Daniel Bible Prophecy

Daniel Chapter 8

The Daily

There is some controversy over what the Daily actually is. Essentially there are two major views, one being that it is the High Priestly ministry of Christ, and the second view is that the Daily is Paganism. I will be presenting what I believe the Bible teaches on this subject, but in saying so, it is not for the sake of trying to start any arguments over the matter. If you are convicted that the way I have presented this subject is the correct view, so be it, but please do not use this study to go out and beat someone else over the head with. It is not something to be pushed to the limit in the Church to bring about divisions.

Daniel 8:11 “Yes, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. 13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?”

In this study we will actually start at verse 13 as it is the easiest verse in helping to identify what the Daily is.

Firstly we need to look at how many entities are mentioned in this verse, and then determine who these entities are and which ones are evil and which are good. Also we will see which entities are linked to which. These things will be most helpful in our study of the Daily.

The powers mentioned in verse 13.

Essentially there are four entities mentioned in this verse, they are as follows;

1. The Daily (sacrifice is a supplied word and is not there in the original).
2. The Transgression of desolation.
3. The Sanctuary.
4. The Host.

How many groups are there? – When looking at this verse it is seen that there are only two groups. The reasoning for this is as follows;

The structure of the wording in the sentence shows that, the Daily and the Transgression of desolation are linked together, as they are connected together with the connecting word ‘and’. It is the same as saying Colleen and Stephen Richards. Two different names but they share the same last name for they are connected together. Thus we can read the verse as, the Daily and Transgression of desolation (remembering that sacrifice is a supplied word and is not there in the original language). This places both of them with the same last name of desolation, the Daily desolation and the Transgression of desolation, the original language is structured as such.

Also the word ‘both’ is used. When the word ‘both’ is used it automatically separates these four entities into two groups, but especially it links the Sanctuary and the Host together. For we find that the Daily and the Transgression are treading under foot the Sanctuary and the Host, two distinct groups, one treading down the other.

So we have group one – the Daily and Transgression of desolation, and group two – the Sanctuary and the Host.

Who are these entities?

The Sanctuary – The word that is used here for sanctuary is qodesh, which can only refer to God’s sanctuary whether the earthly or the heavenly, time frame will give us the understanding of which one it is.

In looking at the time frame, we need to remember that we have come down through the passage chronologically. Therefore the timing of this verse is after the Pagan Roman Empire. Remember that the little horn is a reference both to Pagan and Papal Rome. This is clear for, this little horn is regarded by the interpretation of the prophecy as being broken without hand, verse 25, which parallels to the second coming of Christ in chapter 2:34-36, 44-45 and 7:11; 26-27.

It was Pagan Rome, through Titus, that drove the earthly sanctuary into the ground when they destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Since this time the earthly sanctuary has never been rebuilt. Also, when we look at the topic of the ‘cleansing of the sanctuary’, we will see that Christ started His High Priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary in 31 A.D., for the earthly was only a shadow or type of the heavenly which was to come. (Hebrews 8:1-6)

In placing these things together we find that the sanctuary referred to here can only be the heavenly sanctuary with the ministration of Christ’s High Priestly ministry.

The Host – Or, a mass of persons. This mass of persons is connected with the heavenly sanctuary and the High Priestly ministry of Christ. It would be good to remember the following verses. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16) On this principle we need to conclude that this mass of people is God’s people. But notice that they are being trodden under foot, this is brought to light also in Revelation 11:2, where the Papacy is treading under foot the holy city, that is, God’s church/His people, 42 months or 1260 days/years.

This Host is God’s church, His people.

Transgression of desolation – What is transgression? It is the breaking of God’s law and ultimately sin. (1 John 3:4) So this power is breaking the law of God and living in sin; or as Paul put it, “the man of sin/transgression”, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Or as Daniel has put it, “he shall think to change times and laws....cast down the truth to the ground” Daniel 7:25; 8:12.

This transgression of making desolate the truths of God’s word is none other than the Papacy/Papal Rome.

The Daily – The word simply means ‘perpetual’ or ‘continual’. Notice that the Daily is linked up with the Transgression of desolation which is the Papacy, so essentially it is linked to an evil power. Therefore the Daily must be an evil power because what fellowship hath light with darkness and Christ with Belial, absolutely none. Let us read the text with the interpretation that we have gained thus far.

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the Papacy, to give both the High Priestly ministry of Christ and His people to be trodden under foot?”

Now we will read the text again using the two major views of what the Daily is, remembering that the Daily is linked to an evil power.

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the High Priestly ministry of Christ [sacrifice not in the original], and the Papacy, to give both the High Priestly ministry of Christ and His people to be trodden under foot?”

If it is taken that the High Priestly ministry of Christ is the Daily, you have the High Priestly ministry of Christ linked up with the Papacy to trodden under foot itself and its own people. But also, what fellowship hath light with darkness?

Now we shall read the verse again with the other view.

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] Paganism [sacrifice not in the original], and the Papacy, to give both the High Priestly ministry of Christ and His people to be trodden under foot?”

Here we now have complete harmony in the verse, two evil powers treading under foot two good powers.

“By the “continuance of desolation” or the ‘perpetual desolation’ we understand that paganism through all of its history is meant. When we consider the long ages through which paganism had been the chief agency of Satan's opposition to the work of God in the earth, the propriety of the term “continuance” or “perpetual” as applied to it, becomes apparent. We likewise understand that “the transgression of desolation” means the papacy. The phrase describing this latter power is stronger than that used to describe paganism. It is the transgression (or rebellion, as the word also means) of desolation; as if under this period of the history of the church the desolating power had rebelled against all restraint previously imposed upon it.”

