Deeper Commentary

Dan. 12:1 At that time- The "time of the end" of Dan. 11:40. The chapter break is unfortunate. This verse is interpreted by the Lord as referring to both AD70 and the last days (Mk. 13:19; Mt. 24:21; Lk. 21:23). I have outlined on Dan. 11 the initial fulfillment in the Roman invasion of Judea in AD67-70, but it was not a perfect fit with the prophetic text. This is simply because it was but a primary fulfillment, and the latter day fulfillment will be the perfect fit, although at our standpoint in history we cannot exactly discern how it shall all work out.

Shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people- 'Michael' elsewhere in Daniel refers to an Angel, the Angel especially responsible for Israel, and therefore one of the most powerful Angels- "Michael one of the chief princes" (Dan. 8:13), "the great prince" (Dan. 12:1). The LXX renders Dan. 12:1 as “the great Angel” (AV “great prince”). The closeness of association between the Angel Michael and His people Israel is shown by the fact that when He 'stands up' in the last days many of the people of Israel ("Your-Daniel's-people") also 'stand up' in resurrection (Dan. 12:1-3).

The standing up of Michael in heaven reflects the standing up of a new king and kingdom on earth. I explained on Dan. 11 that there is there an account of the succession of empires and kings also found in Dan. 2 and Dan. 7, from the Persians through the Greeks and Romans to the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth at Messiah's coming. This could therefore have potentially happened in AD70; but it didn't. Israel didn't repent. And so there is a gap in fulfillment until the last days, when the image shall stand complete, all the beasts of Dan. 7 reappear in the final terrible beast, to be destroyed by the Lord's coming.

Amos 7 speaks of God through His Angels 'standing up' for Israel as the result of the prayer of Amos and a faithful remnant. Amos sees visions of the impending judgments on Israel. After each he prays "O Lord God, forgive, I beseech Thee: who shall stand for Jacob? ('If you, his Angel-God, don't?') For he is small". The answer comes: "The Lord repented for this. It shall not be, saith the Lord". He repented for the sake of one intense prayer! Notice too Amos asking "Who shall stand for Jacob?". Michael the Angel stands for Israel in the court of Heaven, and thus it appears Amos is pointing out that if Israel is condemned and punished they will have no Angel with them- and so the Angel changes His mind.

 

"The children of your people" may be a reference to how Daniel had hoped that the young people of his generation would return to the land and re-establish God's Kingdom. That would happen- but not when Daniel was expecting it.

And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time- Here the fulfillment in the events of AD70 comes to an end; the time of Jacob's trouble which Jer. 30:7-11 spoke of, and which is here alluded to, would bring about the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth, the re-establishment of Israel's kingdom, the mountain being established in Jerusalem and spreading throughout the earth. And this didn't happen. Any attempt to apply this to the events of the day of Pentecost is misplaced, because that was 37 years before AD70, and the Roman empire was not then destroyed by the little stone. Mk. 13 speaks of how "in those days" those in Judaea should flee to the mountains; "for in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of creation... neither shall be (referring to Dan. 12:1 concerning our last days)... except that the Lord had shortened those days... in those days, after that tribulation... then shall they see the son of man coming" . Surely "in those days" shouts for a continuous application to the same "days"- the days of the second coming. At best, "those days" can have a primary reference to the events of AD70, but the main fulfillment of the whole prophecy must be in the last days. This point seems impossible to answer by those who disallow any reference to the second coming.

And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book- The Lord seems to allude to this in saying that "the chosen" shall escape the traumas of the destruction of the temple (Mt. 24:22; Mk. 13:20). This only had a primary fulfillment in AD70; the deliverance is to eternal life through the resurrection of the dead (:2), which refers without doubt to the last days. The references to "your people" reflect Daniel's deep and abiding concern for his people, even though they had generally turned away from God in Babylon, and only he and his friends had resisted eating meat offered to idols in their youth, only his friends had refused to bow down to the image, and he alone had insisted on still praying to Jerusalem under threat of death. He still felt identification with God's people, even in their weakness.

In the final tribulation of Israel, those Jews who are "written in the book" , i.e. who are acceptable believers (Ex. 32:32; Rev. 21:27) will be delivered. So there will be a minority in latter day natural Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal, as in Elijah's time- which is typical of the situation at the latter day Elijah ministry.

