Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies THE MEANING OF SANCTUARY SHALL BE CLEANSED: AN EXEGETICAL STUDY OF DANIEL 8:14 A project presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF DIVINITY Kyle P. Tumberg October 2, 2015
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION And he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed (Daniel 8:14). This verse is all too familiar to Seventh-day Adventists, for we know that it was this verse that ultimately spear-headed the Millerite movement in the 19 th century, out of which would eventually come the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist church. If there is one Bible verse that is central to our history as a people it is Daniel 8:14. Angel Rodriguez says, Of all the prophecies of the Bible, those centering on Daniel 8 and 9 are the most critical for Seventh-day Adventists. Here we find the 2300 days, the sanctuary, and its cleansing. These prophecies focused the message of William Miller and the pioneers of our movement, and they are still vital for understanding our times. 1 Every Seventh-day Adventist should have a thorough understanding of Daniel 8:14 and understand the implications involved in the cleansing of the sanctuary. Ellen White says, The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith. 2 In order to be grounded in the fundamental doctrines of the Adventist faith, we must understand the heavenly sanctuary doctrine, of which Daniel 8:14 is central. Because Daniel 8:14 is so crucial to Seventh-day Adventist theology, we can sure that the devil will do all in his power to attack it, therefore we must understand the meaning of this text clearly. If we do not, we are in danger of be shaken out of the church. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 1 Angel Manuel Rodriguez, The Sanctuary and its Cleansing, Supplement to the Adventist Review (September 1994): 1-2, accessed September 19, 2015, https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/sanctanditscleansing.pdf. 2 Ellen G. White, Evangelism (1946), 221.
Although, we as Seventh-day Adventists understand that the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 refers to the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8:1, 2), and its cleansing refers to the last phase of Christ s ministry in heaven, the investigative judgment; the fact of the matter is that the rest of the Protestant world view this text differently as the following quote demonstrates: Most Bible expositors apply Daniel 8: 14 to the Antiochus-Maccabean period (175-164 b.c). In order to do this, they discount the day-for-a-year principle, as it applies to the 2300 days, and quite generally make out that this refers to 2300 evening and morning sacrifices, which would mean 1150 days. But this calculation doesn't fit, as we all know; no one has ever been able to work out any scheme where this fits exactly. 3 If we as Seventh-day Adventists truly have a message that the world needs to hear prior to the second coming, and if the majority of the Protestant world has a misunderstanding of Daniel 8:14, then we must be able to prove unequivocally from scripture the truthfulness of our theological position regarding the cleansing of the sanctuary. If we cannot provide sound Biblical exegesis on this all important topic than our Protestant brothers and sisters will never take us seriously. PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY The purpose of this study is provide solid Biblical exegesis on Daniel 8:14 by examining the Hebrew text, the literary context, and performing textual and grammatical analysis on the passage at hand in order to see if we can truly uphold the traditional Adventist understanding of the meaning of the cleansing of the sanctuary. If in fact we can do this, our findings will have great evangelistic significance. PRESUPPOSITIONS 3 W. E. Reid, Daniel 8:14 and the Cleansing of the Sanctuary, Ministry, July 1967: accessed September 17, 2015, https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1967/07/daniel-814-and-the-cleansing-of-the-sanctuary.
This study is based on the assumption that the Bible is indeed the inspired Word of God and can be trusted at face value. The author of this study rejects all forms of Higher Critical thinking and interpretation. DELIMITATIONS This study will be limited only to the text in question, Daniel 8:14 with attention given to its immediate and larger context. It will primarily seek to understand the meaning of the sanctuary being cleansed. I will not be going into detail about the 2300 days, their timing, or the day for year principle nor will I be going into great detail about the sanctuary doctrine in general as time and space simply will not allow me to do so.
