CHAPTER 17
In this chapter, we will discuss what the phrase “the time of the end” means and when it begins in prophecy, specifically to understand the fulfilling of the 2300-day or “chazown” prophecy of Daniel 8. We will use the cross, comparing scripture with scripture to confirm when “the time of the end” begins.
Daniel 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 (chazown). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-8/
The words time and end mean the following in Hebrew from the Strong’s Concordance.
TIME H6256
עֵת ʻêth, ayth; from H5703; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.:— after, (al-) ways, × certain, continually, evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H6256&t=KJV
END H7093
קֵץ qêts, kates; contracted from H7112; an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after:— after, (utmost) border, end, (in-) finite, × process. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H7093&t=KJV
It is important to note in Daniel 8:17 which Hebrew word for “vision” is being used. Please see our previous discussions on the two different words for vision being used in our discussion on Daniel 8:15. In this case it is “chazown” or the 2300-day vision.
VISION H2377
חָזוֹן châzôwn, khaw-zone'; from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H2377&t=KJV
We are told the “chazown” or 2300-day vision of Daniel 8 will be fulfilled at “the time of the end”.
Daniel 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.
We are given another hint in Daniel 8:26.
Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision (chazown); for it shall be for many days. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-8/
From the Strong’s Concordance the word “many” means abundant.
MANY H7227
רַב rab, rab; by contracted from H7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality):—(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H7227&t=KJV
Here we are told the “chazown” will be for many days or in other words a long time into the future.
Using the “day for a year” interpretation of time prophecy in scripture supported by Ezekiel 4:6, Luke 13:32, and Numbers 14:34, and the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9, we see that 2300 days in prophecy is 2300 years.
If we know the starting date, we can find out when the 2300-day vision concludes and the cleansing of the sanctuary begins. Knowing this, we can also find the beginning of the “time of the end”. There are time hints in the book of Daniel as to the start and end times for the 2300-day vision.
THE “MAREH” CONNECTION
With study, we can see that the “mareh” of Daniel 8 and 9 is connected to the 2300-day vision for the following three reasons:
1. The mareh (appearance of the Mighty Man) was given to help Daniel understand the chazown (2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8).
Daniel 8:15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision (chazown), and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man (mareh).
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 (mareh). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-8/
2. The “mareh” (70-week prophecy of Daniel 9) started in the times of the kings of the Medes and the Persians during the “chazown” (2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8). The kings of the Medes and the Persians were the ones who gave the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem mentioned in Daniel 9:25. Review Chapter 3-A of this book regarding Daniel 8:3.
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-9/
3. The “mareh” or 70-week prophecy is “determined” (cut off). The “mareh” is a time prophecy cut off of another time prophecy. The time prophecy previously mentioned is the chazown (2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8).
DETERMINED H2852
חָתַךְ châthak, khaw-thak'; a primitive root; properly, to cut off, i.e. (figuratively) to decree:—determine.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2852/kjv/wlc/0-1/
Daniel 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.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-9/
In Daniel 8:27 we are told that Daniel did not understand the vision (mareh) any more than he understood the vision (chazown). The angel Gabriel is sent once again as recorded in Daniel 9, to help Daniel to understand the appearance of the Mighty Man (mareh). At this time Daniel is told in Daniel 9:25 that the “mareh” began with “the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. This command to restore and build Jerusalem was given by the Medo-Persian Kings, taking us back in relation to the beginning of the 2300-day vision which was illustrated by the Ram of Daniel 8:3-7.
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 (mareh), but none understood it.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-8/
Daniel 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision (chazown) at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
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 (mareh). (This understanding is regarding Daniel’s lack of understanding in Daniel 8:27 for the “mareh” vision (appearance of the Mighty Man).
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 (chazown) and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-9/
We can calculate the “mareh” three different ways.
First, the start date of the “mareh” should be “the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” as seen in Daniel 9:25.
The Hebrew word translated “commandment” in Daniel 9:25 is “dabar” and means “a word.” It is not the Hebrew word that Daniel traditionally uses in his book to mean decree or commandment from the king. That Hebrew word for decree is “ecar” and means “decree”. Daniel uses the word “ecar” in Daniel 6:7-15 six different times. For this reason the Hebrew word “dabar” translated “commandment” in Daniel 9:24 could be better translated “a word”.
