Defeat and final overthrow of the persecuting Gentile world powers. The second is a message of consolation, encouragement and future deliverance of the faithful of Israel.

These two basic themes are seen in the vision of Daniel 7. This chapter has two parts: 1) A description of the vision (vv. 1-14) and 2) the interpretation of the vision (vv. 15-28). In the vision Daniel sees four beasts (vv. 1-7). A little horn arises from the fourth beast and boasts of its greatness (v.8). A central judgment scene follows (vv. 9-14) in which the fourth beast is slain and a person called ‘a son of man’ receives sovereign power to rule forever. An angel gives a concise interpretation of the vision in verses 16-18. This explanation is then expanded (vv. 19-27). Thus the vision of Daniel 7 pictures the destruction of the tyrannical Gentile kingdoms, the vindication of the loyal covenant people of God, and the establishment of the kingdom of God.

The Traditional Adventist Interpretation
Traditional Adventism asserts:
The judgment of Daniel 7 takes place in the heavenly sanctuary. This judgment began in 1844.
This judgment is primarily concerned with the sins of the saints, not the little horn.

The ’son of man’ figure symbolizes Jesus entering the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary in 1844.

The ‘time, times and half a time’ of verse 25 equals 1260 years which terminated in 1798.

The Crux of the Matter
Judgement in heaven or on earth?
Does the Daniel 7 Judgement begin in 1844?
Are the Saints Judged in Daniel 7?
Does Jesus Enter the Most Holy Place in 1844?
Time, Times and Half a Time
Does Jesus Set Literal Dates?

Undoubtedly Daniel 7 describes a judgment scene. The heart of this chapter is the Great Assize of God. It is a scene of splendour mingled with grave solemnity. Listen to Daniel’s description:

As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. (Dan 7: 9-10)

A person who is out of touch with God could easily get ’spooked’ by such a scene. But to the believer it is a glorious description of a treasured moment -the final assertion of God’s kingdom over evil. This is our point. In Daniel 7 the judgment condemns the little horn and vindicates the saints. The judgment is a friend of God’s people, not an enemy.

Judgement in heaven or on earth?
But what about the traditional Adventist interpretation? Is this judgment scene in heaven or on earth? Numerous non-SDA commentators feel this is a heavenly judgement. It certainly does seem reminiscent of other ‘throne room’ scenes in the Bible (Is 6:1-4; Rev 4-5). Yet the issue is not beyond debate. The conservative scholars Keil and Delitzsch, for instance write, ‘In this very chapter before us (Daniel 7) there is no expression or any intimation whatever that the judgment is held in heaven’ (Commentary on the 0ldTestament, 9:235). The noted New Testament scholar, Beasley-Murray, has also challenged the usual interpretation of a judgment in heaven. He states, ‘All too often it has been overlooked that the judgment scene in Daniel 7 is set no in heaven but on earth . . .’ (Review and Expositior, Summer 1975, p. 321). The same viewpoint is shared by others, including the evangelical scholar, Robert Gundry.

This is not a thesis for graduate school. We merely want to make a few points which indicate the judgment scene in Daniel 7 is on earth, not in heaven.

The first eight verses of chapter 7 focus on events happening on earth. When the judgment scene is introduced in verse 9 there is not the slightest hint of a change of scene from the earthly to the heavenly spheres. Daniel does not say, ‘and there appeared a great judgment scene in heaven …’ as does his New Testament counterpart (Rev 4:1; 12:1).

Daniel specifically says, ‘Thrones were set up…’ This would be unnecessary if the judgment was taking place in heaven but necessary if the judgment was on earth. God normally sits enthroned in heaven (1 K 22:19; Is 40: 21-24).

The ‘Ancient of Days’ is seated on a throne with ‘wheels’ of fire. This imagery is borrowed from Ezekiel where the chariot-throne is used for God’s appearance on earth Eze 1:4, 13, 15ff; 10:2-17).

