Adventist International Institute

of Advanced Studies

THE MEANING OF “SANCTUARY SHALL BE CLEANSED:” AN EXEGETICAL

STUDY OF DANIEL 8:14

A project

presented in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the degree

MASTER OF DIVINITY

Kyle P. Tumberg

October 2, 2015

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

“And he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the

sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14). This verse is all too familiar to Seventh-day Adventists,

for we know that it was this verse that ultimately spear-headed the Millerite movement in the

19th

century, out of which would eventually come the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist

church. If there is one Bible verse that is central to our history as a people it is Daniel 8:14.

Angel Rodriguez says, “Of all the prophecies of the Bible, those centering on Daniel 8 and 9 are

the most critical for Seventh-day Adventists. Here we find the 2300 days, the sanctuary, and its

cleansing. These prophecies focused the message of William Miller and the pioneers of our

movement, and they are still vital for understanding our times.”1

Every Seventh-day Adventist should have a thorough understanding of Daniel 8:14 and

understand the implications involved in the cleansing of the sanctuary. Ellen White says, “The

correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our

faith.”2 In order to be grounded in the fundamental doctrines of the Adventist faith, we must

understand the heavenly sanctuary doctrine, of which Daniel 8:14 is central. Because Daniel

8:14 is so crucial to Seventh-day Adventist theology, we can sure that the devil will do all in his

power to attack it, therefore we must understand the meaning of this text clearly. If we do not,

we are in danger of be shaken out of the church.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1 Angel Manuel Rodriguez, “The Sanctuary and its Cleansing,” Supplement to the Adventist Review

(September 1994): 1-2, accessed September 19, 2015,

https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/sanctanditscleansing.pdf. 2 Ellen G. White, Evangelism (1946), 221.

Although, we as Seventh-day Adventists understand that the “sanctuary” in Daniel 8:14

refers to the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8:1, 2), and its “cleansing” refers to the last phase of

Christ’s ministry in heaven, the investigative judgment; the fact of the matter is that the rest of

the Protestant world view this text differently as the following quote demonstrates:

“Most Bible expositors apply Daniel 8: 14 to the Antiochus-Maccabean period (175-

164 b.c). In order to do this, they discount the day-for-a-year principle, as it applies to

the 2300 days, and quite generally make out that this refers to 2300 evening and

morning sacrifices, which would mean 1150 days. But this calculation doesn't fit, as we

all know; no one has ever been able to work out any scheme where this fits exactly.”3

If we as Seventh-day Adventists truly have a message that the world needs to hear prior

to the second coming, and if the majority of the Protestant world has a misunderstanding of

Daniel 8:14, then we must be able to prove unequivocally from scripture the truthfulness of our

theological position regarding the “cleansing of the sanctuary.” If we cannot provide sound

Biblical exegesis on this all important topic than our Protestant brothers and sisters will never

take us seriously.

PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY

The purpose of this study is provide solid Biblical exegesis on Daniel 8:14 by examining

the Hebrew text, the literary context, and performing textual and grammatical analysis on the

passage at hand in order to see if we can truly uphold the traditional Adventist understanding of

the meaning of the cleansing of the sanctuary. If in fact we can do this, our findings will have

great evangelistic significance.

PRESUPPOSITIONS

3 W. E. Reid, “Daniel 8:14 and the Cleansing of the Sanctuary,” Ministry, July 1967: accessed September 17,

2015, https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1967/07/daniel-814-and-the-cleansing-of-the-sanctuary .

This study is based on the assumption that the Bible is indeed the inspired Word of God

and can be trusted at face value. The author of this study rejects all forms of Higher Critical

thinking and interpretation.

DELIMITATIONS

This study will be limited only to the text in question, Daniel 8:14 with attention given to

its immediate and larger context. It will primarily seek to understand the meaning of the

sanctuary being cleansed. I will not be going into detail about the 2300 days, their timing, or the

“day for year” principle nor will I be going into great detail about the sanctuary doctrine in

general as time and space simply will not allow me to do so.

CHAPTER 2

CONTEXT

Authorship and Date of the Book of Daniel

In Matthew 24:15 we read that Jesus referred to the prophecies in the book of Daniel.