COMMANDMENT H1697
דָּבָר dâbâr, daw-baw'; from H1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause:—act, advice, affair, answer, × any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, chronicles, commandment, × commune(-ication), concern(-ing), confer, counsel, dearth, decree, deed, × disease, due, duty, effect, eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, glory, harm, hurt, iniquity, judgment, language, lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, × ought, × parts, pertaining, please, portion, power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, × (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, sign, so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, song, speech, × spoken, talk, task, that, × there done, thing (concerning), thought, thus, tidings, what(-soever), wherewith, which, word, work.
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment (H1697 - word) to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince ……
DECREE H633
אֱסָר ʼĕçâr, es-sawr'; (Aramaic) corresponding to H632 in a legal sense; an interdict:—decree.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h633/kjv/wlc/0-1/
One decree found in Ezra 7:14, is historically dated in the autumn of 457 BC which was the decree per king Artexerxes Longissimus who gave the Jews permission to worship and to govern themselves under God in Jerusalem and the financial and material means and freedom to finish re-building the house of God in Jerusalem. Ezra viewed this decree and previous decrees as authorization to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls as seen per his prayer to God in Ezra 9. To have their capital city and governing and religious freedom was to have a wall again in Judah and Jerusalem (Ezra 9:9). This date in the Autumn of 457 BC most closely correlates to the fixed time constraints regarding the Messiah in the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 which surround the time of Christ’s baptism (anointing) and death (cut off).
Ezra 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
20And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
21And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23 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?
24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
25 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.
26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ezra-Chapter-7/
Ezra 9:8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ezra-Chapter-9/
Before this last commandment to allow the building process to go forward, when Ezra came from Babylon from King Artexerxes (Ezra 4:12) with a second wave of returning Hebrews, the Samaritans were upset and wrote to king Artexerxes warning him to stop the rebuilding of the walls.
Ezra 4:11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.
12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
14 Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.
16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ezra-Chapter-4/
The second way we can calculate the end of the 2300-day prophecy is to use the 70-week prophecy to get our bearings regarding the anointing of the Messiah. In Daniel 9:25, we are told that from that date of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem “unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks” or in other words sixty-nine weeks.
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-9/
The word “Messiah” means “the anointed one”. Jesus was referred to as the Messiah and He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism in the autumn/winter of 27 AD somewhere around his 30th birthday. We count fifteen years from AD 12 until AD 27 to get our date because of Luke 3:1 which gives us the approximate date of His baptism. Then count back 69 weeks (69 x 7 = 483) and change days to years. This brings us back to the autumn of 457 BC.
MESSIAH H4899
מָשִׁיחַ mâshîyach, maw-shee'-akh; from H4886; anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint); specifically, the Messiah:—anointed, Messiah.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4899/kjv/wlc/0-1/
Luke 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; …. 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Luke-Chapter-3/
“The 1st year of Tiberius began as coregent in October of A.D. 12 and he was named head of state in September of A.D. 14 which pushed his factual year earlier two months, reckoned thereafter from the fall month of September through August of the following year.
Consequently, Tiberius' 15th year spanned the last 4 months of A.D. 26 (when Christ was baptized just after His 30th birthday) to the first 8 months of A.D. 27, and Tiberius' 18th year spanned the last 4 months of A.D. 29 into the first 8 months of A.D. 30 (when Christ was crucified on April 3rd).”
http://theos-sphragis.info/years_of_tiberius_timeline.html
Acts 10:37 The word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Acts-Chapter-10/
The third way to calculate the 2300 days is to determine the date of the end of the 70-week prophecy. We are given 70 weeks as to the time allotted for the “mareh” vision. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city”.
Daniel 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. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-9/
Using the prophetic time principle that a day in prophecy equals a year, we find out that 70 weeks becomes 70 x 7 days or 490 days, which translates to 490 years.
Looking at the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27, we see that the Messiah was to be cut in the midst (middle) of the seventieth week. The midst of a week which is three and a half days, using the day for the year principle, translates to three and a half years after Christ was anointed to the date of His death.
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
During the ministry of Christ we discover that four Passovers went by until He was crucified. This period covers his ministry of three years and brings us to the spring of AD 31.
