Prophecy 3 – The Antichrist

ByLarry W. Wilson

The Antichrist – Daniel 8:1-12

Beginning Point in Time: About 538 B.C.
Ending Point in Time: Second Coming of Jesus

Summary:
The essence of this prophecy can be summarized in three sentences: When the 2,300 days expire (1844), Jesus will begin to cleanse Heaven’s temple of guilt. Later, Lucifer (the horn power) will physically appear and eventually lead all of the wicked to commit the unpardonable sin. The work of Jesus in the temple (the daily) will end when Lucifer completes his work. By that point in time, every sinner will have reached the point of no return and there is nothing further Jesus can do to save them.

Introduction:
We saw how God used the technique of “repetition and enlargement” in Daniel 7 to expand our understanding of Daniel 2. In the same way, this prophecy uses repetition and enlargement to expand our understanding of Daniel 7. As we proceed through the seventeen prophecies, you will see how they work together to tell one harmonious story. The information provided in each prophecy is additive in nature, which means you need to understand the entire prophetic story before you completely understand any part of it! From the beginning, God designed the seventeen prophecies in Daniel and Revelation to work together so that when the time came for the book of Daniel to be unsealed at the time of the end, the mystery and ambiguity encasing apocalyptic prophecy over the past twenty-six centuries would disappear. Look at figure 3.1. You will see how the prophecies in Daniel 2, 7, and 8 align. Notice the list under 457 B.C. The ram, bear, and silver align. This alignment is important to the final generation because these three prophecies provide a historical setting for two prophetic time periods that are very important. Knowing that most people have little interest in matters of antiquity, God moves our understanding of His plans in very large steps in the book of Daniel. For example, in Figure 3.1, one prophetic time period moves us forward in time 2,300 years and another moves us forward 1,260 years.

The alignment of these three prophecies is important to the final generation because there is an intimate relationship between 1798 and 1844. We learned in Prophecy 2 that the courtroom scene in Daniel 7:9,10 occurred in 1798. We will discover in this prophecy that the opening of the books of record occurred in 1844. Daniel 7:10 says: “The court was seated, and the books were opened.” Because Prophecy 3 overlays Prophecy 2, and Prophecy 2 overlays Prophecy 1, God is building a stack of prophecies to help us understand that even though the plan of redemption is huge, His timing is perfect, always on track. God may seem to be slow, but He is moving with deliberate haste. The problem of sin will not last one day longer than absolutely necessary.

The longest prophetic time period given in the Bible is found in this prophecy. It lasts for 2,300 years. In terms of chronological progression, this is one huge step forward! In fact, it is more than twice the length of the 1,000 year prophecy in Revelation 20. To make sure that people understand when this time period ends, God placed the origin of this time period within a well documented historical setting. By clearly establishing the beginning date of the 2,300 years there can be no mistake about the ending date. Moreover, the ending date is directly linked to a very important event in Heaven’s temple. This event is “Judgment Day.” The court was seated in 1798, and in 1844 Jesus began to judge the dead so that He might determine the eternal destiny of each person who has lived.

One final point. As we progress through these prophecies (more so in the prophecies of Revelation), we will discover that God sometimes inserts an odd element within a prophecy. For example, this prophecy concerns a ram, a goat, and a horn power. Since all three elements are in the same prophecy, the horn power must have something to do with the ram and goat. At first glance, there also appears to be some “disconnected discussion” in this prophecy about Heaven’s temple. For example, verse 14 appears to have nothing to do with the ram, goat, or horn power! Verse 14 says, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.” This verse has created all kinds of problems in the past. However, if we understand the essential doctrine of parallel temples[1] and the use of valid rules of interpretation, we can make sense of this vision. It aligns perfectly with the timing in Prophecies 8 and 11.

The Sequence:

Daniel 8:1-4

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
{1} In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I received a vision.
{2} I was in the city of Susa, located in the province of Elam. I was standing beside the beautiful Ulai Canal.
{3} I looked up into the sky and I saw a powerful ram with two great horns growing out of its head. One horn was longer than the other and the longer horn grew out last.
{4} I watched as the ram came from the east. He charged toward the west, the north, and the south. No one could stand against him, and none could escape his awesome power. He did as he pleased and he became great.

