Chapter Four
DANIEL 8:8-14
LAUNCHING SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTISM
Edited: 6-7-2017
Seventh-day Adventists teach that, on October
22, 1844, at the end of the 2300 “prophetic” year-days of Daniel 8:14, Jesus
moved from the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary.
He then began His final phase of ministry, the Investigative Judgment, which
was prefigured by the cleansing of the sanctuary on the Day of Atonement from
Leviticus 16. This final ministry involves researching the books of heaven,
beginning at Adam, in order to determine who among professed believers will
qualify to be resurrected at Christ’s return. When this Investigative Judgment
is complete, Jesus will return to earth.
The Investigative Judgment is the only
Seventh-day Adventist doctrine which cannot be found elsewhere. It is the
foundational doctrine of Seventh-day Adventism which gives reason for its very
existence. This doctrine allowed them to accept William Miller's logic for an
1844 event while completely changing his conclusions. It preceded its other
distinct doctrines such as the Sabbath and health reform. It also forced SDAs
to adopt their doctrine of conditional immortality. Otherwise, Seventh-day
Adventists would merely be a mixture of Methodists (Arminian), Seventh-day
(Sabbath-keeping) Baptists (adult immersion) and health reformers with a
Jehovah Witness-like approach to the non-immortality of the soul.
HOW
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM BEGAN
Dan.
8:14 “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed.” KJV
Dan.
8:14 “In 164 B. C., after 2300 evening-mornings, the Hebrew sanctuary will be
restored after being defiled in 171 B. C. (or 167 B. C.).” Interpretation
accepted today by most denominations.
Dan.
8:14 “In 1843, 1810 years from A. D. 33, Jesus will return and destroy
[cleanse] the earth [the sanctuary] by fire.”
William Miller’s and early Adventists’ most prominent interpretation is Daniel
8:14 “In 1844, 2300 years from 457 B. C., Jesus entered the Most Holy Place in
the heavenly sanctuary and began investigating the records of all professed
believers to determine who will be recreated -- a ministry which removes
[cleanses] the defilement which their sins caused to the heavenly sanctuary.” SDA Investigative Judgment.
S.
D. A. PRESUPPOSITIONS OF DANIEL 8:14
In Daniel 8:14 Seventh-day Adventists have
chosen the most controversial verse in the most controversial book of the
entire Old Testament to find a reason for their existence. The book of Daniel
is listed among the Writings and is not even among the Minor Prophets
in the Hebrew canon. The author and date of Daniel are among the most
challenged by liberal scholars who attempt to disprove that Daniel is even
prophecy at all -- instead of only being recent history. There is disagreement
even among conservative scholars about the fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the
little horn of Daniel 8. Ellen G. White does not even discuss Daniel 8:9-13 in The Great Controversy. Theories range
from Persia, the Maccabeans, pagan Rome, papal Rome and a future Antichrist.
Daniel 8:14 has been infamous for radical interpretation throughout history.
In order for the Seventh-day Adventist
explanation of Daniel 8:14 to be correct, all of the following presuppositions must be
correct. If any of these presuppositions is wrong, then the entire argument
must be discarded as false.
One: The SDA explanation of 8:8-12 correctly leads
up to 8:14.
Two: The SDA explanation of 8:14 correctly answers
the question of 8:13.
Three: The sanctuary of 8:14 can only be the one in
heaven.
Four: The 2300 erev
boqer of 8:14 could only be prophetic years.
Five: The 2300 erev
boqer of 8:14 could only begin in 457 B. C.
Six: The 2300 days of 8:14 could only end in 1844.
Seven: The cleansing of 8:14 can only refer to a Day
of Atonement cleansing.
Eight: Sacrificial blood carries sins into the
sanctuary and defiles it.
Nine: The earthly sanctuary became
defiled when priests carried atoned-sin into it.
Ten: The Day of Atonement pattern was not fulfilled
at Calvary.
Eleven: The 1844 Day of Atonement is an exact
pattern-fulfillment event.
Twelve: The heavenly sanctuary began being defiled with
Adam and is still being defiled by Jesus as His blood continues to bring
atoned-forgiven sins into it.
Thirteen: The Day of Atonement is an investigation of
professed believers to determine who will be re-created from the annihilation
of death.
