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The Link Between Daniel 8 & 92300 days Prophecy

DANIEL 8:14

Lesson Three – Daniel 9

What Happens to Start that 490-Year “Clock?”

This is how the narrative begins:

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy..” (Dan. 9:24)

DANIEL CHAPTER 8

1. RAM2. HE GOAT

THE VISION HAS 4 SEGMENTS

3. LITTLE HORN4. 2,300 DAYS

DANIEL CHAPTER 8

RAM HE GOAT LITTLE HORN

2,300 DAYS

THE VISION

Link Between Dan. Chapters 8 and 9

(Dan 8:15) 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.

(Dan 8:16) And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

(Dan 8:17) 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.

(Dan 8:20) The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

(Dan 8:21) And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

(Dan 8:22) Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

(Dan 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.

(Dan 8:24) And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people…..


(Dan 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.

DANIEL CHAPTER 8 – THE VISION and INTERPRETATION

RAM

HE GOAT

LITTLE HORN

MEDO-PERSIA

GREECE

2300 DAYS

King of fierce countenance

? ? ?

(Dan 8:16) …Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.


DANIEL CHAPTER 8

RAM HE GOAT LITTLE HORN

MEDO-PERSIA GREECE

2,300 DAYS ???

THE VISIONKing of fierce countenance

HOW LONG THE VISION ?

Ezekiel 4:6Numbers 14:34

Day = Year



(Dan 9:21) Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

(Dan 9:22) And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

(Dan 9:23) At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

(Dan 8:16) …Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

(Dan 9:1) In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

(Dan 8:1) In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me…

“from the issuing of a decree” (NAS, NIV)

“from the issuing of the command” (NET)

“from the time the command is given” (NLT)

“from the time the word went out” (NRS)

H2852חתךchathakkhaw-thak'A primitive root; properly to cut off, that is, (figuratively) to decree: - determine.

(Dan 9:24) Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.



2. Gabriel is commanded to make Daniel understand the vision

CHAPTER 8

3. The vision consists of 4 parts – Ram, He Goat, Little Horn, 2300 days4. Gabriel explains 3 of the 4 parts – Ram, He Goat, and the Little Horn5. The chapter ends with Daniel not understanding somethingConclusion: the only thing Daniel could not have understood is that which was not explained: namely, the 2300 days which pertains to time

CHAPTER 9

1. Daniel receives the vision during the reign of Babylon

1. Gabriel comes back to Daniel during the reign of Medo-Persia2. Gabriel comes to give Daniel skill and understanding3. Gabriel gives the understanding by stating that 70 weeks are cut off…

Conclusion: 70 weeks pertain to time. 2300 days pertain to time. Therefore the 70 weeks are cut off of the 2300 days.


•Daniel 2: Has a dream or vision and an auditory explanation •Daniel 7: Has a dream and an auditory explanation•Daniel 8: Has a vision and an auditory explanation•Daniel 9: Has only an auditory explanation •Daniel 10-12: Have only auditory explanations but no new vision

•The fact that the last vision of Daniel is in chapter 8 (with the exception of the personal theophany of Jesus in chapter 10) would seem to indicate that the rest of the book is simply an auditory explanation of this chapter. This means that there is no new material of substance given after Daniel 8. Chapters 9-12 simply explain and amplify the vision and audition already given in chapter 8. This would seem to prove that Daniel 8-12 is a book within a book, that is to say, the sealed book of Daniel 12:4.

2300 DAYS70

WEEKS

The seventy weeks, cut off from the 2300 days, are decreed upon the Jewish nation to fulfill certain requirements.

With a new and deeper earnestness, Miller continued the examination of the prophecies, whole nights as well as days being devoted to the study of what now appeared of such stupendous importance and all-absorbing interest. In the eighth chapter of Daniel he could find no clue to the starting point of the 2300 days; the angel Gabriel, though commanded to make Daniel understand the vision, gave him only a partial explanation. As the terrible persecution to befall the church was unfolded to the prophet's vision, physical strength gave way. He could endure no more, and the angel left him for a time. Daniel "fainted, and was sick certain days." "And I was astonished at the vision," he says, "but none understood it." {GC 325.1} Yet God had bidden His messenger: "Make this man to understand the vision." That commission must be fulfilled. In obedience to it, the angel, some time afterward, returned to Daniel, saying: "I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding;" "therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision." Daniel 8:27, 16; 9:22, 23, 25-27. There was one important point in the vision of chapter 8 which had been left unexplained, namely, that relating to time--the period of the 2300 days; therefore the angel, in resuming his explanation, dwells chiefly upon the subject of time: {GC 325.2}


The STARTING POINT of the 2300 days prophecy

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.”

