices:
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?
We have a saint in the vision concerned about the abolition of the worship of God. Take note that this was not Daniel’s enquiry, but a saint in the vision. Daniel was concerned about the liberation of the Jews from Babylon and was confused by this prophecy, not fully understanding that the subject of this vision did not concern the liberation of the Jews. That is why it is mentioned twice in Dan 8 that this vision had to do with the end of the world in the remote future:
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.
26 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.
Verse 13 indicates that this vision is about the trampling of the sanctuary and the host. For 2300 evenings and mornings the sanctuary and the host of God’s people will be trampled. The Adventist understanding of this period of time begins in 457 BC. Was God’s people persecuted beginning in 457 BC? Was worship of God outlawed at that time? Actually, the exact opposite occurred at that time. The captives of Babylon were set free and given the mandate to rebuild Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The worship of the true God was promoted by king Artaxerxes of Persia. The worship of the true God was suppressed in the Dark Ages, but this is not the suppression spoken of. The vision is for the time of the end. The suppression and persecution of the worshippers of the true God and His church will be at the end of time according to verses 17 and 26.
The 2300 evenings and mornings is in the future still. Is it 2300 years? God forbid. Is it real days? That is more like it. However, I believe it is not 2300 days, but rather the sum of evening and morning sacrifices – half of 2300 days. It will occur during a period of 1150 days. When will it begin and when will it end? The cleansing of the sanctuary is judgement which is the Close of Probation. Our pioneers had it right when they said that God will start judging when that time period is complete. They just had the placing of the time period wrong. With this understanding the end of the 1260-day prophecy is the same as that for the 2300 evenings-and-mornings prophecy. 1150 days is less that 1260 days by 110 days if we take the 3.5-year prophecy to be 1260 days. What marks the beginnings of these prophecies? We have already seen that the 1260-day prophecy begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Latter Rain. What happens 110 days after the outpouring of the Latter Rain? We have already seen that the first four Trumpets sound soon after the Latter Rain (chapter 19). They are natural disasters, and the First Angel’s message makes sense in the context of these disasters. When the fifth Trumpet sounds, an angel opens the door to the abyss (chapter 36) and Satan and his angels are allowed free reign. Satan appears in the form of Christ (chapter 22) and most people on Earth believe that Christ has come to Earth to help mankind through this time of disasters and turmoil. This apparition then mandates the worship of the Trinity on Sundays, and anyone that does not worship the Trinity on Sundays is outlawed. This enforcement of worship and Sunday legislation is effectively the trampling of the sanctuary and the true believers in God. By the way, the pope has expressed concern about the rise of modern-day Arianism, referring to the surge in people who reject the trinity and accept the worship of the One True God and His Only Begotten Son (John 17:3).
The beginning of the 2300 evenings and mornings of Dan 8:14 is therefore the blowing of the fifth Trumpet, when Satan is allowed to coerce false worship, trampling on true worship and true worshippers. This coercion of worship will carry on for 1150 days until Probation Closes.
This view of Dan 8:14 allows the context of Dan 8 to make sense. The event is in the future still – at the end of time as revealed in Dan 8 twice. It brings into context sacrifices and worship and trampling on true worship for the full length of the period of 2300 evenings and mornings. It also gives an alternative to the pioneer understanding of the time period during which the sanctuary was not trampled all the time. It gives an alternative to the uniquely Seventh-Day Adventist doctrine of the Investigative Judgement which does not have a strong hermeneutic foundation (chapter 44).
God bless as you consider this different interpretation of the prophecy of Dan 8:14.
Chapter 45 – 2300 evenings and mornings
For an understanding of Dan 8:14, it is helpful to consider the context of the whole chapter. But let us look at this verse first:
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
How does the Hebrew text indicate “days” so that we can grapple with the unit of time in this prophecy, cognisant of the year-day principle (chapter 5). The Hebrew uses two words which together have been translated into “days” by the smaller portion of translations: “ereb boqer.” “Ereb” means evening, and “boqer” means morning. The majority of translations are more correct by using evenings and mornings. For example the NIV translates Dan 8:14 as follows:
14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
Daniel 8 is a recapitulation of Dan 2 where the future of the current nation is considered, and the ensuing conquering nations. In Dan 2 the golden head of the image represents Babylon, followed by Medo-Persia and then Greece etc. In Dan 8 Babylon is soon to be conquered with its last king in power. The prophecy begins with the Medes and Persians, followed by Greece. The symbol for Medo-Persia is a ram, and that of Greece is a fierce fast-moving goat. In Dan 2 the consecutive kingdoms are represented by metals, diminishing in value. Dan 8 uses clean animals to represent the two nations. These animals are not just clean in that they may be slaughtered and eaten, they are also animals used for sacrifices to God in the temple.