CHAPTER 2 CONTEXT Authorship and Date of the Book of Daniel In Matthew 24:15 we read that Jesus referred to the prophecies in the book of Daniel. This has long been seen as evidence that Daniel is indeed the author of the Biblical book that bears his name and that it was written in 6 th century B.C. 4 however in the field of critical scholarship, this has been challenged. Many critics regard it as a combination of court legends and apocalyptic visions, the latter being characteristic of inter-testamental Jewish literature. 5 In response to the claim that the book of Daniel was not written in the 6 th century by Daniel himself, Authur J. Ferch says: archaeological finds and the research of recent years have largely destroyed the arguments against the historical integrity of a variety of items in the book. Conservative scholarship has demonstrated adequately that the author of the book of Daniel is likely to have lived during the sixth century period he describes. 6 Purpose of the Book of the Book of Daniel The book of Daniel opens with conflict; conflict between Jerusalem and Babylon. Daniel and his three friends, like many Jews of the day were taken captive and taken back to Babylon where they were to live in subservience to the Babylonian king. One can easily see then that the Jewish people were likely quite discouraged and disheartened. They no doubt questioned if God 4 Title [The Book of Daniel], Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (SDABC), Logos Bible Software Edition, ed. Francis D. Nichol (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1976-1980), 4:742, 743. 5 David S. Dockery, Holman Concise Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, [1998]), 331. 6 Authur J. Ferch, Authorship, Theology, and Purpose of Daniel, in Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies, ed. Frank B. Holbrook (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1986), 4.
had completely forsaken his people, and if they would be destined to live under the power of a heathen army. When one reads the book of Daniel in its entirety, they will see clearly that the message of Daniel is that ultimately God triumphs over every earthly power and one day His kingdom will reign supreme. Daniel s messages convey to the reader a lofty concept of God who is unequaled in wisdom, power, and mercy. His knowledge extends over the past, present, and future. No fiery furnace or lion s den, no human arrogance, no historical circumstance, not even death can frustrate His purpose. 7 Literary Genre and Structure. Regarding the literary genre, structure, and context of the book of Daniel, listen to the following quote: More commonly, the literary structure of Daniel is determined by appealing to the two types of literature found in the book: the court stories of Daniel composed in narrative genre (chs. 1-6) and the visions of Daniel composed in apocalyptic genre (chs 7-12). Beyond this, the two halves of the book each share a chronological scheme that sequences Babylonian, Median, and Persian rulers. The traditional approach to Daniel understands the book as a literary unity composed by Daniel himself or compiled by associates who outlived him sometime during the last quarter of the sixth century BC. 8 7 Ibid., 82. 8 Tremper Longman III & David E. Garland, Daniel-Malachi, The Expositor s Bible Commentary Revised Edition 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan), 26.
CHAPTER 3 BIBLICAL EVIDENCE Preliminary Analysis We will now look at various translations of the Biblical text, Daniel 8:14 in order to get a better depth of understanding of its meanings. Since I have never taken a Hebrew language class I cannot go into detail regarding the original language. For the sake of comparison we will look at The King James Version (KJV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New English Translation (NET), and the Darby Translation (DBY). The King James Version (KJV) translates Daniel 8:14 as follows: And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. He said to me, For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored (NASB). He said to me, "To 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be put right again" (NET). And he said unto me, Until two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings: then shall the sanctuary be vindicated (DBY). In order to see the minor differences in translation, please examine the following chart. Verse KJV NASB NET DBY 1 And he said unto me Unto two thousand and three hundred days He said to me He said to me And he said unto me For 2,300 To 2,300 Until two evenings and evenings and thousand and mornings mornings three hundred evenings and
Then shall the sanctuary Be cleansed Then the holy place Will be properly restored Then the sanctuary Will be put right again mornings Then shall the sanctuary Be vindicated Establishing the Text The question that we are trying to answer in this study is, what is the meaning of the sanctuary being cleansed. When we examine the above translations, we see that the Hebrew word qodesh ( ) is translated as sanctuary in the KJV, NET, and DBY, but as holy place in the NASB. We also see that the Hebrew word tsadaq ( ) is translated as cleansed by the KJV, properly restored by the NASB, be put right again by the NET, and be vindicated by the DBY. For the sake of this study, I will be using the KJV translation of Daniel 8:14. Contextual Analysis. When we look at Daniel 8:14, we see that it occurs in the third vision (after chapter 2 and 7) in the apocalyptic section of the book of Daniel. Most scholars recognize that the visions in the book parallel each other with the later chapters progressively enlarging earlier chapters. 9 When one studies the various visions, it becomes apparent that many of the same elements occur, and that the same general scope of history is covered. For example, in the first vision in Daniel 2, we see that the history of four empires is delineated from the time of Nebuchadnezzar s Babylon to down to the Roman Empire. The different metals (gold, silver, bronze, iron) represent the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. When we get to the second apocalyptic vision in chapter 7, we see that the 4 beasts that Daniel sees in vision represent 4 kingdoms (Daniel 7:17). It becomes apparent as one studies the characteristics of the four beasts in Daniel 7 that they do in fact represent the same four 9 Arthur J. Ferch, Authorship, Theology, and Purpose of Daniel, in Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies, ed. Frank B. Holbrook (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1986), 48.
