THE 2300 DAYS STUDY

Dan. 8:14 reads thus:
"And he (the angel Gabriel--verse 16) said unto me (Daniel), Unto two thousand and three hundred days (evenings and mornings--verse 26): THEN SHALL THE SANCTUARY BE CLEANSED."

But that's the center and ending of our study:

2300 DAYS         APPLICATION OF 2300 DAYS

In order for us to rightly understand this prophecy--we must know:
1. Its conclusion,
2. Its beginning,
3. Its meaning and
4. Its application, and
5. What announcement of its arrival was given!

The "Ending Date" is:
Oct. 22, 1844

The prophecy concluded on Oct. 22, 1844! How do we know that date?
By locating the "beginning" date--which is given in:
Dan 9:22, 25
"And he (the angel Gabriel--'whom I had seen in the vision'--verse 21) informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am NOW COME FORTH TO GIVE THEE SKILL AND UNDERSTANDING. Know therefore and understand, that FROM the going forth of the commandment to RESTORE AND TO BUILD JERUSALEM . . . "

And as we study further in this lesson we will see that there are 2 distinct prophecies, a lesser one in the greater one--yet BOTH HAVE THE SAME PURPOSE!

Question: When was the command given to "Restore and Build Jerusalem?"
Answer: Ezra 7:11, 13, 15 "Now this is a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra . . . I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel . . . which are minded of their own free will TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM, GO WITH THEE. And to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem."

That decree was given in 457 B.C.

Now we must unlock one of the keys of understanding "Prophetic Dating"
1. Num. 14:34 "Each day for a year . . . "
2. Ezk. 4:6 "I have appointed thee each day for a year."

In Prophetic Dating . . . . . . A DAY EQUALS A YEAR!

2300 DAYS (Dan. 8:14) = 2300 YEARS (Ezk. 4:6) --and that gives us BOTH THE BEGINNING AND ENDING DATES OF DANIEL'S PROPHECY!

Now we must understand its PURPOSE: And to best help us understand that--we must follow the advice of Paul over in 1 Cor. 10:1, 11:
"Moreover, Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED UNTO THEM FOR ENSAMPLES: AND THEY ARE WRITTEN (DOWN) FOR OUR ADMONITION, (THOSE OF US) UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE WORLD ARE COME."

And what experience did ancient Israel have that parallels with the "Cleansing of the Sanctuary" in Daniel?
Lev. 16:30
"For ON THAT DAY (THE DAY OF ATONEMENT) shall the priest make AN ATONEMENT FOR YOU, TO CLEANSE YOU, THAT YE MAY BE CLEAN FROM ALL YOUR SINS BEFORE THE LORD."

THE PURPOSE OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT IS:
TO MAKE MAN CLEAN FROM ALL HIS SINS!

Now let's return to Dan 8:14 and see the parallel:

"THEN SHALL THE SANCTUARY BE CLEANSED."

Why did the Sanctuary NEED cleansing? Because the sins of the people had been coming in all year long! Now all those sins were coming OUT OF THE SANCTUARY--THUS AFFECTING A "CLEANSING!"

We noted earlier that there were 2 prophecies involved in Dan. 8:14:
1. 2300 days, but also
2. 70 weeks = 490 years.

Dan. 9:24
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city. . . ."

AND LIKEWISE ALSO--THERE ARE TWO EVENTS IN THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF THE 7TH MONTH FOR ISRAEL!
1. Lev. 23:27 The days of Atonement,
2. Lev. 23:24 The Feast of Trumpets--WHICH WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF, THE WARNING TO PREPARE FOR, the Day of Atonement!

1. The purpose of Oct. 22, 1844 (the end of the 2300 day prophecy) was to CLEANSE THE SANTUARY.
2. The purpose of the 70 week prophecy (that began the 2300 days) was for what?
Dan. 9:24
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, TO FINISH THE TRANSGRESSION, AND TO MAKE AN END OF SINS. . . . "

The FIRST IS TO PREPARE THE PEOPLE FOR THE SECOND.
The SECOND was to cleanse the Sanctuary of the sins brought into it by the confession, and shedding of blood, of the people.
BECAUSE--THIRDLY it is important to note that God is not interested in, nor willing to allow, sin to continue on and on--as long as man chooses to continue to sin--for Dan. 8:14 reads:

"THEN SHALL THE SANCTUARY BE CLEANSED!"

