Bible Commentaries
Daniel 12

Verses 1-13

Chapter 12

Now it is during the time of this great Battle of Armageddon that Jesus will return.

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble [the Great Tribulation], such as never was, since there was a nation even to the same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book ( Daniel 12:1 ).

So there's going to be a time of Great Tribulation, but Daniel's people are to be delivered.

Now their deliverance will come in several ways. Number one, there will be 144,000 of them who are sealed by God and protected from the plagues of the Great Tribulation. Number two, there will be those who will make their flight to the rock city of Petra where God will preserve them. Jesus was warning His disciples, or the Jews actually, that when you see this abomination of desolation that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, when you see the antichrist standing in the temple of God declaring that he is God, then flee to the wilderness and don't stop to get your jacket. Just get out of there as fast as you can. If you're out in the field don't even go home. Just run.

In the book of Revelation we are told that God gives to them wings of an eagle (sounds like helicopters) that will bear them to this place in the wilderness where they will be preserved for three and half years. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 16, the Lord says to Jordan, "Open up and receive My people. Bear them safely to Petra until the Great Tribulation is over." And so the antichrist when he finds that the Jews are fleeing will send out an army against them, but the earth will open up and swallow the army. And then, of course, he'll be taken up with the other issues of the invasion of China and Russia, will not pursue them any further, but they will be preserved for three and half years.

So, "Thy people will be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book." Now those that do not flee, the antichrist will then go and make war against the remnant of the people that stay in the land and there will be a horrible devastation of those people. Once again, a time of trouble such as never existed since they were a nation up until that time. Jesus said, "The time of Great Tribulation such as the world has never seen before or will ever see again."

Now Daniel here is told of the 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 ( Daniel 12:2 ).

There is to be a resurrection of the dead. Now, they will not take place simultaneously. The righteous dead will rise a thousand years before the unrighteous dead. But it's all lumped together in one here. In the book of Revelation we see the time differential between the two. The resurrection of the righteous dead, they that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life. Of course, at the resurrection of Jesus Christ there began the great resurrection. The body of many of the... graves of so many of the saints were open and they were seen walking through the streets of Jerusalem after His resurrection from the dead. The great resurrection of the unjust dead will take place at the end of Christ's thousand-year reign, when they stand before the great white throne judgment of God. And they rise to everlasting shame and contempt.

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever ( Daniel 12:3 ).

"They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the sky; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." You know, there are some people whose life is like a skyrocket. They make a big flash, but they burn out very fast. You know, they hit the scene and everybody says, "Oohh, ahhh," you know. But just that fast they fade away. The glory of man is so transient. You know, the crowd may be cheering you today but jeering you tomorrow. The glory of man so transient. The big flash, "ohhhhhhh," but the burn out. But the place to really shine is in God's kingdom.

You know, on the fourth of July I like to go out and see the big pyrotechnic display. And I "oohh" and "ahhh" at the beautiful skyrockets. But you know, when it's all over for a while you lose sight of the stars. You know, there's so much flash in the atmosphere around you, you don't see the stars up there. But when it's all over, there they are shining forever and ever. Maybe not with such a big flash, but they keep going. Some people make a big flash, but that's the end of it. "They that be wise will shine as this as the brightness of the ferment. And they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." Which sky do you want to shine in?

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end ( Daniel 12:4 ):

The book was to be sealed when unto the time of the end. In other words, "Daniel, you're not gonna understand this; it will be understood in the time of the end."

for many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased ( Daniel 12:4 ).

"The knowledge increased" in its immediately context would be the knowledge of the book of Daniel, or the knowledge of these prophecies. And surely God has unfolded the book of Daniel in these last days as we can now see it with the advantage of hindsight. And we can see how accurately he wrote of the past, and now as we see the things of the past we can also understand as they relate to the present and future. So the book of Daniel is no longer a sealed a book, but an open book and easily understood by any diligent student of God's Word.

For knowledge has been increased. Now that knowledge increased has also been interpreted to be just the general amassed knowledge of man and surely, this has happened in our generation. Between the years of 1950 and 1960 man's total knowledge doubled. In other words, everything that man had learned from Adam up until the year 1950 accumulated knowledge of man in the next decade was doubled. By the year 1970 men knew, or 1960, men knew twice as much as what they have learned in all of the years up to 1950. And, of course, now with the ability through micro data processing and computers and all, we are again in this decade doubling the amassed knowledge of man. Knowledge increased.

And interesting, "men going to and fro." Tomorrow morning I get on a jet and tomorrow I eat lunch in Spokane, you know, and it's amazing what you can do now in jet travel. Many running to and fro.

Then I Daniel looked, and I beheld, and there stood two others, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on the other side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man that was clothed in linen ( Daniel 12:5-6 ),

You see, with this one in linen there were other personages. That's why I believe the one in linen was Jesus Christ and there were angels with Him.

which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be till the end of these wonders? ( Daniel 12:6 )

How long before the end of these things, the Tribulation and all?

And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and he sware by him that lives for ever and ever, that it shall be for a time [a year], times, [a half a year, or I mean, two years], and a half, [which would be a half a year]; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all of these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I did not understand: then I said, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end ( Daniel 12:7-9 ).