kingdoms of Daniel 2, however in Daniel 7 gives more details than Daniel 2 and even provides new information about the development of a little horn power (Daniel 7:8) and a heavenly judgment (Daniel 7:9, 10). Speaking of Daniel 8, scholar Jacques B. Doukhan says, chapter 8 is the continuation of chapter 7 the two visions have several common themes and cover the same historical time span until the end. 10 Doukhan basis this statement off of the fact that the wording of the end of Daniel 7 is similar to the wording of the beginning of Daniel 8 (compare Daniel 7:28 & Daniel 8:1). He also notes that chronological relationship between the two visions, as Daniel 7 occurs in the first year of Belshazzar (Daniel 7:1) and Daniel 8 takes place in the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar (Daniel 8:1). 11 The immediate context of Daniel 8:14 is the entire vision of chapter 8, which includes the Ram and the Goat (symbolic of Medo-Persia and Greece respectively, see Daniel 8:20, 21), and the rise of the great horn (Daniel 8:9-12). After Daniel sees the great horn attacking the prince of the host, the place of his sanctuary, casting down the truth to the ground, and prospering (Daniel 8:11, 12), he hears a conversation between two heavenly beings (Daniel 8:13). The question is asked, 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 (Daniel 8:13). In answer to this question is where we find the passage under consideration. And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed (Daniel 8:14). 10 Jacques B. Doukhan, Secrets of Daniel (Haggerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000), 121. 11 Ibid., 121.
An interesting thing to note is how the vision of chapter 8 goes from sights to sound, (compare a similar phenomena in Daniel 4:13, 14, 23). 12 Doukhan says, In using the same wording as in chapter 4, Daniel suggests a similar context of judgment. 13 In the larger context of Daniel 7, the concept of judgment reminds us vividly of Daniel 7:9, 10, where Daniel beholds the ancient of days, thousand thousands of angels, and the judgment being set and the books being opened. When we examine the timing of this judgment in Daniel 7, we see that it occurs right after the arrival of the little horn in Daniel 7:8. Doukhan says, Chapter 8 follows the same structure as chapter 7: Chapter 7: beasts / kingdoms-little horn-judgment Chapter 8: beasts / kingdom-little horn-cleansing of the sanctuary 14 He goes onto say, According to the parallelism of the two chapters, the event described in chapter 8 as the cleansing (or re-consecration) of the sanctuary would then correspond to the Day of Judgment in chapter 7. 15 To further see the similarities between Daniel 2 and 7 see the following chart: Daniel 7 Daniel 8 Interpretation Lion (v.4) NA Babylon Bear raised up on one side (v.5) Leopard with four heads (v.6) dreadful and terrible beast (v.7). Little horn (v.8) Judgment Scene (v. 9, 10) Ram with two horns (v.3) Medo-Persia (Daniel 8:20) Goat with notable horn (v.5) Little horn, pagan phase (v. 9) Little horn, papal phase (v.10-12) 2300 Days / Cleansing of Sanctuary (v.14) Greece (Daniel 8:21) Rome Papacy Heavenly Judgment, Day of Atonement 12 13 14 15 Ibid., 126. Ibid., 126. Ibid., 127 Ibid., 127.
