Chapter 12
Verse 1 again blows me away, because I have never taken notice of this before:
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. [Dan 12:1 ESV]
MSB says the phrase "At that time..." means during the time of Antichrist, the time of tribulation, in 11:36-45. Michael will intervene during the last 7 years to preserve Israel from the Antichrist. Only by his intervention will they survive.
2026 - This time of trouble might be that same as Jesus mentions in Matthew:
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. [Mat 24:21 ESV].
This is another timestamp as to where we are....
2023 - Is the verse above about the time of Jacob's trouble? That phrase "a time of trouble, such as never has been". We see phrases like that in several places in the Bible, notably in the NT. A person out to look them up and xref them here. I would particularly note that this is about "Daniel's people", which couldn't really mean anyone but the Jews. And the Jew's - Jacob's descendants - are going to have some serious trouble. And note further that ONLY those written in the book will be delivered. Saved Jews, during tgt.
Then this:
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. [Dan 12:2 ESV] 2020 - or this could be the dry bones of Ezekiel coming back to life. Oh my...is the rapture and the dry bones resurrection the same event? All will happen at once?
This would refer to the end of the Millennial and the Great White Throne I believe.
2023 - Dry bones is different than the rapture, I believe. Reasons below after vs. 5....But look at vs 2. How can that be interpreted as anything but a resurrection of the dead. And note that the ones resurrected are not ALL saved! If the rapture has already occurred at this point, then this is not a resurrection of the church, but a resurrection of the Jews - perhaps of all the Jews that have ever been up to that time. I have got to be "off" here. No preacher, ever, that I have heard, speaks of a resurrection of Jews only, during tgt, and AFTER the rapture. But right now today, that's what I think this is about. It means the dry bones are not symbolic at all, but a vision of future events. And only some of them will be saved. Lost Jews from history past will get shame and EVERLASTING contempt. That is a new term for hell, if that is what it means. Then Daniel is told to seal it up. And THEN he is told that knowledge shall increase. Could this mean a continuing, inspired, timed release of the meaning of these prophecies? Can I tie that part about shining like the sky or like stars back to Ezekiel 37? The breath that they breathe comes from the four winds, so we are looking there at a natural element - like sky and stars.
Here is a verse that might fit here: 11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' [Eze 37:11 ESV]
And what about this?
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. [Eze 37:12 ESV]
13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." [Eze 37:13-14 ESV]. I see no way to claim that these verses in Ezekiel and 12:2 in Daniel are NOT about the same event. This is a resurrection of the house of Israel It just is!
Here is what MSB says: Two groups will arise from death constituting the "many" which means "all". I would argue that many does not mean all. He uses Jn 5:29 to say they mean the same thing. Here is that plus 28: 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. [Jhn 5:28-29 ESV]. This cannot be the rapture, since that is only for the saved. The only other resurrection - at least up until tonight - is at the GWT. If these verses in John are talking about the GWT, then there will still be saved people to be resurrected there. Who could they be? Not the church because it was resurrected at the rapture. So....that sort of says that the OT saints will not be resurrected in the rapture. Only the church. Abraham won't be resurrected until the GWT. So the saved at the GWT will be the OT saints, and the lost will be everyone else not raptured. MSB goes on to say "The souls of OT saints are already with the Lord; at that time, they will receive glorified bodies. What MSB does NOT say is whether this is the resurrection just before the GWT.
(((cf Rev 20:4-6, which is here: 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. [Rev 20:4-6 ESV]. These verses are about Christ's judgment of the living just before the Millennial. There is a resurrection here also, but those resurrected are NOT judged at this time. It says they are already martyrs of tgt. This may well say that the saved who die during tgt will NOT be judged. If they are, it will be at the GWT, because it is not here. Keep reading. These will not have to worry about the second death, the one that occurs at the GWT, when those who have been waiting in hell get one last appeal, which will be denied, and go into the Lake of Fire for eternity. So the ones resurrected in these verses ALL go to heaven, unlike what Daniel says in vs. 2. Not ALL of those resurrected in Dan 12:2 go to heaven. So I believe Dr. MacA is mistaken to connect Dan 12:2, Jn 5:28-29, and Rev 20:4-6. I go even further. I think proper reading of this verse implies a third episode of resurrection - as there are also three episodes of judgment. I think "proof" that this is separate will come in a few more verses. If 12:2 is NOT a third resurrection event, then it can only be the resurrection prior to the GWT... which we will see that it cannot be.).
In verse 5, "two others" appear. Two more angels? One on either shore of the Tigris. "Someone" asks the one who is above the waters of the stream how long it will be until the end of these wonders?" The answer is time, and times, and half a time. So 3.5 years. Not sure how far back into this narrative you go to the start of that period, but my guess is that it is from 11:36 on. The last half of the 7, the Great Tribulation. MSB has references of Dan 7:25, Dan 11:36-39, and Rev 12:14. See also Rev 11:2,3 and 13:5.
2023 - Let's look at the verses: 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. [Dan 12:6-7 ESV]. Several things we need to know:
The end of what wonders? This large scale resurrection of dead people? That seems like the best candidate!
