♪ theme music ♪
(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
an in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
We are in the middle
of an amazing series of studies
on the book of Daniel.
I am learning so much,
and I'm sure you are, too.
And if you've missed any in this series,
you don't have to just look sad;
you can go to our website,
hopetv.org/hopess; the entire series
on the book of Daniel is there.
You can also download
our theme song and the outline.
It will be a great blessing for you.
And we also want to tell you
about a series of Bible studies,
that builds on what we're studying in this series,
on Daniel and Revelation,
chapter by chapter
because they're so connected together.
You can go to our HopeBibleStudy.org,
HopeBibleStudy.org, and you can
sign up for free Bible studies
that will compare Daniel
and Revelation together.
It will be an amazing journey.
Keep studying; the Word of God
is a lamp to our feet and light to our path.
So, welcome, and to our team, welcome.
What a great series this is.
And you know, I'm just praying
as we study an important topic today,
From Contamination to Purification,
the whole cleansing of the sanctuary,
what that means and what it means
for our lives today,
that the Holy Spirit
would bless us in amazing ways.
And for each one of you,
we're just glad you're part
of our Hope Sabbath School family.
We are now in more than 200 countries around the world,
and if you haven't downloaded our app,
Hope Channel app, free from the App Store,
that's a great tool
for accessing the program.
Here are some emails,
one from Leslie-Anne
in Trinidad and Tobago.
Now, that's two separate islands, right,
but it's one country, Trinidad and Tobago.
Anyone have Trinidad roots?
We've got some Caribbean roots, right,
but not from Trinidad and Tobago.
Well, I know we have lots
of Hope Sabbath School members
in Trinidad and Tobago.
Thanks for writing, Leslie-Anne,
"I write to you from the lovely islands
of Trinidad and Tobago.
I'm 25 years old, and I was recently re-baptized,
and reconsecrated my life to Jesus."
(Team) Amen!
(Derek) "I had emptiness that partying
and drinking could not satisfy,
but, praise God, that it was
just the right size for Jesus to fill.
I tune into Hope Sabbath School every week
to get a better insight
into the Word of God.
Being a visual learner, it helps me a bit,
gives me some motivation
to study the Bible for myself.
I praise God for your ministry.
I pray you never stop, in Jesus' name,
for I know you are touching many lives
and helping the gospel
reach all around the world - Leslie-Anne."
Well, thanks for writing to us. Isn't that beautiful?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) We are so glad, Leslie-Anne,
you did not wait until you were 85
to re-commit your life to Jesus,
25 years old, God bless you.
And invite your friends to join us
there in Trinidad and Tobago
to watch Hope Sabbath School.
Nwachukwu writes from Nigeria.
I probably didn't say that right, did I?
"For the second week running now,
I've been following Hope Sabbath School."
Do you notice people
are always joining?
It's like our family's growing.
"I'm watching via internet,
and I'm richly blessed.
Your interactive style has drawn me
to make it a task
that I must do every every week.
Continue your life-changing Sabbath School.
And to all the members and crew,
God will bless you and use you
to transform lives around the world." Amen?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) It sounds like
God's blessing Nwachukwu in Nigeria.
Thanks so much for writing to us,
and God bless you, too.
Here's a note from a donor
in New York State in the United States of America.
And the donor writes and says, "Greetings
to the Hope Sabbath School team!"
(Team) Greetings!
(Derek) "The program, I've been
watching it for nearly two years now.
I enjoy the songs and discussions.
I grew up in the church from a young age,
but later in life I had problems and lost my way.
But I'm back, and I love
Hope Sabbath School, and I learn a lot.
And enclosed is a donation.
May the Lord always bless you,"
and a gift of 220 dollars to help
the ministry of Hope Sabbath School.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) So, thank you, thank you,
but most of all, we're glad you're back.
And w're glad that you're
experiencing the grace of God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here's a note from Kate in Illinois.
Kate writes and says, "My boyfriend and I
have been watching Hope Sabbath School
faithfully since we started dating."
What do you think about that?
That's a good thing, isn't it?
"It has become an integral part
of our Sabbath time together
and our relationship."
Well, the Bible says,
"Unless the Lord builds the house,
they labor in vain who build it,"
so that would mean,
if the Lord is in the middle of the house,
that's a good thing, isn't it?
Kate continues, "May the Lord
continue to bless your work."
And we say, Kate, whatever is happening
in your relationship with your boyfriend,
you keep God at the center.
Whether you'll be lifelong friends
and marry someone else,
or you'll end up having
a Christian home together,
where God is at the center of relationships,
people are always blessed.
So thanks for writing to us
from Illinois in the United States.
One last note, just a short one,
from Edwin in Bolivia,
and Edwin writes from, "La Paz, Bolivia,
a high-altitude city.
I watch Hope Sabbath School
every Friday on YouTube.
God bless you all and blessings
to the whole class."
Well, Edwin, I don't know
what the altitude is there in La Paz;
I'm sure someone will send me
an email and tell me,
but wherever it is in the altitude,
I know there are people
who need to know about Jesus.
May God bless you as you share
about Hope Sabbath School
and most of all about the love of Jesus,
and today, about the fact
that things are wrapping up.
