What Happens Next?
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Summarizing, the
priests used fire in the temple
services and carried it in censers to
burn incense. The casting down of the
censer indicates the atonement
service conducted on the Altar of
Incense is finished. Since the Altar
of Incense is limited to matters of
corporate mercy, the casting down of
the censer indicates the end of
corporate mercy.
4. The
Termination of the Daily
There is one more
topic that will secure the conclusion
that Revelation 8:3-5 marks the end
of corporate mercy. Daniel 12:12
says, “From the time that the
daily [service] sacrifice is
abolished [in Heaven] and the
abomination that causes desolation is
set up [This abomination that
causes desolation points forward to a
universal death decree that will be
set up to kill all of God’s
saints on the 1,290th day
of the Great Tribulation.], there
will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the
one who waits for [patiently
endures] and reaches the end of
the 1,335 days [allotted for the
Great Tribulation].” (Insertions
mine)
The tabernacle on
Earth was a copy and shadow of
Heaven’s temple. According to
Hebrews 8:1-5, Jesus serves in
Heaven’s true tabernacle as
our High Priest. This wonderful
truth enables us to understand things
about serives in Heaven temple that
would be impossible to otherwise
understand. For example, since there
was a daily service in the earthy
temple, there must also be a daily
service in Heaven’s temple. The
daily service in the earthy temple
consisted of two routines. The first
routine centered around corporate
atonement. Every evening and morning,
the priest presented an atonement
offering before the Lord on the Altar
of Incense. The priest conducted a
second routine at the Altar of Burnt
Offering. During daylight hours,
people brought their sin offerings to
the Altar of Burnt Offering. Both
services were considered perpetual,
continual or “daily.”
The book of Daniel
mentions “the abomination that
causes desolation” two times.
The first mention points to the
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
(Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15) The
second mention (Daniel 12:11) points
to a daily service that will end in
Heaven’s temple and 1,290 days
later, a universal death decree will
be imposed on God’s saints. How
do we know that Daniel 12:11 is
speaking about the daily service that
occurs at the Altar of Incense in
Heaven’s temple?
Rule Three of
apocalyptic prophecy requires that we
examine the context. The context in
Daniel 12 clearly concerns the end of
time. Consider the two verses in
chapter 12: “At the time
Michael [Jesus], the great
prince who protects your people, will
arise [indicating that His
mediation for mankind has been
completed. He will stand up – a
position that kings takes when moved
by indignation]. There will be a
time of distress [the last seven
plagues – the seven bowls] such
as has not happened from the
beginning of nations until then. But
at that time your people [who are
alive] everyone whose name is
found written in the book [of
Life] will be delivered [from
the martyrdom of the fifth seal].
[Then, at the Second Coming] Multitudes
who sleep in the dust of the earth
will awake: some to everlasting life,
others [including those who
participated in the crucifixion of
Jesus will be raised] to shame and
everlasting contempt.”
(Daniel 12:1.2, insertions mine)
Now that we know the
context in Daniel 12 is the end of
days and the Second Coming, consider
the final words in Daniel 12: “He
[Gabriel] replied, ‘[Daniel,
you have been shown things about the
distant future.] Go your way [go
about your business], Daniel,
because the words [of this
prophecy] are closed up and sealed
until the time of the end. [There
will be many difficult centuries for
the saints.] Many will be
purified, made spotless and refined,
but the wicked will continue to be
wicked. None of the wicked will
understand [these visions],
but those who are wise will
understand [how these words apply
to them]. From the time that the
daily [service in Heaven] is
abolished and the abomination that
causes desolation [a universal
death decree for God’s people]
is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
Blessed is the one who [patiently]
waits for and reaches the end of
the 1,335 days [for he will see
Jesus coming in the clouds of glory
without seeing death]. As for you [Daniel],
go your way till the end [of your
life]. You will rest [with
your fathers in death], and then
at the end of the [1,335] days
you will rise [with all
God’s saints] to receive your
allotted inheritance.’”
(Daniel 12:9-12, insertions mine)
Because the context in
Daniel 12 is the end of the age, it
should be rather easy to see that
“the daily” in verse 11
points to an event that is 1,335 days
before the Second Coming. Moreover,
if there was a daily service on Earth
at the Altar of Incense, then there
has to be a daily service in Heaven
at the Altar of Incense because
services in the earthly temple
parallels services in Heaven’s
temple. We already know that
corporate mercy will end when the
censer is cast down and God’s
wrath (the seven trumpets) will
follow, therefore, the timing of the
daily in Daniel 12:11 is the same as
the casting down of the censer in
Revelation 8:3-5.
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