Dan 12:2 Many of those- Literally, "many from those". This is not teaching a universal resurrection. And the "many" may be relative to the wonder of resurrection and salvation, rather than implying a large percentage of dead persons shall awake. It could be that the "many" are a subset of "those who sleep", i.e. those who have hope of resurrection. This could imply that this is a particular group who are resurrected, perhaps of those who are slain in the final traumas upon Jerusalem. The primary fulfillment may have been in the resurrection of some in Jerusalem in Mt. 27:52,53.

Who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt- The reference is to the curse upon Adam, that having been formed of "the dust of the earth" he was to return to it (Gen. 2:7; 3:19). The curse shall be overcome; those who have suffered for their sins, which is Israel in this context, shall still be saved ultimately. And this again is huge comfort to ourselves. It is not the personally righteous alone who shall be saved, but those who suffered for their sins and yet believed. But some of them shall receive eternal "contempt"; not all Israel shall be saved. But all who are responsible to judgment will be resurrected; and the final reward shall be given then, at the Lord's coming, and not at the point of death nor in this life. The word for "contempt" is only elsewhere used in Is. 66:24, of how the bodies of those within Israel who refused to accept the restoration of the Kingdom would be eternally despised by those who are saved. The 'eternal' nature of it doesn't imply their conscious existence. It is 'eternal' by its nature in that they have missed out on eternity, their decisions in this life had eternal moment and consequence. And perhaps we who by grace shall live eternally will eternally despise or somehow remember those who in this life refused it.

I have elsewhere speculated that the new covenant offered in Jeremiah, Hosea and Ezekiel appears to offer the total resurrection of the historical Israel who went into exile. Dan. 12:2 may appear to contradict this, by speaking of how although "your [Daniel's] people" would be delivered (Dan. 12:1), there would be a resurrection where some receive eternal life and others "shame and everlasting contempt". But those terms "shame" and "contempt" are often used of the Gentile nations around Israel and Judah; possibly those resurrected to shame are the Gentile abusers of God's people during their exile. It was those nations who had shamed and despised [s.w. "contempt"] Israel and Judah in exile (this is stated very often, s.w. Neh. 1:3; 2:17; 4:4; 5:9; Ps. 44:13; 79:4; Is. 4:1; 25:8; Jer. 24:9; 29:18; 44:12; 51:51;  Lam. 5:1; Ez. 5:14; 16:57; 21:28; 22:4; 36:15; Dan. 9:16;  "reproach" is s.w. "shame"). Those who had shamed and reproached God's people would be the ones who experience shame and reproach at the day of judgment at the resurrection. Thus Ps. 79:12 "Render unto our neighbours sevenfold their reproach wherewith they have reproached". This will come true at their judgment at the resurrection. Thus Egypt will finally have "shame and reproach" (Is. 30:5) as will Edom (Jer. 49:13), the very words here used of the shame and reproach given to those rejected after resurrection to judgment.

Dan 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever- Dan. 12:3,10 draw a parallel between those having wisdom and those who turn many to righteousness. The RVmg. translates “those that be wise” as “the teachers”, reflecting the play within the Hebrew sense of ‘wisdom’- to have wisdom is axiomatically to teach it. To possess God’s Truth therefore means that we will teach it to others. One primary application would have been to the maskilim who were murdered by Antiochus IV (see Dan. 11:33–35). But again, these were but a primary fulfilment of the wonderful prophecy.

"Shine" translates a Hebrew word elsewhere translated to the effect of 'teach'. Their wisdom was in turning others to righteousness; and they shall continue eternally doing the essence of what they did in this life, which was to shone as the stars for the sake of others. God's people have been described as "stars" in Dan. 8:10 (s.w.). They were stars, and shall eternally be. This simply means that we should focus upon our spiritual ministry to others in this life; because it's what we shall be eternally doing. The making of others righteous or cleansed connects with another passage in Dan. 8, this time with Dan. 8:14, which speaks of the sanctuary [God's people?] being cleansed or [s.w.] 'made righteous'. It seems that we have here a specific reference to those who preach to and teach Israel within the land / eretz of the last days, risking the wrath of the beast to do so. They shall be specifically rewarded. But the essence is true for us all; we shall eternally continue our service and ministry which we each developed in this life.  This group of people are defined in Dan. 12:10 as “the wise” amongst latter day Israel who are purified and refined in the latter day time of Jacob’s trouble such as never was for Israel. The very same phrase occurs in Dan. 11:35, where we read that some of these wise and understanding ones will perish during “the time of the end... the time appointed” (RV)- of the three and a half year tribulation? One wonders if the Lord had these “wise” in mind in His parable of the “wise virgins” of the latter days. This would all suggest that some amongst Israel will repent and zealously preach in the last day tribulation, even if it costs them their lives. And Rev. 11 seems to be saying something similar.

