Posted by Steven Benjamin on April 11, 2009, 6:03 pm, in reply to "Re: Shepherds Rod: TRACT No. 3 (pt 5)"
Very plainly, therefore, the numbers 2,400 and 2,200 and the interpolation of the word "sacrifices," are the vain results of false interpretation of Daniel's prophecies. The discrepancy between the two figures is due to the difference in the dates necessary to work out the different ideas on the text. Exposing both the ambition and the fate of those responsible for this vain attempt to place the fulfillment of the prophecy, the Lord declared unto Daniel: "Also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. " Dan. 11:14.
Though the endeavor of these robbers of God's people to make the vision fit their ideas is doomed to failure, yet in their blind self-confidence they still try their best to establish it, even going so far in the effort as to make the writings of Josephus seem to speak as sacred history in support of their theory.
"And indeed it so came to pass," says the Jewish historian, in a passage which they most commonly use, "that our nation suffered these things under Antiochus Epiphanes, according to Daniel's vision and what he wrote years before they came to pass" -- Antiquities, Book 12, Chapter 5.
Though Josephus does not even remotely allude to the number of days mentioned in Daniel 8:14, yet because he does apply the vision to the work of Antiochus Epiphanes, they in effect take him as a prophet inspired to interpret the Scriptures! Being merely a historian, though, and not a prophet, he accordingly, in writing the history of the Jews, made only a historical application of the similarity which he saw between Daniel's prediction and Antiochus' work. And such was well within his province as a historian. But his not having the gift of prophecy forbids God's people from accepting his applications of the Scriptures as authoritative and dependable.
From this sort of wresting, juggling, rationalizing, and explaining away of simple facts, the candid reader will see to what lengths men are going in order to dodge revealed truths which they do not like, and to lock arms with private theories to their liking. True indeed is the saying, "give a man a theory and the facts will come trooping after! "
With the mists of error now dispelled, our way is clear to proceed in ascertaining
When The 2,300 Days Begin And End.
From Daniel 7 it was seen that the throne of judgment or of cleansing was not to be set up until sometime after the little-horn power came into existence, while from Heb. 9:24-27 it was seen to be set up sometime before "the end of the world. " Now to throw into full focus the light on the facts already brought forth, we must go to Daniel 8 and 11, to the express prophecy of the subject -- the 2300 days.
Dan. 8:11, 12
"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. "
Dan. 11:31
"And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. "
From this juxtaposition of Daniel 8:11, 12, and Daniel 11:31, the reader will observe that both scriptures are speaking of the same power. And Christ, predicting the signs of the end of the world, as He looked forward along the stream of time, declared: "When ye [His followers who were to be living at the time that this horn-power was at work against God, His truth, and His people] therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. " Matt. 24:15, 16. These clear words of Christ Himself, place the work of this power in the future from His time.
Here Christ plainly states that at His time the abomination of desolation had not yet stood up "in the holy place," but that sometime in the Christian dispensation it would be seen to stand there. Still further, the angel instructed Daniel that at the time of the end shall be the vision (Dan. 8:13, 17). These two facts carry sweeping proof that the 2300-day period could not terminate until, following Christ's time, the daily be cast out and the abomination set up: for both of these events were to take place within the 2300 days.
This desolating power was, according to Daniel, to pollute by transgression the earthly sanctuary, or church. This was to be accomplished by casting down the Truth to the ground, by taking away the daily, and by bringing into the holy place "the abomination that maketh desolate," all of which was to be, said the angel, "unto two thousand and three hundred days;" and "then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. "
From the weighty evidences here amassed, there is manifestly but one conclusion possible: the polluting of the holy place, the terminating of the 2300 days, and the cleansing of the sanctuary could not have taken place before Christ's time.
Facing the resounding finality of this threefold conclusion, the numerous voices which insistently localize within the Old Testament period the events bound up with the 2300 days, ought now to silence themselves completely and forever. But if they do not, then God, only, knows what they may next proclaim!
You cannot afford, brethren, now that the light is come, to let slip from you the opportunity of breaking away from the theories of men herein discredited by the "Spirit of Truth," and of placing your feet firmly on the solid foundation here established in their place by the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Upon this solid rock the structure of truth now in building will, as the reader can already see, withstand the most severe storm of both "wind" and "rain. " So let us, in proceeding to erect its superstructure, liberally utilize, without the slightest fear of the coming storm (which will demolish and sweep away everything standing on a sandy foundation), the material so freely given:
To cleanse the earthly sanctuary, the abomination which the wicked power here under discussion, brought in, must necessarily be cast out, and then "the truth," also "the daily," which the same power trod down and cast out, must be restored. Very obviously, therefore, there is not the slightest room for doubt as to either the way in which the sanctuary was polluted or the way in which it must be cleansed.
The eighth chapter of the book of Daniel contains a vivid prophetic symbolism of two beasts (a ram and a he goat), concerning which the angel explained: "The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia. " Dan. 8:20, 21.
". . . the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 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. " Dan. 8:8, 9. ". . . the great horn that is between his eyes," explained the angel, "is the first king" -- Alexander. "Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power" -- not in Alexander's power; that is, not "to his posterity. " Dan. 8:21, 22; 11:4.
"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors [the Jews] are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [for "arms shall stand on his part" (Dan. 11:31) -- the armies of the civil powers]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. " Dan. 8:23, 24.
Obviously, then, Daniel 8:22-24 is parallel with Daniel 7:25: "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. "
(contd)
Message Thread:
« Back to thread