November 4, 2025 • 26 mins
A single chapter, thirteen verses, and a sweeping map of the end of days—Daniel 12 brings heaven’s conflict and earth’s hope into sharp focus. We open with Michael rising and a cosmic eviction that mirrors Revelation 12, then follow the implications for Israel during a time of trouble unlike anything before. That tension sets the stage for a promise that refuses to blink: deliverance for those written in the book of life and a resurrection that separates everlasting life from everlasting contempt.
As we move deeper, we explore what it means for the wise to “shine,” not only in shared glory but in the unique reward for those who lead others to righteousness. The angel’s command to seal the book becomes surprisingly relevant, not as a nod to faster travel or smarter tech, but as a forecast of urgent seeking and Spirit-given insight when the world is hungry for truth. And at the center stands a solemn oath: “time, times, and half a time,” the three-and-a-half-year period that culminates in the shattering of Israel’s power and the brief rule of the Antichrist before Christ’s return.
We also unpack the two numbers that have sparked centuries of debate: 1,290 days and 1,335 days. We consider how these may mark a 30-day judgment of the nations after Armageddon and a further 45-day transition into the millennial kingdom, where those who endure are called blessed. Through it all, Daniel’s closing comfort anchors the heart: rest now, rise later, and stand in your allotted place. If you care about biblical prophecy, the role of Israel in the end times, or how to live wisely when the world feels unsteady, this conversation offers clarity, courage, and hope.
If this helped you see Daniel 12 with fresh eyes, subscribe, share it with a friend who loves prophecy, or support the show.
Email: nathan@nathandietsche.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:15):
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today we are in Daniel chapter12, which is the last of three
chapters where an angel comes toDaniel after he has fasted and
prayed for three weeks.
The message this angel brings isa prophecy about what will
(00:39):
become the history of Israel.
And as we learned last week, themessage about Israel included
both future history of Israelover the next few hundred years,
as well as Israel's history inthe very end times of the earth.
And for the sake of ournarrative, we've called this
angel Gabriel because Gabriel isthe one who has visited Daniel
(01:03):
in the past with messages andprophecy from God.
As we read today in chaptertwelve, Gabriel will continue
the end times prophecy ofIsrael.
Chapter twelve truly is afoundational block for end times
prophecy that surrounds thenation of Israel.
(01:27):
And it packs a great deal ofinformation and end times
prophecy into just thirteenverses.
So let's get started with verseone.
At that time shall ariseMichael, the great prince who
has charge of your people, andthere shall be a time of
(01:49):
trouble, such as never has beensince there was a nation till
that time.
But at that time your peopleshall be delivered.
Everyone whose name shall befound written in the book.
(02:11):
It begins by saying that at thattime shall arise Michael.
The mention of Michael theArchangel here is significant,
because it's the same timingthat's found in Revelation
chapter twelve, verses seventhrough nine, which reads Now
war arose in heaven, Michael andhis angels fighting against the
(02:36):
dragon.
And the dragon and his angelsfought back, but he was
defeated, and there was nolonger any place for them in
heaven.
And the great dragon was throwndown, that ancient serpent, who
is called the devil and Satan,the deceiver of the whole world,
he was thrown down to earth, andhis angels were thrown down with
(03:00):
him.
From our verse in Daniel chapterone and from what we've read in
Revelation chapter twelve, itseems clear that Michael will be
put into action by God to removeSatan from access to the third
heaven, and from access to God'sthrone room.
(03:21):
I feel it's important to bringsome clarity onto this issue
because I've heard someconfusion over it in the past.
Now, up until this time thatDaniel is talking about, when it
says, at that time shall ariseMichael, Satan still had access
to come before God and accusethe saints.
(03:42):
For example, in Job chapter 1,verses 6 and 7, we read how the
angels came to presentthemselves before the Lord, and
Satan came before the Lord aswell.
And that's when Satan accusedJob, and the Lord asked Satan,
(04:03):
Where did you come from?
And Satan says, from going toand fro on the earth, and from
walking up and down on it.
So we know from Scripture andthe story of Job that while
Satan is a fallen angel, hestill has access to the heavens,
and he has access before God'sthrone, and that's where he goes
(04:25):
to accuse the saints.
But at this time, during thelast days of the earth, Satan
shall be shut off from theheavens, and that's how he will
know that his time is short.
