Daniel 12 (conclusion)

Look up and read 1 Peter 1:10-12. It relates to Daniel 12

Q: In 1 Peter 1:10-12 how does Peter’s explanation help explain Daniel’s situation in these verses?

1. God is not just in control of the timing as to when prophecy comes true, but the timing as to when the meaning of prophecy will be revealed. He is sovereign.
2. There are things given in the Old Testament which have been hidden until God’s working moved from Israel to His church; i.e. age of the Gentile church. Other things had to be set up to fulfill what was revealed; so prophecy often describes a goal or end result, but not always the detailed, specific means. We confuse or do not understand the prophetic motive unless we can grasp the motivation.
3. Daniel’s desire to know “what will be the outcome” as explained by Peter is something more focused on outcome than knowing the greater spiritual meanings behind it. We cannot understand faith until we practice it.

Q: What is the greater sign that is once again highlighted?

A: In Daniel 12:5-7, the greater sign concerning the timing and fulfillment was “as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people” – spiritual persecution. In v.10 of I Peter 1 it’s the purging, purification, and refinement of God’s people contrasted with those who continue to embrace sin. As Satan turns up the heat our personal impurities flow to the top as seen by others and our own knowledge of them. This is when an action-decision of each person must be made. Is his or her action one of skimming off the impurities that come to the surface or is it going to be a “well enough left alone” or “good enough” type of action each individual will take.

JIV NOTE: There is a great spiritual issue at work behind the events of the End Time that is separating the truly righteous from the wicked. What Christ said He’ll do at the end of that time is actually just confirming the behavior and choices individual’s embraced during his or her life own time. His judgment just puts the exclamation point, so to speak, to what has been going on spiritually the whole time. [Matthew 7:2 and Romans 2:6]

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” [Matthew 25:31-33]

BACK TO DANIEL 12:

Q: So what are the numbers associated with the End Times described in “days”?

A: The numbers given include 1,260; 1,290; 1,335.

Q: How do these numbers fit together? What exactly do they mean?

A: We don’t really know but many theologians do much guessing. They may be concurrent days, over lapping days, or different times given in [day-years]. We know they tell us something about the timing and relationships of things yet to come, but as yet it has not been precisely revealed. This may very well be some of what Daniel was told to “seal up.” However, when we synchronize the Jewish lunar calendar to the seasons, as needed they add an additional “leap month” of *Adar. In other words, there are times when a 3-1/2 year period can have both 1,260 AND 1,290 days.

* Adar was the last month the Jewish people spent in Egypt before the Exodus. Adar’s joy is so great, in part, because it serves as the opening to an even greater rejoicing: the miracles of Passover.

Q: What is the event that will trigger these things? What is the greater spiritual thing at work?

A: According to both Daniel here in 12:11 and Christ Himself in Matthew 24:15, it’s the “abomination of desolation”. This is the kick off or starting point to identified events; histories yet to be current events.

“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) [Matthew 24:15]

JIV NOTE: We will know this when it happens. “When we see….” The righteous and studied believer will know but the ignorant will have no clue.

Many theories have come and gone concerning 1,260, 1,290, and 1,335 – and many continue to this day – but none of them can come true without the visible witness of the greatest spiritual deception attempted. “Many will be deceived…” This is where and when Satan through the person of the Antichrist sets himself up to be worshiped and attempts to supplant God including the Islamic Allah (H)himself. Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus Epiphanes IV (during the time of the Macabees; 167 B.C. to around 30 B.C.), and Titus (the Roman destruction of Jerusalem; 70 A.D.) all teach us about this event. They mimicked it, setting up an idol of themselves to be worshiped in place of the One True God. Before we truly understand the numbers at the end of Daniel 12, we have to first understand and recognize the abomination of desolation, Satan’s great spiritual deception.

Conclusion

Many have concentrated on the individual events too much therefore missing the greater spiritual message and meaning accompanying each event:

1. The most important thing is that one’s name is found to be written in the book of life; that is, a life devoted to Christ 24/7; a be-liever.
2. This final, seven-year period, the 70^th week of Daniel’s Seventy7s, holds a reward for all Believers. They can and may by personal choice be part of the Messiah’s millennial earthly kingdom to come.
3. Those who come to know these things and study will come to understand them in the same way Daniel did, through earnest prayer, fasting, by meditating on and with study of God’s Word. This will not mean knowledge alone will decipher numbers and such. Knowledge does not mean understanding. Such people, defined here as having “insight”, (to be – to live) preach and live righteousness.
4. There are greater spiritual events which will put these things into the proper context: persecution of the nation Israel, Israel’s restoration to Jesus as their Messiah, persecution of all Believers, and Satan’s attempt to spiritually pervert and deceive everyone through the person of the Antichrist in the work of the abomination of desolation. These things pertaining to the spiritual environment are the most important indicators and triggers for which we need to remain vigilant.
5. As Peter explained, prophets such as Daniel – and even the angels themselves – are more interested in how these things speak of Jesus than how they fit together into some kind of timeline. So should we. The spiritual is far more important than the physical.
6. The greater spiritual working during this last seven-year period is separating the sheep from the goats – the righteous from the wicked – which Christ Himself formally finalizes at the end. So the greater issue at work is the quality of each individual’s faithfulness.
7. Overall, this is a call for spiritual endurance. It’s not a test of knowledge, but a test of faith.

This all adds up to a pyramid or stratus of people. Like a pyramid the largest numbers of the ALL in the world is base line. As individuals advance up the pyramid the number included is no long the “ALL” but whittled to some.

Action

Desire

Understand

Knowledge

Awareness

Awareness, Knowledge and even Understanding are a choices personal to everyone, The denomination or particular church cannot make this an actuality. We teach but individuals must decide.

Desire and Action come from the choice to do something about it. We can opt to remain ignorant, but that is a choice. We can understand the consequences but still not opt to follow Christ 24/7. Our action of accepting the truth or rejecting it is tethered to the final judgment of us by God.

Thank you for following this extensive study of Daniel. All rights to use this study are free but not for sale or reproduction to be sold. Gods Plan of Salvation (our GPS) is not for sale. It too is a choice…YOURS!