Wednesday: God’s Timescale
Another important concept that we need to keep in mind as we study the book of Daniel is the historicist approach to apocalyptic prophecies. This approach, also known as historicism, can be better understood if compared with the opposing views of preterism, futurism, and idealism.
- Preterism tends to view the prophetic events announced in Daniel as having occurred in the past.
- Futurism contends that the same prophecies still await a future fulfillment.
- Idealism, in turn, holds that apocalyptic prophecies are symbols of general spiritual realities without any specific historical referents.
- Historicism, in contrast, holds that in apocalyptic prophecy God reveals an unb
Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com
roken sequence of history from the time of the prophet to the end of time. As we study the book of Daniel, we will see that each major vision in the book (Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, 11) repeats this historical outline from different perspectives and with new details. The Adventist pioneers, including Ellen G. White, understood the biblical prophecies of Daniel and Revelation from a historicist perspective.
Read Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:5-6. In prophetic language what does a “day” usually represent?
As we study the book of Daniel, we should also keep in mind that prophetic time is measured according to the year-day principle. That is, a day in prophecy usually equals one year in actual historical time. Thus, for example, the prophecy of the 2,300 evenings and mornings should be understood as referring to 2,300 years (Dan. 8:14). Likewise, the prophecy of the 70 weeks should be understood to be 490 years (Dan. 9:24-27).
This time scale seems to be correct for some obvious reasons: (1) Since the visions are symbolic, the times indicated must also be symbolic. (2) As the events depicted in the visions unfold over long periods of time, even to the “time of the end” in some cases, the time spans related to these prophecies should be interpreted accordingly. (3) The year-day principle is confirmed by the book of Daniel. A clear example comes from the 70-week prophecy, which extended from the days of King Artaxerxes to the coming of Jesus as the Messiah. So the most obvious and correct way to make sense of the prophetic time periods given in the book of Daniel is to interpret them according to the year-day principle.
| Some of these time prophecies cover hundreds, even thousands of years. What should this teach us about patience? |
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The time prophecies interpreted on the year-day principle are considered fundamental to Seventh-day Adventists. And if we treat the lessons like a catechism, we would ask the questions: What is the year-day principle; What verses to we base it on; etc? Then we would provide the appropriate answers. But perhaps we need to go a little deeper than providing the "right" answers.
I want to be a bit provocative this morning and ask a more fundamental question: If the year-day principle had not been discovered, would there be any point to the book of Daniel? I am not trying to dissuade you from believing the year-day principle, but I am trying to get us to think about the fundamental reason for the Book being written. There is a danger that we are so concerned about the arithmetic that we forget the reason.
As a mathematics teacher, I am very well aware that students in maths classes think that the reason that we teach maths is so that they become good at maths. Then they go out into the world and after being involved in the business of living for 30 years or so, they run into me again and we reminisce about the maths classes. Their usual comment goes along the lines of; "You know all those quadratic equations you made us solve in class?"
"Yes", I reply.
"I have never in my whole life had to solve a quadratic equation outside of maths class!"
I respond usually along the lines of, "That may well be true, but you can solve the problems of life using the principles of logical reasoning and stepwise deduction. That is the life skill of Mathematics."
And is it possible that in the Mathematics and defense of the year-day principle and apocalyptic prophecy we have forgotten the main reason for study?
Our spiritual journey is not a vicarious experience. We need to study for ourselves.
I believe Maurice is on to an important principle in bible interpretation regarding numbers.
What are numbers to those of us living within a Western world context?
What were numbers to those living in ancient bible times?
To the ancient Hebrew, names were not first and foremost a title - but were rather a description of some quality of the person or place. Similarly, numbers were not first and foremost about quantity but were also first and foremost a description of the particular quality/nature of something.
Note for example how the genealogy in Matthew is not about being technically correct regarding how many generations there actually were from Abraham to the Messiah. Rather, Matthew is more concerned about reporting a pattern of 3 lots of 14 (2x7) generations - a trinity of 14's perhaps.
Therefore, like Maurice has invited, what might the significance of prophetic time periods be if they are primarily viewed in terms of the quality of the numbers rather than the quantity? Could our relatively modern focus on the quantity of numbers be obscuring our ability to see a more important significance?
I like the perspective that you come to the subject from. Matters like these are often treated like just facts, independent of the gospel. There are, as you have alluded, fundamental principles that simple passages like these bring out. Just think of you being in prison or behind enemy's line and you are allowed to write to your spouse. You know that the enemy will not only be delivering the letter but will be reading it as well and so you use codes/principles that he/she is familiar with. When your spouse reads the letter he/she will understand that you love him/her, not that only but it will mean nothing to the enemy.
Perhaps the message of Daniel is an opera of the message of the Bible- God’s every effort throughout Earth’s sin-age is to restore humanity to “eternity” and to destroy sin and death?
Using the year-day principle I take this opportunity to wish you a happy new prophetic day 2020.
May the almighty God bless us all.
Holy Spirit guide me in your ways, show me your timetable so I WILL WALK IN YOUR WILL.
As a child in school it was required of us to learn our timetable from 2-12 times. We learnt it by multiplication and division. We learn it because the teacher said so. We learnt it because we needed to see good grades on our exercise book with the red ink pen. Mental maths were required without any questions. Our concept of learning was limited, the reason for doing maths was to get good grades.
As I grew older I realized that the timetable goes beyond what I thought was the reasons I had to do maths. The timetable is a tool that everyone need to live on this earth, it goes beyond our wildest dreams. It is a tool that if applied rightly can be with us until we die.