{GC 326.2}

The STARTING POINT of the 2300 days prophecy

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.

{GC 326.2}

What do we do with this phrase?

“from the going forth of the commandment to restore build

Jerusalem ” (Daniel 9 :25)

70 WEEKS – Dan. 9:24- To finish the transgression- To make an end of sins- To make reconciliation for iniquity- To bring in everlasting righteousness

- To seal up the vision and prophecy- To anoint the most Holy

70 weeks / 490 years

0 490

Before we can know which

degree is it is to restore and build Jerusalem , We must fist know

what Jerusalem is ?

2 Kings 24 describes the actual destruction of the city and the temple.

2 Kings 24:11-13 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants

did besiege it. 12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and

his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the

LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which

Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

2 Kings 24 describes the actual destruction of the city and the temple.

We are told in II Kings 24:14-15:

“And he [Nebuchadnezzar] carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand

captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried

away Jehoiachin to Babylon. . . .”

Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar did not carry away the physical city of Jerusalem. “Jerusalem” here refers to a socio/political entity composed of king, officers, military men and craftsmen (in actual fact, Daniel himself attributes the loss of self-governance and the destruction of the city to the apostasy of the kings, princes, fathers and judges [Daniel 9:6, 8, 12]).

Now, in order for Jerusalem to be reestablished in her previous position after the captivity, two things must happen: Her political/religious self-determination must be restored and the physical city must be built.

These two tasks, though related, are not identical. The word “build” refers to the reconstruction of the physical city.

But what does the word “restore” mean? The word “restore” means “to give back to” or “to return to a condition which existed before.”

And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of

Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan:

now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.” Judges 11:13

Judges 17:1-3 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son. 3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

In I Kings 12:21 we are told that Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and laid plans to “fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again [literally, to restore the kingdom] to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.”

In 2 Samuel 8:3 we are informed that David went on a military campaign to “recover [restore] his border at the river Euphrates.”

In 2 Kings 14:22 we have the same two words which appear in Daniel 9:25. There we are told that Azariah “built Elath and restored it to Judah.”

This text makes it clear that “build” and “restore,” though related, are not identical. What the text means is that the physical city of Elath was built and then governance over it was given to Judah.

None of the examples presented above have to do with the physical rebuilding of a city. The central idea is to legally restore land, to legally restore political governance or to restore the legitimate borders of the kingdom. We therefore must conclude that “restore” in Daniel 9:25 does not have to do so much with the physical rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem as such, but rather with the legal restoration of the land to its original owner and a giving back of the right to political self-governance according to the laws of God. The actual building of the city then follows.

Ezra 1:1-3 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

The Lord has resources. His hand is on the machinery. When the time came for His temple to be rebuilt, He moved upon

Cyrus as His agent to discern the prophecies concerning Himself, and to

grant the Jewish people their liberty. And more, Cyrus furnished them the

necessary facilities for rebuilding the temple of the Lord. This work began

under Cyrus, and his successor carried on the work begun. {4BC 1175.6} [Isaiah

45:1 and 44:28, quoted.] {4BC 1175.7

King Cyrus

The Samaritans tried to hinder this work. By their false reports they aroused

suspicion in minds easily stirred up to suspect; and because of this

discouragement, the Jews became unbelieving and indifferent in regard to the work that the Lord had signified He

would have done. They were opposed by Smerdis the usurper. "Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at

Jerusalem. So it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia." When Darius came to the throne, he set

aside the work and prohibition of the usurper. (MS 116, 1897). {4BC 1175.8}

The decree of Cyrus for rebuilding the house of God, (took place in) 536 B.C. {Daniel and the Revelation – U. Smith, p. 208}

King Cyrus

Ezra 4:24 , Ezra 6:7-8Ezra 4:24Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 6:7-8 Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.

Darius searched for this decree (Cyrus’), and found it; whereupon he directed those who had made the inquiry to allow the rebuilding of the temple to proceed. "Let the work of this house of God alone," he commanded; "let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place…“Moreover,” Darius continued, "I make a decree…” {Prophets and Kings, p. 579}

King Darius

King Darius

The decree of Darius for the prosecution of that work which had been hindered, (took place in) 519 B.C.

