Introduction: Daniel dreams he is strolling by the water when suddenly he is face to face with a powerful sheep with two big horns - and no one is there to rescue him. It turns out his dream is not so much about danger, or adventure, but rather about the future. Let's jump into Daniel's dream and see what we can learn about the future!

1. The Ram
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:1-3. How would you react if you had this dream? Would you be frightened?
      
      
      1. Has Daniel had enough frightening animals in last week's dream that he is probably not frightened?
         
         
   2. Read Daniel 8:4. Given the context of the past dreams which Daniel either interpreted or had, what are your thoughts about this ram? (It clearly seems to be a world power. An empire that rules other nations.)
      
      
2. The Goat
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:5-8. What do you think about this goat with the broken horn? (This seems to be another world power that defeats the "ram" empire.)
      
      
3. Gabriel on the Ram and Goat
   
   
   1. Let's skip down a bit in this chapter. Read Daniel 8:15-16. Why would Daniel write that someone "looked like a man?" Why not just say, "A man stood in front of me?" (Daniel is telling us that this was not a man. He only looked like one.)
      
      
      1. Who is standing in front of Daniel? (Gabriel.)
         
         
         1. Who is Gabriel? (Read Luke 1:19. He stands in God's presence.)
            
            
         2. Other than speaking to Daniel, who what other important mission has Gabriel handled? (Read Luke 1:26-28. Gabriel brought the message of Jesus coming to Mary!)
            
            
         3. Daniel 8:16 reports that a "man's voice" was giving Gabriel directions. Who gets to give Gabriel directions? (God!)
            
            
         4. What does this suggest to you about Gabriel's message to Daniel? (When God has an important message, He sends Gabriel. God sent him now to Daniel.)
            
            
   2. Read Daniel 8:17. How does Daniel react to Gabriel?
      
      
      1. Why? Why is Daniel not afraid of these wild animals, but is afraid of Gabriel? (Either he knew who Gabriel was, or Gabriel must have looked not simply like a man, but like someone from heaven.)
         
         
      2. How should we react to Gabriel's message? Should we put great faith in it? (It comes straight from the throne of God!)
         
         
      3. What does Gabriel say this dream concerns? (The time of the end.)
         
         
   3. Read Daniel 8:18. What is happening here? Is Daniel still dreaming? (Either this is a dream within a dream, or Daniel is coming out of his dream state to listen to Gabriel's explanation.)
      
      
   4. Read Daniel 8:19-22. What are these two beasts? (Medo-Persia and Greece.)
      
      
      1. Have we seen this before? (You bet! We saw these two empires symbolized in Nebuchadnezzar's dream of Daniel 2 and we saw them in Daniel's dream in Daniel 7.)
         
         
         1. Why does God keep repeating the same prophecy? (Have you heard that you need to repeat something three times for your listener to understand? God apparently wants us to understand this. In addition, with each new dream we seem to have more information. God may well be repeating the old information to help us get a better grasp on the new information.)
            
            
4. The Horn
   
   
   1. Now let's go back and pick up the rest of the dream. Read Daniel 8:9-12. Have we seen a "horn" power before? (Our study of Daniel 7 revealed the "little horn"(Daniel 7:8).)
      
      
      1. Do you think the horn of Daniel 8 is the same as the little horn of Daniel 7?(This puts us in the middle of a great debate. Many commentators believe that the horn of Daniel 7 and 8 are the same, and that they represent Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid king who we previously learned reigned for 11 years (175-164 B.C.). When we studied Daniel 7 last week we found that the timing was all wrong for the little horn to be Antiochus. Not only was Antiochus 500 years too early (coming after the Greek, not the Roman empire), but his reign did not stretch to the end of time.)
         
         
      2. Is the timing wrong for Antiochus to be the horn of Daniel 8:9? (The timing of Antiochus fits a lot better in Daniel 8. He came out of the fragmented Grecian Empire (which was the reason he could not be the "little horn" of Daniel 7 - it came out of the fragmented Roman Empire). While I am hardly an expert on this, it seems to me that most commentators who understand the horn of Daniel 8 to be Antiochus, read their interpretation back into Daniel 7 - where Antiochus does not fit - and understand him to be the "little horn" of Daniel 7).
         
         
      3. What if we reverse this, can we read our "little horn" understanding of Daniel 7 (that the horn is the Papal phase of the Roman Empire) into Daniel 8? Could the timing fit for Papal Rome?

1. Re-read Daniel 8:8-9. Does the horn come up out of one of the four winds or one of the four horns? (It is not clear. The SDA Bible Commentary on this text points out that the gender identification in the Hebrew fits better with the winds, not the horns. If the horn arises out of the winds, then this dream looks just like the dreams of Daniel 2 & 7 - that the horn is the Roman Empire which follows Medo-Persia and Greece.)
   
   
1. Let's review again Daniel 8:9-12. Consider the rest of the description of this horn. Does it better match Pagan and Papal Rome or Antiochus? (The description of the power of this horn meets or exceeds the description of the power of the ram and the goat. (For example, the ram is called (v.4) "great" and the goat is called (v.8) "very great." Most translations (but not the NIV) translate the description of the horn (v.9) to be "exceedingly great" (NAS, KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV). Since the horn is described as being greater than Medo-Persia and Greece, it hardly seems appropriate to conclude the 11 year rule of Antiochus, a minor Seleucid king, is comparable to the Persian and the Greek empires! On the other hand, the Roman empire (in both its pagan and Papal phase, is clearly comparable to the Persian and Greek empires.)
   
   
   1. Did Rome (Daniel 8:11) bring low the sanctuary? (The Romans destroyed God's temple in 70 A.D.. Psalms 79:1 refers to the first destruction of Jerusalem and the temple as "defiling" the temple.)
      
      
   2. Did Rome (Daniel 8:10) reach to heaven, throw part of heaven's citizens to the ground and trample on them?
      
      
1. Gabriel on the Horn
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:23-25. We now turn to Gabriel's further explanation of the horn part of the dream for Daniel. Who is the Prince of princes referred to in verse 25? (It must be Jesus.)
      
      
      1. Did Rome take a stand against Jesus?
         
         
      2. How does this fit the reference in Daniel 8:10 to the horn reaching to heaven and trampling part of the starry hosts? (Rome crucified Jesus. I think this fits both the description of trampling heaven's citizens and standing against the Prince of Princes.)
         
         
   2. How does the horn end? (Daniel 8:25 tells us it is destroyed by something other than human power.)
      
      
      1. What do you think that means? (The logical conclusion is that it is destroyed by God.)
         
         
   3. I understand the argument of those who conclude that the horn power of Daniel 8 is Antiochus Epiphanes, based on the timing (when Greece was fragmenting) and the fact that he sacrificed a pig on the altar of the sanctuary. On the other hand, I believe Rome (in both its pagan and Papal phases) fits the prophecy better. First, the horn of Daniel 7 clearly fits Papal Rome. The parallels between the grand sweep of history in Daniel 2, 7 and 8 make the horn of Daniel 8 the parallel of Rome in Daniel 2 and 7. That, coupled with the description of the horn in Daniel 8 as being as great, or greater than Medo-Persia and Greece, make the Antiochus Epiphanes identification most doubtful. How can a minor king, who ruled for 11 years, be considered a world power or compared to the great empires of Persia and Rome? Antiochus Epiphanes just does not fit the description in the way Rome fits.
      
      
2. The Time
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:13-14 & 26. How long will this horn have power? (2,300 days.)
      
      
      1. What time markers do we have in Daniel 8 to better understand this time period? For example, when does the power of the horn begin and when does it end? (Clearly, it begins after the goat (Greek empire) and it continues (Daniel 8:17)until the time of the end.)
         
         
      2. Would a literal 2,300 days, or a prophetic 2,300 days (a day = a year, see Ezekiel 4:6) better fit this time span? (To stretch from the fall of Greece to the time of the end would have to be 2,300 years and not days.)
         
