Today's Reading:
Mark 7:14-37
2 Samuel 18
Daniel 11:21-45
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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading
Today, I find an interesting connection between the reading in 2 Samuel and in Daniel. In 2 Samuel 18, we find that one of the duties of a watchman is to announce what is coming, keeping the city informed. Since we are all called to be watchmen, in a spiritual sense, I found this biblical account to be more than historically interesting. It is also spiritually compelling.
The battle rages today between the forces of good and evil. What tidings (news) of its advancements do we know? As the prophet Ezekiel queried, "Watchman! What of the night?" How late is the hour?
Currently, as we are reading through the book of Daniel, we are covering a great deal of prophetic information, which is specifically meant for God's Watchmen. The Book of Daniel is interesting, indeed. Each chapter adds dimension to the story of the powers and kingdoms which play a role at the end of the world. So, as read through Daniel 11, we find details which build upon the structure already established in the vision of the Image from Daniel 2, in the beasts of Daniel 7, in the prophetic timelines found throughout the book, and in the final 2300 Day prophecy from Daniel 8.
There are several key events to which God's Watchmen are to be alert. Certainly, it is vital to understand and rightly identify the Abomination of Desolation! This is the key event which starts the final 2300 Day timeline.
Daniel 8:13-14, 17 & 23 “How long shall be the vision concerning... the Transgression of Desolation... And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days... Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.”
The 2300 Day prophecy is an End-Time vision. It tells us that the final Time of Trouble will be longer than most have thought. The 2300 days is also the framework, within the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycle, into which all other timelines fit, as is shown in the diagram below:
There will be trouble for God’s people for 2300 days, for the Bible says that this is how long the Sanctuary (God’s House) and the host (God’s people) will be trodden under foot (persecuted). Within the 2300 day timeline lay all the other timelines.
In our April-June, 2016 News Magazine we showed that the final Abomination of Desolation will be the soon-coming 3rd Temple in Jerusalem, which will be the Seat of the Beast (Daniel 11:15-16, 45). The article is called Jerusalem’s Ultimate Temple Deception, available online at www.lightedway.org. When this temple is set up, the final 2300 Day timeline will begin.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that Day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
When we are facing a trial or time of difficulty, it is only human to ask how long we must endure it. In the day-to-day struggles of life, we usually aren’t given a clear time-frame of “this-trial-will-continue-this-long-and-not-a-minute-more”. But the final Time of Trouble does have measurable length, prophetically given by our merciful Heavenly Father in Bible Prophecy.
Many Christians are aware that the final Time of Trouble will be 3 1/2 years, or 1260 days. This is the best-known time prophecy of Daniel. But while the portion of the Time of Trouble which is the worst—worse than any prior difficulty in all past ages (Daniel 12:1)—trouble doesn’t start with the Final 1260 days. The Final 1260 days is merely the end of the Time of Trouble, being the most intense period of all.
In the End of Time, Bible Prophecy gives several timelines, all of which play out in the Last Days. Timelines layer upon timelines, each representing an “uptick” in the intensity-level of the tribulation, just as do labor pains for a birthing woman (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Each timeline, within the final 2300 Days, contains key events. Each timeline starts and ends with important prophecies. And as the timelines progress, they each represent an increase in the intensity of the level of trouble and persecution until it all culminates in the final 1260 day timeline overlaid with the final 490 days.
This period will be the incomparable Time of Trouble, lasting 1260 days, or 3.5 years. During this period which the demonic Beast will reign, which is likely the reason this period of persecution will be worse than any prior persecution. (But we are to trust God and not fear!)
“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the Book.”
Daniel 12:1
Before we take a serious look at the final 2300 days, examining how it starts, how it ends, and what events take place within it, we must first address it’s length. When the Bible says 2300 days, what does it mean? This concept has come into question over the reference to “evenings” and “mornings”. Some have interpreted the 2300 Day Prophecy to be a timeline of only 1150 literal days (or about 3 years). This is because it is believed that the “evening” and “morning” reference (Daniel 8:26) cuts the 2300 Days in half. Certainly 1150 days of trouble is more palatable than 2300 days (which is nearly 6.5 years).
