Why does the devil want to attack the sanctuary?
There are two things we can put together, lies equal bondage and truth equals freedom. In John 8:32, Jesus said we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free. If you remember, sin came into our world through lies. We are told that the devil, who is called Satan, is not only a liar, but he is the father of lies; and also a murder.
In John 8:33, The Pharisees said we are of Abraham’s seed and have never been in bondage to any man. Also, John 8:34, is where we find Jesus saying for whosoever commits sin is the bondman or slave to sin. That is why in Daniel 8 we find the little horn power casting down the truth. Every truth in scripture, is in the sanctuary. An example, the Bible says thy Word is truth (John 17:17). The manna is not just representative of Christ, but also representative of His word. The manna is in His sanctuary.
The Bible also says thy word is truth (Ps. 119:122). Here it is again, the law is in the sanctuary. And then we have got Jesus saying himself that he is the truth. In fact, Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Psalms. 77:13 tells us, “thy ways oh God is in the sanctuary”. Everything that leads one to the heights of heaven, leads them to the sanctuary. That is why the devil wants to it cast it down and tear it apart. Those truths found in the sanctuary enable us to be made free indeed. Satan’s goal is to keep us away from those truths and blindly keep us bound in bondage.
Daniel 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined (cut off) 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.
Three things to be accomplished or to be dealt with during the seventy weeks, 70 * 7 = 490 (Prophetic Years):
- Finish the transgression / make an end of sin = SIN
- Make reconciliation for iniquity / bring in everlasting righteousness = RIGHTEOUSNESS
- Seal up the vision & prophecy / Anoint the Most Holy = JUDGMENT
The New Testament identifies these three in order, See: John 16:7-11.
Important, only one way these three things can come to pass in the life of people – they can only be accomplished through the Holy Spirit. What are these three pointing out?
Sin – believe not on me
Righteousness – because Jesus goes to His Father
Judgment – Prince of this world is judged
Prophetic Time (days can represent years)
Genesis 6:3, And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Jonah 3:4, And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6; are year for a day principle texts.
A day in prophecy does not always mean a year, for example when Jesus said in three days I will tear down this building and build it back up (Mark 14:58, John 2:19). Context, context, context, is vital.
In Daniel there is only one 2,300-day (year) prophecy; therefore, the 70 weeks, 1,260-day, 1,290-day, and 1,335-days must also be years since they are found within the 2,300-year prophecy. In other words, since the 2,300-day prophecy is a day for a year, all of the other time prophecies within it will also be a day for a year.
Which kingdom does this prophecy begin? Medo-Persia. How do we know? In Daniel 8 when we see the vision of the ram which is when this prophecy begins.
Daniel 9:25, “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.”
Three characters, all gave the going forth to Jerusalem:
Cyrus
Darius
Artaxerxes
Though Cyrus and Darius made some strides, it was Artaxerxes who gave complete autonomy to rebuild the city, the temple, set up magistrates (Ezra 1:1-3, 6:1,7,8; 7:21-28; especially Chap 7). Cyrus and Darius did not provide this magnitude of freedom for the Israelites to re-establish Jerusalem. So, the 2,300-year prophecy had to begin under Artaxerxes. Remember, ‘it was at the going forth to restore’ do we start the timeline. The starting event was a decree from Persian King Artaxerxes authorizing God’s people (who were captive in Medo-Persia) to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city.
The decree, found in Ezra 7, was issued in 457 BC – the seventh year of the king (v.7) – and was implemented in the autumn. Artaxerxes began his reign in 464 BC. This is a biblical deduction, going through the Bible and looking at history. There is a historical account of this decree.
Re-cap, the 70-weeks or 490 prophetic year, is the first 490 years of the 2,300 year prophecy. Daniel then further breaks down the 490 (70 seven). The angel said that 69 prophetic weeks, or 483 literal years (69 x 7 = 483), begins in 457BC would reach to the Messiah (Dan. 9:25)…the anointing of the Messiah. Did it? Mathematical calculations show that moving ahead 483 full years from the fall of 457BC reaches the fall of AD 27. Remember the Bible says something about Jesus. When God was making it clear to Mary (through the angel) that she was going to have a child. The Bible, in Luke 1:35, makes an interesting statement, “Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God”. The phrase ‘holy thing’, in particular the word ‘thing’ in the Greek is hagios, which comes from hagos meaning an awful thing. Compare Strongs 53, 2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated): – (most) holy (one, thing), saint. What is astonishing is that the Greek word for ‘thing’ hagios is very similary to ‘sanctuary’ hagion; AND that Jesus is referred to as (most) holy (one, thing) – most holy one OR most holy thing.
