To most Christians Daniel chapter 8 is a conundrum. Not only is there controversy over who specifically the ‘little horn’ power is, but the cryptic statement of verse 14 has proven an obscure mystery.
Many would like to leave this passage asleep, buried here in Daniel’s most difficult chapter, but since Jesus places so much attention on it and the following chapter in his sermon on the end of the world (Matt. 24:15), and because in 8:14 we reach the key verse, which is the climax of the apocalyptic and symbolic representations of the book,[i]we are mandated to decipher its cryptic meaning and arithmetic.
Daniel and the Kingdom of God
In the Older Testament, Daniel is the book of the kingdom of God. Right from the first chapter we have a major crisis for the kingdom of God, that is, the kingdom of Israel, because God sends them into exile in Babylon.
The key lies right at the door. The opening chapter, and particularly the opening verses, summarize the chief themes of the book. Here is illustrated the conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Babylon, representing all worldly powers. The sanctuary and its worshipers are seen in contrast to Babylon’s temple house and its religious leaders—the Chaldeans.[ii]
They were sent into exile because they had consistently failed to live up to the principles of the kingdom that God had intended. The Lord had called Israel to be a peaceful, prosperous and flourishing kingdom, a ‘light to the (surrounding) nations’ and ‘a covenant to the people,’ as Isa. 42:6; 49:6; 60:3 all say. Unfortunately, Isaiah had to report that,
The vineyard of the LORD Almighty
is the nation of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are the vines he delighted in.
And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. (Isa. 5:7)
Daniel and many of his contemporaries must have been beside themselves to know what would be the fate of God’s kingdom on earth, which was now enslaved in Babylon. And this becomes the message of the book of Daniel.
In chapter two Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the giant multi-metalled man, which ran briefly through the history of the world of that time. In subsequent chapters these kingdoms are elaborated on, and in each chapter something about the outcome of the kingdom of God is included.
Daniel 8, after running through the symbolic history of the next two kingdoms after Babylon, introduces a little horn power, who seems to step outside the natural sphere, challenging the ‘prince of the hosts’ in verse 11, who evangelicals identify as Christ, overthrowing even the place of his sanctuary.
This little horn power, arrogantly exhibiting attributes of the anti-Christ, overthrows the sanctuary, the very symbol of the kingdom of God, and casts its truth to the ground. Here is a direct attack on the earthly symbol of the kingdom of God by an antichrist power.
Then an angel asks the gravid question,
Daniel 8:13 (NRSV) — “For how long is this vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled?”
The prelude to Daniel 8:14 sees the little horn power reaching up to the stars and host of heaven, pulling them down to be trampled upon. The language mirrors the actions of the great red dragon of Revelation 12:1-6 audaciously assaulting the very hosts of heaven and seeking the destruction of the boy child whose birth is so critical to the messianic purpose. But the enemy stalking the heavens is finally thwarted, not by any earthly power, but by the very sacrifice he attempted to remove.[iii]
And the answer to this grave question in verse 13 from one angel to another is,
Daniel 8:14 (NRSV) — “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
Or as the Hebrew Tanakh has it, ‘then shall the sanctuary be victorious.’ Or ‘vindicated.’
The Hebrew word here is ‘sadq’ which in the vast majority of cases means ‘made righteous’, ‘justified’, ‘vindicated’. The import of this term is that at this particular point, the sanctuary, the symbol of the kingdom of God on earth, is to be vindicated for all to see.
The ‘Little Horn’ & the ‘Abomination of Desolation’
In each case, the little horn in Daniel 7 and 8 and the abominable desolator of Daniel 9:27, are not identified definitively, as are the historical empires represented by beasts. This, and the fact that Daniel himself struggles to describe them, should clue us as to the different nature of these figures. In true apocalyptic form, these final powers take on attributes marking them clearly as antichrist figures. They often start out as historical and political powers (horns), but quickly morph into supranatural powers (‘eyes like human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogantly’ (Dan. 7:8), and, ‘reaching as high as the host and it’s prince, dragging down some of the host and the stars and overthrowing his sanctuary and truth.’ (Dan. 8:10-12) These types of actions are not within the command or realms of earthly political powers. They stretch above the historical plane and reach behind the curtain, into the spiritual sphere. This is apocalyptic imagery.
This change in character and lack of description should warn interpreters off ascribing too narrow a sphere for them, or in assigning a definitive time in history to them. The text is telling us, in effect, here is the antichrist figure, be careful how you handle it.
The antichrist figures should be seen as ongoing threats to the kingdom of God, and not easily nailed down. The antichrist seems to arise from a political basis, but then morphs into a politico-religious entity. Behind the scenes at all times, Satan is its instigator and supplies its power-base.
Daniel struggles to understand the vision he is given in chapter eight (8:27), and years later he is still perplexed by it, as is evident in his long and heartfelt prayer at the beginning of chapter nine (9:4-19).
