Appendix: The 2300 days of Daniel

The 2300 Days Prophecy

The vision given to the prophet Daniel in chapter eight concerns "the time of the end." The emphasis in this vision is the "little horn," who is the Antichrist, the final world ruler before the coming of the Messiah.

That this is during the time immediately before the Messiah is seen in all of Daniel's five time sequences:

• Daniel chapter two: At the end of the vision were ten toes, representing ten kings. Daniel wrote, "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed" (Dan. 2:44). Daniel's other visions show that the final set of kings are also represented by ten horns, and out of these ten horns will arise a "little horn." So the little horn rules during the "days of these kings," the ten, immediately prior to when the Messiah's kingdom will be set up.

• Daniel chapter seven: Daniel wrote regarding the fourth of four great beasts, "It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words" (Dan. 7:4b, 8). It is this final king of whom the vision says, "He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time" (Dan. 7:25). These three and one-half years of persecution correspond to the last half of the seventieth week in chapter nine, and the final time of the vision of chapters ten, eleven, and twelve. Then this little horn of chapter seven is destroyed by the coming Messiah: "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:13 - 14).

• Daniel chapter eight: Again, in this vision, a "little horn" (verse nine) is spoken of. An angel says, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end" (Dan. 8:17). Of this little horn the angel says, "Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means" (Dan. 8:25). This is the same one the other visions show, who will be destroyed by the coming Messiah. It is this little horn who is ruling during the 2300 days of that vision, which occurs "at the time of the end."

• Daniel chapter nine: In this prophecy, which the angel Gabriel spoke to Daniel, the last half of the final seven years shows "the prince who is to come" will "bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate" (Dan. 9:27b). This corresponds to the "little horn" of the other visions. Immediately after this seventieth week, vision and prophecy will be sealed up and "the Most Holy" will be anointed.

• Daniel chapters ten, eleven, and twelve: This vision shows a foreshadowing of the little horn with a description of Antiochus IV at the end of the Grecian Empire. This is a type that finds its antitype immediately after as the vision continues into chapter twelve. There, "At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:1 - 2). This shows the great trial and tribulation of the time immediately before the Messiah comes, and repeats what is shown in the other visions: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days" (Dan. 12:11 - 12). This speaks of the final three and one-half years, and then a period of time in which the Messiah judges the nations and establishes His kingdom.

It is during this time of the end in which the Antichrist will reign and the 2300 days are spoken of. This is the account in Daniel chapter eight: "And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, 'How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?' And he said to me, 'For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed' " (Dan. 8:9 - 14).

The following pages chart the context of this time period.