Sunday
February 28
1. FAST AND PRAY
a. What was Daniel studying in the first year of King Darius? Daniel 9:2; Jeremiah 29:10.
“Still burdened in behalf of Israel, Daniel studied anew the prophecies of Jeremiah. They were very plain—so plain that he understood by these testimonies recorded in books ‘the number of the years’ (Daniel 9:2).”—Prophets and Kings, p. 554.
b. Under what conditions was Daniel trying to understand the writings of God’s appointed messengers? Daniel 2:17–19; 9:3; 10:1, 2. How must we study the Scriptures if we expect the Holy Spirit to enlighten our mind?
“When you search the Scriptures with an earnest desire to learn the truth, God will breathe His Spirit into your heart and impress your mind with the light of His word. The Bible is its own interpreter, one passage explaining another. By comparing scriptures referring to the same subjects, you will see beauty and harmony of which you have never dreamed.”—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 499.
Monday
March 1
2. TWENTY-THREE HUNDRED DAYS
a. Whom did God send to enlighten Daniel with an explanation of the vision (Daniel 8:14)? Why? Daniel 8:16–18, 26, 27.
“Through another vision further light was thrown upon the events of the future; and it was at the close of this vision that Daniel heard ‘one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision?’ (Daniel 8:13). The answer that was given, ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed’ (verse 14), filled him with perplexity. Earnestly he sought for the meaning of the vision. He could not understand the relation sustained by the seventy years’ captivity, as foretold through Jeremiah, to the twenty-three hundred years that in vision he heard the heavenly visitant declare should elapse before the cleansing of God’s sanctuary. The angel Gabriel gave him a partial interpretation; yet when the prophet heard the words, ‘The vision . . . shall be for many days,’ he fainted away (verses 26, 27 quoted).”—Prophets and Kings, p. 554.
b. How did Gabriel state that he had come for the purpose of completing the unfinished explanation of the vision (Daniel 8:14)? Daniel 9:22, 23.
“The angel [Gabriel] had been sent to Daniel for the express purpose of explaining to him the point which he had failed to understand in the vision of the eighth chapter, the statement relative to time—‘unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed’ (Daniel 8:14).”—The Great Controversy, p. 326.
“As a people, we should be earnest students of prophecy; we should not rest until we become intelligent in regard to the subject of the sanctuary, which is brought out in the visions of Daniel and John. This subject sheds great light on our present position and work, and gives us unmistakable proof that God has led us in our past experience. It explains our disappointment in 1844, showing us that the sanctuary to be cleansed was not the earth, as we had supposed, but that Christ then entered into the most holy apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, and is there performing the closing work of His priestly office, in fulfillment of the words of the angel to the prophet Daniel, ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed’ (Daniel 8:14).”—Evangelism, pp. 222, 223.
Tuesday
March 2
3. THE DAY-FOR-A-YEAR PRINCIPLE
a. How do we understand a prophetic day? Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:33, 34.
“A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 698.
b. How did Gabriel explain the first portion of the 2300 days? Daniel 9:24–27.
“After bidding Daniel ‘understand the matter, and consider the vision,’ the very first words of the angel are: ‘Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy Holy City.’ The word here translated ‘determined’ literally signifies ‘cut off.’ Seventy weeks, representing 490 years, are declared by the angel to be cut off, as specially pertaining to the Jews. But from what were they cut off? As the 2300 days was the only period of time mentioned in chapter 8, it must be the period from which the seventy weeks were cut off; the seventy weeks must therefore be a part of the 2300 days, and the two periods must begin together. The seventy weeks were declared by the angel to date from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. If the date of this commandment could be found, then the starting point for the great period of the 2300 days would be ascertained.”—The Great Controversy, p. 326.
c. How was the phrase “make an end of sins” or “sin offerings,” as the original implies, fulfilled? Hebrews 9:24–26.
“Said the angel, ‘He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven years].’ For seven years after the Saviour entered on His ministry, the gospel was to be preached especially to the Jews; for three and a half years by Christ Himself, and afterward by the apostles. ‘In the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease’ (Daniel 9:27). In the spring of A.D. 31, Christ, the true Sacrifice, was offered on Calvary. Then the veil of the temple was rent in twain, showing that the sacredness and significance of the sacrificial service had departed. The time had come for the earthly sacrifice and oblation to cease.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 699.
Wednesday
March 3
4. EXPLANATION OF TERMS
a. How was reconciliation made for iniquity? 2 Corinthians 5:19, 20.
“Jesus paid an infinite price to redeem the world, and the race was given into His hands; they became His property. He sacrificed His honor, His riches, and His glorious home in the royal courts and became the son of Joseph and Mary. Joseph was one of the humblest of day laborers. Jesus also worked; he lived a life of hardship and toil. When His ministry commenced, after His baptism, He endured an agonizing fast of nearly six weeks. It was not merely the gnawing pangs of hunger which made His sufferings inexpressibly severe, but it was the guilt of the sins of the world which pressed so heavily upon Him. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. With this terrible weight of guilt upon Him because of our sins He withstood the fearful test upon appetite, and upon love of the world and of honor, and pride of display which leads to presumption. Christ endured these three great leading temptations and overcame in behalf of man, working out for him a righteous character, because He knew man could not do this of himself. He knew that upon these three points Satan was to assail the race. He had overcome Adam, and he designed to carry forward his work till he completed the ruin of man. Christ entered the field in man’s behalf to conquer Satan for him because He saw that man could not overcome on his own account. Christ prepared the way for the ransom of man by His own life of suffering, self-denial, and self-sacrifice, and by His humiliation and final death. He brought help to man that he might, by following Christ’s example, overcome on his own account, as Christ has overcome for him.”—Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 372.
“Think of Christ’s humiliation. He took upon Himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin. He took our sorrows, bearing our grief and shame. He endured all the temptations wherewith man is beset. He united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh. He united Himself with the temple. ‘The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14), because by so doing He could associate with the sinful, sorrowing sons and daughters of Adam.”—The SDA Bible Commentary [E.G. White Comments], vol. 4, p. 1147.
b. Before the beginning of the ministry in the earthly sanctuary, the tabernacle had to be anointed (Exodus 40:9). What did Jesus need to do before the beginning of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary? Daniel 9:24; Hebrews 8:1–5; 9:8, 11, 12.
Thursday
March 4
5. EXPLANATION OF TERMS (CONTINUED)
a. How has God’s righteousness been revealed under the new covenant? Isaiah 56:1; Romans 3:21–24.
b. How is everlasting righteousness assured? Nahum 1:9.
“The whole universe will have become witnesses to the nature and results of sin. And its utter extermination, which in the beginning would have brought fear to angels and dishonor to God, will now vindicate His love and establish His honor before the universe of beings who delight to do His will, and in whose heart is His law. Never will evil again be manifest. . . . The law of God, which Satan has reproached as the yoke of bondage, will be honored as the law of liberty.”—The Great Controversy, p. 504.
“Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. . . . By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 311, 312.
Friday
March 5
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
a. What sacrifices should we be willing to make in order to understand the important prophecies for our time?
b. How do we know that the prophecies of Daniel 9 are clearly connected to Daniel 8—especially in the explanation given of verse 14?
c. When studying prophecies, what principle do we needed to understand in dealing with time?
d. Explain some of the things that needed to be fulfilled during the seventy-week period.
e. What needed to take place before Jesus could begin His ministration in the heavenly sanctuary?