         
   2. What happens at the end of this 2,300 years? What does it mean for the sanctuary to be reconsecrated? Is it the end of the world? Daniel 8:26 tells Daniel it concerns the distant future - but we will work on solving this mystery in the next studies!
      
      
   3. Friend, God wants His followers to know that He controls kings and kingdoms and he is willing to share this knowledge with you. Are you willing to take the time to listen and learn?
      
      
3. Next week: Daniel 9.

Introduction: Daniel is now an old man. He has been a captive and a foreigner for most of his life. His fondest hope has been to have his country and God's sanctuary rebuilt so that the Jewish people could go home and properly worship God again. With that background, let's jump into our study of Daniel 9!

1. The Prayer
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 9:1-3. When was Daniel praying? (The first year of King Darius. The Bible Knowledge Commentary identifies this as 539 B.C. - 66 years after Daniel had been exiled.)
      
      
      1. Do you remember Darius?(Read Daniel 5:30-31. Darius, the Mede, followed Belshazzar as ruler when the Medo-Persians defeated the Babylonians. This tells us that Daniel's prayer follows in time his vision of chapter 8. Compare Daniel 8:1.)
         
         
      2. What is Daniel praying about? (Daniel is praying about Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 29:10)that the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Jews would last for only 70 years. Since Daniel is 66 years into his exile, we can understand why he is praying about this topic.)
         
         
   2. Read Daniel 9:4-6. What got the people into trouble?
      
      
      1. What does Daniel say about the people and prophecies? (Daniel tells us that the people have a rebellious attitude. They act on that attitude by disobeying God. Further, they do not listen to God - this is shown by the fact that they ignore His prophets.)
         
         
      2. Why is the attitude of the people so important? (Daniel says that God keeps His covenant of love with those who love and obey Him. Daniel may be concerned that God will not bring His people back home after 70 years if they are out of line with God's will.)
         
         
   3. Read Daniel 9:11-13. What did Moses write that had been fulfilled against Jerusalem? (In Deuteronomy 28 Moses wrote that if God's people were faithful they would be blessed. If they were not faithful, things would not go well for them. Daniel is writing that God's people have gotten what they deserved.)
      
      
      1. Is the Deuteronomy 28 principle still at work today?
         
         
   4. Read Daniel 9:14. What is the bad news? (That after all this, God's people have still not learned their lesson.)
      
      
   5. Read Daniel 9:15-16. To what historical fact does Daniel refer? (The Exodus from Egypt.)
      
      
      1. Why does he refer to the Exodus? (It shows that God has, in the past, been willing to rescue His people from slavery. Even people who had not turned back to Him. God has shown mercy and love to rebellious people. Thus, Daniel suggests that God should do this again to his people who are in captivity in Medo-Persia.
         
         
   6. Read Daniel 9: 17-19. On what basis does Daniel ask God to consider and do something about His promise regarding Jerusalem? (Daniel 9:17: Because Daniel, God's servant is asking. Daniel 9:18:God's mercy. Daniel 9:19: God's name.)
      
      
   7. In Daniel 9:19 Daniel asks God to forgive His people. Can Daniel confess the sins of others? (Consider 1 John 5:16-17 and Job 1:4-5.)
      
      
2. The Answer
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 9:20-21. Who shows up? (Gabriel - the angel who came to see him before. We previously learned that Gabriel stands in the presence of God.)
      
      
      1. How do you like the timing of God's response? (Gabriel left heaven when Daniel began his prayer and arrived while he was still praying!)
         
         
      2. What time of day did Gabriel show up? (The time of the evening sacrifice.)
         
         
         1. What "evening sacrifice" is Daniel talking about? (Daniel was so focused on the sanctuary service that he "tells time" based on when the evening sacrifice would have taken place. Of course, no sacrifice is taking place on earth because the sanctuary was destroyed before. Indeed, that was the main reason Daniel was praying, he looked forward to God fulfilling His promise to rebuild the sanctuary in Jerusalem.)
            
            
   2. Read Daniel 9:22-23. Understanding about what? What is the topic on which Daniel needs greater understanding? (Clearly the topic of the sanctuary in the vision of Daniel 8. Daniel is thinking and praying about restoring God's sanctuary. The last time Gabriel spoke to him (Daniel 8:14 and Daniel 8:26) it was about the sanctuary service. But, Daniel did not understand then. (Daniel 8:27) So, Gabriel picks up where he left off last and continues his prior discussion. An interesting point is the Hebrew word used for the vision in Daniel 8:26, 8:27 and 9:23 is the same root word: "mareh." Thus, Gabriel's insight and understanding about the "vision" in Daniel 9:23 is about the same vision spoken of in Daniel 8:26 & 27.)
      
      
   3. Read Daniel 8:13-14 and Daniel 8:26-27. What is of continuing interest to Daniel? (Daniel wants to go home. Daniel wants the Jewish sanctuary to be rebuilt and God's people to properly worship him. Daniel has the most keen interest in this, but so far he cannot understand this prophecy that deals with this subject.)
      
      
   4. Let's get back to Daniel 9. We are going to take just a peek at next week's study. Read Daniel 9:24. "Seventy `sevens'" is an odd term. What do you think a "seven" means? ("Seven" would logically refer to a week. A week has seven days. Thus, Gabriel is speaking about 70 weeks.)
      
      
      1. How long is seventy weeks? (Seventy weeks would be about a year and a third (1 1/3).
         
         
   5. Read Daniel 9:25. Who do you think is the "Anointed One?" (See Acts 10:37-38. This refers to the Messiah - Jesus.)
      
      
   6. If you were Daniel, what would you be thinking right now?
      
      
      1. Will the sanctuary in Jerusalem be rebuilt? (Yes! Daniel's fondest hope is going to be fulfilled.)
         
         
         1. Will it be easy to rebuild?
            
            
   7. Read Daniel 9:26. What is the bad news? (The sanctuary gets destroyed again! The Anointed One is cut off. It sounds like a terrible tragedy.)
      
      
   8. Friend, next week we will study in detail this seventy week prophecy that so concerns and excites Daniel. Our God is interested in us and He wants us to know that He controls kings and kingdoms and our future. Our future depends in part upon our actions. Jesus is coming again! Are you ready? Have you confessed your sins and relied upon God's mercy for your salvation?
      
      
3. Next Week: 70 Weeks.

Introduction: Last week, after studying Daniel's prayer that his people to be returned to their home and their sanctuary rebuilt, we learned that Gabriel came immediately to give Daniel an answer. An answer straight from the throne of God! We could not help it - we "peeked" ahead a few verses to see what Gabriel had to tell Daniel. This week we will revisit those same verses and then try to understand what they mean. Let's dive in!

1. Interpreting the Vision
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 9:24. "Seventy `sevens'" is an odd term. What do you think a "seven" means? ("Seven" would logically refer to a week. A week has seven days. Thus, Gabriel is speaking about 70 weeks.)
      
      
      1. How long is seventy weeks? (Seventy weeks would be about a year and a third (1 1/3).
         
         
   2. Read Daniel 9:25. Who do you think is the "Anointed One?" (See Acts 10:37-38. This refers to the Messiah - Jesus.)
      
      
      1. Considering that the general time frame is from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, to the time of Jesus, could we be talking about a little over one year? (No. Just as in Daniel 8, these 70 weeks are clearly symbolic(1 day = 1 year). Thus, 70 times 7 (490 days)most likely means 490 years. This strengthens our prior conclusion that the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14 symbolizes 2,300 years.)
         
         
   3. Consider again Daniel 9:24-25. What happens during this 490 years? (Time is given to the Jewish people and Jerusalem to "finish transgression, put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness and to bring in everlasting righteousness.")
      