Thus in the practice of preaching today, we are working out who and how we shall eternally be. The very concept of preaching is therefore partly designed by God for our benefit, to develop us into the persons we shall eternally be, by His grace. When we read that God will 'require the blood' of those to whom we fail to preach His word (Ez. 3:18), we may here have another reference to a 'going through' of our deeds at the day of judgment. There, perhaps, we will have to give an account, an explanation, of why our neighbours and workfellows lie eternally dead- because we were too shy, too weakly convinced of the eternal realities we knew, to tell them. For the Hebrew word translated "require" implies some kind of inquisition / explanation. Here we see the vital importance of witness.

Is. 53:14 prophesied that through the cross, the Lord Jesus would "justify the many". Yet this phrase is picked up in Dan. 12:3 and applied to those who preach the Gospel- and thereby become "those who justify the many". The implication is plain enough. Through preaching, we live out the Lord's death for others in practice, we placard Him crucified before the world's eyes. We are not simply "Him" to them; we are Him crucified to them. The honour of this is surpassing.

Those who have lived in Christ will then shine as the brightness of the firmament. But the description of the Lord’s face shining as the sun draws on this; as if to say that our shining in the future Kingdom will be because we were and are in Him. We will shine forth then (Mt. 13:43), as the Sun of righteousness Himself. The allusion is to the promise that Abraham's seed shall be as the stars (Gen. 15:5). It is through the resurrection at the last day that the covenant will be finally fulfilled.

All the prophecies could have had a more immediate fulfilment, but the possibility was messed up by Israel's impenitence. Is. 40:5 had called out to a Zion about to be restored that “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed”. In other words, the temple ought to have been a re-establishment of Solomon’s, with God’s attendant acceptance of it also. However, this didn’t happen. Ezekiel saw a vision of the glory of Yahweh filling the temple (Ez. 43:5), as if to show that this, in line with Haggai’s words, was what could have happened at the restoration. However, it’s fulfilment must now await the future. Daniel’s prophecy that there would be a time of trouble for Israel, followed by a resurrection and judgment, may have had a potential fulfilment in Haman’s persecution. The LXX of Esther 5 includes her prayer, in which she says that Haman was seeking to hinder the work of the temple. This would explain why initially the Samaritans persuaded the Persians to make the work cease, but then (humanly inexplicably) another edict is given for it to resume. The people were delivered (Dan. 12:1), as they were by Michael the Angel manipulating Esther. But the resurrection, judgment and Kingdom didn’t follow, because Israel weren’t ready for it. Then those who turned many to righteousness- i.e. the priesthood, in the primary context- would be rewarded (Dan. 12:3). But Malachi and Haggai repeatedly criticized the priesthood at the time of the restoration for being selfish and not teaching Israel (Mal. 2:7). Daniel and Jeremiah were heartbroken that there had to be such a delay to the full fulfilment of the Messianic restoration of the Kingdom. 

Dan. 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of its fulfilment- The meaning of the final prophecy of Daniel would only be clear at the time of its fulfilment; and this is the case with all prophecy. It would've been hard for Daniel to accept, who obviously wanted to understand his own prophecies immediately. But the imagery of shutting and sealing could suggest that an interpretation of it was possible in Daniel's lifetime, but that was now precluded, and the interpretation and outworking was now hidden until the time of the end. This would confirm what we noted on Dan. 2- that the restoration of Israel's Kingdom as God's Kingdom on earth could have come during Daniel's lifetime, but it was precluded by Israel's lack of repentance. And so the prophecies would come true, but at a longer term moment. This is a classic example of 1 Pet. 1:12 "Unto whom it was revealed (in response to their enquiries) that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister". And yet the Lord's death opened the book, broke the seals. But the end didn't come then, the book to us remained sealed, because the intended, possible fulfilment in AD70 didn't come about- again, because Israel didn't fully repent.

