“In view of the fact that the prophecy of the seventy weeks is recorded in Daniel 9, a prophecy that we have affirmed, it begins at the same time as the prophecy of the 2,300 evenings and mornings; in this article we will review how well-founded that interpretation is. The first argument we present in favor of that position is that in chapter 8 of Daniel we do not find a guide for the starting point of the prophecy of the 2,300 evenings and mornings, so we must look for it in the following chapter. This interpretation branches off into two sub-interpretations, which are: 1- That in Daniel 9 we do not find a vision, and that the primary purpose of that chapter is to explain the vision of Daniel 8. 2 – That in Daniel 9, Daniel is finally given an explanation of the prophecy of the 2,300 evenings and mornings that was not explained in Daniel 8.
It is true that in Daniel 9 we do not find a vision of astonishing beasts or sheep and goats fighting for power; but it is also true that in that chapter we find a ‘mareh’ vision, that is, an auditory one, similar to the one the young Samuel experienced when the Lord spoke to him at night on several occasions, leading him to fear revealing the VISION to Eli the following morning, as recorded in 1 Samuel 3:15; or the case of verses 13-26 in the same chapter 8 of Daniel, where a ‘mareh’ vision is recorded, an auditory one between two heavenly beings, which is part of the VISION of the 2,300 evenings and mornings. Regarding the second sub-interpretation, we have stated that in Daniel 8, the prophet was explained the ‘hazon’ or complete vision, but not the ‘mareh’ or specific vision of the 2,300 evenings and mornings. The previous statement trying to establish that in Daniel 8 we find two visions: a complete or total ‘hazon’ vision and a partial ‘mareh’ vision of 2,300 years, does not make sense; because the first one begins with the appearance of a ram representing the Medes and the Persians and ends with the vindication of the sanctuary, after the little horn is broken by a non-human hand; and the second one, that is, the one of the 2,300 years, also begins during the Persian empire in the reign of Artaxerxes and ends also with the vindication of the sanctuary.
Here it is important to ask ourselves: Temporally speaking, what difference exists between the complete or total ‘hazon’ vision and the partial ‘mareh’ vision of the 2,300 days, if both cover the same prophetic period? In this regard, the C. B. Adventist, volume II, page 446, records the following: ‘Mareh (vision) is also used to describe messages from God to men, either in dreams or through personal visits of heavenly messengers. The words ‘mareh’ and ‘hazon’ are used interchangeably with ‘chalom’ to refer to a dream.’ We confirm this in Daniel 8:15-17; where, on the one hand, we find Daniel trying to understand the vision (‘hazon’), and on the other hand, Gabriel is asked to explain the vision (‘mareh’) to Daniel, only to find that Gabriel ends up explaining the vision (‘hazon’) to the prophet. At this point we must ask ourselves: Did Gabriel not understand the request to explain the vision (‘mareh’) to Daniel; and ended up explaining the vision (‘hazon’); or, did Daniel use ‘hazon’ and ‘mareh’ interchangeably in the account of the vision of the 2,300 evenings and mornings? When reviewing Daniel 8, we find that Gabriel began by explaining to Daniel, who the ram with two horns was, the male goat, the four notable horns, and the moment of the APPEARANCE OF THE LITTLE HORN, which would profane the sanctuary; a sanctuary that would be vindicated after the little horn is broken by a non-human hand.
As we have seen, the explanation given by Gabriel was complete and meticulously detailed; which leads us to ask: What wasn’t explained to the prophet in Daniel 8, that was explained in Daniel 9? Our scholars affirm that the only part of the vision that Gabriel did not explain to the prophet was the purification of the sanctuary and the 2,300 days. In view of the above, we will look in Daniel 9 for the part that Gabriel did not explain to the prophet in Daniel 8. When reviewing Daniel 9, we find that not a single text mentions or alludes directly to the 2,300 evenings and mornings, the little horn, or the profanation and vindication of the sanctuary. The only text, from which we deduce or speculate has some relation to the 2,300 evenings and mornings, is verse 24, which reads: ‘Seventy weeks are determined for your people and your holy city…’. At this point we must ask ourselves honestly: Where in this text are the 2,300 evenings and mornings mentioned? There is no connection between ‘your people and your holy city’ and the 2,300 evenings and mornings. Our interpretation that in Daniel 9 we find the explanation of Daniel 8 is based on deductions and assumptions, such as the mention of the angel Gabriel and the use of the word ‘mareh’ in Daniel 9, which we relate to the prophecy of Daniel 8; when in reality, it has more relation and sense with the auditory experience that marks the beginning of the 70 weeks.
We will conclude by considering Daniel’s statement, that he was terrified by the vision and did not understand it, which has led to the assumption that the prophet needed a complementary explanation. To understand the terror and lack of understanding of the prophet, we must remember that at the time Daniel received the vision, Jerusalem and the temple were in ruins, and he expected the prophecy of Jeremiah to be fulfilled in a few years, indicating that after 70 years the desolation of Jerusalem and the sanctuary would end. The prophecy in Daniel 8 indicated the profanation and vindication of the sanctuary; and when the angel mentions to him to keep the vision, because it is for many days, Daniel is frightened and does not understand the revelation, as he contrasts it with what Jeremiah had prophesied, expecting it to be fulfilled in a few years. The C. B. Adventist, volume IV, page 873, comments as follows: ‘It is undoubtedly true that Daniel was greatly distressed by the events that had been revealed to him. Instead of predicting an immediate end to the wrong, Gabriel informed the prophet that the end would occur in a distant future’. The same volume, page 877, adds: ‘Daniel could not understand the relation between the 70 years of captivity predicted by Jeremiah and the 2,300 days (years) that were to pass before the purification of the sanctuary; he was bewildered when the angel told him that the vision was for many days’.
Searching for the meaning of the word ‘understand’ in Hebrew, helps us understand what the prophet did not understand in Daniel 8:26. The english word ‘understand’ is derived from four words in Hebrew. The first one is ‘yada’, whose primary meaning is to know; the second is ‘binah’ which refers to the act of understanding itself; the third is ‘sakal’, meaning intellectual comprehension, insight, etc.; and the last one is ‘bin’ which means to mentally separate, and is the term used in Daniel 9:27. That meaning fits the sense and correct interpretation of what Daniel expressed in his immediate context. Daniel’s amazement and lack of understanding were not related to his lack of knowledge (‘yada’), nor with his inability to understand (‘binah’), nor with his lack of intellectual comprehension (‘sakal’); but with his difficulty in mentally separating (“bin”), what was revealed from the expectations he had of what was going to happen in a few years.
After considering the above: Can we affirm that in Daniel 9 we find the explanation of the 2,300 evenings and mornings, when this prophetic portion was explained to the prophet in verses 20-23 of chapter 8? Where in Daniel 9 do we find an explanation of the 2,300 evenings and mornings and the vindication of the sanctuary? Blessings.”
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