Similarly, God timetable is not like man timetable. The plan of salvation is accurate to the T. His timetable had a beginning and an ending. Many prophecies lasted for different times, some for days, weeks, mths, and even thousands of years. But knowing and understanding all the prophecies is not all. 1 Cor 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;........and have no love I become nothing. Jer 9:24 and 1 Cor 1:31. Let us boast in this, that he understand and know God.
SDA are known as 'people of the book', but everyday I pray that we become known as 'people of love.' Jesus said by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have love for one another. Will anyone be lost if we do not know to differentiate prophecies, or live any prophecies. Prophecies will be fulfill regardless I believe it or not. If I refuse, the Lord will use others or other means to fulfill it.
Two points not mentioned in the lesson that helps me understand the year-day concept are:
1) the 2300 evenings and mornings were each 1 day not 4600 days when read with the creation narrative which states repeatedly "the evening and morning" was the 1st day, 2nd day etc Gen 1:5,8
2) just as Sabbath was every 7th day the land was to be given a Sabbath rest every 7th year, Lev 25:4
Just want to be clear, we are not apply the year prinipal to creation.
Yes, I agree and believe that Creation happened in 6 - 24 hour days and that fact helps us understand the term "2300 evenings and mornings" as 2300 days which do represent 2300 years in the symbolic prophecy. Some try to say it is 1150 literal days, we will discuss it more when we get to it.
My point being we can clues to the puzzles in the rest of the Bible.
Also on the subject of the 2300 days, perhaps could we sometimes overlook context?
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
The Sanctuary was cleansed once a year. So 2300 cleanses, could it mean 2300 years? If this is so, then there is no need, in this case, to go to other books to find the answer to the prophetic day/year principle.
Maurice is challenging us to think outside the box again!
For me I find the purpose of Daniel outside the time prophecies is to remind me that the LORD has dominion over the world.
The Bible starts by the LORD giving Adam and Eve dominion over every living thing Gen 1:26-28 but after the fall we see people striving to have dominion over each other and only a few acknowledging the LORD's dominion overall Ps 8:6, 103:22, 145:13
Then when we get to Daniel we find the question raised repeatedly - who has dominion and the answer is that although at times it may seem that an earthly kingdom has dominion that in fact it is the LORD and it will be revealed in the end that His Kingdom has dominion over all. Dan 7:27
As we study the book of Daniel look out for the word or concept of dominion -
Dan 2 - the rock became a mountain and filled the earth and all the other kingdoms were blown away Dan 2:35
Dan 4:34 Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges
Dan 6:26 Darius acknowledges
Dan 7:14 Son of Man given everlasting dominion over all and His kingdom shall never pass away.
So for me this is the main purpose of the book of Daniel, the time prophecies are to reassure us that as we see them being fulfilled that the end is near.
Preterism - Test of Abraham is an historical event recorded for us to study.
Futurism - For Abraham it prefigured the coming of Lord as a sacrificial lamb.
John 8:56 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see My day. He saw it and was glad.”
Abraham in this story is represented by the Father in heaven
Take your son, your only son, whom you love - represents Jesus Christ
10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. - Son of Abraham was spared from sacrificing his son but the Son of God was not spared being sacrificed.
This event recorded serves dual purpose.
There is a physical application and a spiritual application.
It is only by the Holy Spirit we can get the depth of the scripture passage.
Thank you so much for this discussion. I have struggled for years with the 2 verses that we give for the day/year prophecies. Although I have asked the Lord to make it clear to me, and I have studied to understand, I still felt like they were not sufficient, and like we as Adventist were stretching these verses to make them work for our own interpretations. I was thinking about this again today as I read through the lesson. I always felt that if I presented this to people who were not Adventist they would feel that it was insufficient evidence for the day/year prophecies because the context that they are in did not seem relatable to me. I appreciate the discussion here and that I need to remember that there is more to the study of Daniel than the mathematical equations. Thank you to everyone for sharing your thoughts on this.
This is my first time doing my lessons online and I am enjoying reading everyone's comments. Since I teach in the lower divisions of Sabbath School and have for years, I don't get to participate in the adult study, which I miss, so it is really nice to consider other's points of view here.
Welcome to SSNET Tammy! We are blessed to have you with us, and we are happy that while you are being blessed by teaching our young people that you are also blessed by being able to study online with us. Just a friendly reminder for you and all our SSNET family that we need first and last names when commenting to ensure the integrity of our discussions. Thanks again. Happy New Year and may God richly bless us all as we continue in His Word in 2020.
Thank you William, I will include my last name from now on.
I agree with you Tammy regarding questions over the strength of the grounds for a universal day/year principle.
Good day to All!
Hello and Welcome Tammy D
I have found that God leaves us with more than one way to test the truthfulness of His Word to us.
You see, if there were no day/year verses in the Bible, just researching the history and using basic 'math' would show us that from the date of the decree by Artaxerxes until Jesus was annointed as Messiah was more than 70 literal weeks!
You see, the Bible has history on its side!
Jesus was annointed at His Baptism. Luke 3:1 gives the year when this occurred. The fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar. The historical record gives AD_27 as that year.
Now we can 'do the math!'
Thank You Norma, I do see that & I agree with you. History does agree with the method. I do need to clarify that I believe in the method, I just always want to be as clear as I can be when I teach it to others. You make a great point, which I am aware of. I am grateful to hear others perspectives which help bring clarity to my own.