The Defiling of the Sanctuary

Detailed Activities of the Little Horn

With the exception of Daniel 1-2:3, which is written in the Hebrew language, the historical section of the Book of Daniel is written in Aramaic, the everyday language; but from Daniel 8-12, the language reverts back to the sacred Hebrew language of the Jews. This is most significant as our attention is now directed to the Heavenly Sanctuary.

(vs. 8-12)
The “little horn” became an object of concern: Daniel 7:19-22. Its activities are given great attention in the prophecy of Daniel 8: It grew to the host of heaven; It threw some of the host & stars to earth and trampled on them; It acted arrogantly against the Prince of the host (i.e. Christ); It took away the regular burnt offering from the Prince of the host; It overthrew the place of His Sanctuary; It cast the truth to the ground; It kept prospering in what it did; It became a king of bold countenance, skilled in intrigue.

He, the king, grew strong in power. He caused fearful destruction. He destroyed the powerful & the saints. He prospered deceitfully. He destroyed many & rose up against the Prince of princes (i.e. Christ). He will ultimately be destroyed by God.

Daniel 8 is the Main Chapter of the Book

There are 3 main parallels: (1) Between Daniel 7 & Daniel 8; (2) Between Daniel 8 & Daniel 9; (3) Between Daniel 8 & Daniel 10-12.

There are 4 significant contrasts: (1) The language changes to Hebrew; (2) The wild beasts change to sacrificial types; (3) It speaks in Sanctuary terminology; (4) Its focus is now upon the defilement of the Sanctuary.

Daniel 8-12 concentrates on the defilement & restoration.

Daniel 8 is Unique for Several Reasons

1. Theme: the redemption of God’s people. The bottom line is that even though God’s people have been the object of an indirect attack by Satan upon Christ, through His Cross, Jesus will bring complete redemption, vindication & deliverance to His people.

2. Jesus, the Son of God, gave light & meaning to the vision. Several noted Bible scholars such as Calvin & Wordsworth, identified the Son of God Who answered the question in verse 13; & there is a stronger indication in verses 15,16 that it could have been none other than Christ Who ordered Gabriel to help Daniel understand the vision concerning the Sanctuary.

3. This is the first time we read of “the time of the end”. Gabriel was sent by Christ to help Daniel understand (Dan.8:15,16) - the rest of the book is mainly what Gabriel explained. Only at “the time of the end” would the book be unsealed as knowledge increased (Daniel 12:4). It was only in the 19th century that scholars concluded that Daniel 9:24-27 contained the key to unlock Daniel 8:14; but it was even later that it was realised that Daniel 10-12 contain the completion of Gabriel’s explanation.

4. It was specifically to Chapter 8 & its expansions in later chapters that Jesus pointed to when He was on earth. c.f. Matthew 24:15.

5. Daniel 8:14 is the climax of the symbolic representations of Daniel’s Book. The explanation begun in Daniel 8:17 continued to the end of the book. From that point onwards, it is no longer symbolic but literal representation - the reason being that Christ had instructed Gabriel to help Daniel understand. As well as symbolic of the previous chapters, Daniel 8 is also the seed of chapters 9-12, as well as that of the New Testament eschatology.

So what does this climactic or key verse actually state?

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one that spoke, ‘For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled?’

“And he answered him, ‘For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be restored to its rightful state’” (Daniel 8:13,14, NRSV)

Focus on the Sanctuary

After God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, He gave instructions to build a Sanctuary: Exodus 25:8,9. The structure, furnishings, ceremonies, priests and animals were all designed to demonstrate the Plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ. They were a typology of God’s plan, orchestrated from the throne room of the universe (c.f. Revelation 4 & 5), that would bring about the redemption of His people but also eradicate sin for all eternity.

Although there were a number of special events, there were basically two main features - namely: [1] the Daily ministration & [2] the Annual Ministration.

The Daily Ministration involved the morning & evening sacrifices that illustrated the death of Jesus, “the Lamb of God” as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. This entailed the sacrifice in the courtyard (i.e. Christ’s earthly ministry) & then as our heavenly High Priest, He entered Heaven (i.e. the heavenly Sanctuary) to represent us as our Sin-bearer.

The Sanctuary contained two apartments: (a) the 1st Apartment (Holy Place) where the daily ministration also took place; since Jesus “ever lives to make intercession for us”: Hebrews 7:24,25. (b) The 2nd Apartment (Most Holy Place) in which stood the Ark of the Covenant. In it was placed the 10 Commandments (the eternal Moral Law of God); the Bible states that violation of this Law is sin (1 John 3:4). The Shekinah Presence, the glory of God, was enthroned above the Ark of the Covenant.

The Annual Ministration took place on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur - i.e.the day of judgement) when the High Priest (representing Christ) would appear before the throne of God. As he approached the throne of God and applied the blood of the atonement, he received recognition of the cleansing of the people. All the sins forgiven were now completely blotted out of the record. The event climaxed when a “fit man” (representing Christ) transferred to the Scapegoat - i.e. a goat of sending away (symbolising Satan) all the evil that he has instigated & removing him from the camp into the wilderness where it would perish, thus symbolising Satan’s final destruction & the eradication of evil.

The Day of Atonement was considered the day of judgement - i.e. a day of cleansing, of restoration, of putting right & reconsecration.