There's a judgment, a cleansing
of the heavenly sanctuary.
There is a glorious return of Jesus
just on the horizon,
and we want everyone
to hear the good news.
And how many does Jesus
want to be ready for His coming?
(Team) All.
(Derek) By His grace, He would like
everyone to have an opportunity
and to choose to be ready.
Right now we want to sing a Scripture song.
The words are written
by the prophet Daniel.
My wife wrote a tune
to help us memorize it.
If you haven't learned it yet,
download it from our website,
but many of you have learned it already,
so let's sing it together.
♪ music ♪
(Derek) That's a beautiful prayer,
especially as we come
to these challenging, prophetic portions
of the book of Daniel.
We know there's a promise of blessing
as we study diligently, right?
But we need wisdom,
and wisdom belongs to God,
but he says, "Blessed be the name of God,"
because He's given us wisdom
and might, when we...?
When we ask, right, yes.
When we ask, He wants to give us wisdom.
Let's pray; wherever you are around the world,
join us in prayer that God will give us wisdom,
as we study Daniel, chapter 8,
From Contamination to Purification.
Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
thank You so much that You
not only have wisdom and strength,
but You offer wisdom and strength
to Your people when we call out to You
and say, "God, guide us in our study
that we may see the light of Your truth
and follow the light of Your truth."
Thank You, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) We're in Daniel, chapter 8, now.
We've gone from a metal image
to four different, kind of, composite beasts.
And now we've got another revelation,
and, Stephanie, would you begin our study
in chapter 8, verses 1 through 8;
we find another vision, two years later,
right in the third year
of the reign of King Belshazzar.
Let's see what the text tells us.
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading
from the King James Version:
(Derek) Now before we unpack the vision,
let's go back as we did
in our previous study in chapter 7
and notice the preliminary words
in verses 1 and 2 of Daniel, chapter 8.
What's important about what Daniel's sharing there? Harold?
(Harold) It's just saying the third year,
so it's giving us another historical reference.
(Derek) All right,
so a couple of years have passed.
This is still prior to the story
in Daniel 5, right?
So it's not all chronological in the chapters.
Chapter 5 is the fall
of Belshazzar's kingdom,
so this is still during his kingdom
in the third year. Yes, Brittany?
(Brittany) He also said this one
came after the one he had had before,
so it gives us the timeline
that it came after the one in Daniel 7.
So it's the next vision
God revealed to Him.
(Derek) Okay, and one thing
that we pointed out is,
unlike the first vision,
which was given in Daniel 2,
first to King Nebuchadnezzar
and then to Daniel and interpreting.
In Daniel 7 and 8, it's given...?
(Team) To Daniel.
(Derek) Directly to Daniel, okay.
A lot of information, where he's located,
it's like this is not, "Oh, I think
I had a dream one day," no.
It's anchored in history, isn't it?
What about the dream itself?
Jonathan, do you want
to reflect on the background or the dream itself?
(Jonathan) It just seems like that it's
kind of building on the previous vision, and it's kind of expanding again.
(Derek) That's an interesting concept, it's building,
because when we begin to unpack
we notice that one
of the kingdoms is missing.
Which one's missing?
(Team) Babylon.
(Derek) Babylon's missing,
which was the head of gold
and the winged lion,
but now it goes straight to the second,
which was paralleled
by the chest of silver and the bear
with the ribs, right?
Why do you think in this vision
Babylon's omitted? Yes, Travis.
(Travis) Because by the time
this writing "hits the press,"
I mean, Babylon's going to be conquered.
It's going to be gone.
(Derek) So, it's kind of waxing
to the end of the Babylonian Kingdom.
We want to focus on what's happening next.
Does that make sense?
(Team) Yes.
(Derek) So, what about this ram
with the two horns
causes you to say, "I think
we're starting with Medo-Persia,"
Brittany, "rather than with Babylon"?
(Brittany) It said that one side
of the bear was higher than the other...
(Derek) That's in chapter 7.
(Brittany) Daniel, chapter 7.
and here it says that one horn is higher than the other...
(Derek) And the bigger horn comes up...?
(Team) Last.
(Derek) Right, so that's Persia, right?
Anything else that would make you say,
"I think we've skipped Babylon;
we're on to Medo-Persia"? Yes, Travis?
(Travis) The bear had three ribs in its mouth,
and here we see it's pushing
three different directions.
(Derek) Okay. By the way,
this is obviously a power
with global influence, an empire,
not just talking about a little country somewhere, right?
It's got a broad impact. Harold?
(Harold) I wanted to add
that it referenced Shushan, the citadel,
which was a prominent town.
I believe it was the capital
of the kingdom of Persia,
if I'm not mistaken.
(Derek) So that would be another...
The fact that it was revealed
in that location? Okay.
So, here it is, and it's
kind of impacting the whole world; it becomes great,
and while Daniel's watching, what does he see?
(Team) A goat.
(Derek) An airborne goat, right?
Doesn't it say his feet
didn't even touch the ground?
(Team) Yes.
(Derek) So, back to Brittany's parallel to chapter 7,
because the metals, they don't
have any, like, personality, right?
It's just gold, silver, bronze.