This has long been seen as evidence that Daniel is indeed the author of the Biblical book that

bears his name and that it was written in 6th

century B.C.4 however in the field of critical

scholarship, this has been challenged. Many critics “regard it as a combination of court legends

and apocalyptic visions, the latter being characteristic of inter-testamental Jewish literature.”5

In response to the claim that the book of Daniel was not written in the 6th

century by

Daniel himself, Authur J. Ferch says:

“archaeological finds and the research of recent years have largely destroyed the

arguments against the historical integrity of a variety of items in the book. Conservative

scholarship has demonstrated adequately that the author of the book of Daniel is likely to

have lived during the sixth century period he describes.”6

Purpose of the Book of the Book of Daniel

The book of Daniel opens with conflict; conflict between Jerusalem and Babylon. Daniel

and his three friends, like many Jews of the day were taken captive and taken back to Babylon

where they were to live in subservience to the Babylonian king. One can easily see then that the

Jewish people were likely quite discouraged and disheartened. They no doubt questioned if God

4 “Title” [The Book of Daniel], Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (SDABC), Logos Bible Software

Edition, ed. Francis D. Nichol (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1976-1980), 4:742, 743. 5 David S. Dockery, Holman Concise Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,

[1998]), 331. 6 Authur J. Ferch, “Authorship, Theology, and Purpose of Daniel,” in Symposium on Daniel: Introductory

and Exegetical Studies, ed. Frank B. Holbrook (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1986), 4.

had completely forsaken his people, and if they would be destined to live under the power of a

heathen army.

When one reads the book of Daniel in its entirety, they will see clearly that the message

of Daniel is that ultimately God triumphs over every earthly power and one day His kingdom

will reign supreme. “Daniel’s messages convey to the reader a lofty concept of God who is

unequaled in wisdom, power, and mercy. His knowledge extends over the past, present, and

future. No fiery furnace or lion’s den, no human arrogance, no historical circumstance, not even

death can frustrate His purpose.”7

Literary Genre and Structure. Regarding the literary genre, structure, and context of

the book of Daniel, listen to the following quote:

“More commonly, the literary structure of Daniel is determined by appealing to the two

types of literature found in the book: the court stories of Daniel composed in narrative

genre (chs. 1-6) and the visions of Daniel composed in apocalyptic genre (chs 7-12).

Beyond this, the two halves of the book each share a chronological scheme that

sequences Babylonian, Median, and Persian rulers. The traditional approach to Daniel

understands the book as a literary unity composed by Daniel himself or compiled by

associates who outlived him sometime during the last quarter of the sixth century BC.”8

7 Ibid., 82.

8 Tremper Longman III & David E. Garland, Daniel-Malachi, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised

Edition 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan), 26.

CHAPTER 3

BIBLICAL EVIDENCE

Preliminary Analysis

We will now look at various translations of the Biblical text, Daniel 8:14 in order to get a

better depth of understanding of its meanings. Since I have never taken a Hebrew language class

I cannot go into detail regarding the original language. For the sake of comparison we will look

at The King James Version (KJV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New English

Translation (NET), and the Darby Translation (DBY). The King James Version (KJV) translates

Daniel 8:14 as follows: “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then

shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

“He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly

restored” (NASB).

“He said to me, "To 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be put right

again" (NET).

“And he said unto me, Until two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings:

then shall the sanctuary be vindicated” (DBY).

In order to see the minor differences in translation, please examine the following chart.

Verse KJV NASB NET DBY

1 And he said

unto me

He said to me He said to me And he said

unto me

Unto two

thousand and

three hundred

days

For 2,300

evenings and

mornings

To 2,300

evenings and

mornings

Until two

thousand and

three hundred

evenings and

mornings

Then shall the

sanctuary

Then the holy

place

Then the

sanctuary

Then shall the

sanctuary

Be cleansed Will be

properly

restored

Will be put

right again

Be vindicated

Establishing the Text

The question that we are trying to answer in this study is, “what is the meaning of the

sanctuary being cleansed.” When we examine the above translations, we see that the Hebrew

word qodesh ( ) is translated as “sanctuary” in the KJV, NET, and DBY, but as “holy place”

in the NASB. We also see that the Hebrew word tsadaq ( ) is translated as “cleansed” by the

KJV, “properly restored” by the NASB, “be put right again” by the NET, and “be vindicated” by

the DBY. For the sake of this study, I will be using the KJV translation of Daniel 8:14.