      
      1. How could the Jewish people put an end to sin and bring in everlasting righteousness? (They could not. This provides further evidence that the "Anointed One" is Jesus. Jesus guaranteed the end of sin and eternal life for the righteous.)
         
         
      2. Daniel 9:24, according to Strong's, uses the Hebrew word "chathak" which means "to cut off." The NIV translates this "decreed" and the KJV translates it "determined." Does that make any sense to you? (Consider this modern application: The boss "cuts off" further discussion when he decides (determines or decrees) what to do. Look a little deeper at this because there is another angle. Since Gabriel is explaining to Daniel what the 2,300 day (Daniel 8:14) prophecy of Daniel 8 means, we can reasonably understand the "70 weeks" prophecy to be a part of ("cut off") the 2,300 day prophecy.)
      
      
      
   4. Read Daniel 9:26. What does it mean for the Anointed One to be "cut off?" (Sounds like death. Compare Genesis 9:11 and the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53:8.)
      
      
   5. Let's look more closely at the numbers that we see in Daniel 9:24-27. How many time periods do you see? (Three. The total, 490 years (70x7) is found in verse 24. The first division of this is 49 years ("seven sevens") and is found in verse 25. The second division is 434 years (62x7) is found in verses 25-26. The last division is seven years ("one 'seven'") and is found in verse 27. Together these add up to 490 years or seventy "sevens".)
      
      
      1. What happens during the 49 years? (It appears this refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem.)
         
         
      2. What happens at the end of the 483 years (49+434)? (The Anointed One comes (Daniel 9:25). While there were three decrees to rebuild Jerusalem, the various commentaries have relatively small differences in the starting dates. The SDA Bible Commentary pegs the decree to rebuild at 458/457 B.C. (Artaxerxes decree. See Ezra 7:1-26.) Starting with 457 B.C., the 483 years brings us to 27 A.D. - the year of Jesus' baptism and the beginning of His public ministry.)
         
         
      3. What happens during the seven years? (Daniel 9:26 tells us that after the 483 years the Anointed One will be "cut off" and Daniel 9:27 tells us that the Anointed One will put an end to sacrifice and offering in the middle of the "seven." Continuing with our time-line from 457 B.C. to 27 A.D., an additional 3-4 years (middle of the seven) brings us to 31 A.D. - the year of Jesus' crucifixion. Gabriel's description makes sense because Jesus' crucifixion ended the need for the animal sacrifices in the rebuilt sanctuary in Jerusalem.)
         
         
         1. How do you understand (Daniel 9:27)the "confirm[ing]" of the covenant for the rest of the "seven?" (In Matthew 21:43-45 Jesus predicts that the kingdom of God will be taken away from the Jewish officials who rejected Him and given to others - which, as we see in Acts, included Gentiles. The SDA Bible Commentary notes that 34 A.D. (7 years after 27 A.D.) marked the stoning of Stephen and the beginning of sharing the gospel with Gentiles. See Acts 7&8.)
            
            
         2. How do you understand the Daniel 9:26 reference to destroying the "city and the sanctuary?" (Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the rebuilt sanctuary in 70 A.D. This fits the description of the "ruler who will come." Psalms 79:1 predicts that the temple will be "defiled" by those who reduce Jerusalem to rubble - thus fitting the "abomination that causes desolation.)
            
            
   6. How would you feel if you were Daniel hearing this message from Gabriel? (Just as I hear good news, I then hear terrible news. The sanctuary will be rebuilt and then destroyed again! Worse, the Messiah will be "cut off and will have nothing!" Argghh!)
      
      
2. Building the Reality
   
   
   1. Read Ezra 7:1 and Ezra 7:6-7. What do we learn about Ezra? (He is a Bible scholar and teacher.)
      
      
      1. What was his relationship to the King Artaxerxes? (He had the king's favor because the king gave him everything he asked.)
         
         
      2. What was his relationship to God? (He also enjoyed the favor of God.)
         
         
   2. Read Ezra 7:8 What you think that Ezra had asked of King Artaxerxes? (To go back to Jerusalem and rebuild.)
      
      
   3. Read Ezra 7:11-19. What do you think is being referred to in verse 19 when it says "all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple?" (I think these are the articles for worship in the temple that had been taken by the Babylonians when they destroyed the temple. The temple furnishings are being returned.)
      
      
   4. Read Ezra 7:20-23. Do these verses actually say that they are rebuilding the temple? (Not exactly. Verse 23 authorizes them to do "with diligence for the temple of the God of Heaven," "whatever the God of Heaven has prescribed." One commentary (A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testament) commented that "the commission related exclusively to the rebuilding of the temple and not the walls" of the city.)
      
      
   5. Read Ezra 4:6-8 and Ezra 4:11-12. What is the complaint? (The Jews are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.)
      
      
   6. Read Ezra 4:13-16. What is the argument that Rehum is making? (That if the Jews rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem, they will rebel, defend the place and not pay taxes.)
      
      
   7. How does this tend to show that Artaxerxes issued a decree to rebuild the temple, rather than the walls of Jerusalem? (It shows that the Jews had authority to come and rebuild. Further, it reinforces the idea that their authority was to rebuild the temple, God's sanctuary, and not rebuild the walls of the city. That is ostensibly why Rehum is complaining to the authorities about what is going on in the rebuilding.)
      
      
      1. What does this show us about the accuracy of Daniel's vision? (This shows that the first phase of what Daniel saw in vision is being fulfilled.)
         
         
   8. Read Ezra 4:17-21. Does Rehum win?
      
      
      1. What, exactly, is the result? (Read Ezra 4:24. The building is stopped. By the way, according to Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament, the Darius referred to in Ezra 4:24 is NOT the Darius the Mede of Daniel 5, 6 and 9.)
         
         
      2. Notice what actually was stopped. Was Rehum telling the truth? (Ezra 4:24 says they stopped work on the temple. Thus, it appears that Rehum might have been saying that they were unlawfully rebuilding the walls of the city in order to get the rebuilding of the temple stopped.)
         
         
         1. When you have been doing God's work, have you ever had people lie about you?
      
      
      
   9. How do you feel, thousands of years later, to read Gabriel's interpretation of the vision? (It gives me additional proof that: a) God is in charge of history; b) Jesus was the predicted Messiah; and, since Jesus came the first time just as prophesied, c) That God will keep His word for Jesus' Second Coming!)
      
      
   10. The dates that I have given are subject to debate. Do you think this makes any difference? (Assume that the precise dates of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, Jesus' public ministry and His crucifixion are subject to debate. Moving these dates around a little bit does not change the incredible accuracy of Daniel's vision. Instead of being caught up in a debate over precise years, we can take confidence in the big picture of the amazing timing and accuracy of this 70 Week prophecy.)
       
       
   11. Friend, there is a God who knows the future and who knows your future. Will you serve Him with confidence?
       
       
3. Next week: 1844 Made Simple.

Introduction: Last week we studied one of the most important prophecies of the Bible. We learned, from Daniel 9:22-27, that the specific dates of the coming of Jesus the Messiah were revealed hundreds of years in advance through Gabriel's message to Daniel. As far as I am concerned, this is the most important message of Daniel. God reveals to His people not only the details of the sweep of history, He reveals the timing of the coming of His Son. Of course, we learned a number of other important things as well. We learned that the sanctuary will be rebuilt and then destroyed again. We learned that the gospel will go from being a message directed to the Jews to a message for all of us today. There are, however, a few "loose ends." (Aren't there always?) One unresolved question is the meaning of the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14. Let's dig into Daniel to see what other secrets God has revealed to us today!

1. The Sanctuary
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:13-14. Put yourself in Daniel's place. If you had a short "wish list" about the future, what would be on it? (Recall that Daniel had been taken from his home when he was a very young man. He would want to return to his native country, Judah.)
      
