Study

6. In the next chapter, the angel explains the prophecy in

greater detail. How long was the time period not
The previously described in the vision?
Fill in the blanks after reading each Bible text.  aniel 9:24 _______________ _______________ are determined
D
upon thy people and upon thy holy city, ... to seal up the vision and
prophecy.
1. Daniel had an amazing vision in which he saw a ram
with two horns (Daniel 8:1-4). Whom does this ram NOTE: Several years after Daniel’s vision about the 2,300 days, an angel of
represent? heaven flew quickly to his side to help him understand it. The angel also

Cleansing the Temple  aniel 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of
D
_______________ and _______________.
expanded the vision to include 70 prophetic weeks that were “determined
upon,” or allotted to, the Jews and the city of Jerusalem. God was giving His

Story . . .
chosen nation another chance—a 490-year opportunity to accomplish its
John 2:13-17 purpose of presenting the Messiah to the world (Daniel 9:23, 24).

The  2. Next Daniel saw a goat with a great horn between his
eyes. What does this mean? 7. What was the starting point for 2,300-day and 70-week

J Daniel 8:21, 22 The rough goat is the king of _______________: and time prophecies?
the great horn that is between his eyes is the _______________ king. Now Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth
esus was visibly grieved as He entered the temple
courtyard and surveyed the turmoil. On every hand He saw that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, _______________ of the commandment to _______________ and to build
pens filled with sacrifice animals and heard salesmen shouting kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation. _______________ unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,
and bargaining with visiting pilgrims for the highest price. The and threescore and two weeks.
cooing of doves, bleating of sheep, and lowing of oxen mingled NOTE: The male goat represents Greece and the big horn is a symbol of its first
together with the odors of a barnyard to form a concert of chaos. ruler, Alexander the Great. The four horns represent the four generals who took
NOTE: The angel told Daniel to begin counting the 2,300-day and 70-week
over parts of the empire when Alexander died.
This bedlam was never God’s plan. When Solomon built prophecies from the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. God’s people were
the first temple in Jerusalem, there was such respect for God’s in captivity in the Persian empire at this time. The decree was made in the
house that not even the sound of a 3. Then a little horn sprouts up from out of one of the four. seventh year of King Artaxerxes, who began to reign in 464 B.C. (Ezra 7:7).
hammer could be heard during its What power did this “little horn” represent? Artaxerxes’ decree in 457 B.C. was the only one that specified restoring and
construction. All the stones and boards rebuilding Jerusalem.
Acts 18:2 Claudius [Caesar] had commanded all Jews to depart from
were precut elsewhere, then brought to
_______________.
the temple site and quietly assembled 8. The angel said that if you count 69 weeks from 457 B.C.,
(1 Kings 6:7).
NOTE: The “little horn” that persecuted God’s people, trampled holy things, and
you will come to Messiah the Prince. Did this happen?
Jesus found a handful of cords used stood up against Jesus represented Rome—both pagan and papal. Rome is the  cts 10:37, 38 That word, I say, ye know ... after the baptism which
A
for restraining the sheep and tied them only power that followed Grecia and became exceedingly great. John preached; How God _______________ Jesus of Nazareth with the
into a small whip. Then the Son of God
Holy Spirit and with power.
called out in trumpet-like tones: “Take
4. Daniel was told that this little horn would defile the
these things hence; make not my Father’s
house an house of merchandise.” John
sanctuary. How long until it would be cleansed? NOTE: Yes, it did. Here is a fantastic miracle. Hundreds of years before Jesus was
anointed with the Holy Ghost, the event was foretold in prophecy! “Messiah” is
2:16. “It is written, My house shall be  aniel 8:14 Unto _______________ thousand and _______________
D
the Hebrew word for “anointed,” and the word “Christ” is the Greek equivalent.
called the house of prayer; but ye have hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Luke 3:21, 22 says this special anointing by the Holy Ghost took place at His
made it a den of thieves.” Matthew 21:13. baptism. Now here’s the key. In Bible prophecy, one prophetic day equals one
Moving from one booth to another, He NOTE: This 2,300-day period is the longest time prophecy in the Bible, but the literal year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6; Luke 13:32). Adding 69 weeks, or 483
then released the animals and overturned starting point is not given until the next chapter—in Daniel 9:25. prophetic days (69 x 7 = 483), to 457 B.C. brings us to the year A.D. 27.
the moneychangers’ tables.   483 years
Sensing they were in the presence of 5. How did Daniel respond when he saw the little-horn + 457 beginning date
Omnipotence, the terrified merchants fled from the temple       A.D. 26
power persecute God’s people and obscure the truth? +   1 year for 1B.C.-A.D. 1 (there was no zero year)
courtyard without looking back. Jesus wanted more than
anything for people to have a clear concept of His heavenly  aniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was _______________ certain
D       A.D. 27
days; ... and I was astonished at the vision, but none _______________ it. Jesus began His ministry as the Messiah after His baptism in A.D. 27, exactly
Father’s love and purity. This is why it broke His heart to see
483 years after the decree given in 457 B.C. This is why Jesus began preaching,
the holy temple turned into a flea market.
after His baptism, that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
Many years earlier, the prophet Daniel had foretold of NOTE: Daniel was so deeply grieved by what was to come upon God’s people
hand.” Mark 1:15. He was speaking of the time prophecy in Daniel 9:25.
another time when the temple would be defiled, God’s truth that he fainted and was sick for some time. But initially neither Daniel nor his
would be distorted, and His people oppressed. And once friends understood the 2,300-day section of the vision.
again, the Lord would come to cleanse His sanctuary.