The word ‘Messiah’ means ‘anointed’ (John 1:41, margin). Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:38) at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22). Remember, the Spirit of God came down from heaven like a dove and the voice of God said: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. It was at that point that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power. Remember, King David went through three anointings: prophet, priest, and king. Jesus is the son of David, and this anointing carries through to the ministry of Jesus Christ, when Jesus was on this earth he was anointed as prophet, and when Jesus ascended to heaven he was anointed as our High Priest. The Bible makes it very clear when Jesus returns he will be our King. We can see that at Jesus’ baptism that the anointing work began, then Jesus moves to different phases of His ministry in heaven, and finally he will move to his last phases which is King. His anointing took place in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:1), which was AD 27. God’s has a true and sure word.
Notice this, ‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’, vol. 1, p.30 – “The historian Gibbon explains that, PRIOR TO HIS DEATH, Augustus “dictated a law by which the future prince (Tiberius) was invested with an AUTHORITY EQUAL TO HIS OWN, over the provinces and the armies.”
In ‘the provinces’, Tiberius had equal standing and authority with Ceasar Augustus. But it is worth pointing out, that even while Augustus was still alive and technically holding superiority in Rome, “all Rome, which hated (Tiberius) for his stern puritanism, resigned itself to the fact the THOUGH AUGUSTUS WAS STILL PRINCE (i.e., living Emperor), TIBERIUS HAD BEGUN TO RULE.” (Durant vol.3, p.231).
Judea was one of the Roman provinces in which Tiberius’ authority was equal to Ceasar Augustus’, and of course it was in Judea that Luke wrote his account – dating the baptism of Jesus in the 15th year of Tiberius.
Another relevant point is that Augustus’ health had been failing for some years, and he was “an invalid at sixty (2 BC)”. See Durant vol.3, p.231. Augustus made Tiberius his co-regent, and in Judea, the reign of Tiberius was dated – not from the death of Augustus (as would normally have been the case) – but from that time, TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE DEATH OF AUGUSTUS (AD12), when Tiberius was given legal equality with Augustus.
Legally, and for all practical purposes, Tiberius was Emperor over the province of Judea, even while Augustus was still living. HIS REIGN BEGAN IN AD12, and so the 15th YEAR OF TIBERIUS WAS INDEED AD 27.
Also, remember the zero-year principle. There is no zero, so you go from AD1 to 1BC.
Jesus the Prince, the Anointed, was baptized in AD 27. This is an absolute sure word of prophecy. If God’s words are so on point, then we can trust what He says: he went to prepare a place for us, he will be with us till the end of time, he will help us, and he will return and redeem us! We don’t need to worry about anything.
The 70 weeks is a small-scale version of what happens in the larger 2,300-day prophecy. The 70 weeks are the first 490 years of the 2,300, AND the 70-weeks events will parallel with the larger prophecy. When does the decree begin? It begins with the rebuilding of the city AND the temple.
Remember, the children of Israel had spent some time in Babylonian captivity, and all of a sudden, they are set free and come out of captivity to begin the work of rebuilding of the city and the temple. We are going to find that the 70-weeks parallel with the 2,300-day prophecy. So, what we are going to find is God’s end-time people will come out of something called spiritual Babylon, to begin this emphasis on rebuilding a spiritual city called the New Jerusalem, and the significance of a heavenly temple. They parallel in many ways.
For further study: Read Isaiah 53, it identifies the character of the Messiah beautifully.
NOTE regarding the flood. The reason that the flood was pronounced is because of the wickedness of men was continual. How did this come about? The sons of God (holy men) mingled with the daughters of men (ungodly women) because they were so beautiful. Mingling is a tactic of Satan. This mingling basically wiped out godliness in those days. This is the same thing that is happening with the toes of iron and clay (mingling). It is those that profess to be children of God mingling with those who are not. The result is the same, those that profess to be children of God will be the ones to compromise.
God is not governed by time, He is the beginning and the end. He is the Omni’s. When God created time, it was for our benefit…we read that in Genesis 1, you can read it in the creation story for example time was given to govern seasons, etc. So, a day to God is as a thousand years is speaking to his Omni’s. That does not negate that he created us with time and timelines as his people. God gives us these predictions in time so we can “watch” and be prepared. This is God’s timeline, not ours. In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter is marking a point that God allows time to exist, it has its purpose in our creation, and Jesus spoke these timelines.