      
      1. What would come to Daniel's mind when the sanctuary was mentioned in his vision? (Daniel would surely think about the sanctuary (temple) that was built by Solomon. See 1 Chronicles 22:17-19.)
         
         
      2. Did Solomon's temple exist at the time of Daniel's vision? (No. The Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon's temple. This was part of the tragedy of his youth. He had been taken captive, and the important institutions of his country had been destroyed. This included the city of Jerusalem and Solomon's temple, the center of Jewish worship.)
         
         
      3. When Daniel heard that the sanctuary would be "reconsecrated" (NIV) ("cleansed" NKJV) what would he logically think was going to happen? (It is logical to believe his first thoughts were that Solomon's temple would be rebuilt. This vision of the future could be about one of Daniel's most dearly held hopes - that the Jewish worship center would be back in operation.)
         
         
      4. What other possibilities might come to Daniel's mind when he heard about the sanctuary being reconsecrated? (Read Psalms 102:19, Exodus 25:8-9 and Hebrews 8:1-5. Moses had originally been given "the pattern" so that the sanctuary in the wilderness was modeled after the sanctuary in heaven. Solomon then built a permanent version of the sanctuary to house the ark of God and to continue the worship and the sacrificial services. Only the copy on earth had been destroyed. The heavenly original still existed. Since the sanctuary on earth had been destroyed, Daniel might have thought this had something to do with the sanctuary in heaven.)
         
         
   2. What time frame is given for the sanctuary being reconsecrated? (2,300 days.)
      
      
   3. Let's back up a minute and read the context for the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14. Read Daniel 8:9-13. What sanctuary do you think is being described in these verses? (In Lesson 5 of this series (on Daniel 8), we concluded that this "horn" was the Pagan and Papal phase of Rome. Thus, this would be the rebuilt sanctuary promised to Daniel.)
      
      
      1. If this is true, could Gabriel be speaking of a literal 2,300 days - a little over six years? (No. This had to be symbolic days (meaning a day equals a year), not literal days. We know that Rome was hundreds of years in the future.
         
         
         1. Read Daniel 8:19-26. This is Gabriel's explanation of the "vision of the evenings and mornings" and he says it concerns "the distant future." Is there any possible way that the 2,300 days are literal days? (I cannot see any way that this is possible!)
            
            
   4. So, what happens at the end of this 2,300 years? What does it mean for the sanctuary to be reconsecrated? What sanctuary are we talking about? Is this the end of the world?
      
      
   5. Living in the twenty-first century, we know that thereafter the temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt and for hundreds of years Jews held their daily sacrifices and worshiped God in the sanctuary. We also know that in 70 A.D., the Romans destroyed the sanctuary. Given our knowledge, what sanctuary do you think is being referred to in Daniel 8:14? (Read Daniel 8:17. Since this is a vision "of the end," and since we know the sanctuary on earth was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago, that logically leaves only the sanctuary in heaven as the subject of this vision.)
      
      
      1. What argument can you make that the vision might refer to a sanctuary that is again rebuilt in Jerusalem before the world ends? (Such an argument would deny that Jesus is the Messiah. It would ignore Jesus' High Priestly ministry in heaven referred to in Hebrews. If the Jews rebuilt a temple in Jerusalem it would be to continue the same sacrificial system which Jesus fulfilled by His life and death.)
         
         
         1. Read Hebrews 9:8-12. What does this suggest about the possibility of a new temple being built in Jerusalem? (Hebrews tells us that the temple on earth was both an illustration and an impediment to Jesus' work for us in heaven. The idea that it would be rebuilt at some time before the Second Coming of Jesus is completely at odds with Hebrews and the entire concept of Jesus fulfilling the symbolism of the sanctuary service.)
            
            
   6. The reasonable conclusion, based on what we know about history, and our understanding of the gospel, is that the sanctuary to be reconsecrated (cleansed) is the heavenly sanctuary.
      
      
2. The Nature of the Cleansing
   
   
   1. If Daniel 8:14 is about reconsecrating (cleansing) the sanctuary in heaven, the logical question is, "Why would it need to be cleaned?"
      
      
   2. Read Leviticus 16:32-34. These three verses describe in summary form a yearly event for the Jewish people. Can you tell me about this event? (Throughout the year the people would come to the temple to sacrifice an animal for the forgiveness of their sins. Symbolically, the shed blood of the animal transferred the sin from the person to the sanctuary. Then once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the sanctuary itself was cleansed of all of these sins which had accumulated over the year. On that day the High Priest entered the Most Holy place of the sanctuary.)
      
      
   3. What about the sins of the people? Were they completely taken care of during the year? (Read Leviticus 16:29-30. It appears that the cleansing of the sanctuary on the Day of Atonement was the final act in the removal of the sins from the people.)
      
      
   4. Since the sanctuary on earth was patterned after the sanctuary in heaven? Do you think there is a parallel activity in heaven? If so, what is it? (According to the text in Hebrews that we previously read (Hebrews 9:11-12), Jesus is the sacrifice for the heavenly sanctuary. He is also the High Priest who enters the Most Holy Place.)
      
      
      1. When Daniel 8:14 tells us that the sanctuary will be reconsecrated (cleansed) could it mean that after the 2300 day period the Day of Atonement in heaven will take place? (That seems to be what is meant. Since the sanctuary could not be the sanctuary on earth, it must be the sanctuary in heaven. Hebrews tells us that Jesus will enter the Most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary - so it makes sense that this is the meaning of Daniel 8:14.)
         
         
3. The Meaning of the Day of Atonement.
   
   
   1. Let's review a minute. The sanctuary referred to in Daniel 8:14 is the sanctuary in heaven. The historical meaning of the cleansing of the sanctuary is the Day of Atonement. So, the next question is what would be the meaning of a Day of Atonement in heaven? Read Daniel 8:26-27. Did Daniel understand what it meant to reconsecrate the sanctuary in heaven?
      
      
      1. Notice that verse 27 says that Daniel did not understand the vision. Did he not understand any of it? (This is the Ram/Goat/Horn vision of the first half of Daniel 8. Gabriel told Daniel about the meaning of the Ram and the Goat. It was only the horn and the 2,300 days that was not specifically explained. Since Daniel calls the this (v.26)"the vision of the evenings and mornings" it must be the 2,300 days that most specifically created the mystery.)
         
         
      2. What do you think the Day of Atonement in heaven represents? Is this the beginning of the judgment? The end of the judgment? The Second Coming of Jesus?

1. In trying to solve this mystery, it sure would be nice to know when this 2,300 years ended. What do we need to know to determine this? (When that period of time started.)
   
   
   1. Does Daniel 8 say when the 2,300 year period begins? (No. Indeed, Daniel 8:26 seems to say the details are "sealed up" for now.)
      
      
2. Let's re-read what we studied last week: Daniel 9:25-27. We have some very hard dates from this. Does this sound like the same subject matter? (Yes. I'm quite certain that Daniel is not understanding what sanctuary Gabriel is speaking about, but we are back to the theme of the future of the sanctuary and its "desolation.")
   
   
   1. Let's make the assumption - a reasonable one - that our "Seventy Weeks" message of Gabriel in Daniel 9 is a further answer and explanation of Gabriel's message of Daniel 8. Since we concluded last week that the seventy weeks began in 457 B.C., where does 2,300 years end? (1844 A.D. The title of our lesson is "1844 Made Simple." The math is surely simple, but I'm far from sure any other aspect of this is simple!)
      
      
3. If we are right about tying the two prophecies together and starting them in 457 B.C., what does that clarify about the previous question about the nature of the cleansing of the sanctuary, this Day of Atonement? (It does not mean the end of the world - unless God is simply delaying His coming. We know from the parallelism in the visions we have studied that the end of the world starts with a judgment of the righteous and ends with the Second Coming of Jesus. Historically the judgment and the "conclusion" to sin, occurred within the Day of Atonement.)
   
