Daniel 12:1

 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be delivered, every one whose name shall be found written in the book.”

Daniel 12:1

“at that time”

 “Michael, the great prince”

• Michael is the Archangel (Jude 9) who raises the dead (I Thessalonians 4:16) which is Jesus role (John 5 :28)
• Michael, the Great Prince, is Jesus who is pictured as a Lamb Slain during the judgment scene in heaven (Rev. 5:6)
• Jesus is now going to protect His people

 “a time of trouble”

• The time of trouble such as never has been is now described
• This time of trouble is also called the great tribulation by Jesus (Matt. 24:21)
• This time period occurs after the abomination is set up (Dan. 11:31)
• This tribulation occurs after the false Christ is reigning (Matt. 24:14-21)

 “at that time your people shall be delivered”

• God’s people will be delivered
• At that time refers to Daniel’s time of the end which is the close of probation
• Once probation closes God’s people’s salvation is secure even though they must still endure the time of trouble (Rev. 22:11)

 “whose name shall be found written in the book”

• God’s people have their names written in His book of life
• This is the book of life of the Lamb Slain (Rev. 13:8)
• This is the book involved in the investigative judgment described in Rev 5:1-10 and Rev 20:12-14

Daniel 12:2

 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

Daniel 12:2

“shall awake”

• This text describes a special resurrection
• This resurrection involves both the righteous and the wicked
• This can not be either of the resurrections described in Revelation chapter 20 since the righteous are raised 1000 years before the wicked

 “some to shame and everlasting contempt."

• This special resurrection involves some wicked: those who pierced Him (Rev. 1:7)

“some to everlasting life”

• This resurrection also involves some of the righteous: those who have died in the faith of the third angels message (GC p. 637)

Daniel 12:3

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
 

Daniel 12:3

“those who are wise”

• The wise of the book of Daniel are those who understand (Dan. 12:10)
• They understand what Jesus refers to in Matthew 24:15
• They understand what Daniel did not understand (Dan. 12:8)
• They understand who the abomination is and what he is doing and how long he will reign
• The wise shall make many understand (Dan. 11:33)
• The wise are those who know their God (Dan. 11:32)
• The wise are those who know who the false god is (the abomination)
• The wise will stand firm and take action (Dan. 11:32)
• The wise will fall until the time of the end (Dan 11:35) which is the close of probation
• Daniel’s wise are John’s remnant at the time of the end
• These wise will turn many to righteousness
• They will shine like the stars and reflect God’s glory

Daniel 12:4

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
 

Daniel 12:4

“shut up the words”

• The “words” here refer to the parts of Daniel’s book related to the last days and specifically to this prophecy

“seal the book”

• Daniel is told to seal the book until the time of the end
• Daniel’s book will be opened up just prior to the time of the end

 “the time of the end”

• In the broad sense the time of the end refers to any time after the beginning of the Laodicean church (the church of the end time)
• Some apply this to any time after 1798 (the end of the first Papal dynasty)
• However, in the context of Daniel chapter 11 & 12 it refers to the time around the close of probation
• Daniel’s book was opened up some in the early 1800’s but it will be opened up more just prior to the time of the end

 “Many shall run to and fro”

• At that time many shall run through the Bible to and fro and knowledge about the Scriptures shall increase
• Also travel and general knowledge will increase

Daniel 12:5

“Then I Daniel looked, and behold two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream.”

Daniel 12:5

“behold two others”

• Daniel is standing by the Tigris River (Dan 10:4)
• Daniel now sees 2 others standing one on each side of the river
• In Daniel’s day it required 2 witnesses to verify an event (Deut. 19:15)
• Some suggest that these are the two “saints” in Dan. 8:13
• These 2 will act as witnesses to the oath
• Daniel has been talking to Gabriel (Dan 10:14)
• Daniel now shifts his attention to the Man clothed in linen

Daniel 12:6

“And I said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, 'How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?'”

Daniel 12:6

“the man clothed in linen”

• This Man has been previously described in Dan. 10:5,6 and is Jesus
• This Man appears to be in charge so now Daniel asks Him for help

“How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?”

• Daniel wants to know how long till the end of these wonders
• Daniel wants to know how long God’s people will suffer until they are delivered (Dan. 12:1)
• How long will the abomination reign and profane the temple (Dan. 11:31)
• How long will the burnt offering be taken away (Dan. 11:31)
• At the time of the end God’s people will want to know the same thing (Rev. 6:10)

Daniel 12:7

“The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven; and I heard him swear by him who lives for ever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time; and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be accomplished” (emphasis supplied).