Daniel 8:5-8

And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore 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.
{5} While watching this powerful beast, suddenly a goat with a big horn between his eyes came out of the west. He was traveling so fast that he did not appear to touch the ground.
{6} He charged the two-horned ram with enormous fury.
{7} The goat struck the ram and shattered its two horns. The ram was hurled to the ground and trampled. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s attack.
{8} The goat became a great kingdom, but something unusual happened. At the height of its power, the goat’s mighty horn was broken off and in its place four substantial horns grew – one toward the north, the south, the east, and the west.

Daniel 8:9

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.
{9} As I watched, I saw another scene. Out of the north I saw a horn approaching. This horn did not have an animal host.[2] It was not related to the ram or the goat or any earthly kingdom.[3] As I watched, it started small, but it quickly grew in power and popularity toward the south, east, and the west (my homeland, the Beautiful Land).

Daniel 8:10

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.
{10} This horn grew until his fame was known and honored all over the world. When he became able, he threw down the starry host (various gods that mankind worships) and trampled on them.[4]

Many people make the mistake of thinking the horn in Daniel 8 and the little horn in Daniel 7 are one and the same. There are several reasons why this is not possible. First, this prophecy completely “leapfrogs” the time periods of the fourth beast (168 B.C. – A.D. 476) and the little horn (538 -1798). The fourth empire in Daniel 7 (Rome) is not mentioned in this prophecy because the horn in Daniel 8 is not attached to any beast. This horn does not rise out of a world empire. It appears from out of nowhere, “out of the four winds,” specifically, out of the north. The north is prophetically important because it is often said in Scripture that divine wrath comes out of the north.[5] Second, within the context of this vision, a beast is a symbol of an empire and a horn is a symbol of a king. The mighty horn on the goat (verse 21) represents the first king of Greecia (Alexander the Great). Similarly, the horn that just appears out of the north represents “a stern-faced king” that will appear and overtake the world “when rebels have become completely wicked” (verse 23). Third, Gabriel told Daniel (verses 17 and 19) that this vision concerns the appointed time of the end which occurs after the 2,300 day/years expire in 1844. In other words, the horn in this vision will appear on Earth after 1844 – at the appointed time of the end. Prophecies 8 and 11 will further explain why this horn represents the physical appearing of Lucifer, the dreaded Antichrist.

Jesus will permit Lucifer to physically appear before the people of Earth during the Great Tribulation. Jesus will release the devil from the Abyss at an appointed time to lead the world into destruction.[6] Lucifer will deceive the wicked and his followers will be like the sand on the seashore. Lucifer will astonish Earth’s inhabitants with his miracles, boldness, and assumed authority. At the sixth trumpet, the devil will abolish all of the religions of the world and trample on them. He will claim to be Almighty God[7] and as such, he will demand that religious diversity be eliminated.[8] He is The Master of Deception. He will deceive Moslems, Jews, Catholics, Atheists, Protestants, Eastern Mystics, and the Heathen by performing great signs and miracles – even calling fire down from Heaven.[9] He will eliminate the starry hosts – an ancient term used for various “gods” or whatever is worshiped as “God”[10] and he will demand that everyone honor and worship him as God Almighty.[11]

Daniel 8:11

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.
{11} Lucifer will masquerade as Almighty God. He will bring to an end the daily ministry Jesus does on behalf of sinners by forcing everyone into a decision. Near the end of the Great Tribulation, everyone on Earth will have either the seal of God or the mark of the beast. With lies and deceit, Lucifer will trample on the honor and respect that belongs to man’s Creator.

The 144,000 will lead many millions of people to receive Jesus as their Savior (see Prophecy 7), but the work of the 144,000 will eventually stall. At the appointed time, Jesus will release the devil from the Abyss and his horrific actions will cause many of the undecided wicked to repent and embrace the gospel. Lucifer will lead the defiant wicked into rebellion[12] against the gospel of Jesus Christ and those who embrace it. The wicked will ridicule and reject the ministry and intercession that Jesus offers for individuals at Heaven’s Altar of Burnt Offering. Lucifer will lead the world into rebellion because he knows that no sinner can be saved on his own merits. Lucifer knows why Jesus died and he knows that salvation comes only through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Masquerading as Almighty God, Lucifer will demand that everyone on Earth obey him or be killed.[13] The choice will be simple: Submit to the laws of our Creator/Redeemer and face death, or submit to the laws of Lucifer and live a few months longer. (See Prophecy 12.) When every person has made a firm decision, Jesus’ daily intercession on behalf of individuals will close and God’s generous offer of salvation will end.