Contextual Analysis. When we look at Daniel 8:14, we see that it occurs in the third

vision (after chapter 2 and 7) in the apocalyptic section of the book of Daniel. “Most scholars

recognize that the visions in the book parallel each other with the later chapters progressively

enlarging earlier chapters.”9 When one studies the various visions, it becomes apparent that

many of the same elements occur, and that the same general scope of history is covered. For

example, in the first vision in Daniel 2, we see that the history of four empires is delineated from

the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon to down to the Roman Empire. The different metals

(gold, silver, bronze, iron) represent the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

When we get to the second apocalyptic vision in chapter 7, we see that the 4 beasts that Daniel

sees in vision represent 4 kingdoms (Daniel 7:17). It becomes apparent as one studies the

characteristics of the four beasts in Daniel 7 that they do in fact represent the same four

9 Arthur J. Ferch, “Authorship, Theology, and Purpose of Daniel,” in Symposium on Daniel: Introductory

and Exegetical Studies, ed. Frank B. Holbrook (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1986), 48.

kingdoms of Daniel 2, however in Daniel 7 gives more details than Daniel 2 and even provides

new information about the development of a “little horn” power (Daniel 7:8) and a heavenly

judgment (Daniel 7:9, 10).

Speaking of Daniel 8, scholar Jacques B. Doukhan says, “chapter 8 is the continuation of

chapter 7…the two visions have several common themes and cover the same historical time span

until the end.”10

Doukhan basis this statement off of the fact that the wording of the end of

Daniel 7 is similar to the wording of the beginning of Daniel 8 (compare Daniel 7:28 & Daniel

8:1). He also notes that chronological relationship between the two visions, as Daniel 7 occurs

“in the first year of Belshazzar” (Daniel 7:1) and Daniel 8 takes place “in the third year of the

reign of king Belshazzar (Daniel 8:1).”11

The immediate context of Daniel 8:14 is the entire vision of chapter 8, which includes the

Ram and the Goat (symbolic of Medo-Persia and Greece respectively, see Daniel 8:20, 21), and

the rise of “the great horn” (Daniel 8:9-12). After Daniel sees the “great horn” attacking the

“prince of the host,” “the place of his sanctuary,” casting “down the truth to the ground,” and

prospering (Daniel 8:11, 12), he hears a conversation between two heavenly beings (Daniel

8:13). The question is asked, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and

the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot”

(Daniel 8:13). In answer to this question is where we find the passage under consideration.

“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be

cleansed” (Daniel 8:14).

10

Jacques B. Doukhan, Secrets of Daniel (Haggerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association,

2000), 121. 11

Ibid., 121.

An interesting thing to note is how the vision of chapter 8 goes from “sights to sound,”

(compare a similar phenomena in Daniel 4:13, 14, 23).12

Doukhan says, “In using the same

wording as in chapter 4, Daniel suggests a similar context of judgment.”13

In the larger context of

Daniel 7, the concept of judgment reminds us vividly of Daniel 7:9, 10, where Daniel beholds

the “ancient of days,” “thousand thousands” of angels, and the “judgment” being set and the

“books” being “opened.” When we examine the timing of this judgment in Daniel 7, we see that

it occurs right after the arrival of the “little horn” in Daniel 7:8.

Doukhan says, “Chapter 8 follows the same structure as chapter 7:

Chapter 7: beasts / kingdoms-little horn-judgment

Chapter 8: beasts / kingdom-little horn-cleansing of the sanctuary”14

He goes onto say, “According to the parallelism of the two chapters, the event described

in chapter 8 as the cleansing (or re-consecration) of the sanctuary would then correspond to the

Day of Judgment in chapter 7.”15

To further see the similarities between Daniel 2 and 7 see the

following chart:

Daniel 7 Daniel 8 Interpretation

Lion (v.4) NA Babylon

Bear “raised up on one

side” (v.5)

Ram with two horns (v.3) Medo-Persia (Daniel 8:20)

Leopard with four heads

(v.6)

Goat with “notable horn”

(v.5)

Greece (Daniel 8:21)

“dreadful and terrible beast”

(v.7).

