Daniel 12 - The Time of the End

Daniel 12 brings the book of Daniel to its prophetic climax. The visions that began with Nebuchadnezzar's great image in chapter 2 and continued through Daniel's visions of the four beasts, the ram and the goat, the seventy weeks, and the kings of chapter 11 now reach their final destination. The kingdoms of this world have been traced through history, the rise of the Antichrist has been described, and now Daniel is shown what will happen to God's people at the end of the age.

The chapter begins with the appearance of Michael, the great prince who stands watch over the children of Daniel's people. Michael was introduced in chapter 10 as one of the chief princes involved in the spiritual conflict surrounding God's purposes for Israel. His appearance here connects the final chapter directly with the unseen spiritual warfare revealed earlier.

Daniel is told that there will be "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time." This is one of the most solemn statements in biblical prophecy. The final period of trouble will be unlike anything Israel has previously experienced.

Yet the prophecy does not end with trouble.

Daniel is immediately given the assurance that "at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." The same prophecy that announces unprecedented trouble also announces deliverance. God knows His people, and their names are known to Him.

 

Michael and the Time of Trouble

Michael's appearance in Daniel 12 is significant because he is specifically identified as the great prince who stands for Daniel's people. In chapter 10, Michael was involved in the spiritual conflict surrounding Persia. Now, at the conclusion of the prophecy, he appears in connection with the final crisis involving Israel.

The timing is described as "at that time," connecting chapter 12 directly with the events at the end of chapter 11. The final ruler has moved through the region, gathered tremendous power, and ultimately comes to his end. Now the prophecy describes the extraordinary period of distress associated with the final days.

Jesus used remarkably similar language in Matthew 24. After referring to the "abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet," Jesus said there would be "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

The connection between Daniel 12 and Matthew 24 is unmistakable. Daniel describes a time of trouble unlike anything that has preceded it, and Jesus later refers to a future period of great tribulation in language that deliberately points His listeners back to Daniel.

This helps us understand why Daniel 12 is so important to biblical eschatology. The prophecy is not simply describing another ancient military conflict. It reaches toward the final period of history immediately preceding the establishment of Christ's kingdom.

 

Israel's Deliverance

Although Daniel is told that an unprecedented time of trouble is coming, he is also told that his people will be delivered. This is an important balance in biblical prophecy. The purpose of the prophecy is not merely to warn Israel of suffering but to assure Daniel that God's covenant purposes will ultimately be fulfilled.

The phrase "every one that shall be found written in the book" points to God's knowledge and preservation of those who belong to Him. Scripture repeatedly uses the imagery of a heavenly record or book associated with those who belong to God.

The prophecy therefore moves from national distress to individual deliverance. Israel will experience a period of extraordinary suffering, but God will not abandon His people. The ultimate outcome is determined by God's faithfulness rather than by the power of Israel's enemies.

This is consistent with the message of the prophets. Israel's future includes judgment and discipline, but it also includes restoration. God's covenant promises do not disappear simply because His people pass through a period of severe trouble.

 

The Resurrection

Daniel 12:2 moves beyond the events of the Tribulation and gives one of the clearest Old Testament statements concerning resurrection:

"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."

This is a remarkable revelation. Daniel is not merely told that kingdoms will rise and fall. He is shown that death itself is not the end.

The phrase "sleep in the dust of the earth" refers to those who have died. Their physical bodies have returned to the earth, but God will raise them. The resurrection demonstrates that God's authority extends beyond the grave.

Daniel presents two ultimate destinies: everlasting life and everlasting shame and contempt. Scripture therefore presents resurrection not merely as restoration to earthly existence but as the beginning of an eternal destiny.

Jesus later taught the same truth. In John 5, He spoke of a future hour when those in the graves would hear His voice and come forth, some to the resurrection of life and others to the resurrection of judgment.

The resurrection is therefore not a minor doctrine within biblical prophecy. It is part of God's final victory over death.

 

Those Who Turn Many to Righteousness

Daniel 12:3 contains one of the most beautiful promises in the book:

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

The people who remain faithful to God during the difficult days described in Daniel will not be forgotten. Their faithfulness will have eternal significance.