To lend further credence to the cleansing of the sanctuary being linked to the judgment of Daniel 7, it is helpful to note the two animals depicted in the vision of Daniel 8, the ram and the goat. Commenting on these two animals in the context of Daniel 8, Doukhan says: Their association becomes significant in the context of the greatest Jewish yearly festival, Yom Kippur, in the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:5). Yom Kippur had as its traditional sacrifice the dual offering of a ram and a goat. Beyond their representations of the Medo-Persian and Greek kingdoms, the two animals also evoked the Day of Atonement What chapter 7 calls the Day of Judgment chapter 8 labels as the Day of Atonement. They are in fact the same event. Israel experienced the Day of Atonement as the actualization of the last judgment. 16 Verbal Analysis. The word sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 is translated from the Hebrew word qodesh ( ). Qodesh means, a sacred place or thing, 17 it is used 468 times in the Old Testament and is most frequently translated as holy, (262 times) and sanctuary, (68 times). 18 For the purpose of our study, we will focus on the term sanctuary. When qodesh is employed as an abstract noun, it can refer to God s holiness. As such it is also frequently used as a designation for the earthly sanctuary and several times for the heavenly sanctuary. 19 It is very clear when we read the Bible that there are two sanctuaries spoken of, an earthly and a heavenly. This is brought out plainly in Hebrews 8:1, 2, Now of the things 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. The question that we need to ask when looking at Daniel 8:14 is what sanctuary was to be cleansed, the earthly, or the heavenly? As we have already noted, most Protestant Bible scholars believe that the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 16 Ibid., 126, 127. 17 The New Strong s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, sanctuary, accessed September 8, 2015, http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=h6944&t=kjv. 18 Ibid. 19 Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 445.
refers to the literal Jewish sanctuary during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes during the intertestamental time period. The word sanctuary, appears six times in the book of Daniel, and three times in chapter 8 alone (see Daniel 8:11, 13, 14; 9:17, 26; 11:31). We find the first reference in Daniel 8:11, where it says, 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. It should be noted here that the Hebrew word translated as sanctuary in Daniel 8:11 is miqdash ( ) and not qodesh. It is translated as sanctuary 69 times out of 74 occurrences in the Old Testament, and is similar in meaning to qodesh. 20 Daniel 8:11 also uses the phrase, the place (of his sanctuary). Angel Rodriguez says, place may well mean here foundation in a metaphorical sense; that is to say, it could be referring to the very essence and purpose of the sanctuary. 21 Rodriguez suggests that the sanctuary in this verse is referring to the heavenly sanctuary: A careful reading of Daniel 8:11 suggests that there is a close connection between the taking away of the continual and the act of throwing (away) the place of the sanctuary. The very purpose of the sanctuary is directly related to the work of the Messianic Prince, that is to say, His work of mediation, intercession, and forgiveness of sins. By misappropriating the continual ministry of the Prince, the little horn rejects the very foundation of the heavenly sanctuary as a center of mediation and forgiveness. 22 In the book Symposium on Daniel, the point is made that there is a connection between the qodes (sanctuary) in Daniel 8:14 and Daniel 9:24, and the qaddiysh (saints) in Daniel 7:21, 22. 23 The author says that in Daniel 9:24, The anointing of the sanctuary in heaven is the 20 The New Strong s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, miqdash, accessed September 8, 2015, http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=h4720&t=kjv. 21 Angel Rodriguez, The Sanctuary and its Cleansing, Supplement to the Adventist Review, (September 1994): 6, accessed September 19, 2015, https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/sanctanditscleansing.pdf. 22 Ibid., 6. 23 Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 446, 447.
