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Hear the Bible COME ALIVE IN SONG!
Hear the Bible COME ALIVE IN SONG!
Sermon onDaniel 8 - 2300 DaysBy Brian Pepper
Did you notice that statement? “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” When you stop to think of it, that is a very solemn text.
All Must Stand Before God Yes, every individual in this building today must stand before God. Every businessman in this city must one day face the record of his business dealings. Every student that has sat an examination will have it made clear to him whether he was honest or not as he sat for that examination. For soon now he will have to sit for the final examination of eternity. One day soon the record of every politician must stand, revealed in the heavens. For we are told that “we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”The Judgment Day is Fixed St Paul tells us that there is a special time appointed for the judgment. Acts 17:31 says, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained….”I want you to notice. Speaking of His own return, Jesus says, “No man knoweth the day nor the hour.” But St Paul says that as far as the Judgment Day is concerned, that it is already fixed, that is already appointed. Jesus Said We Should Study Daniel In Matthew 24 Jesus said plainly that we ought to read, to study, and to understand the Book of Daniel. It is a Book that God has given to His people dealing with the prophecies of the last days.In Daniel chapter 8 Daniel was given a vision not only of the rise and fall of ancient empires, but of the work of God for a long time to come. We find it starting there with Medo-Persia, then on to Grecia, next Rome and then he pictures the amazing rise of the Papacy and how it continued to grow stronger and stronger right on to the End of Time. 2300 Day Vision Then Daniel heard a voice saying these words. Daniel 8:13 says,”…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?”In other words, “How long will it be until these events take place?” How long will it be until the question of the sanctuary and these things are cleared up?” The answer came very quickly right from the lips of the angel. Verse 14 says, “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel Troubled by Vision This prophecy greatly troubled Daniel. He just could not make it out. It worried him, it haunted him for days. What did it mean? Somehow he had a feeling that it wasn’t a very encouraging prophecy as far as his own people were concerned. What did it mean? What did God mean by the statement “Unto 2300 days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed?” He was so greatly disturbed about it that he set himself to earnest prayer that the God of Heaven would make clear His will and His wish for His people.
“21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. 24 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 prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks...” Angel Gabriel Answers Daniel's Prayer While Daniel was in prayer all of a sudden a hand rests upon his shoulder. He looks up. It is the angel Gabriel. He said, “Daniel your prayer has been heard.” He had only been praying about two and one-half minute’s time.It will give you a little idea of how quickly God can answer prayer. He said “God has commanded me to fly swiftly and to come to you with a special message because you are greatly beloved.” Now isn’t that wonderful? God says of Daniel that he is greatly beloved. I tell you that anyone who will do the will of God and just humbly obey Him is beloved. Now the angel begins to explain this great prophecy, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people”. Seventy weeks or 490 days is measured off for God’s people. One Day = One Year Now right from the start we must get this very clear. When the Bible is dealing with Prophecy it often speaks in symbols. And in prophecy a day becomes a year. I want to give you proof of this.
The Jewish writers understood this for in the Talmud we read “One week” in Daniel means a week of years. Again I read from the Talmud, “This prophecy was uttered at the beginning of the seventy years captivity in Babylon, From the restoration to the second destruction is said to have been 420 years, making in all 490, ie seventy weeks of years.” So now we have the key. A prophetic day equals a prophetic year. And the angel Gabriel says that 490 years will be reckoned off for the Jews. 490 Years of Probation He (Gabriel) is anxious that Daniel understand that this is not the principle message, but that this time is a period that the Jews as a people are going to have in which to repent. Just a period of time that is measured off to them in which they might be saved as a Commonwealth of Israel.He says, “I want you to know that during this 490 year period some great things are going to take place. It is during this period of time that the Messiah will come.” Yes, this prophecy is great because it locates the coming of the Messiah. It lifts up Jesus Christ. Start of 2300 Year Prophecy Now when does this prophecy start? He (Gabriel) says to Daniel, “Know this, that you can commence this period of 490 years from the time of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.” Daniel 9:25Jerusalem was in ruins at this stage. That is why Daniel was a captive, because his own country had been invaded by the enemy and Jerusalem was in shambles. Effort after effort had been made to rebuild and to restore Jerusalem. Several decrees had been given but they had failed. But finally a decree was given that was honoured and you can find it in Ezra 7:13, “I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.” And friends I want to tell you this decree is not only written in the Bible, but has actually been found on the record books of the history of these people at that time. An official record of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem gives the year as 457 BC. I want to assure you that King Artaxerxes was no mean ruler; he was a prominent man and his name has been written in the pages of history. So it is quite easy to determine that date 457 BC, is the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes. The angel says to Daniel, “Take out your pencil Daniel, this prophecy is so simple that even a child can figure it out.” Division of 490 Weeks Let us take the starting date 457 BC.First we have 7 weeks, 7 x 7 = 49 years In 406 BC Jerusalem was rebuilt. Now the next period is 62 weeks, unto the Messiah the Prince, 62 x 7 = 434 years. Now seeing that we are dealing with BC time we subtract 483 years from 457 BC remembering that there is no year 0, ie there is one year from 1 BC to 1 AD. Don’t forget that or else you will come out with an extra year.  