1st Passover AD 28
John 2:13
2nd Passover or Pentecost AD 29
John 5
3rd Passover AD 30
John 6:4
4th Passover (Death of Christ) AD 31
Luke 22:1; Matthew 26:2; John 13:1
After His death, there would be 3 ½ more years until the seventy-week prophecy was completed. Was there an event that demonstrated a “cutting off” time for the Jews three and a half years after Christ died? Yes. At Stephen’s death the rulers in Jerusalem officially commenced the persecution of Christ’s followers and in so doing rejected the messages sent by the Holy Spirit through the followers of Christ to the Jewish nation (Acts 7:51-60). Persecution against the followers of Christ caused Christians to flee Judea and begin to take the gospel to the Gentile world (Acts 8:1). Remember Christ told the disciples to begin preaching in Jerusalem after He ascended (Luke 24:47). But He also commissioned them to go to the world and to preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19). The act of putting Stephen to death per the Jewish leaders ended the 490-year probationary time for the Jewish nation to accept Christ which had been “determined upon” Daniel’s people, the Jews (Daniel 9:24). Jesus talked about this time to come as a “fill ye up the measure” in Matthew 23:30-36, a type of judgment on the generation who was responsible for crucifying Christ.
Acts 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Acts-Chapter-7/
Matthew 23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-Chapter-23/
It also interesting to note that when asked how often we should forgive, Christ said, 490 times. See the following:
Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Here Christ is using the day for a year prophetic time principle since a “time” in prophecy equals a year. Basically, the seventy-week prophecy of Daniel 9 was the probationary period or period of longsuffering and forgiveness given the Jewish nation to accept or reject Christ. They chose to reject him when the leaders of the nation stoned His servant and messenger, Stephen.
With a proper understanding of the seventy-week prophecy or “mareh”, we now have the first 490 years of the 2300-year prophecy.
In conclusion, we are encouraged by the seventy-week prophecy (490 years) of Daniel 9 to use the year of the baptism of Christ, the year of the cross of Christ as our fixed time references for the first 490 years of the 2300-day (2300 year) prophecy. We can count backwards or forwards from these reference points to get the dates for the 2300-day prophecy. Using today’s Gregorian calendar, 2300 years – 457 years (All the BC years) = 1843 years (All the AD years). But because there is a no zero year between BC and AD, we have to add a year. This takes us to autumn of the year 1844 which would be “ at the time of the end”.
Daniel 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 (chazown).
What was to happen at the end of the 2300-day prophecy or “at the time of the end”?
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?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
And what does it mean to cleanse the sanctuary?
For an answer, please review our past discussion from Daniel 8:13 & 14 on what it means to cleanse the sanctuary.
The cleansing of the sanctuary refers to a cleansing the sanctuary of our hearts and minds from believing the lies Satan propagated for 1260 years by the “man of sin.” But people in 1844 thought that it meant the cleansing of the earth by fire from the Lord’s Second Coming. In fact, these people were called Adventists because they believed that the Daniel 8 prophecy referred to the date for the Second Coming of Christ. They were however sorely disappointed when Christ did not come. However, with closer inspection of Bible truth, those who continued to study it out saw that it was in fact the beginning of a cleansing of the sanctuary of our minds. The “man of sin” was to be exposed. The truth about the true High Priest, Jesus Christ, as He ministers in the sanctuary in Heaven for cleansing our minds from believing a lie was to be known. Hearts were to be purged of sin and a false picture of God. This, for the Devil and for our world, was the beginning of the “time of the end”.
Seventh Day Adventists were led by this study to a knowledge of the Three Angels Messages of Revelation 14. Seventh Day Adventists believe it is the duty of Christians to bring the gospel to the world, to warn them about the Fall of Babylon (the man of sin), and to warn them about the rise again of the man of sin at the end of time which will culminate in the “Mark of the Beast” or the “Seal of God” for all living at that time. Those who still believe the lie will receive the Mark of the Beast as they by action and in mind (mark on hand and forehead) follow in the steps of the Papacy who compelled the conscience by persecuting Christians who would not bow to her authority.