A sealed book or scroll is one that cannot be opened or read (Is. 29:11). The opening of the seals in Revelation surely alludes here; they will be opened in the very last days, rather than over a long period of continuous history. The seals of Revelation bring forth events on earth; here, the seals represent the limitations upon understanding Daniel's visions. The idea surely is that when the visions start to be fulfilled, then the faithful of the last days will perceive this and understand the prophecies which previously were unclear. We should therefore not put too much energy into trying to apply them to current world events; their fulfilment in the land promised to Abraham in the last days will be clear to all.

The repentance of Israel will be associated with an opening of their eyes to God's word. "The Lord hath poured out upon (Israel) the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes (quoted in Rom. 11:8 concerning Israel's blindness to Christ)... the vision of all (God's word) is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed... (but) in that day (of the Kingdom) shall the deaf hear the words of the book" (Is. 29:10,11,17,18). This will be when the book is unsealed at "The time of the end". It will be in our last days that Israel's blindness starts to be cured, thanks to a Word-based revival, led by the Elijah ministry.

Malachi's prophecy of the faithful remnant earnestly speaking to each other about the word in preparation for the Lord's coming can be equally applicable to spiritual Israel. The flagship verse concerning the opening of our eyes to latter day prophecy must be Dan. 12:4,10: "Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro (an idiom often used concerning response to God's word: Ps. 119:32,60; 147:15; Amos 8:11,12; Hab. 2:2; 2 Thess. 3:1 Gk.), and knowledge (of Daniel's prophecies) shall be increased... many shall be purified, and made white, and tried (in the tribulation); but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand". This is all in the context of the Angel rejecting Daniel's plea for insight into his own prophecies. All he was told was that they would be fulfilled in the far distant future, but he was comforted with the thought that the faithful at that time would understand. Thus Dan. 12:4 LXX reads: "Seal the book until the time of its accomplishment"- then it will be unsealed and the meaning become apparent to our generation. "None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" suggests that this true understanding of God’s word motivates the faithful remnant in holding on to a righteous lifestyle in the morally chaotic latter day world. Those who are "wicked" will not understand, indicating that understanding God's word correctly is in some sense a moral issue and is related to our spirituality. Those who do God's will therefore understand His doctrine (Jn. 7:17). Time and again Israel are condemned because their lack of understanding of the prophecies led them into sinful behaviour (Dt. 32:29; Ps. 94:8; Is. 44:18).

 

Many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall be increased- This speaks of a time in the very last days when “many shall run to and fro (an idiom often used concerning response to God's word: Ps. 119:32,60; 147:15; Amos 8:11,12; Hab. 2:2; Jn. 8:37 RV; 2 Thess. 3:1 Gk.), and knowledge shall be increased [the context is of Daniel wanting to understand about the second coming of Jesus]... many shall be purified, and made white, and tried (in the tribulation); but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand". This increase of knowledge of the Gospel is to be spread world-wide by many running to and fro in the last days. The great commission will be fulfilled then as never before.

The vision was to be made plain, so that a herald may run with it (Dan. 12:2,3 Heb.). The latter day preaching of the Gospel world-wide will be motivated by this true and thrilling understanding of latter day prophecy. We will see our place in God’s larger plan, and respond to it. Many will run to and fro to increase knowledge, i.e. to increase knowledge amongst others- for running to and fro will not increase knowledge amongst the runners (Dan. 12:4). Yet according to 2 Thess. 2, there will be a massive apostasy from the Truth in the very last days, whilst antiChrist is enthroned. Could this not be because so many of the true Christian community have been expecting that antiChrist will not reign like this, that Israel will never possibly be overrun, and that they have had to own up to having been looking the wrong way in their decades of analysis of the Roman Catholic church and Russia? When they finally own up to the anti-Semitism of Britain, will it not be they will find it hard to maintain faith in a God whom they had hitherto believed had prophesied that Tarshish / Britain would save Israel? And yet, the Gospel will be accepted world-wide in the final preaching of it; and when it has gone into all nations, then shall the end come.

Dan 12:5 Then I Daniel looked- The section called "the scripture of truth" which began at the start of Daniel 11 has now finished; what follows now is a kind of appendix to it.