But what in Daniel 7, Stephanie,
would parallel this airborne goat?
(Stephanie) That would be the leopard; it's coming after...
(Derek) The winged leopard, right?
(Rodney) Four wings.
(Derek) With four wings, okay.
So this idea of speed,
and now we've got an airborne goat.
Just imagine that, not even touching the ground.
What's unique about this goat? Yes, Rodney.
(Rodney) There's a horn...
(Derek) It says it had a notable horn...
(Derek, Rodney) Between its eyes.
(Derek) Now, before you say,
"Ah, unicorns did exist,"
this again is symbolism, right?
It's a goat, but it's got,
like, this notable horn.
Immediately when we see that,
what do we think of?
(Team) A king.
(Derek) We think of a power
within that kingdom
and an individual, namely...?
(Derek, Team) Alexander the Great.
Right, he basically creates an empire
out of next to nothing.
All he has to offer them
is the greatness of victory.
And he's moving fast,
and in a short amount of time
he conquers the world,
except, what did it tell us
about this goat with the horn?
How did it conclude in verse 8?
(Team) It was broken.
(Derek) The horn was...?
(Kenneth) When he became strong...
(Derek) He becomes strong;
it was't like it broke
and nothing happened.
He becomes strong,
and then the horn breaks,
which is a reference to...?
(Team) His death.
(Derek) The premature death - how old was he?
(Team) Thirties.
(Derek) Yeah, he was
just right there in his early 30's,
(Kenneth) In the prime of his life.
(Derek) And his power is broken,
and it ends up with, what does it say?
"Four notable ones from the four winds,"
and that reminds us of...?
Going back to Daniel, chapter 7, right, with the...?
(Derek, Team) Four heads.
(Derek) So, there is clear parallelism, isn't there?
So far, you say, we're tracking with this.
Now, let's look in verse 8 of Daniel,
chapter 8, and see what it says; Gladys, verse 8?
(Gladys) Daniel, chapter 8, verse 8, and I'm reading
from the New International Version:
(Derek) Now I want you to keep reading.
We're going to put verse 9 up
because I want you to see
it's a little different from the way
it reads in Daniel, chapter 7,
because the one's horn's broken, four come up,
and then what does verse 9 tell us?
(Gladys) Verse 9 says:
(Derek) So, we've got
an interpretation question:
What does the "one of them" relate to?
Is it one of the four horns,
or is it one of the winds?
What do you think, Harold?
(Harold) I believe the winds.
(Derek) One of the four corners.
(Harold) Yeah, one of the four corners
because, I mean, if you look at the Hebrew,
the words have gender.
Like, the horns is feminine,
but if you look at the winds,
it's actually masculine.
And "out of one of them"
is using the masculine form.
So, if you look at the Hebrew,
you can make that relationship.
(Derek) So, that's deep Bible study right there, okay?
So, out of one of the corners,
it's going to come from where?
Where is this little horn power going to come,
if you can position yourself
thinking about Greece.
It's going to come from...?
(Team) From the West.
(Derek) From the west, right?
And this little horn power,
let's keep reading about this power.
It comes toward...Well, it
actually tells us doesn't it?
Toward the south, the east,
and the glorious land, which is...?
The glorious land is reference
to Israel, right? To Palestine.
Okay, let's keep reading now
in verses 10 through 12.
Rick, would you read that for us,
Daniel, chapter 8, verses 10-12.
(Rick) Sure, and I'm reading
from the New King James Version, Daniel 8:10-12:
(Derek) Now, some people
see this as being fulfilled
with a Syrian king, right,
named Antiochus Epiphanes,
and his desecration of the temple
and the resulting rebellion by the Jews
called the Maccabean Rebellion, right,
in the mid second century, B.C.
What do you think
about that interpretation?
Of course, some would say
that then that is also the Little Horn power
of Daniel, chapter 7.
What do you think? Yes, Brittany.
(Brittany) Well, it doesn't fit
in the sequence of history.
God has outlined Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome,
and it doesn't fit historically in there,
in the right order.
(Derek) Okay, by the way,
this Little Horn power
will go until the end, right?
Whereas Antiochus got
about three-and-a-half years there
where the desecration is happening,
or however long it happens.
I guess the rebellion by the Jews
in the Maccabean Rebellion. Harold?
(Harold) I just want to add
that if you look in Matthew, chapter 24,
Jesus make a reference
about the "abomination of desolation," about Daniel,
but He's pointing to something
more like in the future,
because usually people tie this desecration
that Antiochus Epiphanes did with the Jews,
Jesus was referring to that,
but Jesus was talking
about a future event.
(Derek) You're thinking
of the prophecy there in [Matthew] 24,
and that's going to be fulfilled
partially by the pagan Roman Empire
with the fall of Jerusalem,
but also by the Little Horn power
in the future, right?
So, you know, it's interesting.
You say, "Wow, we really need
to study carefully, don't we?"
and say, "Is this consistent
with what we're learning?"
Well, let's keep reading.
Did you notice, in verse 12,
a reference to an attack
on the ministry of Jesus.
Let's read that verse again, Nicole,
in chapter 8, verse 12.