–2– SP16 –3–

 9. What was to take place next in the prophecy? Romans 2:28, 29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; ... But he 16. Is God my accuser in the judgment?
is a _______________, which is one _______________.
 aniel 9:26, 27 After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be
D  evelation 12:9, 10 That old serpent, called the _______________ ... was
R
_______________ _______________, but not for himself ... And he cast out into the earth. ... The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which
NOTE: As of A.D. 34 with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58, 59), the literal Jewish
shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the nation was no longer God’s only chosen nation. Because they consistently resisted _______________ them before our God day and night.
_______________ of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the God’s plan for them, the nation of Israel is no longer the central focus of end-time
oblation to cease. prophecy. Now all who accept Jesus are His chosen people, and the promises God NOTE: No! Satan is your only accuser. Unfortunately, some Christians think Jesus is
made to literal Israel now also apply to spiritual Israel (Romans 9:6-8). trying to convince the Father to spare us during the judgment, but Jesus said, “The
Father himself loveth you.” John 16:27.
NOTE: The prophecy next predicted that Jesus would be “cut off,” or
crucified, in the middle of the last week of the 70-week prophecy. Counting 13. According to the angel who spoke with Daniel, what
three and one-half years from His anointing in the fall of A.D. 27 would take would happen at the end of the 2,300 years? 17. Must I stand alone in the pre-advent judgment?
us to the spring of A.D. 31, which is precisely when Jesus was crucified. At the
 aniel 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand three hundred days;
D A. Jesus is our advocate (1 John 2:1).
time He died, the temple veil was torn into two sections from top to bottom
(Matthew 27:50, 51), indicating that Jesus had caused the sacrificial system to then shall the _______________ be _______________. B. Jesus is our judge (John 5:22).
cease by His death as the Lamb of God. Please review the time line below: C. Jesus is our faithful and true witness (Revelation 3:14).
NOTE: In A.D. 34, there remained 1,810 years of the 2,300-day prophecy. (Note
A.D. 31 dates in diagram below.) Adding 1,810 years to A.D. 34 brings us to the autumn NOTE: Thankfully, no. In the judgment, Jesus is the Christian’s attorney, judge, and
457 B.C. A.D. 27 A.D. 34 witness. If you live for Jesus, you can’t lose (Romans 8:1; Colossians 1:12-14)!
of 1844. The angel said that at that time, the heavenly sanctuary would be
69 prophetic weeks = 483 literal years
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-— cleansed. (The earthly sanctuary was destroyed in A.D. 70.) Jesus, our high priest