   
4. What should the reaction of a Christian be to this prophecy? (The message is important, it came straight from the throne of God by Gabriel. The message is reliable - because all of the other prophecies given to Daniel came to pass. Whether 1844 was the "target time" for Jesus' Second Coming, or whether it begins the time of the final judgment, our main conclusion should be that Jesus' Second Coming is imminent. Something very important is happening in heaven and it has to do with our Messiah bringing sin to its final conclusion.)
   
   
5. Friend, are you ready for the judgment? For the Second Coming? Are you looking for your Savior to return?
   
   
1. Next week: Day-Year Principle.

Introduction: Do you hate to wait? My wife is a teacher, and I decided to go with her to a national teachers' convention last week. We arrived at the airport very early in the morning, and I was shocked to see the airport jammed with travelers - and on Sunday even. As I was heading towards the "self-service" check-in machines that I always use, an airline employee told us to go stand in this huge line. We did what we were told. As I surveyed the line, I had some doubts about making it on time to our plane. I decided to depend on my own judgment instead of the direction of the airline employee. I left my wife in line, and in less than five minutes had both of our boarding passes issued by a self-service check-in machine. We were soon on our way. Poor Daniel, in his case we have decided that what is stated in days, really means years! Are we like the airline employee, needlessly creating delay? Let's jump in and look at this issue again this week!

1. Exile
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 9:1-3. When was Daniel praying? (The first year of King Darius. The Bible Knowledge Commentary identifies this as 539 B.C. - 66 years after Daniel had been exiled.)
      
      
   2. What is Daniel praying about? (Read Jeremiah 29:10. Daniel is praying about Jeremiah's prophecy that the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Jews would last for only 70 years. Since Daniel is 66 years into his exile, we can understand why he is praying about this topic.)
      
      
      1. How do you think Daniel understood this 70 years? Were they literal years? (If Daniel thought they were something other than literal years, he would not have been praying so diligently about their fulfillment. He would have figured it was some time in the distant future - far beyond his lifetime.)
         
         
2. Day-Year Consistency
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 9:24. We decided when we studied this text two weeks ago (Lesson 7) that seventy "sevens" (weeks)did not mean literal weeks. Why is that?
      
      
      1. How can you be so inconsistent? When Daniel writes in Daniel 9:2 about seventy years, you think this is literal time. When a few verses later he writes in Daniel 9:24 about seventy weeks, you suddenly think he is talking about symbolic time?
         
         
      2. Isn't consistency a virtue? Aren't we required to use a little common sense in studying the Bible?
         
         
   2. Let's look at each of these texts to see if we have any reason for appearing to be so inconsistent.
      
      
3. Jeremiah 29
   
   
   1. Read Jeremiah 29:1-3. Who is the audience to which Jeremiah writes? (All of the Jewish captives. The leaders and the regular people.)
      
      
      1. What was the state of mind of the recipients of the letter? (On one hand they were probably glad to be alive since they were "the surviving." On the other hand, it is pretty lousy to be a captive and know that life, as you knew it, would never be the same again.)
         
         
   2. Read Jeremiah 29:4. Whose idea was it to make them captives in a foreign land? (It was God's idea - their God!)
      
      
      1. How does that knowledge make them feel?
         
         
   3. Read Jeremiah 29:5-6. How long does this suggest they will they be in exile? Will this be a temporary matter?
      
      
   4. Read Jeremiah 29:7. What kind of citizens should they be while in captivity? (They should be good citizens, and they should pray for their captors.)
      
      
      1. Why? (Because their welfare turns on the welfare of Babylon.)
         
         
   5. Read Jeremiah 29:8-9. What messages are the false prophets giving? (The text here does not say, but the implication is that they are saying that the people will soon return to their land. Captivity will be short.)
      
      
   6. What is the overall conclusion to be reached from the instructions contained in Jeremiah's letter on behalf of the "Lord Almighty, the God of Israel?" (They are in for a long stay. They might as well get comfortable, get on with their lives, and make the best of things. They will have grandchildren born in this new land.)
      
      
      1. Have you ever seen people who could not get over some problem or tragedy and pick up with their lives? (God tells His people this is their new reality and they should just carry on with their lives.)
         
         
   7. Read Jeremiah 29:10-11. What does God promise? (That in 70 years He will bring them back home. God promises them hope and a future.)
      
      
   8. Read Jeremiah 29:12-14. What are the people expected to do? (As the 70-year time period approaches, they should pray that God will bring them home.)
      
      
      1. This is a mystery that we need to explore. Years ago a lady in my class asked me, "If God knows the future, if He knows what He will do, and He does what is best for us, why do we need to pray for Him to do stuff?"
         
         
      2. Here, God promises them that in 70 years He will bring them home, so why do they need to be praying that He will do what He already promised? (They are in exile because God reacted to their sins. God wants a partnership with His people. What we do makes a difference to God. He tells us that He listens, so our prayers must have some practical effect. If they do not change God, at least they change us.)
         
         
   9. Look again at Jeremiah 29:10. Is there any reason to believe that these are literal, as opposed to symbolic years? (Nothing in this situation appears to be symbolic. God says that He will "come to you" and "fulfill My gracious promise to bring you back to this place." Obviously, not everyone is going to survive 70 years, but God sounds like He is speaking personally to the people. It makes sense to understand these as literal years. Another "clue" is that God instructs (Jeremiah 29:6) for them to marry and have children so their children can have children. This number of generations is consistent with a literal 70 year period.)
      
      
4. Daniel 9
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 9:20-23. Daniel, as instructed by God in Jeremiah 29:12-14, is praying that God will listen and bring them back out of captivity. What does Gabriel say he has come to give Daniel? (Insight and understanding.)
      
      
      1. Insight and understanding about what? (On a very basic level, it would be about the topic of going home. But, more specifically, it is about(Daniel 9:23)"understand[ing] the vision.")
         
         
         1. What vision is this? (Read Daniel 8:26-27. The vision which has shaken up Daniel, the vision he does not understand, is the vision "of the evenings and mornings." It is the vision which he was last writing about.)
            
            
   2. Quickly review Daniel 8:1-14. Does any of this seem literal to you? (No. This is all symbolic. The ram, the goat, the horns are all obviously symbolic. At the end of this text we read that there are 2,300 evenings, and then something will happen to the sanctuary. The context of this time period is entirely symbolic, not literal.)
      
      
   3. Are you with me so far? Daniel has read the literal prophecy of Jeremiah 29, he is praying as instructed, Gabriel comes and makes reference to the symbolic vision, which obviously seems to refer back to the 2,300 day vision of Daniel 8. Let's go forward to Daniel 9 and pick up the rest of Gabriel's explanation. Read Daniel 9:23-27.
      
      
      1. Part of the context is literal. (The promise to return in 70 years.) Part of the context is symbolic. (The 2,300 "morning and evenings" prophecy.) Using the common sense contextual approach we have learned so far, should the 70 "sevens" (70 weeks) be considered literal or symbolic time? (The vision to be understood from Daniel 8 is symbolic. 70 weeks is literally a little over a year. Gabriel's message, if literal time is meant, tells us that the temple will be rebuilt in less than two years after the order to rebuild, the Messiah will come in that same two year period and be killed. During that same two years the temple will be destroyed and the end will come. It is a pretty action-packed two years! Literal time just does not make any sense. As we discussed in Lesson 7 of this series ("70 Weeks"), if we use symbolic time (a day = a year) then the time period works out perfectly for the coming of Jesus.)
         
         
   4. One last "loose end." Where do you get the idea that a prophetic day equals a year? Why not equal a month? A decade? Or some indeterminate time? (Easton's Bible Dictionary refers to the fact that Daniel 9:24 is "usually interpreted on the 'year-day' theory." We read about this day = year concept in Ezekiel 4:4-6 and Numbers 14:34.)
      
