The 2300 days
Part 1.
Introduction.
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The “2300 days” is one component of a larger prophecy. I will try to explain it, but unfortunately, if we want to understand the 2300 days, it cannot really be isolated from the context.
The prophecy is found in Daniel 8. It starts with a series of “Beasts” that are later explained as Nations or Empires. The first of these Beasts is “Great”, the next is “Very Great”, and then there comes another power, and it becomes “Exceedingly Great”.
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The angel Gabriel explains that the first Beast (a Ram with two horns), represents the united kingdoms of Media and Persia. (Dan 8:16, 20). The second Beast (a Goat with a single, prominent horn between his eyes), represents the kingdom of the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander. The ‘picture-story’ goes on to show that the Goat attacks the Ram and defeats him. (The Greeks defeat the Medes and Persians.)
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Then the Goat’s “great horn was broken.” Alexander the Great died “at his zenith”. In place of that great horn, 4 other horns came up. (Alexander had no successor, and “when his generals asked him to whom he left his empire he answered “To the strongest”.) The Empire fragmented, and eventually it came down to 4 divisions.
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Then, over the course of time, “out of one of them” [out of the Macedon “horn” (or division) of the divided Greek Empire], “came forth a little horn”. Rome grew up in “Greek Italy”, until finally it overcame and succeeded the Greek power. The Roman power became “exceedingly great”.
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In this prophecy the little horn represents the entire Roman phase of history – Imperial and Papal Rome. Although for the main part, the prophecy goes on to describe the work of Papal Rome. It takes away the daily, and casts down the truth to the ground, etc.
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Then Daniel hears a question.
“Then I heard one saint [i.e. “holy one”] speaking, and another saint said to that certain saint which spoke, ‘How long shall be the vision concerning the daily, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?’”
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And he said to me, Unto 2300 days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” (Dan 8:13:14)
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Now the original question was not, “How long would the little horn continue to do these things [i.e. take away the daily, cast down the truth to the ground, etc]?” When Gabriel eventually explains the answer, we find that it does NOT specifically relate to the Church of Rome; it has a much broader application.
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[Does anyone disagree with any of these fundamentals?]
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by VicDay on
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The special characteristic of the beast, and therefore of his image, is the breaking of God's commandments. Says Daniel, of the little horn, the papacy, “He shall think to change the times and the law.” [Daniel 7:25, Revised Version.] And Paul styled the same power the “man of sin,” who was to exalt himself above God. One prophecy is a complement of the other. Only by changing God's law could the papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep the law as thus changed would be giving supreme honor to that power by which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to papal laws would be a mark of allegiance to the pope in the place of God. {GC88 446.1}
. . . And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." This prophecy, which is nearly identical with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy. {GC 439.1}
The prophet Daniel declared that the Roman Church, symbolized by the little horn, was to think to change times and laws, [Daniel 7:25.] while Paul styled it the man of sin, [2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.] who was to exalt himself above God. Only by changing God's law could the papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep the law as thus changed would be giving supreme honor to that power by which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to papal laws would be a mark of allegiance to the pope in the place of God. {4SP 279.1}
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Permalink Reply by Stewart on -
Vic, the Roman Church was effectively in power for 1260 years. Do you think it possible to understand the character of the 2300 years? Are those years actually given a 'character', as it were? I think they were.
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Permalink Reply by teresa on -
I hadn't thought of that perspective. I don't think I have heard it before either. So the character of the 1260 days (etc.) would be a persecuting one? The character of the 2300 days?
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Permalink Reply by Stewart on
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Yes, I can definitely agree that persecution was a characteristic of the 1260 years.
"And he shall... wear out the saints of the most High... and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." (Dan 7:25)
Now I am trying to show what I think the 2300 years actually were.
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It is my belief that the Roman church was in political power for 1260 years. Following that period, it has maintained its political and religious influence, and it will get stronger as we approach the end. In regards to the "character" of the 2300 days, if the period following the 2300 years represents the antitypical day of atonement (we know how the people of Israel celebrated this feast), then the character of the period pryor to the day of atonement has to reflect its type.
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Permalink Reply by Alexander on -
I agree that the 2300 is longer than the 1260 years, so the 2300 year/day prophecy must be more than the Papal oppression. I mean it starts during the Medes and Persians in 457 b.c., the same as Daniel 8!
Am I understanding your point?
God Bless, Alex.
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Permalink Reply by Stewart on
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Yes Alex, I would say you are understanding my point.
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And yes, the 2300 years must be more than Papal oppression, even though it included Papal oppression.
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Permalink Reply by Stewart on
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Thanks Teresa. I would be interested in those points though, even though they be minor ones. : )
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I am willing to listen, and give you an assurance that I won't dispute them.
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Permalink Reply by teresa on
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Not on this thread because I don't wish it to become sidetracked from what you are trying to do.
And if you do dispute my understanding that is quite alright. I am quite sure if we could not end up agreeing we would amicably agree to disagree without throwing stones at each other. :)
Now I will continue reading your summary.
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Permalink Reply by Stewart on
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Part 2.
Again, let’s bear in mind that the question overheard by Daniel was NOT “How long will Rome continue to take away the daily, etc.?” It was “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily, and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the Sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?” (Dan 8:13 NKJV) [The Tanakh puts it, "How long will what was seen in the vision last" with regards to the daily, the Sanctuary, etc. ?]
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The angel Gabriel is asked [by Jesus] to explain the prophecy to Daniel. (8:16). Gabriel starts explaining it to him, but Daniel “faints” and Gabriel can't complete the work. Later, he comes back to Daniel (in 9:20) and resumes the explanation.
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Gabriel then gives Daniel a ‘marker’ for the beginning of the 2300 period. That ‘marker’ was “the going forth of the commandment to restore and [re-]build Jerusalem” (Dan 9:25). It was in 457BC that this “commandment” was issued by Artaxerxes [Longimanus], and this was issued not many years after Daniel’s death.
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So what period was spanned by “the vision concerning the daily, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the Sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot”?
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Answer – 2300 years. This included part of the Medo-Persian empire (from 457BC–331BC), the entire time allotted to the Greek empire (331BC–168BC), the Roman empire (both Imperial and Papal, from 168BC–1798AD), and it continued down to 1844.
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From the time of the RESTORATION of Jewish government in Jerusalem (in the days of Ezra), through 2300 years, till October of 1844, the daily, the Sanctuary, and the host [the people of God] were especially under attack.
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So we are given a ‘marker’ for the BEGINNING of the 2300 years; we are told what happens at the END of the 2300 years, but the character of the actual period is often blurry, or it is left completely undefined. (Although the prophecy does tell us about the nature of the period.) As a people, we tend to focus on what happened at the END of the 2300 years, namely, that the cleansing of the Sanctuary then began. And I'll try to give a brief explanation of that "cleansing".
I hope this is making sense.
© 2012 Created by Clark P.