So don't worry about it, Daniel. You just go your way. These words are sealed until the time of the end, until now when the Lord has opened up understanding.

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried: but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand ( Daniel 12:10 ).

Now even as Daniel predicted the very day that the Messiah would come, 173, 880 days from the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, so he has predicted the very day that Jesus will come again. Not the day that the Lord will take His church. No man knows that day or the hour. We don't know when the Lord is gonna come for us, His church.

But from the time that the daily sacrifices [and prayers] are caused to cease [by the antichrist] ( Daniel 12:11 ),

In the middle of the last seven year cycle.

it will then be 1,290 days ( Daniel 12:11 ).

According to the testimony of the Lord. If you were still here upon the earth you can mark your calendar and you can count off the days. And you'll be wanting to because it's gonna to be a fierce, horrible time. As God's wrath is poured out in judgment upon this earth. At this point maybe you should this week read Revelation 6:0 through 18 to find out just what's gonna be happening during this three and half year period of time. Terrible.

Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-fifth day ( Daniel 12:12 ).

Or forty-five days after the coming of Christ. Matthew 25:31 ,when Jesus returns, He's gonna gather together the nations for judgment and separate them as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And to those in His right hand, "Come ye blessed of the Father. Enter into the kingdom that was prepared for you from the foundations of the earth." To those on His left, "Depart from Me, workers of iniquity, into the everlasting darkness which was prepared for Satan and his angels."

So if a person, and there will be many who will live through the Great Tribulation, they will be able to survive. Now if they survive the Great Tribulation, providing they have not worshipped the antichrist, nor taken his mark upon them, nor worship the image, for if any man worships the antichrist or takes the mark of the antichrist on him, or worships the image, he will not have any chance for salvation at all. In Revelation, chapter 14, John saw the angel flying through the midst of the heaven, declaring "Woe! Woe! Woe!" to the inhabitants of the earth. And if any man shall take the mark or worship the beast or his image, he shall be cast into the lake burning with fire and there's no hope for his salvation. The angels will be warning people not to take that mark. Of course, on the other hand, if you refused to take the mark they can put you to death for it, not taking the mark.

So you're gonna have to... you're gonna have to join with McKeever and some of these guys and get your little hideaway back up in the woods of Oregon and stock it with your food and your wheat and your guns and everything else in order you'll be able to survive this three and half year period of time, and then hopefully make it through the forty-five days of judgment. Because having come through the Great Tribulation will not necessarily ensure your entrance into the kingdom.

Then you have to pass this judgment when Christ says, "I was hungry and you fed Me; thirsty and you gave Me to drink; and naked and you clothed Me." "Lord, when did we see You this way?" Not when you were, you know, shooting those that were trying to come and get your food. So you better put your guns away, I guess, if you're gonna survive the forty-five days. "Inasmuch as you did it unto the least of these, My brethren, you've done it unto Me." And they are allowed to enter into the kingdom. So there will be some who will live through the Great Tribulation and will enter into the kingdom. Most of those that enter into the kingdom, though, will be those who belong to the Lord and who return with Jesus. Then He'll be coming with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon the earth and we shall live and reign with Him upon the earth for a thousand years.

But to Daniel,

Go thy way till the end is: for thou shall rest, and stand in thy lot in the end of the days ( Daniel 12:13 ).

You'll stand with your group in the end of the days, Daniel. But in the meantime, just go and take your rest. And you'll stand in the end time.

So the fascinating prophecies of Daniel, marvelous man of God, high on my list of those I want to meet when I get to heaven. I so respect this man of God, so admire him, that I'm looking forward to quite a bit of time just sitting and learning from the depth of this man of his walk and love and relationship. That's one that is gonna be one of the neat things of heaven, is just getting acquainted and knowing some of these glorious people of God from history.

Next week we get into the book of Hosea. We'll take five chapters of Hosea for next Sunday. Moving through, it won't be long before we're through, be through with the Old Testament now, for the rest of the books are very short little books. Many of them we will be taking in just one week and then moving on into the New Testament. So as the Lord tarries and as the Lord wills, it won't be long before we'll be back in the New Testament and going through it.

Peter asked a very pertinent question in the light of the fact that the material world is going to soon be dissolved, the works are to be burned up, the elements will melt with the ferment heat, "What manner of persons ought we to be?" ( 2 Peter 3:11 ) If you are a materialist and your whole values are set in material things, when this material universe goes, everything that you have and hope for is gone. Therefore, it is not wise to be a materialist or a humanist. What manner of persons ought we to be? Peter answers, "In all holiness, godliness, godly manner of living." We ought to be spiritual; we need to have our things upon, our eyes upon the things above, not upon the things of the earth. We need to have our hearts set upon the eternal not on the temporal. May God help us to each one to make an evaluation of ourselves, our own priorities, our own lives, to find out where our values are. Find out what we truly treasure. For where a man's treasure is there will his heart be also. So God help us to treasure heavenly things, spiritual things, and mark them as the true values of life. And thus, may God cause us to examine our hearts, examine ourselves, our lives, our lifestyles, and may we so live in anticipation of our Lord's return in glory to establish God's kingdom.

God bless you. May He keep His hand upon your life, may He fill you with His love and with His spirit, and may He guide you according to His purpose through Jesus Christ our Lord. "