CHAPTER 12

(534 B.C.)

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

¹And at that time shall Michael stand up, the Great Prince which stands for the children of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the Book. (Michael is the great Archangel; he is also referred to as the Great Prince. He is the Lord Protector of Israel, which stands for the children of your people. If not for him, Israel would no doubt be annihilated at this time.

A time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time, is the same thing Jesus would say, and concerns the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation [Mat. 24:21].

And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the Book, refers to the translation of the 144,000 Jews at approximately the middle of the Great Tribulation. This is the man child of Rev. 12:5.

Exactly how these 144,000 Jews will find Christ as their Saviour, especially during the first half of the Great Tribulation when Israel in fact will think the Antichrist is the Messiah, is unknown at present; however, if the Bible says it will happen [which it definitely does], then it will happen!

There is no mention here of the Church except possibly in Verse 3. The reason is simple: these Prophecies have to do with your people [10:14].

The Book spoken of is the Book of Life [Rev. 22:18-19].)

THE RESURRECTIONS

²And many of them who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to Everlasting Life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (There are two Resurrections pointed to in this Verse. These are separated by a long period of a thousand years [Rev. 20:3, 5-6; Jn. 5:28]. Those who will be resurrected to Everlasting Life speak of the First Resurrection, which pertains to every Believer who has ever lived from the time of Abel forward. This is when the Church, so to speak, will be raptured [I Thess. 4:13-18].

The Second Resurrection, which is the Resurrection of Damnation, will take place at approximately a thousand years after the First Resurrection, actually at the end of the Millennium. It will include all the wicked who have died from the very beginning. This will be the time of the Great White Throne Judgment [Rev. 20:4-6, 11-15].)

REWARDS FOR THE RIGHTEOUS

³And 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 wise are they who live for God and do everything they can to take the Gospel to others.)

SEALING THE PROPHECIES FOR FUTURE FULFILLMENT

⁴But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the Book even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the Book, means that Daniel has been given the entire blueprint concerning the fate of Israel, and nothing else is to be said. The phrase, Even to the time of the end, has reference to the fact that the Prophecies recently given by Daniel have reference to the Endtime.

Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased, refers to the tremendous increase in technology, which made its great debut at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. It also refers to knowledge of the Word of God being greatly increased in these last days, especially knowledge concerning Bible Prophecy.)

⁵Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. (Daniel is speaking of the River Hiddekel, i.e. the Tigris, which is close to the Euphrates. The other two spoken of here probably refer to Angels, with no identification given.)

⁶And one said to the Man clothed in linen, Who was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? (The Man clothed in linen, no doubt, refers to the same One described in 10:5-6. He is Christ. The phrase, Who was upon the waters of the river, actually says, Who was above the waters of the river, meaning that Christ, seemingly, was suspended in mid-air, immediately above the river.)

⁷And I heard the Man clothed in linen, Who was upon the waters of the river, when He held up His Right Hand and His Left Hand unto Heaven, and swore by Him Who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he (the Antichrist) shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (The swearing of this Man proves Him to be a Divine Person, for not one time in Scripture does an ordinary Angel make an oath to God or man.

That it shall be for a time, times, and an half, refers to three and a half years. This is the last half of the Great Tribulation, when tremendous persecution will be brought to bear upon Israel by the Antichrist. Therefore, the Lord Himself gives the time that these things will happen.

And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, refers to the Antichrist attempting to destroy Israel, but in fact only scattering them.)

⁸And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

⁹And He said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (This Verse declares that these Prophecies belong to the future. However, the time of the end is now very close!

The word end does not mean the end of the world, but instead the end of these things, i.e., the Prophecies concerning Israel and the last days.)

¹⁰Many 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. (Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried, could refer to the Church, but could also refer to the 144,000 Jews who will come to Christ during the first half of the Great Tribulation.

None of the wicked shall understand, refers to the world not at all understanding the Vision or even caring about it.

But the wise shall understand, refers to the few who truly know the Lord and who avidly search the Scriptures, believing them to be the very Word of God.)

¹¹And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away (at the midpoint of the Great Tribulation), and the abomination that makes desolate set up (refers back to 8:9-12), there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

¹²Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (This is forty-five days more than the number of days given in Verse 11, and seventy-five more days than given in Verse 7. Why the extra forty-five days over Verse 11? First, we know that those who come to this time will be blessed. This has to do with the beginning of the Kingdom Age and the events carried out to establish the beginning of the Kingdom.)

¹³But go You your way till the end be: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days. (But go You your way till the end be, refers to Daniel dying and then being a part of the First Resurrection of Life. Until that time, Christ said, you shall rest.

The phrase, And stand in your lot at the end of the days, refers to Daniel having a part in the glorious things that will take place after the Second Coming.)