2,300 Mornings and Evenings
Daniel 8:13-14 includes an enigmatic statement about the length of the desolation of the holy place. “Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, ‘How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?’ And he said to me, ‘For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored‘” (NAS). There are at least three questions that relate to this statement.
The first question is how long of a period is meant by “2,300 evenings and mornings.” Most Bible scholars take this to be 2,300 days, which is approximately 6 years and 4 months. However, a few understand it to refer to a combined total of 2,300 evenings and mornings, i.e. 1,150 evenings and 1,150 mornings, thus 1,150 days or approximately 3 years and 2 months.
The second question relates to the general time when this period occurs. Despite the fact that the context of this vision indicates that it relates to the Persian and Greek periods (cf. verses 20-21), some interpreters suggest that the “time of the end” (v. 17, 19) would allow this to be understood as referring to the events of the 2nd advent (yet future for us). Some also, while acknowledging that it must be set in the Hellenistic period, argue that it may have a typological fulfillment in the future. However, there seems to be nothing in the prophecy that cannot be related to the Persian and Hellenistic periods, prior to the time of Christ.
The third question has to do with the start and end dates of this period. The event that marks the end of the 2,300 days is that “the sanctuary will be restored.” The most obvious fulfillment of this was the restoration of the temple of Jerusalem under the Maccabees in December of 165 BC. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah commemorates that event. If that is the end date, what marks the beginning?
Calculating back 1,150 days brings us to about October of 168 BC. This is only about 2 months before the temple was desecrated by Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, on his return from a great humiliation in Egypt at the hands of the Romans. However, the times do not seem to match up precisely; it is off by about 2 months. Calculating back 2,300 days puts us in the late summer of 171 BC. It was around that time that the high priest Jason was deposed by Antiochus, replaced by the corrupt, politically appointed Menelaus. A number of biblical scholars suggest this may mark the start of the 2,300 days; however, we do not have a precise date for the deposing of Jason.
Timeline showing two possible interpretations of Daniel’s 2,300 days.
It seems that we do not have sufficient historical information to determine between these possibilities with certainty. Several reasonable explanations are available, but our knowledge is lacking.
It may be worth noting that during the early 1800s, this prophecy of 2,300 days was used by the Baptist lay-preacher William Miller to predict the coming judgement of God. Miller argued that the days represented years; beginning the prophecy in 457 BC with the return of Ezra to Jerusalem, he predicted that Judgment Day would occur in AD 1844. The prediction became hugely popular, but 1844 came and went without the return of Christ. The few Millerites who clung to the prophecy eventually re-interpreted it as a heavenly, investigative judgement, and they formed the Seventh Day Adventist movement. The events of 1844 became known as the Great Disappointment.
Cartoon poking fun at the Millerite movement following the Great Disappointment.
William Miller once said one needed to “bring all scriptures together on the subject you wish to know; then let every word have its proper influence, and if you can form your theory without a contradiction you cannot be in error.” That should be a cautionary tale.
The 2300 days start on Tishri 1 in 170 BC and end on Kislev 25 in 164 BC when the new altar of sacrifice was set up. The reason this can not be explained by Hillel’s jewish calendar is because his calendar only has 2 leap years between 170-164 BC. This period requires 3 leap years during that particular stretch of time. See the Elijah Calendar at app.elijah.com
The 2300 days begin from the 70weeks at the beginning of the descree to rebuild and restore jersualem when the exiles had justed return to Judah. From Daniel chapter 9 the seventy weeks began in 457 B.C king artexeres decreed. For the Jews return to Jerusalem and rebuild. Messiah was cut off in the mid of the week in A.D 27 Jesus Christ is baptised by John the Baptist. And anointed with the holy spirit after his disciples and he went into the wilderness for 40days and 40nights fasting were he is tempted by the devil eventually he overcome the tempter. His ministry only lasted for three and half years In A.D 31 he is crucifed and he died to redeem lost human who had transgressed through Adam,s sin. A.D 34 the Stephen one of the chosen deacon is stoned to death by the Sanhedrin thus the Jewish rulers reject the risen messiah and begin persecuting his followers or disciples. Subtracting 2300days from 457 we get 1843 which begin us to the time of the millerite movement in the which was born the advent movement and from thus which eventually built the Seventh day adventist movement. The only mistake miller did was in the event that was going to take place. In 1844 Jesus was moving from the holy place into the most holy place to commence the investigative judgement. The cleansing of the sanctuary was not the final purification of the earth by fire. It was the commencement of the work of the high priest in his intercessory work. In 1844 Christ shut the door of the holy place and opened the door. Of the most holy place. Which we are now. When the work is finished here probation will close and all cases will be decided
I am familiar with the SDA “year-day” principle. However, the specific way these days are identified as “morning and evenings” should alert us to the fact that they describe literal days, not prophetic years. William Miller did in fact calculate a date for the return of Christ (despite the fact that Jesus himself did not know the date, and he said no other man did either – Mark 13:32). When Miller’s prediction proved wrong, many concluded that he was a false prophet. Switching the object of the prophecy after the fact to a spiritual event that cannot be verified or falsified (how would we know if Jesus “shut the door” in heaven in 1844?) was not convincing for most.
The three years are described in The Maccabeans. 2300 evenings and mornings go from Kislev 15 to Kislev 25 three years later. The two month discrepancy is that there is two intercalary months in that time in two of the years. In the time period there are two Adar II months…thats exposes all the false 2300 year predictions as false.