Daniel 12:7

“raised his right hand and his left hand”

• Jesus now raises both His hands and swears before His witnesses
• Jesus is swearing by God and himself!
• This oath taking suggests the importance of His answer

“a time, two times and half a time”

• His answer is a time ,two times, and ½ a time: one time equals one year
• This is 31/2 years which has been historically applied to the 1260 years of Papal reign (538-1798)
• This is the answer to how long
• This time period relates to God’s people
• Hebrew : “mo’ed” which refers to an appointed time and is used in Dan. 11:35. Aramaic “’iddan” is used in Dan. 7:25 which means “a definite time”
• Appointed time is associated with last day events

“when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end”

• This time period relates to God’s people’s power
• This time period ends with God’s people’s power restored
• This time period ends when Satan’s reign in Jerusalem ends
• The shattering of God’s people’s power occurs when the false Christ takes his throne in Jerusalem and begins to reinterpret the Bible. This is when the two witnesses of Rev chapter 11 are killed. This is the beginning of this time period.
• The two witnesses of Rev chapter 11 are connected to the trumpets and the plagues
• This is a last day event
• Daniel 12 is related to the time of the end and to the time of trouble which is a last day event
• This is the same time period John described in Rev. 11:9,11 after the beast has ascended and killed the two witnesses (3 ½ years)

• This time period represents the reign of the false Christ in Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15-21)
• This time period represents the reign of the 8^th king (Rev. 17:11)
• This time period represents the time of the abomination that makes desolate or the desolating sacrilege or the transgression that makes desolate (Dan. 8,9,11& Matt 24)
• This time period represents the time of the beast that ascends (Rev. 11) and the fallen star (Rev. 8)
• God’s people’s power is shattered when:
• The scriptures are under Satan’s control (when the 2 witnesses of Rev. 11 are dead)
• When the buy-sell law goes into effect (Rev. 13:16,17) which occurs shortly after the reign of the false Christ
• When the world thinks Jesus is here already and there is no need to prepare for His return
• When Satan works miracles as the false Christ if possible deceiving the elect (Matt. 24:24)
• There are several reasons why the time period in Daniel 12:7 appears to be different from the time period of Daniel 7:25:
• First, Daniel did not understand Jesus answer when he had already been shown the explanation to Daniel chapters 7 & 9
• Second, Ellen G. White connects this prophecy to the time of the end (Last Day Events, p. 15)
• Third, the context of chapter 12 is a continuation of last day events introduced in chapter 11
• Fourth, Daniel chapter 12 begins with a description of the time of trouble which is a time of the end event

Daniel 12:8

“I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, 'O my Lord, what shall be the issue of these things?'”

Daniel 12:8

“I did not understand”

• Daniel clearly does not understand this vision
• Daniel does not understand why this abomination is going to occupy God’s temple, or why God’s people have to suffer, or whether God’s people will survive
• Daniel understood the 1260 day prophecy in Dan. 7 but does not understand the 1260 day prophecy of Dan. 12
• Daniel does not seem to understand the time element

Daniel 12:9

“He said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.'”

Daniel 12:9

“go your way”

• Jesus now tells Daniel not to worry, because it does not concern Daniel
• Daniel is to “go your way”
• This prophecy is for the time of the end
• Only those who would live through them would understand

“the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end”

• The “words” here refer specifically to the “words” of Jesus relating to this final prophecy
• This prophecy involves the last 31/2 years of history
• This prophecy involves the great  tribulation and the reign of the false Christ
• This prophecy will be sealed up until that time approaches
• This prophecy is now being unsealed because we have almost reached that time

Daniel 12:10

“Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand.”