Daniel 8:12

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.
{12} The horn power cannot appear physically on Earth until Jesus permits him to escape the Abyss. This event (see the fifth trumpet in Prophecy 8) will occur about two and a half years into the Great Tribulation. Because the carnal heart is naturally rebellious toward God and His authority,[14] the devil will find it easy to deceive those who stubbornly rebel against the demands of the gospel of Jesus. Lucifer will lead the wicked to think that God’s saints are evil and rebellious, and soon after, the wicked will kill and destroy the saints thinking they are doing God a service.[15] God’s people will be defeated. God will remove the power He gave to the 144,000 and the devil’s minions will kill them.[16] The wicked will commit the unpardonable sin. They will reject the clearest evidences of truth and defy the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Evil will temporarily triumph because truth will be thrown to the ground as if it were garbage.[17]

The devil’s demons will use painful torture to subdue rebellious people into worshiping Lucifer as Almighty God during the fifth trumpet.[18]   The devil’s demons will also lead the wicked to murder millions of saints during the sixth trumpet because they refused to obey the devil’s demands.[19]  The devil will prosper in everything that he does.  He will cause his followers to despise truth.  Worse, he will cause billions of wicked people to despise Jesus and His generous gift of salvation.

Discussion:

Daniel 8:13

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?
{13} I overheard two angels talking. The first angel asked some clarifying questions: “How long will it take for this vision to be fulfilled? When will the daily intercession of Christ at the Altar of Burnt Offering end? When will this great rebellion that causes desolation occur? When will God’s efforts to save man and the saints be trampled underfoot?”

Daniel 8:14

And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
{14} The second angel said to me, “All of these questions are important, but only the first one will be answered in this vision. The rest of the questions will be answered in subsequent visions. Daniel, this vision concerns the horn power who will come from the north. He is a coming king,[20] but not from an earthly nation. He and his angels will appear in the sky.[21] He is the destroyer in Revelation 9:11 named Abaddon (Hebrew) or Apollyon (Greek), a stern-faced king who will appear at the end of the world. Lucifer cannot physically appear until Jesus allows him to come out of the Abyss[22] and he will not be released from the Abyss until the cleansing (or restoration) of Heaven’s temple is about to end.”

The cleansing of Heaven’s temple is intimately connected with Lucifer’s appearing because Lucifer’s bold actions will force undecided people into making a firm decision. When everyone on Earth has chosen whom he will worship and obey, the cleansing of the temple will be completed and salvation’s offer will end.

Many people do not understand why Heaven’s temple has to be cleansed. Please consider three matters: First, God does not forgive a sin, but God does free sinners of sin’s guilt. Earthly temple services teach us that the guilt of repentant sinners was transferred (via the blood of a perfect sacrifice) to the horns of the Altar of Burnt Offering.[23] Of course, once a sinner’s guilt is transferred to the altar, the sinner is free of guilt, but his guilt remains upon the altar. Second, the earthly temple service teaches us that the Altar of Burnt Offering became defiled because the guilt of sinners was transferred to it daily. (Services at the Altar of Burnt Offering were conducted each day.) Third, the earthly temple was cleansed once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On this day, all of the accumulated guilt was transferred (via the sacrifice of a perfect animal) to a scapegoat. Then, the scapegoat was taken into the wilderness to die a protracted death.[24]

The process of cleansing Heaven’s temple is important in this vision because God has set a date (1844), near the end of the world, when Jesus will open the books of record and begin cleansing Heaven’s temple. The cleansing process in Heaven works like this: Each person’s life is recorded in real time (as it happens) in a book. Every word, thought, and action is faithfully written down. When a person dies, the recording ends because a dead person has no thoughts, actions, words, or deeds. At the appointed time (1844), Jesus reviews the record of each dead person. For example, let us assume that Jesus started with the record of Abel’s life, the first man to die. After thoroughly investigating the life of Abel, Jesus made a decision about Abel’s eternal destiny. If Jesus condemns Abel, Jesus will then transfer Abel’s guilt from the temple to Abel’s head. If Abel is saved, Jesus will transfer Abel’s guilt from the temple to the head of the scapegoat (Lucifer).[25] When this investigative process ends, Heaven’s temple will be completely cleansed of guilt because the guilt that previously contaminated Heaven’s Altar of Burnt Offering will be assigned to its rightful owner.