Now back to our verse in Daniel,it says that Michael will arise.
(04:46):
That word, that Hebrew word forarise here, also can mean to
stand or stand aside.
Examples of that are in Job32.16 or Nehemiah 8.5.
And the rest of the verse tellsus that there's going to be a
great time of trouble, such asnever has been since there was
(05:09):
ever a nation on the earth.
So this time of trouble is thegreatest the earth has ever
seen, greater than World War I,greater than World War II.
This is the greatest time oftrouble the earth has ever seen.
But perhaps even more so, therewill be a great time of trouble
(05:31):
for Israel.
Considering how Michael standingor arising leads to such a great
time of trouble for Israel, itwould seem to imply that Michael
has become focused on thisbattle in heaven that we read
about in Revelation chapter 12.
And he's no longer focused onthe nation of Israel here on
(05:56):
earth.
Therefore, this is why Israel asa nation is left without their
great defender Michael.
That could explain why there issuch trouble now for Israel.
Scripture talks about a time oftrouble, a time of Jacob's
trouble in Jeremiah 37.
(06:20):
I also believe that Michael isthe restrainer that the Apostle
Paul was speaking of in 2Thessalonians 2, 6 and 7.
Because when Michael is focusedon this battle in heaven, rather
than on Israel on earth, therewill no longer be a restrainer,
(06:40):
keeping the spirit of theAntichrist at bay.
But verse 1 says, Your peopleshall be delivered.
The deliverance of Israel, ofDaniel's people here, it's
describing a final revival inthe nation of Israel.
During the very last days of theearth, these last three and a
(07:02):
half years, much of Israel willbe saved.
Scripture tells us that theywill look upon the one whom they
have pierced.
And finally, we know that thisdeliverance isn't physical.
This is an eternal deliverance,because it says everyone whose
name is found written in thebook.
(07:24):
And that description tells usthat it has nothing to do with
simply being a part of thenation of Israel or being a Jew.
But this is about those who willput their faith in the Messiah.
Because it is only through faithin the Messiah Jesus Christ that
anyone has their name written inthe book of life.
(07:46):
Moving on to verse two, and manyof those who sleep in the dust
of the earth shall awake, someto everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt.
Again, this one verse has packedan awfully lot into it.
(08:07):
It describes the resurrection ofthe dead and the judgment of
mankind for both the righteousand the unrighteous into this
one verse.
There are other Old Testamentverses that point to how the
resurrection of the dead wasalso the hope of the believer.
(08:27):
For example, Job nineteen,twenty five through twenty six
reads, For I know that myRedeemer lives, and at the last
he will stand upon the earth,and after my skin has thus been
destroyed, yet in my flesh Ishall see God.
(08:47):
Other verses in the OldTestament that declare the
resurrection of the dead areIsaiah twenty six nineteen,
Psalm sixteen ten, and Ezekielthirty seven twelve.
Now we find in other scripturesthat there are actually more
than just one resurrection ofthe dead.
(09:09):
The greatest and most gloriousresurrection was the
resurrection of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ.
Jesus is known as the firstbornover the dead eighteen.
There will be a resurrection ofthe dead at the rapture of
believers, when Jesus Christcomes on the clouds
(09:34):
Thessalonians four, sixteen andseventeen.
There will also be aresurrection of the dead after
the battle of Armageddon,Revelation twenty four through
six.
That resurrection is known asthe first resurrection, not
because it's the first everresurrection, but rather because
the resurrection unto life isthe first resurrection.
(09:59):
And then there's a finalresurrection of the unbelieving
after the thousand year reign ofJesus Christ at the great white
throne judgment, known as thesecond resurrection.
And that's in Revelation twenty,eleven through thirteen.
Here in verse two of Danielchapter twelve, we find the
(10:21):
resurrection and judgment ofmankind packed into this single
verse.
And that isn't uncommon inScripture.
For example, in John 5 29, Jesusspoke about the resurrection and
judgment.
Picking up in verse three ofDaniel, and those who are wise
(10:43):
shall shine like the brightnessof the sky above, and those who
turn many to righteousness likethe stars for ever and ever.
Now in a general sense, the wiseincludes all believers, everyone
who has a true knowledge of theMessiah through faith in God's
(11:04):
Word.
In heaven all believers willshine because the righteousness
of Jesus Christ has been appliedto them and is glorified in
their bodies.