The Typology of the Earthly Sanctuary

The earthly Sanctuary foreshadowed the heavenly one: Hebrews 8:5, and could only illustrate the removal of sin: Hebrews 10:1; but Christ can remove it: Hebrews 10:11,12. Jesus has entered the Holy Place as our High Priest having obtained eternal redemption for us: Hebrews 9:11,12. Our redemption is only through the blood of Jesus: Hebrews 9:22; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18; John 1:29. Having borne our sins on the cross, Jesus will return again for us to be with Him: Hebrews 9:28.

Christ Fulfilled the Sanctuary Typology. Just before He died, Jesus proclaimed “It is finished” (John 19:30). That was a triumphant announcement that He had kept His promise to redeem us through His Own blood. The price of our sins has been paid. He fulfilled what the Ceremonial Law had symbolised by the Sanctuary service. He then, breathed His last; & at that moment, the veil of the temple was rent asunder from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50,51) thus, signifying that the typology of the Sanctuary was now fulfilled!

Focus on the Heavenly Sanctuary. We no longer need an earthly priesthood as they did in OT times because Jesus is now filling that role as our High Priest in Heaven: Hebrews 8:1,2; Hebrews 7:24,25. Through His atoning sacrifice, we have Jesus as our heavenly Intercessor with the Father: 1 John 2:1,2, so no other can suffice. Jesus did for us what we nor anyone else could never do. To receive His gift of Salvation, we need to believe in Jesus as our personal Saviour. We are to come directly to Him in true repentance, confessing our sins and accepting His forgiveness & receive His righteousness. We then receive Him into our lives through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Having been born again (i.e. starting a new life in Christ), we are baptised into Christ; and by trusting in His grace, we are to follow His Word & obey Him according to all His commandments. Our lives are now to prepare for His glorious return.

Recognising the Antichrist. ‘Antichrist’ means ‘instead of Christ’. Antichrist is someone who replaces Christ & usurps or counterfeits His position and ministry. No one has the ability nor the right to take the place of Christ. Anyone making such claims is a deceiver: 1 John 2:18; 2 John 7. We are warned in the Bible that such a deceiver will appear in Christendom declaring himself to be god: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10.

“Many of the great Christians of Reformation and post-Reformation times shared this view of prophetic truth and identified anti-christ with the Roman papacy . . . Among adherents of this interpretation were the Waldenses, the Hussites, Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Melanchton, Tyndale, Latimer, and Ridley” (George Ladd, The Blessed Hope, p.33).

“The Pope is antichrist here on earth” (John Wycliffe, De Papa, ch.2).

“O, how much pain it has caused me, though I had the Scriptures on my side . . . That I should dare to make a stand alone against the pope, and hold him forth as antichrist . . . ‘Twas so I fought with myself and with Satan, till Christ, by his own infallible word, fortified my heart against these doubts’ “ (Martin Luther, Martyn, pp. 372,373).

By substituting counterfeit teachings, the papacy has deflected from Christ’s effectual ministry & defiled the Sanctuary of Christ:

• Tradition placed above the sacred Scriptures.

• Salvation by works: penances & indulgences.

• Spurious claims of the priesthood: Confessional - priest forgiving sins; priest claiming power to create the Creator.

• Transubstantiation: denial of the full efficacy of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

• Mariology: approaching God through Mary; the immaculate conception.

• Changing God’s Holy Law of the 10 Commandments: abolishing the 2nd Commandment; replacing the Holy Sabbath with the pagan Sunday; and abbreviating the 10 Commandments.

• Idolatry: venerating images; praying to the saints & to Mary; veneration of relics; veneration of holy bones.

• Immortality of the soul.

• Purgatory.

• Use of ‘holy water’.

• Christening (sprinkling or pouring) instead of baptism: God-parents - i.e. deciding on the child’s behalf; Confirmation - i.e. confirming the above decision; Last rites.

• Pagan feast days.

• Celibacy.

So what does this climactic or key verse actually state?

And he answered him, ‘For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings;then shall the sanctuary be restored to its rightful state’” (Daniel 8:13,14, NRSV)

The chief applications of the “little horn” of Daniel 8 are to pagan and papal Rome, and to the final apostasy as indicated by Christ Himself. The spirit of antichrist, formerly witnessed in the typologies of ancient Babylon, have been manifested throughout history; and will continue to be so by the papacy until the very end of the world in what the Book of Revelation refers to as “Babylon the great”. The whole drama is motivated by Satan the chief antichrist who wants to be god and usurp the place of Christ. It will meet its climax with satanic delusions in these last days. But, Jesus, the genuine Christ assures us of the victory: John 16:33; Luke 12:32.

(Daniel 7)

The Real Christ Terminates Antichrist!

(vs. 9-14)
The vision of the Judgement scene given in chapter 7 highlights the fact that Jesus comes before the Father to receive His Kingdom. That Kingdom will be made up of His faithful saints: Daniel 7:13,14,18,26,27. While Judgement is given in favour of Christ and His saints, it will also bring an end to the little horn and Satan’s kingdom!

This article serves as the script for presentation #9 in "The Book of Daniel" series, delivered by Pastor Michael I. Walker. If you're interested in downloading a printable PDF version, just click here.

You can also find the video presentation recorded during the Zoom meeting on Friday, 28 February 2025, below.