THE 2300 DAYS
INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDY
The ram and goat in this vision are both sacrificial animals offered on the Day of Atonement. These animals illustrate a shift of focus from Daniel's previous vision where the animals were beasts of prey and well known mythological creatures in the Babylonian world. The language of this vision also switches from Aramaic to Hebrew, showing a change in perspective to the Hebrew culture and a new emphasis on the sanctuary. The prophecy reveals how the sanctuary in heaven is polluted while attention is diverted to an earthly imitation, causing the need for its cleansing. The court scene of Daniel 7 is now unfolded in greater detail.
Bible Reference: Daniel 8
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The ram and goat in this vision are both sacrificial animals offered on the Day of Atonement. These animals illustrate a shift of focus from Daniel's previous vision where the animals were beasts of prey and well known mythological creatures in the Babylonian world. The language of this vision also switches from Aramaic to Hebrew, showing a change in perspective to the Hebrew culture and a new emphasis on the sanctuary. The prophecy reveals how the sanctuary in heaven is polluted while attention is diverted to an earthly imitation, causing the need for its cleansing. The court scene of Daniel 7 is now unfolded in greater detail.
Bible Reference: Daniel 8
To begin, click on the "Start" button. Use the "Next" and "Back" buttons to navigate through the study. Introduction
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Daniel 8:3,5 - "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns...And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth..."
The Ram
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Daniel 8:20 - The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
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The angel informs Daniel that the ram represents Medo-Persian empire. The horn that is higher than the other symbolizes Persia, which was stronger than Media. This was also portrayed by the bear which was raised up on one side in Daniel's previous vision.
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Daniel 8:3-4 - "...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..."
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The ram pushes in three directions, indicating its three main conquests (Lydia (546 BC), Babylon (539 BC) and Egypt (525 BC), just like the bear in Daniel's previous vision had the three ribs in
its mouth.
The Ram - Cyrus the Great
The armies of Cyrus, the Persian, marched in 539 BC toward Babylon. Moments before he attacked the seemingly impregnable city, the Babylonian king Belshazzar, during a drunken party, saw the unseen hand write those terrifying words “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” on the wall. Daniel, called to interpret the writing, said “Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians” (Dan. 5:25). Shortly after, the armies of Cyrus marched into the heart of the unguarded city, having turned the Euphrates out of its channel. That very night Belshazzar was slain and the Persians took the city.
The Goat
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Daniel 8:21 - And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king."
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Next, Daniel sees a goat. Here again, the angel provides the name of the kingdom, leaving no doubt that it represents Greece.
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Daniel 8:5 - "...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."
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The first king, symbolized by the notable horn, is Alexander the Great. He began to rule when he was only 20 years old. However, by the time he was 25 he had conquered much of the Eastern world. His amazing feats are exemplified by the battle of Arbela, where he defeated Darius’ 600,000 strong army, with a force of less than 50,000 men.
The Goat's Horn Broken
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Daniel 8:8 - "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."
Daniel 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."
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When Alexander was in his prime, he unexpectedly died in 323 BC ("great horn broken"). Alexander’s generals divided his kingdom into four parts (symbolized by the reference to the four points of the compass in Dan. 8:8, 22, and by the four heads on the leopard in his previous vision).
The Little Horn
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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.
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This little horn comes into power after Greece and out of one the winds of heaven (chief directions of the compass). Rome came from the west and as known from history was the next world empire.
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Daniel 8:10-12 - "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. 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 practised, and prospered.
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It is described as first waxing great toward the south (Carthage and Northern Africa), east (Greece and Syria in 65 BC) and pleasant land (General Pompey captured Jerusalem in 63 BC), showing Pagan Rome’s conquests. After that it waxes great upward, to the host of heaven, showing Papal Rome’s aspirations. The description of this little horn’s activities and characteristics (Dan. 8:10-12) are similar to those of the stout horn in Daniel’s previous vision (see “The Stout Horn's Characteristics” in The Four Beasts presentation), making it apparent that the little horn represents Rome through its years as a pagan empire and also Papal Rome through the Middle Ages.
The Fierce King
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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. 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. 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."
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When Daniel sought after the meaning of the vision, an angel provided additional information. In the latter time of their (the four generals of Greece) kingdom, a fierce king stands up. Rome is the kingdom that swallowed up Greece and is represented by the Little Horn and also the Fierce King.
This power is identified in the Bible as particularly set against God and His people. During the Roman Empire, Christ (Prince of princes) was sentenced to death, many were persecuted and Jerusalem was destroyed (see Deut. 28:50-57 for another prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction by this nation of fierce countenance).
The Little Horn's Activities
Daniel 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 practised, and prospered.
