The "Daily" of Daniel 8
William Diehl
Thank you for your comment regarding "the daily" of Daniel 8 and 11. I must respectfully reject this interpretation which you offer. The reason that the translators supplied "sacrifice" is that this is the obvious meaning that the vision is seeking to express. The little horn is waging war against the "covenant" and the "sanctuary" and the "truth". He desecrates the place of atonement and places the "abomination of desolation" in its place. This is the actual heart of the meaning of the prophecy. To see the "daily" as merely the succession of power that the Antichrist exercises over the earth is to weaken the meaning of these specific texts. Daniel 2 and 7 are in fact, as you accurately state, focusing on the powers and world governments successively dominating the people of God until God sets up His everlasting kingdom. BUT chapters 8, 9, and 11 are dealing with the desecration of the sanctuary (see especially Dan 8:14).
The purpose of the "cleansing of the sanctuary" is to reclaim and restore the gospel of the "daily" justifying of God's people through faith alone in the blood of the Everlasting Covenant of our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, the mediator of a new and better covenant ratified by His own precious blood. His blood alone allows God's people to be accepted on this THE ANTITYPICAL DAY OF ATONEMENT, in the presence of the throne of God and His infinite righteousness that is expressed in the Law of God within the arc of the covenant.
In light of this grand theme of salvation, the beauty of the final judgment of the little horn shines wonderfully. It is the Antichrist that is judged unto CONDEMNATION, while the people of God who are repentantly gathering by faith to the sanctuary of God on this the day of atonement will be judged and acquitted and delivered from the enemy who is the desolator. In the final judgment they are justified by grace through faith in the doing and dying of Jesus their sinless High Priest.
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time THY PEOPLE SHALL BE DELIVERED, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Thus the judgment of the people of God is GOOD NEWS of our salvation, not our condemnation. The people of God are saved by the judgment. True that all the world, including the people of God, will be judged by the infinite standard of the holy Law of God, BUT the people of God will not come into condemnation, because they have come before the Judge with the blood and incense of their great High Priest and they are justified in the day of judgment by faith in the perfect sin offering that has been provided for them in Christ. THEY ARE SAVED BY GRACE IN THE JUDGMENT!
As the song writer has so beautifully written:
Jesus stands for me in Judgment,
He the Lamb all bleeding torn.
Pleading now for me His merits,
There before the Father's throne.
See His hands all nail riven.
See His head all crowned with thorns.
Hear Him say for thee I've suffered,
It is for thee the cross I've born.
(by Robert Brinsmead)
And another song writer has said:
Some serve the Lord for sweet reward,
the golden streets to walk.
Some speak of crown and flowing gown,
of mansions do they talk.
But should the Lord by grace divine,
the crown grant me to wear,
I'll cast it down before His throne,
unworthy to be there.
Praise God! That crimson fount proclaims,
"By faith the just shall LIVE!"
Praise God! The Savior gave His life;
My sins, He did forgive.
Some day He's coming back again,
to wipe away each tear;
Some day we'll stand before His throne,
unworthy to be there!
The promised Seed did victr'y win,
the Serpent's head did crush.
In Him all nations now are blessed,
through Calvr'y's healing touch.
Our sin and guilt are washed away;
no need to fret or care.
We'll sing this song through ages long,
"Unworthy to be there!"
The Lamb came forth to take the scroll;
the curse on Him did fall!
The death decree's been swallowed up,
atonement made for all!
One day when we, on sea of glass,
with song of Moses hail,
We'll sing of Him with grateful hearts,
of Love that ner' did fail.
Chorus:
Unworthy to be there!
The Cross for me did bear,
He died for me! He died for me!
A crown of thorns did wear!
(by Bill Diehl)
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