      
   5. Friend, when you study the Bible and you read about time periods, do you think that you are equipped to determine whether literal or symbolic time is meant?
      
      
5. Next week: Rome and Antiochus.
   

Introduction: How important are opinion polls? If you agree with the majority, it gives you some comfort that you are right and the rest of the world is basically "right thinking." On the other hand, if you are in the minority you think, "What is wrong with those people?" I doubt that many people who have formed a strong opinion on a subject are swayed by opinion polls showing that the majority disagree. This week we are going to be in the minority: we are studying and arguing what is a minority position today on Daniel 7 and 8. Let's jump into the controversy!

1. Daniel 7 and the "Little Horn"
   
   
   1. When we studied the beasts of Daniel 7 (Daniel 7:4-7, which is Lesson 4 in this series), did we think they seemed similar to anything we had previously seen in the book of Daniel? (Yes. In Daniel 2 we saw the sweep of history prophesied in the dream of the image. It represented four great kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome which arose and fell in succession. We thought the beasts of Daniel 7 represented the same world empires we saw in Daniel 2.)
      
      
   2. Let's read through the end of this dream. Read Daniel 7:8-14. If this is a statement of the history of the world and final judgment, as I think it is, how do you feel about it? (Just like in the dream of Daniel 2, God has a judgment. God and His people win. God triumphs in the history of humans.)
      
      
      1. What two activities of God does this dream reveal? (Verses 9-10 show that God sets up a judgment in heaven and verses 11-14 show the destruction of earthly powers and the coronation of Jesus ("son of man"-Matthew 17:22).)
         
         
      2. When does the judgment appear to begin? (It appears to take place before the end of time when the "little horn" is still around.)
         
         
   3. What, in general, do the images of Daniel 2 and beasts of Daniel 7 teach us? (God is in charge of kings, kingdoms and the sweep of history. There is a universal struggle between good and evil. God has a coming judgment. In the meantime, God partners with faithful humans to reveal the future defeat of evil.)
      
      
   4. Read Daniel 7:15-16. What is Daniel's reaction to the dream of the beasts? Do you see here that Daniel is not an "ordinary guy?" (Daniel is troubled by the dream. He wants to know what it means, so he asks. He is willing to stop and ask for directions!)
      
      
      1. Who is this person whom Daniel approaches in verse 16? (The last part of Daniel's vision has him observing what is going on in heaven. The reasonable conclusion is that Daniel steps over to a heavenly being and asks for help in interpreting the dream.)
         
         
   5. Read Daniel 7:19-20. What is different about this fourth beast? (For one thing it is terrifying. However, all of the beasts seem pretty scary to me. The main difference is the horns. Daniel 7:7 makes the point about being different and specifically notes the horns.)
      
      
      1. What is special about this one horn? (It seems to be identified with a person. Notice that with the first three beasts, Babylon (Daniel 7:4) is described with "man-like" characteristics. The horn, like Babylon, is described with "man-like" traits.)
         
         
   6. Read Daniel 7:21-22. What else do we learn about this little horn? (That it persecutes Christians and is "defeating" them. Its victories over the saints comes to an end with the judgment of God. Compare Daniel 7:8-11.)
      
      
   7. Read Daniel 7:23-25. The heavenly interpreter says that the horns are ten kings. How does this compare with Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the image? (It fits perfectly. No world kingdom dominates after Rome. Instead, the Roman Empire changes into feet and toes (you probably have ten of them - like the ten horns) that are mixed iron and clay. Thus, we see that after the Roman Empire we have nations that are weak (clay) and strong (iron), but none rule the world. Compare Daniel 2:40-43.)
      
      
2. Examination of the "Little Horn" of Daniel 7
   
   
   1. When does the "little horn" that looks like a man arise? (It arises after the break-up of the Roman Empire into the ten kingdoms. Daniel 7:24 says it arises "after" "the ten kings who will come from this [Roman] kingdom.")
      
      
      1. How long is this "little horn" in power? (We have two statements about time. It is in power until the time of the heavenly judgment (Daniel 7:8-9, 26) and it is in power "a time, times and half a time." Daniel 7:25.)
         
         
      2. The majority opinion is that the "little horn" is a minor Seleucide King named Antiochus Ephiphanes who ruled eleven years from 175-164 B.C.. Antiochus came to power after the death of Alexander the Great at the end of the Empire of Greece. (See, Goldstein, Graffiti in the Holy of Holies, p.39-42.)
         
         
         1. Does Antiochus Ephiphanes fit the description of the little horn? (No. The timing is all wrong. Antiochus came to power before, not after, the Roman Empire. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge recites that the ten kingdoms into which the western Roman Empire was divided were set up between 356 A.D and 526 A.D. Thus, Antiochus is more than 500 years too soon to fit this prophecy. In addition, his eleven-year rule hardly seems to stretch to the time of the final judgment.)
            
            
   2. If Antiochus is such a bad historical "fit," why do most commentators think the little horn is Antiochus? Let's continue on in our study.
      
      
3. Daniel 8 and the "Little Horn."
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:9-12 and Daniel 8:23-25. Do you think the horn of Daniel 8 is the same as the little horn of Daniel 7?
      
      
      1. To refresh your memory, scan Daniel 7:8, 11-12, 20-25 to compare the little horns of Daniel 7 and Daniel 8. What reasons would you think they would be the same? (They are both horns with human characteristics. They both oppose God. They both oppose God's people. They are both destroyed by God.)
         
         
      2. What reasons might you think these two horns are different? (The horn of Daniel 8 is described as attacking the sanctuary - whereas this is not mentioned about the horn of Daniel 7.)
         
         
   2. What is the timing of the arrival of the little horn of Daniel 8? (While the horn of Daniel 7 clearly arises out of (after) the fourth beast (Rome), the horn of Daniel 8 arises out of (after) the goat (Daniel 8:8-9).
      
      
      1. What does the goat represent? (Read Daniel 8: 21-23. The goat is Greece and the little horn arises from Greece.)
         
         
   3. Is the timing wrong for Antiochus to be the horn of Daniel 8:9? (The timing of Antiochus fits a lot better in Daniel 8. He came out of the fragmented Grecian Empire (which was the reason he could not be the "little horn" of Daniel 7 - it came out of the fragmented Roman Empire).)
      
      
   4. Do you see the basis for the conflict? If the little horns of Daniel 7 and Daniel 8 are the same, the "little horn = Antiochus crowd" arrives at its view by reading their interpretation of Daniel 8 back into the little horn of Daniel 7. The "little horn = papal Rome crowd" (of which I am a part) reads their interpretation of the little horn of Daniel 7 into Daniel 8.) (For an explanation of why I think the "little horn" of Daniel 7 is papal Rome, read Lesson 4 of this series which covers much of this same material.)
      
      
4. Settling the Conflict
   
   
   1. If you agree that the "little horn" is the same power in Daniel 7 and Daniel 8, then what reason do you have for thinking that it is not Antiochus? An argument based simply on the timing question seems difficult to make, because when it comes to timing, their argument seems as good as ours.
      
      
   2. Let's review again Daniel 8:9-12. Consider the rest of the description of this horn. Does it better match pagan and papal Rome or Antiochus? (The description of the power of this horn meets or exceeds the description of the power of the ram and the goat. For example, the ram is called (Daniel 8:4) "great" and the goat is called (Daniel 8:8) "very great." Most translations (but not the NIV) translate the description of the horn (Daniel 8:9) to be "exceedingly great" (NAS, KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV). Since the horn is described as being greater than Medo-Persia and Greece, it hardly seems appropriate to conclude the 11 year rule of Antiochus, a minor Seleucid king, is comparable to the Persian and the Greek empires! On the other hand, the Roman empire (in both its pagan and papal phase, is clearly comparable to the Persian and Greek empires.)
      
