Daniel 12

CHAPTER 12THEME: The Great Tribulation; the resurrections of Old Testament saints and sinners; sealing of prophecy till the time of the end; the abomination of desolationChapter 12 now concludes the vision which began back in chapter 10. This is all one vision, and everything about it must fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The problem is that some people dip into this prophecy here and there, making applications as they see fit. We need to remember that this is all one vision, and we were told concerning it: “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days” (Dan_10:14). There are three important things that we note from this verse:

1. “Thy people” means that it concerns the nation Israel after the church is removed from the earth.
2. It is “in the latter days.” The latter days of the Old Testament are identified with the last days of the New Testament which the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation period and which correspond to the Seventieth Week of Daniel.
3. “Yet the vision is for many days,” that is, there will be a long time before you come to the latter days. It has been a long time since Daniel had these visions; in fact, at least twenty-five hundred years have gone by. Whether we are moving in the orbit of these days, I do not know. The church will have to be removed firstthat is the next happening in the program of God. We have no date for thatwe have no sign for it. Anyone who tries to set a date for the Rapture is dealing with something that is not found in the Word of God.

Daniel 12:1

THE GREAT TRIBULATIONBy what authority do we call this period the Great Tribulation period? By the authority of the Lord Jesus, because He used the same language in speaking of the Great Tribulation that Daniel uses here. He said that this would be a brief period, a time of trouble, and that there would never be a time like it before or afterward. This is the time the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation period. He knew what He was talking about, and we will accept what He said (see Mat_24:15-26). “At that time” identifies the time frame as the time of the end (Dan_11:35, Dan_11:40; Dan_12:4) and the latter days (Dan_10:14). This is now the end of the vision given to Daniel, and it ends with the Great Tribulation period. Dr. Robert Culver wrote in Daniel and the Latter Days, p. 166: “Another expression, ‘at the time of the end’ (11:40), seems to indicate eschatological times. I do not feel that this evidence, taken by itself, can be pressed too far, for obviously the end of whatever series of events is in the mind of the author is designated by the expression, ’time of the end.’ This is not necessarily a series reaching on to the consummation of the ages. However, it is quite clear from 10:14, which fixes the scope of the prophecy to include ’the latter days,’ that the ’time of the end’ in this prophecy is with reference to the period consummated by the establishment of the Messianic kingdom.” “Michael” is identified for us here. He is the only angel given the title of archangel (see Jud_1:9). His name means “who is like unto God?” He is the one who is going to cast Satan out of heaven (see Rev_12:7-9). He is the one who protects the nation Israel and stands in her behalf, as Daniel makes clear here. His strategy is outlined by John in Rev_12:14-16. “For the children of thy people.” This is positively the nation Israel. Otherwise the language has no meaning whatsoever. “And there shall be a time of trouble.” This is the Great Tribulation period as our Lord so labeled it in Mat_24:21. The believing remnant of Israel will be preserved (see Mat_24:22; Rom_11:26; Rev_7:4). “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (Rev_7:4).

Daniel 12:2

THE RESURRECTIONS OF OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS AND SINNERS"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life." The remnant of Israel living in the Great Tribulation period will be preserved, and that great company of Gentiles who are to be saved during that time also will be preserved. Those of the Old Testament who died belonging to the remnant and the Gentiles saved during the Old Testament will be raised to everlasting life at the end of the Great Tribulation. The Old Testament saints are not raised at the Rapture of the church. Scripture clearly states that at the Rapture those “…which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (1Th_4:14, italics mine). Only, “…the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1Th_4:16, italics mine). We are in Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit which began on the Day of Pentecost and will end at the Rapture. This particular body of believers is called the church. We are told in 1Co_12:12-13, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” Christ told His disciples who were members of the nation Israel that they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit and put into the body of believers, the church"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Act_1:5). When the church is raptured out of the world, the Old Testament saints will not yet be raised. Why? Because the time to enter the Kingdom is at the end of the Great Tribulation period when Christ comes to establish His Kingdom on the earth. Then the Old Testament saints will be raised. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will all be raised to enter the Kingdom on this earth at that time. However, if they were raised at the time of the Rapture of the church, they would just have to stand around with their harps for seven years! I think that would get a little monotonous. However, Scripture makes it clear that they will be raised at the end of the Great Tribulation. “Some to shame and everlasting contempt” refers to the lost of the Old Testament who are raised for the Great White Throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (see Rev_20:11-15).

