F.C. Gilbert's "Paganism" View
Compared to the "Papal" View

F. G. Gilbert’s Paganism Defense, as I (Leroy Moore) understand it, is as follows:

[Currently (September 27, 2006) under Revision]

The great horn was broken and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them [western Grecian horn] came forth a little horn [Pagan Rome] which  waxed exceeding great; ... And it [Paganism/Papacy] waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he [Papacy] magnified himself even to the prince of the host [Christ]. And by him [from Rome] ha tamid [Paganism] was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary [Pagan Rome’s military fortress] was cast down. And an host was given him [Papacy] against ha tamid [Paganism] by reason of [in] transgression, and it [he] cast the truth to the ground; and it [he] practiced, and prospered" (Dan 8:9-12). (See F.C. Gilbert's paper, "A Scriptural Exposition of H-T-Mid, The Daily, Daniel 8:11-13.")

Paganism View

Papal View

1. Inserting “he” for “it” and “from” for “by,” Gilbert translates as follows: 

1. These word changes offer no more proof than to argue that a car with four wheels must be a Ford!

Pagan Rome waxed great ... Yea, he magnified himself even to Christ/crucifixion. But his Pagan daily was taken away from him, and the place of his Pagan headquarters was cast down (8:11).

Papal Rome waxed great ... Yea, he magnified himself even to Christ and from Him His continual [heavenly] ministry was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary headquarters was cast down (8:11).

“He” and “from him” fit either view. Two crucial questions must be answered: Is the “daily” taken away from Pagan Rome or from Christ? And is Paganism or the Papacy the little horn? Note the unannounced shift from “it” =  Paganism to “he” = Papacy. In Green’s interlinear the same “it” occurs in verse 12, which Gilbert identifies as the Papacy, as in verse 10, which “it” Gilbert says is Paganism.

2. “Horns” is the antecedent to “them” (above)

Linguistic evidence favors "out of one ... winds"

If the antecedent is “horns,” “he” can be either Pagan or Papal Rome (Dan 8:9); but
if the antecedent is “winds,” “he” is the Papal horn coming out of the western wind (Rome)!

3. Contrary to the rest of Scripture, ha tamid  (the continual) in Daniel has no precedent but invariably has the prefix ha (the). As a substantive it stands as an independent noun. This supports Ellen White’s protest against the added word, "sacrifice" (EW 74).

3.“Sacrifice” is improperly supplied and Ha tamid is a substantive; yet not Paganism but the continual priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary,as indicated in the type (cf. Ex 28:29-30, 38; Lev 24:2-4,8; 1 Kings 16:6,11,37,40; Heb 7:21-28).

4. “Him” in 8:12 is supplied & “by reason of” should be “in” — “daily in transgression”  Thus the “daily” is an evil power in transgression and cannot refer to the heavenly sanctuary.

4. To omit “him” and accept “in” for “by reason of” (8:12) in no way proves “the daily” an evil power “in transgression.” This is the assumption to be Proved! Is the “daily” “in transgression”? Or did the Papacy “in transgression” take away the “daily”? If it is the Papacy “in transgression,” then the Prince is Christ and the “daily” is His sanctuary ministry.

5. Since the “daily” is “in transgression” it cannot be taken away from a sinless Prince; it can only be taken from corrupt, pagan Rome.

5. Circular reasoning: that the “daily” is “in transgression” is not proven: “The daily” is the “Prince of the host’s” “continual” mediation! The “he” in  transgression is the Papacy who hijacks and counterfeits Christ’s “daily” mediation by his host of priests! 

6. The angel plainly says the Pagan “daily” gives way to the Papal “abomination of desolation.”

6. The angel plainly says Christ's “continual” would be supplanted by Papal “abomination of desolation” (AD 508-538) & initiate 1260 yr persecution (12:7; AD 538-1298).

a. “And he [Papacy] shall take away the “Daily” [Paganism], ... [to make place for] the abomination that makes desolate [Papal system]” (11:31; 508 AD).

a. "And the [Papacy] shall take away Christ's heavenly ministry from men's minds] and [replace it by his own system of] abomination that makes desolate.” (11:31)

b. “And from the time the [Pagan] daily shall be taken away and the [Papal] abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be [1290] days.” (12:11; AD 508-1798).

b. “And from the time [Christ's continual] shall be taken away to the setting up of the [Papal] abomination that makes desolate, there shall be [1290] days” (12:11; 508-1798; see Appendix D

7.  Two evil powers are thus found in 8:11- 12:
(i) the Pagan “daily in transgression,” taken away to set up
(ii) the Papal abomination of desolation”:

7.  A single “abomination of desolation,” the Papacy, focuses the minds from Christ in heaven to earthly priests who claim His power to forgive sins and by Latin words in the mass, even to create Christ:

a. Prediction: “dragon [Pagan Rome] gave him [Papacy] his power, seat, and great authority” (Rev 13:2)

b. Authentication:  The barbarian “host” became “Catholic” and dethroned  Paganism.

8. "Shall be" is supplied & should be omitted: "How long the vision"?

“Until when the vision concerning the [continual] and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot"? (Dan 8:13)

The answer:  "Unto 2,300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed [justified].”  In other words: then shall the two-fold evil be exposed in the judgment-hour message.

The answer: "Unto 2,300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed/ [restored]” in 1844 to its rightful place and expose the Papal “little horn” in the judgment.

An essential relation exists between the problem and its consequences
and between the question and its answer.

Two-fold problem:   i) Christ's “continual” high priestly ministry taken away; in its place
 ii) Papal, “abomination of desolation” carries on a counterfeit ministry

Two Consequences: i) Christ's ministry—truth & the place of His Sanctuary cast down;
ii) His true worshipers—(loyal host) is trodden down (persecuted)
 

Question:  “Until when the vision concerning the continual and the transgression of Desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?"

Answer:      "Unto 2,300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

The problem and consequences relate to (a) the sanctuary and (b) the host; thus the question relates to each, while the answer only specifies the sanctuary cleansing, the host is included in the justifying process that brings the little horn to justice (compare Dan 7:9-14).

Thus the question & its answer relate directly to both aspects of Problem & Consequences.
This the Paganism concept does not do; while the Papal daily does so fully.

The down-trodden sanctuary and down-trodden host are both to be justified. The sanctuary ministry is restored; a cleansing judgment exposes the “little horn,”  destroys his desolating system, and exonerates & restores the down-trodden host, by Christ's true heavenly priesthood (1 Pet 2:9). (See Appendices A & C.)

9. Ellen White verified that “the daily” is “Paganism.” Two issues are thus involved:

9. Ellen White nowhere verifies the “daily” as Paganism. She affirms the 1844 cleansing – not the Pagan theory. Two issues are involved:
(1) “daily”  = Christ’s continual sanctuary ministry &
(2) “Prince” = Christ, the Priest-King, from Whom the Papal little horn took His ministry by casting down the truth regarding the heavenly place of His sanctuary, the only true sanctuary.

a) the Papacy defeats the evil “prince” (Pagan Rome) taking from him the evil “daily” (Paganism); and
b) absorbs Paganism into its own system.