Daniel 12:1-4 describes the final events of human history paving the way for the second coming of Christ, the defeat of His enemies, and the establishment of His kingdom. Dan. Jesus Christ spoke of this sign of the end of this age and His imminent return saying, “‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand)” (Matthew 24:15). Although we are not given every detail as to how God will protect His people during the end time, we do find two components of this protection. 2. many . turn . Daniel 12:11 mentions 1,290 days, however, which is 30 days more than the second half of the tribulation. is the date of Judah's captivity, beginning under Manasseh 2520 from this date end in 1868, thus nearly harmonizing with the previous date, 1867. But at that time your people -everyone whose name is found written in the book -will be delivered.” Daniel 11: The Most Detailed Prophecy in the Bible. Alas! thy people shall be delivered--( Romans 11:26 ). This is a blessing pronounced upon the people of God who endure until the 1,335 days, that is, to the period beginning 1,335 days before Christ's coming. And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters. Compare Isaiah 25:6-9 . Daniel's prophecy refers to a distant time, and is therefore obscure for the immediate future, whereas John's was to be speedily fulfilled ( Revelation 1:1 Revelation 1:3 , 22:6 ). . For additional study, see “Place of Safety.”. man . Those in the first resurrection will be changed into spirit as they rise from their graves to meet Christ in the air when He returns to earth (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52). This is probably being now fulfilled. . NEWTON, referring this prophecy to the Eastern apostasy, Mohammedanism, remarks that the same period of three and a half years, or 1260 prophetic days, is assigned to it as the Western apostasy of the little horn ( Daniel 7:25 ); and so, says PRIDEAUX, Mohammed began to forge his imposture, retiring to his cave, A.D. 606, the very year that Phocas made the grant to the bishop of Rome, whence he assumed the title, The Universal Pastor; Antichrist thus setting both his feet on Christendom together, the one in the East, and the other in the West. Prof. Daniel 11:40–12:4 is one paragraph. The last three chapters of Daniel (10-12) form one final vision and the most complete revelation Daniel received. . Michael--the guardian angel of Israel ("thy people"), ( Daniel 10:13 ). Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). 11. from . As Paul explained, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. . 12:9. The chapter divisions here have been deplored by scholars ever since Cardinal Hugo butchered the job of dividing them in the 13th century; but to understand the passage before us, we must go back and read Daniel 10:14 - Answering to "they that understand" ( Daniel 11:33 Daniel 11:35 ), the same Hebrew, Maskilim; Israelites who, though in Jerusalem when wickedness is coming to a head, are found intelligent witnesses against it. Daniel Chapter 12:7: A Preterist Commentary: A Time, Times and Half a Time is Three and a Half Years, the Interval between the arrival of the Roman Army in Israel to the Siege of Jerusalem. As for exactly when Jesus Christ will return, the Bible tells us that no man may know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36). Larry Murray, a member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association in South Africa, is an electronic engineer who has worked for several multinational computer organizations, including Hewlett-Packard. For further study, see “What Are the Resurrections?”. … And one said to the man clothed in linen, … ‘How long shall the fulfilment of these wonders be?’” Here, one angel asks another how long these final wonders (including the “time of trouble” spoken of in verse 1) will last. Verse 4 of Daniel 12 then reads: “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end.” What this means is that Daniel’s prophecies would not be fully understandable until the end times prior to Christ’s return. stars--( 1 Corinthians 15:41 1 Corinthians 15:42 ). Regarding people who have their names “written in the book,” this phrase seems to be referring to the “Book of Life”—a document containing the names of God’s faithful people (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19). to righteousness--literally, "justify," that is, convert many to justification through Christ ( James 5:20 ). thy lot--image from the allotment of the earthly Canaan. The political resurrection of the Jews under the Maccabees is the starting-point of transition to the literal resurrection about to follow the destruction of Antichrist by Christ's coming in glory. “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Daniel 12:7 speaks of a time, times and a half which we know is the 3.5 years (42 months or 1260 days) of the Great Tribulation. Forty-two connects the Church with Israel, whose haltings in the wilderness were forty-two ( Numbers 33:1-50 ). Salem Media Group. 12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. All rights reserved. . sacrifice . In spite of Satan’s attacks, Daniel was able to record these key concepts for people living in the tumultuous time before Christ’s return. right . 5. The “wicked” are those who break and ignore God’s law. Here only in the Old Testament is "everlasting life" mentioned. Louis Segond. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come” (Daniel 10:13-14, emphasis added throughout). One of the angels speaks to the One standing in the midst of … How Should a Christian Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic? Protection and resurrection (Daniel 12) 1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. False prophets will arise to deceive many (verse 5). The Gentile Church, on the contrary, for whom John wrote, needs to be impressed with the shortness of the period, as it is, owing to its Gentile origin, apt to conform to the world, and to forget the coming of the Lord (compare Matthew 25:13 Matthew 25:19 , 13:32-37 , 2 Peter 3:8 2 Peter 3:12 , Revelation 22:20 ). But what is this “abomination of desolation”? In type this occurred when the Roman army marched into Judea and surrounded the city of Jerusalem beginning around A.D. 66. Although it remains to be seen exactly when the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days will begin and end, these end-time events all seem to culminate at the time of the return of Jesus Christ. Proud member Not the general resurrection, but that of those who share in the first resurrection; the rest of the dead being not to rise till the end of the thousand years ( Revelation 20:3 Revelation 20:5 Revelation 20:6 ; compare 1 Corinthians 15:23 , 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ). The “wise” are those living at the end of the age, who humbly obey God’s commands. Then the angel revealed: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (verse 3). CONCLUSION OF THE VISION (TENTH THROUGH TWELFTH CHAPTERS) AND EPILOGUE TO THE BOOK. Saints who are changed into immortal beings in the first resurrection will then rule the earth with Christ for 1,000 years. … There is no need of a fuller explanation as to the time; for when the predictions so far given shall have come to pass, the godly shall be "purified" by the foretold trials and shall understand that the end is at hand; but the wicked shall not understand, and so shall rush on to their own ruin ( Daniel 11:33-35 ) [MAURER]. Many would seek to understand it between Daniel's time and its fulfillment, but its message must be revealed. these shall be unto everlasting life; but those (the rest of the sleepers who do not awake at this time) shall be unto shame" [TREGELLES]. As to this epoch, which probably is prophetically germinant and manifold; the profanation of the temple by Antiochus (in the month Ijar of the year 145 B.C., till the restoration of the worship by Judas Maccabeus on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month [Chisleu] of 148 B.C., according to the Seleucid era, 1290 days; forty-five days more elapsed before Antiochus' death in the month Shebat of 148 B.C., so ending the Jews' calamities [MAURER]); by pagan Rome, after Christ's death; by Mohammed; by Antichrist, the culmination of apostate Rome. 1. at that time--typically, towards the close of Antiochus' reign; antitypically, the time when Antichrist is to be destroyed at Christ's coming. This final chapter of the book of Daniel focuses on end-time prophecy—events that will occur just before and after Jesus Christ returns to earth. This yet-to-be-fulfilled end-time prophecy will first be directed toward the modern descendants of the ancient Israelites, many of whom today reside in the United States, Britain and related countries. Daniel 12:2(NASB) Verse Thoughts. "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what [shall be] the end of these [things]?" . Compare Habakkuk 2:2 [CALVIN]: it is thereby that "the knowledge (namely, of God's purposes as revealed in prophecy) shall be increased." In Daniel 12:11 the subject plainly is the taking away of the worship of Jehovah and the setting up of the worship of idols in its stead, for which the Maccabean times furnish an historical fulfilment; in Daniel 12:7,however, the angel speaks of a tribulation which extends so far that the strength of the holy people is altogether broken, which cannot be said of the oppression of Israel by Antiochus, since … The remnant in Israel spared, as not having joined in the Antichristian blasphemy ( Revelation 14:9 Revelation 14:10 ); not to be confounded with those who have confessed Christ before His coming, "the remnant according to the election of grace" ( Romans 11:5 ), part of the Church of the first-born who will share His millennial reign in glorified bodies; the spared remnant ( Isaiah 10:21 ) will only know the Lord Jesus when they see Him, and when the spirit of grace and supplication is poured out on them [TREGELLES]. . It is the very clearness in the main which renders necessary the obscurity. Regarding this end-time prophecy, Jesus told His disciples (and us today) that in the time leading up to His second coming (verses 3-7) there would be: Since these events have been ongoing problems of mankind, Jesus referred to them as the “beginning of sorrows” (verse 8). You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.".' The famine and drought on Israel in Elijah's days were for "three years and six months" ( Luke 4:25 , 5:17 ); there same period as Antiochus' persecution: so the ministry of the Man of Sorrows, which ceased in the midst of a week ( Daniel 9:27 ) [WORDSWORTH, Apocalypse]. A second interval elapses in which Israel's outcasts are gathered, and then the united blessing takes place. He, like his people Israel, was to wait patiently and confidently for the blessing till God's time. As these prophesied events begin to unfold, God’s people need to remember that Daniel was also told: “And at that time [this time of the end] your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1).Now Daniel 12:12 offers a blessing: “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.” God places great emphasis on patient endurance at the end of this age of man. Christ, as he appeared in a human form, and as the High Priest our profession, and as the Mediator that has power over all flesh; so he pronounced articulate sounds with a human voice, and so loud, clear, and distinct, that Daniel could hear every word he said, and for whose sake it was said: when he held up his right … However, we are also told that when certain signs appear, we will know that it is imminent, that it is “at the doors” (verse 33). Print subscriptions available in U.S., Canada and Europe, Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/understanding-the-book-of-daniel/daniel-12/, Daniel’s Three Friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, Daniel 7: Four Beasts and the Little Horn, Daniel 9: The 70-Year Prophecy of Jeremiah. How long . NEWTON'S view that "many" means all, is not so probable; for Romans 5:15 Romans 5:19 , which he quotes, is not in point, since the Greek is "the many," that is, all, but there is no article in the Hebrew here. TREGELLES thinks Jesus at His coming will deliver the Jews. Biblical resources, such as The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, provide the historical explanations for this prophecy. Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to your inbox. Daniel 12:11-12 “ And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. An archangel, not the Lord Jesus; for he is distinguished from "the Lord" in Jude 1:9 . This is similar to Jesus’ instruction: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). See Leviticus 26:24 , "seven times," that is, 7 X 360, or 2520 years:652 B.C. brought through the fire . Never miss a post! . Upon leaving HP, he was called into the Church of God after reading a book by Herbert W. Armstrong. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). There shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days - If this is to be taken literally, it would be three years and two hundred and ten days, reckoning the year at 360 days, and is thirty days more than the three years and a half referred to in Daniel 12:7. holy people--"accomplished" here answers to "the consummation" ( Daniel 9:27 ), namely, the "pouring out" of the last dregs of the curse on the "desolated holy people." Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. Biblical Commentary Daniel 12:1-3 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: The book of Daniel seems almost like two books. 1290 reach to 1822, about the time of the waning of the Turkish power, the successor to Greece in the empire of the East. Here both hands are lifted up for the fuller confirmation. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version (© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). It begins: “At that time [the time of the end and the incursion of the king of the North into the Middle East] Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation” (verse 1). . CUMMING thinks the 1260 years begin when Justinian in 533 subjected the Eastern churches to John II, bishop of Rome; ending in 1792, when the Code Napoleon was established and the Pope was dishonored. 4. shut up . The 1290 days in Daniel 12:11 emphasize the moment when prophetic time begins. Also over the last 100 years, the rate of accumulation of new knowledge has exponentially increased. . time of trouble, such as never was--partially applicable to the time of Antiochus, who was the first subverter of the Jews' religion, and persecutor of its professors, which no other world power had done. Daniel 12:5-6 continues: “Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others. The same deliverance of Israel as in Zechariah 13:8 Zechariah 13:9 , "the third part . Many of God’s people will be hated, hunted and killed (. The book of Daniel is classified among the prophetic books. To understand what this gospel is and how it differs from what is commonly taught, see “Messiah’s Message: Gospel of the Kingdom” and “This Gospel Will Be Preached.”. This passage indicates that the sign is something that we will be able to literally see and that it can be understood by those who read this prophecy. Although Daniel apparently understood part of what he was inspired to write (Daniel 10:14), he was curious to know the final outcome. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4) . . Earlier, an angel had told Daniel: “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia [a powerful evil spirit] withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, [the archangel] Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. AUBERLEN thinks the sole purpose for which the resurrection is introduced in this verse is an incitement to faithful perseverance in the persecutions of Antiochus; and that there is no chronological connection between the time of trouble in Daniel 12:1 and the resurrection in Daniel 12:2 ; whence the phrase, "at that time," twice occurs in Daniel 12:1 , but no fixing of time in Daniel 12:2 Daniel 12:3 ; II Maccabees 7:9,14,23, shows the fruit of this prophecy in animating the Maccabean mother and her sons to brave death, while confessing the resurrection in words like those here. The End Times. that sleep--"many from among the sleepers . . . The holy city is trodden by the Gentiles forty-two months ( Revelation 11:2 ), so the exercise of the power of the beast ( Revelation 13:5 ). The angel continues in Daniel 12:12, "Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days." There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then . of Other key components of the end time include the “great tribulation” (Daniel 12:7; Revelation 12:14; Matthew 24:21-22) and the Day of the Lord, which includes the return of Jesus Christ to rule the earth. . World-changing inventions like penicillin, the atomic bomb, heart transplants, travel to the moon, and the Internet have seemingly arrived almost together. Then the angel continued: “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (verse 10). In order to synchronize the beginning of the prophecy with a specific event, the period is extended by adding an extra month—instead of 42 months (1260 days) we now have 43 (1290 days). Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. there shall be--rather, "it shall be." There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her” (Luke 21:20-21). stand--implying justification unto life, as opposed to condemnation ( Psalms 1:5 ). Daniel was given many astonishing visions and prophecies, which concerned his people Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem. Daniel's desire of knowing more is thus deferred "till the time of the end." 7. held up . It is also about people being “delivered”—which is the greatest news in the Bible! It is the good news that Jesus is going to return to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. The first part of this verse is clear: In order for animal sacrifices to be stopped, sacrifices must have resumed by this time. The fulfilment of God's decree is not a mere arithmetical problem which the profane may understand by arithmetical calculations, but a holy enigma to stimulate to a faithful observance of God's ways, and to a diligent study of the history of God's people [AUBERLEN]. 