Daniel 8 - The Cleansing of the Sanctuary

Intro

Hook

Ever since COVID 19 everyone has been waiting for things to get back to normal.

But we may just be living in the new normal.

For certain, we know things won’t go back to “normal” until after November. It’s an election year.

So between COVID 19, politics, and civil unrest, we’re watching the plot thicken.

Trust

We’re also watching the plot thicken in the book of Daniel.

Daniel has a parallel, repeat-and-enlarge structure.

Prophecy repeats the same same story over and over and zooms in on a different set of details each time the story is retold.

[[Read Daniel 8]]

Notice that time has moved forward. Daniel 5 has happened. Babylon has been dethroned. So the vision begins in Persia. 

Need

We see the different phases of the spiritual attack of the antichrist

(Review: The antichrist arises [Dan 7]...

out of Europe

after the fall of the Roman empire

Conquers 3 opposing kingdoms

Is a religious and political power

Is a blasphemous power

Is a persecuting power

Reigned prominently for 1260 years)

The Antichrist...

Daniel 8:9-12

Exalts himself to heaven. 

Demotes the role of angels. 

Distorts and deemphasizes Christ's ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary. 

Capitalizes upon people's sins

Casts truth to the ground

Daniel 8:23-26A

King of fierce countenance (proud and rebellious)

Understanding dark sentences (secrecy and mystery, Mystery Babylon)

Made mighty by another power (Empowered by Satan, given authority by Roman state)

Destroys mighty and holy people (political and religious persecution)

Crafty policies

Magnifies himself in the heart (humble outward appearance)

Destroys many by peace (unassuming character, promotes unity apart from the truth)

Puts himself in place of Christ

Three times in Daniel 7 we see that the antichrist is taken down by God's work of judgment (Dan. 7:7-14; 21-22, 25-26)

In Daniel 8 the same little horn is destroyed by God's power. He's taken down when the sanctuary is cleansed, set right, restored, or reconciled. 

Proposition

God will bring an end to the Antichrist’s spiritual reign of terror by completing the work of reconciliation, cleansing the sanctuary.

Development

To reconcile means to bring about agreement between two parties that have been in disagreement.

The work of reconciliation began at the cross, symbolized in the Old Testament by the animal sacrifices offered in the Sanctuary (Rom. 5:11; 2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20; John 1:20; Heb 9:12; Ex, 29:38-44; Num. 28:3-8).

The work of reconciliation is being brought to completion since 1844 in the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary, symbolized by the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16; Heb. 9:23-28).

God has to reconcile the books of heaven, because there’s a disagreement between the sins people confess and ask forgiveness for and the sins they actually repent of (Prov. 28:13; Acts 3:19).

God has to reconcile the truth about His name, because there’s disagreement between what people say and believe about God and who He actually is (1 John 1:5; 4:8, 16; Jer. 31:3; Is. 40:9; Ex. 34:6-7).

God has to reconcile the church roll, because there’s a disagreement between the church roll in heaven and the church roll on earth (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 3:5; Php. 4:3).

God has to reconcile our lives, because there’s disagreement between what we say we believe and how we actually live (Is. 33:14; Matt. 7:23; Lk. 6:46)

Conclusion

2 Corinthians 7:1 (Wordstudy KJV)

1 Having therefore these promises, [dearly beloved,] let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.