In our continuing study regarding the Cleansing of the Sanctuary, it’s important to understand the timing of the 2,300-day prophecy. In other words, we must know and be able to prove when the 2,300 evening-mornings of Daniel 8:14 began and when they ended. The answer to this question is not only important to the foundation of our church, but it's also important because this doctrine has been challenged from every possible angle. In this article, we’ll explore how Adventists determine the starting point of the 2,300 days — and why this matters for our faith and our understanding of prophecy.
Two Visions in Daniel 8
To understand when the 2,300 days begin, we first must come to an understanding of the structure of the vision in Daniel 8. After analyzing this chapter, I've come to the conclusion that Daniel 8 actually contains two distinct visions!
- The first vision includes the ram, the goat, and the Little Horn (Daniel 8:3–12).
- The second vision is the vision of the 2,300 evening-mornings (Daniel 8:13-14).
This may sound radical at the moment, but what you must understand is that even though Daniel received the vision of Daniel 8 in one sitting, he distinguished the vision of the evening-mornings as its own separate vision. We know this because in verse 26, Daniel refers to the 2,300-day prophecy as “the vision of the evening and the morning.” In this manner, we can see that he distinguished this encounter as its own separate vision.
The 2,300 days were not explained
After Daniel received the vision of the ram, goat, and Little Horn, he then received the vision of the 2,300 days. Gabriel then explained the first vision to Daniel. He interpreted the vision as follows:
- The ram represented Medo-Persia (vs. 20).
- The goat represented Greece (vs. 21).
- The four horns as four Greek kingdoms (vs. 22).
- The Little Horn as a fierce king (Daniel 8:23–25).
In looking at the angel's above interpretation of the vision, can you see what was never explained to Daniel? As a student of prophecy, you should see that Gabriel never explains the meaning of the 2300-day prophecy, nor its beginning and ending.
The Vision Sealed
Then Gabriel, adding more intrigue to an already mysterious event, informed Daniel that the vision had been shut up!
As a result, Daniel was left astonished and even fainted (Daniel 8:27), because the part he longed to understand the most was the timing of the cleansing of the sanctuary, but Daniel 8 concludes with Gabriel saying the vision is “shut up” for many days. This means God purposely sealed its understanding until a later time.
It is unlikely that Daniel understood the doctrine of the Heavenly Sanctuary and the Investigative Judgment, so it is logical to assume that Daniel must've believed the vision concerned the earthly sanctuary. It's important that we remember that during this time, Jerusalem and its temple lay in ruins under Babylonian captivity. Thus, Daniel naturally would've assumed that a prophecy about the “sanctuary being cleansed” must mean a soon restoration of the earthly temple. But as time passed, the event didn’t happen in 2,300 literal days, and Daniel realized his understanding was incomplete.
Daniel’s Prayer and the 70-Year Prophecy
Ten years later, in Daniel 9, we find Daniel studying Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years of captivity (Jeremiah 25:11–12). It's apparent that Daniel began to wonder whether this 70-year prophecy and the 2300-day prophecy were connected. Perhaps, he thought, they would both conclude with Israel’s return and the rebuilding of the sanctuary.
Daniel prayed earnestly for understanding:
“Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant… and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate.” Daniel 9:17
Daniel’s prayer reveals his confusion. He believed that the “cleansing of the sanctuary” might coincide with the end of the Babylonian captivity. But God sent Gabriel once more — this time to clarify that the timing of the two prophecies did not coincide with each other.
Gabriel Returns with Understanding
In Daniel 9:22–23, Gabriel says:
“O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding… understand the matter, and consider the VISION.”
Did you catch that? Ask yourself this question: Which vision is Gabriel referring to?
- Gabriel can't be referring to the vision of the ram and the goat — Daniel already understood the succession of kingdoms way back with Nebuchadnezzar's image and the vision of the Lion, Bear, Leopard, and Terrible Beast.
- Gabriel can't be referring to the 70-year prophecy, as that wasn't designated as a vision.
- The angel can't be referring to the encounter he is having with Daniel at that very moment, because Daniel doesn't refer to it as a vision.
- Thus, the only vision that the angel had to be referring to was the vision of the 2,300 evening-mornings!
The angel could not yet explain the full meaning of the prophecy because it was still shut up, but he could reveal the timing of when it began. This was necessary so that Daniel would not confuse the fulfillment of the 2,300 days with the fulfillmentof the 70 years. Daniel must understand that the timings are separate.
“Seventy Weeks Are Determined…”
Gabriel begins in Daniel 9:24:
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…”
Gabriel introduces a new time prophecy — the 70 weeks (or 490 years). It is important that we understand that the crucial word here is “determined.” In Hebrew, this word is “chathak”, which literally means “cut off.”
The question is: cut off from what?
There was only one prophetic time period previously mentioned — the 2,300 days. Therefore, the 70 weeks must be cut off from the 2300 days. In essence, the 70 weeks and the 2,300 days have the same starting point.
Conclusion
This truth is the key to understanding how Adventists determine when the 2300 days began. The angel’s explanation in Daniel 9 links the two prophecies together — one (the 70 weeks) being a smaller portion cut from the larger one (the 2300 days). Both start at the same moment in history.
Ellen G. White summarizes this beautifully in The Great Controversy:
“The angel had been sent to Daniel for the express purpose of explaining to him the point which he had failed to understand in the vision of the eighth chapter, the statement relative to time,—“Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” After bidding Daniel “understand the matter, and consider the vision,” the very first words of the angel are, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city.” The word here translated “determined,” literally signifies “cut off.” Seventy weeks, representing 490 years, are declared by the angel to be cut off, as specially pertaining to the Jews. But from what were they cut off? As the 2300 days was the only period of time mentioned in chapter eight, it must be the period from which the seventy weeks were cut off; the seventy weeks must therefore be a part of the 2300 days, and the two periods must begin together.” - The Great Controversy, p. 326