A time, times, and half a time. I think, and everything I've ever read concurs, that these words mean a year, two years, and half a year. 3.5 years. So that seems to say that from the time these dead people are resurrected until they are "dealt with" let's say, will be 3 1/2 years. SO. The "easy" interpretation of that says that this will occur in the very middle of tgt. But of course that makes it a third resurrection, that ties it to Ez 37, and we don't really want to do that. Another way to look at it is to say that the GWT, commencing after the Millennial, will require at least 3.5 years for judging all those who resurrect for that. I guess that is a possibility. Hmm...might even be a good way to look at it. If that is what it is, then the GWT will be a judgment of all the lost of all time, and all the nation of Israel of all time - both saved and unsaved. That does answer a lot of questions...but creates others. Why would Ezekiel make such a big deal of the resurrection of Israel if it is only to final judgment? Ez 37:22, 24-27 speak of Israel living in the land of their fathers, not just for a thousand years, but forever. And while there, forever, God will set his sanctuary among them...Ezekiel's Temple? So...in the new heaven and the new earth, that DO last forever, Israel will be Israel, they will have Ezekiel's temple at which to worship which means animal sacrifices forever...Odd...but my goodness it does fit the timeline after all!
What is the shattering of the power of the holy people that will end? Is that the curse of blindness? That ought to be lifted when the 144,000 start their ministry...That is about live people, however. These are resurrected Jews, who were perhaps "stuck" somewhere, powerless, until this resurrection. I'm going to have to think on this, sleep on all this...because it is very new to me. I like what all it explains. It is a different version of end times than I have considered before, but I think this version answers more questions than it causes. Wow.
Hold everything....We have too many time periods labeled 3 1/2 years. The 3 1/2, last time I checked, was about the time of AE, from the time he made a deal with the raggedy Jews until he took away the sacrifice. Here again we are talking about 3 1/2 years. So we need to consider that somewhere along here we have gone back to AE's time. OR we have to say that the 3 1/2 year period then somehow foreshadows the 3 1/2 years here. This is the very last note I made on 2/3/23, it is IMPORTANT and needs to be addressed...but I do not have any more in me today. It will have to wait.
(((2023 - Next day...I note that in vs 4, the words are to be shut up and sealed, and then vs 5 begins a new vision. This may be a reversion back to AE. Vs 9 is also a candidate for a shift in the time the visions portray. Something to look for in more detail next year.)))
2026 - Daniel 12:11-12:
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. [Dan 12:11-12 ESV].
The MoL is given 42 months. The AoD is 1290 days before the end of the 70th, 30 days before the midpoint. Maybe he who waits doesn't take the mark and gets to 75 days before the AoD? Or maybe this is 45 days past the end of the 70th when the judgment is over.
I think these are making more sense than they ever have before...but the 1335 is still giving me a headache.
2023 - This one:
9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. [Dan 12:9 ESV]. Sealed as in incomprehensible until the time actually arrives, and then it will all be clear? Like Dwight predicts...we are all going to be sooooo surprised!!!
Then there is this about the 1290 days and the 1335 days...
The 1290 days are 3 1/2 years plus 30 days. The extra 30 might be for judging the living once Christ sets up his kingdom. There will still be sin...but what is this judgement. This is not the Great White Throne, which is after the Millennial. Maybe this judges who can enter the city?
The 1335 is another 45 days. Perhaps to set up the civil government in Jerusalem. Must remember that it is here, during this time, that Ezekiel's Temple will be used as originally intended at Sinai. There will be a prince, not Jesus, who makes sacrifices in this temple. All this has to be set up, and people don't move as instantly as God.
2023 - Or...dare I suggest that these words are about AE. The Temple was shut down somewhere around 3 years. Depending on the precise reckoning, it could be 1290 days. And the 1335? Perhaps it took 45 days more to purify the temple. 1260 days from the time it was shut down until the city was retaken. 30 days to rebuild the temple vessels. 45 days to purify them. And then the sacrifice recommenced. I don't know. I do not know. This could as easily be how long things take at the end of the Millennial, to get through the GWT, set up the new Temple, select the new priests and train them, and commence the sacrifice again for all eternity. That is not a bad interpretation either.
Daniel is told to "go his way", to live until he dies. He is told that he will rest then, until time to stand in "his allotted place" at the end of the days. What a promise!
So much here...so much I didn't realize. I think 11 has always been just too complex for me to assimilate. I couldn't do it on my own. But the MSB opened it up for me. Now I know at least one "smarter person's" interpretation of that chapter, and I have some fleshing out of the history of the Seleucids and a much better understanding of the "original" abomination of desolation.
2022 - There seems to be far more to unravel in Dan 11, 12, than in all of Revelation combined. You have to go through these two chapters, correlating events with history, until you find a divergence. I think that divergence will be in 11:40, where it says "at the time of the end". Note that just a little earlier we once again saw the phrase "till the indignation is accomplished", which I believe is just before t/gt begins. The time of the end is...t/gt I think. This phrase signals, as of today in my opinion, the 70th week. I think 12:7 drives this home. The time of the end may - indeed is almost certainly according to 12:7, the last 3 1/2 years.
Daniel is its own study. A clear "guess" as to Daniel 11, 12 must be well in hand before any encompassing study of the end times can be undertaken. That all seems quite monumental to me. Not impossible...but I may not have enough years left to accomplish it.
2023 - After all the new things that came out of reading Daniel this seventh time through, I absolutely cannot wait until next year!!!