      
      1. Did Rome (Daniel 8:11) bring low the sanctuary? (The Romans destroyed God's temple in 70 A.D.. Psalms 79:1 refers to the first destruction of Jerusalem and the temple as "defiling" the temple.)
         
         
      2. Did Rome (Daniel 8:10) reach to heaven, throw part of heaven's citizens to the ground and trample on them?
         
         
5. Gabriel on the Little Horn Issue
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:23-25. We now turn to Gabriel's further explanation of the horn part of the dream for Daniel. Who is the Prince of princes referred to in verse 25? (It must be Jesus.)
      
      
      1. Did Rome take a stand against Jesus?
         
         
      2. How does this fit the reference in Daniel 8:10 to the horn reaching to heaven and trampling part of the starry hosts? (Rome crucified Jesus. I think this fits both the description of trampling heaven's citizens and standing against the Prince of Princes.)
         
         
   2. How does the horn end? (Daniel 8:25 tells us it is destroyed by something other than human power.)
      
      
      1. What do you think that means? (The logical conclusion is that it is destroyed by God.)
         
         
   3. Friend, I understand the argument of those who conclude that the horn power of Daniel 8 is Antiochus Epiphanes. On the other hand, I believe Rome (in both its pagan and papal phases) fits the prophecy better. After struggling through this study, you may be saying "So what, Bruce!? Why does this apparently minor point of prophecy matter?" Next week we will discuss whether it matters and why.
      
      
6. Next week: The Sanctuary and the Little Horn.
   

Introduction: If you are reading this, it means that you are still with me in this study, even though it has been hard work to trudge through some of the details of Daniel's prophecies. Last week I promised you that we would discover this week why it makes any difference, as a practical matter, whether the "Little Horn" of Daniel 7 & 8 is Antiochus or Rome. Why should we care as Christians? What does it matter to modern people? Let's jump in and discover why this issue brings us to the heart of the gospel and the proof of your faith!

1. The Target of the Little Horn
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 8:9-12. What is being attacked by the "Little Horn?" (We previously discovered that on a very basic level, it destroyed the Jewish sanctuary in 70 A.D.)
      
      
      1. What else is being attacked? (Daniel 8:10 tells us that it reached into heaven and threw "some of the starry host down to the ground.")
         
         
         1. What does that bring to mind? (Read Revelation 12:3-4 and Revelation 12:7-9. This is a picture of Satan bringing a third of the angels down to earth with him when he loses his fight against God.)
            
            
            1. What kind of animal is depicted here? (A dragon with ten horns.)
               
               
            2. What kind of animal is pictured in Daniel 7:19-20? (Something that could pass as a dragon with ten horns.)
               
               
      2. Let's go back and read Daniel 8:11-12 again. What else does this Little Horn do? Who is the "Prince of the Host?" (The Prince of the Host has to be Jesus. This Little Horn thinks it is a replacement for Jesus. Further, this attack on Jesus involves the sanctuary.)
         
         
   2. Read Daniel 8:13-14. What sanctuary did we previously discuss was being reconsecrated (cleansed) here? (Because of the timing(our conclusion that the 2,300 days was symbolic and meant 2,300 years), this has to refer to the sanctuary in heaven.)
      
      
2. Sanctuary Activities
   
   
   1. Hebrews 9:1-5 gives us a description of the Holy and Most Holy rooms of the Jewish sanctuary here on earth. Continue by reading Hebrews 9:6-10. What was the purpose of the Jewish sanctuary and its sacrificial system? (It is "an illustration for the present time.")
      
      
      1. Are you part of the "present time?"
         
         
      2. What is being illustrated for you (us)? (1. The "way into the Most Holy Place" had not been "disclosed" as long as the Jewish sanctuary on earth was in existence. 2. Until the time of the "new order" the conscience of the people was not really being cleared.)
         
         
         1. Can you summarize these two points in one sentence? (The Jewish sanctuary on earth was a symbol, but not the reality, for the way to forgiveness of sin.)
            
            
   2. Read Hebrews 9:11-14. What is the "present time" reality for the forgiveness of sin, and where does that reality take place? (The good news for the present time is that Jesus is the real sacrifice and the real High Priest and the real work of forgiveness of sin is being done in the original sanctuary which is in heaven.)
      
      
   3. Read Hebrews 9:15. What is the "new covenant?" (That Jesus was the perfect "sacrificial lamb" because He lived a perfect life, and His death on the cross, if accepted by us as the substitute sacrifice for our sins, truly wipes away our sins. It takes away your sins - all of them!)
      
      
   4. Friend, do you want that? Real forgiveness of all of your sins?
      
      
3. Why the Antiochus Question Matters
   
   
   1. Remember that we have learned that the Little Horn of Daniel 7 and 8 attacks the sanctuary (Daniel 8:11-12), attacks God (Daniel 7:25; Daniel 8:10-11, 25) and attacks God's people (Daniel 7:21; Daniel 8:12, 25). If the Little Horn of Daniel 7 and 8 is Antiochus Ephiphanes, a minor Seleucide King who ruled eleven years from 175-164 B.C., what sanctuary did he attack?(The sanctuary on earth.)
      
      
      1. If the Little Horn is Antiochus, how important is that to us today? (It is not important at all. It is a footnote about a minor figure in history.)
         
         
      2. If the Little Horn is Rome (as I believe) in both its pagan and papal phases, how important is that to us today? ("Rome" is still with us.)
         
         
      3. Let me repeat again that many of my most important religious liberty cases involved the defense of Catholics. I love the fact that the Catholic Church stands strong against abortion and other moral evils. But, the Catholic Church has a serious flaw in its theology when it comes to the issue of Christ our Mediator in the Heavenly Sanctuary. What is that flaw? (I think it is fair to say that the idea of confessing your sins to men, the idea of viewing Mary as your mediator, is an attack on the role of Jesus as our mediating High Priest in the sanctuary in heaven. Rome also has a sad history of persecuting the saints.)
         
         
      4. The Little Horn is obviously symbolic. If it symbolizes a power that attacks God, His people, and the role of Jesus our Sacrifice, High Priest and Mediator in the heavenly sanctuary, are there any other powers today that qualify as "little horns?" (Any religious belief that undercuts righteousness by faith, that undercuts the forgiveness of sin by faith in Christ alone, that describes a different path to heaven than through Jesus our High Priest, is a Little Horn power!)
         
         
         1. Can you name a few? (Islam, all of the "works" religions of the East, Judaism without a Messiah - these all describe ways to salvation without Jesus. They all miss salvation by grace alone. Indeed, there are a lot of members of churches which teach grace who unfortunately believe that they are saved by their works. If you believe you are saved by your works, you stand under the banner of the Little Horn because your belief is an attack on the mediating work of Jesus.)
            
            
         2. What about modern humanism? Does that fit within the symbolism of the Little Horn? (Absolutely. The "faith" of the secular humanist is that they are god. There is no god higher than the person. They are entitled to make their own judgments on what is right and what is wrong. They have little tolerance for Bible-believing Christians. Is this not an "attack" on God, righteousness by faith, and the saints?)
            
            
   2. We have previously determined in this series of lessons that "running the numbers" from Daniel's prophecies using the day = a year symbolism predicts that Jesus is the Messiah, predicts His death, predicts the spread of the gospel to Gentiles and predicts the destruction of the Jewish sanctuary on earth. We also ran these numbers and found that they ended in 1844 or, possibly, some time later. Read Hebrews 9:23. Was the sanctuary in heaven purified? (This verse says it was "necessary," using "better sacrifices.")
      
      
      1. Read Hebrews 9:24-26. When does Jesus enter the sanctuary in heaven to do away with our sins? ("At the end of the ages.")
         
