Christ was cut off in the midst of the seventieth week, (Dan. 9:26, Is. 53:8) but the entire seventy weeks had been "determined" upon the Jews. Christ directed His disciples to begin their work at Jerusalem, and it was not until the stoning of Stephen in A. D. 34, or three and one-half years after the crucifixion, that the gospel went to the Gentiles. The covenant was confirmed by the disciples, (Heb. 2:2,3) for they confined their labors to the Jews until 34 A. D., the close of the period allotted to that people. (Acts 8:1-4) The seventy weeks, or four hundred ninety years, ended in A. D. 34. Four hundred ninety years taken from the entire period of two thousand three hundred years, leaves eighteen hundred ten years of the period remaining in A. D. 34 [2300-490 = 1810]. This added to A. D. 34 brings us to eighteen hundred and forty-four A. D. [34 + 1810 = 1844].
"Unto two thousand and three hundred days [years]; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." (Dan. 8:14) The earthly sanctuary ceased to exist long before this date; but the time had come for the antitype of the cleansing of the sanctuary, the work performed on the day of atonement in the earthly sanctuary, to begin in the heavenly sanctuary. In 1844 the great Court from which there is no appeal convened in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. This wonderful prophecy of two thousand three hundred years began with the restoration of God's people to their earthly possessions, and the rebuilding of the holy city Jerusalem; but again the Jews proved unfaithful to their trust, and the land of promise with the holy city passed from their control into the hands of the heathen. The coming of Christ and His death on Calvary, like a great seal, fixes definitely the entire prophecy, and insures the inheritance of the earth to the faithful; and the judgment which opened at the close of that wonderful period of prophetic time will give to the faithful a "court title" to the eternal inheritance and the city of God, the New Jerusalem.