Those who refuse to bow down to this image of the beast (man of sin) will receive the Seal of God in their foreheads meaning they have God’s character or image written on their hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit and they believe the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.
In conclusion, “the time of the end” began in 1844 AD with the fulfilling of the time prophecy announcing “the cleansing of the sanctuary.”
CHAPTER SUMMARY
It is important to note in Daniel 8:17 which Hebrew word for “vision” is being used. Please see our previous discussions on the two different words for vision being used in our discussion on Daniel 8:15. In this case it is “chazown” or the 2300-day vision.
In Daniel 8:17, we are told the “chazown” or 2300-day vision of Daniel 8 will be fulfilled at “the time of the end”.
We are given another hint in Daniel 8:26 where Daniel uses the words “many days” in regards to the fulfillment of the “chazown.”.
From the Strong’s Concordance the word “many” means abundant.
Here we are told the “chazown” will be for many days or in other words a long time into the future.
Using the “day for a year” interpretation of time prophecy in scripture supported by Ezekiel 4:6, Luke 13:32, and Numbers 14:34, and the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9, we see that 2300 days in prophecy is 2300 years.
If we know the starting date, we can find out when the 2300-day vision concludes and the cleansing of the sanctuary begins. Knowing this, we can also find the beginning of the “time of the end”. There are time hints in the book of Daniel as to the start and end times for the 2300-day vision.
THE “MAREH” TIME CONNECTION
With study, we can see that the “mareh” of Daniel 8 and 9 is connected to the 2300-day vision for the following three reasons:
1. The mareh (appearance of the Mighty Man) was given to help Daniel understand the chazown (2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8).
2. The “mareh” (70 week prophecy of Daniel 9) started in the times of the kings of the Medes and the Persians just as the “chazown” did. The kings of the Medes and the Persians were the ones who gave the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Review Chapter 3-A of this book regarding Daniel 8:3.
3. The “mareh” or 70-week prophecy is “determined” (cut off). The “mareh” is a time prophecy cut off of another time. The time previously mentioned is the chazown (2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8).
In Daniel 8:27 we are told that Daniel did not understand the vision (mareh) any more than he understood the vision (chazown). The angel Gabriel is sent once again as recorded in Daniel 9, to help Daniel to understand the appearance of the Mighty Man (mareh). At this time Daniel is told in Daniel 9:25 that the “mareh” began with “the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. This act was given by the Medo-Persian Kings, taking us back to the beginning of the 2300-day vision which was illustrated by the Ram of Daniel 8:3-7.
We can calculate the “mareh” three different ways.
The first way to calculate the “mareh” is to find the start date of the 70-week prophecy. The start time of the “mareh” should be “the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” as seen in Daniel 9:25.
One decree found in Ezra 7:14, is historically dated in the autumn of 457 BC which was the decree per king Artexerxes Longissimus who gave the Jews permission to worship and to govern themselves under God in Jerusalem and the financial and material means and freedom to finish re-building the house of God in Jerusalem. Ezra viewed this decree and previous decrees as authorization to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls as seen per his prayer to God in Ezra 9. To have their capital city and governing and religious freedom was to have a wall again in Judah and Jerusalem (Ezra 9:9). This date in the Autumn of 457 BC most closely correlates to the fixed time constraints in the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 which surround the time of Christ’s baptism and death.
As for the second way we can calculate the end of the 2300-day prophecy, we can use the 70-week prophecy to get our bearings regarding the anointing of the Messiah. In Daniel 9:25, we are told that from that date of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem “unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks” or in other words sixty-nine weeks. The word “Messiah” means “the anointed one”. Jesus was referred to as the Messiah and He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism in the autumn/winter of 27 AD somewhere around his 30th birthday. We count fifteen years from AD 12 until AD 27 to get our date because of Luke 3:1 which gives us the approximate date of His baptism. Then count back 69 weeks (69 x 7 = 483) and change days to years. This brings us back to the autumn of 457 BC.
The third way to calculate the 2300 days is to determine the date of the end of the 70-week prophecy. We are given 70 weeks as to the time allotted for the “mareh” vision. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city”.
Using the prophetic time principle that a day in prophecy equals a year, we find out that 70 weeks becomes 70 x 7 days or 490 days, which translates to 490 years.