But it is in the instruction given to seal the words of chapter 8 in verse 8:26 where the angel provides an even stronger correlation between the two passages, making it very clear that the verses of chapter 9 explain and fulfil that of 8:14. The encrypted code tying 8:14 and 9:24 together reveals the only one who can vindicate and fully restore the sanctuary to its rightful place.[iv]
“Note the words of 8:26: “But seal up [satham] the vision [chazon] for it concerns the distant future.” Now come to 9:24 where we discover the same phrase: “to seal up [chatam] vision [chazon] and prophecy” The word satham in 8:26 suggests a sealing up of the vision, just as the text states. Chatam of 9:24 on the other hand infers a “confirming or ratifying” of the vision.[v]
Jamieson Fausset and Brown is even more specific: “To give the seal of confirmation to the prophet and his vision by the fulfilment.” And note particularly the words of Horatius Bonar, with his reference back to 8:24: “To ‘seal vision and prophecy;’ that is, consummate, establish, fulfil, and complete them, settling them as true, and bringing to their end the things foreshown in them (8:24)” (The Quarterly Journal of Prophecy 1869 Volume XXI).”[vi]
Most commentators identify the little horn of chapter 8 as Antiochus Epiphanes, the successor of one of the four horns that arose after the great horn of Alexander the Great was broken at the height of the Greek goat’s power. Other commentators see this little horn as the Roman power, partly because they see the fourth beast and the antichrist power of chapter 7 as Rome, and partly because they fail to see that Antiochus is an adequate fulfilment of the description given in chapter 8. However, all the evidence in chapter 8 seems clearly to point to Antiochus.
A better way to understand this is that both of these powers represent antichrist as a generic power. Several interpreters make use of the apotelesmatic principle, which posits that an apocalyptic figure or situation can have recurring and enlarging fulfilments, and surely this is one such case.
Christ himself seems to suggest such an interpretation when he mentions the abomination of desolation of Daniel 9:27 as standing in the holy place, referring to the Roman armies in the Temple grounds in A.D. 70, but also pointing forward to a future last-day event of final significance. In this case, the abomination of desolation may refer firstly to Antiochus (Dan. 8), then to Rome (Dan. 7, pagan and papal Rome), and finally to a last-day re-incarnation of antichrist.
Antiochus is an antichrist figure because he fits all the markers for such a figure, as does Rome, pagan but especially papal Rome, and finally Christ and Revelation suggest there will be another manifestation of a historico-political-religious antichrist that Paul also identifies in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 as the “man of sin,” before Satan himself is revealed as standing behind all antichrist figures.
Will the Real Antichrist Please Stand Up?
The great majority of commentators, Christian and Jewish, in line with the historical books of the Maccabees (see 1 Maccabees 1:7-10, 41-50, 54; 9:28), make at least the first application of the ‘little horn of’ Daniel 8 to Antiochus IV Epiphanes. All of the main features and history portrayed in symbolic fashion fits Antiochus to a “T”. On top of this, the history portrayed in less symbolic terms in Daniel 11 also fits Antiochus entirely.
The ‘evening-morning’ Sacrifice
Des Ford points out that whenever the Hebrew word Tamid occurs with ereb-bokr, as it does in Daniel 8:14, it is always referring to the daily evening and morning sacrifices.[vii] Since there is no indication in Daniel that a day in prophecy refers to a year in historical fulfilment, we are left to conclude that the cryptic 2,300 evening-mornings add up to 1,150 days, or 3 ½ years.
Larry Cockerham sums up the application,
The prophecies of Antiochus Epiphanes in Daniel (Dan. 8:9-14; 23-25; 11:21-35) have both a historical as well as cosmic element, and exhibit a recurring fulfilment into the future. Theologians sometimes refer to this as the apotelesmatic principle, which means it not only is recurring, but each time it is a larger fulfilment.
Conservative scholars realize both a historical fulfilment in Antiochus as well as future prophecies that prefigure future Antichrists.[viii]
Des Ford, concurs,
Many Bible prophecies, including those of Daniel, have a foreground as well as a background. They frequently point to an early fulfilment as well as the larger later one. It is so here.[ix]The little horn is initially the Old Testament Antichrist, Antiochus Epiphanes, the first human ruler who persecuted the people of God for religious reasons.[x]
Then Ford goes on to elucidate the symbolic meaning of the sanctuary in Daniel,
Because in Daniel the sanctuary is a symbol of the kingdom of God on earth, the symbolism here used unites both the histories and the prophecies of this book and sets forth the truth that the holy things of God which have been profaned through the ages by unbelieving powers are soon to be vindicated in the Judgment, and likewise the holy ones—the worshipers.[xi]
This history points also to larger fulfilments as Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4 and Revelation make clear. Antiochus is the type of all later manifestations of Antichrist including the Roman oppressors—pagan and Christian—and the final worldwide union of apostate religion and politics against the gospel.[xii]
Daniel knows only too well the results of Israel turning away from Yahweh. He has mentioned in his prayer the sorry history that has kept Israel slaves in Babylon for nearly 70 years (9:4-19), and now he learns of a fresh attack on the sanctuary into the future. But he is finally reassured that Yahweh, his sanctuary, his truth and his people, will all be vindicated.
