The first fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy occurred in 168 BC, on the 25th day of the month Kislev, when Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, with his army, erected an altar to the Greek god Zeus on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and offered swine upon it. This act intensified Jewish resistance, sparking the Maccabean revolt. After retaking Jerusalem, the Jews cleansed and rededicated the Temple in 165 BC, an event commemorated in the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.

There are three prophesied events that must occur before the return of Christ and the ushering in of the Millennium. One of these is the reinstitution of the daily sacrifices. Some Jews living in Israel are now seriously committed to restarting these sacrifices, despite opposition from Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. They have constructed a portable altar weighing 4.5 tons, demonstrating their determination. The hold-up comes from the Jewish government, which fears conflict with Muslims. God instructs His people to watch for the fulfillment of prophecy, not to save their physical lives, but to prepare spiritually and draw closer to Him. The seriousness of the Jews in reinstituting the daily sacrifices is a significant development to observe in light of end-time prophecy.

Kislev 24, a date mentioned in the book of Haggai, holds historical significance in relation to Hanukkah, which begins on Kislev 25. This date marks the day before the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, a festival rooted in the historical event of the Temple's liberation from Antiochus Epiphanes. On Kislev 24, the Temple was freed from foreign control, and the cleansing began that evening, which, after sunset, was technically Kislev 25, thus marking the origin of Hanukkah.