(Nicole) The New King James Version says:
(Derek) So, in what way did this power
"cast truth to the ground"
and still prosper? Travis?
(Travis) I believe personally
that that's talking about the mediation of Jesus
because He's our Mediator.
When we pray to Jesus
(you talked about the ladder
in a previous study),
He takes our prayers
and presents them to the Father,
so we have a Mediator.
And now the Church moves in
and says, "No, no, you will pray to me,"
or, "You will pray to the priest,"
"You'll pray to this," and removes
Jesus, basically, His medation,
right out of the way.
(Derek) And, by the way,
even during the pagan Roman time,
there was also the interference
with the work of the Savior, right,
that you can't pray to the Father
in the name of Jesus;
you have to pray to the Caesar, right (Caesar is God)?
So, we find even in that early time
this challenge against the truth of God. Stephanie?
(Stephanie) I'm thinking,
tradition versus truth.
(Derek) Tradition versus truth,
you mean just because something's
been done for a long time
doesn't automatically make it true?
You've got to go back and check
what the Bible says? Jonathan?
(Jonathan) I'm thinking of verse 11
where it says specifically
"daily sacrifices," and then
"the place of His sanctuary."
The daily sacrifices, people would come;
they had this daily
morning and evening sacrifice,
and it was kind of this worshipful time
where you would pray.
And so, something about what this power is doing
is disrupting that worship,
that daily worship,
and specifically the place of His sanctuary.
I mean, Christ is said to have ascended
into the presence of the Most High God,
and to just take that place -
if something is changing
and substituting in the place of where we,
instead of us going directly to God
and having this one-on-one
relationship with Him, just intimate,
is now through something,
almost taking the place of that
and drawing our attention
towards what this power is doing.
(Derek) And what were those
daily sacrifices in the temple for?
(Team) Forgiveness of sins.
(Derek) They were pointing
to the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
So, by faith before the coming of the Messiah,
they were pointing forward,
because can a lamb take away -
can the death of an animal take away sin?
(Team) No.
(Derek) The book of Hebrews says no, it can't.
Except by faith, your trusting
in the Lamb of God who is to come, right?
So this is more than just religious ritual;
this is interfering with the plan of salvation
as clearly outlined in the Word of God. Rodney?
(Rodney) And we studied
in a previous lesson in Daniel 7
that there was something
that was different about the horn in Daniel 7.
When we come to Daniel 8,
we see that there is something different as well,
versus the ram and the goat.
It said that in verse 9,
it went "toward the south, the east,
and to the Glorious Land";
that sounds horizontal in nature.
And then it talks about opposing God, which is vertical.
So there's something different.
(Derek) Okay, so it's
not just conquering territory, earthly territory,
but it's claiming spiritual authority?
Claiming spiritual authority. Nicole?
(Nicole) Could the casting truth to the ground
also be in the context of changing laws,
and the power of that power
changing the laws and truth of the Sabbath
and the truth of the things that God has told us to follow.
They are making changes to that truth
and throwing it to the ground.
(Derek) So, how is it possible
to cast truth to the ground,
and, if I can use the phrase,
"get away with it"?
Because for a long time
truth was cast to the ground. Brittany?
(Brittany) Well, one, is to take the Bible
away from the people
so that they have no knowledge of it,
that it's only amongst the elite
or those who speak
the language of the Bible.
It's not in the common people's language,
so they have no idea.
(Derek) So, by doing that,
you can cast truth to the ground
because they don't know what the truth is?
How else can you
get away with that, Kenneth?
(Kenneth) Systematically you can
institute false systems to replace,
because, for instance,
if you take the Bible, those who have
studied the Bible will still keep it.
But instituting false systems
and then forcing them
on the people for a long time.
(Derek) So, you're introducing a replacement
but then forcing adherence
to that replacement
because you can get away
with casting truth to the ground,
at least temporarily,
by killing anyone who disagrees.
You start thinking about that,
and you say, "Well, that's
exactly what happened
in Daniel, chapter 7, right, persecuting
the saints of the Most High God.
Now, remember that the people
who were being persecuted
were faithful followers.
They didn't understand
why the Christian Church
was persecuting the saints
of the Most High God.
That didn't make sense, did it?
But apparently this power has moved
from just being purely devoted to God
to having political and military influence, right? Rick?
(Rick) Yeah, I think it's interesting,
when you study Christian history,
it didn't start off that way.
It was very gradual, over time.
This little power comes out
and then becomes great.
It wasn't like it was instantly great.
And so, the corruption and the way
that the Church and the religious services
kind of usurped the connection to God
and this free gift of salvation,
all of a sudden all these layers
come in to benefit man.
And it even happened with Jesus
with the Pharisees and teachers of the law.
He said, "Hey, you guys
are kind of hypocrites
on some of these things.
You're standing between God and the people," you know.
And He cleansed the temple, and He said, "Make this
a house of prayer," and so, it's
for any religious organization to get off track.
(Derek) And it's so important to realize
that even if an institution goes off track,
it doesn't mean there aren't
faithful people who are trusting
God alone to be their Savior.
And it's to that remnant,
if I can use that word,
Revelation 18 says, "Come
out of her, My people," right?