DANIEL 8:8-12
Seventh-day Adventists gradually built their
Investigative Judgment doctrine upon their unique interpretation of Daniel
8:14. Without Ellen G. White's assistance, the S. D. A. Bible Commentary and
Bible Dictionary attempt to place their interpretation of Daniel 8:14
upon the essential contextual link of Daniel 8:8-13. This makes 8:8 to 8:13
extremely important foundational texts which absolutely must be interpreted
correctly. Again, it is important to realize that these links leading to 8:14
must all be correct in order for SDAs
to even offer their interpretation of 8:14. Therefore, if 8:8 to 8:13 fail to
withstand historical, contextual and theological challenges, then the SDA use
of 8:14 should be rendered incorrect.
Dan.
8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great; and when he was strong, the great
horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the
four winds of heaven.
Dan. 8:21 And the
rough goat is the king of Greece; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan. 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas
four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not
in his power.
Dan. 11:3 And a mighty king shall stand
up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
Dan. 11:4 And when he shall stand up,
his kingdom shall be broken and shall be divided toward the four winds of
heaven ...
8:8 --
SDAs teach that Daniel 8:8 does not refer to the four Greek kingdoms
that replaced Alexander the Great’s empire. It only refers to the four
directions of the wind, thus allowing 8:9 to refer to pagan Rome.
Historically, the great horn of 8:8 was
replaced by four other Greek horns. Most commentaries, including SDAs, agree
(1) that the he-goat was Greece, (2) that the leopard in 7:6 with four heads
and four wings was also Greece and (3) that the great horn of 8:8 was Alexander
the Great. The disagreement is over “for it,” “four notable ones” and “four
winds.”
Most commentaries teach that the emphasis is
(comparable to 7:6) to the four horns into which the Greek empire was split.
These four horns of 8:8 and 8:22, like the four heads of 7:6, were “in place
of” the broken horn. When Alexander died, his Greek kingdom was split into the
four Greek-ruled kingdoms of Greece, Macedonia, Syria and Egypt.
The Greek third kingdom of brass in 2:39 is the
leopard of 7:6 with four wings and four heads and the he-goat of 8:8 with four
notable horns towards the four winds out of which came forth the little Greek
horn. This division is also seen in Daniel 8:22 and 11:4. The Roman fourth
kingdom of iron in 2:40 is the dreadful and exceedingly strong beast of 7:7-8
with iron teeth and ten horns -- out of which came forth a different little
Roman horn.
Although all conquerors have many
similar characteristics, the little horn from 7:7-8 is not the same as the
little horn of 8:9-12. Since Greece did not conquer Rome or the Italian peninsula,
it is evident that Rome did not come “out of one of the four horns.” The little
horn of chapter 8 is connected to the third kingdom of chapters 2 and 7 by
“four.” Compare the four wings and four heads of the leopard in 7:6 with the
four horns and four winds of the he-goat in 8:8 and 11:4. However, on the other
hand, the little horn of 7:24 is connected to the fourth kingdom of both
2:40-44 and 7:19-20 by “iron” and “ten.”
SDAs disagree! They interpret the little horn
as an entirely different kingdom (Rome) even though the text does not introduce
another animal to replace the he-goat! Their interpretation is inconsistent
with the new-animal-to-new-kingdom pattern followed in chapters seven and
eight. By ignoring the connection between 8:8 and 11:4, they also deny the
greatly detailed struggle between Greek-ruled Egypt and Greek-ruled Syria in
Daniel 11. However, if SDAs were to admit error at this first foundation text
of 8:8, then they would have to admit that everything else they built upon 8:8
(including 8:14) is also wrong!
Dan.
8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn which waxed
exceeding great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the
pleasant land.
8:9 --
SDAs teach that the little horn of 8:9 is pagan Rome which came “out of one of
the four winds” (or directions) rather than
“out of one of the four horns.” Again, this is because pagan Rome did not
emerge from any of the four Greek kingdoms which replaced Alexander.
Historically, the little horn of 8:9 was
Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) who emerged from the Seleucid Greeks of Syria. Most
commentaries say that “out of one of them” means “out of one of the four horns.” Although 11:4 equates “4
horns” with the “4 winds,” it is not in the context of the little horn.