And that concept of allbelievers shining can be found
in Matthew thirteen forty three,Romans eight thirty,
(11:24):
Thessalonians two twelve andfirst Peter five ten.
Yet what Daniel is teaching hereis even more specific, and
Scripture does teach us that ina more specific way, when faith
is put into action to teachothers about Jesus Christ, there
(11:47):
is reward.
Believers that influence otherstowards a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ will shine to agreater degree as their reward
in heaven.
The faithfulness of a believer'switness on earth will determine
their capacity to reflect theglory of God in heaven.
(12:09):
That also is found in ScriptureCorinthians three eight,
Corinthians nine twenty four andtwenty five, and Corinthians
fifteen thirty three.
Picking up in verse four.
But you, Daniel, shut up thewords and seal the book until
(12:32):
the time of the end, many shallrun to and fro and knowledge
shall increase.
Here in verse four, the angelscommand Daniel to shut up the
words and seal the book.
The angel isn't telling Danielto hide this revelation, but
rather to preserve it for theend days, because that's what
(12:55):
this prophecy is intended for,the time of the end.
It is speaking specifically ofthe last days of the earth, the
seventieth week that was spokenof in Daniel 9 twenty seven.
Now that phrase many shall runto and fro.
It's a Hebrew phrase that alwaysdescribes the movement of
(13:19):
someone searching for something.
I know I myself have viewed thisdifferently in the past, as I've
heard many preachers speak abouthow they thought this referred
to modes of travel, such as howplanes, trains, or automobiles
have increased man's capacity torun about the earth.
(13:40):
But that's a poor understandingof this text.
This text refers to how in thelast days people will be
searching for answers.
They'll be searching in themiddle of these apocalyptic
times that they find themselvesin.
And the phrase knowledge shallincrease has also been
(14:03):
miscommunicated by many.
I know I've heard preachers saythat this is somehow describing
how we've so quickly gone fromthe written word to a digital
age, how now we're coming intothe age of artificial
intelligence.
However, the properunderstanding of the original
(14:23):
text of Daniel here is thatknowledge increasing is because
people will find this preservedbook of Daniel in the age of the
apocalypse.
That's why the angel hascommanded him to seal it up and
preserve it.
What we are reading right nowwill be a lifeline to people
(14:44):
during those final seven yearsof earth, revealing the truth of
the last days in which theylive.
Picking up in verse five.
Then I, Daniel, looked andbehold, two others stood, one on
this bank of the stream and oneon that bank of the stream.
(15:06):
And someone said to the manclothed in linen, who was above
the waters of the stream Howlong shall it be till the end of
these wonders?
Now in verses five and six,suddenly there were two other
angels, along with Gabriel whohad brought this prophetic
message to Daniel.
(15:27):
Now these two other angelssignal a minimum of the
witnesses that were legallyneeded for an oath under the law
of Moses.
And that would speak to thevalidity and the significance of
this oath in the presence ofDaniel.
You can find that law inDeuteronomy nineteen fifteen.
(15:50):
And when these three angels aretogether, one of the angels
asks, How long is it going to beuntil the end of this appointed
time of great distress?
Picking up in verse seven, and Iheard the man clothed in linen
who was above the waters of thestream.
(16:10):
He raised his right hand and hisleft hand toward heaven, and
swore by him who lives forever,that it would be for a time,
times and half a time, and thatwhen the shattering of the power
of the holy people comes to anend, all these things will be
(16:32):
finished.
Here in verse seven the angelGabriel makes an official oath
before the Lord God almighty,and he does so in front of
Daniel and these two otherangels.
This dramatic scene with Gabrielraising his hands to heaven will
(16:55):
solidify in the mind of Danieland the mind of us the reader,
that this oath is certain, it isappointed, it will not change.
It is for a time, times and halfa time.
This oath is the answer to thatquestion in verse six.
(17:18):
A time is one year, times twoyears and half a time is half a
year, for a total of three and ahalf years.
This three and a half years isfound throughout Daniel and
Revelation as the final threeand a half years of Earth.
(17:40):
Verses that confirm this areDaniel seven hundred twenty
five, Daniel nine twenty seven,Revelation eleven two,
Revelation twelve six,Revelation twelve fourteen,
Revelation thirteen five.
These three and a half yearswill bring about the shattering
(18:02):
of the power of God's holypeople.
