Daniel 12
The End Times (12:1–13)
1 During the final years before Christ’s return there will be a time of distress worse than anything ever experienced; during that time the antichrist will persecute God’s people. But everyone whose name is written in the book—God’s book of life (Exodus 32:32; Revelation 3:5; 21:27)—will be delivered through the help of Michael, the great prince (see Daniel 10:13). This doesn’t mean that the godly will be shielded from the “time of distress”; it simply means they will be delivered out of it.
2–3 Here the angel tells Daniel that the dead will awake (verse 2); this is one of the few Old Testament references to the resurrection of the body, about which Jesus and the New Testament writers had much to say40 (see Isaiah 26:19). This is more than just a renewal of the SOUL or spirit; this is a resurrection of the whole person—body and soul. Those who have lived godly lives will “awake” to everlasting life (verse 2); those who have led ungodly lives will awake to everlasting contempt (see John 5:28–29).
The angel goes on to say that the wise (the godly) will shine like the heavens; those who lead many to righteousness (verse 3) will shine like stars forever (see Philippians 2:15). Leading people to righteousness is our primary task as Christians. Jesus called it “bearing fruit” (John 15:16) and “making disciples” (Matthew 28:19).
4 Here Daniel is told to seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. We can understand this to mean that Daniel’s words are to be preserved until the time they are needed—which is, above all, during the great “distress” (tribulation) at the end of history.
5–7 Near the end of this great vision, Daniel saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river (verse 5)—the Tigris (Daniel 10:4). One of them asked the man (angel) clothed in linen (see Daniel 10:56) how long it would take for these astonishing things to be fulfilled (verse 6). The answer: a time, times and half a time (verse 7)—probably meaning three and a half years.41 But, says the angel, before these things can be completed, the power of the holy people (believing Jews and Gentiles) must be broken. The antichrist will be on the verge of victory—and then God will suddenly intervene through the angel Michael (verse 1) and destroy the antichrist and all his evil forces.42
8–10 Daniel still could not understand all this (verse 8); even we today cannot understand it fully. But here the angel assures Daniel that when these end–time events begin to occur, the wise will understand what is taking place (verse 10). They will have Daniel’s book (and the other books of Scripture) to refer to; these will be sealed (preserved) until the time of the end43 (verse 9).
11–12 In these verses the angel mentions two more time periods, both apparently related to the final three and a half “years” of the antichrist’s activities. The abolishing of the daily sacrifice and the desecration of the temple referred to here appear to be final acts of the antichrist as he attempts to destroy the people of God.44 The 1,290–day period is twelve days longer than three and a half years (1,278 days), and the 1,335–day period during which God’s people must remain faithful is forty–five days longer. The significance of these numbers is not known.45 What is known, however, is that the one who reaches the end will be blessed (see Mark 13:13).
13 Here the angel gives a final word of reassurance to Daniel: “You will rest (die) and then you will rise (be resurrected) to receive your inheritance (eternal life).” Part of that inheritance will include a throne, for those who remain faithful will one day reign with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 20:4). Daniel will surely be among them.
Having reached the end of Daniel’s book, one may ask: “What does all this talk about the end times have to do with me? I need to be living my life here and now.”
Yes, we do need to live in the present; but that which is coming in the future will affect how we live today. One day in the future, we will have to stand before God (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:1115). One day in the future, the world as we know it will come to an end. Peter writes: That day will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3:10). Then Peter asks: Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? (2 Peter 3:11). Peter gives the answer: You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God (2 Peter 3:11–12).
It is to encourage us to lead holy and godly lives that God has partially revealed these future events to us. Though we may not understand all the details, we must take these words of prophecy seriously. They are meant to help us lead lives pleasing to God right here and now, so that on that day when we stand before Him, He will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21,23).
1 According to Jeremiah 25:1, Nebuchadnezzar became king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign. However, the Babylonians used a different method for determining the official beginning of a king’s reign, and Daniel naturally used that method. Jeremiah used the Jewish method.
2 The Jewish names of the four friends each contained the Hebrew word for “God”–either “el” or “yah” (Yahweh). Their new names contained the words for Babylonian gods.