{Daniel and the Revelation – U. Smith, p. 208}

King Artaxerxes

“I make a decree that … “Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: For why should there be wrath

against the realm of the king and his sons?

(Ezra 7:13, 23, 25)

King Artaxerxes

“And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.”

(Ezra 7:13, 23, 25)

King Artaxerxes

The decree of Artaxerxes went into effect in the autumn of 457 B.C. {Great Controversy (1911), p. 327}

King ArtaxerxesThe year of Artaxerxes’ reign are among the most easily established dates of history. The Canon of Ptolemy, with its list of kings and astronomical observations, the Greek Olympiads, and allusions in Greek history to Persian affairs all combine to place the seventh year of Artaxerxes at 457 B.C. beyond successful controversion. See Sir Isaac Newton, Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel, pp. 154-157 – (Editor’s footnote) {Daniel and the Revelation – U. Smith, p. 208}

King Artaxerxes

The decree of Artaxerxes went into effect in the autumn of 457 B.C. {Great Controversy (1911), p. 327}

King Cyrus536 B.C.

King Darius519 B.C.

King Artaxerxes457 B.C.

In the seventh chapter of Ezra the decree is found. Verses 12-26. In its completest form it was issued by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, 457 B.C. But in Ezra 6:14 the house of the Lord at Jerusalem is said to have been built "according to the commandment ["decree," margin] of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” These three kings, in originating, reaffirming, and completing the decree, brought it to the perfection required by the prophecy to mark the beginning of the 2300 years… {Great Controversy, p. 326}

King Cyrus536 B.C.

King Darius519 B.C.

King Artaxerxes457 B.C.

Originated

Completed

Reaffirmed

ARTAXZERES 1

THE COMMAND TO RESTORE AND BUILD JESUSALEM

CYRUS DARIUSFIRST YEAR OF CYRUS , 536 BC

Proclamation to build the TEMPLE ,50,000 Jews returned to

Jerusalem.(Ezra 1:1-3, Isiah 44:28

Second year of Darius, 520 BC, Reaffirmation of Cyrus’ decree to

rebuild the Temple. (Ezra 4:24, 6:7-8)

Seventh year of Artaxersex, 457 BC , Decreed authoring Ezra to RESTORE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN JERUSALEM (Ezra 7:8,12-26)

Twentieth year of Artaxeres , 445BC , Commission to Finish

building the city.

Nehemiah 2:1-8

“And he [Nebuchadnezzar] carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand

captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried

away Jehoiachin to Babylon. . . .”

In the Restoration of Jerusalem all these must be restored

COMPARINGANCIENTANDMODERNSYSTEMSOFCHRONOLOGY

Sir Isaac Newton" The Years of

Artaxerxes' reign are among the most easily

established dates of history. The Canons of Ptolemy, with its list of

kings and astronomical

observations, the Greek Olympiads, and

allusions in Greek history to Persian

affairs all combine to place the seventh year of Artaxerxes at 457BC

beyond successful controversion ".

- Observation Upon the Prophecies of Daniel, pg. 154-157.

THERE ARE THREE MAIN ANCIENT SYSTEMS OF CHRONOLOGY THAT PROVE THE DATE FOR THE SEVENTH YEAR OF ARTAXERXES:

• THE CANON OF PTOLEMY

• THE ALMAGEST

• THE OLYMPIAD

THE CANON OF PTOLEMY

WHAT IS THE CANON OF PTOLEMY: “The GREAT AUTHORITY ON THE CHRONOLOGY OF ANCIENT KINGS . . . From the records of ancient times Ptolemy compiled a chronological list of the kings of the great universal empires.”

- “The Hand of God in History”, p. 42, William A. Spicer.

“Ptolemy . . . began with the era of Nabonassar . . . Feb. 26, B. C. 747 . . . That day was the Egyptian Thoth, or New Year. It begins the year one of Ptolemy’s Canon . . . always counting full years from New-year to New-year . . . “According to Ptolemy, THE YEAR IN WHICH ARTAXERXES BEGAN TO REIGN WAS THE TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY FOURTH YEAR OF THE CANON. This year 284, according to our calendar, began Dec. 17th, 465 B. C.

- “Chronology”, Vol. I, p. 268

YEARS OF CANON

283

DEC. 17

284

DEC. 17

285

B.C.465

464

463

IN CANON

Artaxerxes Longimanus began to reign in the 284th year of the Canon of PtolemyFigure 1.

