Mekôn of Daniel 8:11 and Isaiah 9:6: The same language


On the basis of one root, kûn, in both texts, as well as the contexts, one can see a complimentary set of information that should be taken together to give a fuller picture of what is going on in both Isaiah and Daniel.


The Rebellion in Heaven in Daniel 8:11 once more

Daniel 8:11:  Suddenly with the Little Horn, Daniel is not using feminine verbs as in verses 10 and 12 referring to the Little Horn. He is using masculine verbs. He is not referring to the papacy as Little Horn here but to Satan as the nexus of the Little Horn or papacy. He has Isaiah 14:12 in mind. The desire of Satan is given in Isaiah 14 and God’s punishment but here in Daniel 8:11 the process of Satan during that Rebellion in Heaven is identified. It is a “and throwing down” (wehašlak = וְהֻשְׁלַ֖ךְ) of the place (mekôn = מְכ֥וֹן) of His Sanctuary (migdašo = מִקְדָּשֽׁו). In Isaiah 14:19 the same verb is used (hašlaketa  = הָשְׁלַ֚כְתָּ). In the similar language regarding Satan in his rebellion in heaven, in Ezechiel 28:17 one also finds this word “I have cast you…” (hišlaketîka  = הִשְׁלַכְתִּ֗יךָ). So it is a firm thinking to say that when Daniel talked about the papacy as Little Horn in Daniel 8:10, the church as symbol is a woman and also Little Horn has the Hebrew gender of feminine so that the verbs used should be feminine and it is. That is both in Daniel 8:10 and Daniel 8:12. But, when he suddenly had the origin of evil in mind that is at the heart and nexus of the papacy or Little Horn, Satan is treated as a male and masculine verbs are used in Daniel 8:11.


What did Satan do in Heaven that is symbolically continued in the activities of the papacy as Little Horn on earth?

The question is relevant since Daniel 8:11 outlines his misdeeds in the Rebellion in Heaven activities: “and unto the prince of the host he magnified himself” (wead šar haaba hagedîl = וְעַ֥ד שַׂר־הַצָּבָ֖א הִגְדִּ֑יל ). He wanted to sit on the mountain and he wanted to be God. The mountain is where the Heavenly Temple of God is, His throne. That was Satan’s desires and Isaiah 14 and Ezechiel 28 outlined it about this perfect cherub in a trusted place in heaven. The second thing he did, according to Daniel 8:11, is that Satan “removed the continual offering” (harim hatamîd = הֻרַ֣ם הַתָּמִ֔יד). It was removed “and from it/from Him” (ûmimenû = וּמִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙). From the Sanctuary in Heaven, from the Trinity’s tranquility in the universe, the harmony, the established peace and security was “removed”. Heaven was disturbed. Subsequently, said Daniel in 8:11, when Satan was “thrown down” (wehašlak = וְהֻשְׁלַ֖ךְ) to the earth (according to Isaiah 14 and Ezechiel 28), he was “throwing down” with himself the place (mekôn = מְכ֥וֹן) of His Sanctuary (migdašo = מִקְדָּשֽׁו). Heaven, and the universe, was no longer the same. The Trinity’s tranquility and peace forever, was disturbed.


What did the Trinity do about this disturbance of the Rebellion in Heaven?

The answer to this question was already dealt with earlier by the prophet Isaiah in 9:6 (7 in the English).

The English reads: “To him who increases the authority, and for peace without end, on David's throne and on his kingdom, to establish it and to support it with justice and with righteousness; from now and to eternity, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this.”

Many scholars will just see it as a kingly honorification by God to make it the divine kingship of those who were on the throne of David. Not so. The context is the Messiah, the everlasting God (verses earlier). Christ is the one Who will do these actions in this verse and it should be paraphrased like this:

“To Him(Christ) who increases the authority, and for peace without end, on David's throne and on His (Christ’s) kingdom, to establish it and to support it with justice and with righteousness; from now and to eternity, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts (Christ) shall accomplish this.”

With this proper understanding of the context of the verse, it is possible to break down the fine detail linking it with the activities of Daniel 8:11 to get more detail what happened in Daniel 8:11.