And behold, two others stood, one on the river bank on this side, and the other on the river bank on that side- "Others" suggests that they too were Angels, like the Angel who has been telling Daniel the things noted in "the scripture of truth"; and that Angel seems to be "the man clothed in linen" of :6. "The river" is the Hiddekel or Tigris of Dan. 10:4; but it is called "the great river" in Dan. 10:4, a term usually used of the Euphrates. The Tigris is joined to the Euphrates by the Hiddekel. Effectively, the Hiddekel is the Euphrates. This would have been the north eastern border of the land promised to Abraham. Angels also stand guarding this river in Rev. 9:14, and they signal the time of the end by releasing the latter day invaders of Israel to come pouring across the river to dominate the land, crush God's people, and thereby lead the remnant to repentance. Perhaps the idea of the two Angels (Michael and Gabriel? Although Gabriel is the man clothed in linen of Dan. 10:4) is that they were witnesses to the utter truth of the words of the Angel who stood above the waters of the river (:6), representing God, and made a solemn oath (:7). The two Angels of Dan. 8:13 seem to serve a similar witnessing function.

Dan 12:6 One said to the man clothed in linen- The Septuagint makes Daniel the speaker: "And I said to the man clothed in linen, who was standing over the waters of the river, When shall be the end of these marvels?". His words in this case would be the basis for those of the disciples in Mt. 24:3, who likewise wanted to know "How long?", as do all the saints.

Who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?- There were two Angels seen, one on each side of the river. One of them had power over the waters [was "over" them]. The other asked him "how long...?". This was precisely Daniel's question. That Angel therefore represented him. The idea of guardian Angels is not far off the truth; although the Hebrew Bible portrays a court in Heaven, a heavenly throne room, where Angels represent men and situations on earth before God. And that is what we have here. The Angels likewise have genuine questions, seeing they don't have total knowledge (Mk. 13:32); they desire to look into these things (1 Pet. 1:12). In this case therefore the Angel was not merely representing Daniel but was himself genuinely in his position before God.

 
Dan 12:7 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 to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever- This is the scene of Rev. 10:5. I suggested on :5 that the other two Angels were as it were legal witnesses in the court of Heaven as to the utter truth of these things. The "man clothed in linen" may represent God Himself; for He Himself swears by Himself as He can swear by no greater (Heb. 6:13), and lifts up His own hand to Heaven and swears by His own eternity (Dt. 32:40).

That it shall be for a time, times, and a half- If "time" is taken for one year, and "times" as two years, then we have the three and a half year tribulation period, the 42 months or 1260 days, comparable with the ministry of the historical Elijah. This period is so relatively common that we can indeed expect such a period in the chronology of the last days. It could possibly have had a primary fulfilment in the period between Antiochus entering Jerusalem and the cleansing of the temple by the Maccabees. But all such primary applications are hazy and problematic; clearly the idea is that from Daniel's time there could have been a three and a half year period to the full restoration, but this didn't happen, and so the time period definitely refers to the last days for its main fulfilment. The original word for "time" can refer to a feast day; perhaps the idea is of a period of events featuring significant things on the Jewish feast days. The book of Revelation is structured around the Jewish feast days, which are frequently alluded to, and one possible interpretation of Revelation is that it is an account of the final three and a half year tribulation. Paul Wyns has demonstrated that the 'feast' allusions in Revelation make up a total of three and a half years. But it is difficult to understand Revelation as a strictly chronological prediction of latter day events, which would be required by this approach.

And when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished- LXX "When the dispersion is ended they shall know all these things". The Hebrew for "breaking in pieces" can mean as AV "to scatter". The idea seems to be that Daniel would not understand these time periods, but they would become clear "when the dispersion is ended". This is in line with the purpose of prophecy generally- not to provide a timeline of events ahead of time, but so that when the fulfilment comes, we realize that prophecy has been fulfilled. Fulfilled prophecy gives meaning to event when it happens; but not beforehand. All we know beforehand is that events are not random, God is in control, and they are all moving towards a final end in the Lord's return and establishment of the Kingdom. If the Masoretic Text reading is correct, then the holy people must be broken in pieces before the time period is fulfilled. That breaking in pieces is allusive to the actions of the little horn and fourth beast against God's people. Israel must be "broken" in the last days, and then the salvation will come. The Lord alludes to this by saying that we can fall upon Him and be broken right now, so that we shall surely be saved at the last day (Mt. 21:44). The latter day tribulation would be avoidable if they would only fall upon the rock of Jesus the Christ right now. And the purpose of the latter day tribulation is to bring Israel to this point, of accepting Jesus as Christ. The AV and other texts read "He" instead of "they", as if referring to God; "finished" or "accomplished" is often used of the accomplishing of God's anger with Israel. It was ultimately God who broke or scattered them. If there had been a total return of scattered Jewry, then their judgments would have been finished and the Messianic Kingdom re-established. But most of them preferred to remain scattered, by remaining in the lands of their captivity. And so the prophecy will have its final fulfilment in the last days, when again the holy people are broken into pieces, a clear figure of judgment.