Little horn, pagan phase (v.

9)

Rome

Little horn (v.8) Little horn, papal phase

(v.10-12)

Papacy

Judgment Scene (v. 9, 10) 2300 Days / Cleansing of

Sanctuary (v.14)

Heavenly Judgment, Day of

Atonement

12

Ibid., 126. 13

Ibid., 126. 14

Ibid., 127 15

Ibid., 127.

To lend further credence to the “cleansing of the sanctuary” being linked to the judgment

of Daniel 7, it is helpful to note the two animals depicted in the vision of Daniel 8, the ram and

the goat. Commenting on these two animals in the context of Daniel 8, Doukhan says:

“Their association becomes significant in the context of the greatest Jewish yearly

festival, Yom Kippur, in the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:5). Yom Kippur had as its

traditional sacrifice the dual offering of a ram and a goat. Beyond their representations of

the Medo-Persian and Greek kingdoms, the two animals also evoked the Day of

Atonement…What chapter 7 calls the Day of Judgment chapter 8 labels as the Day of

Atonement. They are in fact the same event. Israel experienced the Day of Atonement as

the actualization of the last judgment.”16

Verbal Analysis. The word sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 is translated from the Hebrew word

qodesh ( ). Qodesh means, “a sacred place or thing,”17

it is used 468 times in the Old

Testament and is most frequently translated as “holy,” (262 times) and “sanctuary,” (68 times).18

For the purpose of our study, we will focus on the term “sanctuary.”

“When qodesh is employed as an abstract noun, it can refer to God’s holiness. As such it

is also frequently used as a designation for the earthly sanctuary and several times for the

heavenly sanctuary.”19

It is very clear when we read the Bible that there are two sanctuaries

spoken of, an earthly and a heavenly. This is brought out plainly in Hebrews 8:1, 2, “Now of the

things we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand

of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true

tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” The question that we need to ask when

looking at Daniel 8:14 is what sanctuary was to be cleansed, the earthly, or the heavenly? As we

have already noted, most Protestant Bible scholars believe that the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14

16

Ibid., 126, 127. 17

The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, “sanctuary,” accessed September 8, 2015,

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6944&t=KJV. 18

Ibid. 19

Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.:

Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 445.

refers to the literal Jewish sanctuary during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes during the inter-

testamental time period.

The word “sanctuary,” appears six times in the book of Daniel, and three times in chapter

8 alone (see Daniel 8:11, 13, 14; 9:17, 26; 11:31). We find the first reference in Daniel 8:11,

where it says, “Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily

sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” It should be noted here

that the Hebrew word translated as sanctuary in Daniel 8:11 is miqdash ( ) and not qodesh. It

is translated as sanctuary 69 times out of 74 occurrences in the Old Testament, and is similar in

meaning to qodesh.20

Daniel 8:11 also uses the phrase, “the place” (of his sanctuary). Angel

Rodriguez says, “’place’ may well mean here ‘foundation’ in a metaphorical sense; that is to say,

it could be referring to the very essence and purpose of the sanctuary.”21

Rodriguez suggests that

the sanctuary in this verse is referring to the heavenly sanctuary:

“A careful reading of Daniel 8:11 suggests that there is a close connection between the

taking away of the continual and the act of throwing (away) the place of the sanctuary.

The very purpose of the sanctuary is directly related to the work of the Messianic Prince,

that is to say, His work of mediation, intercession, and forgiveness of sins. By

misappropriating the continual ministry of the Prince, the little horn rejects the very

foundation of the heavenly sanctuary as a center of mediation and forgiveness.”22

In the book Symposium on Daniel, the point is made that there is a connection between

the qodes (sanctuary) in Daniel 8:14 and Daniel 9:24, and the qaddiysh (saints) in Daniel 7:21,

22.23

The author says that in Daniel 9:24, “The anointing of the sanctuary in heaven is the

20

The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, “miqdash,” accessed September 8, 2015,

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H4720&t=KJV. 21

Angel Rodriguez, “The Sanctuary and its Cleansing,” Supplement to the Adventist Review, (September

1994): 6, accessed September 19, 2015,

https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/sanctanditscleansing.pdf. 22

Ibid., 6. 23

Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.:

Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 446, 447.