Daniel 12:10

“many shall purify themselves”

• They will make themselves white thru Jesus righteousness
• They will be refined by persecution
• They will be called wise because they understand

“The wicked shall do wickedly”

• This refers to the world during the reign of the false Christ (Rev. 11:8) and especially after the close of probation (Dan. 11:35)

 “who are wise shall understand”

• Jesus now describes those who will survive: they are called the wise
• They are wise because they understand what Daniel did not
• None of the wicked will understand because they think that the false Christ is Christ
• Many of these wise will purify  themselves and be made white and refined (see Dan. 11:35) through dying for Jesus
• They are wise because they reject the false Sabbath and the false Christ (the abomination)
• They are wise because they stand firm and take action (Dan. 11:32)
• They are wise because they know their God (Dan. 11:32)
• They are wise because they will make many understand (Dan. 11:33)
• They are the saints who keep all of God’s commandments including the Sabbath and keep faith in the real Jesus (Rev. 14:12) rejecting the false Christ
• They are wise because they know who the abomination is and what he is trying to do
• The most critical issue that determines wisdom during the last days is recognizing Satan as the false Christ

Daniel 12:11

“And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days."

Daniel 12:11

“and from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate is set up”

• These 2 events occur together (see Dan. 8:14,Dan. 9:27, and Dan. 11:31) and are not separated in time
• The abomination was “set up” in Dan. 11:31 when the false Christ began his reign in Jerusalem
• When Satan reigns as the false Christ Jesus sacrifice (the burnt offering) will be replaced with Satan’s false worship system
• This time period begins with the “set up” of the abomination
• The end of this time period is not given

 “there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days”

• Now Daniel is given another time prophecy which relates to the time of the end and the last days
• Historically, this time period has been applied to the 1260 year prophecy regarding the Dark Ages and has been regarded as A.D. 508.- A.D.1798 (508 being the conversion of Clovis, king of the Franks)
• However, this time prophecy is not related to the 1260 years of Dan. 7 because then it would not be a last days prophecy
• This is a literal 1290 days just as the 1260 days of Dan.12:7 is literal
• This time period is related to two events: the taking away of the continual burnt offering and the setting up of the abomination that makes desolate which occur together
• This time period begins when Satan begins his reign in Jerusalem and sets up the abomination

Daniel 12:12

“Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.”

Daniel 12:12

“blessed is he who waits and comes to the”

• The blessing is not stated but suggests a benefit to God’s people if they make it to this time
• This could represent the special resurrection of Dan. 12:1, or God’s voice announcing His return, or the beginning of the 7^th plague, since it is unknown how long that will take

 “the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days”

• Jesus now gives one final time period
• This time period does not have an apparent beginning but has an ending
• This time period is 1335 days long
• Historically, this time period has been applied from A.D.508 -A.D.1843 which assumes that the message of that time was the blessing described
• It is reasonable to assume that it shares the same beginning as both of the other time periods in Dan 12 which begin with the “set up “
• This time period extends beyond the end of Satan’s reign in Jerusalem and beyond the 1290  period
• This time period ends with a blessing

Daniel 12:13

“But go your way till the end; and you shall rest, and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

Daniel 12:13

“but go your way till the end”

• Daniel is now told to go his way until the end

“you shall rest”

• Daniel is told he will rest until the end

“shall stand”

• Daniel will stand in his allotted place at the end of the days and he will be allowed to see some of these events that he did not understand

Summary

• Daniel 12 is about events that involve the last days
• Daniel 12 is about events that begin in Daniel 11
• Daniel 12 includes the time of trouble which overlaps Dan. 11:40-45
• Daniel 12 includes three prophecies that overlap Dan. 11:31-45
• Daniel 12 tells us that the abomination will last for 3 1/2 years
• Daniel 12 tells us that God’s peoples power will be shattered when the abomination begins his reign as the false Christ

• Daniel 12 tells us that God’s people’s power will be restored after 31/2 years
• This time period is the same as when God’s two witnesses are dead (Rev. 11:9,11)
• This time period is the same as the 31/2 years of Rev. 12:14
• Daniel 12 tells us that God’s people will understand these events but the wicked will not
• Daniel 12 also introduces two other time prophecies only found in this chapter: 1290 and 1335
• These two prophecies are connected to last day events because they are part of the explanation of these events
• These two prophecies are also connected to the 1260 day prophecy
• The 1290 day prophecy starts at the beginning of Satan’s reign in Jerusalem and extends beyond the end of his reign (which occurs at 1260 days)
• Satan will be forced out of Jerusalem by an earthquake that destroys the temple and probably his residence (Rev.11:13)
• The 1335 days will begin with the set up of the abomination (Satan as the false Christ) and will end with God’s people being blessed
• This blessing is not described but may be God’s voice heard announcing His soon arrival, or the special resurrection, or the beginning of the seventh plague