The Trinity gave Christ the transformational and incarnational role to be able to “increases the authority”. This was done in the Eternal Covenant between the three before the Creation of the World. Here is another phrase we are using which is a mistranslation of the original Greek. The New Testament in Ephesians 1:1-4 is not saying that it happened before “Creation” as scholars are interpreting the Greek word. It is before the “throwing down” of the earth. It is the Fall in Eden that is the point before which the Eternal Covenant between the Trio in heaven was made. Increase can only happen in the environment of a denial of divine authority. That denial is on earth since Eden with Satan who stole the earth. It was necessary for the Trinity to “increase” their authority on this earth (Isaiah 9:7a).

In Ephesians 1:4 Paul wrote: 4καθς ξελξατο μς ν ατ πρ καταβολς κσμου εναι μς γους κα μμους κατενπιον ατο ν γπ. “Just as He [Triune God] has elected us in Him (Christ) before the “throwing down” [katabolēs = καταβολς] of the earth [a time of deterioration of the earth due to Satan’s impact in Eden with the Fall by Adam and Eve], us, to be holy and unblemished before Him [Triune God] in love”.

It is the Fall, not Creation of the World that is mentioned here in Ephesians 1:4. Bales is “throwing” and kata is “down”. It is not Creation that is ktisein or ktiso. We need to be more precise in our language so that we can be more precise in doctrine as well. I am talking to the non-SDA’s here.

Christ had the function, as coming Messiah, to increase authority and “for peace without end” (ûlešalôm ên-q = וּלְשָׁל֣וֹם אֵֽין־קֵ֗ץ). That is why the angels sang at His birth, “peace on earth….” to the shepherds in the fields. It was the Messiah’s second task. Christ, while dealing with this earth between Eden to Eden was increasing His authority (ulemarebba hammisera = ולְמַרְבֵּ֨ה הַמִּשְׂרָ֜ה). This peace was not just short-term peace between kings or people this was “peace without end”. It is eternal peace that was to be gained. It was lost. An usurper stole it from the Trinity. Harmony, tranquility, peace was stolen in heaven. The makon of His Sanctuary in heaven was “thrown down” as Daniel 8:11 said. The root kûn is present in Daniel 8:11 but it is going to show up soon in Isaiah 9 to.


Locality of the authority and peace to be gained in the Messianic Program

Isaiah says that it is “on David’s throne” and “on His kingdom”. Scholars will misunderstand it all to be preteristically interpreted in the past history of David and his descendants. But that is not the case, unless one says Descendant, meaning the Messiah = Christ. And that was He according to Matthew 1. His kingdom had to be established over this earth. The kingdom of Glory was to reign over this earth but it was eschatological as long as Satan is around. Only after the Hell event would it kick in. Of course He comes in glory as King of Kings in heaven to take the resurrected to heaven but it will be established in this earth after the Hell event.


Establishing and supporting judgment and righteousness

Isaiah is not done yet with the Messianic program. He (Christ) was to “establish” something. It is in this word that we are back with the root kûn (see makon in Daniel 8:11). He said: “to establish it” (lehakîn otah = לְהָכִ֚ין אֹתָה֙). The root is in kîn = kôn = kûn. We have just strung together verses 9:6 of Isaiah and Daniel 8:11. What Satan destroyed in Daniel 8:11 through the Little Horn and papacy and himself, is regained and restored by Christ in Isaiah 9:6 (7 in English).

Two aspects needed to be establish and supported: Judgment and Righteousness. Righteousness was demonstrated at the cross in 31 CE and that is Christ our Righteousness. The Messianic Lamb of God. The goal of the tamîd or continual offering. Once and for all, Hebrews said. It will have continual application and continual power to support the harmony and peace regained forever. That much we know.


How long was the Judgment and Righteousness to be established and supported?

“From now and to eternity” (me`ata wead ôlam = מֵֽעַתָּה֙ וְעַד־עוֹלָ֔ם). This was a task that had eternal repercussions and effects. Christ would be working from Eden to Eden to involve the Trio in heaven in a salvation engine for the regaining of authority, of peace, of Judgment (both investigative 1844 as a process until the Door of Mercy closes and executive after the millennium at the Hell extermination event once and for all) and of Righteousness giving His life at the cross, once and for all.


Who will accomplish this?

“The zeal of the Lord of hosts [Christ] shall accomplish this”.


Dear God

We are able to gain a deeper understanding of Your work for us through these texts. We are very thankful for that and submit our lives to You to be part of Your eternal peace program. Amen.