The phrase "they that be wise" does not simply refer to people who possess intellectual knowledge. In the biblical context, wisdom involves recognizing God, trusting His Word, and living according to His truth.

Daniel has already shown the difference between those who know God and those who exalt themselves against Him. The final chapter now shows that faithfulness will ultimately be rewarded.

The image of shining like the stars also recalls God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would be like the stars of heaven. Daniel's prophecy therefore contains both a personal and covenant dimension. God will preserve His purposes for His people, and those who remain faithful to Him will ultimately share in His glory.

 

Daniel Is Told to Seal the Book

The angel then tells Daniel to shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run to and fro, and knowledge will increase.

This statement has sometimes been interpreted as a prediction of modern transportation and the explosion of scientific knowledge. However, the immediate context concerns the prophetic revelation itself. The phrase may refer to people searching through the prophecy, examining it, and seeking understanding as the time of fulfillment approaches.

Daniel's prophecy was not meant to be discarded simply because its fulfillment was distant. It was to be preserved. The words would remain available for future generations who would need them.

This is consistent with the unfolding nature of biblical prophecy. Daniel received information that even he did not fully understand. Centuries later, Jesus and the apostles would refer back to Daniel. Revelation would also draw heavily upon Daniel's imagery.

As history progresses, the significance of Daniel's prophecy becomes increasingly clear.

 

Daniel's Question

Daniel then hears two heavenly beings standing on opposite sides of the river, and one asks the man clothed in linen, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?"

This question is important because it reflects what Daniel himself must have been wondering. How long will this suffering last? How long will the persecution continue? How long will the Antichrist have authority? When will God's purposes finally be completed?

The answer is given with an oath. The man clothed in linen raises both hands toward heaven and declares that the events will continue for "a time, times, and an half."

This expression has already appeared in Daniel 7, where the little horn exercises authority for "a time and times and the dividing of time." It corresponds to three and one-half years.

The significance of three and one-half years becomes increasingly clear when Daniel is compared with Revelation. Revelation repeatedly uses equivalent expressions for the final period of persecution: forty-two months and 1,260 days.

This establishes an important prophetic pattern. The final period of intense persecution is limited. The Antichrist does not receive unlimited authority. God establishes the boundaries of his reign and determines when it will end.

 

The Final Three and One-Half Years

The phrase "a time, times, and an half" is especially important in understanding Daniel's seventieth week.

Daniel 9 describes the final seven-year period associated with Israel and Jerusalem. The middle of that period is marked by the cessation of sacrifice and the establishment of the abomination of desolation.

Daniel 12 then focuses particularly on the latter half of that seven-year period—the final three and one-half years.

This period corresponds with the time in which the Antichrist exercises extraordinary authority and persecution intensifies. Jesus referred to the same period when He spoke of the great tribulation following the abomination of desolation.

Revelation likewise describes a period of forty-two months during which the beast exercises authority. The consistency among Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and Revelation demonstrates that these passages are contributing to one unified prophetic picture.

The exact sequence of every event is not revealed in a single passage, but the recurring three-and-one-half-year period is one of the clearest chronological markers in biblical prophecy.

 

"When He Shall Have Accomplished to Scatter the Power"

The angel tells Daniel that all these things will be finished when the power of the holy people has been completely broken.

This is difficult language because it describes a period when God's people will appear to have been brought to the point of complete weakness. Humanly speaking, it may look as though the enemies of God have prevailed.

Yet this apparent defeat is not the end.

Throughout Scripture, God often allows His people to reach the point where human strength is exhausted before demonstrating His deliverance. Israel's situation at the Red Sea is one example. The disciples' experience surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus is another. What appears to be defeat can become the setting for God's greatest demonstration of power.

Daniel 12 therefore reminds us that God's people should not measure God's faithfulness by circumstances alone. The final outcome is determined by God even when His people appear powerless.

 

The 1,290 Days

Daniel is then given another number that has generated considerable discussion:

"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days."

