KEYS OF THE KINGDOM STUDY GUIDES
Daniel Eight • “The Attack and Cleansing of God’s Sanctuary”
Introduction & Review
1. What was the bad news in Daniel 7? (Daniel 7:8,20,21)
Note: The false judgments and attacks on God and His saints.
2. How long would this be allowed to continue? (Daniel 7:25)
Note: The Antichrist would reign for 1260 years from 538 –1798 AD.
3. What would happen after 1798? (Daniel 7:21,22; 8:1,9,13,14)
Note: God’s judgment would reverse these false judgments.
4. What law was used as a basis for the judgment? Where was it found?
Note: The ten commandment law is the basis for God’s judgments. It was kept in the
Ark of the Covenant which was in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary.
Before we begin our study of Daniel chapter eight, let’s take a closer look at
the sanctuary.
5. Why was it built? (Exodus 25:8)
So God could ______ among His People
6. How many sanctuary services were there? (Hebrews 9:6,7)
Note: There were special activities that took place in the courtyard and the first
compartment (Holy Place) of the tabernacle on a daily basis. There also was a special
service that took place in the second compartment (Most Holy Place) of the taberna-
cle yearly. These services are called the “daily” and the “yearly.”
7. What happened daily in the courtyard and the first part of the tabernacle?
There was a curtain surrounding the sanctuary and a screen at its entrance (Exodus
40:28). Each day the priest or people would pass through this entrance. According to
Hebrews 10:20 and John 10:9, both the curtain and the screen represented Jesus. He
is the curtain and He is the door.
There were two lambs slain each day, morning and evening (Exodus 29:38,39). Ac-
cording to John 1:29 these also pointed to Jesus who would be the sacrificial lamb of
the world.
Just before entering the first compartment (holy place), you would see a bronze basin
that was used for washings and cleansing (Exodus 40:30). This basin was called the
laver. According to John 7:37 this again pointed to Jesus who would be called “The
Water of Life”.
Just inside the holy place on the right you would see the table of shewbread upon
which was placed loaves of unleavened bread. This bread was replaced with fresh
bread on each Sabbath (Exodus 25:30). As you might imagine, this again was a repre-
sentation of Christ who in John 6:35 is called “The Bread of Life”.
Just inside the holy place on the left you would see a golden lampstand with seven lamps
(Exodus 25:31,37). In John 8:12 Jesus is called “The Light of the World”.
A curtain separated the first compartment called the Holy Place, and the second com-
partment called the Most Holy Place. This curtain, or veil, represented Jesus body (He-
brews 10:20). In front of that curtain within the holy place, there was the Alter of Incense
(Exodus 30:1,7,9) from which smoke ascended continually. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Je-
sus, just like this incense, “ever lives to make intercession”—to pray for us (See Revela-
tion 8:3,4 for a text that shows the connection between prayer and incense).
Everything about the daily sanctuary, or tabernacle services pointed to the ministry of
Christ. John, when describing Jesus had this to say: “And the Word (another name for
Jesus) became flesh and dwelt (literally “tabernacled”) among us…” (John 1:14).
8. According to the New Testament, where is the sanctuary today? (Hebrews 8:1-
5)
Note: This text teaches us that Jesus is now our priest in the heavenly sanctuary.
We are now ready to look at Daniel chapter eight.
The spiritual key for today’s lesson will be: We need to pray for patience and per-
sistence. At times it may seem as though everything is going wrong. But God has a
plan and He will ultimately prevail.
At the time of this chapter, Medo-Persia was about to become the next major world
power, while Babylon was about to leave the world stage. Thus Babylon is not men-
tioned as a world kingdom. However as we might imagine, this chapter will follow
the same chronological sequence we have seen in Daniel two and seven. As you saw
that Daniel seven was a repeat and enlargement of Daniel two, so Daniel eight is a
repeat and enlargement of Daniel seven.
Read Daniel 8:1-4,20
9. What description is used of the first kingdom mentioned in this chapter. What
world power did it represent?
Note: The Medo-Persian empire is pictured as a ram that expands westward against
Babylon, northward against Lydia, and southward against Egypt. This means it would be
coming out of the east in its conquest of the world.
Read Daniel 8:5-8,21,22