His people, who are
in the midst of some confusion
because it seems that truth
is being cast to the ground.
Well, I want to pause
before we talk about how the Most High God
addresses this truth being cast
to the ground and what's happening,
and just pause and say,
does anyone have a testimony,
and I don't know if you do,
maybe we'll have to ask our team
around the world to send an email in,
but to where you realized, "I think
I've been taught traditions of men
rather than the clear teaching
of the Word of God,"
that revelation comes,
and things have to change if you're
going to be faithful to Scripture? Nancy?
(Nancy) I have a testimony
of a friend of ours who was
part of that system as a priest,
and it dawned on him
that he was saying to people
who came to ask forgiveness of sins,
that he would say, "Ego te absolvo,"
which is Latin for, "I forgive your sins."
And it dawned on him
as he studied the Scriptures
that that's only the role of Jesus, to forgive sins.
And so he came out of that,
and now he accepts fully the Scriptures and is a pastor
of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
(Derek) That takes a lot of courage
to do that, doesn't it?
So that was a friend, someone...
Have you met this person?
(Nancy) My parents.
(Derek) Your parents know this person.
Anybody personally had to deal with that?
No? We should probably say,
"Praise God," if we grew up
in an environment where the Bible
was really cherished.
But could we all run a risk
of kind of moving into tradition
rather than the Word of God? Jonathan?
(Jonathan) I was attending a church
that at one point was,
in the environment I was,
was not following...
was putting too much emphasis
in my circles, it seemed to me,
on experience, on things
that seemed to be...on having
this great experience where, okay,
it seemed like God was working
but maybe not taking
all of the beliefs and things
and examining them by the Word of God
and by some of the things,
the prophecy and things.
And so it came to a point where I said,
"Okay, "I've got to go somewhere else."
And so, yeah, I think it happens.
(Derek) So, it was
a religious environment?
(Jonathan) Oh, yeah, it was
the same denomination.
(Derek) A church.
(Jonathan) Sometimes we have to reexamine where we are.
(Derek) Yeah, is this upholding the Word of God,
pointing me to Jesus as the only Savior?
Well, let's move on to verses 13 and 14,
this crucial passage which talks
about dealing with the sin problem.
Harold, would you read for us
Daniel 8, verses 13 and 14?
(Harold) Yes, and I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Derek) All right, so how long
is this desecration going to continue?
In other words, when is God
going to do something, right?
And the answer comes: 2,300 days.
Now, how many years is that?
That's about six-and-a-half years
if you're taking literal days; is that right?
We're going to discover
that it's more than six-and-a-half years
by the reaction of Daniel
to the whole thing,
but it gives a time period,
2,300 evenings and mornings, literally,
and then what's going to happen?
(Team) The sanctuary will be cleansed.
(Derek) There's going to be an event
that deals with the sin problem.
Now, the sanctuary, what sanctuary
is that talking about? Yes, Brittany?
(Brittany) The heavenly sanctuary.
(Derek) How do we know that?
(Brittany) We compare it
with Hebrews and other books,
but also when we look at the timeline,
once we figure out how long
is this 2300 days...
(Derek) Okay, now remember
there was an earthly sanctuary, right?
And how did Moses build it?
How did he know how to build it?
(Team) According to the pattern...
(Derek) According to the pattern
that was shown him on the mountain.
Is that earthly sanctuary,
was it still around in the time of Daniel?
(Team) No.
(Derek) No, it's gone, right?
Eventually someone builds
a physical structure; what was his name?
(Team) Solomon.
(Derek) Solomon, right?
But that was destroyed
at the time of the exile
into Babylon, right?
So it's not talking
about an earthly sanctuary.
What is it talking about?
Well, can we hold our place in Daniel
and go over to the New Testament
to a book that sheds a lot of light
on the heavenly sanctuary?
Hebrews, chapter 8 and chapter 9
is where I'd like to read from,
and, Stephanie, do you have that?
Would you read verses 1 and 2
of Hebrews, chapter 8?
(Stephanie) All right, and I'll be reading
from the King James Version:
(Derek) So whatever is going to happen
is something that's going to happen in Heaven, right?
Back in Hebrews still, chapter 9,
verses 23...Travis, could you read
verses 23 to 28?
It gives us a little more information
about the sanctuary in Heaven.
(Travis) And I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Derek) There was so much in there, wasn't there?
The word "copy," did you hear that?
Copy, the copy is the earthly sanctuary,
but this is a ministry of Jesus where?
(Team) In Heaven.
(Derek) In Heaven, right?
So this has got something to do
with the plan of salvation.
Now, if we go back to the Old Testament,
in order to understand
the plan of salvation,
what was crucial in the Old Testament ceremonial system
given by God to Moses on the mountain,
what were the crucial elements
of that system? Yes, Rodney?
(Rodney) Sacrifice.
(Derek) Okay, animals? The sacrifice of..?
(Rodney) Of animals.
(Derek) A spotless animal, okay.
Yes, okay, what else? Yes, Travis?
(Travis) The high priest,
he was the mediator.
(Derek) Okay, so he represents...?
(Team) Jesus.
(Derek) Son of God / Son of Man, the Savior, right?
And what was the sanctuary all about?
