What is the 2300 days of Daniel. Daniel 8:14.

M

Moses PsalmCII

Puritan Board Freshman
Hi. I have been bewildered by the 2300 days of Daniel in Daniel 10:14. Commentators are divided with vague answers given as either historical to Antiochus or a short time in the future for the antichrist. I don't agree with this because i take the amillennial interpretation of the 70 weeks and 1260/1290/1335 days to be symbolical so I expect 2300 to be too. This number also seems detached from the other numbers. Also, does this have a significance to the 1290 and 1335? They seem also unusual (1260, 31/2, 42 being usual) . Primarily, what period does 2300 represent from an amillennial point of view .
 
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Hello Moses, good to hear from you again! Alas, being here in Cyprus, and having traveled with only a few suitcases, I had to leave my library behind! Nonetheless, in the margin of my Bible at Dan 8:14, I have a notation, to see Stuart Olyott's, Dare to Stand Alone commentary on Daniel (an excellent and profound little book), which was mainly based on E.J. Young's larger commentary on Daniel. Both these men are Amillennial.

It evidently refers to Antiochus Ephipanes' desecration of the temple following his invasion of Israel. The 2,300 days amounts to about 6 years 4 months (171-165 or 4 B.C.), possibly the terminus being the eventual victory of the Maccabean revolt and subsequent cleansing of the temple around "25 December 165 BCE" (The World History Encyclopedia).

This remarkable prophecy through Daniel gave the people of God great hope when all seemed lost and the one spot in the world where God was worshipped in truth defiled and the worship ceased. God's care for His sinful people gave them comfort and faith that He would eventually deliver them. He has done the same for us in 2022 as the world darkens, that we also might have hope when all turns black dark for us in the coming of the man of sin, and the implementing of his horrific agenda. The Apocalypse of John is the last prophecy, and in it we are given vision and sure hope.

You seem to be unusually versed in Scripture and Biblical understanding. Have you studied somewhere in Nigeria, or have you been abroad?
 
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Jerusalem Blade said:
Hello Moses, good to hear from you again! Alas, being here in Cyprus, and having traveled with only a few suitcases, I had to leave my library behind! Nonetheless, in the margin of my Bible at Dan 8:14, I have a notation, to see Stuart Olyott's, Dare to Stand Alone commentary on Daniel (an excellent and profound little book), which was mainly based on E.J. Young's larger commentary on Daniel. Both these men are Amillennial.

It evidently refers to Antiochus Ephipanes' desecration of the temple following his invasion of Israel. The 2,300 days amounts to about 6 years 4 months (171-165 or 4 B.C.), possibly the terminus being the eventual victory of the Maccabean revolt and subsequent cleansing of the temple around "25 December 165 BCE" (The World History Encyclopedia).

This remarkable prophecy through Daniel gave the people of God great hope when all seemed lost and the one spot in the world where God was worshipped in truth defiled and the worship ceased. God's care for His sinful people gave them comfort and faith that He would eventually deliver them. He has done the same for us in 2022 as the world darkens, that we also might have hope when all turns black dark for us in the coming of the man of sin, and the implementing of his horrific agenda. The Apocalypse of John is the last prophecy, and in it we are given vision and sure hope.

You seem to be unusually versed in Scripture and Biblical understanding. Have you studied somewhere in Nigeria, or have you been abroad?
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This was Calvin’s view as well.
 
An alternative view, from my Reformed Expository Commentary:

Yet even in this coming outpouring of judgment upon Israel’s sin, evil would not triumph forever. The Lord’s people and his sanctuary would be given over into the power of evil, but only for a limited time: 2300 evenings and mornings (Dan. 8:14). “Evenings and mornings” immediately recalls the language of the days of creation in Genesis 1 and suggests that, like the attempts to sweep the stars from the sky (Dan. 8:10) and to change the religious festivals (7:25), what the little horn is seeking to achieve is nothing less than the dissolution of creation. In that attempt, he will certainly fail, because the Lord has already set the number of these days. [1] Yet why 2300 days? This period is just short of seven years, which might be considered a full period of judgment, as in Daniel 4. However, the number doesn’t exactly fit any pairing of events in the Maccabean period, although many attempts have been made to do so. It may be, therefore, that we are simply intended to see this number as a figurative representation of a significant but limited period of suffering on the part of the people of God.[2] What is particularly striking about the figure, though, when compared to the less precise “three and a half times” of Daniel 7, is the fact that this period is measured in days. The most important point may be that God has a precise calendar for the events of world history, a calendar that is accurate to the day, yet at the same time utterly inscrutable to all human efforts to decode it.

[1] See Jacques B. Doukhan, “Allusions à création dans le livre de Daniel” in A.S. van der Woude (ed.), The Book of Daniel in the Light of New Findings (Leuven: Leuven Univ., 1993) 285-94.
[2] Goldingay notes that twenty-three is one third of sixty-nine, which is the number of a period of weeks in Daniel 9 (Daniel, 213). The number twenty-three also appears in 1 Enoch to designate groupings of gentile kings (Porter, Metaphors and Monsters, 44).
 
Jerusalem Blade said:
Hello Moses, good to hear from you again! Alas, being here in Cyprus, and having traveled with only a few suitcases, I had to leave my library behind! Nonetheless, in the margin of my Bible at Dan 8:14, I have a notation, to see Stuart Olyott's, Dare to Stand Alone commentary on Daniel (an excellent and profound little book), which was mainly based on E.J. Young's larger commentary on Daniel. Both these men are Amillennial.