Daniel 7:22 states, ‘The Ancient of Days ‘came’ that is, came to earth to judge the little horn and deliver the saints. The coming of God to earth for judgment is supported by other 0ld Testament passages (Zec 14:4, Ps 96:13; Joel 3:12).
Daniel 7:13 describes ‘one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.’ This last phrase refers to a coming to earth. Quite commonly in the 0ld Testament, clouds act as a veil or as the chariot on which God comes from heaven to earth to execute judgment on his enemies (Ps 18:10f; 97:2-4; 104-3; Is 19:1; Nah 1:3).]

Lastly, the New Testament always uses Daniel’s picture of a ’son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven’ as referring to Christ descending to the earth. It is never used to describe Jesus going in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary.

Does the Daniel 7 Judgement begin in 1844?
Secondly, Adventism says the judgment described in Daniel 7 began in 1844. Where does such an assumption come from? It is rightly seen that chapters 7 and 8 of Daniel parallel one another. Both chapters point to the time when the little horn is going to catch it in the neck. But Adventism mingles the imagery of each chapter in a confusing way. For example, when interpreting Daniel 8:14 traditional Adventism borrows the judgment scene with its open books from Daniel 7. When interpreting Daniel 7 Adventists borrow the time period and ‘cleansing’ imagery from Daniel 8. We question this type of text-hopping. Furthermore, we feel that Daniel 8:14 is not talking about the ceremonial cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844. That assumption alone is filled with problems. So it is not valid to impose it upon the judgment scene of Daniel 7.

Are the Saints Judged in Daniel 7?
Thirdly, the Adventist position is that the saints are being judged in Daniel 7, more so than the little horn. The primary focus of this judgment scene, it is believed, is upon the spiritual condition of the professed people of God. But who’s on trial in Daniel 7? The saints or the little horn? Of course, we might be clever and answer, ‘both.’ This is true in the sense that a verdict against the little horn also implies a verdict in favour of the saints. But let’s be honest rather than clever. Is the primary focus of Daniel 7 the trial of the saints or the trial of the little horn? The simple straightforward reading of the passage affirms the latter – the little horn is on trial, not the saints.

Consider these points. Right from the beginning Daniel’s attention is riveted on the four beasts and the little horn. He observes their oppressive and persecuting activities. Nothing is said about the sins of the saints. Daniel is never asked to consider the spiritual condition of God’s people. He only sees how abused they are by these hostile kingdoms. In fact, over seventy percent of Daniel 7 deals with the fourth beast and the little horn. The first three beasts are just warm-ups leading to the main show. In the judgment scene God finally puts his foot down and says, ‘Enough!’ The little horn is crushed and the saints are delivered.

In light of this scenario the ‘books’ of Daniel 7 must refer to the evil deeds of the little horn, not to the sins of the saints. Note also the concise explanation the angel gives, ‘The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever’ (vv. 17-18). Can we not accept the words of the angel at face value? Daniel had asked this angel what the vision meant. The angel answered him. It’s that simple. The angel mentions no complex investigation of the sins of the professed people of God, no Day of Atonement parallels, no ‘2300 days’ time period. Notice also how the little horn wages war ‘until’ the Ancient of Days appears in judgment to put a stop to it and rescue his people (vv. 21-22). And again, please notice how the main event in the entire chapter, especially vv. 21-26, is the activity and destruction of the little horn. Can something so obvious and straightforward be missed? We conclude that the judgment scene in Daniel 7 has nothing to do with an investigative judgment of the sins of the saints beginning in 1844.

Does Jesus Enter the Most Holy Place in 1844?
The fourth point, like the second, arises from an unwise mingling of imagery in Daniel 7 and 8. Here it is believed that this ‘Son of Man’ figure (Dan 7:13) symbolizes Jesus entering into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844. Again, traditional Adventism reads Daniel 8:14 into Daniel 7. Biblical theology sees the ‘Son of Man’ as a heavenly figure with a messianic role at the end of the age. The New Testament places the title upon Jesus Christ who inaugurates the ‘new age.’ So far, Adventism is correct: the ‘Son of Man’ does indeed symbolize Jesus. But because we do not see a heavenly ‘investigative judgment’ described in Daniel 7, nor even a literal sanctuary setting, we cannot support the Adventist position. Daniel 7:13-14 does not symbolize Jesus entering the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844. These verses merely paint the impressionistic picture of the Messiah receiving the kingdom on behalf of Israel.