10. How is the second kingdom described and who does it symbolize?
Note: The Goat symbolized two things:
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a. The victory of Greece over Medo-Persia and her division by Alexander the
Great’s four generals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. Alexan-
der the Great’s standards all had depictions of goats on them.
b. The horn’s satanic-like activity which disrupts and attacks the daily sanctuary
services.
Read Daniel 8:5,7,11,25
11. What is there about the following descriptions that point to satanic activity?
a. The goat _______ like a spirit being. (Daniel 8:5)
b. The goat is _________ and tramples it’s enemy viciously. (Daniel 8:7)
c. The little horn of the goat attacks _______ and the host of heaven. Daniel 8:11)
d. The only way to break the horn’s power is ____________ . (Daniel 8:25)
(Key: a. flies; b. furious; c. Christ; d. supernaturally)
Read Daniel 8:8,9
12. What power do we see attacking in these verses?
Note: Daniel 8 follows the same sequence as Daniel 7. The power that follows
Greece is Pagan Rome which arose not out of one of the horns, but out of one of the
winds. “Winds” refers to a direction, as in north, south, east, or west. Verse nine
lends itself to this interpretation as we find that Pagan Rome attacked toward the
south (Africa & Egypt), toward the east (Greece & Babylon) and toward the glorious
land, an expression that would be understood by Daniel as referring to Israel (see
Psalm 106:24). This means that Rome came from which direction? (the north)
Read Daniel 8:10-12
The next several questions will look at key words and concepts within these
verses. What we will find is a comprehensive attack by the devil on God’s
sanctuary, especially Jesus’ “daily” ministry.
13. What power would we expect to see arising out of pagan Rome?
14. What power arose out of Pagan Rome and ruled for 1260 years in chapter
seven?
15. Do these verses accurately describe the activity of papal Rome?
16. What did the “little horn” attack?
Read Daniel 12:3
17. What would the “stars” of Daniel 8:10 represent?
18. Did the papacy attack or persecute God’s “stars”?
Keys of the Kingdom Study Guides • Daniel 8
Note: As we have already seen in chapter 7. The medieval papacy attacked the “saints”
and persecuted them. It literally “trampled” them. In Daniel 8:12 we will find another
prediction concerning the papacy’s use of military force in this pursuit.
Read Isaiah 9:6
19. Who is the Prince of Princes seen in Daniel 8:10 as well as in Daniel 8:25?
20. Did the Papacy attempt to assume the role of Christ?
Note: Just as in Daniel 7, the Antichrist power would exalt self claiming to take Christ’s
place.
Read Exodus 28:30
21. What was the role of the priest within the sanctuary?
Note: According to this text, the high priest, Aaron, would continually (every day) repre-
sent God’s people before God in the earthly sanctuary. He would “bear the judgment of
the children of Israel over his heart”. The breastplate that he wore had two stones, the
Urim (literally translated “lights”) and the Thummim (literally translated “perfected
ones”). The ministry of Aaron pointed toward Christ who would represent his “stars”
(“lights”) in the judgment. They would stand as perfect as a result of His perfect life, His
death, and His righteousness. He would continually make intercession for them in the
heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 7:23-25).
Read Psalm 97:2
22. According to this text what is the foundation of God’s throne?
Note: In Daniel 8:11 the word “place” is the word translated “foundation” in Psalm 97:2.
23. Did the medieval papacy attack the “place”, the foundation of God’s throne?
Note: The papacy claims to build it’s whole theology on Peter who they interpret to be
“the rock” of Matthew 16:18. However the Rock in Matthew is not Peter, but is Christ.
Thus not only did the papacy attempt to replace the foundation of the gospel, but they
also, as we saw in Daniel 7, “attempted to change times and law, thus attacking the very
precepts which spell out what is right and wrong.
Read John 17:17
24. According to this text, what is truth?
25. Did the papacy attempt to attack, and attempt to suppress the truth of God’s
Word?
Note: In the year 1229, the Bible was placed on Rome’s Index of Forbidden Books by the
Council of Toulouse / Toledo. Cannon 14 of that Council: “Forbids the laity to have in
their possession any copy of the books of the Old and New Testament.... and most strictly
forbids these works in the vulgar tongue.”
Page 3 Keys of the Kingdom Study Guides • Daniel 8