Jesus will reward His saints at the Second Coming.[26] Jesus will “reward” the wicked at the end of the 1,000 years.[27] This information is important because Jesus will permit Lucifer, the horn power from the north, to appear on Earth when Jesus is about to complete the cleansing of Heaven’s temple. Lucifer and his demons will bring the cleansing work of Jesus to an end because they will force the living into a firm decision regarding whom they will worship and obey.

{14-Continued} The angel said, “When 2,300 evenings and mornings expire, then shall (future indicative tense) the cleansing work of Jesus in Heaven’s temple begin. Later, the horn from the north will appear on Earth and bring Jesus’ cleansing work to a close.”

(Note: God has declared that an evening and a morning constitute one day.[28] Therefore, 2,300 evenings and mornings are 2,300 days. This time period must be translated as 2,300 day/years because the Jubilee Calendar is in operation. See Appendix A.)

The explanation for the beginning point of the 2,300 years will be revealed in the next vision. For now, here is a brief summary that may be helpful. During the empire represented by the ram, a noble and generous king will come to power. God will move upon this king’s heart to help His people rebuild and restore Jerusalem. King Artaxerxes, a future king in Persia, will issue a decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem in 457 B.C.[29] and 2,300 years later, Jesus will open the books in Heaven’s courtroom. Jesus will begin cleansing Heaven’s temple in 1844. (Note: The breaking of the third seal in Revelation 6 aligns with 1844. See Prophecy 6.)

To summarize, God put a ram, a goat, a 2,300 year time period, and a horn power in this vision. The ram and goat are well documented ancient empires. After the 2,300 years expire, the horn power will appear out of nowhere at the appointed time of the end. The connecting link between these ancient empires and the appearing of the horn power is a prophetic time period of 2,300 years. When the 2,300 years end, Jesus will open the books of record and carefully investigate the life record of each person who sleeps in the grave. When this process draws near its conclusion, Jesus will release the horn power (the devil) from the Abyss so that he can appear physically before mankind. The devil and his angels will take actions that force everyone into a firm decision regarding whom they will worship and obey. Once every decision has been made, there is nothing further that Jesus can do to save anyone. Salvation’s offer will then terminate and Jesus’ cleansing work will end.

Daniel 8:15-16

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
{15} While I, Daniel, was watching this vision and trying to understand it, a glorious being stood in front of me who looked like a man.
{16} He was so bright that I had to avert my eyes. I heard Him say, “Gabriel, tell Daniel the meaning of this vision.”

Discussion

Daniel 8:17-19

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. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
{17} As Gabriel approached me, I was terrified by his size and brilliance and I fell prostrate on the ground. “Daniel,” he said to me, “You must understand that this vision concerns the distant future and it points to ‘the time of the end.’ ”
{18} While he was speaking to me, I felt as though my life evaporated. I was in a deep sleep with my face in the dirt. Then he touched me and helped me to my feet.
{19} Gabriel said again, “I have come to tell you what will happen in the distant future. The end of the world will be marked by a time of wrath. The end of the world will surely come. God has set the date by His own authority. Prior to the Second Coming of Jesus, a great tribulation will overtake Earth and last 1,335 days. God will send a series of devastating judgments upon Earth and everyone will see and experience His wrath. This is why the appointed time of the end is also called ‘a time of wrath.’

Daniel 8:20-22

The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
{20} “The empire of Babylon will soon fall. The two-horned ram you saw represents the coming kingdom of the Medes and Persians. The horn on the ram that came up last and reached out farther than the first horn represents the Persian side of this empire. The Persians will dominate the Medes.
{21} “Later, the Medes and Persians will be overrun by the Greeks. The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Grecia. The large horn you saw between the eyes of the goat represents a man, its first king, Alexander the Great. Alexander will die an untimely death at the peak of his power.
{22} The four horns on the goat represent four generals who will replace Alexander. These generals will be Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. None of these generals will be as powerful as Alexander. They will divide Grecia into four sectors and each will rule over his sector.”