The Antichrist will break hiscovenant with Israel at the very
beginning of these three and ahalf years.
Then there will be a war overIsrael between the Antichrist
and a king of the south, afterwhich the Antichrist will
(18:25):
capture and take Jerusalem.
He will then set up his image inthe temple, proclaiming himself
to be God over all of the earth.
And from that time the power ofIsrael will become utterly
broken, and the Antichrist willrule for three and a half years
(18:47):
until Jesus Christ Himself comeson the clouds and destroys the
Antichrist at the battle ofArmageddon.
Picking up in verse eight, Iheard, but I did not understand.
Then I said, O my Lord, whatshall be the outcome of these
things?
(19:08):
He said, Go your way, Daniel,for the words are shut up and
sealed until the time of theend.
Here in verses eight and nine,while Daniel heard the words of
the angel, and Daniel wouldfaithfully record them for us
today, he still did notunderstand what all of this
(19:28):
meant.
Gabriel had been sent to Danielafter Daniel had been fasting
and praying for three weeks,wanting to understand what was
going to happen to his peopleIsrael.
And now after being given thisfinal revelation by God through
the angel Gabriel, withincredible detail about Israel's
(19:51):
immediate future and their finalfuture in the end days, Daniel
is still wondering what will bethe outcome of all of this.
While Daniel understood thatthis was about Israel's future
and the end times, there was noway that he could understand the
(20:12):
details of these prophecies,hundreds, even thousands of
years before they would happen.
And while today we can look backthrough history and understand
many of these prophecies,putting together the puzzle
pieces of history and looking athow they apply to the end times,
(20:34):
the fullness of what is in thebook of Daniel will only truly
be understood during those lastseven years of earth, when what
is written will be accomplished.
teny shall purify themselves andmake themselves white and be
(20:55):
refined.
But the wicked shall actwickedly, and none of the wicked
shall understand, but those whoare wise shall understand.
In verse ten we're told thatmany shall purify themselves.
During these last years of earthand the time of Jacob's trouble,
(21:18):
many Jews will become purethrough faith in Jesus Christ.
Verses that describe this areRomans eleven twenty six,
Revelation eleven thirteen,Zechariah twelve, ten.
Zechariah the prophet speaks ofhow one third of the Jews will
(21:41):
come to faith Zechariahthirteen, eight and nine.
But only those who trust inJesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior will be able to trulyunderstand these words of
Daniel.
The wicked will continue to liveout their wicked lives.
(22:02):
They will be blinded by the Godof this age in darkness.
As Proverbs nine ten teaches us,the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom, andknowledge of the Holy One is
insight.
Picking up in verse eleven andfrom that time that the regular
(22:25):
burnt offering is taken away,and the abomination that makes
desolate is set up, there shallbe one thousand two hundred and
ninety days.
Verse eleven gives us the firstof two very specific times that
are only found here in chaptertwelve of Daniel.
(22:47):
The angel reveals to Daniel thatthere are an additional thirty
days or one month after thethree and a half years that the
Antichrist will rule overJerusalem.
Just to do a little math for youon this, three and a half years
according to the Jewish calendaris one thousand two hundred
(23:10):
sixty days, or forty two monthstimes thirty days is one
thousand two hundred and sixtydays.
Many scholars believe that theseextra thirty days are a time in
which Jesus is judging theliving after the battle of
Arbageddon as described inMatthew twenty five, thirty one
(23:34):
through forty six.
Verse twelve.
Blessed is he who waits andarrives at the one thousand
three hundred thirty five days.
Verse twelve is the second ofthese two specific times that
are only found here in chaptertwelve of Daniel.
(23:55):
Now this is another forty-fivedays after the one thousand two
hundred and ninety days, or thisis a total of seventy-five days
after the three and a half yearsof the Antichrist.
And we're told that those whowait and arrive at this point
are blessed, which implies thatthis begins the thousand year
(24:20):
reign of Jesus Christ in themillennial kingdom.
Other verses that speak to theblessing of this are Revelation
nineteen nine and Revelationtwenty six.
Therefore it's believed by manythat these forty five extra days
are a transition time whereJesus is restoring the earth and
(24:43):
setting up his government forthis messianic kingdom.