It evidently refers to Antiochus Ephipanes' desecration of the temple following his invasion of Israel. The 2,300 days amounts to about 6 years 4 months (171-165 or 4 B.C.), possibly the terminus being the eventual victory of the Maccabean revolt and subsequent cleansing of the temple around "25 December 165 BCE" (The World History Encyclopedia).

This remarkable prophecy through Daniel gave the people of God great hope when all seemed lost and the one spot in the world where God was worshipped in truth defiled and the worship ceased. God's care for His sinful people gave them comfort and faith that He would eventually deliver them. He has done the same for us in 2022 as the world darkens, that we also might have hope when all turns black dark for us in the coming of the man of sin, and the implementing of his horrific agenda. The Apocalypse of John is the last prophecy, and in it we are given vision and sure hope.

You seem to be unusually versed in Scripture and Biblical understanding. Have you studied somewhere in Nigeria, or have you been abroad?
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve, but honestly I still have this funny feeling that the 2300 days isn't meant to be literal same way as amilennialists, we don't take the 1260, 1290, 1335 as literal or the 70th week as strictly literal. Same goes for the time, times and half a time. This is more evident when we look at revelation. So I still don't feel satisfied with 2300 days referring to Antiochus in the sense of converting the days to years. I feel or think that is out of the spirit of the book. Also, I have this conviction (i could be wrong), that scripture is sufficient through symbolism to point us to how the prophecies pre-Christ/Canon are fulfilled. Unwitnessed history and its numbers can be fuzzy and isnt' infallible. So if the litte horn, which is very important was referring to Antiochus, scripture should have told us of the fufillment even in a vague sense. That it didn't say anything about Antiochus (like John the baptist or Cyrus) shows he wasn't needed to be mentioned. Anyway, the initial point about the nature of Daniel and Revelation is a much stronger point for me. I am still studying it personally though.

Oh, I have never been to any seminary if that's what you mean. I studied secularly in the university and was in darkness all through out those times till God saved me during my first secular job after university. Still working secularly. I only study personally myself by reading the scriptures with deep interest (sometimes in between work) as that's the only thing I love and I could die if I go too long without the scriptures. I also secondarily read with discernment the resources of fine exegetes in the reformed camp and always praying that I be not led into error. And of course, websites like PB where I can see past discussions from people like you, Rev bruce, Rev winzer and many others also add to the edification.
Also, when I got saved and believed in the doctrines of grace, I debated with my opponent friends a lot. This sharpened my understanding of these foundational doctrines. Same thing happened with the trinity, the doctrine of biblical preservation and modern versions, baptismal regeneration error, literal millennium eschatology etc. I'd encounter opponents online and friends locally in Nigeria that would espouse a oneness or dispensational view etc and with the convictions i had in my spirit, would seek the truth apologetically. These helped me grow in just a few years
 
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iainduguid said:
An alternative view, from my Reformed Expository Commentary:

Yet even in this coming outpouring of judgment upon Israel’s sin, evil would not triumph forever. The Lord’s people and his sanctuary would be given over into the power of evil, but only for a limited time: 2300 evenings and mornings (Dan. 8:14). “Evenings and mornings” immediately recalls the language of the days of creation in Genesis 1 and suggests that, like the attempts to sweep the stars from the sky (Dan. 8:10) and to change the religious festivals (7:25), what the little horn is seeking to achieve is nothing less than the dissolution of creation. In that attempt, he will certainly fail, because the Lord has already set the number of these days. [1] Yet why 2300 days? This period is just short of seven years, which might be considered a full period of judgment, as in Daniel 4. However, the number doesn’t exactly fit any pairing of events in the Maccabean period, although many attempts have been made to do so. It may be, therefore, that we are simply intended to see this number as a figurative representation of a significant but limited period of suffering on the part of the people of God.[2] What is particularly striking about the figure, though, when compared to the less precise “three and a half times” of Daniel 7, is the fact that this period is measured in days. The most important point may be that God has a precise calendar for the events of world history, a calendar that is accurate to the day, yet at the same time utterly inscrutable to all human efforts to decode it.

[1] See Jacques B. Doukhan, “Allusions à création dans le livre de Daniel” in A.S. van der Woude (ed.), The Book of Daniel in the Light of New Findings (Leuven: Leuven Univ., 1993) 285-94.
[2] Goldingay notes that twenty-three is one third of sixty-nine, which is the number of a period of weeks in Daniel 9 (Daniel, 213). The number twenty-three also appears in 1 Enoch to designate groupings of gentile kings (Porter, Metaphors and Monsters, 44).
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Interesting Prof. Duguid. Yes, I read your commentary and was pleased you didn't take it totally literal. I also read Goldingay's comments. The only issue I have is the explanation of "being just short of seven years". All other numbers used by daniel and John were precise in the sense that we knew what they refered to. 1260 for the time of witnessing. 42 months same period but looked at in the sense of persecution by the devil, 1 week the time of confirming the convenant which goes on till the end and so on. So 2300 should reference something definite and not (6 years 4 months 18 days) being just short of 7 years. That is out of the spirit of John and Daniel I feel. I don't take 1 Enoch as canonical so I usually ignore foundational conclusions drawn from it.
I would keep studying this.
 
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