Coming of Messiah the Prince Now that brings us to the year 27 AD. And according to Bible prophecy the Messiah should appear in this year.What did happen in that year? In that year of history, as predicted by prophecy, the Messiah presented Himself down at the banks of the river Jordan. John the Baptist was preaching, appealing to the people to turn from their sins, when Jesus Christ came forward as a candidate for baptism. He said to John, “I wish to be baptised.” John was amazed for he had been preaching about this very One, the coming Messiah. He had said, “I am the forerunner of the coming King.” But now he stopped short in his sermon and said, “There He is. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” It was right there and then that John the Baptist presented to the world Jesus Christ, the world’s redeemer. At last He had come. And John took Jesus down into the watery grave, a symbol of His coming death and burial and resurrection. In the presence of those assembled Jesus was buried in His own coming death. As He arose, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father in a visible form resting down upon the head of Jesus, and a voice that shook the heavens cried out “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Christ Anointed And friends, remember that the Messiah means the Anointed. Jesus was that day publicly Anointed by the Holy Spirit, receiving the Testimony of His heavenly Father to His Messiahship.Remember this that there is only One date in all history that the Messiah could be presented to the world and that year is 27 AD. It is interesting to realize that Jesus was 30 years of age. 69 weeks or 483 years after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem reaches down to the year 27 AD, and that is the very year that Jesus Christ appeared for baptism, was anointed and presented as the Messiah. Even the Jews from that time on still had 7 years of probation. Cut Off in the Midst of the Week The 70th week started 27 AD and concluded in 34 AD, but the prophecy tells us that something terrible is to happen in the midst of that week. The Messiah was to be cut off. He would cause the sacrifice to cease by His own sacrifice. He comes as the Lamb of God. He comes as the Anointed of Heaven, the Anointed One, and after carrying on His ministerial work for 3 ½ years He is cut off. His life is cut short. And all the rites and ceremonies of the Old Testament times come to an end as Jesus hangs upon the Cross that fateful Friday afternoon, and cries out “it is finished.”All the ceremonies, all the rituals, the meat offerings, the drink offerings, the new moon feats, the annual Sabbath days, all were abolished, being a shadow of things to come. Christ the ante type had come and had fulfilled all of those things which pointed forward to Him, the Lamb of God, and as He hung upon the Cross He cried out “it is finished.” An unseen hand, the hand of God, rent the temple veil from top to bottom, tearing asunder that veil that separated the Holy from the Most Holy Place, now laying it bare to the eyes of anyone who wished to gaze upon it. Why? Because God Plainly stated in this act that the sacrificial service was nailed to the Cross. Behold the Lamb of God. Friends, the Bible tells me that there is a great prophetic clock in heaven. Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman…” When the great prophetic clock struck up in heaven that fateful Friday afternoon, the Bible prediction that in the midst of the week the Messiah should be cut off was sealed by those words, “it is finished.” Surely This Was the Son of God He fell back in death, His head bowed, the earth began to reel to and fro. The Roman Centurion cried out “surely this was the Son of God.”What a pity the Jews could not have seen it. What a pity the preachers did not see it. What a pity that their pride kept them from seeing it, fighting against the very message of God. Why? Because it went contrary to their Tradition. They did not want the people to come out and hear the message. So they drove Him up Calvary’s hillside determined to crush His message. And yet a pagan, a neutral observer cries out “surely this must be the Son of God.” My friends, it was the Son of God. He died exactly on time, 31 AD, the only date that the Messiah could give his life for His people. 3 ½ years left for the Jews, the people of God. End of 70th Week 34 AD. And it was at this time that they were cast off forever. Stephen, the martyr, one of the earliest of Christian martyrs was stoned to death. And do you know who was watching that death? None other than Saul of Tarsus, a highly educated man. He was a combination of a politician, a preacher, and a university professor all in one. He was a very rich man too. A man who stood very highly in the Jewish social circles. But he did not accept Jesus Christ. He was wrongly trained. He protested “it doesn’t bother me. I feel that I have the truth. I have a clear conscience.”Yes, I want to tell you that he was fighting Jesus Christ. “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” It was this very man, Saul of better known as Paul, who uttered these words: Acts 13:46, “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” When? In the year 34 AD. And from that time the Gospel work went to the Gentles. End of 2300 Year Prophecy Now as we have examined every date so far we can rest assured of the accuracy of the last, 1844.After the death, burial. Resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, about fifty years later John the Revelator was given a vision of heaven and in heaven he said, “I saw heaven opened. I saw a temple opened in heaven. He saw the great High Priest officiating on our behalf.” Friends are you ready to let Jesus Christ officiate on your behalf? He died for your sins and He died for mine. He paid the price. Are you ready to accept that sacrifice, that great sacrifice of the man of Calvary. Are you ready to say “surely this must be the Son of God” Friends, God help us to accept His Son as our personal Saviour right now, so that He can cover us with His righteousness in the Judgment. |
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One day soon every individual will have to stand before God, the Creator of heaven and earth. In
Brian Pepper (1916-1995) was born and raised in New Zealand. After serving in WWII he studied theology at Avondale College in NSW in the early 1950s.
He served as an SDA pastor in WA, SA and Tasmania from the 1950s to 1990s. 
