Read Introduction to Daniel

 

⁷ “Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. ⁸ Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ ⁹ And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ And 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. ¹² Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. ¹³ But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.’”

 

12:7

Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

The angel above the river authenticates his message as true by lifting both hands to heaven. 

The length of time of Israel’s persecution and deliverance is a “time, times, and a half a time” or three and one-half years.   The enemies of Israel will control seven years in the prophetic calendar.  The last half of those seven years will be the Great Tribulation, but at the end of the last half of the Tribulation, the Messiah will come. 

Zech 14:2-3, “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;

The city shall be taken,

The houses rifled,

And the women ravished.

Half of the city shall go into captivity,

But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

³ Then the Lord will go forth

And fight against those nations,

As He fights in the day of battle.”

12:8

Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

Daniel wanted to know how all this would end, as seen by his second question.  The word “end” means the latter end.  Daniel’s question has to do with eschatology. 

12:9

And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

The angel told Daniel that the full interpretation of this vision would remain ambiguous until “the time of the end.” 

12:10

“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.”

Many people will turn to the Messiah for salvation in the Tribulation.  The godless will not understand the reason for the events around them.  The wise (believers) will grasp the prophetic meaning of those events. 

12:11

“And 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 angel provides some specificity about a major event in the Tribulation – “the abomination of desolation.”  The abomination by the Antichrist terminating Jewish sacrifices and desecrating the temple occurs in the middle of the Tribulation (Mt 24:15).  1,290 days from the middle of the Tribulation is 30 days longer than 3 ½ years.  This would be one month after the Great Tribulation (the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation). 

12:12

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

God will bless those that wait and come to the 1,335 days.  They are those who wait for God to deliver them.  This period is 45 days longer than the 1290-day period (v.11).  This ends after the conclusion of the Tribulation when the Messiah establishes His millennial kingdom 45 days after the Tribulation. 

12:13

“But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

The angel told Daniel to move on with his life.  Eventually, Daniel would die and then receive his inheritance in the resurrection.

PRINCIPLE: 

All suffering is for the purpose of blessing. 

APPLICATION: 

All suffering in the Bible is for blessing.  No matter how difficult the situation we face, God has a purpose in it all. 

As God gave Daniel dying grace, so He gives us grace for any situation.  Do not think like a dead man or woman.  Some believers live their Christian lives like zombies.  They are morbid, upset, bitter, frightened, worried, envious, and jealous.  They are miserable people.  All this denies God’s provision for our lives.  We are to quit living like dead people until we go to meet the Lord.

Php 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”