It cannot be emphasized too strongly that Daniel 8:14 summarizes the themes of the entire book and points to the great denouement, the ushering in of the divine kingdom by the Judgment, which first vindicates those who hitherto have been oppressed and despised.[xiii]
Ford hints at a larger, second fulfilment of the ‘abomination of desolation’ in the medieval Christian church,
Any system, any teaching, that seeks to do by human effort what Christ has already done, that believes God's favor is granted by any merit in us rather than wholly in Christ, that looks to any experience in the present rather than Christ's experience at the cross, that substitutes any word of man for the Word of God—that system, that teaching, casts down the holy angel, God's sanctuary, God's Priest. Every hierarchical religious system, every movement exalting as authority anything other than Scripture ...is essentially Babylonian. Therefore, "Come out of her, my people" (Revelation 18:4).[xiv]
This is what this Old Testament antichrist Antiochus did when he desecrated the Temple. But the prophecy, and especially Jesus eschatological sermon, is telling us this will all happen again in the distant future and yet again in a final apostasy at the end of time.
The Ushering in of the Kingdom of God by the Judgment
What Daniel 8:14 points to, the vindication of the kingdom of God symbolised by the sanctuary, was the centre of Jesus preaching. Mark 1:14 links together both the time element and the subject of the kingdom of Daniel 8:14.
Mark 1:14–15 (NRSV) — 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the good news.”
The good news was that the kingdom, the sanctuary, the truth of God, and his people – long enslaved and trampled upon by antichrist powers – was finally to be vindicated by the Messiah. And that vindication was to happen when Jesus gave his life on Calvary.
But John the Baptist, having been arrested as Mark notes, just as Jesus announces that the kingdom has arrived, who is now wasting away in the dungeons of the Dead Sea fortress of Machaerus, was hearing from his disciples of Jesus teaching and ministry. Yet it did not bear much resemblance to what John had preached about the Messiah, ‘his winnowing fork in hand, clearing the threshing floor, condemning the chaff to the fire and gathering the wheat into the granary.’ (Matt. 3:10-12)
The Messiah was to reverse the fortunes of the kingdom of God, according to the Baptist. What gives, he was asking Jesus? To date there were no signs of impending judgment, only the ethical words of the Sermon on the Mount and of good works. And I am sure John was worried about the reports that the Messiah was to die! How could this possibly be?
But Jesus sent back the message that fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies about the messianic 'Servant of God', "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." (cf. Isaiah 35:5-6; 61:1-2). Jesus was saying to John, here are the signs of the coming kingdom right before your eyes.
And then Jesus added a beatitude. "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." Most likely John was offended that Jesus was failing to conform to popular messianic expectation. But particularly was he offended that this Messiah had predicted his own ignominious death.
What John could not see was that this Messiah would vindicate the kingdom of God by his death on the Cross. No other contemporary could see this either. It is what Paul calls the mystery of the kingdom, or the mystery of the gospel.
The vindication of the sanctuary that Daniel is pointing to is fulfilled in the death of the Messiah and Priest of that same sanctuary.
This is how the vindication would be procured, not in a victorious military campaign by the Messiah, but in his death for the sins of the people.
If you want to be part of that kingdom, you must fall at the foot of that Cross and accept his death for your sins. I’ve done that and I am a member of that kingdom that Jesus will consummate at his return.
[In Part 2 of this set I would like to show how the Daniel 8:14 schema can also fits into Jesus’ timeline, which is a secondary, or homiletical fulfilment of this passage.]
[i] Ford, Desmond. Daniel. (Anvil Press), p. 162. [ii] Ford, Desmond. Deliverance: Commentary on the Book of Daniel (p. 113). Kindle Edition. [iii] Daniel’s Micro-code, Ferris, Kevin: https://spectrummagazine.org/2020/daniels-micro-codeFebruary 27, 2020 [iv] Daniel’s Micro-code. “The conditions in the run-up to verse 14 relate to the removal of the daily sacrifice, the demise of the sanctuary and of truth, of desolations, and the trampling underfoot of the hosts. Significantly these issues are also given attention in Daniel 9:24-27, specifically the bringing to an end of sacrifice, the anointing of the holy one (the prince of the hosts) and the abomination that desolates. The close correlation between Daniel 8:1-14, 16-27, and chapter 9:24-27 begs the conclusion that the latter enlarges upon, and indeed outlines the fulfilment of the former. (See SDA Commentary on Daniel 11:31 and Samuel Tregelles on Daniel 8:14." [v]SDA Commentary on 9:24 [vi] Footnote in Daniel’s Micro-code. [vii]Ford, Desmond. Daniel. (Anvil Press) [viii] Cokkerham, Larry, Antiochus IV Epiphanes: The Antichrist of the Old Testament. [ix] Ford, Desmond. Daniel and the Coming King . Good News Unlimited (Australia). Kindle. Loc 2232 [x] Ibid., 2208 [xi] Ibid., 2280 [xii] Ibid., 2257 [xiii] Ibid., 2288 [xiv] Ibid,. 2472
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