As represented by the sacrificial animals in this
vision, the focus of the prophecy is on God’s sanctuary. The little horn magnifies himself even to the prince of the host, takes away the daily sacrifice, and casts down the sanctuary. The term “daily sacrifice” in Hebrew is “tamid”, used in the Old Testament in connection with the earthly sanctuary services. The priests performed certain functions continually, such as keeping the lamps burning (Ex. 27:20), burning incense continually (Ex. 30:8) and keeping a burnt offering on the altar continually (1 Chron. 16:40). Symbolically, the “daily sacrifice” refers to the continual service of Jesus Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. He is our priest (Heb. 8:1-2) and our intercessor (Rom. 8:34), continually listening to our prayers, sending the Holy Spirit to help us, and mediating for us.The little horn thought to take this away, obscure it, or supplant it. One of the main ways it did this was by establishing a religious system where direct access to God through Christ was replaced with earthly mediators. The little horn ascribed to itself the work of the Prince and rejected the Prince’s sanctuary as the only place of true forgiveness and mediation. This desolation of the sanctuary initiated by the Roman Empire and continued by Papal Rome would eventually be put to an end after 2300 days (2300 prophetic years) when the sanctuary would be cleansed (Dan. 8:14).
The Cleansing of the Earthly Sanctuary
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“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Dan. 8:14).
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The concept of "cleansing the sanctuary" is symbolized by the Israelite sanctuary services. Once a year, the Israelites observed the Day of Atonement, on which the earthly sanctuary was cleansed of all the sins accumulated there through the year.
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“And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls” (Num. 29:7).
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This was a solemn day of judgment. Those who did not afflict [look down, humble, weaken, answer, chasten self] his/her soul that day would be cut off (Lev. 16:29, 23:27-29). This was the only day of the year that the high priest would enter into the Most Holy compartment of the Sanctuary (note: throughout the rest of the year, he would minister daily in the Holy compartment). On the Day of Atonement, he would first make atonement through sprinkling of blood for himself and for his household. Then, he would not only make atonement for the people, but also for the sanctuary itself. This was necessary because throughout the year, confessed sins were transferred symbolically to the sanctuary. Now full atonement would be made and the sins removed completely, thus cleansing the heavenly sanctuary.
The Cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary
“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man" (Heb. 8:1-2).
The Hebrew word for “cleansed” in Daniel 8:14 is “tsadaq” and is associated with concepts such as judgment, vindication, cleansing, and salvation. It indicates a restoration of the order established by God through a work of cleansing and judgment. This is a time of investigation and judgment, which was also portrayed in Daniel's previous vision (“...the judgment was set, and the books were opened” - Dan. 7:10). When the heavenly judgment is completed and rewards are determined, then Christ will come again (Rev. 22:12).
The earthly sanctuary was patterned after the true tabernacle, the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 8:1-2). The process in the earthly sanctuary of finally removing sins from the sanctuary that were previously forgiven, is also what happens in the heavenly sanctuary. Those who have accepted Christ are investigated, and their previously forgiven sins are forever blotted out (Is. 43:25, Heb. 10:17-18). The righteous principles of Christ’s kingdom and His people, are vindicated. With His continual atonement, Christ assumes responsibility for the sins of His people. But, during the Day of Atonement, sin is removed from the heavenly sanctuary, revealing God to be totally unrelated to sin.
The Beginning Date for the Cleansing
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“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem..." (Dan. 9:25).
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The start date for the prophetic fulfillment of the heavenly Day of Atonement can be determined when the angel returns to provide Daniel with further understanding of the vision and expands on the first part of the 2300 days (the 70 weeks). The 70 weeks are cut off from the 2300 days and allocated especially to the Jewish nation. Both prophecies start with the command to restore Jerusalem given in 457 BC. You can learn the detail of this calculation in the next presentation on the 70 weeks.
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“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come" (Rev. 14:7).
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The 2300 days (prophetic years) are added to the starting date of 457 BC (the comprehensive decree to restore and build Jerusalem) and thus extend to 1844. More precisely, the date of October 22, 1844 is the tenth day of the seventh month according to the Jewish calendar, as kept by the orthodox Karaite Jews. Thus, as of 1844, the heavenly Day of Atonement is currently in progress! The hour of judgment has come, prior to the second coming, just as announced by the 3 angel's in Revelation. (More info regarding the 3 angel's messages are provided in a later presentation.)
The End of the Little Horn
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"...but he shall be broken without hand" (Dan. 8:25).
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The desolation of the sanctuary would eventually come to an end. The Little Horn's end is accomplished "without hand", which is reminiscent of Daniel's first vision when the stone which destroys the earthly kingdoms is cut out of the mountain without hands. This indicates it is by God's power that these things are accomplished (see also Mark 14:58, Col. 2:11).
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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."
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The vision was sealed, meaning that it would not be understood until the time of the end (Dan. 8:17). The starting date for the "Cleansing of the Sanctuary", along with the meaning of how the sanctuary would be cleansed, was not generally understood until the 1800s.
End of Study
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
This vision can be read in Daniel chapter 8. It will help to read the chapter before continuing the study.