THE 2300-DAY PROPHECY OF DANIEL 8
One of the greatest prophetic movements came out of a great religious awakening that took place in the early 1800's. ( A.D., of course. )
After prayerful Bible study, it was decided, using the Two things stand out in hind-sight that should have been quite evident back then. The first being we were explictly told that the second coming would be as much of a surprise as a thief arriving in the night, that we would not know the hour of it. Some people jumped the gun and claimed if you didn't know the hour, you could at most find out the day, and at least the exact month or year.
Many good and prayerful people utterly missed the point of important passages all the time. God told us why this is so; for people to get the right meaning of the word, they have to pray, do continual study, and keep an open mind ... open to anything. When one has a preconceived idea and tries to read scripture within the confines of that 'box,' almost assuredly is a let down in store.
William Miller (1782-1849) and others like him traveled America and the world proclaiming the imminent return of Jesus...
Well, Christ did not come in 1844 -- it was a tremendous disappointment. Amazingly the fact that such a world-wide announcement would be made, and people would rejoice, only to be let down by the facts was itself predicted in Revelation.
In Revelation 10 we see John with a "little book." He was to "eat it up." And in his mouth it was "sweet as honey," but it made his belly "bitter." The little book of Revelation 10 was the book of Daniel. To devour the book means that they became so enthralled and excited at what they saw as the prophecies of Daniel were unsealed, they just "ate it up." It was a sweet and blessed experience, sweet indeed as honey to the mouth to understand finally these great prophecies. But then their excitement was to turn bitter as they went through a bitter disappointment.
Some of William Miller's followers did more study as why they were wrong, and this time out of the context of looking for a return date, determined that the "sanctuary" referred to here was the Heavenly Sanctuary.
After studying the duties that were performed by the Old Testament Jewish Preists (which were literal-local examples of what would take place later), it became clear that Christ would have similar duties in the "Heavenly Sanctuary" before final atonement would be completed...
The 2300 "days" began at the same point that the 70 "weeks" began, in 457 B.C. When the 2300 Day Prophecy was given in Daniel 8, Daniel ends the chapter saying "he didn't understand." In Daniel 9 the angel Gabriel comes back to explain the only part of the vision not explained earlier. Then Gabriel adds to the vision, he tells of the very important 70 week prophecy, and he gives the starting point.
Start <------- The Full 2300 Day Prophecy -----------> End The 70 Weeks |.... 490 years ....| ........... 1810 more years ............. | | . | | -+- | | +-----|------|--|---|--------------------------------------------| | 408 27 34 | | B.C. A.D. A.D. | 457 October 22, 1844 B.C.
"Unto two thousand three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." [DAN 8:14] "The Last Days" for mankind began at the end point of the 2300 'day,' in the autumn of the year 1844 A.D.
From Hebrews 8 and 9:
"We have such a high priest who is set on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man..." The Lord directed Moses to build the earthly tabernacle after one in heaven, a "shadow of heavenly things." [ EXO 25:8] |
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Court Yard ++============================================++ || ....... <> MOST HOLY || . , || '''|''' <> PLACE || +----+ .. || Candlestick -- <> .v|| |####| .... HOLY PLACE |##| <> Ark [(|| |####| .... |##| <> of [(|| +----+ .. || Table of Shewbread -- <> the '^|| ' ' || ,-------. Altar of <> Covenant || Altar Laver || | O O | Incense <> || of Burnt ++============================================++ Offerings CLEANSING OF SANCTUARY PERFECT LIFE OF JESUS PERFECT DEATH OF JESUS |
The temple had an alter outside the front in the courtyard. The temple was divided into two sections, front and back, and the front was the Holy Place, and the back was the Most Holy Place also called the Holy of Holies. Dividing the two was a curtain between three and four inches thick. In the Holy Place there was a candlestick and a shewbread table. In the Most Holy Place the Ark was placed. Only on one day a year could the most high priest enter the Most Holy Place. The priest usually had a rope or something tied to his leg, so that if something happened in there others could pull him out without entering.
Christ's work in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary began in 1844, and when that work is completed: it will be time for the second coming. Part of the work that is going on right now in heaven is the pre-advent judgement.