Amos 3:7 And that is the reason God is NOT going to do anything without warning us!
And what were some of His "Warnings" concerning the approaching Day of Atonement?
Some Biblical Prophecies:

1. Revelations 6:12 - "A great Earthquake"  (Nov. 1, 1755--Lisbon Earthquake)
2. Revelations 6:12 - "Sun became black"   (May 19, 1780 Dark Day)
3. Revelations 6:12 - "Moon became as blood"   (May 19/20, 1780)
4. Revelations 6:13 - "Stars of heaven fell unto earth"   (Nov. 13, 1833 Falling of the Stars)
5. Dan. 11:40-44 with Rev. 9:4, 13-15 Fall of the Ottoman Empire (meaning Turkey) which served as the "WAKE-UP CALL" to the importance of all the previous prophecies--which received little attention at the time of their occurrence.

Some Secular Events:
1. 1642 Dateline: MAINZ, GERMANY! Gutenberg loses his print shop to Johann Fust as the result of a lawsuit by the latter. As the result--print shop was enlarged--more men employed.
Shortly the Bishop of Mainz dies, leaving a greedy assistant in control--who, at the insistence of Rome to relinquish control, refuses, and is the cause of Mainz being besieged.
After the city is besieged--800 men are lined up in the town square--and banished from Mainz.
Now enters one Dr. Joseph Wolff, missionary to the world. "Wolff was born in Germany, of Hebrew parentage, his father being a Jewish rabbi. While very young, he was convinced of the truth of the Christian religion.
Wolff believed the coming of the Lord to be at hand . . . (and) during the twenty-four years from 1821 to 1845, Wolff traveled extensively: . . .
In his travels in Bokhara he found the doctrine of the Lord's soon coming held by a remote and isolate people. The Arabs of Yemen, he says, 'are in possession of a book called Seera, which gives notice ofthe second coming of Christ . . . and they expect great events to take place in the year 1840. . . .
In South America, in the midst of barbarism and priestcraft, Lacunza, a Spaniard and a Jesuit, found his way to the Scriptures and thus received the truth of Christ's speedy return. Impelled to give the warning, yet desiring to escape the censures of Rome, he published his views under the assumed name of 'Rabbi ben-Ezra." . . . Its publication served to deepen the interest already awakening in England in the subject of the second advent." (The Great Controversy, pp. 357-363.)

And where did the knowledge of printing come from? Ultimately from Gutenberg's print shop--through those men that were banished from Mainz, Germany--to the lands they traveled to!

On page 41 of the Gutenberg Museum Guide it lists 50 nations that received their printing trade directly form Gutenberg's print shop--and that being the direct result of God interposing Himself in both religious and secular history!

2. 1828 Dateline: NEW ECHOTA, GEORGIA, USA! Cherokee nation develops their own constitution--modeled after the U.S. Constitution!
But before they could get that far--they had to have a written and spoken language--which they had heretofore not had. But there was a prophecy in Matt. 24:14 that related directly to them--and it had to be fulfilled also:
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness to ALL NATIONS, and then shall the end come."

In North America there were TWO NATIONS COEXISTING: The United Sates of America, and the Cherokee Nation! And both nations were home to God's people, and therefore had to be warned that the Day of Atonement was coming. And , in fulfillment of prophecy, God laid His had upon a very humble Cherokee Indian by the name of Sequoia--inspiring him with a very simple alphabet of signs and sounds. And in less than 36 hours they went from illiteracy to reading and writing! Miraculous!

3. 1834 Dateline: NEW ENGLAND! William Miller, a farmer by trade, living in upstate New York (right on the Vermont border--so his address was Fair Haven, VT), and he was called upon by God to preach the "Advent Message" (Christ's 2nd coming). As the result of his dedication to God's calling, and the forcefulness of his message, he was ordained by several DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS at the same time in the year 1834!

