The Sanctuary

"Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. 8:14.

Every word of God has a meaning; and his revelations to men are designed for their benefit. But to be of use, they must be understood. Our text was not written for the purpose of making the Bible a larger hook; but to convey to the reader the truth concerning a most important event, to transpire at a time then far in the future; but of transcendent interest to those who should live at the time, when the given period should end and the promised event should follow.

This period is not merely 2300 literal days; but so many years. This is the view of almost all expositors and students of prophecy; and it is susceptible of the clearest proof from the fulfillment of a part of this prophecy, the seventy weeks, and other prophetic periods which have had exact and marked fulfillment, reckoning a year for a day.

The time for the beginning of the work of the cleansing of the sanctuary was appointed by inspiration of God more than two thousand and three hundred years beforehand. An event so long foretold cannot be one of little importance; and yet many, I may say, the mass of professed Christians, manifest no interest in it whatever. This is owing to prevailing ignorance on the subject. The fact that but few give any exposition of it in their teaching does not prove that their view of it is untrue. It is evident that were it not true, some one would be able to make the error apparent, by giving the true view in its stead. But attempts to prove its unsoundness have ceased; because beyond all controversy the period of time has ended; and this being the case, there is but one reasonable view of the sanctuary and its cleansing that can be given, and that is so plain and evident that it commends itself to every searcher for truth.

To illustrate the ignorance and apathy which prevails on this important subject, I will relate an incident. I was conversing with an aged minister, one who, I have no doubt, thinks he reveres the word of God. I told him that I had been informed that a certain other minister of his acquaintance had said that he believed that the 2300 days had ended. To my surprise he replied substantially as follows: "Suppose they have ended, what of that?" As though the great God should foretell a future event more than two thousand years distant, and the ending of that definite period be of no interest to those who should live at the appointed time! It is absurd. The only reasonable view of it is, that the event foretold is one of the most thrilling importance to those living at the end of the days, and that those who diligently seek for the truth concerning the grand event, will be able to find it. Otherwise this divine utterance will be of no use, and therefore in vain.

A definite period without a starting point given would be useless. It is therefore reasonable to believe that the beginning of this long period is given so that we can find it. But it is not given in chapter 8. In this chapter is evidence that the period is hundreds of years in length, covering a portion of the history of the three great empires, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. This is a part of the proof that the days are symbols of years.

The vision consists of three symbols, the ram, the goat, and the little horn, and the question and the answer concerning the length of the time. Gabriel being commanded to make Daniel understand the vision, explained the three symbols, giving the names of two of the empires symbolized, and describing the third so fully as to make its application to Rome infallible. But he did not at this time explain the time. He alluded to it merely saying, "And the vision of the evening and the morning [that is the days] which was told is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days." No point was given from which to reckon the days; hence he concludes the chapter by saying, "I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it."

But from chapter 9 we learn that Gabriel came to Daniel again, and the stated purpose was to give him skill and understanding. Said he, "Understand the matter, and consider the vision." Having thus called his attention to the vision, which is doubtless that of chapter 8, he proceeds directly to speak of the time, the only portion left unexplained. Said the angel, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people." The word rendered determined literally signifies cut off. We understand that these seventy weeks are the first 490 of the 2300 days; consequently that both begin at the same point; so that the given date of the seventy weeks is also the date of the beginning of the 2300 days. A starting point is then given, namely, "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem."

At the time this prophecy was given, Jerusalem was in ruins, and Daniel and his people were in captivity in Babylon. They were to be restored and their city was to be rebuilt. From the beginning of this work the time of the vision is to be reckoned. From this point seventy weeks, or 490 years, are given to the Jews especially, reaching to the coming of their promised Messiah "to make an end of sins," or sin-offerings, "and to make reconciliation for iniquity," etc. "and to seal up the visson and prophecy." To seal up, in this instance, is to make sure; and one effect of giving the seventy weeks, with their subdivisions and marked events, is to make the inter- pretation of the time absolutely sure.

The work of restoration and rebuilding, we learn from Ezra 7, began in the fall of the year, and our chronology makes it B. C. 457. Seven weeks, forty-nine years, seem to have been employed in building. Then three score and two weeks added, makes sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years; and these were to reach to Messiah, or Christ. From the fall of B. C. 457, 483 years reach to the fall of A. D. 27. Here Jesus was manifested as the Messiah, at his baptism and the commencement of his public life and ministry. Three years and a half from this point reaches to the spring of A. D. 31, where Christ was crucified, or "cut off," "in the midst of the week," the seventieth. We know that the crucifixion was in the spring, because it was at the time of the passover, which was always celebrated in the first Jewish month. Consequently the remaining half of the seventieth week would end in the fall of A. D. 34, which we believe was marked by the introduction of the gospel to the gentiles, it being no longer confined to the Jews only.

If there is any doubt concerning our starting point at the beginning of the work under Ezra, B. C. 457, the truth can be demonstrated by beginning at the crucifixion and reckoning backward. The best testimony places the crucifixion in A. D. 31, and no other date of the crucifixion will correspond with any commandment for restoring and building Jerusalem, according to the terms of the prophecy. Consequently, relying upon the prophecy as an infallible guide, we are shut up to these dates, there being no other way of harmonizing its several events. And if the date of the seventy weeks is not the date of the 2300 days, no point is given for their commencement. This would involve the author of the prophecy in the absurdity of giving a definite period with no possible way to find its beginning. This would only puzzle believers, being of no profit whatever. Not being willing to impute such an absurdity to the God we worship, we take the only alternative, that of believing without a doubt that the 2300 days began in the fall of B. C. 457, and consequently ended in the fall of A. D. 1844.

The dates which lead to this conclusion are the original dates which gave rise to the present great movement concerning the nearness of the second advent of Christ; the dates as held and preached by Eld. Wm. Miller and all others who believed with him that Christ would come in 1844. No good reason had ever been given for adopting different dates. The fact that Christ did not come, as was expected, does not prove that the days did not end at that time. Every attempt to re-adjust the figures in order to make them reach to the coming of Christ has proved nothing, but the folly of those engaged in it. That Christ would come at the end of the days was only an unwarranted inference; that the sanctuary should be cleansed at their termination, is what the text said.

The advent movement of 1844 laid the foundation of most that can now be said proving the nearness of the event. Other prophecies and signs were brought in evidence; but prophetic time, the true understanding of which was clearly demonstrated, was the grand point that moved the people; opponents themselves admitting that the time was correct. A message based on definite time was due the world before the coming of Christ, Rev. 14:6, 7. If this has not been announced already, it must be in the future.

Some suggested that the period should be dated from the time that Nehemiah went to help in the work at Jerusalem, thirteen years later than the commission of Ezra; but all disputed ground, in respect to the time, is now past; and nothing has occurred worthy to mark the ending of this great period since 1844. There a thrilling message was announced based on this very period, and corresponding exactly to that of the angel of Rev. 14:6, 7, namely, "Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come."

It is utterly in vain, as every clear minded student of prophecy knows, to look for the ending of the 2300 days in the future. Why not then believe that they ended in 1844, sustained, as is this view, by all the evidence, and more, that moved the world at that time? Why not find in the subject of the sanctuary and its cleansing, the explanation of the error that led to that disappointment?