Dan 12:8 I heard, but I didn’t understand: then I said, my lord, what shall be the issue of these things?- Daniel came to “understand” the vision of Dan. 9, but only in that he understood that he would not see its fulfilment; hence he was so shocked, depressed and disappointed that the fulfilment would not be in his days (Dan. 10:1). But he is set up as a representative of those of us in the very last days who shall likewise “understand” (s.w. Dan. 12:10) the very same prophecies which Daniel studied. Daniel is described as both understanding, and also not understanding (Dan. 10:1; 12:8). Surely the idea is that he understood the principle of deferment and the outline meaning of the prophecy; but he didn’t understand the details. And so perhaps it is with us who will, or do, likewise “understand” as Daniel did.

Dan 12:9 He said, Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end- Daniel was to 'go his way', but to rest in the sleep of death (:13). Death, although it is not consciously experienced, is all the same part of our journey. It is a going away, towards a certain future. Daniel was to understand that this prophecy of the three and a half years would not be understood until "the time of the end"; "the end" often refers to the end of Israel's judgments. Daniel wanted it of course to be "the end" of them in his day; but all he knew was that there was to be a time period before they ended. Like all the prophets, Daniel was made to understand that he was not reporting these things for himself, but for later generations (1 Pet. 1:12 surely alludes here). Only when the prophecies come true will the faithful at the time perceive the fulfilment. As noted on :4 and Dan. 8:26, the meaning was shut up to Daniel; and yet the same word is used of how Daniel was famed for having no "secret" (s.w. "shut up" thing) hidden from him (Ez. 28:3). This was therefore a way of humbling him; and we all have to be brought down, particularly in our last days in this world, that we might be exalted in due time. The sealing of the words, as in a scroll, is obviously alluded to in Revelation, when the scroll is unsealed, and the opened seals refer to events of the last days. The unsealing of the book is therefore in the last days; any historical application of the seals is incidental or at best only a primary fulfilment compared to the major fulfilment, when believers of the last days shall see these things unambiguously fulfilled before their eyes, and shall be encouraged thereby in their tribulation.

Dan 12:10 Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined- The day of judgment will involve the Lord sitting "as a refiner of silver... for he is like a refiner's fire" (Mal. 3:2,3). And yet these very Hebrew words are used about how in the final tribulation, God's people will be "refined as silver is refined" (Zech. 13:9), and "be made white and refined" (Dan. 12:10). So the essence of judgment day will be worked out for us in our response to the latter day tribulation. This makes sense- the generation that are alive and see the Lord's return will effectively experience the judgment seat as they pass through the tribulation. It is to prepare them for being the only mortal generation to be alive at His return, the generation who shall greet Him, and never actually die. The faithful will be "tried" (AV) by the latter day invader, as Israel were by the Babylonian invasion of the past (Jer. 9:7). The same word is used in Zech. 13:9 and Mal. 3:2 concerning the faithful remnant in Jerusalem enduring their future sufferings. The idea seems to be that prior to this refining process in the final tribulation, they were impure and not refined. For both natural and spiritual Israel, the tribulation functions to prepare that generation for acceptance at the Lord's return. The returned exiles ought to have purified themselves from Babylon when they left (Is. 52:11; Ez. 20:38 s.w.); but they did not. And so this three and a half year tribulation, perhaps initially envisaged at the hands of Antiochus and then the Romans in AD66-70, was intended to purify them. But instead their love of materialism and self-righteousness would not be purged, and the fulfilment was delayed until our last days. Likewise the word for "made white" is used of how Judah could have made themselves white by repentance (Is. 1:18); but they didn't, and needed this final tribulation to bring about that repentance; and also the word for "refined" is used in just the same way (Is. 1:25). Judah's experience at the Babylonian invasion and in exile in Babylon was the intended refining (Is. 48:10 s.w.); but they didn't respond. The refiner refined in vain (Jer. 6:29 s.w.). The latter day tribulation will be successful in this refining attempt; a third will be refined when Jerusalem is taken (Zech. 13:9 s.w.). And then immediately, the Lord will come; He will in that sense appear on earth as the ultimate refiner of Israel (Mal. 3:2,3). And it is why we ought to be breaking up the ground for it by preaching repentance to Jewish people.