Once you get to the end of the 2,300-years prophecy there are no more time prophecies. The only other prophecy is to be fulfilled is event-based prophecy, such as there shall be famines, pestilences, nations rising against nation, wars / rumors of war, earthquakes (natural disasters), the mark of the beast, no buy or sell unless one has the mark of the beast, etc.
The little horn (Dan. 8) grew out of one of the four winds (north, south, east, west). When Greece broke up into four divisions the bible is introducing something for us that is going to be relevant when we get to Daniel 11. We have the phrases “king of the north” and “king of the south”. These two entities are fighting back and forth. In Daniel 8 it says the little horn moves towards the south, towards the east, and towards the pleasant land (west); therefore, we know the little horn comes from the north. We will see that the little horn IS the king of the north. How do we know? When we get to Daniel 11 we will see this power called the king of the north is described exactly as this little horn is described in Daniel 7 and 8. Why is the king of the north significant? Remember, the little horn power is the antichrist , do you remember where Satan said he wanted to sit in heaven? Isaiah 14 tells us that Satan wants to exalt his throne above the stars of God and that he will sit on the mount of congregation on the sides of the north. The ‘sides of the north’ is the position Satan wants to occupy. Why? Because he wants to be like God. This antichrist power in Daniel 7 and 8 is beginning to be identified as the power (king) of the north.
What the little horn does could not happen before the Roman Empire in which Jesus lived. So, when we read Daniel 8 and it talks about the sanctuary being defiled and being cast down to the ground by this little horn power, when know that power comes after the Grecian Empire. Whoever this power is and whatever this sanctuary is cannot be in existence before the Roman Empire. So, the defilement and casting down must be during or after the Roman Empire. Keep this in mind.
Daniel 8. The 2,300-years covers three powers: the ram – Medo-Persia, he goat – Greece, Little horn comes after the he-goat symbolizing both pagan and ecclesiastical Rome. This is NOT a power within Greece such as Antiochus Epiphanes. So, the 2,300 could not be literal days, it has to be years because of the span of time that covers these kingdoms.
Every earthly priests were sinners, having many failures. Daniel was concerned about the temple the priests. Daniel is told that it is going to be rebuilt but also that it would be destroyed. The angel sets Daniel attention on another sanctuary, a heavenly sanctuary; and another priest…Jesus our most High Priest. This sanctuary and Priest began with the 70-weeks prophecy, in particular the very last week of this prophecy. This last week has been thrown way into the future by so many. It should break our hearts. This 70th week is where all the action, all the hope, and the victory takes place. It is what Christ came to do in this 70th week. The 70th week is the lynch pin of the Old and New Testaments…this is what connects the old covenant to the new covenant.
Dan 9:24 “anoint the Most Holy” indicates a new priestly ministry was about to occur. Gabriel was telling Daniel that I’ve got something better to tell you…allusions pointing to the work of Christ. Chapter 9 talks about the building of the earthly temple, the sacrifices and oblations to cease, and its destruction but gives way to the new. This is good news. In the Old Testament there was the anointing of the sanctuary, vessels, and the priests – to begin the priestly ministry. We see at the end of the 70-weeks it shows the anointing of the heavenly sanctuary while at the same time bringing to a close the earthly (curtain ripping in two).
In the Old Testament church the people were on the outside of the sanctuary for they could not go into the tabernacle. They had to depend upon the priest that was inside, who was presenting their sacrifice before the altar. The people had to depend upon that man. Can you image the priests as sinners with failures, and the people were depending upon this to go before the Lord.
Jesus was the one who finished transgression, and made an end to sin, and He made reconciliation of iniquities (compare to Isa. 53). Jesus is the one who brought everlasting righteousness, and it was because of him that the vision in the prophecy was fulfilled. It was him dying on the cross which represents the courtyard of the sanctuary; he started here on earth which is the courtyard. Before the priest would go to the brazen alter where the sacrifice was made, he had to wash himself with water first. When Jesus came to this earth, he was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit and then he found his way to the cross. It was at the brazen altar (cross) where he made an end to sin, made reconciliation of iniquity, and he brought in everlasting righteousness. If you look at the type, the plan of salvation starts at the brazen altar.
Finally, with this overview we must mention the judgment. God’s people should not have fear of the judgment, for if you are His then you are judged as righteous because He stands before you and you sins are covered by Him. Judgment is for those who are unrepentant and they must stand before the judgment seat because their sin are not covered and they will have to pay the wages for sinning themselves…this results in death of the second kind…an eternal death…being no more.