THE END
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Introduction
Introduction
-Whenever you are wrapped up in a novel, or you are watching a movie that captured your attention the whole time, it is always sad to see it end. You want to know more about what happens to the characters and to the location where the story is set. A good story always leaves you wanting more.
-Daniel is not a story, but it definitely takes you on a roller coaster ride. And, unfortunately, it does leave you wanting to know more. Ending with a very cryptic vision, you want to know what it means and what it means for God’s plan of redemption. But, since Scripture is inspired, it ends the way God wants it to end and you just have to take it and place it into the larger scheme of God’s revelation. Yes, like a lot of Daniel’s visions, there are many different ways that you can understand what’s there, and you need to do a little digging for yourself. But, just as the main theme of Daniel shows, whatever the situation may be, God has it under control and it is leading somewhere. We might not know the somewhere, but God does, and we just trust Him to get us there.
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.”
-vv. 1-3 end the message of the vision itself. It again refers to Michael being a great prince, or maybe the greatest prince. Michael may or may not be the chief of all the angels, but he is a chief angel and seems to be the guardian of the nation of Israel. God’s plan will unfold, but it indicates here that Israel will go through some trouble and Michael will not stop the trouble. God does not stop all the bad things from happening to His people on earth. And we have to think, if God didn’t use Michael as He did as Israel’s protector, the nation probably would not have survived what was going to come. Although the wording is hyperbolic (exaggerated) nothing like it has happened to Israel in the past (meaning it will be worse than Egypt and Babylon). But what is this time of trouble?
-The premillennial dispensationalists believe that the end of Chapter 11 spoke about the Antichrist, and the time of trouble is the Great Tribulation (the last 3 1/2 years of the 70th week). They take vv. 1-3 to be a summary of what will happen—looking through a telescope and seeing that righteous believers will be delivers, and unbelievers will be judged. The righteous believers will be raised to eternal life, and the unrighteous unbelievers will be raised to eternal death. The main message being that those who have trusted in the Messiah will shine in His righteousness forever and ever.
-Some who hold a version of Preterism (which is a view believing most prophecies have already been fulfilled) believe that the end of Chapter 11 spoke about Herod the Great and the Romans. They believe that the times of trouble that are indicated are those that lead to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, about which Jesus Himself used much of the same hyperbole saying those times would be the worst the nation had ever experienced. They believe that some point before the destruction there would be a spiritual awakening among some of the Jews because Jesus used some of the same language in talking about spiritual awakening, specifically John 5:25 “25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” For these preterists, vv. 2-3 speak of Jews being confronted with the person of Jesus, and some will have their spiritual eyes opened and they will receive everlasting life, while others will reject Him and be condemned. So, v. 3 is about the gospel spreading through the world.
-Still others believe that the times of trouble are talking about what Antiochus IV Epiphanes will do to the Jews—it summarizes the persecution that he will place upon the Jews, especially at the time that he returns to Jerusalem from battle to quell a rebellion. They see the vocabulary used here as a significant allusion to the passage of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, but the language is used of spiritual life. As one author stated this view:
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 12
Just as the Suffering Servant figure is resurrected and restored to a relationship with God, His people also will be resurrected and restored to a relationship with Him. The allusions serve to connect God’s people in Dan 12:2–3 with the Suffering Servant, so that God’s servant—Israel (the “people” in v. 1)—is resurrected. The concept of judgment also is implicit here, with some receiving eternal life and others eternal contempt.
-As the vision continues, Daniel is told to seal the book, which is typical apocalyptic language that the truth of the words given will be kept secret until the generation for whom the message is intended, but when the message is made known is will be a source of joy, uprightness, and wisdom. And knowledge will increase. I know some think this refers to the internet or something to that effect, but just because you have an increase of information doesn’t mean you have an increase of knowledge. But it refers to knowledge of the Word of God. This refers back to the prophet Amos who said:
11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.
-So, as one author explains:
Daniel 12:1–4 Deliverance of the Faithful
when the vision is unsealed in the days of crisis during the rampage of Antiochus, then the famine for the word of God will cease. Then the word Daniel has sealed up will be available to all. Meanwhile, knowledge shall increase: God will enable persons, like Daniel, to draw meaningful observations from the flow of historical events.
-We return to the scene in Chapter 10 where two others had joined the messenger angel in conveying all of this information to Daniel. Again, there are several views about what the answer given to the question of how long it will be until the end of these wonders. The first answer is time, times, and half a time which is generally believed to mean 3 1/2 years. But what about it and the other numbers given—1290 and 1335? If 3 1/2 years is 42 months, reckoned at 30 days per month, that would be 1260 days, so that doesn’t jive with 1290 or 1335. Premillennial dispensationalists believe that the Antichrist will take away the sacrifice of the Jews in a renewed temple, and will set up some other form of worship in it which will be the beginning of the 3 1/2 year Great Tribulation. They believe that Jesus will return at the end of the 1260 days, He will judge the nation for 30 days (to get to 1290), and then spend 45 days setting up His millennial kingdom (which leads to 1335).
-Certain preterists view this as referring to specific times leading to the destruction of Jerusalem. The abomination of desolation occurred when the Romans first laid seige to the city about November of AD 66 (as prophesied in Luke 21:20 “20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.” Then the daily sacrifice ended about July AD 70 (according to Josephus) which is roughly 1290 days from the seige; and then 45 days later General Titus took the rest of the city.
-Still others view these numbers as related to events with Antiochus Ephiphanes—from the beginning of persecution and all that he did to prevent the worship of the true God until the time of his death and the cleansing and rededication of the temple.
-Although I personally probably lean toward the Antiochus Epiphanes explanation, I am open to other ideas. But I think we overlook an important point being made in Daniel 12:10 “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.” This verse tells us that during times of trouble and hardship, many will seek God and purify themselves and make themselves holy before God and they will seek the wisdom of God, while other will act wickedly and will apostatize so they will not understand what God is saying.
-Apostasy or apostatize means to abandon and reject one’s religion, even if you still claim to be a part of that religion. And we are in one of those eras. Things are dark in the world, and it’s showing people’s true colors. While some people dig deeper into the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (and hopefully we are included in that), others pervert the faith for their own ends. While some seek to purify themselves and be holy, others are looking for excuses to twist the faith so they can live whatever lifestyle that pleases them. As it says here in Daniel, they are without understanding. They claim to be wise, but all they do is show themselves to be fools. Those who take the Word of God to lead to a greater holiness will find themselves on the right side of eternity, while those who are wicked will not.
-So, herein lies a great calling for us. It is fun to debate the different beliefs about the end times, and try to figure out what all the wild visions might mean; but at the end of the day, does your seeking give you greater wisdom and greater faithfulness and greater holiness. I have to check myself on this. If it were left up to me, I would spend 10 hours a day doing nothing but reading the Bible and reading other religion/theology/philosophy books. If I could make a living doing that, I’d be there. But if all that information does not lead to a greater desire for God and the things of God and the heart of God and the love of God, then it’s useless. May the truths of God and the wisdom of God lead us to greater faithfulness toward God and His calling on our lives.