490 Years

The prophecy of Daniel, ” Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” (Dan. 8:14) has been misunderstood by almost every Christian church.

Even that the angel Gabriel came to give understanding to this vision, it was not until after 1798 that people started to understand the meaning of it. No prophet after Daniel nor any of the New Testament writers gave light to this vision. Only the first part of it, the 70 weeks, was understood by Bible students before the time of the end began.

Daniel 9:24 explains the events that will take place before the 70 weeks were finished. ” Seventy weeks are determined upon Thy people and upon Thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophesy, and to anoint the most Holy.”
All these seven events must take place before the 490 years were finished, and these events have a great meaning to us.

Seventy Weeks are Determined

The word “determined” comes from the Hebrew word “chathak” which is used in the Bible only once. The meaning of this word is also “to cut off.” This was a time period that was cut off from the 2300 years, for a certain purpose.

If the Jewish people had understood the meaning of these words, they would have been terrified to see that their time as a chosen people had almost ended and the holy city would not be the center of worship anymore. God had been patient with the Jewish people for many centuries, but finally came the time when they could not be the light of the world anymore. The holy oracles of God could not be trusted into their hands anymore.

To Finish the Transgression

The Jewish people finally filled the cup of their iniquity. When they rejected Jesus, and His message and crucified Him, there was no more chance that they could remain the chosen people. Individually they could be saved, but as a nation, they had become enemies of God. This has been repeated many times in the past. The churches that God had recognized as His own have been left alone without His presence.

Jesus said, ” O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Matt. 23:37, 38.

Churches that were faithful under the guidance of the Holy Spirit suddenly are left alone from His divine presence, and become part of Babylon, confusion.

” Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Rev. 18:2.

When the Holy Spirit leaves the church, the evil spirits come in and often the congregation does not realize the change that has taken place. Isaiah explains this event. ” And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto My chosen: for the Lord, God shall slay thee and call His servants by another name.” Isa. 65:15.

To Make an End of Sins

The word translated ” sins” comes from a Hebrew word, ” chattath” or ” chattaoth. It has been translated in the Bible sometimes as ” sins” and other times as ” sin offering.” It has been translated as ” sin offering” 135 times. When Christ became the antitype of sacrificial offerings; then it was not necessary to offer animal sacrifices any more.

By His death upon the cross, Jesus made atonement for every sinner who accepts His sacrifice. This is our Gospel message. ” For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” John 3:16. This is the picture, Jesus dying upon the cross, that we should never lose sight of. Contemplating on this scene will make sin hateful to us and love to Christ will awaken in our hearts. Many books have been written on this theme, and many beautiful songs we have in our hymnals of Christ’s sacrifice that we love to sing.

Jesus did not provide only forgiveness for sins but He continued to bring in also everlasting righteousness. He wants to sanctify us after He has forgiven our sins. He offers to everyone His robe of righteousness freely. After we have received the imputed righteousness, He continues to give us imparted righteousness. His holy life on earth is an example to us how we also can overcome as He overcame.

The only requirement for receiving His righteousness is to hunger and thirst after it and we will be filled with it. This is one of the most wonderful themes for our study and meditation; it will change us from a sinner to a saint.

By these events the vision and prophesy has been confirmed or ratified. To make sure that the beginning of the 2300 days or years is correct, it has been divided into sections which have been fulfilled accurately. Jesus was baptized in the year 27 A.D. and crucified in year 31 A.D. Other events also prove the vision to be correct chronologically. Now we know for sure that the ending in the year 1844 is correct.

This event also had to happen before the end of the 490 years. As Jesus left this earth, He went with His own blood into the heavenly sanctuary to anoint it for the service. He entered within the veil into the Most Holy to anoint it as did Moses with the sanctuary in the wilderness. ” And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.” Lev. 9:23.

Jesus did also bless the people on the day of Pentecost and truly the glory of the Lord appeared again unto all the people. After this, Jesus continued the service in the first compartment until the time came to cleanse the sanctuary in 1844 when He entered into the Most Holy in the sanctuary.

All these seven events mentioned in Daniel 9:24 were fulfilled before the year 34 A.D. and now we are waiting that the cleansing of the sanctuary will be finished and the Lord will come and the final event on this earth will be fulfilled, which is also determined by the Lord. But He has not revealed the time to us. It can happen any time.

Let us study the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation that what is before us will not be a surprise to us but a clear fulfillment of the prophecies that the Lord has given us. AMEN.