Daniel 8:13
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals a profound aspect of angelic interaction: even heavenly beings are discussing and seeking understanding about the duration of God's judgment on His people. The question, "For how long...?" highlights that the angels themselves are waiting for the divine timetable, emphasizing that God's plans unfold according to His sovereign will, not human or even angelic impatience.
Daniel has just seen a vision of a ram and a goat, symbolizing powerful empires and their conflicts, culminating in a seemingly unstoppable little horn that desecrates the sanctuary. In this verse, Daniel overhears an angelic conversation. One heavenly being asks another, "How long will this vision—this ongoing trampling of the daily sacrifice, the desecrating transgression, and the sanctuary itself—last?"
Daniel hears a conversation, not from humans, but from 'holy ones.' What does this celestial dialogue reveal about God's perspective on suffering?
In Daniel 8:13, the prophet overhears a conversation between two angels (or 'holy ones'). One angel is speaking, and another addresses the first, asking a profound question about the vision's duration.
The angels zero in on specific elements of the vision: the daily sacrifice, the transgression, and the trampling of the sanctuary. What do these terms reveal about the heart of the prophecy?
The question posed by the second angel to the first is a cry for clarity on the extent of the devastation.
Understand the original words
qadosh · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
The 'qadosh' describes that which is separated from the common and devoted to God. It refers to a person or thing set apart for divine use and possessing divine purity.
shamem · Hebrew Noun/Verb phrase
This phrase refers to an act of rebellion that results in the state of being forsaken or laid waste. It is a state of spiritual or physical ruin caused by sin and judgment.
This verse captures a pivotal moment of angelic inquiry into the duration of the profanation of the Jerusalem Temple, a direct reference to the historical crisis under Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the subsequent Maccabean Revolt. The angels' question reflects the deep anguish and desperate hope of God's people during this devastating period.
168 BC— this verse
Temple Desecration by Antiochus IV
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, ruler of the Seleucid Empire, desecrates the Second Temple in Jerusalem. He sacrifices pigs on the altar and sets up an idol to Zeus, halting Jewish worship.
167 BC
Maccabean Revolt Begins
In response to Antiochus's decrees enforcing Hellenistic religious practices, the Maccabean family, led by Judas Maccabeus, ignites a rebellion against Seleucid rule.
164 BC
Rededication of the Temple
After years of conflict, Judas Maccabeus and his forces recapture Jerusalem and purify the Temple, rededicating it to God. This event is still celebrated as Hanukkah.
This passage echoes the lament in Daniel 8:13 by crying out to God about the devastation of the sanctuary and the burning of the temple, questioning how long this suffering will last.
Isaiah 6:1-3The vision in Daniel 8, particularly the angelic dialogue about the sanctuary, is reminiscent of Isaiah's overwhelming vision of God's holiness in the temple, revealing a similar sense of awe and divine presence.
Daniel 9:20-27This passage follows Daniel's prayer in response to the vision, where an angel provides a specific timeline for the restoration of the sanctuary, directly answering the 'how long?' question posed in Daniel 8:13.
This historical account vividly describes the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, which is the event the angelic question in Daniel 8:13 directly addresses, detailing the 'transgression that makes desolate'.
Zechariah's prophecy describes a future judgment on Jerusalem where the city is trodden underfoot, offering a parallel to the 'trampled underfoot' imagery in Daniel 8:13 and pointing towards ultimate divine restoration.
ellicottDaniel 8:13: "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?"
(13) One saint— i.e. , an angel, who, however, has not been mentioned before. This part of the vision recalls Daniel 7:16 . It is implied that the angels were conversing upon the subject of this awful revelation concerning the…
bensonDaniel 8:13: "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?"
Daniel 8:13-14 . Then I heard one saint speaking — The word saint here is equivalent to angel: see Daniel 4:13 . What this saint or angel said, is not expressed; no more than the words spoken by that illustrious person who appe…
This verse reveals a profound aspect of angelic interaction: even heavenly beings are discussing and seeking understanding about the duration of God's judgment on His people. The question, "For how long...?" highlights that the angels themselves are waiting for the divine timetable, emphasizing that God's plans unfold according to His sovereign will, not human or even angelic impatience.
Daniel has just seen a vision of a ram and a goat, symbolizing powerful empires and their conflicts, culminating in a seemingly unstoppable little horn that desecrates the sanctuary. In this verse, Daniel overhears an angelic conversation. One heavenly being asks another, "How long will this vision—this ongoing trampling of the daily sacrifice, the desecrating transgression, and the sanctuary itself—last?"
Daniel has just seen a vision of a ram and a goat, symbolizing powerful empires and their conflicts, culminating in a seemingly unstoppable little horn that desecrates the sanctuary. In this verse, Daniel overhears an angelic conversation. One heavenly being asks another, "How long will this vision—this ongoing trampling of the daily sacrifice, the desecrating transgression, and the sanctuary itself—last?"
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In the midst of such dire pronouncements, is there any comfort to be found in the way the question is asked?
While the vision Daniel sees is terrifying, the angels' question isn't one of despair, but one seeking duration. This, in itself, offers a crucial element of hope.
"Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be…" — This verse reveals a profound aspect of angelic interaction: even heavenly beings are discussing and seeking understanding about the duration of God's judgment on His people. The question, "For how l…