Time, Times and Half a Time
Now we come to our fifth and last point: the ‘time, times and half a time’ of Daniel 7:25. It is felt that this time prophecy equals 1,260 years and that it terminated in 1798. Some novel calculations are required to arrive at this conclusion. First, ‘time, times and half a time’ equals one year, ‘times’ equals two years, and ‘half a time’ equals ½ year. So we’re looking at 3 ½ years. Now a year in prophetic time has 360 days, so 3 ½ years equals 1,260 days. But prophetic time also considers a day for a year, so 1,260 days equals 1,260 years. This mathematical cycle could continue infinitely. We could turn the 1,260 years into days again by multiplying them by 360. Then we could translate that answer back into years by the ‘year/day’ principle and so on. It’s rather fun but we’re not sure what it has to do with Daniel 7!

How does traditional Adventism arrive at the date 1798? It adds 1,260 to 538. It is thought that the 1,260 years began in 538 A.D. when Justinian’s decree made the Pope the political as well as the religious had of the Western Roman Empire. This decree marked the start of the 1,260 years of papal domination during which God’s true saints were oppressed. This period came to an end in 1798 when the Pope was taken captive by Napoleon’s General Berthier.

All of this sounds exciting but it is saturated with ungrounded and fantastic assumptions. Chapter six of this publication has already spelled out the numerous errors in this particular approach to prophecy. There has never been a consensus among scholars as to the specific dates of these time periods. For instance, the date 538 A.D. is highly debated by those who still engage in ‘date-setting.” 1798, quite frankly is so obsolete as to be an embarrassment to Adventism.

We feel the ‘time, times and half a time’ in Daniel 7:25 is best understood in a symbolic sense. This is not a literal period of time to be ingeniously matched to specific dates in history. First of all, this 3½ year time period is quite common in other parts of Scripture, especially Revelation. The two witnesses testify for 3 1//2 years (Rev 11:9); the spirit of life enters them after 3 ½ days (Rev 11:11), the saints are persecuted for 3 ½ years (Rev 13:5); the church is in the wilderness for 3 ½ years (Rev 12:6; 12:14). Whether this time period is called, ‘forty-two months,’ ‘1,260 days,’ or ‘time, times, and a dividing of time,’ it all adds up to 3 ½ years. This was obviously an apocalyptic ‘buzz’ word – a common phrase designating a period of intense but short persecution. Listen to these words from Donald W. Richardson:

To try to calculate the chronological length of a three and a half period of time is to waste one’s effort in a hopelessly futile task. It signifies the age of persecution, of imperfection, of hopes unrealized, whatever its length may be. Three and a half is half the period of sacred completeness (seven). The Revelation of Jesus Christ, p.25)

Thus, 3 ½ years symbolizes the interruption of the divine order by the forces of evil. But we must remember it is a short period of evil, not an extended period of time. As D. S. Russell states, ‘The preciseness of the figures matters less than the assurance that God will in the very near future bring their (the saints) tribulation to an end’ (Daniel, p. 151).

Does Jesus Set Literal Dates?
Other arguments can be raised but we conclude with one final point. Jesus drew heavily from the symbolism of Daniel (see Mk 13). He borrows freely from Daniel’s prophecies to paint his own scenario of the end-time. But notice that Jesus never sets dates or uses prophetic numbers in a literal manner. In fact, he frequently warns against date-setting: ‘No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father’ (Mk 13:32). ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority’ (Acts 1:7). His words are very clear and those who persist in using the books of Daniel and Revelation to establish intricate timetables of ‘last-day events’ are simply disobedient to Jesus. Jesus repudiated all such speculation.

A Final Word
We began this article by listing five assumptions of Adventism regarding the judgment in Daniel 7. We tried to make them simple. In reality, however, they are not. It takes much complex explaining to arrive at these treasured positions. We have shown that not even one of the five is supported by a close reading of Daniel 7 in its context. We have seen how Adventism obscures what is simple in Daniel 7. This unfortunate pattern continues as we move to Daniel 8.