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Daniel 12 (ESV)

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, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 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. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 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.”

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. 6 And someone 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?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, 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 finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 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.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. “At that time” (1) firstly refers to the end of Antiochus who cruelly persecuted Judaism. On the level of prophecy, it refers to the 70th seven prophesied by Daniel, which is the last three and a half years of the seven-year catastrophe, and refers to the terrible period of tribulation on the eve of Christ’s second coming (9:27; Jeremiah 30:5-7, Rev. 13 and after). Although the angel Michael is responsible for protecting the people of Israel, only those whose names are recorded in the Book of Life (that is, those who are loyal to God in persecution) can be saved.
2. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake” (2): Before the second coming of the Lord Jesus, there will be three resurrections. The first resurrection is for “the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and is the so-called Pre-Tribulation Rapture; the second time is the resurrection before the start of the Millennium after the Great Tribulation (Revelation 20:4-5); the third time is the resurrection before the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:12-15).
3. All faithful and godly chosen ones, their names will be recorded in the Book of Life, and they will inherit the blessing of eternal life. Similarly, those who “sleep in the dust” (2) refers to those who died in the tribulation. Among them, those who were martyred for the Lord will be resurrected for eternal life; but those who die without believing will be sentenced to fall into eternal punishment. Only those who are godly and those who teach people to return to righteousness, their testimony will shine like the stars forever.
4. “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” (6b): Some scholars believe that this paragraph (5-13) discusses the scene of the end times. “A time, times, and half a time” (7) refers to the last three and a half years of the seven-year tribulation. “1,290 days” is 30 days longer than three and a half years. Those 30 days are the time required for the judgment of the world after the second coming of Christ (Matthew 25:31-46); that is, 1,290 days are counted from the middle of the tribulation until the end of the trial. “1,335 days” is 45 days longer than “1,290 days.” These 45 days are used to establish and arrange the organization for the Millennium.
5. Before the end, there is a period of persecution by the Antichrist. The saints must have strong faith. Those who endure to the end and wait until the 1,335 days will surely be blessed with salvation. However, those numbers may also symbolize a short period of time; therefore, “go your way till the end. And you shall rest” (13). This is God’s command to Daniel, and it is also for us.

 

PRAYER:

Ask the Lord to let you know that the day of His return is near. In this era of end time, ask the Lord to help you to hold on to the assurance of salvation, pursue spiritual growth, work hard to preach the gospel, and eagerly wait for the return of the Lord Jesus.