And all who are part of thisfinal kingdom, governed by the
King of Kings, the Lord JesusChrist, will be blessed to be
part of the greatest and mostglorious kingdom ever on this
earth.
And now we come to our finalverse of Daniel thirteen of
(25:08):
chapter twelve.
But go your way till the end,and you shall rest, and shall
stand in your allotted place atthe end of days.
Daniel is told by the angel togo and continue on his way.
(25:29):
Meaning that Daniel shouldremain content in what God has
revealed to him, to no longerworry about these things.
Daniel is then told that he willrest, which is a euphemism for
his upcoming death before thesethings take place.
And finally the angel Gabrielencourages Daniel by telling him
(25:52):
that in the end of days he willbe resurrected, and he will
stand in his allotted place, setby God.
Thank you for joining me forDaniel chapter twelve, and for
all of Daniel if you've joinedme for it.
God bless you this week.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today we are in Daniel chapter12, which is the last of three
chapters where an angel comes toDaniel after he has fasted and
prayed for three weeks.
The message this angel brings isa prophecy about what will
(00:39):
become the history of Israel.
And as we learned last week, themessage about Israel included
both future history of Israelover the next few hundred years,
as well as Israel's history inthe very end times of the earth.
And for the sake of ournarrative, we've called this
angel Gabriel because Gabriel isthe one who has visited Daniel
(01:03):
in the past with messages andprophecy from God.
As we read today in chaptertwelve, Gabriel will continue
the end times prophecy ofIsrael.
Chapter twelve truly is afoundational block for end times
prophecy that surrounds thenation of Israel.
(01:27):
And it packs a great deal ofinformation and end times
prophecy into just thirteenverses.
So let's get started with verseone.
At that time shall ariseMichael, the great prince who
has charge of your people, andthere shall be a time of
(01:49):
trouble, such as never has beensince there was a nation till
that time.
But at that time your peopleshall be delivered.
Everyone whose name shall befound written in the book.
(02:11):
It begins by saying that at thattime shall arise Michael.
The mention of Michael theArchangel here is significant,
because it's the same timingthat's found in Revelation
chapter twelve, verses seventhrough nine, which reads Now
war arose in heaven, Michael andhis angels fighting against the
(02:36):
dragon.
And the dragon and his angelsfought back, but he was
defeated, and there was nolonger any place for them in
heaven.
And the great dragon was throwndown, that ancient serpent, who
is called the devil and Satan,the deceiver of the whole world,
he was thrown down to earth, andhis angels were thrown down with
(03:00):
him.
From our verse in Daniel chapterone and from what we've read in
Revelation chapter twelve, itseems clear that Michael will be
put into action by God to removeSatan from access to the third
heaven, and from access to God'sthrone room.
(03:21):
I feel it's important to bringsome clarity onto this issue
because I've heard someconfusion over it in the past.
Now, up until this time thatDaniel is talking about, when it
says, at that time shall ariseMichael, Satan still had access
to come before God and accusethe saints.
(03:42):
For example, in Job chapter 1,verses 6 and 7, we read how the
angels came to presentthemselves before the Lord, and
Satan came before the Lord aswell.
And that's when Satan accusedJob, and the Lord asked Satan,
(04:03):
Where did you come from?
And Satan says, from going toand fro on the earth, and from
walking up and down on it.
So we know from Scripture andthe story of Job that while
Satan is a fallen angel, hestill has access to the heavens,
and he has access before God'sthrone, and that's where he goes
(04:25):
to accuse the saints.
But at this time, during thelast days of the earth, Satan
shall be shut off from theheavens, and that's how he will
know that his time is short.
Now back to our verse in Daniel,it says that Michael will arise.
(04:46):
That word, that Hebrew word forarise here, also can mean to
stand or stand aside.
Examples of that are in Job32.16 or Nehemiah 8.5.
And the rest of the verse tellsus that there's going to be a
great time of trouble, such asnever has been since there was
(05:09):
ever a nation on the earth.
So this time of trouble is thegreatest the earth has ever
seen, greater than World War I,greater than World War II.
This is the greatest time oftrouble the earth has ever seen.
But perhaps even more so, therewill be a great time of trouble
(05:31):
for Israel.
Considering how Michael standingor arising leads to such a great
time of trouble for Israel, itwould seem to imply that Michael
has become focused on thisbattle in heaven that we read
about in Revelation chapter 12.