(Team) Salvation.
(Derek) It was salvation and...?
As part of that plan of salvation, dealing with...?
(Derek, Team) Sin.
(Derek) Right? Because the Bible teaches
that the wages of sin is...?
(Team) Death.
(Derek) Is death, so how do we deal with that?
Well, the Bible says confess your sin,
and so they would confess their sin
on the head of that animal, right?
But how can that take away their sin?
What's the answer?
(Team Members) By faith..it doesn't... a symbol of god.
(Derek) Well, the animal doesn't do it, right? Stephanie?
(Stephanie) It pointed to Jesus.
(Derek) It points to the Messiah, to the Lamb of God.
That wonderful story in Genesis,
the Lord will provide a sacrifice.
Remember Abraham on the mountain, right,
"The Lord will provide."
So this is all how to deal with sin.
Now, once a year there was
a special service that was part
of that ceremonial system called...?
(Derek, Team) "The Day of Atonement."
(Derek) What happened
on the Day of Atonement, anybody? Travis?
(Travis) For 359 days a year,
because the Jewish calendar was 360 days,
sins would come into the sanctuary.
And so the sanctuary was dirty
and polluted with sins.
And on the Day of Atonement,
the sanctuary would be cleansed
of sin once and for all.
(Derek) And how was that accomplished?
Evelyn, do you know?
(Evelyn) The priest would...
(Derek) Which priest?
(Team) The high priest.
(Derek) Ah! That's important, isn't it?
The high priest and only once a year would do what?
(Evelyn) He would walk
into the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary.
(Derek) And do what?
(Evelyn) He would cleanse it. He would clean it.
(Derek) Do you know how that happened?
It wasn't, like, with a vacuum cleaner, right?
This is all symbolism, right?
Rick, how did this high priest... only once a year, right,
dare not turn his back on...
By the way, what's in the Most Holy Place?
Yeah, there's the Ark of the Covenant,
the very glorious presence of God, right?
The mercy seat, the Ten Commandment Law; it's all there.
What does he do when he goes in there?
(Rick) They would pick two goats.
And you had one called the Lord's goat
and one called the scapegoat,
and they would sacrifice the Lord's goat
and bring that blood into the Most Holy,
and then he would come out
and lay his hands on the scapegoat,
transferring the sins to that,
or, symbolically, of course,
transferring those sins.
Then they would take that scapegoat
and get him as far away from camp as they could.
(Derek) Yeah, and, of course,
that scapegoat was not the Savior.
The lamb, whose blood was shed,
is the Savior, pointing to Jesus, right?
But the responsibility for all of that
is laid on the head
of the scapegoat, right?
So this service, what kind of attitude
were the children of Israel
supposed to have, Nicole?
Do you know, on that Day of Atonement?
Was it a time of celebration? Hallelujah?
(Nicole) No, it would be a solemn, somber, kind of, you know...
It's all in awe of what God is going to do
and what He has done, and just...
It's a somber occasion, actually.
(Derek) Yes, Brittany?
(Brittany) Just to add to that,
they were supposed to humble themselves
and repent of all the sins.
And just, their focus was
on the high priest coming out, and then...
(Derek) Who represents Jesus, right?
(Brittany) And then they knew,
"Now, I'm one with God.
Now there's nothing separating me."
(Derek) By the way, not only is it solemn,
if people didn't participate in that,
what was the consequence?
(Team) They were cut off.
(Derek) And how many does God
want to be cut off?
(Derek, Team) None.
(Derek) But there's this final dealing
with the sin problem.
Now, this is symbolism, isn't it?
We know that the sins
don't actually make the sanctuary dirty,
but it's talking about the fact
that there's a final dealing,
which, by the way, involves a judgment,
right, a final dealing
with the sin problem. Rodney.
(Rodney) And the symbolism used in Daniel 8
is the same symbols used in the sanctuary.
We're talking about the goat and the ram,
so you can see the connection there.
(Derek) Now, we've got a crucial question,
and I know someone's going to say,
"We've got to wait until Daniel, chapter 9,"
to get all of the answer to this,
but 2,300 evenings and mornings.
If you put the evenings and mornings
and say, well, that's 1150 days,
that's a little over 3 years, right?
Or, if you say, no, evening and morning,
that means just a day, so 2,300 days,
that's a little more than 6 years.
Is this just a little short time until this happens?
By the way, this vision is given
in the sixth century, B.C., right?
So, it doesn't make sense
it's just a short period of time.
The Messiah's not going to come
for another, right, 500-and-some years,
right, 550 more years.
What indication is there
that this time period is much longer
than three to six years?
Let's look at a few verses, shall we, in the chapter.
Daniel, chapter 8, and verse 17,
Evelyn, would you read that for us?
(Evelyn) And I will be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Derek) Who's the "he"
that's telling him, by the way?
It's not just a bystander; who is it?
(Team) Gabriel.
(Derek) It's Gabriel, so we know
he's got it right because there was a time in the time of Jesus...
actually before Jesus when someone
argued with Gabriel,
and he couldn't speak
until the baby was born, right?
So, here we've got Gabriel saying,
"This is not just some little thing.
This is referring to..."?
(Team) The end.
