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Daniel 12

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The Great Tribulation and Resurrection 1–4

1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who 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. ​
2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ​
3
And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. ​
4
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. ​

Dialogue on the End Times 5–13

5
Then I, Daniel, looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on the brink of the river on this side, and the other on the brink of the river on that side. ​
6
And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? ​
7
And 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 unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. ​
8
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my lord, what shall be the issue of these things? ​
9
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. ​
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 they that are wise shall understand. ​
11
And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. ​
12
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. ​
13
But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in thy lot, at the end of the days. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Daniel 12

Verse 1

Michael stand up, the great prince — The one who helped the messenger against the prince of Persia (10:13) and is 'Michael your prince' (10:21) now 'standeth for the children of thy people'. The 'time of trouble' echoes 'the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it' (Jer 30:7) and Christ's 'great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world' (Matt 24:21).

Verse 2

sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake — 'Many' awake, some to 'everlasting life', a phrase found only here in the Old Testament, and some to 'shame and everlasting contempt'. Dera'on, 'contempt', occurs elsewhere only in Isa 66:24, 'an abhorring unto all flesh'. Isaiah has 'Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust' (Isa 26:19); Christ speaks of both outcomes in John 5:28–29.

Verse 3

they that be wise shall shine — Maskilim, 'those who understand', is the title of 11:33, 'they that understand among the people shall instruct many'. 'Turn many to righteousness' uses tsadaq, the verb of 'my righteous servant justify many' (Isa 53:11). Christ says, 'Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father' (Matt 13:43).

Verse 4

shut up the words, and seal the book — The same command as 8:26, 'shut thou up the vision', here with the 'seal'. John is told the opposite: 'Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand' (Rev 22:10). 'Run to and fro' (shut) is the verb of 'they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD' (Amos 8:12).

Verse 5

there stood other two — Two more figures stand, one on each bank, beside the man clothed in linen (v.6). 'Bank' is saphah, the word for 'lips' in 10:16. 'The river' here is yeor, a word used of the Nile in Gen 41:1, and it is not named; the Hiddekel of 10:4 is the 'great river' (nahar).

Verse 6

How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? — The question is put to the man 'clothed in linen' (10:5), who is above the waters. The same question was put in 8:13 by one saint to another: 'How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice'. Zechariah's angel asks it too: 'O LORD of hosts, how long' (Zech 1:12).

Verse 7

when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven — The oath is sworn 'by him that liveth for ever', as Moses has the LORD say, 'I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever' (Deut 32:40). In Rev 10:5–6 an angel lifts his hand to heaven and swears by the same one. 'A time, times, and an half' repeats 7:25 and recurs in Rev 12:14.

Verse 8

I heard, but I understood not — The verb bin, 'understand', is the messenger's own in 'make thee understand' (10:14). Daniel asks 'what shall be the end' (acharit, as in 10:14, 'latter days'). Of the earlier vision it was said, 'none understood it' (8:27). The prophets, Peter says, searched 'what, or what manner of time' the Spirit of Christ signified (1 Pet 1:11).

Verse 9

closed up and sealed — These are the passive forms of 'shut up' and 'seal' in v.4, and 'the time of the end' is the same as in 8:17, 'at the time of the end shall be the vision'. Isaiah says of another vision, 'the words of a book that is sealed' (Isa 29:11). 'Go thy way' (halak) is repeated for him in v.13.

Verse 10

purified, and made white, and tried — These three verbs are the ones used in 11:35, 'to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end'. John sees those 'which came out of great tribulation' who 'have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb' (Rev 7:14). 'The wise shall understand' answers 'Who is wise?' in Hos 14:9.

Verse 11

the daily sacrifice shall be taken away — Tamid, the continual offering, and 'the abomination that maketh desolate' stand together in 11:31, and 9:27 speaks of 'the overspreading of abominations'. Christ tells his hearers to watch for 'the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet' (Matt 24:15). The 1,290 days are thirty beyond the 1,260 of Rev 12:6.

Verse 12

Blessed is he that waiteth — Ashre, 'blessed', is the opening word of Psalm 1. 'Waiteth' (chakah) recurs in 'blessed are all they that wait for him' (Isa 30:18) and Habakkuk's 'though it tarry, wait for it' (Hab 2:3). The 1,335 days are forty-five more than the 1,290 of v.11.

Verse 13

thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot — 'Rest' answers 'that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them' (Rev 14:13). 'Stand' (amad) is the verb of Michael's standing in v.1, and 'lot' (goral) is the portion assigned, as in 'thou maintainest my lot' (Ps 16:5). The word comes 'at the end of the days', after the awaking of v.2.