The Sanctuary and Twenty-three Hundred Days

GABRIEL’S EXPLANATION OF THE SANCTUARY

But the most important question in the mind of the reader is this: How did Gabriel explain the sanctuary to Daniel? Did he point out to him the transition from the “figure,” or “pattern,” to the “greater and more perfect tabernacle,” the true holy places? We answer, He did. 1. Gabriel explains to Daniel what portion of the 2300 days belonged to Jerusalem and the Jews. “Seventy weeks have been cut off upon thy people, and upon thy holy city.” Daniel 9:24.-Whiting’s Translation. Then the whole of the 2300 days does not belong to Old Jerusalem, the place of the earthly sanctuary, nor do they all belong to the Jews, the professed people of God in the time of the first covenant. 2. For in that period of 70 weeks, the transgression was to be finished, that is, the Jewish people were to fill up their measure of iniquity by rejecting and crucifying their Messiah, and were no longer to be his people, or host. Daniel 9:24; Matthew 23:32, 33; 21:33-43; 27:25. 3. Gabriel showed Daniel that the earthly sanctuary should be destroyed, shortly after their rejection of the Messiah, and never be rebuilt, but be desolate till the consummation. Daniel 9:26, 27. 4. The angel brings the new covenant to Daniel’s view. “He [the Messiah] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” Daniel 9:27; Matthew 26:28. 5. He brings to Daniel’s view the new covenant church, or host, viz.: the “many” with whom the covenant is confirmed. Verse 27. 6. He brings to view the new-covenant sacrifice, viz.: the cutting off of the Messiah, but not for himself. Verse 26. S23D 71.1

And also the Prince, or mediator, of the new covenant. Verse 25; 11:22; Hebrews 12:24. 7. He brings to Daniel’s view the new-covenant sanctuary. Gabriel informed Daniel that before the close of the seventy weeks, which belonged to the earthly sanctuary, the Most Holy should be anointed. That this “Most Holy” is the true tabernacle in which the messiah is to officiate as priest, we offer the following testimony: S23D 72.1

” ‘And to anoint the Most Holy;’ kodesh kodashim, the Holy of holies.”-Adam Clarke. Daniel 9:24. S23D 72.2

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and the city of thy sanctuary; that sin may be restrained, and transgression have an end; that iniquity may be expiated, and an everlasting righteousness brought in; that visions and prophecies may be sealed up, and the Holy of holies anointed.”-Houbigant’s Translation of Daniel 9:24, as cited in Clarke’s Commentary. S23D 72.3

” ‘To anoint the Most Holy.’ Hebrew, literally ‘Holy of holies.’ Heaven itself, which Christ consecrated, when he ascended and entered it, sprinkling, or consecrating, it with his own blood for us.”-Litch’s Restitution, page 89. S23D 72.4

“And the last event of the 70 weeks, as enumerated in verse 24, was the anointing of the ‘Most Holy,’ or the ‘Holy of holies,’ or the ‘Sanctum Sanctorum.’ Not that which was on earth, made with hands, but the true tabernacle, Heaven itself, into which Christ, our high priest, is for us entered. Christ was to do in the true tabernacle, in Heaven, what Moses and Aaron did in its pattern. See Hebrews 6; 7; 8; 9. And Exodus 30:22-30. Also Leviticus 8:10-15.”-Advent Shield, No. 1, page 75. S23D 72.5

The fact is plain, then, that of the vision of 2300 days concerning the sanctuary, only 490 pertained to the earthly sanctuary; and also that the iniquity of the Jewish people would in that period be so far filled up that God would leave them, and the city and sanctuary would soon after be destroyed, and never be rebuilt, but left in ruins till the consummation. And it is also a fact that Gabriel did present to Daniel a view of the true tabernacle (Hebrews 8:12), which about the close of the 70 weeks did take the place of the pattern. And as the ministration of the earthly tabernacle began with its anointing, so in the more excellent ministry of our great High Priest, the first act, as shown to Daniel, is the anointing of the true tabernacle, or sanctuary, of which he is a minister. Exodus 40:9-11; Leviticus 8:10, 11; Numbers 7:1; Daniel 9:24. S23D 72.6

It is therefore an established fact that the worldly sanctuary of the first covenant, and the heavenly sanctuary of the new covenant, are both embraced in the vision of the 2300 days. Seventy weeks are cut off upon the earthly sanctuary, and at their termination the true tabernacle, with its anointing, its sacrifice, and its minister, is introduced. And it is interesting to notice that the transfer from the tabernacle made with hands, to the true tabernacle itself, which the Lord pitched, and not man, is placed by Gabriel at the very point where the Bible testifies that the shadow of good things to come ceased, being nailed to the cross. Colossians 2:14-17. Where the offering of bulls and goats gave place to the great sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-14; 10:1-10; Psalm 40:6-8; Daniel 9:27); where the Levitical priesthood was superseded by that of the order of Melchisedec (Hebrews 5-7; Psalm 110); where the example and shadow of heavenly things was terminated by the more excellent ministry which it shadowed forth. Hebrews 8:1-6. And where the holy places, which were the figures of the true, were succeeded by the true holy places in Heaven. Hebrews 9:23, 24. In the first part of this article, we saw that Gabriel did not explain the 2300 days and the sanctuary in Daniel 8. We now see that in Daniel 9, he explained both. With Gabriel’s explanation of the sanctuary and the time, we are entirely satisfied. S23D 73.1