3 True faith can never be divorced from outward behavior; faith without deeds is dead (James 2:26).
4 God always honors the commitments we make to Him as young people. Our basic test in life comes as a choice: whether to follow God or follow the world, whether to conform to God’s ways or to “Babylon’s” ways (Romans 12:2). If we make the right choice in the beginning, it will be easier for us to keep making the right choice throughout our lives. But Satan will always be tempting us to conform to the world, to Babylon; and God will always be giving us a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13) just as He did for Daniel and his friends (verses 11–16). For further discussion about compromising one’s faith and conforming to the world, see Judges 2:20–23 and comment.
5 Notice the similarity between Daniel’s career and that of Joseph in Egypt. Joseph also could interpret dreams (Genesis Chapters 40–41) and, like Daniel, he rose to a position of great prominence (Genesis 41:41; Daniel 2:48). Both Daniel and Joseph experienced evil early in their lives, but God used it for good (see Genesis 45:4–8; 50:20; Romans 8:28).
6 In verse 4, the expression, O King, live forever, is equivalent to the modern expression, “Long live the king” (Nehemiah 2:3). The astrologers addressed the king in the Aramaic language, which was the international language of the time. From verse 4 to the end of Chapter 7, Daniel writes in Aramaic. In Chapters 8–12, he returns to the Hebrew language, because those chapters concern the future of Israel.
7 In the king’s dream, the four kingdoms become progressively less valuable—from gold to clay. However, the four historic kingdoms were progressively more powerful and lasted longer. The explanation for this apparent contradiction is this: Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute monarch; in each succeeding kingdom, the king had less and less power. The Roman emperor, for example, had to share much power with the Roman senate. From Nebuchadnezzar’s point of view, he was of greatest “value”; by this standard, the rulers who succeeded him became less and less valuable.
8 The statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream can also be said to represent the kingdoms and governments of the earth in general. They are all built with “human hands”; they all have “feet of clay” and are easily toppled. And one day they will all be replaced with a kingdom that will never be toppled, but will continue forevermore.
9 Daniel doesn’t say where he was at the time. As ruler over the entire province of Babylon (Daniel 2:48), he may not have been required to bow down to the image; his loyalty to the king was probably assumed. Or, more simply, Daniel may have been away on government business.
10 For further discussion on the subject of total commitment to the Lord, see Genesis 22:15–19; Isaiah 6:8 and comments.
11 The fourth man in the furnace was certainly a heavenly being sent by God to protect the three men. Some scholars have suggested it was Jesus Himself.
12 For further discussion on the subjects of testing and suffering, see Exodus 15:25–27; Psalms 22:12; 44:9–22 and comments.
13 Nebuchadnezzar died in 563 B.C., several years after the events recorded in this chapter.
14 Nebuchadnezzar is called the father of King Belshazzar (verses 2,11,13) and Belshazzar is called his son (verse 22). The Aramaic word for “father” used here can mean “ancestor” or “predecessor”; the word “son” can mean “descendant” or “successor.” This is important because, in fact, Belshazzar was not Nebuchadnezzar’s son; he was the son of Nabonidus, the actual king at the time. But Nabonidus had moved south some years earlier (possibly for health reasons) and left his son Belshazzar to rule in his place.
15 Darius the Mede is a “throne name.” When Cyrus captured Babylon, he put one of his generals in charge for one to two years. That general could have taken the name “Darius the Mede.” Or, Cyrus himself could have chosen “Darius” as his own throne name when he eventually settled in Babylon and began to rule.
16 Christians today should take note of Daniel’s example. Our tendency to compromise for convenience’ sake weakens us spiritually and jeopardizes our fellowship with God. However, it is essential that we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit; we must not invite unnecessary danger or look for trouble that God has not sent. It is not wrong to avoid trouble as long as it can be done with a clear conscience and without sinning. But if the Holy Spirit gives us the sense that we are compromising, then we must follow Daniel’s example and place the outcome in God’s hands. For further discussion of the danger of compromise in spiritual matters, see Judges 2:20–23 and comment.
