Part Eight

 

End of the

2300 Days 

Good Friday? or Good Wednesday?

“The vision of the evenings and mornings (2300 Days) that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future." (Daniel 8:26) The date of October 22nd 1844 came and went, leaving no evidence that the Lord had returned to cleanse the earth.  For the next several years, the humiliated Adventists, driven from the churches which persecuted them, struggled to make sense of their failure. The Pioneers continued for about seven years to believe that the end had come and they, like the family of Noah, were behind a sealed door, safe from the calamities that were soon to come. 

 

But as time went on, a transformation of the meaning of the 2300 day prophecy was under way. Instead of 1844 being the date for the end of the world; a new doctrine called “The Investigative Judgment” was developed by the Pioneers. By holding to this doctrine, no correction or apology to the world regarding errors about their selection of time would be needed. The doctrine taught that on October 22nd 1844, Christ undertook a new phase in his ministry of salvation. The “books” (meaning the records of all who have died) were at that time made open to his view. It would be his task to review the records of the dead and pronounce a life or death sentence upon them based upon their works.

 

Of course God’s ultimate judgement regarding our works is absolutely true and biblically sound. But associating the date of 1844 with the “Investigative Judgment” (the signature doctrine of the Seventh Day Adventist Church) cannot true; but why? We are now coming to understand that Daniel’s 2300 day prophecy expired one year earlier than S.S. Snow’s fixed date of October 22nd 1844. Prior to 1844, the Millerites believed that Christ had been making atonement for mankind in the Most Holy place soon after his ascension into heaven. They based this idea on the following verses: “The second (compartment) went the high priest alone once every year…Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us”(Hebrews 9:7 & 24). If the narrative of the book of Hebrew’s was true, why would Christ enter into the Most Holy Place a second time to make atonement in 1844? (Remember, he is only to enter this place one time, not multiple times).

 

The date “October 22nd 1844” and its companion doctrine of the “Investigative Judgment” has distracted the holy people from the real meaning intended by Daniel’s prophecy. In order for us to gain a pure understanding of it, we must strip away the English rendering of two critical words which are “sanctuary” and “cleansed” used in the following verse “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14). The Millerites before 1844 believed that the “sanctuary” was the earth. After 1844, the sect known as Seventh Day Adventists re-interpreted to word to mean the “Most Holy place” in heaven. But is this what the entire passage is telling us? The word “qodesh” is attributed to persons or things that have been set apart for a special purpose and “tsadaq” means “cause to make right”. Cause what to be made right? If the word “qodesh” means the Sanctuary in Heaven, why would it need to be “cleansed” when nothing unrighteous is permitted to enter through the gates of the city? “And there shall in no wise enter into it (the city) anything that defiles.” (Revelation 21:27)

 

The Old Testament is filled with many different examples of persons and things considered to be “qodesh” (holy). And the full text of Daniel’s prophecy of Daniel chapter 8:1-27 will give us a good idea as to the "who" or the "what" the word qodesh pertains to.  Daniel 8:12 says “Because of rebellion, the host of the saints (qodesh) and the daily were given over to it. It (the little horn) prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground”. Here we see that the context of Daniel chapter eight concerns the “holy people” and a rebellion that occurs will take place in the last days (1844 is not the last days). The question is then asked in the following verse, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation?" Only a partial answer is given to Daniel. It points the reader to the identity of the rebels who will be given over to the little horn (the man of sin) and be destroyed. 

 

They (the people of 1844) are considered the holy people. Daniel chapters eleven and twelve amplify the meaning of the destruction of the holy people, telling us that they shall renounce the covenant and take measures to forbid its practice.  “I heard him (the man clothed in linen) swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy (qodesh) people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." (Daniel 12:7) The question posed back in Daniel 8:13 was when will it occur? According to the answer given, the prophet Daniel was to know that the rebellion was to come gradually, beginning in 1843. The holy people would be drawn to perform righteousness according to the instructions of Moses and over the course of time, they would rebel against it. This rebellion would continue to accelerate to the point that the holy people (those who came from the 1844) would join hands with the man of sin. 

 

Because of this rebellion, the God of Israel swears He will give the saints (qodesh) over to the little horn to be destroyed. This was not the first time he has done this, but he promises that it will be His last time. Note how YHWH presents the spectacle to Daniel in verse 10; showing that the little horn is allowed to reach up to heaven, take hold of the stars and trample them on the earth. These stars represent the holy people. Note how closely this prophecy is related to the curses for the holy people should they renounce the instructions given to them to remain faithful to the Torah. “You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God. Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you”  (Deuteronomy 28:62-63).

 

Those who have come from the 1844 have not understood the importance of the 2300 year prophecy.  They are fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel eight whenever they say, “We are no longer obligated to keep the Law of Moses”. Some of the holy people are responding to the spirit and are being “caused to become righteous” just as the word “tsadiq” indicates. But because of the rebellion that has been growing since the 2300 day prophecy concluded, many others are resisting the call to embrace the whole law as specified by Moses. They are guilty of undermining the portions of the Torah that they wish not to obey and are teaching other to do so. Much of this is due to their reluctance to renounce the Catholic doctrine which divides the Law of Moses into civil, moral and ceremonial portions; thus the spiirt which began to move the holy people at the conclusion of the 2300 days prophecy has stagnated. And when the rebellion completely fills the hearts of the holy people, the little horn will come. 

 

This was what was meant in the following warning given to the disciples by Yeshua “"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Mark 13:14). My plea to the holy people is to study and see if these things are true.