prelude to the postlude of the cleansing of the sanctuary to which 8:13-14 points. 24 He goes on to say that the saints [holy ones-in Daniel 7] have been under attack by the anti-god power but are vindicated in judgment [the event in Daniel 7 which runs parallel with the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8]. 25 With the similarities between the chapters, the author says, in the book of Daniel these terminological and conceptual associations of qodes with sanctuary, saints (holy ones), and judgment can hardly be accidental. 26 Putting all of these pieces together, it would seem logical to conclude that the sanctuary that is cleansed, is indeed the heavenly sanctuary at the end of time just prior to the second coming of Jesus. The cleansing of the sanctuary, is synonymous with the judgment that we see in Daniel 7, and it is the completion of this event that seals the fate of the little horn, the primary enemy of God and his people, and ushers in the establishment of God s kingdom which will be given over to the saints (Daniel 7:26, 27). Furthermore, when we consider the fact that the cleansing of the sanctuary, occurs after the rise of the little horn (Daniel 8:9), or the Roman Papacy, which occurred several hundred years after the close of the earthly, Jewish sanctuary (Matthew 27:51 & Hebrews 8:13), we are left with no choice but to believe that the heavenly sanctuary, is at the heart of the prophecy in Daniel chapter 8. Let us know turn our attention on the meaning of the term cleansed. The word cleansed in Daniel 8:14 comes from the Hebrew word tsadaq or nisdaq the Hebrew word nisdaq in verse 14 is a verbal derivative of a root (sdq) which appears in the OT a total of 523 times. However, the Niphal verb form of this root appears only once in the OT, the nisdaq in our study. 27 Angel Rodriguez says that the primary use of the root of tsadaq is legal. 24 25 26 27 Ibid., 446. Ibid., 447. Ibid., 447. Ibid., 449.
It designates the legal rights of a person falsely accused of a crime. 28 Rodriguez also points out that tsadaq is also used in salvation (Psalm 98:2-9, Isaiah 1:27) and sanctuary contexts (Psalm 24:3-5). 29 Roy Gane says, The same Hebrew verb (in other stems) is used in other legal contexts (including with God as Judge) referring to judgment in one s favor (e.g., Gen 38:26; 44:16; Deut 25:1; 2 Sam 15:4; 1 Kgs 8:32; Ps 51:4 [Heb. v. 6]; Isa 5:23; 43:9, 26). 30 To understand why Daniel would choose to use the word nisdaq in his prophecy listen to the following quote: It appears that Daniel chose the term nisdaq-a word from a root with rich and broad connotations, widely employed in judgment settings and legal procedures-in order to communicate effectively the interrelated aspects of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary in the cosmic setting of the end-time judgment. 31 Literary Analysis. As has already been noted, the book of Daniel is part of a body of literature known as Apocalyptic Prophecy. This is especially true with the last 6 chapters of the book. Apocalyptic prophecy should not be confused with General / Classical prophecy. 32 Paulien says that Apocalyptic prophecy sees history as a divinely-guided series of events leading up to, and including, the final events of earth s history. 33 When we look at the book of Daniel we see that in both chapter 2 and 7 there is a definite sequence of historical events that culminate in the setting up of Christ s kingdom, Daniel 8 continues along that same thread. It should also be noted that Apocalyptic prophecy is highly symbolic, Daniel is no exception as 28 Angel Rodriguez, The Sanctuary and its Cleansing, Supplement to the Adventist Review, (September 1994): 10, accessed September 19, 2015, https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/sanctanditscleansing.pdf. 29 Ibid., 10. 30 Roy Gane, Is There a Pre-Advent Judgment of God s Loyal People in Daniel 8:14?(Silver Springs: Biblical Research Institute of General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2010), accessed September 30, 2015, https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/pre-advent_judgment.pdf. 31 Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 453, 454. 32 Jon K. Paulien. The Hermeneutics of Biblical Apocalyptic. In Understanding Scripture an Adventist Approach, ed. George W. Reid (Haggerstown: Review and Herald, 2005), 248. 33 Ibid., 248.
