| “The
daily and the transgression”, a compound subject, represents a singular
behavior pattern which causes desolation. The Hebrew participle, shomem,
means “causing desolation” or “which desolates” and is in the
singular construction and modifies, in an attributive manner, the entire
compound subject. The desolating activity of each successive world power
is clearly portrayed in the vision of Daniel 8. This is manifested first
in “the continual” self-exalting character of pagan nations and second
in “the transgression” (union of church and state claiming to act in
behalf of God) throughout history. Evidence of both pagan and papal
behavior causing desolation is found in Dn. 9:26 where “desolations
(plural) are determined until an end of war”. This phrase will be
discussed further under Section 9.0: “External Evidence of Daniel 9.”
Hasel argues, based solely on the
Greek Theodotian and Mt. 24:15, that there is no parallel linkage of “the
transgression which desolates” in 8:13 with the “the abomination which
desolates” in 11:31 and 12:11.93
The “abomination which desolates” is generally accepted among
Adventist theologians94
as representing the character of papal Rome. This is in harmony with our
exegesis of 8:9-14 which demonstrates a direct, parallel linkage of “the
transgression which desolates” in 8:13 with the accepted view of “the
abomination which desolates” in 11:31 and 12:11.
8.1.4
Qodesh |