1. God--at a specific time--WARNS OF JUDGMENT through the "Feast of Trumpets,
2. God--on a specific date--BEGINS JUDGMENT on the Day of Atonement!

And that is why he gives us a "Time Frame" in which to overcome sin!
As one religious writer put it:
"What TIME have YOU SET TO GAIN THE VICTORY OVER YOUR PERVERSE WILL AND THE DEFECTS IN YOUR CHARACTER? With the advancement YOU NOW MAKE, YOUR PROBATION MAY CLOSE BEFORE YOU HAVE THE DETERMINED EFFORTS ESSENTIAL TO GIVE YOU THE VICTORY OVER SELF. . . . Expecting to be overcomers SOMETIME, (you) are deciding for perdition" (4T, 341, 344).

To fully understand the import of that statement--which is the basis upon which the cleansing (Judgment) was based--we need to look now at the "Process of Judgment."
Mal. 3:5
"And I will come NEAR to you to judgment. . . . "

Near, in the Heb. takes on the meaning(s) of:

"Kaw-rab"

1. Come near, Draw near, (Join you)
2. Make Ready, (Teach you, Prepare you)
3. Take (Seal you).

And that adequately describes the "Judgment Process."

God says to us, concerning "Judgement:"
1. Like the three worthy Hebrews in their fiery furnace experience--I will be right there with you!
2. For all that lies before you, I will prepare you, and through My Spirit I will reveal all you need for Salvation.
3. My judgment is made on what you have done with all I have done for you! All my gifts had one purpose, and that was to get you safely home again! If you appropriated those gifts to that end-then I will gladly seal you and bring you home!

And HOW does God make judgents about you and me? There are records kept in heaven in Books!
Dan. 7:10
"The judgment was set, AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED."

Rev. 20:12
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the BOOKS were opened: and ANOTHER BOOK WAS OPENED, WHICH IS THE BOOK OF LIFE. . . . "

1 Peter 4:5
"Who shall give account to him that is READY TO JUDGE THE QUICK (LIVING) AND THE DEAD."

Three Books in which the record of the Living and the Dead are kept! What are they?

1. Mal. 3:16 BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE--GOOD DEEDS
"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened and heard it, AND A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN . . . for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name."

2. Jer. 2:22 BOOK OF RECORD--EVIL DEEDS
"For though thou wash . . . yet THINE INIQUITY IS MARKED BEFORE ME, saith the Lord God."

3. Rev. 20:15 BOOK OF LIFE
"And whosoever was not found WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE was cast into the lake of fire."

SEALED AND SAVED
-OR-
MARKED FOR SEPARATION
WHEN
THE BOOKS GO SHUT!

So--WHEN DO the Books go shut!

1. Eccl. 9:5 AT DEATH
"The living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything."

2. Rom. 1:18-20, 28, 34: Num. 14:28 WHEN WE REJECT LIGHT FROM GOD
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness; BECAUSE THAT WHICH MAY BE KNOWN OF GOD IS MANIFEST IN THEM; FOR GOD HATH SHEWED IT UNTO THEM. FOR THE INVISIBLE THINGS OF HIM FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD ARE CLEARLY SEEN . . . . SO THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE: and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

"Say unto them, as truly as I live, saith the Lord, AS YE HAVE SPOKEN IN MINE EARS, SO WILL I DO TO YOU."

3. Matt. 24:42, 43 AT A TIME OF GOD'S OWN CHOOSING, IRREGARDLESS OF WHAT MAN IS DOING
"Watch therefore; for YE KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR YOUR LORD DOTH COME. But know this, that if the GOODMAN OF THE HOUSE (MASTER OF BODY TEMPLE) HAD KNOWN in what watch the thief (Jesus, Rev. 3:3) WOULD COME, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up."

And, as there are three Books, three Times Of Closing, so there are three Seals, AND each one has it's own test. Let us give some consideration to them now!

FINALLY THE APPLICATION:

1 Peter 4:17 "For the time is come that JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD. . . . "

1 Tim. 5:24 "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment (because they are LIVING); and some men they follow after (because they are DEAD)."

GC, 425 "The work of the judgment which began in 1844 must continue until the cases of all are decided, both of the living and the dead; hence it will extend to the close of human probation."