prelude to the postlude of the ‘cleansing’ of the sanctuary to which 8:13-14 points.”24

He goes on

to say that the “saints [holy ones-in Daniel 7] have been under attack by the anti-God power but

are vindicated in judgment [the event in Daniel 7 which runs parallel with the “cleansing of the

sanctuary” in Daniel 8].”25With the similarities between the chapters, the author says, “in the

book of Daniel these terminological and conceptual associations of qodes with sanctuary, saints

(holy ones), and judgment can hardly be accidental.”26

Putting all of these pieces together, it would seem logical to conclude that the “sanctuary”

that is “cleansed,” is indeed the heavenly sanctuary at the end of time just prior to the second

coming of Jesus. The “cleansing of the sanctuary,” is synonymous with the judgment that we see

in Daniel 7, and it is the completion of this event that seals the fate of the “little horn,” the

primary enemy of God and his people, and ushers in the establishment of God’s kingdom which

will be given over to the “saints” (Daniel 7:26, 27). Furthermore, when we consider the fact that

the “cleansing of the sanctuary,” occurs after the rise of the “little horn” (Daniel 8:9), or the

Roman Papacy, which occurred several hundred years after the close of the earthly, Jewish

sanctuary (Matthew 27:51 & Hebrews 8:13), we are left with no choice but to believe that the

“heavenly sanctuary,” is at the heart of the prophecy in Daniel chapter 8. Let us know turn our

attention on the meaning of the term “cleansed.”

The word “cleansed” in Daniel 8:14 comes from the Hebrew word tsadaq or nisdaq “the

Hebrew word nisdaq in verse 14 is a verbal derivative of a root (sdq) which appears in the OT a

total of 523 times. However, the Niphal verb form of this root appears only once in the OT, the

nisdaq in our study.”27

Angel Rodriguez says that “the primary use of the root of tsadaq is legal.

24

Ibid., 446. 25

Ibid., 447. 26 Ibid., 447. 27

Ibid., 449.

It designates the legal rights of a person falsely accused of a crime.”28

Rodriguez also points out

that tsadaq is also used in salvation (Psalm 98:2-9, Isaiah 1:27) and sanctuary contexts (Psalm

24:3-5).29

Roy Gane says, “The same Hebrew verb (in other stems) is used in other legal

contexts (including with God as Judge) referring to judgment in one’s favor (e.g., Gen 38:26;

44:16; Deut 25:1; 2 Sam 15:4; 1 Kgs 8:32; Ps 51:4 [Heb. v. 6]; Isa 5:23; 43:9, 26).”30

To

understand why Daniel would choose to use the word nisdaq in his prophecy listen to the

following quote:

“It appears that Daniel chose the term nisdaq-a word from a root with rich and broad

connotations, widely employed in judgment settings and legal procedures-in order to

communicate effectively the interrelated aspects of the ‘cleansing’ of the heavenly

sanctuary in the cosmic setting of the end-time judgment.”31

Literary Analysis. As has already been noted, the book of Daniel is part of a body of

literature known as “Apocalyptic Prophecy.” This is especially true with the last 6 chapters of

the book. Apocalyptic prophecy should not be confused with “General / Classical prophecy.”32

Paulien says that Apocalyptic prophecy “sees history as a divinely-guided series of events

leading up to, and including, the final events of earth’s history.”33

When we look at the book of

Daniel we see that in both chapter 2 and 7 there is a definite sequence of historical events that

culminate in the setting up of Christ’s kingdom, Daniel 8 continues along that same thread. It

should also be noted that Apocalyptic prophecy is highly symbolic, Daniel is no exception as

28

Angel Rodriguez, “The Sanctuary and its Cleansing,” Supplement to the Adventist Review, (September

1994): 10, accessed September 19, 2015,

https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/sanctanditscleansing.pdf. 29

Ibid., 10. 30

Roy Gane, Is There a Pre-Advent Judgment of God’s Loyal People in Daniel 8:14?(Silver Springs: Biblical

Research Institute of General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2010), accessed September 30, 2015,

https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Pre-Advent_Judgment.pdf. 31

Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.:

Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 453, 454. 32

Jon K. Paulien. “The Hermeneutics of Biblical Apocalyptic.” In Understanding Scripture an Adventist

Approach, ed. George W. Reid (Haggerstown: Review and Herald, 2005), 248. 33

Ibid., 248.

