IN our study of Daniel 8 last week we learned the meaning of the three symbols used in the first part of the chapter. The two-horned ram referred to Medo-Persia; the rough goat was a symbol of Grecia; the notable horn referred to Alexander the Great; and the four horns to the four divisions of the empire. The little horn which "waxed exceeding great" applied to Rome in the entirety of the career of that power.
Prediction of Its Work.
Among the things which it is predicted that power will do is the following:
"It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; and it took away from Him the continual [burnt-offering], and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. And the host was given over to it together with the continual [burnt-offering] through transgression; and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.
"Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual [burnt-offering] and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed [Hebrew, margin, justified]." Verses 11–14, A. R. V.
The "Continual."
We have placed "burnt-offering" in the three instances where it is used above, in brackets. It is not in the original, and is supplied by the translators as necessary to complete the sense; evidently because the adjective "continual" (in our common version "daily") is so frequently applied to that in the Old Testament. About a score of times it is used with burnt-offering; but it is used of other things as well. It is applied to the pillar of fire and cloud, to the sacred showbread, to the holy miter, to the incense, to the meal offering, to the ever-burning lamp; to all the various things relating to the service of God. The original word is rendered in our common version alway, always, continue, continual, daily, ever, evermore, perpetual.
The great thought of the word is continuance, constant. It here refers to no mere ceremony, like the burning of a lamb, or the offering of an oblation; but to the constant service of God. Christ is set before us in contrast to the things which fail. "They shall perish; but Thou continuest;" "they shall be changed; but Thou art the same." Heb. 1:11, 12. The abiding pillar of fire and cloud with Israel's host represented Christ's part of this constancy or continuance; and the spiritual service of Israel by living faith represented by their entire worship, was that which made effectual for them the continuance of Christ. That pillar of fire and cloud was a witness to His presence. The presence bread was a symbol of the life-giving, nourishing Word; the ever-burning lamp, the light of His Spirit; the daily sacrifices, of His offering of Himself once for all; the fragrant incense, the Spirit-given graces of contrition and faith which make prayer effectual at His throne.
All these offered by sincere hearts was the continual service which Jehovah prized:
"Seek ye Jehovah and His strength;
"Seek His face evermore [continually]."
1 Chron. 16:11; Ps. 105:4.
"Let them say continually, The Lord be magnified." Ps. 35:27; 40:16.
"I have set Jehovah always [continually] before me;
"Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." Ps. 16:8.
"And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth. . . .
"So shall I observe Thy law continually." Ps. 119:44, 117.
And many other passages might be cited to show that the continuance is the continual abiding presence of God with His people, and their own spiritual, devoted service, responding to His presence and manifesting His life.
In the prophecy of Daniel this continual abiding union between God and His people, fruitful in all things good, is set over against the transgression which maketh desolate. It is God's desire for the church that He may guide her continually, satisfy her soul in dry places, and make her like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isa. 58:11. It is the object of the enemy to bring her into dry places that she may famish, to delude her and deceive her and make her desolate.
The little horn is one of the great agents of the evil one. It magnifies itself, ever assuming equality with the Son of God, and taking away from Him the continual, spiritual service which His people should render, holding Him as the Head, the center of all true worship.
How exactly is all this fulfilled in the great apostasy in the Christian church. When Jesus Christ ascended on high, He represented in Himself all the fulness of salvation; "for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell." "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him ye are made full." Col. 1:19; 2:9, 10. He was "the Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all." Eph. 1:22, 23. But He became the Head of the church by becoming "the Head of every man." 1 Cor. 11:3; Rom. 7:4.
The great center of His presence, service, and work is in the sanctuary, at "the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens." Heb. 8:1. There He pleads in our behalf His precious blood, a continual offering by a continual priesthood before God. Heb. 7:24–28; 10:5–24. He also has His sanctuary, His temple on earth, the faithful worshipers at the sanctuary above. 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19. His people, His sanctuary, below is the visible manifestation to men of the effectual service of God, tho they are only a part of the great sanctuary service on high, represented by their adorable Head, who, when He ascended, "made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places." Eph. 2:6. While on the other hand, by His Spirit He dwells with His church militant on earth, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col. 1:27; Rom. 8:10; 2 Cor. 6:16. This is the abiding, the continuance, between Christ and His people: He abiding by His Spirit with them here, and manifesting His power through the fulness of spiritual gifts; and His church dwelling with Him by living faith in His divine headship, bound to Him by the life of His indwelling word.
All this holy beauty, effectiveness, and continuity of service has been broken by that apostasy represented by the little horn. Men arose out of the church speaking perverse things, and leading away disciples after themselves, instead of Christ. Acts 20:30. Man was exalted. The elders, the bishops, assumed authority God had not given. Cordons of priests and prelates and saints came between Christ and His people. Human intercessors and advocates were exalted, and Christ and His fulness of offering was made of none effect. For the all-potential Head of the church a substitute was placed in the Vatican at Rome; a new head, "the vicar of Christ was given the church;" and the church followed in the apostasy, transgressing more and more, until the man of sin was in the church, and the transgression that maketh desolate had taken the place of the continual before God. The great apostasy was on, and Christ and His blessed fulness of saving truth was lost to the world for centuries.
We do not mean by this that men were not saved during those truly dark centuries. The heart which follows one ray of light will find in it salvation. But the unifying, perfecting fulness of truth was lost to the world. The headship of Christ was set aside for a human head. The mass eclipsed the continual available offering of the sacrifice of Christ. Christ was Himself removed far away by intervening saints and prelates and priests. Purgatory and eternal hell blackened the justice and mercy of God. The law of God was transgressed, set aside, and human tradition substituted. The truth of God was cast down, and error and transgression prospered.
How long should this continue? How long would God's service and continual interflow of life and love be blasted? The angel answers: "Unto two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."
What is the sanctuary? What is its cleansing? are questions which will be more fully answered in our next.