Another prophecy question: 'Abdu'l-Baha says that the 1290 days of Daniel
started in 613 C.E., with the proclamation of Muhammad, and ended in 1863
C.E., with the proclamation of Baha'u'llah. How exactly could anyone have
possibly figured this prophecy out in advance? Here is the prophecy: "And
from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the
abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be a thousand two
hundred and ninety years." (Daniel 12:11) It seems pretty obvious this is
saying that the 1290 days/years starts when the continual burnt offering is
taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up. Obviously to work
out the meaning of this prophecy in advance one would have to recognize that
such happened in 613 C.E. But were burnt offerings taken away at this time?
I thought that was all done away with centuries earlier. Was the
abomination of desolation set up in 613 C.E? The setting up of the
abomination of desolation is a bad thing, whereas the proclamation of
Muhammad is a good thing. So how would one know that the time started from
the proclamation of Muhammad? Furthermore, why not assume that the time
started from the proclamation of Jesus? 'Abdu'l-Baha refers to Daniel 9:27,
and says that sacrifice and offering ceased with Jesus. The same verse
seems to clearly indicate that the abomination of desolation would be at
that time as well. To take 613 C.E. as the date that would not be the first
date since 457 B.C. that the continual burnt offering was taken away. If we
also add Antiochus Epiphanes and the destruction of Jerusalem that would be
the fourth time burnt offerings were taken away. To make things more
confusing, 'Abdu'l-Baha, in explaining the meaning of the prophecy of Daniel
8, said that the abomination of desolation would be around for 2300 years,
from 457 B.C. to 1844 C.E. If that's the case, how could Daniel 12:11 speak
of the abomination of desolate being set up? How could it be set up if it's
supposed to already be there? Furthermore, Daniel 8 says that the burnt
offerings cease during the 2300 days. That raises two questions in my mind:
(1) what is 'Abdu'l-Baha doing affirming that Jesus would cause burnt
offerings to cease, as Daniel 9:27 says? I thought they ceased in 457 B.C.
and weren't to resume until 1844 C.E. Did they start up again? (2) how
could the burnt offering be taken away in 613 C.E? I thought it wasn't to
take place until 1844 C.E. Daniel 12:11 implies that prior to that time
burnt offerings would be taking place. I note that 'Abdu'l-Baha's entire
exegesis appears to assume the traditional authorship of Daniel in the sixth
century. If this is so it would make Daniel rather an exception among
apocalyptic literature, which traditionally predicts the short-term future
or "predicts" the future. Had I met 'Abdu'l-Baha I might have tried to get
a yes/no response to Him to the question "was Daniel written in the second
century by some guy who wasn't really who he claimed to be?" The
abomination of desolation in Daniel 11 hardly appears to be something
intangible, as 'Abdu'l-Baha suggests. After a whole lot of prophecies which
Antiochus Epiphanes it says, "Forces from him shall appear and profane the
temple and fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering. and
they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate." It looks like it is
speaking of a literal temple. Finally, what did 457 B.C. have to do with
any spiritual degradation? I don't see how things got worse that year.
That actually seems like it was a pretty good year, given what is said in
the Bible.
David
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