This teaching was confirmed at the Council of Trent (Session IV, April 8, 1546 De-
cree Concerning the Canonical Scriptures). However this Council went further, stat-
ing that anyone who dared study Scriptures on their own must “be punished with the
penalties by law established.” It also forbade the printing of and sale of the Bible.
Anyone daring to violate this decree was anathematized, or cursed and damned to
hell for it. (Dogmatic Cannons and Decrees of the Council of Trent..., pages 11-13;
Copyright 1977, 1912, with Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat.
In 1713, Pope Clement XI in his bull “Unigenitus”, wrote that “We strictly forbid
them [the laity] to have the books of the Old and New Testament in the vulgar
tongue.”
Note: The answer was twofold in nature. It talked about the length of time the antichrist
attack on the “daily” would be allowed to continue. It also talked about what God would
do to rectify the problem. He would cleanse His sanctuary. The RSV translation of the
word cleanse is the most accurate, the sanctuary would be “restored to its rightful state”.
31. What thoughts would Daniel have been having?
a. He would have remembered the cleansing service in the earthly sanctuary.
b. He would have pondered the effects and results of this earthly cleansing service.
c. He would have thought about the timing of this cleansing.

Since Vatican Council II (1965), the Roman Catholic Church now permits her people d. He may have questioned the possibility for such cleansing to occur in the future.
to read the Bible, and even offers an “indulgence” of three hundred days off of pur-
gatory time for doing so, if they read it for at least fifteen minutes at one sitting (The Let’s consider each of these:
Holy Bible, Douay-Confraternity version title page overleaf).
a. The cleansing service in Daniel’s day. (Read Leviticus 16:5-10)
As we shall see, the attack of the papacy would be years after Daniel’s life and death.
Yet God in His infinite wisdom saw value in showing Daniel things that would bring 1. How many goats were included in this service?
understanding to the people who would pass through this very trying time. Note: Two goats, one for the Lord and the other for the devil. It is important to no-
tice that the use of a goat in the prophecy given to Daniel is not accidental. God was
Read Hebrews 8:1-4 going to reveal some very troubling things and desired Daniel to find hope by
thinking of this cleansing service.
26. In the time in which we live, where is the sanctuary?
2. Read Hebrews 9:22 How can you tell the difference between the Lord’s goat and
Note: Remember that the earthly sanctuary was but a representation of the heavenly the devil’s?
sanctuary. Christ’s ministry from the heavenly sanctuary would be attacked by the
papacy which is seen casting truth down to the ground and prospering as this was Note: Without blood sin could not be cleansed in the sanctuary system. The Lord’s
done. (Daniel 8:12) goat was a blood sacrifice and would thus be of benefit in the cleansing of sin. It is
the process of making things right.
Read Daniel 8:13 b. He would have pondered the effects and results of this earthly cleansing service.
27. What does Daniel see next? Read Leviticus 16:15-16,18-19. What was the blood of the Lord’s goat to do?
28. What would come to his mind? 1. Cleanse the _________ (verse 15)
Note: Daniel is allowed to hear the conversation of two holy beings. As Daniel was 2. Cleanse the ____________ (verse 16)
most certainly thinking of the attack on God’s sanctuary he would have identified
these holy one’s as being the two covering angels over the ark in the Most Holy 3. Cleanse the ________ (verse 18,19)
Place. (Key: a. people; b. tabernacle; c. altar)
29. What was the focus of their discussion? Note: Leviticus 16:33 aptly summarizes: “Then he [the High Priest] shall make atone-
Note: Just like Daniel, these angels were concerned about the blatant attack by the ment [cleanse] for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of
Antichrist power on the daily ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. How long meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the peo-
would God allow this to go on was the question of one of them to the other. ple of the congregation.”
Read Leviticus 16:18-22. What would the devil’s goat illustrate about Satan?
Read Daniel 8:14
1. His ________________ for sin (verse 21)
30. What was the answer to the question posed by the holy one in verse 13? 2. His ________________ judgment (verse 21)
3. His final ____________ from God’s people (verse 22)
Page 4 Keys of the Kingdom Study Guides • Daniel 8

