C: The Daily in Daniel 8

Doesn’t Belong

In pg 74, 75 of Early Writings, Sister White says this word ‘sacrifice’ was added by human wisdom and doesn’t belong to the text. So when we read ‘Daily’ in Daniel, we should not include ‘sacrifice’ and if the false interpretation of the ‘Daily’ which is taught in the schools of Adventism today was correct, that the Daily represented Christ’s work in the sanctuary, then certainly the added word by the translators ‘sacrifice’ would be accurate because it would only point more clearly to Christ’s work in the sanctuary. But as Sister White says, it doesn’t belong in the text.

The Heart of Adventism

You can boil Adventism down to one verse:

“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14.

There are Two different word used for ‘Sanctuary’: Qodesh; whether it’s His sanctuary on earth or the sanctuary in heaven; the word is only, exclusively speaking of God’s sanctuary. Whereas the word translated ‘sanctuary’ in verse 11, Miqdash can mean God’s sanctuary, but it also can be a pagan sanctuary.

Word Symbols from the Sanctuary

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary [Only God’s Sanctuary] and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary [Only God’s Sanctuary] be cleansed. Daniel 8:13-14.

Word Symbols from the Sanctuary

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 [A holy or unholy sanctuary] was cast down. Daniel 8:11.” Daniel 8:13

How Long?

Here we see a question asked, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary [Only God’s Sanctuary] and the host to be trodden under foot?”

• There are several places in chapter 8 where we will find the word ‘vision’ but it comes from two different Hebrew words:

How Long?

• In Daniel 8, two different Hebrew words are translated as vision. The different Hebrew words are: Mare’h and chazon. One means the entire vision and the other means a snapshot of the vision, a portion. By recognizing these two words for what they mean, we get an idea of the focus of what Daniel is trying to say.

How Long?

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision [ the entire vision] concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days [evenings and mornings]; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:13-14.

The question is, “How long is this time period when the Medes, Persians, Greeks and Rome going to trod down God’s sanctuary and God’s people?

The Vision of Daniel

“And the vision [the snapshot] of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; [the entire vision] for it shall be for many days.” Daniel 8:26.

The Vision of Daniel

“Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [the entire vision] at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. [the snapshot]” Daniel 9:21-23.

Masculine and Feminine

“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 [masculine] toward the four winds [feminine] of heaven.” Daniel 8:8.

“And out of one of them [feminine] came forth a little horn [pagan Rome], which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” Daniel 8:9.

Masculine and Feminine

In these verses, he switches to feminine when speaking of the little horn and when he switches to the feminine gender he’s identifying the characteristics of Papal Rome. It’s in a very systematic fashion.

And out of one of them [FEMININE–the four winds] came forth a little horn [MASCULINE– pagan Rome], which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. Daniel 8:9.

Masculine and Feminine

Switches in 10:

And it [FEMININE–papal Rome] waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it [FEMININE–papal Rome] cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Daniel 8:10.

Switches back in 11:

Yea, he [MASCULINE– pagan Rome] 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. Daniel 8:11.

Masculine and Feminine

Switches in 10:

And it [FEMININE–papal Rome] waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it [FEMININE–papal Rome] cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Daniel 8:10.

Switches back in 11:

Yea, he [MASCULINE– pagan Rome] 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. Daniel 8:11.

Masculine and Feminine

• Switches again:• And an host [an army or military force] was given

him [FEMININE–papal Rome] against the daily [paganism] sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. Daniel 8:12.

Three Areas of Conquest for Pagan Rome

History and Bible prophecy teach that when Pagan Rome came to conquer the world it had three areas of conquest that it went after in a specific order. This is the order:

“. . .toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” Daniel 8:9.

The ‘Pleasant land’ we understand as Palestine.

Papal Rome is the persecuting power in prophecy which tramples God’s People

“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. Daniel 8:10.

Pagan Rome Crucifies Christ

Yea, he [MASCULINE– pagan Rome] magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him [from him; pagan Rome] the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. Daniel 8:11.

A clearer translation of this phrase ‘by him’ for us today would be ‘from him’. From him the ‘Daily’ (paganism) was taken and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

From Pagan Rome the daily [paganism]

“. . .is taken away.” Daniel 8:11.

The capital of the empire is moved to Constantinople

“. . . the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” Daniel 8:11.

Two ‘Take Aways’

Well, we need to look at something closely here. Wherever we find this ‘Daily’ either in chapter 8, 11 or 12 of Daniel, it’s always ‘taken away’. Let’s look at Daniel 11:31 very quickly:

“And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away [Hebrew sur; remove] the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” Daniel 11:31

Two ‘Take Aways’

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away [Hebrew sur: remove], and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Daniel 12:11.

So the place where the ‘Daily’ is identified, it’s always being ‘taken away’.

Sur: turn aside, remove. Never to remove from the mind. Used to describe when the ashes were removed from under the altar and taken outside the camp.

Two ‘Take Aways’

But if we go back to Daniel 8:11 it’s a different Hebrew word that’s translated ‘take away’.

Rhum: to lift up or exalt. Used in the sanctuary to describe when the priest would lift up and exalt a wave offering before the Lord. So there is a sense of movement, being ‘taken away’ but its not the same as being removed. It means to lift up or exalt.

Two ‘Take Aways’

Yea, he [pagan Rome] magnified himself even to the prince of the host [Christ], (he allows Christ to be crucified under his authority) and by him [from pagan Rome] the daily [paganism] sacrifice was taken away [Rum: lifted up and exalted], (it’s not ‘taken away in the sense that chapters 11 and 12 are talking about. What happens here in verse 11 is that Paganism is exalted) This is the story of verse 11 here because the very next phrase is: “and the place [the city of Rome] of his sanctuary [the Pantheon] was cast down.” Daniel 8:11.

False View

Let’s look at these two false views in verse 11. “and by him [from pagan Rome] ( the false view will tell you that this is the Papacy) the daily [paganism] (And if you’re going to take the false view, the premier one, the ministry of Christ in the sanctuary above) sacrifice was taken away [Rum: lifted up and exalted]

Papal Rome

And an host [an army or military force] was given him [this jumps back to FEMININE–papal Rome] against the daily [paganism] sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. Daniel 8:12.

Verse 9 Masculine–pagan Rome.

Verse 10 Feminine–papal Rome.

Verse 11 Masculine–pagan Rome.

Verse 12 Feminine–papal Rome.

In verse 12 we see an host—an army—a military strength, is given the Papacy against paganism by reason of transgression and it “cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.” Daniel 8:12.

And we know that the Papacy cast down the truth to the ground and practised and prospered.

Verse 9: pagan Rome attacks God’s people.

Verse 10: papal Rome attacks God’s people.

Verse 11: pagan Rome stands against Christ, lifts up paganism.

Verse 12: a military force is given to papal Rome against paganism, the 3 horns of Daniel 7:8, 24.