(Derek) The time of the end.
By the way, that's a technical term in prophecy, too,
"to the time of the end."
Kenneth, could you read verse 26 for us?
We're showing here that this is not
some little time span
that's being referred to,
but the assurance is
that the plan of salvation
is going to be accomplished, right?
It's going to be worked out.
Verse 26 of Daniel 8.
(Kenneth) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version, and it reads:
(Derek) Seal it up,
many days in the future,
and we're going to see
what Daniel's reaction is.
Now, we have learned a key
for unlocking Bible prophecy.
Stephanie, talk to me about that key.
We know the symbols of water,
and animals are kingdoms,
horn is a king or power.
What other principle have we learned
that's crucial here?
(Stephanie) Prophetic days
are actually years,
so a day is equal to a year.
And we know that from Numbers, chapter 14,
and also Ezekiel 4 in our study of that.
(Derek) Why don't we read
just one of those verses.
Would you look at Ezekiel 4, verse 6,
just to show that we
didn't make this up, right?
There is a word given to a prophet,
"Let a day be equal to one literal year,"
in Ezekiel, chapter 4, and verse 6.
How does that read, Stephanie, in your Bible?
(Stephanie) I'll be reading
from the King James Version:
(Derek) Fortunately he didn't
have to lie on his side for 40 years,
but it was symbolism again, wasn't it?
A day for each year, so for the 40 years,
"You're going to lie on your side for 40 days."
If we take that key
to unlock time prophecy,
that would mean there are
2,300 evenings and mornings, is how long?
(Team) Twenty-three hundred years.
(Derek) Two thousand three hundred years.
That might explain
Daniel, chapter 8 and verse 27.
Someone look at that for us.
Daniel 8 and verse 27,
would you read that, Gladys?
Thank you, verse 27.
How does Daniel react?
I don't know if he'd fully understand all of that,
but Ezekiel was his contemporary, right?
Ezekiel is also a prophet, as is Jeremiah.
They're contemporaries, so he's
aware of some of these things.
How does he react to this vision
about 2,300 years and then this part
of the plan of salvation,
the cleansing of the sanctuary?
(Gladys) I'm reading
from the New International Version,
Daniel, chapter 8, verse 27:
(Derek) "Appalled," your Bible says.
Mine says "astonished."
He had enough challenge
trying to describe some of the things
he saw in the vision.
Why do you think
this astonished him so much, Jonathan?
(Jonathan) He was a captive
in a foreign land.
The sanctuary had been destroyed
or contaminated, in that sense.
(Derek) The earthly sanctuary.
(Jonathan) Yeah, his sanctuary in Jerusalem.
So he must have wondered
or hoped and prayed
that this was not what God was saying,
that this would go on for 2,300 years,
and his people would not go back.
(Derek) So you think he
maybe was still thinking
it was related to the earthly sanctuary
or the temple in Jerusalem? Yes, Harold?
(Harold) Daniel was also aware
of a prophecy made by Jeremiah
that after 70 years,
the land of Jerusalem,
the temple, would be desolate.
But then they should be back
and be able to rebuild it.
So he was wondering,
this is kind of conflicting
because, if the sanctuary
will be cleansed after 2,300 years,
what about this prophecy from Jeremiah?
(Derek) So, let me ask
a practical question: What do we do
when we get to a place
when we're trying to figure something out,
and we're like, "I don't know what to do?"
By the way, Daniel 9
will unlock the prophecy,
but it's still astonishing, isn't it?
It's still startling because it is talking
about a massive amount of time.
But what do we do, Brittany,
when we just go, "I feel sick;
I sense God has revealed something,
but I just don't understand"?
(Brittany) We ask God; we pray
like Daniel does in the next chapter.
We seek Him, and we ask
for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us
what we need to know.
(Derek) And how soon
is that prayer answered?
(Harold) Thirteen years, about.
(Derek) Stephanie?
(Stephanie) Well, we are going to find out
that between chapter 8 and chapter 9
when that is revealed, it's over a decade.
And so, I look at this and say
that, yes, God answered
in chapter 8, "Wait."
In Daniel, chapter 9, "I'm coming again."
Gabriel says, "I'm coming to now..."
(Derek) "...to help you
to understand the vision,"
which is clearly referring back.
So, one of the things
that I would naturally ask
from studying chapter 8
is, when does this prophecy begin?
Because it's 2,300 years,
and then something very significant
is going to happen where?
(Derek, Team) In Heaven.
(Derek) We don't get the answer yet.
So, stay tuned, right, Daniel, chapter 9.
But Brittany said, "if I find myself studying,"
Travis, Brittany, says, "pray."
Any other suggestion?
(Travis) Keep studying.
(Derek) Keep studying.
(Travis) Keep studying,
just keep studying, and God
will reveal, you know,
as much as you can handle.
He'll just keep revealing it to you.
We learn new things every day.
Even filming, we will learn
new things as we study.
(Derek) You know, I like
one thing that you said,
and I'll come to your point, Rick,
God will reveal as much as we can handle.
Even during the time of Jesus,
He said, "There are many things
I would share with you,
but you can't handle them."
Actually it says, "You cannot bear them now,"
but that's the same thing, isn't it?