The vision of the 2300 “evenings and mornings” is about the sequence and outcome of events that relate to the “time of the end” or “last days,” and the final outcome, Christ’s second coming. In the Bible, depending on the context, a day can represent a thousand years or a year. In this context, a day represents a year, as stated in Ezekiel 4:6. This is substantiated in Daniel 9:24-27.
Daniel 8:3-4 (NASB 1995)
The rise of Medo-Persia, 551 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1750 A.D., the year the Jewish settlement in the Holy Land greatly increased in size and strength. It was also the year the “high enlightenment” and Industrial Revolution began. The eighteenth century A.D. was the time of the “enlightenment” or “age of reason,” and the “great awakening.” The “enlightenment” or “age of reason” emphasized reason over superstition and science over blind faith. The “great awakening” emphasized virtues of preaching, rudimentary liturgy, and a deep sense of personal guilt and redemption by Christ. Both events were a major turning point in human history, a “period of light” replacing “periods of darkness.” During this period Jews began to receive civil rights.
Daniel 8:5 (NASB 1995)
The rise of Macedonia, Greece, 353 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1948 A.D., the year the Jewish State of Israel was proclaimed in part of the ancient land of Israel. The rise of Alexander the Great, Macedonia, Greece, 336 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1965 A.D., the year Nostra Aetate, issued by Vatican II, marked a turning point in relations between the Roman Church and the Jews. Nostra Aetate repudiated the centuries-old “deicide” charge against Jews, recognized Judaism, and condemned anti-Semitism.
Daniel 8:6-7 (NASB 1995)
Alexander the Great’s first major victory against Medo-Persia, 334 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1967 A.D., the year Israel took back the Temple Mount from gentile nations, Jerusalem is reunited. Alexander the Great’s last major battle against Medo-Persia, 331 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1970 A.D., the year Israel won the War of Attrition. Alexander the Great’s victory against the last forces of Medo-Persia, 328 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1973 A.D., the year Israel won the Yom Kippur War.
Daniel 8:8 (NASB 1995)
The death of Alexander the Great, 323 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1978 A.D., the year the Camp David Accords were signed between Israel and Egypt. The rise of the Diadochi, Alexander the Great’s successors, 322 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1979 A.D., the year a peace treaty was signed between Israel and Egypt. The peace treaty notably made Egypt the first Arab state to officially recognize Israel.
Daniel 8:9 (NASB 1995)
Rome’s victory against the Etruscans, 308 B.C. and 2300 years point to 1993 A.D., the year the Holy See, Vatican City State, officially recognized Israel. Rome’s victory against Pyrrhus, Epirus, 275 B.C. and 2300 years point to 2026 A.D., the year to usher in a significant event. Manius Curius Dentatus’s triumph over Pyrrhus and the Samnites, 274 B.C. and 2300 years point to 2027 A.D., the year to usher in a significant event. Rome recognized as a major power by Ptolemy II, Macedonian king of Egypt, 273 B.C. and 2300 years point to 2028 A.D., the year to usher in a significant event. Rome’s victory against the Greek city-state of Tarentum, 272 B.C. and 2300 years point to 2029 A.D., the year to usher in a significant event. Rome’s victory against the last remnants of resistance in the south of Italy, 271 B.C. and 2300 years point to 2030 A.D., the year to usher in a significant event. Rome’s subjugation of Italy, 270 B.C. and 2300 years point to 2031 A.D., the year to usher in a significant event.
The “small horn” in Daniel 8 symbolizes Rome, the “them” refers to from one of “the four winds of heaven,” that is one of the compass points of the map. The original Hebrew reads “and from the one, from them,” the “them” being the plural nouns closest to the phrase itself, which are “the four winds of heaven.” Grammatical, syntactical, and contextual evidence points to “the four winds of heaven,” not the four “notable ones,” as the origin point of the “small horn.” The phrase, “the place of His sanctuary was thrown down” indicates what was done to the temple building, God’s dwelling place itself, and the entire daily service by the “small horn.”
Daniel 8:14 (NASB 1995)
The “holy place will be properly restored” is about justifying or vindicating the righteousness of God.
If I follow your logic, you convert “mornings and evenings” to “days,” and then convert “days” to “years.” One might argue for one such conversion; a symbol by its very nature is just that (i.e. “mornings and evenings” stands for 24-hour days). However, the argument for multiple layers is not convincing, and it opens the door wide for personal interpretation that has no end, in my view.
The “year-day” principle was employed by the early leaders of the Seventh Day Adventist movement to determine that Jesus would return in 1844. When that failed to happen, it became known as the “Great Disappointment.” You’ll forgive my great skepticism about taking it even further and applying it to a random selection of other events in history (a victory of Alexander the Great, his death, Roman victory over the Etruscans), all pointing to “significant events” in coming years. What constitutes a “significant event,” and what is the benefit of deducing it will happen if you have no idea what it is? Doesn’t every year, or even every month, have significant events? Trying to calculate or predict events leading up to the end time is futile, and a great distraction to the church. Jesus said that he himself did not know the day or hour (Mark 13:32), but with hard work we can figure it out? Jesus said we will not know, but that we are to be ready at any time, awake, alert, watching (Luke 12:31-40).