symbolism is the main choice of words in the visions of Daniel. 34 When we look at the basic structure of Daniel 8, we see that symbolism is clearly used. The diagram below shows that the first 14 verse of Daniel 8 are highly symbolic, and the last 13 are interpretive. I. Vision What he sees (verses 3-12): a. I saw and behold i. The ram (verses 23, 24) b. I saw and behold i. The goat with one horn (verses 5-8) ii. The four horns (verse 8b) iii. Little horn (verses 9-12) What he hears (verses 13, 14): Kippur (verses 13, 14) II. Interpretation of the Vision a. What he sees: appearance of a man (verse 15) b. What he hears: i. Make understand the vision (verses 16-19) ii. Ram: Medes and Persians (verse 20) iii. Goat: Yavan (verse 21) iv. Four horns: four kingdoms (verse 22) v. At the end: 1. Rise of a power (verses 24, 25a) 2. Success (verses 24, 25a) 3. Fall (verse 25b) vi. Vision of the evenings and mornings (verse 26) Conclusion: I Daniel ; reference to the king; stay without understanding (verse 27) 35 For the purposes of this study, we are particularly interested in Daniel 8:14 and determining the meaning of the the sanctuary shall be cleansed. As has been stated earlier, the vision of chapter 8 runs parallel with the vision of chapter 7, and the timing of the judgment in chapter 7 occurs at the same sequence as the cleansing of the sanctuary in chapter 8. To elaborate on this, listen to the following quote: The verses of 8:13-14 are the heart of chapter 8. They must be seen, however, in the context of the judgment segments of the vision of chapter 7 as well as the climactic events of chapter 11-12. The Daniel 8:13-14 passage is an expression, supplementation, and enlargement 34 Ibid., 255. 35 Jacques B. Doukhan, Secrets of Daniel (Haggerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000), 133.
of the end-time investigative pre-advent judgment scene of 7:9-10, 13-14, 21-22, 25-27. It is presupposed by the executive activities of Prince Michael who rescues everyone who is written in the book (12:1, NASB) and raises the faithful to everlasting life. 36 Exegetical Synthesis As we have examined Daniel 8:14 biblically, contextually, literarily, and verbally we have seen that is dealing with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary / Anti-typical Day of Atonement at the end of time just prior to the establishment of the Christ s eternal kingdom. The cleansing of the sanctuary was a highly significant occasion to Daniel as it signified the end of the reign of the little horn (Daniel 8:9). The activities of the little horn in both chapter 7 and 8 were enough to trouble (Daniel 7:28) Daniel to the point to where he was sick and fainted (Daniel 8:27). The little horn was seen as a powerful enemy of God and His people. He not only persecuted God s people (Daniel 7:21, 25) but he also spoke great words against the most High (Daniel 7:25), attacked the heavenly sanctuary (Daniel 8:11), took away the daily (Daniel 8:11) and cast down the truth to the ground and prospered (Daniel 8:12). While Daniel was shown this in vision, the question was asked 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 (Daniel 8:13)? Daniel, no doubt wondered how long this blasphemous, persecuting, anti-christian power would be allowed to continue. It was in answer to this concern that the answer Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed (Daniel 8:14). Ultimately, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary not only brings about an end to the reign of the little horn, but it also ushers in the long awaited kingdom of glory (Daniel 36 Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 460.
7:26, 27). Thus Daniel 8:14 speaks to a foundational human concern, which is the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
CHAPTER 4 CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE Theology: Doctrinal Significance From the time that sin entered this world at creation, it has been God s purpose to redeem humanity and put an end to the reign of sin and Satan. For thousands of years the devil has successfully deceived humanity into sin and has caused mankind to look with distrust and even contempt and scorn upon their Creator. God s people, those who have given themselves to Christ and desire to see righteousness reign once again upon this earth have suffered trial, persecution, and hardship at the hand of the enemy, and long to see the end of sin once and for all. It is to this time that the cleansing of the sanctuary (Daniel 8:14) points to. The purification of the sanctuary, referred to in [Daniel] 8:14, will make it patently clear that the involvement of the sanctuary in the sin problem was an effective way of disposing of the sin problem, and that the transfer of sin to the sanctuary in no way affected God s character. By removing the sin of His people from the sanctuary, God reveals Himself as a holy, pure, and righteous God. He will also reveal Himself as the all powerful God who overcomes the evil forces of this world in a permanent way (cf. Daniel 2, 7). 37 Once the heavenly sanctuary is completely cleansed of sin and Christ comes back to this earth to claim His people, redemption will be complete and the unbroken communion that Adam and Eve enjoyed with their Creator will once again be enjoyed by the redeemed. The reign of sin will have ended, the devil and the little horn will never be able to deceive or take advantage of God s people again, and no more will God s character be questioned. Oh what glorious truth does Daniel 8:14 point to! 37 William H. Shea, Spatial Dimensions in the Vision of Daniel 8, in Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies, ed. Frank B. Holbrook (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1986), 547.
