1844, a Significant Date
In answer to the question in Daniel 8:13 about how long the forces of evil would be allowed to trod underfoot and desecrate the sanctuary, the answer is given in verse 14. “And he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
Using the year/day principle, where a day stands for a year (Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6), 2300 days is 2300 years. No starting point was given, until the angel returned with a detailed explanation (Daniel 9:23).
He then explained that Seventy weeks (year/ day principle, 490 days) were determined (Hebrew word, chathak, allotted, decreed, cut off} upon his people and Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24) as probationary time to get their act together.
The next verse gives the starting point for both the seventy weeks and the 2300 days.
“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” (Verse 25).
In other words, the 490 years, to be cut off from the 2300 years, would begin with the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, which was given by Artaxerxes in 457 BC, a date that is firmly established in both Scripture and history. From that date, 457 BC, 490 years spanned the rebuilding of Jerusalem down to the time the Messiah would be anointed by the Holy Spirit at His baptism (verse 24), and begin His public ministry. After sixty-nine weeks (483 years) with the stoning of Stephen, and in the middle of the last 7 years of the 490, the Messiah would be cut off, crucified (verse 26). At the end of the remaining three and a half years’ (36 AD) probation ended for the Jewish nation and the gospel went to the Gentiles.
The remainder of the 2300 years extends to the year 1844, at which time the investigative Judgment started. Jesus moved from the holy to the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary to join His Father, the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13), to begin the work of cleansing the heavenly sanctuary from the sins recorded and stored there in books. When completed, sin will be no more.