17 It’s doubtful that Darius’ decree caused anyone to reverence God; faith cannot be commanded. But Daniel’s faith surely caused faith to arise in others. And so it is with us: when people see our faith in action, they will be encouraged to have faith themselves and to praise their Father in heaven (see Matthew 5:16).
18 Verse 28 can also be translated: “. . . the reign of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus.” See footnote to comment on Daniel 5:29–31.
19 Bible scholars have differing interpretations of verses 23–25. For example, the ten kings come from the fourth kingdom, but not necessarily at the same time. The fourth kingdom may, in a sense, still be continuing; it may represent all ungodly worldly powers still in existence.
The “little horn,” the king who speaks against God (verse 25), has been identified with the man of lawlessness mentioned by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4,8, and also with the antichrist mentioned by John in 1 John 2:18; 4:3. This “little horn” will oppress the saints for a time, times and half a time (verse 25)—that is, for a year, two years, and half a year—a total of three and a half years.
20 It is the Messiah who will judge the nations; God has given Jesus the authority to judge (see John 5:22,27).
21 In verse 10, the starry host refers to Jewish believers—those who God had said would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5; 22:17).
22 The temple (sanctuary) that Antiochus desecrated was the one built by the Jewish exiles after their return to Jerusalem.
23 In 168 B.C., Antiochus removed the Lord’s altar in the Jerusalem temple and replaced it with an altar to the Greek god Zeus, on which Antiochus then made human sacrifices. Daniel may have been referring to this evil act when, in Daniel 9:27, he mentions an abomination that causes desolation. Also a later “abomination” occurred in 70 A.D., when the Romans desecrated the temple before destroying it. Jesus referred to this later “abomination” in Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14.
24 Each morning and evening the Jews were required to offer a sacrifice at the temple (see Exodus 29:38–39). Thus the number 2,300 probably refers to the number of sacrifices offered over a period of 1,150 days. This was indeed the length of time between the removal of God’s altar by Antiochus and its restoration about three years later. The feast of Hanukkah, still celebrated by Jews today, commemorates the reconsecrating of the sanctuary at that time.
25 The time of the end means the “time of the world’s end,” the “end times.” However, Daniel’s vision here only goes up to the death of Antiochus in 164 B.C. We can look at Antiochus as a forerunner of an even more evil individual who will come at the end of the world: the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4,8) or the antichrist (1 John 2:18; 4:3). In other words, Daniel’s vision will be fulfilled not only in the time of Antiochus but also, in a more final way, in the time of the antichrist.
26 See footnote to comment on Daniel 2:1–9.
27 Although the Old Testament prophets, together with Jesus and the New Testament writers, spoke much about the events that will take place at the time of the end (verse 17), it is difficult to be sure of the order in which they will occur and how they will all fit together. However, when they actually begin to occur, we will be able to better understand what is happening, and the words of the Bible concerning future events will become clearer to us.
28 Daniel could have picked three dates to mark the beginning of the Exile, corresponding to the three groups of exiles taken to Babylon:605 B.C., 597 B.C. or 586 B.C. He based his calculation on the first date—which was the date of his own exile.
29 Daniel called Gabriel a man (verse 21); Gabriel appeared in human form and spoke in human speech. Angels are called “men” elsewhere in the Bible (Genesis 18:1–2; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10).
30 The most holy probably refers to the millennial temple described in Ezekiel Chapters 40–48.
31 This decree does not specify the rebuilding of Jerusalem; rather, it deals with the reestablishment of the temple worship. However, Ezra could rightly assume that the reestablishment of worship would require a secure and viable city surrounded by a protective wall.
32 Verse 27 is difficult to understand and Bible scholars have different opinions about its meaning. Here the term abomination that causes desolation seems to refer to a terrible act against God to be committed by the antichrist at the end of the world.
The term “abomination that causes desolation” is also used to refer to the defiling of the temple by Antiochus in 168 B.C. (see Daniel 8:9–12 and comment). And Jesus used the same expression to refer to the defiling and destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14).