“From a religious point of view, the world has presented these two strong phases of opposition against the Lord's word in the earth. Hence, although three earthly governments are introduced in the prophecy as oppressors of the church, they are here ranged under two heads: “the daily” and the “transgression of desolation.” Medo-Persia was pagan; Greece was pagan; Rome in its first phase was pagan. These were all embraced in the “daily”. Then comes the papal form, the “transgression of desolation,” a marvel of craft and cunning, an incarnation of cruelty. No wonder the cry has gone up from suffering martyrs from age to age, “How long O Lord, how long?” No wonder the Lord, in order that hope might not wholly die out of the hearts of His downtrodden, waiting people, has shown them the future events of the world's history. All these persecuting powers shall meet an utter and everlasting destruction.” Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith, pgs. 164 - 165.

We will continue on now to look at verses 11 and 12.

Daniel 8:11 “Yes, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”

Magnified himself even to the prince of the host – We looked at this in the previous study and found this to be a reference to the crucifixion of Christ by Rome. Even though the Jews were the ones that wanted Christ dead, they had to go to Rome to accomplish it.

By him – Remember that this is a reference to the little horn power which is Rome in its entire history both pagan and papal phases. In this verse we will see a transition from pagan Rome to papal Rome, with the daily representing paganism as manifested through pagan Rome, notice the following; sometimes one form is spoken of, sometimes the other. “By him (the papal form) the daily (the pagan form) was taken away and the place of his (the pagan form) sanctuary was cast down.”

Daily was taken away – By the papacy paganism, as manifested through Rome, was taken away. The words ’taken away’ come from the Hebrew word ruwm, which means bring up, raise, lift up, set up, and exalt. In Daniel 4:37 it is translated as ’extol’, 5:19, 23 set up and lifted up, 11:36 exalt. So this taking away of the daily is not a destruction of it, but an exaltation of it.

The Papacy took paganism into itself and exalted it under the garb of Christianity. You will find the Papacy riddled with pagan ceremonies that have been given a Christian name.

So by the papal form of Rome the pagan form was taken away. Pagan Rome was remodelled into papal Rome.

Place of his sanctuary was cast down - The word ‘his’ refers to the daily/pagan Rome.

It is interesting to note that the word for sanctuary, miqdash, can refer to a holy place of worship or an evil one, which is not uncommon as we see the use of this word to define an evil sanctuary in Isaiah 16:12 and Ezekiel 28:18. Daniel wished to distinguish the difference between this sanctuary and the one found in verse 13. Why the difference? Because the sanctuary here is not a reference to God’s sanctuary or the High Priestly ministry of Christ.

Pagan Rome’s place of worship, the Pantheon and Rome itself, lost its eminence when Constantine moved the seat/government of Rome to Constantinople in the East in 330 A.D. The city of Rome and the Pantheon (the place of pagan Rome’s worship) faded into the background as papal Rome absorbed the pagan idols, traditions, superstitious rites, and idolatrous ceremonies, exalting them through so called Christianity. This same transaction is recorded and brought to light in Revelation 13:2, where the dragon (pagan Rome) gave the beast (papal Rome) its seat (the city of Rome). Read also did Constantine change the Sabbath.

Thus what was once the premier city of Roman civilization, and which contained the Pantheon, the epitome of pagan worship, was all at once replaced in position by the new Capital of Constantinople in 330 A.D.

A fuller explanation of how the papacy overcame paganism is also given in the next verse.

Daniel 8:12 “And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.”

An host was given him against the daily - The word ‘host’ means a mass of persons. A mass of persons was given to the papacy against the daily/paganism. This came in the form of Clovis, king of the Franks. He was converted to Catholicism in 496 A.D., and then went about converting the other pagan nations of Western Europe. This was done through war and capitulations. By 508 A.D. Clovis and his military strength, exercised on behalf of the papacy, had finished their work in success.

The National Catholic Register, September 8, 1996. “PARIS-John Paul II is coming to France this month-his fifth visit since becoming Pope in 1978-to celebrate the 15th centenary of the baptism of Clovis, the first Western Christian king and founder of the modern French nation. It was as a result of that baptism-traditionally believed to have taken place in Reims in 496 A D.-that France glories in the title of the “eldest daughter of the Church...” (the Catholic Church that is) It was in Reims that Clovis, pagan leader of the Salian Franks, was baptized by St. Remi, the bishop of Reims, in the presence of all the kings nobles. He was to give to France (then still known as Gaul) its name, its capital, its first royal dynasty (the Merovingians, named after his grandfather, Merovec), and its official faith.”

By reason of transgression – The transgression, or breaking of the law, was the combining of church with state, Clovis, to enforce religious dogmas. The papacy used the arm of Clovis’ military strength.

Cast down the truth to the ground...practiced and prospered - This is exactly what we see has taken place in the Catholic Church. The truth is hideously caricatured, loaded with traditions, turned into superstition, cast down and obscured. As seen in Daniel 7, for 1260 years this evil power held sway over the hearts and minds of men and kings alike. Persecuting all who dared to dissent with her erroneous doctrines. (note; can expand on this point by looking at what truth is – the law is truth and the word is truth, Christ is truth and you have the gospel of truth. It is this that the Papal Church casts to the ground.