Notice again this important point: A horn in this vision represents a king. The great horn on the goat represents Alexander the Great. The four horns that took Alexander’s place represent the four kings who succeeded him. Notice again this distinction: The goat represents the kingdom of Grecia, but the horns represent its kings. This distinction is important in this prophecy because the horn that will come from the north will be a king without an earthly empire.[30] He will conquer the whole world. The devil will be a “stern-faced king” and he will physically appear out of nowhere when Jesus is almost finished with cleansing Heaven’s temple. Paul refers to the appearing of the devil as the man of sin, the man of lawlessness.[31] Isaiah calls him a man[32] and so does Ezekiel.[33]

Daniel 8:23

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
{23} Gabriel continued, “During the final days of Earth’s history, when a majority of people have rejected the gospel and become completely rebellious toward God, this stern-faced king, a master of manipulation (deceit and intrigue), will be permitted to appear. Satan will physically appear as a glorious man and masquerade as Almighty God.”

The devil is represented as a horn coming out of the north because divine disaster comes from the north.[34] The fifth trumpet will be a divine curse.[35] Lucifer will only be released from the Abyss when the gospel stalls and a majority of people have rebelled against the clearest evidences of truth.[36]

Daniel 8:24

And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
{24} “When Lucifer is released from the Abyss, he will not rest. He and his angels will travel the world constantly. He will become very popular. He will gain control of the world, but not through his own power. The Most High God has granted the devil the authority to lead the wicked astray.[37] Lucifer will perform dazzling miracles.[38] Billions of wicked people will embrace him, give him glory, and obey him as though he were God. The devil will cause astounding devastation and he will succeed in whatever he does. He will kill most, if not all, of God’s servants, the 144,000.[39] He will also kill millions of God’s saints.[40] The devil will masquerade as God for about a year and the saints will be overrun and conquered.

Daniel 8:25

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.
{25} “Lucifer will cause deceit to prosper and he will consider himself to be God. After five months of counterfeit signs, torture for the non-religious, and great signs and wonders, the sixth trumpet will sound and the devil will be permitted to kill people. Suddenly his character will change and he will demand that a global church-state, a counterfeit theocracy, be set up. He will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. To eliminate his opposition, he will kill a third of Earth’s population.[41] The remaining two-thirds of the world will worship him and wear a tattoo on their right hand; the mark of the beast. Just before Jesus returns, the devil and his ten puppet kings will take their stand against Jesus, the Prince of princes. The devil and his forces will be utterly destroyed, but not by human power.”

Jesus will destroy the physical body which the devil has occupied at the time of the Second Coming. Jesus will return Lucifer and his demons to the Abyss (the spirit realm) and imprison them on this planet for 1,000 years (while the saints are in Heaven). At the end of the 1,000 years when the Holy City descends from Heaven, Jesus will resurrect the wicked. At that time, Lucifer and his demons will be released from the Abyss for a few days before they are annihilated with fire.[42]

Daniel 8:26

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.
{26} Finally, Gabriel stated, “Daniel, this vision consists of three parts and all of them are true. First, the kingdoms of the ram and the goat will become well known in history. This will help God’s people, who will live in the distant future, to determine when King Artaxerxes will issue a very important decree. Second, when the 2,300 years have expired, Jesus will open the books of record and begin judging the dead. Third, during the appointed time of the end, when Jesus is almost finished with cleansing Heaven’s temple, the devil will be released from the Abyss. This stern-faced king is the horn from the north. He will appear out of nowhere and cause enormous devastation. He will cause the undecided to make a firm decision regarding whom they will worship and obey. This will bring the intercession of Jesus to an end. Because this information will be pertinent to those who live at the end of the world, this vision will remain sealed up until the final generation arrives.

Daniel 8:27

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.
{27} I was exhausted and lay ill for several days. I could not explain what I had seen, but I knew it was horrible. Eventually, I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision and I could not understand it. So, I began to pray for understanding.

The Rules of Interpretation

Please consider how the Rules of Interpretation (which are discussed in the Introduction) are observed in this prophecy:

Rule One says an apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning point and ending point in time and the events within the prophecy occur in the order given. This prophecy contains three elements that occur in chronological order. First, the ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire. Second, the goat that follows the ram represents the Grecian Empire. Centuries later, the horn power from the north appears. Notice that there is a large gap of time between the goat and the horn power. This is not uncommon in apocalyptic prophecy. For example, there is a gap of 1,000 years between the sixth seal (the Second Coming) and the breaking of the seventh seal at the end of the millennium. Nevertheless, this prophecy has a beginning point and an ending point in time and the events occur in the order given.