7BC, 982 "There are LIVING upon our earth men. . . . The Seal of God is upon them. . . . " (Meaning the Judgment of the Righteous Dead is over!)

Then, when the time of mercy is closed for those WHO HAD OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW WHAT TRUTH IS, AND FOLLOW THAT TRUTH IN THEIR LIVES WITH CHANGE, the "Shaking" will have accomplished its work, and this is what follows:
Last Day Events, p. 182 "The broken ranks will be filled up by those representy by Christ as coming in at the eleventh hour. . . . The time of God's destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who (now) have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched, His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is CLOSED TO THOSE WHO WOULD NOT ENTER. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time."
Ibid: "Sandard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lor's army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God."

EW, 43: "Satan is now using every device IN THIS SEALING TIME to keep the minds of God's people from the present truth and to cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was decided on the truth and was pure in heart was to be covered with the covering of the Almighty.
"Satan knew this, and he was at work in mighty power to keep the minds of as many people as he possibly could wavering and unsettled on the truth."

The "Shaking is taking place now (and has been since 1844 when the light shown out of the Most Holy Place in the heavenly Sanctuary). page 10 2300 DAYS

Heb. 12:26, 27 "Now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake no the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain" (AND THE SEAL OF GOD OR THE MARK FOR SEPARATION ARE THE RESULTS OF THE SHAKING).

1 SM, 66: "Reference to our published works will show our belief that THE LIVING RIGHTEOUS WILL RECEIVE THE SEAL OF GOD PRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF PROBATION. . . . "

TM 466: "And even AFTER THE SAINTS ARE SEALED WITH THE SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD, His elect will have trials individually. Personal afflictions will come; the furnace is closely watched by an eye that will not suffer the gold to be consumed. The indelible mark of God is upon them. God can plead that His own name is written there. The Lord has shut them in."

And to say that the SEALING began in 1844--but the MARK FOR SEPARATION does not take place until after the National Sunday Law, is to say one of two things:
1. EVERYBODY whose name came upon the lips of Christ were SEALED, which is an unlikely probability, or
2. There is some status, a kind of LIMBO for man (akin to PURGATORY) between being sealed and marked.

But the truth of the matter is that neither of these are the truth!

Ev. 235 "YOU CONSENT TO RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST, AND (or, WHEN YOU) REFUSE THE SEAL OF GOD . . . (AND) IN THE GREAT CRISIS BEFORE US WILL RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST."

I refuse the Seal and concent to recieve The Mark of the Beast.

In the crisis before us I receive the Mark of the Beast.

The ONLY difference between "Consenting to receive" and "Receiving" is the TIME BETWEEN THE TWO EVENTS (just as with ancient Israel).
When the SHAKING ends--God will have a Church purified!

Judgment of Righteous begins

Close of Probation for Church 1st

Why does sealing take place at the Church first? TWO REASONS:
1. 1 Peter 4:17 Because Judgment BEGAN at the Church first, and
2. Rev. 18:1, 4 Because it can ONLY BE THE CHURCH PURIFIED (SHAKEN AND SEALED) THAT CAN GIVE THE LOUD CRY "Come out of her (Babylon) My pople"--and in doing so LIGHTEN THE WHOLE EARTH WITH GLORY as did Moses upon his return to the camp of Israel after being in the presence of God!

So--in Review:

1. Rev. 14:7 - "The hour of His judgment IS COME. . . ."
2. Dan. 7:10 - "And the books were opened."
3. 1 Peter 4:5 - "Ready to judge the quick (living) and the dead."
4. 2 Cor. 5:10 - "We must ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ."
5. Dan. 9:24 - AFTER time has been given to"FINISH the transgression, AND TO MAKE AN END OF SINS."
6. 1 Sam. 2:3 - "The Lord is a God of knowledge, and BY HIM actions are weighed."
7. Ez. 18:32 - "I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye."

The Sanctuary WILL BE CLEANSED in heaven! God has done all He can do for mankind to prepare them for judgment--the right choice of that provition (which includes time, measure of faith, and light) is what judgment is based upon. What is your choice today?

John 9:4
"I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work."