Daniel 12:3

God’s servants in the dark of the Great Tribulation will shine as lights. Believers are to do the same thing today, by the way. “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Php_2:15). The remnant in that day will be God’s witness in the world, and they are going to “turn many to righteousness.” That righteousness is Christ, the only righteousness which is acceptable to God. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (see Isa_64:6) in His sightnot in our sight; we think we are pretty good. We pat each other on the back and tell each other how wonderful we are, while all we produce is a bunch of dirty laundry, my friend. God is not accepting our works; He is accepting the righteousness of Christ, and that is provided only by faith.

Daniel 12:4

SEALING OF PROPHECY TILL THE TIME OF THE ENDThese prophecies were to be sealed until “the time of the end.” This does not mean the end of time but refers to that definite period of time which in the Book of Daniel is the Seventieth Week. In view of the fact that we are in the interval immediately preceding this period, it is difficult to know just how much we understand. Since so many good men differ today on the interpretation of prophecy, it would seem to indicate that there is much that we do not understand. All of this will be opened up when we reach this particular period. This is the reason we need to keep our eyes upon one thing"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Tit_2:13). “Many shall run to and fro.” I personally believe that this refers to running up and down the Bible in study of prophecymany shall search it through and through. There is a serious study of prophecy being made by many scholars today which has not been done in the past. Different great doctrines of the church have been studied and developed during different periods of the history of the church. At the very beginning, the doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures was pretty well establishedalso the doctrine of the deity of Christ and of redemption. Other doctrines were developed down through history. Today I think we are seeing more study of prophecy than ever before. “Knowledge shall be increased.” I believe this means knowledge of prophecy. It is true that knowledge has increased in every field today, but this refers primarily to the study of prophecy.

Daniel 12:5

These verses return us to the vision which Daniel had seen at the beginning of chapter 10. “The man clothed in linen” has been previously identified as the postincarnate Christ. Two others join Him hereone stands on one bank of the Tigris River and the other on the opposite bank. One asks how long these events will take, and the postincarnate Christ swears that it will be three and one half years, which is the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. “To scatter the power of the holy people” is a strange phrase. It may mean that the rebellion of Israel will have finally been broken by the end of the Great Tribulation period and that there will have been a great turning to God at that time.

Daniel 12:8

Though Daniel was a witness to this scene, he did not understand what he saw and heard. Daniel was puzzled and wanted to know how all of these things he had just witnessed would work out.

Daniel 12:9

Daniel is reminded again that these things would take place in the time of the end and are temporarily sealed (see v. Dan_12:4).

Daniel 12:10

THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATIONThese great principles of God prevail from Daniel’s day to the time of the end, irrespective of dispensations:

1. “Many shall be purified” refers to those who have come to Christ, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy …” (Tit_3:5).
2. “None of the wicked shall understand” refers to the natural man. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Co_2:14).
3. “But the wise shall understand.” “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (Joh_16:13).

Daniel 12:11

The importance of this verse cannot be overemphasized as the Lord Jesus referred to it in Mat_24:15"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (Whoso readeth, let him understand)." This is the signal to the remnant that the Great Tribulation has begun. For 1,290 days the idol of the Beast remains in the temple. Actually, this is thirty days beyond the three and one half years. The last half of the Great Tribulation Isaiah 1,260 days, and for some unexplained reason the image of Antichrist will be permitted to remain 30 days after Antichrist himself has been cast into the lake of fire.

Daniel 12:12

Another series of days is given to us here with no other explanation than “blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh” to them. No one has the interpretation of thisit is sealed until the time of the end. I think sometimes we try to know more than is actually given to us.

Daniel 12:13

Daniel is told (as the Lord Jesus told Simon Peter) that he would die. He would not live to see the return of Christ, but he would be raised from the dead to enter the Millennium. “In thy lot” means that Daniel will be raised with the Old Testament saints at the beginning of the Millennium. “At the end of the days” brings us to the abundant entrance into Christ’s kingdom. My friend, that is the future that is before us right now, a future that says Jesus is coming to this earth to establish His Kingdom. This is the hope we should keep before us in these days.