Rule Two says a fulfillment only occurs when all of the specifications are met, and this includes the order stated in the prophecy. History confirms that the Medo-Persian Empire fell to the Grecians. History also confirms that Artaxerxes issued a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem in 457 B.C. Even though nothing is written in this prophecy about the starting point of the 2,300 years, the next vision (Daniel 9) will address this topic. Hopefully, you can see how the prophecies interlock with each other – one prophecy cannot say everything that needs to be said. This interdependency between the prophecies means the student needs to understand almost everything before he can understand anything! The Bible reveals much more about the stern-faced king (the Antichrist) and we will learn more about him in subsequent prophecies.

Rule Three states that apocalyptic language can be literal, analogous, or symbolic. We know there are symbolic elements in this prophecy because the symbols are defined with relevant Scripture. Gabriel told Daniel the ram represented the Medo-Persian Empire and the goat represented the Grecian Empire.[43] History confirms this sequence! The angel also told Daniel who the horns on the ram and goat represented. Gabriel’s words become important because the horn that “just appears” out of the north will be a man.[44] He is defined as “a stern-faced king” who will appear at the appointed time of the end.[45] Remember, when a symbol is used, God always defines the symbol with a relevant text. If this is not the case, prophetic interpretation becomes a cornucopia of confusion.

Rule Four says the presence or absence of the Jubilee Calendar determines how God measures time.. (See Appendix A and Prophecy 4 to learn how the Jubilee Calendar and the seventy week prophecy define Rule Four.) Since we have not examined Prophecy 4 yet, please consider two points: First, weekly cycles of seven years did not end when Jesus died on the cross in A.D. 30, because Jesus died in the middle of the seventieth week (a Wednesday year). Second, we will find in the next prophecy that the 2,300 days and the seventy weeks have the same starting date. This date is 457 B.C. This means the seventy weeks ended in A.D. 33 and the 2,300 days ended in 1844. Both time periods must be translated because they occur during the operation of the Jubilee Calendar (1437 B.C. – 1994).

Some people teach the 2,300 evenings and mornings in Daniel 8:14 represent 1,150 days. They reach this conclusion by dividing the number 2,300 into 1,150 mornings and 1,150 evenings. This approach will not work for five reasons.

First, six times in Genesis 1,[46] God declared that an evening-morning cycle constitutes one day. Who can usurp what God has defined? The 2,300 evenings and mornings in Daniel 8:14 amount to 2,300 days.
Second, in Genesis 1, one day contains one cycle of ereb-boqer. (These are Hebrew words for evening and morning). There is no conjunction between ereb-boqer (such as ereb and boqer) and there is no precedent in Scripture for dividing 2,300 ereb-boqer into 1,150 days.

Third, God could have said “2,300 yowm” in Daniel 8:14. The Hebrew word yowm is used more than 2,200 times in the Old Testament and is usually translated “days,” but God did not say “2,300 yowm.” He chose to say 2,300 “ereb-boqer.” This word choice is important because Daniel 8 refers to services in Heaven’s temple. For example, the cleansing of the temple is mentioned, the end of daily services is mentioned, and the place (or the importance) of God’s sanctuary is mentioned. Cycles of ereb-boqer have a distinct association with services in the temple. Services at the Altar of Incense were conducted daily – ereb-boqer.[47] The annual cleansing of the Earthly sanctuary occurred on a specific day which was determined by the arrival of a specific evening and morning – ereb-boqer.[48] Services at the Altar of Incense in Heaven will continue (ereb-boqer) until corporate intercession is terminated and the censer is cast down.[49]

Fourth, there is a symbiotic relationship between 1798 and 1844. These two dates support each other. The cleansing of Heaven’s temple in 1844 could not begin until Jesus was found worthy to receive sovereign power in 1798. The Bible is clear on this point: The court was seated and the books of record were opened after the Ancient of Days took His seat. Chronologically, 1844 follows 1798.