And he's no longer focused onthe nation of Israel here on
(05:56):
earth.
Therefore, this is why Israel asa nation is left without their
great defender Michael.
That could explain why there issuch trouble now for Israel.
Scripture talks about a time oftrouble, a time of Jacob's
trouble in Jeremiah 37.
(06:20):
I also believe that Michael isthe restrainer that the Apostle
Paul was speaking of in 2Thessalonians 2, 6 and 7.
Because when Michael is focusedon this battle in heaven, rather
than on Israel on earth, therewill no longer be a restrainer,
(06:40):
keeping the spirit of theAntichrist at bay.
But verse 1 says, Your peopleshall be delivered.
The deliverance of Israel, ofDaniel's people here, it's
describing a final revival inthe nation of Israel.
During the very last days of theearth, these last three and a
(07:02):
half years, much of Israel willbe saved.
Scripture tells us that theywill look upon the one whom they
have pierced.
And finally, we know that thisdeliverance isn't physical.
This is an eternal deliverance,because it says everyone whose
name is found written in thebook.
(07:24):
And that description tells usthat it has nothing to do with
simply being a part of thenation of Israel or being a Jew.
But this is about those who willput their faith in the Messiah.
Because it is only through faithin the Messiah Jesus Christ that
anyone has their name written inthe book of life.
(07:46):
Moving on to verse two, and manyof those who sleep in the dust
of the earth shall awake, someto everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt.
Again, this one verse has packedan awfully lot into it.
(08:07):
It describes the resurrection ofthe dead and the judgment of
mankind for both the righteousand the unrighteous into this
one verse.
There are other Old Testamentverses that point to how the
resurrection of the dead wasalso the hope of the believer.
(08:27):
For example, Job nineteen,twenty five through twenty six
reads, For I know that myRedeemer lives, and at the last
he will stand upon the earth,and after my skin has thus been
destroyed, yet in my flesh Ishall see God.
(08:47):
Other verses in the OldTestament that declare the
resurrection of the dead areIsaiah twenty six nineteen,
Psalm sixteen ten, and Ezekielthirty seven twelve.
Now we find in other scripturesthat there are actually more
than just one resurrection ofthe dead.
(09:09):
The greatest and most gloriousresurrection was the
resurrection of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ.
Jesus is known as the firstbornover the dead eighteen.
There will be a resurrection ofthe dead at the rapture of
believers, when Jesus Christcomes on the clouds
(09:34):
Thessalonians four, sixteen andseventeen.
There will also be aresurrection of the dead after
the battle of Armageddon,Revelation twenty four through
six.
That resurrection is known asthe first resurrection, not
because it's the first everresurrection, but rather because
the resurrection unto life isthe first resurrection.
(09:59):
And then there's a finalresurrection of the unbelieving
after the thousand year reign ofJesus Christ at the great white
throne judgment, known as thesecond resurrection.
And that's in Revelation twenty,eleven through thirteen.
Here in verse two of Danielchapter twelve, we find the
(10:21):
resurrection and judgment ofmankind packed into this single
verse.
And that isn't uncommon inScripture.
For example, in John 5 29, Jesusspoke about the resurrection and
judgment.
Picking up in verse three ofDaniel, and those who are wise
(10:43):
shall shine like the brightnessof the sky above, and those who
turn many to righteousness likethe stars for ever and ever.
Now in a general sense, the wiseincludes all believers, everyone
who has a true knowledge of theMessiah through faith in God's
(11:04):
Word.
In heaven all believers willshine because the righteousness
of Jesus Christ has been appliedto them and is glorified in
their bodies.
And that concept of allbelievers shining can be found
in Matthew thirteen forty three,Romans eight thirty,
(11:24):
Thessalonians two twelve andfirst Peter five ten.
Yet what Daniel is teaching hereis even more specific, and
Scripture does teach us that ina more specific way, when faith
is put into action to teachothers about Jesus Christ, there
(11:47):
is reward.
Believers that influence otherstowards a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ will shine to agreater degree as their reward
in heaven.
The faithfulness of a believer'switness on earth will determine
their capacity to reflect theglory of God in heaven.
(12:09):
That also is found in ScriptureCorinthians three eight,
Corinthians nine twenty four andtwenty five, and Corinthians
fifteen thirty three.
Picking up in verse four.