Looking at the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27, we see that the Messiah was to be cut in the midst (middle) of the seventieth week. The midst of a week which is three and a half days, using the day for the year principle, translates to three and a half years after Christ was anointed to the date of His death. During the ministry of Christ we discover that four Passovers went by until He was crucified. This period covers his ministry of three years and brings us to the spring of AD 31.
After His death, there would be 3 ½ more years until the seventy-week prophecy was completed. Was there an event that demonstrated a “cutting off” time for the Jews three and a half years after Christ died? Yes. At Stephen’s death the rulers in Jerusalem officially commenced the persecution of Christ’s followers and in so doing rejected the messages sent by the Holy Spirit through the followers of Christ to the Jewish nation (Acts 7:51-60). Persecution against the followers of Christ caused Christians to flee Judea and begin to take the gospel to the Gentile world (Acts 8:1). Remember Christ told the disciples to begin preaching in Jerusalem after He ascended (Luke 24:47). But He also commissioned them to go to the world and to preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19). The act of putting Stephen to death per the Jewish leaders ended the 490-year probationary time for the Jewish nation to accept Christ which had been “determined upon” Daniel’s people, the Jews (Daniel 9:24). Jesus talked about this time to come as a “fill ye up the measure” in Matthew 23:30-36, a type of judgment on the generation who was responsible for crucifying Christ.
It also interesting to note that when asked how often we should forgive, Christ said, 490 times in Matthew 18:21=22. Here Christ is using the day for a year prophetic time principle since a “time” in prophecy equals a year. Basically, the seventy-week prophecy of Daniel 9 was the probationary period or period of longsuffering and forgiveness given the Jewish nation to accept or reject Christ. They chose to reject him when the leaders of the nation stoned His servant and messenger, Stephen.
With a proper understanding of the seventy-week prophecy or “mareh” , we now have the first 490 years of the 2300-year prophecy.
In conclusion, we are encouraged by the seventy-week prophecy (490 years) of Daniel 9 to use the year of the baptism of Christ, the year of the cross of Christ as our fixed time references for the first 490 years of the 2300-day (2300 year) prophecy. We can count backwards or forwards from these reference points to get the dates for the 2300-day prophecy. Using today’s Gregorian calendar, 2300 years – 457 years (All the BC years) = 1843 years (All the AD years). But because there is a no zero year between BC and AD, we have to add a year. This takes us to autumn of the year 1844 which would be “ at the time of the end”.
The event to happen at the end of the 2300-day prophecy or “at the time of the end” was the cleansing of the sanctuary. The cleansing of the sanctuary refers to a cleansing the sanctuary of our hearts and minds from believing the lies Satan propagated for 1260 years by the “man of sin.” But people in 1844 thought that it meant the cleansing of the earth by fire from the Lord’s Second Coming. In fact, these people were called Adventists because they believed that the Daniel 8 prophecy referred to the date for the Second Coming of Christ. They were however sorely disappointed when Christ did not come. However, with closer inspection of Bible truth, those who continued to study it out saw that it was in fact the beginning of a cleansing of the sanctuary of our minds. The “man of sin” was to be exposed. The truth about the true High Priest, Jesus Christ, as He ministers in the sanctuary in Heaven for cleansing our minds from believing a lie was to be known. Hearts were to be purged of sin and a false picture of God. This, for the Devil and for our world, was the beginning of the “time of the end”.
Seventh Day Adventists were led by this study to a knowledge of the Three Angels Messages of Revelation 14. Seventh Day Adventists believe it is the duty of Christians to bring the gospel to the world, to warn them about the Fall of Babylon (the man of sin), and to warn them about the rise again of the man of sin at the end of time which will culminate in the “Mark of the Beast” or the “Seal of God” for all living at that time. Those who still believe the lie will receive the Mark of the Beast as they by action and in mind (mark on hand and forehead) follow in the steps of the Papacy who compelled the conscience by persecuting Christians who would not bow to her authority.
Those who refuse to bow down to this image of the beast (man of sin) will receive the Seal of God in their foreheads meaning they have God’s character or image written on their hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit and they believe the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.
In conclusion, “the time of the end” began in 1844 AD with the fulfilling of the time prophecy announcing “the cleansing of the sanctuary.”