But the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand- This is the spirit of Rev. 22:11 which may allude here, in concluding the visions of Revelation just as this concludes the visions in Daniel: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still". As noted earlier on this verse, not all will respond to the refining process of the tribulation; the wicked shall do wickedly, but a minority of wise "shall understand", and it is that understanding which is the intellectual basis for their moral purification and repentance in practice.

Dan 12:11 From the time that the continual burnt offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days- The LXX is clearer that the abomination is set up exactly when the daily sacrifice is ended: "And from the time of the removal of the perpetual sacrifice, when the abomination of desolation shall be set up". There could have been a 1290 day period from the ending of the daily sacrifice by Antiochus and then also by the Romans in AD70, which would have terminated in the establishment of the Kingdom. But that didn't happen. This is an example of potential prophecy which didn't come about because the various preconditions, not least the repentance of Israel, didn't come about. Rather like the detailed descriptions of the restored temple in Ez. 40-48 didn't come about, because the Jews didn't build it that way and didn't truly repent. If this approach is correct, then we need not particularly worry about working out the meaning of this time period. If it is to apply in the last days, then the Jews would have to re-take the temple mount, build a temple and institute the daily sacrifices there. For the significance of the 1290 days in the latter day chronology, see on :12.

Dan 12:12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days- As noted on :11, there was a potential fulfilment of significance at the end of the 1290 period from the establishment of the abomination by the desolator. And 45 days later there could have been another significant event. Perhaps these were all only potential scenarios after the daily sacrifices were ended by Antiochus and then later in AD70. Just as the Lord could have returned in AD70, but Israel didn't bring forth the fruit of repentance, and so the potential fulfilment was lost.

And yet it would seem that the three and a half year period [time, times and a half, or 1260 days / 42 months] occurs often enough in latter day prophecy for us to understand it literally, as going to happen in the last days. "Comes" here is Heb. 'to reach, stretch unto' the (end of) the 1335 days. This suggests the difficulty in enduring to the end. But those who spiritually endure to the end of the tribulation period will be saved (perhaps the Lord in Mt. 24:13 had Dan. 12:12 in mind). There are forty five days between Passover and Pentecost; the difference between the 1290 and 1335 day periods. And there are thirty days between Purim and Passover- the difference between the 1260 and 1290 days (:11). So nearly all these time periods will start or finish on a Mosaic feast day. It is not without relevance that the period of the last days is described often as "the day of the Lord"- but "the day of the Lord" is a phrase very commonly used to describe the Jewish feast days. Good cases can be constructed for thinking that the Lord will return on Jewish feast days; but the whole period of the last days may well be based around significant events which occur on each of the feast days. If this proves nothing else, it shows that it is quite legitimate to view the time periods as literal days.

Dan 12:13 But go you your way until the end; for you shall rest, and shall stand in your lot, at the end of the days- The allusion is to the way that Daniel has just heard that the faithful who "sleep" shall be resurrected at the Lord's return; and he is being told that he will be among them (:2). If the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul and life after death in heaven were true, this would be the place we should read of it. But instead, Daniel is comforted with the Biblical hope of the resurrection of the body at the last day. He was however told to go his way "until the end". Although death is not a conscious experience, it is all the same part of our spiritual journey; he was to go his way to his grave, but he was going his way on a journey unto "the end", when he would stand in his lot. We each have a specifically designed, unique eternal future, a name written which nobody else knows apart from us and the Lord; and Daniel too will have his unique "lot" or inheritance. He would receive it "at the end of the days", perhaps referring to the various periods of days just spoken of; they were to terminate in the resurrection of the dead at the last day. Any attempts to interpret them with end points other than that are therefore faulty, or at best only primary fulfilments.

There are some definite links between the Greek text of Matthew’s record of the commission, and the LXX of the end of Daniel 12:

Daniel being sent away with God’s promised blessing, the very picture of spiritual calmness and peace with his maker, sure in hope, yearning for the day… this is the very picture which the Lord gives of His preachers as He sends them forth. If we are to understand the time periods at the end of Daniel as literal days, i.e. a three and a half year period at the end, then we have in the great commission a specific hint that it will be fulfilled during the three and a half year tribulation.