Response
1 week = 7 years in heaven (Hebrews 4:14-16; 8:1-5), began removing the records of sin from the
—-—-—-—
70 prophetic weeks = 490 literal years heavenly sanctuary (Revelation 20:12; Acts 3:19-21) in 1844. This first phase of

Your
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—
the judgment is called the pre-advent judgment because it takes place before Jesus’
second coming.
10. Jesus told His disciples to preach first to which group A.D. 31 If Jesus is your attorney in the judgment, He promises to win your case. Will you turn
of people? your life over to Him today?
 atthew 10:5, 6 Go not into the way of the Gentiles, ... But go rather
M 457 B.C. A.D. 27 A.D. 34 A.D. 1844 ANSWER: _______________
483 years

Supplement
—-—-—-—-—-—
to the lost sheep of the house of _______________.
7 years
—-—-— 1,810 years
490 years —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—
NOTE: Jesus insisted that His disciples preach first to the Jews, because they —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—
2,300 prophetic days = 2,300 literal years
still had three and a half years remaining of their 490-year opportunity to accept —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—
and proclaim the Messiah. The prophecy in Daniel 9:27 said that Jesus would
This section provides additional information for further study.
confirm the covenant, or the great plan of salvation, with many for one 14. Whose cases are being considered in the pre-advent
prophetic week (seven literal years). But Jesus was crucified in the midst of that judgment? The Floating Week
final week allotted to His chosen nation, so how could He confirm the covenant Some Bible students detach the last week (or seven literal years) of the 490-
with them after His death? The answer is found in Hebrews 2:3: “How shall we  Peter 4:17 Judgment must begin at the _______________ of
1 year prophecy given in Daniel and apply it to Antichrist’s work at the end of
escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by _______________. time and a seven-year tribulation. There is no Bible support for this practice.
the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” Jesus’ disciples
Let’s review a few facts:
preached to the Jews for that final three and a half years, until the nation NOTE: This first phase of judgment considers only those who claim to be God’s A. The 490-year prophecy is a continuous time period, as were the 70 years
officially rejected the gospel message in A.D. 34 when Stephen, a righteous children.
deacon, was publicly stoned. (See supplement entitled “The Floating Week.”)
of exile for God’s people mentioned in Daniel 9:2.
B. The starting point for the last seven years of the prophecy was Jesus’
15. What will be examined in this first phase of judgment? baptism (A.D. 27). This is why He began to preach, “The time is
11. What warning did Jesus give to His chosen people? fulfilled.” Mark 1:15.
A. Revelation 20:12 The dead were judged out of those things which were
 atthew 21:43 The kingdom of God shall be _______________ from
M written in the _______________. C. At the moment of His death on the cross, in the spring of A.D. 31, Jesus
you, and given to a _______________ bringing forth the fruits thereof. cried out, “It is finished.” The Saviour here clearly referred to the
B. Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every _______________ into
predictions of His death made in Daniel chapter 9. They are as follows:
judgment, with every _______________ thing.    1. “Messiah” would be “cut off,” or crucified (verse 26).
NOTE: Jesus had made it very clear that the special status of the Jewish nation
would be revoked if the people persisted in rejecting the Messiah. C. James 2:12 They ... shall be judged by the _______________ of    2. He would “cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” by dying for
_______________. all as the true Lamb of God (verse 27; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 15:3).
12. So what is the other “nation” spoken of by Jesus in    3. He would “make reconciliation for iniquity” (verse 24).
NOTE: The evidence in the judgment comes from books kept in heaven, which His coming as the foretold Messiah, right on time, proved all dates of the entire
Matthew 21:43, which would become His chosen contain all the details of a person’s life. (See also Psalm 56:8.) The Ten 490- and 2,300-year prophecy to be flawless and complete.
people? Commandments, God’s law, is His standard in the judgment (Revelation 22:14).
 alatians 3:29 And if ye be _______________, then are ye Abraham’s
G
seed, and _______________ according to the promise. ©1999 Amazing Facts, Inc.
All Rights Reserved P.O. Box 909
–4– –5– Printed in the USA Roseville, CA 95678