“symbolism is the main choice of words in the visions of Daniel.”34

When we look at the basic

structure of Daniel 8, we see that symbolism is clearly used. The diagram below shows that the

first 14 verse of Daniel 8 are highly symbolic, and the last 13 are interpretive.

I. Vision

What he sees (verses 3-12):

a. “I saw…and behold”

i. The ram (verses 23, 24)

b. “I saw…and behold”

i. The goat with one horn (verses 5-8)

ii. The four horns (verse 8b)

iii. Little horn (verses 9-12)

What he hears (verses 13, 14):

“Kippur” (verses 13, 14)

II. Interpretation of the Vision

a. What he sees: appearance of a man (verse 15)

b. What he hears:

i. Make understand the vision (verses 16-19)

ii. Ram: Medes and Persians (verse 20)

iii. Goat: Yavan (verse 21)

iv. Four horns: four kingdoms (verse 22)

v. At the end:

1. Rise of a power (verses 24, 25a)

2. Success (verses 24, 25a)

3. Fall (verse 25b)

vi. Vision of the evenings and mornings (verse 26)

Conclusion: “I Daniel”; reference to the king; stay without understanding (verse 27)35

For the purposes of this study, we are particularly interested in Daniel 8:14 and

determining the meaning of the “the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” As has been stated earlier, the

vision of chapter 8 runs parallel with the vision of chapter 7, and the timing of the judgment in

chapter 7 occurs at the same sequence as the “cleansing of the sanctuary” in chapter 8. To

elaborate on this, listen to the following quote:

“The verses of 8:13-14 are ‘the heart of chapter 8.’ They must be seen, however, in the

context of the judgment segments of the vision of chapter 7 as well as the climactic events of

chapter 11-12. The Daniel 8:13-14 passage is an expression, supplementation, and enlargement

34

Ibid., 255. 35

Jacques B. Doukhan, Secrets of Daniel (Haggerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association,

2000), 133.

of the end-time investigative pre-advent judgment scene of 7:9-10, 13-14, 21-22, 25-27. It is

presupposed by the executive activities of Prince Michael who rescues ‘everyone who

is…written in the book’ (12:1, NASB) and raises the faithful to everlasting life.”36

Exegetical Synthesis

As we have examined Daniel 8:14 biblically, contextually, literarily, and verbally we

have seen that is dealing with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary / Anti-typical Day of

Atonement at the end of time just prior to the establishment of the Christ’s eternal kingdom. The

“cleansing of the sanctuary” was a highly significant occasion to Daniel as it signified the end of

the reign of the “little horn” (Daniel 8:9). The activities of the “little horn” in both chapter 7 and

8 were enough to “trouble” (Daniel 7:28) Daniel to the point to where he was “sick” and

“fainted” (Daniel 8:27).

The “little horn” was seen as a powerful enemy of God and His people. He not only

persecuted God’s people (Daniel 7:21, 25) but he also spoke “great words against the most High”

(Daniel 7:25), attacked the heavenly sanctuary (Daniel 8:11), took away the “daily” (Daniel

8:11) and “cast down the truth to the ground and…prospered” (Daniel 8:12). While Daniel was

shown this in vision, the question was asked “how long shall be the vision concerning the daily

sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden

under foot (Daniel 8:13)?” Daniel, no doubt wondered how long this blasphemous, persecuting,

anti-Christian power would be allowed to continue. It was in answer to this concern that the

answer “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”

(Daniel 8:14). Ultimately, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary not only brings about an end

to the reign of the “little horn,” but it also ushers in the long awaited kingdom of glory (Daniel

36

Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Symposium on Daniel: Introductory and Exegetical Studies (Washington D.C.:

Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986), 460.

7:26, 27). Thus Daniel 8:14 speaks to a foundational human concern, which is the ultimate

triumph of good over evil.

CHAPTER 4

CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE

Theology: Doctrinal Significance

From the time that sin entered this world at creation, it has been God’s purpose to redeem

humanity and put an end to the reign of sin and Satan. For thousands of years the devil has

successfully deceived humanity into sin and has caused mankind to look with distrust and even

contempt and scorn upon their Creator. God’s people, those who have given themselves to

Christ and desire to see righteousness reign once again upon this earth have suffered trial,

persecution, and hardship at the hand of the enemy, and long to see the end of sin once and for

all. It is to this time that the “cleansing of the sanctuary” (Daniel 8:14) points to.

