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BACKGROUND
Let us begin by remembering that we will be using the KJV of the scriptures.
The 2300 day prophecy is found in the eighth chapter of Daniel. The prophecy itself is given from verse three to verse
fourteen, and the explanation is given in verses twenty to twenty-six. Please read the whole chapter through carefully
before continuing on with this article.
You will find verses three to eight explained by verses twenty to twenty-two.
The ram with two horns is the Media Persian Empire which is destroyed by the first king of a united Greece. He now dying,
his kingdom is divided into four parts.
Historically, the first king of a united Greece was Alexander, who
died in 323 BC after conquering the Medo Persian Empire. After his death, many men tried to assume his mantle as
ruler of the lands that he had conquered. In 304 BC Antigonus declared himself king and demanded that all the others
submit to him. Cassander, Lysimachis, Nicator and Ptolemy did not agree and also declared themselves to be kings over their
own lands. This issue, of who was greatest, was finally decided at the battle of Ipsus in 301 BC when Antigonus
was defeated and killed by the other four. Meanwhile, the son of Antigonus, Demetrius, was able to flee the field and
continued as king of various areas in his father's place.
In 297 BC Cassander died and was succeeded by
his eldest son Philip, who in turn died the next year (296 BC). In 295 BC, the widow of Cassander, Thessalonice; divided
the kingdom of Macedonia between her two remaining sons, Antipater and Alexander. They took to quarreling and Antipater
murdered his mother and attacked his brother Alexander. Alexander called for help from Demetrius, who came
and murdered the young man, seizing his kingdom. Demetrius then attacked Alexander's brother, Antipater, who
fled to his uncle Lysimachis. Lysimachis had the lad executed for the murder of his sister, the boy's mother in
294 BC. These events brought to an end the family of Cassander. Extinguishing Cassander, his wife and his three
sons and reducing the successors of Alexander to four; Demetrius, Ptolemy, Lysimachis and Nicator.
To further complicate
things a number of the possessions of Demetrius declared their independence while these struggles were going on. After
Demetrius took the necessary time to secure Macedonia he proceeded to retake Thessaly and Boeotia in 291 BC, completing the
job in 290 BC. Thus bringing the empire of Alexander under only four rulers in 290 BC and fulfilling Dan 8:22.
THE END TIME
For at the TIME of the END shall be the VISION Dan 8:17. Behold, I will make
thee know what shall be in the LAST END of the indignation: for at the TIME APPOINTED the END SHALL BE Dan 8:19. And in the
LATTER TIME of their kingdom, when the transgressors are COME TO THE FULL Dan 8:23. This VISION, this prophecy is for
the END TIMES. It was not and could not have been fulfilled by Antiochus, over two thousand years ago! It is for
our day, NOW!
THE 2300 DAYS
How long shall be the VISION? Unto 2300 days, then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed Dan 8:14. Margin 2300 evenings and mornings. What is an evening and morning? The evening and morning
were the first day Gen 1:5. The evening and morning were the second day Gen 1:8. The evening and morning were the third day
Gen 1:13. One evening and morning is one day. Two evenings and mornings are two days. Three evenings and mornings are
three days. One hundred evenings and mornings are one hundred days. And, twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings are twenty-three
hundred days!
Suddenly from the four divisions of Alexander's kingdom in Dan 8:8, the prophecy leaps
forward to the last days Dan 8:9. Shown in the explanation; are the four divisions in verse twenty-two leaping forward
to the LATTER TIME in verse twenty-three.
In the LATTER TIME a fierce king shall appear, understanding secret things
he shall destroy and prosper Dan 8:23-24. He shall destroy many while they are AT PEACE Dan 8:25, 1` Thes 5:3.
He shall stand up against the Prince of Princes, Jesus Christ at His coming Dan 8:25, but he shall be broken Dan 2:35 and
thrown into the fire Rev 19:20 and Dan 7:11. This fierce king shall have power to make war, to occupy Jerusalem, for
forty two months or 1260 days Rev 13:5. When he and the false prophet are destroyed the sanctuary will be CLEANSED!
This king magnifies himself against the Prince of the host, Jesus Christ. By the Prince of the host, Jesus Christ,
the daily was taken away (stopped) and His sanctuary was cast down Dan 8:11 being given over to the gentiles Rev
11:1-2 and because of transgressions the host was given over to this king, margin.
The whole vision about this
king shall be 2300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed Dan 8:13-14.
The explanation is this: From
the time that Alexander's empire is divided into four parts, until the sanctuary shall be cleansed and the kingdoms
described in Dan 2 destroyed with the death of the fierce king and the false prophet shall be 2300 years (a year for a day).
Coming forward 2300 years from 290 BC, adding one year for the year zero gives us 2011 AD, when the sanctuary shall be cleansed
by the coming of Jesus Christ. Now subtracting 42 months (1260 days) shows that this final beast emperor is to be empowered
and will occupy Jerusalem at the end of 2007 or shortly thereafter. Given the historical difficulties of the Greek struggles
it is possible that this date might be in error by a year or two, but one thing is certain; IT IS VERY CLOSE INDEED!
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