GREGORIAN CALENDER (Modern Time)

ARTAXERXES BEGAN HIS REIGN AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, OR IN THE AUTUMN OF B.C. 464. THIS IS BECAUSE THE JEWISH MONTHS CHISLEU, AB, AND NISAN ARE WITHIN A SINGLE YEAR OF ARTAXERXES REIGN:

1. NISAN (April-May) (Nehemiah 2:1)

2. IYAR May – June)

3. SIVAN (June –July)

4. TAMMUZ (July – August)

5. AB (August – September) (Ezra 7:7-9)

6. ELUL (September – October)

7. TISRI (October – November)

8. HESVAN (November – December)

9. CHISLEU (December – January) (Nehemiah 1:1)

10. TEBET (January – February)

11. SEBAT (February – March)

12. ADAR (March – April)

JEWISH MONTHS (IN RED) THAT RESIDE WITHIN ONE YEAR OF ARTAXERXES REIGN:

* Biblical reckoning, as followed by the Karaite Jews.

THE BEGINNING OF ARTAXERXES REIGN

YEARS OF CANON

283

DEC. 17

284

DEC. 17

285

B.C.465

464

463

IN CANON

ACTUAL TIME(AUTUMN)

When Artaxerxes Longimanus actually began to reign - Autumn B.C. 464Figure 2.

THE ALMAGEST

“. . . Ptolemy compiled also A RECORD OF ANCIENT ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS, called the “Almagest” (an Arabic word meaning “great composition”). This ‘contains most of what is known of the astronomical observations and theories of the ancients.”

WHAT IS THE ALMAGEST?

-“The Hand of God in History”, p. 43, William A. Spicer.

“When it is recorded that in such a such a year of a certain king, at such a place, an eclipse of the sun or moon occurred, the modern astronomer and mathematician can verify the chronological record. And again and again, the dates have proved accurate.”

-“The Hand of God in History”, p. 43, William A. Spicer.

“ . . . the commencement of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus . . . B.C. 464-3, IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE AGREEMENT OF ABOVE TWENTY ECLIPSES, which have been REPEATEDLY CALCULATED, and have invariably been found to FALL IN THE TIMES SPECIFIED . . .”

- “The Sanctuary and the 2,300 days”, p. 21, J. N. Andrews

THE OLYMPIAD

WHAT IS AN OLYMPIAD?

“An interval of four years between celebrations of the Olympic games, by which the ancient Greeks reckoned dates.”

- “The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language”, Third Edition.

WHAT IS AN OLYMPIAD?

“The Olympic games consisted of various athletic sports, a record of which was kept at Elis . . . These records are pronounced accurate by ancient historians . . .”

- “Sacred Chronology”, page 23, Bliss.

20tTH YEAR OF ARTAXERES 1

“JULIUS AFRICANUS . . . INFORMS US . . . THAT THE TWENTIETH YEAR

OF ARTAXERXES . . . FELL IN WITH . . . THE FOURTH

YEAR OF THE EIGHTY-THIRD OLYMPIAD. IT

BEGAN . . . SOON AFTER THE SUMMER SOLSTICE,

B.C. 445 . . . HIS FIRST YEAR WILL BEGIN . . .

B.C. 464.”- “The Hand of God in History”, pp. 58, William A. Spicer.

465*– 464 (Elul 29) Artaxerxes I’s accession year (6½ months)

464 – 463 1 Tishri 1 – Elul 29463 – 462 2 Tishri 1 – Elul 29462 – 461 3 Tishri 1 – Elul 29461 – 460 4 Tishri 1 – Elul 29460 – 459 5 Tishri 1 – Elul 29459 – 458 6 Tishri 1 – Elul 29458 – 457 7 Tishri 1 – Elul 29

Nissan 1 – spring, 457 B.C. – Ezra left Babylonwith the decree in his hand

Av 1, 457 – Ezra arrived in Jerusalem

*(December 17 – Xerxes murdered)

Tishri 1 through Elul 29 = Solar/Civil Year CalendarGregorian, Regnal Years for Artaxerxes I

The Seventh Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus - Autumn B.C. 457Figure 3.

B.C. 465

464

463

462

461

460

459

458

457

456

AUTUMN

1st Year

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th etc.

THE 7TH YEAR OF KING ARTAXERXES

LONGIMANUS’S REIGN – B.C. 457

Education

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