The SDA argument is that pagan Rome was
“exceeding great” in all directions of the compass while Antiochus IV
eventually failed. However, the biblical perspective is from the viewpoint of
the Jews.
Although Alexander was historically “greater” than the Seleucids, the Seleucids
were “exceeding great” in imposing Greek religion and thought on the Jews.
Antiochus IV was also “exceeding great” in causing Temple worship to cease for
the first time since 515 B. C. when he erected an altar to Zeus inside it in
167 B.C. Again, if the SDA interpretation is wrong at this second foundational
text of 8:9, then everything else that follows is also wrong.
Dan.
8:10 And it waxed great even to the host of heaven and it cast down some
of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them.
8:10 --
SDAs teach that the “host” of 8:10 are primarily Jewish believers and, by
extension Christians.
Historically, the “host” of 8:10 is Jews.
“Host” is found in 8:10, 11, 12 and 13. Most commentaries interpret “host” and
“stars” to refer to the Jewish people and their leaders who were persecuted by
Antiochus IV between 171-164 B. C. However, SDAs interpret “host” as Christians
persecuted by, first, the Roman Empire, and, second, by the Roman Catholic
Church.
Dan.
8:11 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.
8:11
SDAs teach that the “prince” of 8:11 is Jesus Christ. Therefore, from 8:8 to
8:11, the little horn is pagan Rome who crucified Christ, “the prince” and
pagan Rome who caused the “daily sacrifice” to cease when the Jerusalem Temple
was destroyed in A. D. 70.
Historically, the “prince” of 8:11 was the high
priest, Onias III, who was deposed in 176 B. C. by Antiochus IV. Antiochus caused
the literal daily sacrifices of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to cease when he
defiled the Temple by offering a pig on its great altar on December 25, 167
B.C. --- thus inciting a successful war of independence.
Dan.
8:12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression,
and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
Dan. 8:23 And in the latter time of
their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce
countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
8:12 --
SDAs teach that Daniel 8:12 describes the Roman Catholic Church which defiled
the heavenly sanctuary by replacing its ministry with its confessional and
other doctrines. In verse 12 the little horn of the papacy sets up the
abomination of desolation, tramples down the sanctuary and takes away its
sacrificial system.
Historically, Daniel 8:12 describes the
desolation of the Jerusalem Temple by Antiochus IV of the Greek Syrian
Seleucids. Its cleansing is recorded in Maccabees and was not a Day of
Atonement-type cleansing.
Dan.
8:13 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? KJV
Dan.
8:13 How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled ‑ the vision
concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the
surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled
underfoot? NIV
Dan.
8:13 How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the
transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to
be trampled? NASU
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: In one of the world's most
absurd theological switches, SDAs
(1)
Change the sanctuary in Daniel 8:9-12 from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem into
God's dwelling place in heaven.
(2)
Change the offender from
the little horn of pagan and papal Rome in Daniel 8:9-12 into God's saints whose atoned blood has
defiled the sanctuary in heaven.
(3)
Changed the victims of the little horn's trampling from God's
saints. They are now the cause of the defilement of both the earthly and
heavenly sanctuaries.
(4)
Changed the agent of defilement from the little horn of pagan
and papal Rome into Jesus Himself, Who as High Priest, carried His own blood
containing atoned-sins into both the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries -- thus
defiling both (GC418).
(5)
Changed the reason for the cleaning of the sanctuary in Daniel
8:14 from defilement by the little horn into defilement by atoned-sins of God's
saints of all ages (GC418-422).
The questions asked in 8:13 and
answered in 8:14 have no relevance to the immediate context of 8:8 to 8:12:
SDAs
teach that the answer given in 8:14 to the question of 8:13 is that, “In 1844,
Jesus opened the books of heaven which contain the names and deeds of all who
professed faith and began judging, or investigating,
only professed believers to determine who is worthy of being re-created from
annihilation” when He returns.
(1)
Instead
of answering how
long before the
vision of 8:8-12 would end, the SDA answer tells when Christ would only begin to cleanse the heavenly
sanctuary in 1844.
(2)
Instead
of answering when the daily sacrifice from 8:11 would be restored, the SDA answer tells when
the final phase of Christ’s ministry will begin in heaven (although He has continued a daily
ministry in heaven since His ascension). This questions the omniscience of God.