But you, Daniel, shut up thewords and seal the book until
(12:32):
the time of the end, many shallrun to and fro and knowledge
shall increase.
Here in verse four, the angelscommand Daniel to shut up the
words and seal the book.
The angel isn't telling Danielto hide this revelation, but
rather to preserve it for theend days, because that's what
(12:55):
this prophecy is intended for,the time of the end.
It is speaking specifically ofthe last days of the earth, the
seventieth week that was spokenof in Daniel 9 twenty seven.
Now that phrase many shall runto and fro.
It's a Hebrew phrase that alwaysdescribes the movement of
(13:19):
someone searching for something.
I know I myself have viewed thisdifferently in the past, as I've
heard many preachers speak abouthow they thought this referred
to modes of travel, such as howplanes, trains, or automobiles
have increased man's capacity torun about the earth.
(13:40):
But that's a poor understandingof this text.
This text refers to how in thelast days people will be
searching for answers.
They'll be searching in themiddle of these apocalyptic
times that they find themselvesin.
And the phrase knowledge shallincrease has also been
(14:03):
miscommunicated by many.
I know I've heard preachers saythat this is somehow describing
how we've so quickly gone fromthe written word to a digital
age, how now we're coming intothe age of artificial
intelligence.
However, the properunderstanding of the original
(14:23):
text of Daniel here is thatknowledge increasing is because
people will find this preservedbook of Daniel in the age of the
apocalypse.
That's why the angel hascommanded him to seal it up and
preserve it.
What we are reading right nowwill be a lifeline to people
(14:44):
during those final seven yearsof earth, revealing the truth of
the last days in which theylive.
Picking up in verse five.
Then I, Daniel, looked andbehold, two others stood, one on
this bank of the stream and oneon that bank of the stream.
(15:06):
And someone said to the manclothed in linen, who was above
the waters of the stream Howlong shall it be till the end of
these wonders?
Now in verses five and six,suddenly there were two other
angels, along with Gabriel whohad brought this prophetic
message to Daniel.
(15:27):
Now these two other angelssignal a minimum of the
witnesses that were legallyneeded for an oath under the law
of Moses.
And that would speak to thevalidity and the significance of
this oath in the presence ofDaniel.
You can find that law inDeuteronomy nineteen fifteen.
(15:50):
And when these three angels aretogether, one of the angels
asks, How long is it going to beuntil the end of this appointed
time of great distress?
Picking up in verse seven, and Iheard the man clothed in linen
who was above the waters of thestream.
(16:10):
He raised his right hand and hisleft hand toward heaven, and
swore by him who lives forever,that it would be for a time,
times and half a time, and thatwhen the shattering of the power
of the holy people comes to anend, all these things will be
(16:32):
finished.
Here in verse seven the angelGabriel makes an official oath
before the Lord God almighty,and he does so in front of
Daniel and these two otherangels.
This dramatic scene with Gabrielraising his hands to heaven will
(16:55):
solidify in the mind of Danieland the mind of us the reader,
that this oath is certain, it isappointed, it will not change.
It is for a time, times and halfa time.
This oath is the answer to thatquestion in verse six.
(17:18):
A time is one year, times twoyears and half a time is half a
year, for a total of three and ahalf years.
This three and a half years isfound throughout Daniel and
Revelation as the final threeand a half years of Earth.
(17:40):
Verses that confirm this areDaniel seven hundred twenty
five, Daniel nine twenty seven,Revelation eleven two,
Revelation twelve six,Revelation twelve fourteen,
Revelation thirteen five.
These three and a half yearswill bring about the shattering
(18:02):
of the power of God's holypeople.
The Antichrist will break hiscovenant with Israel at the very
beginning of these three and ahalf years.
Then there will be a war overIsrael between the Antichrist
and a king of the south, afterwhich the Antichrist will
(18:25):
capture and take Jerusalem.
He will then set up his image inthe temple, proclaiming himself
to be God over all of the earth.
And from that time the power ofIsrael will become utterly
broken, and the Antichrist willrule for three and a half years
(18:47):
until Jesus Christ Himself comeson the clouds and destroys the
Antichrist at the battle ofArmageddon.
Picking up in verse eight, Iheard, but I did not understand.
Then I said, O my Lord, whatshall be the outcome of these
things?
(19:08):
He said, Go your way, Daniel,for the words are shut up and
sealed until the time of theend.
