Thursday(5.4), The Year 1844
 The first 490 years of the 2,300-year prophecy were designated especially for the Jewish nation of antiquity and the coming of the Messiah. The last part of the 2300 years has to do with God’s people, both Jew and Gentile, along with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, and, ultimately, the second coming of Christ.


 The first 490 years apply to the first Advent of the Messiah and ended in A.D. 34. Subtracting 490 years from 2, 300 years leaves us with 1810 years. These next 1810 years apply to God’s people. If we begin at A.D. 34 and we add 1810 years, we come to A.D. 1844.


 In the light of the cleansing or restoration of the truth about the sanctuary and heaven’s end-time judgment, God makes His final appeal to all humanity in Revelation 14:6, 7 to respond to His love, accept His grace, and live godly, obedient lives.


 Read Leviticus 16:16. What was the reason for the cleansing of the sanctuary, and what does this teach us about the gospel?


 Because of the people’s sins, the people’s iniquities, the sanctuary had to be cleansed, which happened only with the blood of animals. It’s the same with us. We need a Savior, whose life is symbolized by the animals slain on the Day of Atonement, as the only way to make it through the judgment.


 Read Leviticus 23:26-29. What did God command His people to do on that day of judgment, and what should that mean for us today?


 The Israelites were to “afflict their souls.” This expression indicates they were to humble themselves and examine their hearts, confess their sins, repent, and ask God to cleanse them as the high priest was cleansing the earthly sanctuary.

 The prophetic chapters of Daniel 7-9 and Revelation 14 focus especially on the judgment-hour urgent appeals to prepare. Since 1844, we have been living in the judgment hour, and Revelation’s message of the first angel proclaims, “The hour of His judgment has come” (Rev. 14:7, NKJV). How, then, do we today “afflict our souls”?