         
      2. Read Hebrews 9:27-28. What follows Jesus doing away with our sin? (He comes again to take us to heaven with Him.)
         
         
   3. Friend, the message of the Little Horn and its attack on the sanctuary is a message for today - not some dusty footnote in history. The saints today are surrounded on all sides by belief systems that are an assault on righteousness by grace alone. The "1844" message is that we are saved by faith alone. Jesus is working on our behalf in the sanctuary in heaven. Jesus has a judgment, from which we can only be saved by faith in Him. When He finishes that judgment, He will "appear a second time" to "bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." (Hebrews 9:28) Are you among those waiting for Him? Or, are you allied with the Little Horn: the religious philosophy that salvation comes some other way than through Christ alone?
      
      
4. Next week: The Pre-Advent Judgment.

Introduction: In our last lesson we learned that salvation by grace alone was the important issue in whether the "Little Horn" was Antiochus Epiphanes or Rome. It turned out that "1844" is an issue of righteousness by faith: we have a Mediator in the Heavenly sanctuary who has given His life and offers His blood on behalf of our sins. Why do we need a mediator? Doesn't God the Father love us? Isn't He taking everyone to heaven with Him? Let's dive in and find out why we need Jesus as our mediator!

1. The Judge
   
   
   1. Read Daniel 7:8-9. What seems to be the timing of the Little Horn and God taking a seat? (They seem to be going on at the same time.)
      
      
   2. God is obviously old. Do you think He needs to take a seat because He gets tired?
      
      
      1. If not, what does "the Ancient of Days took His seat" mean? (He is sitting on His throne. That means He is getting ready for some official task.)
         
         
   3. God has white hair and is wearing a white outfit. Why? I've heard of women who choose their clothes color to bring out the color of their eyes. Do you think something like that is going on here - white clothes to match white hair?
      
      
      1. Read Leviticus 16:3-4. Who is Aaron? (The High Priest). What color is linen? (White). Why does the High Priest wear white? (It is a symbol of holiness, sacredness.)
         
         
      2. Is that why God wears white? (Yes. God is sitting down on His throne to take part in some holy, sacred act.)
         
         
   4. Notice in Daniel 7:9 that God's throne has flaming wheels. (And you thought that you had some nice rims!) What point is being made to us?
      
      
      1. What do you think "fire" represents? (Power. Purity.)
         
         
      2. What do you think "wheels" represent? (Speed. Intelligence.)
         
         
   5. Read Daniel 7:10. Fire flows like a river from God's throne. What is the meaning of that? What does that symbolize? (Have you seen a volcano erupt? Anything in the way of the river of fire gets destroyed. Again, I see the symbolism as power and purity. Nothing impure can stand against God.)
      
      
      1. Read Jeremiah 23:29-31. How is "fire" used here? (In the sense of judgment and discernment.)
         
         
   6. In Daniel 7:10 we read about "people" standing around. Are they also a symbol? Or, are they something else? Are they even people? (Read Hebrews 12:22. Daniel does not say these are people. He just says they are "thousands" who "attend" God. I think they are angels and that they, once again, reveal to us the power of God.)
      
      
   7. What is the purpose of all of this? (Judgment. The "court" is seated and the "books" are opened.)
      
      
   8. Think about modern judges. What are some of the questions that arise about judges of today? (Whether they are fair? Whether they are being honest? Whether their judgments can be enforced? Whether their judgments should be enforced?)
      
      
      1. Given our discussion so far, how are all of these questions resolved when it comes to the judgment of God? (God is holy, sacred, pure and powerful. His fire consumes what is wrong.)
         
         
2. The Judgment
   
   
   1. How would you like to be standing before God in the scene that we just studied? (All of the older American federal court rooms I have seen were designed to instill a sense of awe in the people coming before the judge. Judges always sit higher than the lawyers or anyone else. As we have contemplated this judgment scene in the Bible, the "awe" factor off the charts.)
      
      
      1. In addition to being an awesome scene, what else worries you about being before this Judge? (Purity. Holiness. I have a clear vision as to at least some of my sins. How could I ever stand alone before such a Judge? I could not.)
         
         
   2. Read Daniel 7:11 and Daniel 7:21-22. How does the Little Horn fare before the Judge? (Judgment is pronounced against him. He is slain.)
      
      
      1. Is the Little Horn insane? How can he stand before God and speak boastful words? (It seems absolutely impossible to believe that the Little Horn is actually in the presence of God being boastful. The scene would hardly permit such a thing.)
         
         
      2. If the Little Horn is not in the presence of God, why does Daniel emphasize the "boastful" words in the context of God's judgment? (Remember last week we discussed that Rome qualified as the Little Horn because of its flawed approach to sin. From the very beginning of time (compare Daniel 8:10 with Revelation 12:3-4) the Dragon/Little Horn symbol has stood apart from God, not depended on God. The forgiveness of sins comes from confessing them to Jesus and the application, through faith, of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. We concluded that all of the "works" religions are included in the symbolism of the "Little Horn." If we can visualize from Daniel 7 just a bit of the power and purity of God, how incredibly arrogant, stupid and boastful is the idea of standing before our Holy God based on our own works!)
         
         
3. Our Lawyer/Mediator

1. Read Daniel 7:13-14. Who is the "one like a son of man?" (Jesus! This is Jesus after His birth as a human so that now He looks like us.)
   
   
   1. As opposed to the Little Horn, how does Jesus fair before the pure, holy and all-powerful Father God? (He is welcomed. He has the same attributes as God the Father: "authority, glory and sovereign power.")
      
      
      1. Is that "the Guy" you want representing you before God in heaven? Is He the one you want to stand in your place?
         
         
1. Our Choice
   
   
   1. Read again Daniel 7:21-22. If we are right that this judgment begins around 1844 (that is to say some modern time and not the time of Antiochus) and takes place before the Second Coming of Jesus, how is the Little Horn waging war against the saints and defeating them? (It is defeating them by taking away their concern about a final judgment and taking away their active faith in Jesus as their Mediator. It defeats them when it convinces them that they can stand alone before God.)
      
      
      1. Friend, does the war between good and evil seem remote to you? Is your expectation for Jesus' Second Coming something that you have pushed to the back of your mind?
         
         
   2. Read Daniel 7:24-25. We have a specific time period mentioned here. Do you recall what we studied about this? (In Lesson 4 of this series we studied that this 3.5 year period covered 1,260 days. Under the "a day = a year" symbolism we have studied, this gives us 1,260 years.)
      
      
      1. How does this 1,260 year period fit into our picture of the Little Horn waging war against the saints until the Heavenly Court sits and gives the saints victory? (Consider two possible answers. A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory refers to "the 1260 years of papal misrule" and "persecution." This can date from 529 A.D. This commentary also points out that the secular power of the church began in 752 A.D. when the church began to grant title to rulers of Europe. If we started the 1,260 year period with the 752 A.D. date, that would bring us right to the present time.)
         
         
         1. If you agree with me that the symbolism of the "Little Horn" encompasses not simply Rome, but any religious group that teaches salvation by something other than Christ's righteousness, are Christians at war today with these kinds of religious powers?
            
            
   3. Read Revelation 16:13. What familiar "face" do we see here? (The dragon again!)
      
      
      1. Who does he have with him? (Frogs, the beast and the false prophet.)
         
         
         1. Are these companions also symbolic of the "little horn" theme of salvation by works? (Levi de Paula Tavares, who for many years has translated these lessons into Portuguese, points out that the "frogs" represent spiritualistic religions who believe in gradual purification through successive reincarnations. I believe the "false prophet" is Islam - another "works" religion. We see a group of "works advocates" united together.)
            
            
   4. Friend, do you see the final line-up of powers? Do you see the choice you must make? A judgment is taking place. Will you stand alone, on your own merits, before an awesome God? Or, will you choose Jesus as your representative, your substitute? For me, the choice is a "no-brainer." I choose grace!
      
      
2. Next week: The Gospel and Judgment.