To complicate matters, the Hebrew word for day (which is “yom”) can refer to 24 hours or 12 hours. In Genesis chapter 1, we find the reference to the evenings and the mornings. In this case, each day (24 hours) is defined by the combined hours of the evening and the morning.
“...And the evening and the morning were the first day (yom).” Genesis 1:5
Clearly, in the Creation Week, the evening and morning portions of the day were added together to make a full 24 hour day (yom). Thus, in this instance the day (yom) is 24 hours.
But how can we be clear regarding whether the 2300 Day Prophecy is refering to 2300 24 hour days or just 2300 half hour (12 hours)? Which is intended in Daniel 8:26?
“And the (2300 Day) vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.”
Daniel 8:26
This is a situation where the other End-time Timelines lend an interpreting hand. (See the timeline graphic on the bottom of page 5.) If the 2300 Day prophecy were only going to last for 1150 literal days, we cannot account for the length of the other timelines, which clearly overlay it. For example, the 1290 Day timeline starts with same event, which begins the 2300 day timeline. Both timelines start with the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation.
The 2300 Day Timeline begins with the Abomination of Desolation:
Daniel 8:13-14 “...How long shall be the vision concerning... the Transgression of Desolation (Abomination 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...”
The 1290 Day Timeline also begins with the Abomination of Desolation:
Daniel 12:11 “And from the time that ...the Abomination that maketh Desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
If there were only 1150 literal days in the fulfillment of the 2300 day prophecy, layering it over the now-longer timeline of the 1290 days doesn’t work. This is especially true since the 1260 day timeline also ends with the same event which ends the 2300 Day timeline. Thus, the presence of these additional timelines, containing the same events as the 2300 days, makes it plain that Daniel 8:26 must be referencing 2300, 24-hour days, a period of about 6.3 years.
In the Last Days, every prophetic timeline will come into play, including the timelines from the life of Joseph. In the story of Joseph, a prophetic dream was given to pharaoh. In the dream he saw seven fat and healthy cows, which were devoured by seven emaciated and sickly cows. He then saw seven healthy ears of grain devoured by seven blasted ears of grain. Joseph, under divine inspiration, interpreted pharaoh’s dream explaining that it represented seven good years (a time of preparation) which would be followed by seven years of trouble, famine, and dearth (Genesis 41:26-27). It is no accident that these two sets of seven years fit the timeline of God’s Sabbatical year cycle (Leviticus 25:8-9).
Because Christ will return on the Final Jubilee (since the land - earth - will return to its original possession in that year - Leviticus 25:10), we may be certain that the Sabbatical year cycle is still in effect. Thus, the Last Days will be set within the framework of the final Seven years, the last of which will be the last Sabbatical year, followed by the ultimate Jubilee. Needless to say, 2300 Days amply fits with a seven-year framework.
Considering all these valid reference points, we may plainly see that there is no reason to interpret Daniel 8:26 as half days. This prophecy of the 2300 Days really will be 2300 literal days, as evidenced by the surrounding timelines which overlay and support it. Having addressed the length of this timeline, let us now turn our attention to the key events which define this sobering timeline.
Bible prophecy plainly warns that the final Beast will reign from a temple, which is proclaimed to be Yahweh’s holy Temple. Of course since the final Anti-christ will be enthroned within its “Most Holy Place”, in reality it will be the most unholy place of all!
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that Day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
Daniel 11:15-16 & 45 “So the king of the north shall come... And none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the Glorious Land, which by his hand shall be consumed. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain...”
Thankfully, we read the latter part of Daniel 11:45, where we find the Promise that this final Anti-christ will come to his end, after consuming the former holy Land, and placing his unholy tabernacle in what once was the glorious holy Mountain.
In fact, in physical manifestation, the erection of this false temple of the Beast is the final Abomination of Desolation!
Daniel 11:31 “...And they shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength... And they shall place the Abomination that maketh Desolate.”
It is vitally important that Yahweh’s people not only avoid falling for this temple deception, but also we need to recognize it for what it really is—prophetically speaking. This temple is the Abomination of Desolation, which marks the beginning of the 2300 Day timeline and is also the sign for God’s true followers to flee to the mountains.
Mark 13:14 “But when ye shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains.”
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