33 Some scholars have argued that the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (verse 25) was not the decree issued to Ezra in 457 B.C. but rather was the commission given to Nehemiah in 446 B.C. to rebuild Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 2:5–8). Counting by lunar or “prophetic” years (360day years, commonly used in those days), this also would confirm Daniel’s prediction. By either interpretation, the Lord revealed to Daniel the exact year that Jesus’ Messianic ministry would begin.
34 The third year of Cyrus was 534 or 535 B.C. Darius the Mede had ruled on Cyrus’ behalf for the first year or so following the fall of Babylon (Daniel 5:31; 9:1).
35 In these last three chapters of Daniel, we are given a glimpse of the heavenly realms and of the spiritual forces of evil that operate there (Ephesians 6:12). We also see God’s angels at work, especially the angel Michael, the great prince who protects [God’s] people (Daniel 12:1; Revelation 12:7–9). Notice that our prayers affect not only events on earth but also events in heaven. We, as believers, are linked with the heavenly hosts of God, who act on our behalf (Hebrews 1:14). They are always ready to come to our aid and to protect us from Satan’s evil schemes.
Notice also that the prince of the Persian kingdom was allowed to detain one of God’s angels for three weeks (verse 13). God could easily have prevented it; He could destroy all Satan’s forces in a second if He wished. For His own purposes, however, God has allowed Satan to oppose Him, just as He has allowed humans to oppose Him. But Satan is always under God’s control; he can only do what God allows (see Job 1:12; 2:6).
36 In verse 26, the kingdom referred to is the land of Israel—though Israel was not a true “kingdom” at the time, since it had no king.
37 In verse 22, the prince of the covenant may be Onias, the Jewish high priest, who was murdered in 170 B.C.
38 This resistance movement became known as the “Maccabean revolt”; it took place between 166 and 142 B.C. For further discussion of this and other events that took place in the period between the Old and New Testaments, see General Article: The Period Between the Testaments.
39 The Israel of the end times will be made up of believers in Christ, Israel’s Messiah. Some of these will be Jews who have placed their faith in Christ; others will be Gentiles. The Gentiles will be grafted into the nation of Israel (Romans 11:24–32); believing Jews and Gentiles will become one new man, one new household of God, one new spiritual nation (Ephesians 2:11–22). Paul calls this nation the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). And even now, through the Church, God is at work creating this “nation” of believers and preparing it for the final struggle that lies ahead at the end of history (see verses 36–45 and comment).
40 Concerning the end times, the Old and New Testaments have different emphases. The Old Testament writers focused on this world, on this earthly life, on the earthly nation of Israel. The Old Testament prophets predicted the restoration of Israel as an earthly nation ruled by their Messiah. The New Testament writers, while not negating the Old Testament, went beyond it; they emphasized eternal life in an entirely new heaven and earth. The two emphases are complementary; they are both true.
41 The angel may be referring in verse 7 to the final seven years—the seventieth “seven”—just before Christ comes again. In the middle of that “seven,” the antichrist will begin his terrible attack on God’s people (Daniel 9:27). They must endure distress for a time, times and half a time (three and a half years); then God will deliver them (see Daniel 7:23–25). All times are in God’s hands; He will never let His people experience more than they can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).
42 Other prophecies related to this final conflict are found in Zechariah 14:1–9; Revelation 16:14,16; 19:11–21.
43 In verse 10, notice that the wicked will continue to be wicked right up until the end (see 2 Timothy 3:13); but the righteous will be purified, made spotless and refined (see Daniel 11:35; 1 Peter 1:6–7). It is through trial and testing that God refines His people (see Exodus 15:25–27; Psalms 22:1–2; 44:9–22 and comments).
44 The wicked acts of Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 11:21–32) were a foreshadowing of these final acts of the antichrist.
45 In Revelation 11:3 and 12:6, a 1,260–day period is mentioned, which equals three and a half lunar or “prophetic” years (a 360–day year). All of these numbers are close to the actual time, times and half a time (three and a half years) mentioned here in verse 7 and also in Revelation 12:14. In every case, a limited time period is being described, during which God will allow the wicked to persecute the righteous.