The familiar number of 1,260 days corresponds to three and one-half prophetic years of 360 days each. Daniel now gives an additional period of thirty days, totaling 1,290 days.

The text does not explicitly explain what occurs during those additional thirty days. Therefore, we should resist the temptation to state dogmatically what Scripture does not explain.

What we can say is that the 1,290-day period begins with the removal of the regular sacrifice and the establishment of the abomination of desolation. The additional thirty days extend beyond the 1,260-day period.

There may be events associated with judgment and the establishment of Christ's kingdom during this interval, but Scripture does not provide enough information to identify every event with certainty.

The existence of these additional days does, however, demonstrate that God's prophetic timetable is precise. The final events do not occur randomly. God has appointed times and boundaries for each stage of His prophetic program.

 

The 1,335 Days

Daniel then receives another remarkable statement:

"Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."

The prophecy now adds another forty-five days beyond the 1,290 days, bringing the total to 1,335 days.

Daniel is not told every detail concerning what happens during these additional forty-five days. Because the text does not explicitly identify the events that occur during this period, interpretations vary.

One reasonable understanding is that this period involves the transition from the final judgments of the Tribulation into the establishment and administration of Christ's millennial kingdom. The exact sequence, however, should be held with appropriate humility because the passage does not provide enough information to establish every detail.

What Daniel does say is significant: "Blessed is he that waiteth."

The blessing belongs to the person who waits faithfully for God's appointed conclusion.

That is an important principle for prophecy as a whole. Biblical prophecy was never intended merely to satisfy curiosity about dates. It is intended to produce endurance, faithfulness, and hope.

 

The Blessed One Who Waits

The word "blessed" in Daniel 12:12 connects this passage with a recurring biblical theme. Those who trust God and persevere through difficult circumstances are repeatedly described as blessed.

The believer's responsibility is not to know every hidden detail of God's timetable. It is to remain faithful while waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled.

This is especially important in relation to the prophetic passages concerning the end times. Scripture gives us enough information to recognize the major features of God's plan, but it does not answer every question we might have.

Daniel himself did not receive every detail.

Instead, he was told to wait.

That is a lesson for the Church as well. Christians are called to watch, remain faithful, proclaim the gospel, and live in expectation of Christ's return. The certainty of God's promise does not depend upon our ability to reconstruct every detail of the prophetic calendar.

 

Daniel's Final Words From God

The book ends with a deeply personal message to Daniel.

The heavenly messenger tells him:

"But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."

After everything Daniel has seen, this is the message God gives him.

Go your way.

Rest.

You will stand in your appointed place at the end of the days.

Daniel had spent his life serving God in circumstances he could not control. He had served under Babylonian kings, witnessed the fall of Babylon, lived under Persian authority, and remained faithful through political upheaval and personal danger. Now, near the end of his earthly life, God tells him that he will rest.

But Daniel's story will not end in death.

He will stand in his appointed inheritance at the end of the days.

This is a remarkable conclusion because Daniel had spent much of the book asking questions about kingdoms and the future of his people. Now God assures Daniel personally that he has a future beyond the events he has been shown.

The promise of resurrection in verse 2 is not merely an abstract doctrine. Daniel himself will participate in the resurrection. He will rest, and then he will stand.

 

Daniel's Lot

The phrase "stand in thy lot" points to Daniel's appointed inheritance. Daniel had been concerned throughout the book about his people and their future. He had prayed concerning Jerusalem, the sanctuary, Israel's sin, and God's covenant promises.

Now God assures him that he will have a personal place in the final fulfillment of those promises.

This is a fitting conclusion to Daniel's life. He had been taken from his homeland as a young man and carried into Babylon. He spent most of his life outside the land God had promised to Israel. Yet his earthly circumstances would not determine his ultimate inheritance.

God had not forgotten Daniel.

The same God who knew Daniel's future knew the future of Israel. The same God who revealed the rise and fall of kingdoms would ultimately fulfill His promises to His people.

 

Daniel and the Resurrection Hope

The final chapter therefore brings together two great themes: God's prophetic plan for Israel and the resurrection hope of the individual believer.