(Key: a. responsibility; b. final; c. separation) Read Daniel 8:17,19,26

Note: a. The priest would symbolically transfer all the sins to the head of Satan’s
goat. John 8:44 tells us that Satan is ultimately to blame for all sin. Remember, the
devil’s goat was not a blood sacrifice. It did not die sacrificially for anything. b. Sa-
tan’s goat was sent away into the wilderness. In a later lesson we will look more
closely at how accurate is this depiction of Satan’s final end. c. Notice the goat is in
an “uninhabited land.”
34. According to these texts, when would the sanctuary be restored to its rightful
state (cleansed)?
Note: “The time of the end”, “at the appointed time”, “many days in the future”. Let’s
diagram the Bibles longest time prophecy.

c. The timing of this cleansing 5th century BC 2300 Day of Atone- 19th century AD
Read Leviticus 16:29,34. When did this cleansing service take place? The date of the vision ments The time of the end
Showing future desolation The cleansing of the
Note: This service occurred on the tenth day of the seventh month (Lev. 16:29) each sanctuary
year (Lev.16:34). It was a solemn and yet, ultimately joyous time when every defile-
ment was symbolically cleansed from the people, priesthood, and sanctuary.
Praise God, though His sanctuary had been attacked and desecrated. He would bring
d. He may have questioned the possibility for such cleansing to restoration through judgment.
occur. 35. Let’s review before we make one final point!
1. Where was Daniel? (Daniel 1:1) a. To whom did the Old Testament Sanctuary point?
2. What had happened to God’s sanctuary? (Daniel 1:2) Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
3. Were there any daily or yearly services being held in the sanctuary? (Daniel b. How many services did it have?
9:17)
A daily and a yearly service, or the “daily” and the “yearly”
Note: Daniel had been taken captive and that captivity still continued. God’s sanctu-
ary had been ransacked and made desolate. No cleansing work could go on in a c. Which of these did the demonic horn attack?
sanctuary that had been destroyed. Certainly Daniel must have wondered how God
Daily
could cleanse His earthly sanctuary let alone a heavenly sanctuary.
d. Which service would bring resolution?
Read Daniel 8:15,16 The yearly cleansing service (Yom Kippur)
32. Who helped him understand his vision? e. When would this occur?
Note: The Bible says that angels are intensely interested in the plan of salvation. After 2300 years, or “the time of the end”, sometime in the 19th century
They rejoice when sinners repent and when God’s will is being carried out. Gabriel,
Daniel’s special messenger, was sent to help Daniel understand.
Read Daniel 8:27-9:3
Read Daniel 8:14 again 36. How did Daniel feel and what did he do?
33. How many years would have to pass before the Day of Atonement had been Note: Though discouraged and physically sick, Daniel did not give up. With a persis-
celebrated 2300 times? tence born of His passionate love for the God of the sanctuary, he continued to patiently
pray and study.
Note: The Day of Atonement was celebrated only once a year, thus 2300 years
would have to pass before the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary would take place. Conclusion and Appeal
The diagram below will illustrate the timing of this great event.
a. Do you desire to demonstrate the passion, patience, and persistence of Daniel?
b. Do you desire to be “at one” with the Prince of princes?
Page 5 Keys of the Kingdom Study Guides • Daniel 8

c. Do you desire to be a star (light) for God turning many to righteousness and
pointing to Christ?
One final thought!
In Isaiah 9:6, Christ is called “Wonderful.” Did you know that He is called the
same thing in the chapter we just studied?
In Daniel 8:13 the phrase “that certain one” is a translation of the Hebrew “pal-
moni” which means “the wonderful numberer.” The Christ who knows how
many hairs are on your head (Matthew 10:30) knew and cared for Daniel! He
knew that His sanctuary would be attacked, but He also knew when it would be
cleansed. Do you desire to place your life fully in the care of “The Wonderful
Numberer?”

Suggested Memory Text

“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14

Next Time
In our next study we will discover how God honored Daniel's prayer and his per-
sistence by revealing an amazing prophecy of the Christ and the New Covenant.

Review Keys of the Kingdom

1. Giving my heart to God!
2. Staying connected to Him
3. Increasing faith by prophecy study
4. Memorizing and claiming God’s promises
5. Asking for and living in the Spirit
6. Acting immediately on truth
7. Being sealed by God and used by Him
8. Allowing God to change me
9. Sending my sins to judgment now
10. Praying for patience and persistence