Fifth, when we examine Prophecy 6, we will find that 1798 and 1844 work very closely together. The harmony that comes from the sum of these parts is truly amazing! Only God could have created such a tapestry that involves redemption and timing.

When these five issues are considered, there is no possibility that 2,300 cycles of ereb-boqer can represent 1,150 days. This is the longest prophetic time period in the Bible and it securely stands upon a historical footing provided by the Medo-Persian and Grecian Empires. During the days of Persian King Artaxerxes, the 2,300 year clock began ticking. Then, Jesus came to Earth and confirmed the accuracy of this clock with His death. This fact will be addressed in the next vision.

References:

    1. See Chapters 11 and 12 in my book, Jesus: The Alpha and The Omega or freely download these chapters at https://www.wake-up.org/Alpha/Subjindex.htm. Return
    2. Horns do not necessarily have animal hosts: 2 Samuel 22:3; Luke 1:69; Zechariah 1:19-21. Return
    3. 2 Thessalonians 2; Revelation 17:8; Daniel 11:36; Luke 1:69; Ezekiel 29:21; 1 Samuel 2:1,10 Return
    4. Deuteronomy 4:19 Return
    5. Isaiah 41:25; Jeremiah 1:14; 6:1; Ezekiel 1:4 Return
    6. Revelation 9:1-11 Note: The names Abaddon and Apollyon mean the same thing in both languages: Destroyer. Return
    7. Daniel 11:36,37; 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Return
    8. Revelation 13:14,15 Return
    9. Revelation 13:13 Return
    10. 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3-5; 2 Chronicles 33:3-5 Return
    11. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Return
    12. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 Return
    13. Revelation 13:15 Return
    14. Romans 8:5-8 Return
    15. John 16:1-3 Return
    16. Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:7 Return
    17. See this parallel: Isaiah 59:12-15. Return
    18. Revelation 9:1-11 Return
    19. Revelation 6:9-11 Return
    20. Revelation 9:11 Return
    21. Revelation 9:2,3 Return
    22. Revelation 9:1 Return
    23. Exodus 29:10-14 Return
    24. For further study on these matters, please see Chapters 11 and 12 in my book, Jesus: The Alpha and The Omega or freely download these chapters at https://www.wake-up.org/Alpha/Subjindex.htm. Return
    25. For sins placed on the scapegoat see Leviticus 16:1-31, for sins placed on the heads of sinners see Leviticus 20:9; 2 Chronicles 6:23; Ezekiel 18:13. Return
    26. Revelation 22:12 Return
    27. Revelation 20:15 Return
    28. Genesis 1:5 Return
    29. Ezra 7:7,8,11-28 Return
    30. Revelation 9:11 Return
    31. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Return
    32. Isaiah 14:16,17 Return
    33. Ezekiel 28:2 Return
    34. Jeremiah 4:5,6; 6:1,22; 50:3,41 Return
    35. See Revelation 9:12 in Prophecy 8. Return
    36. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 Return
    37. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 Return
    38. Revelation 13:13,14; 17:13-17 Return
    39. See Revelation 16:4-7 in Prophecy 14 and Revelation 18:24 in Prophecy 15. Return
    40. Psalm 79; Revelation 9:15; 13:7 Return
    41. Revelation 9:15 Return
    42. Revelation 20 Return
    43. Daniel 8:20,21 Return
    44. Isaiah 14:16,17 Return
    45. Daniel 8:19,23 Return
    46. Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31 Return
    47. Exodus 29:38-42; Leviticus 24:3 Return
    48. Leviticus 23:27-32 Return
    49. Revelation 8:2-6 Return

 

Larry W. Wilson

Larry W. Wilson

Larry Wilson, founder of WUAS, became a born-again Christian in 1972. His interest in the gospel led him on a 40+ year quest to learn more about what God has revealed to Earth’s final generation. The results of his research have been shared throughout the world in books, television & radio broadcasts, media interviews, and seminars that are publicly available on all different types of media (see our Christian Bookstore).

What is Wake Up America Seminars (WUAS)?
Wake Up America Seminars, Inc. is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization with a focus on the study of End-Time Prophecy. WUAS is not a church, nor does it endorse any denomination. Our focus is singular: We are dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and His imminent return. We are delighted that people of all faiths are diligently using the Bible study materials produced by WUAS. All study materials are based solely on the Bible alone.

Larry W. Wilson

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