Application: The Practical Significance of Daniel 8:14 As has already been noted, the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14, the judgment scene in Daniel 7 (investigative judgment), and the Anti-typical Day of Atonement refer to the same event. In light of the end time investigative judgment, Revelation 14:7 says, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Since 1844, the Great Antitypical Day of Atonement has been going on in heaven, Christ has been involved in the last phase of His priestly ministry, and the inhabitants of the earth have been called to follow Him there and order their lives accordingly. Listen to how Ellen G. White sums it up: We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. 38 It is very important that the church of today understand the time in which we live. When we understand the implications of Daniel 8:14 and the duties that are placed upon us as a result, it should cause us to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:12). We will desire to Fear God, and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13) because we know that God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Ultimately, understanding the cleansing of the sanctuary should cause us to draw closer to God than ever before, not only so that we can be cleansed and purified of sin, but so that we can admonish others to do the same. 38 490. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Seoul, Korea: Everlasting Gospel Publishing Association, 2001),
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION As we have examined Daniel 8:14 in light of the apocalyptic vision in Daniel 8 and have sought to answer the question, what is the meaning of the sanctuary being cleansed? We have seen that, contrary to what most Protestant Bible expositors believe, the cleansing of the sanctuary refers to the final judgment (investigative judgment), otherwise known as the Great Antitypical Day of Atonement that takes place just prior to the second coming of Christ. When we compare Daniel 8 to the other visions in the same book, we see that all of the visions follow the same sequence of events, and the cleansing of the sanctuary (Daniel 8:14) runs parallel to the judgment scene of Daniel 7:9, 10. We have also seen that there is a connection between the qodesh (sanctuary) of Daniel 8:14 and Daniel 9:24, and the qaddiysh (saints) in Daniel 7:21, 22 which heavily implies that the sanctuary being cleansed is indeed the heavenly sanctuary at the end of time. Along the same line, the Hebrew word nisdaq / tsadaq translated as cleansed in Daniel 8:14 is intimately linked with legal and judgment connotations. When we consider all of this in an apocalyptic context, it seems clear that the cleansing of the sanctuary does indeed refer to Christ s final work in the heavenly sanctuary just prior to the setting up of His eternal kingdom which will put an end to the evil reign of sin. As it was a deep study of the prophecies of Daniel that led to the great Millerite movement of the 1800 s, may it be an even deeper study of the implications of the heavenly
sanctuary that will lead Seventh-day Adventists to bring their lives into harmony with God s will so that they indeed can take the judgment hour message to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (Revelation 14:6, 7) and be grounded in the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).
Bibliography Dockery, David S. Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998. Doukhan, Jacques B. Secrets of Daniel. Haggerstown: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000. Ferch, Authur J. Authorship, Theology, and Purpose of Daniel. In Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies, edited by Frank B. Holbrook, 3-83. Haggerstown: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986. Gane, Roy. Is There a Pre-Advent Judgment of God s Loyal People in Daniel 8:14? Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2010. Accessed September 30, 2015. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/pre- Advent_Judgment.pdf. Holbrook, Frank B, ed. Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies. Haggerstown: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986. Longman, Tremper & Garland, David E. (General Editors) Daniel Malachi. The Expositors Bible Commentary 8, revised edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012. Maxwell, C. Mervyn. God Cares: The Message of Daniel for You and Your Family. Vol. 2 USA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1981. Nichol, Francis, ed. Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary. Logos Bible Software. Washington, D.C: Review and Herald, 1976-1980. Pauline, Jon P. The Hermeneutics of Biblical Apocalyptic. In Understanding Scripture an Adventist Approach, edited by George W. Reid, 245-270. Haggerstown: Review and Herald, 2005. Reid, W. E. Daniel 8:14 and the Cleansing of the Sanctuary. Ministry, July 1967. Accessed September 17, 2015. https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1967/07/daniel-814-andthe-cleansing-of-the-sanctuary. Rodriguez, Angel. The Sanctuary and its Cleansing. Supplement to the Adventist Review, (September 1994): 1-20. Accessed September 18, 2015. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/sanctanditscleansing.pdf.
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