Daniel began his life in captivity, but he will end his prophetic story with the promise of inheritance. He witnessed the temporary kingdoms of men, but God showed him the eternal kingdom that will ultimately replace them.

This is one of the reasons the book of Daniel remains so important to Christians today. It teaches us to look beyond the temporary circumstances of this present world.

Political kingdoms are temporary.

Human rulers are temporary.

Persecution is temporary.

Even death is temporary.

God's kingdom is eternal.

 

The Relationship Between Daniel and Revelation

The connections between Daniel and Revelation are especially important when we reach chapter 12. Revelation repeatedly uses imagery that first appears in Daniel. The beast, the horns, the persecution of God's people, the period of forty-two months, the final conflict, and the establishment of God's kingdom all have important parallels.

Daniel provides the Old Testament foundation, while Revelation develops the prophetic picture in greater detail.

The two books should therefore be read together. Daniel gives us the prophetic framework, while Revelation expands that framework and carries it to its final fulfillment.

The three-and-one-half-year period appears in both books. Daniel speaks of "a time, times, and an half," while Revelation speaks of forty-two months and 1,260 days. Daniel describes the ruler who exalts himself and persecutes God's people, while Revelation describes the beast who exercises authority and demands worship.

Most importantly, both books ultimately point beyond the Antichrist to God's victory.

The Tribulation and God's Sovereignty

Daniel 12 presents the Tribulation as a period of extraordinary trouble, particularly for Daniel's people. Yet the chapter never presents the suffering as outside God's control.

The duration is established.

The deliverance is established.

The resurrection is established.

The final outcome is established.

Even the Antichrist's apparent triumph has a predetermined limit.

This is one of the most comforting truths in biblical prophecy. God does not reveal future suffering to frighten His people without also revealing the certainty of His ultimate victory.

For those who belong to Christ, prophecy should produce hope rather than despair. The darkest period of human history will still be under the authority of the sovereign God.

 

The Final Message of Daniel

Daniel's final chapter does not answer every question about the future. In fact, Daniel is explicitly told that some of what he has been shown will remain sealed until the time of the end.

But God gives Daniel—and us—enough information to know the essential truth.

There will be a final period of unprecedented trouble.

Israel will face extraordinary persecution.

Michael will stand in connection with God's purposes for Daniel's people.

The Antichrist's authority will be limited.

The people of God will ultimately be delivered.

The dead will be raised.

There will be everlasting destinies.

Those who belong to God will receive His promised inheritance.

And the kingdoms of this world will ultimately give way to the kingdom of God.

Daniel began his prophetic journey by looking at a statue representing the kingdoms of men. He saw Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the kingdom that would follow. He watched the image struck by a stone "cut out without hands," and that stone became a great mountain filling the whole earth.

Now, at the end of the book, the meaning of that vision becomes even clearer.

Human kingdoms do not have the final word.

The Antichrist does not have the final word.

Death does not have the final word.

God does.

 

"Thou Shalt Rest"

The final words spoken to Daniel are among the most beautiful in the entire book: "Thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."

Daniel had been shown wars he would never personally witness, rulers who had not yet been born, kingdoms that had not yet risen, and a final period of history that was far beyond his own lifetime.

He could not control any of it.

But he could remain faithful.

And that is exactly what God had called Daniel to do.

The same principle applies to believers today. We are not called to control the future. We are called to trust the One who holds the future.

Daniel's final instruction is therefore not to calculate every detail or attempt to force God's timetable. It is simply to go his way, remain faithful, and rest in the promise of God.

Daniel's earthly life would eventually end, but his story would not.

He would rest. He would rise. He would receive his appointed inheritance. And he would stand in his lot at the end of the days.

The book of Daniel begins with earthly kingdoms taking God's people captive. It ends with God's promise that His people will ultimately share in His kingdom.

That is the great message of Daniel.

God is sovereign over history. God is faithful to His promises. Evil has a predetermined limit. God's people will be delivered. The dead will rise. And in the end, God's kingdom will stand forever.