Here in verses eight and nine,while Daniel heard the words of
the angel, and Daniel wouldfaithfully record them for us
today, he still did notunderstand what all of this
(19:28):
meant.
Gabriel had been sent to Danielafter Daniel had been fasting
and praying for three weeks,wanting to understand what was
going to happen to his peopleIsrael.
And now after being given thisfinal revelation by God through
the angel Gabriel, withincredible detail about Israel's
(19:51):
immediate future and their finalfuture in the end days, Daniel
is still wondering what will bethe outcome of all of this.
While Daniel understood thatthis was about Israel's future
and the end times, there was noway that he could understand the
(20:12):
details of these prophecies,hundreds, even thousands of
years before they would happen.
And while today we can look backthrough history and understand
many of these prophecies,putting together the puzzle
pieces of history and looking athow they apply to the end times,
(20:34):
the fullness of what is in thebook of Daniel will only truly
be understood during those lastseven years of earth, when what
is written will be accomplished.
teny shall purify themselves andmake themselves white and be
(20:55):
refined.
But the wicked shall actwickedly, and none of the wicked
shall understand, but those whoare wise shall understand.
In verse ten we're told thatmany shall purify themselves.
During these last years of earthand the time of Jacob's trouble,
(21:18):
many Jews will become purethrough faith in Jesus Christ.
Verses that describe this areRomans eleven twenty six,
Revelation eleven thirteen,Zechariah twelve, ten.
Zechariah the prophet speaks ofhow one third of the Jews will
(21:41):
come to faith Zechariahthirteen, eight and nine.
But only those who trust inJesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior will be able to trulyunderstand these words of
Daniel.
The wicked will continue to liveout their wicked lives.
(22:02):
They will be blinded by the Godof this age in darkness.
As Proverbs nine ten teaches us,the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom, andknowledge of the Holy One is
insight.
Picking up in verse eleven andfrom that time that the regular
(22:25):
burnt offering is taken away,and the abomination that makes
desolate is set up, there shallbe one thousand two hundred and
ninety days.
Verse eleven gives us the firstof two very specific times that
are only found here in chaptertwelve of Daniel.
(22:47):
The angel reveals to Daniel thatthere are an additional thirty
days or one month after thethree and a half years that the
Antichrist will rule overJerusalem.
Just to do a little math for youon this, three and a half years
according to the Jewish calendaris one thousand two hundred
(23:10):
sixty days, or forty two monthstimes thirty days is one
thousand two hundred and sixtydays.
Many scholars believe that theseextra thirty days are a time in
which Jesus is judging theliving after the battle of
Arbageddon as described inMatthew twenty five, thirty one
(23:34):
through forty six.
Verse twelve.
Blessed is he who waits andarrives at the one thousand
three hundred thirty five days.
Verse twelve is the second ofthese two specific times that
are only found here in chaptertwelve of Daniel.
(23:55):
Now this is another forty-fivedays after the one thousand two
hundred and ninety days, or thisis a total of seventy-five days
after the three and a half yearsof the Antichrist.
And we're told that those whowait and arrive at this point
are blessed, which implies thatthis begins the thousand year
(24:20):
reign of Jesus Christ in themillennial kingdom.
Other verses that speak to theblessing of this are Revelation
nineteen nine and Revelationtwenty six.
Therefore it's believed by manythat these forty five extra days
are a transition time whereJesus is restoring the earth and
(24:43):
setting up his government forthis messianic kingdom.
And all who are part of thisfinal kingdom, governed by the
King of Kings, the Lord JesusChrist, will be blessed to be
part of the greatest and mostglorious kingdom ever on this
earth.
And now we come to our finalverse of Daniel thirteen of
(25:08):
chapter twelve.
But go your way till the end,and you shall rest, and shall
stand in your allotted place atthe end of days.
Daniel is told by the angel togo and continue on his way.
(25:29):
Meaning that Daniel shouldremain content in what God has
revealed to him, to no longerworry about these things.
Daniel is then told that he willrest, which is a euphemism for
his upcoming death before thesethings take place.
And finally the angel Gabrielencourages Daniel by telling him
(25:52):
that in the end of days he willbe resurrected, and he will
stand in his allotted place, setby God.
Thank you for joining me forDaniel chapter twelve, and for
all of Daniel if you've joinedme for it.
God bless you this week.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.