CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY PART II

The campaign of Alexander the Great, the first Grecian king to hold the scepter of universal empire, was so swift that the world still looks with amazement at the records of his bold raids. In B.C. 334, Alexander when only a little over twenty-one years old, invaded Persia and was victorious. One year later he held sway over all the Persian Empire.

Daniel 8:8 The great horn was broken: and four kingdoms shall stand up.
Daniel 7:6 Like a leopard with four wings of a foul, the beast had four heads.
Daniel 8:22 Four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

In B.C. 334, Alexander, when only a very young man invaded Persia and was victorious; thus became ruler of the then known world in the short space of six years. So rapid had been his triumphs and marches that, when he died in the year 323 B.C., after twelve years of conquest and tyranny, he left neither capital established nor a successor’s name. God foretold the death of Alexander and the Division of his Kingdom. In the height of his power, Alexander died at the age of 32. The empire fell apart, the great horn was broken, and instead of it came up four monarchs rising out of the ruins. These four horns, or kingdoms, represent the same as the leopard in Daniel 7:6. These four kingdoms are counted as part of the Grecian Kingdom and history. The four heads of Daniel 7:6 were part of that beast, and the four horns of Daniel 8:8,22 were “four kingdoms” that were to stand up “out of the nations” of Grecia. The great horn between the eyes of the He Goat is broken just when the He Goat has reached the pinnacle of its strength; that horn was Alexander the Great. They, the four kings came up out of the “He Goat” head to replace the ruler of that great horn, Alexander.

Daniel 8:9-10 Out of one of them came forth a little horn, it waxed great.
Psalms 48:2 Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king.
Daniel 11:25 Against the king of the south with a great army.
Daniel 11:28 His heart shall be against the holy covenant.

The little horn came out of one of the divisions of Alexander’s kingdom after he died. From one of the four kingdoms into which Alexander’s kingdom, Grecia, was divided, there would spring up this ambitious and persecuting power, and as this power answers so fully and accurately to the work of Antiochus Epiphanes, there fan be no question as to the entirety of events brought out in Daniel’s vision. “A King of Fierce Countenance shall stand up.” This king or ruler was to stand up “in the latter time” of these four kingdoms. This Horn is a wicked ruler, coming into power.

This Horn, small in the beginning, was to grow exceeding great in three directions: toward the south, toward the east and toward the pleasant land. The “pleasant land” is referring to Jerusalem. The land of Israel indeed became the battleground between Syria and Egypt, and the setting of some of Antiochus Epiphanes most significant blasphemous acts against God, the host of heaven. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. He is pictured as “casting some of the Host and of the Stars to the ground and stamping upon them.” This prophecy relates to the persecution and destruction of the people of God with its defiance of the angelic host who are their protectors, including the Power of God Himself. Antiochus blasphemed God and heavenly power as well as persecuting the people of Israel; the people of God. This is all too evident from history. The Stars are intended to symbolize the faithful Israelites: This persecution and destruction of Jerusalem and the temple ended on Dec. 25, 168 B.C.

Daniel 8:11-12 By him the daily sacrifice was taken away, the sanctuary was cast down.

Antiochus opposition against God himself and to this extent magnified himself against God as well as reaching toward the glory and honor belonging to God. His supreme act manifesting this attitude is stated that he took away the daily offerings and desecrated the sanctuary. Antiochus stopped the morning and evening sacrifice, taking away from God what were a daily token of Israel’s worship; all the offerings customarily offered in the temple services had ceased. The people of Israel were under his power with divine permission. All this happened to Israel because of their sin and transgression and because they had departed from the God of their fathers. The people of Israel along with their worship are given over to the power of Antiochus Epiphanes with the resulting transgression and blasphemy against God.

Daniel 8:13-14 How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, 2300 days.

The Host being trodden down here are the Jewish people, and the “sanctuary” that was trodden “under foot” was a place set apart. The tabernacle and later the temple at Jerusalem was God’s sanctuary, as the scriptures clearly teaches. To Daniel the “sanctuary” meant the Temple in Jerusalem. He would understand that the sanctuary trodden under foot and to be cleansed was that same temple and its services.

Daniel 8:15-19 The angel Gabriel shall make thee know the end of the indignation.
Luke 1:19 I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God.

With the entire vision recorded and, to some extent, already interpreted, Daniel now enters into active participation in the vision and sought for the meaning; and in response to his desire, a personage stood before him described “as the appearance of a man,” but obviously and angel. The angel Gabriel is mentioned specifically, and a man’s voice is addressed to Gabriel to instruct Daniel in understanding the vision. The man’s voice may be that of Christ. Daniel is afraid, and falls on his face. The words of Gabriel are reassuring, and he instructs Daniel, using the title “Son of Man,” and then Gabriel made known to Daniel when this indignation, righteous anger, would come to an end. God, in His righteous anger was using for His corrective purposes the tyranny of Antiochus the Syrian king in the chastening of Israel. Gabriel made Daniel stand up and begin a further explanation concerning the time of the end, making clear his intention to let Daniel know “what shall be in the last end of the indignation.”