(3)
Instead
of answering when the little horn of 8:10-12 will stop
persecuting the saints, the SDA answer tells us when Christ will begin blotting out the sins of the
saints which have caused the
desolation of the heavenly sanctuary since Adam’s first sin. Instead of being a
judgment of the little horn, the Investigative Judgment is a judgment of
professed believers.
(4)
Instead
of answering when the sanctuary will finally be cleansed
from defilement by the little horn in 8:10-12, the SDA answer tells us when
Christ will move from one room into another in the heavenly sanctuary and finally
begin cleansing the Most Holy
Place. it requires cleansing from the sins of God’s own people.
(5)
Instead
of answering
when the host, (believers) will stop being
persecuted by the little horn, the SDA answer blames the desolation of the
heavenly sanctuary on the atoned and confessed sins of the host. They fail to
blame the desolation by Jesus Himself who (according to their theology)
literally brings atoned sins into the sanctuary and defiles it.
Therefore, incredible as it sounds, one
must conclude that the SDA answer given in 8:14 to the question asked in 8:13
has absolutely nothing to do with its context in 8:8-12!!
Historically, the answer to the question asked
in 8:13 provided in most commentaries is very simply that, “After 2300 evening
and morning cycles, in 164 B. C., the Jews won their civil war against
Antiochus IV, re-dedicated the sanctuary and gained their independence for the
first time since 586 B. C.” What a tremendously important historical event! The
Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was cleansed,
restored, or rededicated to resume offering the daily sacrifices. Today this restoration is still celebrated by the
Jewish holy day of Hanukkah, meaning dedication. Also, this was a normal cleansing and not a special Day
of Atonement-type cleansing!
The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Dictionary, 1960, “little horn,”
p 656. “The little horn of chapter eight ‘takes away the daily sacrifice’ and
casts down the ‘place of his sanctuary’ (v11), ------ but after a period called
‘two thousand and three hundred days’ (v14) the sanctuary is ‘cleansed’ (KJV),
or ‘restored to its rightful state’ (RSV.”
Notice the six dashes are added for emphasis.
Prior to the dashes SDAs teach that the
"little horn" of Daniel 7 and 8 is the pagan Roman Empire which
became the papal Roman Empire. Pagan Rome literally defiled the literal Temple
in Jerusalem in A. D. 70. Papal Rome defiled the Church with its substitute
religion and confessional.
Following the six dashes, SDAs teach that the
sanctuary is in heaven and was defiled by Jesus Who brought sin into the both
sanctuaries via atoned blood of the saints.
The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, 1960, “abomination,” p7. “The
two systems are mutually exclusive, since the setting up of the abomination of
desolation is accompanied by the trampling down of the sanctuary (8:13) and by
the taking away of the ‘daily’ (11:31; 12:11). This substitute system of
worship is abominable, or detestable, because it stands in implacable
opposition to that of the true God. It desolates the sanctuary by replacing
its services with its own. This turn of events naturally appalls worshipers
of the true God. In the symbolic prophecy of Daniel 8, it is the power
represented by the “little horn” that terminates the worship of the true God in
His sanctuary and institutes a false system of worship in its place (8:9-12).
At the end of “two thousand and three hundred days” the sanctuary was to be
cleansed (v 14) by the restoration of the worship of the true God.” [SDAs referring
to Roman Catholicism]
Inventing a defiled heavenly sanctuary forces the
necessity for an Investigative Judgment restoration. This interpretation is reached
by working backwards from their peculiar interpretation of 8:14. Otherwise,
there is absolutely no connection between the SDA “daily” implications of 8:11,
13 and 14. While SDAs disqualify Antiochus IV because he did not literally
“cast down the sanctuary,” neither is there a literal casting down in their own
extended explanations either by the papal confessional or by the sins of
believers.
In conclusion it is utter nonsense to talk
about how evil pagan and papal Rome were to Christians when nether of them was
responsible for carrying sins into God's Most Holy presence in heaven. Yet
Ellen G. White very clearly (though indirectly) teaches such in The Great Controversy, page 418.
Furthermore, since SDAs teach that the Day of Atonement was prophetic, using
their own hermeneutics, it should involve only one year --- not over 170 thus
far.
Russell Earl Kelly, PHD
www.tithing-russkelly.com/sda
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