In 2^nd Thessalonians we follow William Miller’s reasoning on the power that is taken away for the Papacy to appear, is the proof text for the ‘Daily’ being Paganism.

We also make the point that those who have not a love of the truth are going to receive strong delusion. We believe that the truth they really do not have a love for is the truth about the ‘Daily’. The truth about the ‘Daily’ is what brings the strong delusion.

In Daniel 8:13,14 you have the foundation of Adventism. In verse 13 there is a question raised:

Daniel 8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long . .

‘How long’ is a question of duration, it’s not a question of a point in time. If the question was ‘when’, then it would be a point in time. This is a question of duration of time—‘how long’—it is not ‘when’, a point in time.

"How long shall be the vision"? In Daniel 8 you see the word ‘vision’ in several places, but it is translated from two different Hebrew words. One of those words is ‘chazown’, which means the complete vision, the total vision. The other is ‘mareh’, which means a specific point in the vision, a point in time.

In Daniel 8:15 ". . behold, there stood before me as the appearance ‘mar'eh’ of a man." Here the word is translated appearance, while everywhere else in Daniel 8 it is translated ‘vision’ and it means a point in time in the vision.

The word in verse 13 is ‘chazown’ referring to the entire vision, the complete vision concerning the Daily and the transgression of desolation.

The modern theologians are teaching that the ‘Daily’ represents Christ’s work in the sanctuary and the Pioneers understood the ‘Daily’ to be Paganism. Both the pioneers and the modern theologians agree that the transgression of desolation is the Papacy, no questions on that, but the question is ‘what is the Daily?’

So if we go back to this question, ‘how long shall be the complete vision concerning –either Christ’s sanctuary ministry or Paganism and the Papacy, and then it tells us what the Daily and the transgression of desolation are going to do -- to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

So, if we believe that the ‘Daily’ is Christ’s high priestly ministry –when did Christ begin that ministry? When did Christ ascend to heaven? 31 AD. So if we take that approach, the question is ‘how long is the total vision about the Papacy removing the understanding of Christ’s sanctuary ministry and the Papacy to give both the heavenly sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?’

Now, when did the Papacy come into history?

The ‘Mystery of iniquity’ is mentioned by Paul as already at work, so they were already at work but not on the throne of the earth until 538. But let’s give the benefit of the doubt here and say that the moment Christ ascended into the heavenly Sanctuary; the Papacy began to remove the understanding of His work in the heavenly sanctuary from the minds of men. So, that took place in 31 AD and the question is ‘how long shall be the complete vision concerning the Papacy and Christ’s sanctuary ministry to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

And we know what the answer is in Daniel 8: verse 14: "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

The earliest point in history that you can argue that the Papacy was blocking the understanding of Christ’s heavenly ministry would be 31 AD, if you are going to give them the benefit of the doubt, which is the earliest you can possibly say this because He was not doing His high priestly ministry before 31 AD.

So the earliest you can start this vision, the question is ‘how long’, is 31 AD. And then it tells us we need to understand that this vision is 2300 years long. So if you add 2300 years to 31 AD., when did Christ begin the investigative judgment? 2331 AD-- He hasn’t done it yet!

That is simple math and this is why we are suggestion that the ‘Daily’ is the subject that brings strong delusion on Seventh-day Adventists, let’s be realistic—this false view is what we are teaching today, and whether we admit it or not, by teaching this we are destroying the very foundation of Adventism!

If we go back to the pioneer position, it says how long shall be the complete vision concerning Paganism, the complete vision of Daniel 8, and that begins with the Medes and the Persians, and then when you get into chapter 9 and you have the key to understand the vision-- Daniel 9:25 "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

457 BC is totally within the history of Daniel 8 and when you put the 2300 years onto it, it comes right to where it is supposed to come –1844.

This is a very simple and profound argument and it was William Miller who discovered and used it against those in his day in the protestant world that were taking the wrong view of the Daily. This was a foundational understanding that if you teach that the ‘Daily’ is Christ’s high priestly ministry you destroy 1844 and the foundation of Adventism. William Miller knew it and opposed that very same false view. But in the early 1900s, we began to take on these old false views and to cover up the foundations so we could no longer understand these things.

Looking now at verse 12, Daniel 8:12 "And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered."

This phrase ‘by reason of transgression’ means ‘in transgression’, so what it is saying is that a host, an army, was given the Papacy against Christ’s high priestly ministry ‘in transgression’. If you are going to use the Hebrew correctly and take the false meaning of the Daily, it means that in this verse, Christ’s high priestly ministry commits sin! It is ‘in transgression!’

But how reasonable the text is when you follow the Pioneers: "And an host (army) was given him (the Papacy) against the daily (Paganism) sacrifice by reason of transgression, (In transgression--that is by uniting church and state) and it cast down the truth to the ground; (The gospel, the Law and the Sabbath) and it (the Papacy) practised, and prospered."

 Also see: 'Forgotten Truths of Bible Prophecy'