“The purification of the sanctuary, referred to in [Daniel] 8:14, will make it patently clear

that the involvement of the sanctuary in the sin problem was an effective way of

disposing of the sin problem, and that the transfer of sin to the sanctuary in no way

affected God’s character. By removing the sin of His people from the sanctuary, God

reveals Himself as a holy, pure, and righteous God. He will also reveal Himself as the all

powerful God who overcomes the evil forces of this world in a permanent way (cf.

Daniel 2, 7).”37

Once the heavenly sanctuary is completely cleansed of sin and Christ comes back to this

earth to claim His people, redemption will be complete and the unbroken communion that Adam

and Eve enjoyed with their Creator will once again be enjoyed by the redeemed. The reign of sin

will have ended, the devil and the “little horn” will never be able to deceive or take advantage of

God’s people again, and no more will God’s character be questioned. Oh what glorious truth

does Daniel 8:14 point to!

37

William H. Shea, “Spatial Dimensions in the Vision of Daniel 8,” in Symposium on Daniel: Introductory

and Exegetical Studies, ed. Frank B. Holbrook (Washington D.C: Review and Herald, 1986), 547.

Application: The Practical Significance of Daniel 8:14

As has already been noted, the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14, the judgment

scene in Daniel 7 (investigative judgment), and the Anti-typical Day of Atonement refer to the

same event. In light of the end time investigative judgment, Revelation 14:7 says, “Fear God

and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven,

and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Since 1844, the Great Antitypical Day of

Atonement has been going on in heaven, Christ has been involved in the last phase of His

priestly ministry, and the inhabitants of the earth have been called to follow Him there and order

their lives accordingly. Listen to how Ellen G. White sums it up:

“We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service, while the high

priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by

repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the

people. In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life

should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God

by sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart.”38

It is very important that the church of today understand the time in which we live. When

we understand the implications of Daniel 8:14 and the duties that are placed upon us as a result,

it should cause us to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:12).

We will desire to “Fear God, and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) because we

know that “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be

good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Ultimately, understanding the “cleansing of the

sanctuary” should cause us to draw closer to God than ever before, not only so that we can be

cleansed and purified of sin, but so that we can admonish others to do the same.

38

Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Seoul, Korea: Everlasting Gospel Publishing Association, 2001),

490.

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

As we have examined Daniel 8:14 in light of the apocalyptic vision in Daniel 8 and have

sought to answer the question, “what is the meaning of the sanctuary being cleansed?” We have

seen that, contrary to what most Protestant Bible expositors believe, the cleansing of the

sanctuary refers to the final judgment (investigative judgment), otherwise known as the Great

Antitypical Day of Atonement that takes place just prior to the second coming of Christ. When

we compare Daniel 8 to the other visions in the same book, we see that all of the visions follow

the same sequence of events, and the cleansing of the sanctuary (Daniel 8:14) runs parallel to the

judgment scene of Daniel 7:9, 10.

We have also seen that there is a connection between the qodesh (sanctuary) of Daniel

8:14 and Daniel 9:24, and the qaddiysh (saints) in Daniel 7:21, 22 which heavily implies that the

sanctuary being cleansed is indeed the heavenly sanctuary at the end of time. Along the same

line, the Hebrew word nisdaq / tsadaq translated as “cleansed” in Daniel 8:14 is intimately

linked with legal and judgment connotations. When we consider all of this in an apocalyptic

context, it seems clear that the cleansing of the sanctuary does indeed refer to Christ’s final work

in the heavenly sanctuary just prior to the setting up of His eternal kingdom which will put an

end to the evil reign of sin.

As it was a deep study of the prophecies of Daniel that led to the great Millerite

movement of the 1800’s, may it be an even deeper study of the implications of the heavenly

sanctuary that will lead Seventh-day Adventists to bring their lives into harmony with God’s will

so that they indeed can take the judgment hour message to “every nation, and kindred, and

tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6, 7) and be grounded in the “faith which was once delivered

unto the saints” (Jude 3).

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