'It will be too much for you
to process all of that."
But that doesn't mean we don't study.
That doesn't mean we don't pray
because there is a blessing
attached to studying this revelation. Yes, Rick.
(Rick) I think there are many times
in our personal lives
where we, like Daniel, are probably confused
by what God is doing.
And God's timetable is not ours,
and for me, I always want
to know right now,
tell me what's going to happen,
what should I do with this and that.
And I think God's after something bigger,
which is this idea of trust and faith,
and just recognizing that when we
just collaborate with Him daily,
He's going to get us to that end.
He's going to work all things to good,
but we might not always get
the answers here at the time
or the place that we want them.
(Derek) And I've got to remember,
and I'm going to ask you
to give me some other texts
that might encourage someone
who says, "Derek, this is like...
This is too much for me.
I just don't understand."
But the Bible does say God knows
the end from the beginning, right?
So He is able to reveal things that are not yet.
That's why prophecy
is so important, right?
But I like the idea that we have to learn
to be content where we are,
because what does Daniel know for sure?
He knows several things;
tell me what he knows for sure.
There's a Most High God who rules
over the kingdoms of this world, right?
And what else does he know for sure?
(Travis) He knows he can trust God.
(Derek) He knows he can trust God, and He knows the...?
(Team) End.
(Derek) He knows the end of the story, right?
I mean, the saints of the Most High God
will possess the kingdom, right?
And it shall last for how long?
(Team) Forever.
(Derek) Forever and ever.
So, he's, like Rick said,
"I'm kind of in no-man's land here.
There's this prophecy, I feel kind of sick,
I'm astonished by it.
But I do know that God rules,
and I've asked him to rule in my life.
And I know the end of the story."
What other Bible promises
might be an encouragement.
I know you want to read
Daniel 9, verses 20 to 23
because it will help unlock this,
but we'll get to that in the next study.
But a promise, Nicole,
that might be an encouragement to someone
who feels like they're kind of living
a little bit in no-man's land,
like, "I know the Bible's important,
but I need more understanding."
(Nicole) I think it ties in to what Brittany said,
and what's been said today,
is that, if you ask for wisdom, He'll give it to you, so James 1:5 comes up.
(Derek) Could you read that for us
because that may be familiar to some,
but others might say, "I need that; where is that"?
Book of James, chapter 1,
many Bible students believe
this was the stepbrother of Jesus, right?
A son of Joseph, one of the leaders of the church,
actually leader of the church in Jerusalem,
and what does he say there
in James 1 and verse 5?
(Nicole) The New King James Version says:
(Derek) I love that verse!
What's encouraging there?
(Derek, Team) Anyone.
(Derek) It's not just like if you're
in a certain level of...
"if anyone lacks wisdom."
What else is encouraging there?
(Team) Ask...
(Derek) That's what we need to do is ask,
but the encouragement is...
He gives freely or liberally, which means,
"You want a little wisdom,
let Me give you a lot of wisdom," right, and what else?
(Brittany) Without reproach.
(Derek) What does that mean,
Brittany, without reproach?
(Kenneth) Without condemnation.
(Derek) Thank you, Kenneth.
Without condemnation, like,
"Oh, you need more wisdom again."
God is happy to give us wisdom, isn't He?
No complaining, right, no reproach, no criticism.
"If you need wisdom, ask,"
We don't have time to read
any more Bible verses,
but maybe you could quote one for me,
another one that would be encouraging
to someone who says, "Derek,
I have so much to learn."
Thank you; I can ask for wisdom.
God will give freely.
Just quote one for me, Kenneth?
(Kenneth) And Jesus said,
"When the Spirit of truth comes,
He will teach you into all truth."
(Derek) Oh, thank you.
That's in John, chapter 16 and verse 13,
"When He, the Spirit of truth, has come,
He will guide you into..."?
(Team) All truth.
(Derek) Maybe we should add,
"All the truth you can handle," right? Right?
All the truth you can handle,
and will show you things to come.
You know, this is amazing
to think about this journey.
We're constantly learning and growing,
but don't be distressed.
Don't be overwhelmed if you say,
"Derek, I don't understand everything here?!"
Remember the basic truths:
There's a God who rules in Heaven.
He wants to be Lord of your life.
He wants to be your Savior
and your Deliverer.
And He's got a Kingdom,
and the saints of the Most High
will possess that Kingdom,
not because we earned it,
not because we paid for it,
not because some human institution
told us to do things
in order to merit it, no.
We'll receive it as a gift of God's grace,
a God who loves us
with an immeasurable and unfailing love.
Isn't that good news?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Let's pray together.
Father in Heaven, we thank You
for the plan of salvation, every part,
including that Day of Atonement,
including the work of Jesus
in the heavenly sanctuary.
As we continue to study,
may we remember, God,
that You are on the side of Your people.
You want everyone to accept Your grace.
And, God, may we be part
of that redeemed throng by Your grace.
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Thanks so much for joining us.
You say, "I've got to come back next time."
We're going to study Daniel, chapter 9,
because there is a starting point
for this great prophecy.
But know God's at work.
His plan of salvation
will be accomplished.
Go out and share that good news
with those around you.
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