6. one--namely, of the two ( Daniel 12:5 ). abomination--( Daniel 11:31 ). Daniel 12:11 describes two simultaneous events that apparently begin just before the start of the 3½ years of tribulation. Why is fleeing Jerusalem necessary? Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. Israel's lowest humiliation (the utter "scattering of her power") is the precursor of her exaltation, as it leads her to seek her God and Messiah ( Matthew 23:39 ). 70.) These stages are marked by the 1260, 1290, and 1335 days. So now the meaning of the book of Daniel is becoming clearer to us! And even as these tragic sorrows intensify, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (verse 14). In the time leading up to Christ’s return, these events will increase in intensity. Daniel 12:2-3 'Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Because “these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” and because “there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people” (verses 22-23). The passage states that “from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”. The point is: God’s people will need to endure until these times are fulfilled. . Nine of the 12 chapters relate revelation through dreams and visions. Forty-five years more end in 1867, the end of "the times of the Gentiles." 12 En ce temps-là se lèvera Micaël, le grand chef, le défenseur des enfants de ton peuple; et ce sera une époque de détresse, telle qu'il n'y en a point eu de semblable depuis que les nations existent jusqu'à cette époque. Satan had tried to keep Daniel from understanding the visions he had received and thus prevent God’s truth from being revealed! One likely theory is that the land of Israel will be rebuilt in that month after the devastation it endured during the tribulation. . Jesus Christ is going to return and establish the Kingdom of God. “At that time Michael shall stand up,The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;And there shall be a time of trouble,Such as Jesus Himself also referred to this time in His Olivet Prophecy saying, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. THE THREE PERIODS OF DANIEL 12 WERE SEALED TILL THE TIME OF THE END The three periods ot time of Daniel 12: 7-12 were sealed until the time of the end. (For additional study, see the article “Jacob’s Trouble” and the section “12 Tribes of Israel.”). Prophecy is written before it comes to pass. In the broadest sense, the return of Jesus Christ will bring deliverance not only to the Jewish people, but also to the people of God (who are now of all nationalities and backgrounds) and the whole world. . Daniel 12:11 describes two simultaneous events that apparently begin just before the start of the 3½ years of tribulation. These people are ones who will be part of the first resurrection. As these prophesied events begin to unfold, God’s people need to remember that Daniel was also told: “And at that time [this time of the end] your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1). The Jewish commentators support TREGELLES. HALES makes the periods 1260, 1290, 1335, begin with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and end with the precursory dawn of the Reformation, the preaching of Wycliffe and Huss. The end time of Daniel 12:4 is described as a time when “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Certainly over the last 100 years methods of travel have been developed that make it possible for men to journey across the world in a short time, and the number of people visiting other countries has mushroomed. seal the book--John, on the contrary, is told ( Revelation 22:10 ) not to seal his visions. As Daniel had explained to King Nebuchadnezzar, this Kingdom will eventually “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44). . seal the book--John, on the contrary, is told ( Revelation 22:10 ) not to seal his visions. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts and updates. 13. rest--in the grave ( Job 3:17 , Isaiah 57:2 ). scatter . 3. wise--( Proverbs 11:30 ). The prophecy of Daniel 11 begins with the prediction that “three more kings will arise in Persia” followed by a fourth who would “stir up all against the realm of Greece” (verse 2). . (Jerusalem fell in A.D. . Three and a half is the time of the world power, in which the earthly kingdoms rule over the heavenly [AUBERLEN]. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book —will be delivered. The phrase "knowledge will be increased" is a direct reference to the prophecy itself; that is, knowledge of the prophecy will be increased. Daniel 12:7. These awakenings refer to resurrections—God’s process of bringing people who are dead back to life. shut up . Historicism, a method of interpretation in Christian eschatology which associates biblical prophecies with actual historical events and identifies symbolic beings with historical persons or societies, has been applied to the Book of Daniel by many writers. 12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. They sum up for Daniel the destiny of Israel as a nation, the saints, and the wicked. [CLINTON] begins in 1862. The righteous at the glorious Second Coming of Christ are raised to meet their Redeemer and receive life everlasting. The passage states that “from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.” For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:6-7). . Compare Daniel 12:4 Daniel 12:13 ; as Daniel 12:6 Daniel 12:7 refer to Daniel 7:25 , that is, to the time of Antichrist, so the subsequent Daniel 12:8-12 treat of the time of Antiochus (compare Daniel 12:11 with Daniel 11:31 ), thus putting together in one summary view the two great periods of distress.