God did not use sacrificial animals in this prophecy by accident. He designed it in this way because the theme of the chapter is worship. God was worshipped twice a day: when the evening came, and when the day began. A sacrifice was offered in the temple at these occasions. That is why Dan 8:14 uses “evenings and mornings” in its prophecy. The previous verse indicates sacrifices:
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?
We have a saint in the vision concerned about the abolition of the worship of God. Take note that this was not Daniel’s enquiry, but a saint in the vision. Daniel was concerned about the liberation of the Jews from Babylon and was confused by this prophecy, not fully understanding that the subject of this vision did not concern the liberation of the Jews. That is why it is mentioned twice in Dan 8 that this vision had to do with the end of the world in the remote future:
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.
26 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.
Verse 13 indicates that this vision is about the trampling of the sanctuary and the host. For 2300 evenings and mornings the sanctuary and the host of God’s people will be trampled. The Adventist understanding of this period of time begins in 457 BC. Was God’s people persecuted beginning in 457 BC? Was worship of God outlawed at that time? Actually, the exact opposite occurred at that time. The captives of Babylon were set free and given the mandate to rebuild Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The worship of the true God was promoted by king Artaxerxes of Persia. The worship of the true God was suppressed in the Dark Ages, but this is not the suppression spoken of. The vision is for the time of the end. The suppression and persecution of the worshippers of the true God and His church will be at the end of time according to verses 17 and 26.
The 2300 evenings and mornings is in the future still. Is it 2300 years? God forbid. Is it real days? That is more like it. However, I believe it is not 2300 days, but rather the sum of evening and morning sacrifices – half of 2300 days. It will occur during a period of 1150 days. When will it begin and when will it end? The cleansing of the sanctuary is judgement which is the Close of Probation. Our pioneers had it right when they said that God will start judging when that time period is complete. They just had the placing of the time period wrong. With this understanding the end of the 1260-day prophecy is the same as that for the 2300 evenings-and-mornings prophecy. 1150 days is less that 1260 days by 110 days if we take the 3.5-year prophecy to be 1260 days. What marks the beginnings of these prophecies? We have already seen that the 1260-day prophecy begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Latter Rain. What happens 110 days after the outpouring of the Latter Rain? We have already seen that the first four Trumpets sound soon after the Latter Rain (chapter 19). They are natural disasters, and the First Angel’s message makes sense in the context of these disasters. When the fifth Trumpet sounds, an angel opens the door to the abyss (chapter 36) and Satan and his angels are allowed free reign. Satan appears in the form of Christ (chapter 22) and most people on Earth believe that Christ has come to Earth to help mankind through this time of disasters and turmoil. This apparition then mandates the worship of the Trinity on Sundays, and anyone that does not worship the Trinity on Sundays is outlawed. This enforcement of worship and Sunday legislation is effectively the trampling of the sanctuary and the true believers in God. By the way, the pope has expressed concern about the rise of modern-day Arianism, referring to the surge in people who reject the trinity and accept the worship of the One True God and His Only Begotten Son (John 17:3).
The beginning of the 2300 evenings and mornings of Dan 8:14 is therefore the blowing of the fifth Trumpet, when Satan is allowed to coerce false worship, trampling on true worship and true worshippers. This coercion of worship will carry on for 1150 days until Probation Closes.
This view of Dan 8:14 allows the context of Dan 8 to make sense. The event is in the future still – at the end of time as revealed in Dan 8 twice. It brings into context sacrifices and worship and trampling on true worship for the full length of the period of 2300 evenings and mornings. It also gives an alternative to the pioneer understanding of the time period during which the sanctuary was not trampled all the time. It gives an alternative to the uniquely Seventh-Day Adventist doctrine of the Investigative Judgement which does not have a strong hermeneutic foundation (chapter 44).
God bless as you consider this different interpretation of the prophecy of Dan 8:14.
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