Commentary - Daniel 12:1-13

Bird's-eye view

We come now to the final chapter of Daniel's prophecy, and it is the capstone of everything that has been revealed to him. The angel is concluding a long discourse on the future of Daniel's people, the Jews. And as we have seen, the focal point of that future was the coming of the Messiah, His rejection by the nation, and the subsequent judgment that would fall upon that generation. This chapter deals with the climax of that judgment, which we identify as the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This was not the end of the world, but it was the end of the world of the Old Covenant. It was a time of unparalleled distress, but also a time of glorious rescue for the people of God, the true Israel, the Christian Church.

Daniel is given promises concerning this great transition. He is told of a resurrection, of the wisdom of the righteous, and of the sealing of the prophecy until the time for its fulfillment arrived. The specific time frames given at the end of the chapter relate directly to that first century crisis. The chapter concludes with a personal promise to Daniel. Though he would not live to see these things, he would rest and then stand to receive his inheritance at the great and final resurrection, at the end of all the days.

Outline

Context In Daniel

Daniel 12 is the conclusion not only of the lengthy prophecy that began in chapter 10, but of the entire book. It brings the themes of God's sovereign rule over the kingdoms of men, the persecution of His people, and their ultimate vindication to a sharp and decisive climax. The focus here is on "the time of the end," which must be interpreted in light of what the rest of the book, and indeed the rest of Scripture, says. This is not the end of the space time universe, but the end of the Old Covenant age, which was definitively closed with the destruction of the temple. This event was the great sign that the kingdom of God had been transferred from national Israel to the international body of Christ, the Church. Jesus Himself quotes Daniel in His own prophecy about this very event in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24), which is our inspired key to understanding this chapter.

Key Issues

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 "Now at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will stand. And there will be a time of distress such as never happened since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued."

The angel begins with "at that time," linking this directly to the events of the previous chapter, which culminated in the Roman period. Michael is the archangel tasked with protecting God's covenant people. For him to "stand" means he is rising to take decisive action. This is a time of cosmic conflict. The "time of distress" is described in the most extreme terms possible, a tribulation without historical parallel. Jesus uses this exact language in Matthew 24:21 to describe the tribulation that would befall Jerusalem in His generation. This is the same event. This was the final, terrible judgment on the apostate nation that rejected its Messiah. But in the midst of this covenantal holocaust, there is a rescue. Who are "your people"? Not every ethnic Jew, but the elect remnant, whose names are "written in the book," the book of life. This rescue was literal for the Christians who fled Jerusalem before its destruction, heeding Christ's warning, and it is eternally true for all believers who are delivered from the wrath to come.

2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt."

This is one of the most debated verses in Old Testament prophecy. The language is clearly that of resurrection. But we must ask what kind of resurrection is in view. Given the context of the end of an age, this is best understood as the great spiritual resurrection that accompanied the coming of the gospel. The world of the Old Covenant was "asleep in the dust." With the preaching of Christ crucified and risen, a great awakening occurred. Those who believed were raised with Christ to newness of life, an "everlasting life." Those who rejected the gospel were awakened only to judgment, to face the "reproach and everlasting contempt" of being enemies of God. The gospel forces a division, it brings life and it brings judgment. This verse describes the historical impact of the gospel in the world, which began in that generation and continues to this day. This does not deny the final, physical resurrection, which is taught elsewhere, but describes the dawning of the new covenant age in resurrection language.

3 "And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."

Who are "those who have insight"? They are the ones who understand what God is doing in this transition of the ages. They are the teachers, the evangelists, the apostles, the ministers of the New Covenant. Their work is to "lead the many to righteousness" through the proclamation of the gospel. And their reward, their status, is glorious. They shine. They are like the firmament, like the stars. This is the glory of gospel ministry. In a world darkened by sin and judgment, the truth of God shines out through His faithful servants. This is not a far off future glory, but a present reality for the Church as it fulfills its commission.

4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the time of the end; many will go to and fro, and knowledge will increase."

Daniel is told to seal the prophecy. This doesn't mean it was to be hidden away and lost. It means its full meaning would remain obscure until the time of fulfillment drew near. That time was "the time of the end," the end of the Old Covenant. When that time came, "many will go to and fro, and knowledge will increase." This has nothing to do with airplanes and the internet. In the context of studying a text, to "go to and fro" means to study it diligently, to pore over it. As the first century dawned, the apostles and the early church did exactly this. They studied the prophecies, and guided by the Holy Spirit, their "knowledge" of God's plan exploded. The book of Daniel was unsealed for them, and they understood.

5-7 "Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, 'How long will it be until the end of these wonders?' And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they complete shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed."

The scene becomes very solemn. The pre-incarnate Christ, the man in linen, is put under oath. The question is simple: how long? The answer is given in a symbolic time frame: "a time, times, and half a time." This three and a half year period represents a time of intense tribulation that is cut short. It corresponds to the final years of the Jewish war against Rome. The key to the timing is the final clause. These events will be finished when "they complete shattering the power of the holy people." The "holy people" here refers to the apostate Jewish nation, whose political and religious power was centered in Jerusalem and the temple. That power was utterly shattered in A.D. 70. With that event, this prophecy was fulfilled.

8-10 "As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, 'My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?' Then he said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the time of the end. Many will be purged, purified, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.'"

Daniel's honest confusion is instructive. It was not for him to understand the details. The angel simply repeats that the meaning is sealed. But he adds a crucial moral dimension. The coming tribulation will be a purifying fire for the saints. Persecution sifts the church. At the same time, the wicked will double down on their wickedness, and they will be spiritually blind to what is happening. They will not understand. But the righteous, those with insight, will understand. They will see God's hand in history and know what is happening.

11-12 "But from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and reaches the 1,335 days!"

Here we have two specific time periods connected to the abolition of the sacrifice and the setting up of the "abomination of desolation." Jesus identifies this abomination as the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem (Luke 21:20). The daily sacrifices ceased in August of A.D. 70, shortly before the city fell. The 1,290 and 1,335 days likely represent specific periods within that final crisis. The blessing is for the one who endures through the horror and "reaches" the end of it. This is a promise of vindication and relief for the persecuted church that trusted in the words of Christ and waited for His salvation.

13 "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and stand again for your allotted portion at the end of the days."

The prophecy concludes with a tender, personal word for Daniel. He is told to "go your way to the end", meaning, live out your life and die. His death will be an entrance into rest. But that is not the final word. He is promised that he will "stand again." This is the promise of the final, bodily resurrection. He will receive his inheritance, his "allotted portion." And when will this be? Not at the "time of the end" (A.D. 70), but at "the end of the days", the end of all history. This final verse beautifully distinguishes between the end of the Old Covenant age and the end of the world itself, giving Daniel a firm and personal hope in the resurrection.

Application

So what does a prophecy about a first century judgment have to do with us? Everything. First, it teaches us that God is sovereign over history. The rise and fall of empires, the persecution of the church, and the judgment of nations are all in His hand and according to His timetable. We are not at the mercy of blind chance.

Second, it teaches us the importance of having spiritual insight. The wicked see events, but they do not understand their meaning. The righteous, those who study God's word, are given understanding. We are to be a people who understand the times, who know what God is doing in the world through the gospel, and who live accordingly.

Third, it reminds us that tribulation is a purifying fire for the church. We should not be surprised when we face trials. God uses them to purge, purify, and refine us. The one who waits and endures is the one who is blessed.

Finally, like Daniel, our ultimate hope is not in this life. We are to go our way, living faithfully until our own end comes. We enter into rest, but we await our allotted portion at the end of the days. Our hope is in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. That hope is the anchor for our souls in every time of distress.