Time of Trouble, a Sealed Book, and the End
--| Text | Comments |
| 11:45 And
he [the wicked king] shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between
the seas in [or "and"] the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to
his end, and none shall help him.
.12:1a And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy 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 thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. |
Michael
Who is he? Because he is called the archangel, some feel that he cannot
be Christ. We discuss this in connection with Rev. 12. re1207b.
Stand up Or "arise." So what is the significance of standing up? First, judgment is implied by sitting on a throne da0709, ps00907, mt1928. Standing up would indicate the end of judgment and of the time to decide lu1325ff. Michael stands up as a king to rescue his people. Also a significant experience of the wandering Israelites supports this meaning of arising nu1035f. And ps04423ff, ps06801, da1102. The Lord is pictured as arising to shake the earth in punishing the wicked is0219. In another metaphor He comes on a white horse re1911b. Prince See on Michael at da1013. Children of thy people Gabriel thus implies that the experience would be for a future generation although they are simply called "thy people" at the end of the verse. |
| .1b And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy 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 thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book | Time of trouble such as never was This is different from the "tribulation" described by Matthew mt2421. For a fuller explanation see the note below. The time of trouble is seen many times in the Scriptures. For example, hb0316, jn0522, jl02. |
| .1c And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy 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 thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book | At
that time This deliverance and Michael's standing are at the time
the wicked king comes to his end da1145.
Delivered Does this mean taken out of the wicked earth or saved from its evil. It is protection while on earth according to is2620f and ps091. Of course we will also be delivered by being taken to heaven soon thereafter. Found This means that God investigates. Being written in the book means judgment. It's the same end-time judgment that began in heaven as the message of being ready began to be preached re1406d. Our verse tells us that when Michael stands, the judgment ends. The names of the righteous would be found in the book Written in the book God wants to save us all and has symbolized this by writing our names in a book which has been from the foundation of the world. By accepting Christ into our lives our names will stay there, or be reinstated re1708. |
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| .2
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.
3 And they that be wise shall shine. . . . |
Many
Not all are raised at this time. Jesus spoke of two groups to be raised:
the righteous and the wicked jn0528f.
According to 1th0416,
all the righteous dead will be raised at the call of the Life Giver while
the wicked dead will be raised at the end of the thousand years re2005-who.
But the text says "many [who] sleep in the dust . . . shall awake. . . some to shame." This is an exception to the rule. For the few in this special resurrection see mt2664, re0107. Sleep in the dust See jn1111ff, ge0319, ec0905f. Shall awake This is good news. See notes on v2. |
| .3 And 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. | They
that be wise We saw them at da1133,5.
The Scriptures are the source of wisdom 2ti0315.
Shine Truth is often symbolized by light is6001f. Turn many to righteousness ez3308, 2ch1910, re2217. Stars ge1505, ga0329. For ever The joy of sharing truth and having shared it and the gratitude of receiving it will continue to glow throughout the ages. |
| .4
But thou, O Daniel, shut up [conceal] 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
thou Daniel is contrasted with the wise ones.
Seal the book "Shut up" and "seal" are from the same Hebrew word, satham. Perhaps the two actions represent hiding the message and protecting it from loss or tampering. Compare the book's unsealing by the same individual in Revelation 10. See re1002a and context. To the time of the end Until that period, the book would be sealed. This is the final period before the coming of Christ – the time leading to the very end. It's now. Gabriel said that the vision referred to the time of the end in da0815ff. Also see da1135, da1140, da0826. On the end times click. Many shall run to and fro Learn by comparing Bible passages is2809,10. Knowledge ... increased I never did convince my mother that this verse means more than scientific advances and better means of travel. When she was born, automobiles were replacing horses, flying was a novel idea, and steam power ran ships and trains. The better meaning is seen in relation to the whole verse. By Scripture study, understanding would emerge from the sealed information. Around the time of the French Revolution, several great Bible societies began distributing the Scriptures and an interest developed in the prophecies, especially the one relating to the 2300 days of da0814. |
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5 ¶ Then 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. .6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? River This recalls the judgment scene with the stream of fire flowing out from the Ancient of Days da0710. |
One
on this side ... other on that Two golden angels were at each side
of the ark with the glorious divine presence between them, above the mercy
seat ex2522. There God communicated
with His people. A similar arrangement is seen in re2202
with the tree of life on either side of the river flowing from the throne.
Here the man in linen above the river water completes the scene. Also zc04.
This is a day-of-atonement scene.
Man clothed in linen We saw him at da0813 How long ... to the end of these wonders? Would the oppression ever end? Wonders The angel would have been asking about Gabriel's long discourse of chapter 11 which climaxed with the wicked king's challenge to God and the response of Michael. |
| .7 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 sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter [or shatter] the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. | Upon
[above]
the waters We saw the two on the edges of the river in verse 5.
Now we hear the man in linen above it.
Held up ... and sware [swore]. The end of oppression is as certain as the throne of the eternal one! We see the man [human] in linen as Jesus Christ and the ever-living one as the Father. At the end of the period of 3½ times, we see the man in linen again re1004ff. The 3½ times of persecution was seen earlier at da0725 and da1132ff. It appears also in Revelation. At first it seems like the persecution of 3½ times (1260 years) would begin when the book was sealed. We can see, however, from the first mention of this period at da0724f that the persecution is caused by the horn that grew up from the head of the beast we identified as pagan Rome. Also the next verse here identifies a beginning point. When ... accomplished to scatter Here we see what happens during this time and realize that it's the time introduced at da0725. Our verse doesn't say that the wonders would end at the end of the 3½ times. Rather a finishing time would follow that period. We recognize it as the "time of the end" v4. |
| .8
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be
the end of these things?
.9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. .10 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. |
I heard
but I understood not Have you ever felt this way? I have. We can
ask for understanding, and the Holy Spirit brings clarity if we are willing
to accept what we learn. See v10 and jn0717.
Go thy way Where would he go? See the same command in v13. Words closed up and sealed ... time of the end See v4. Purified and made white and tried The experience of faithful ones during the long oppression during the Middle Ages whose consciences led them in a path different from that endorsed by the church da1135. This is a response to Daniel's question which describes what happens during the 3½ times (1260 literal years) v7 and da0725. None of the wicked shall understand 1co0214. Wise shall understand Considering verse 9, this would be the understanding at the time of the end. The correct understanding of prophecies may be seen to symbolize knowing God, the deeper purpose for studying the Scriptures jn1703, jn1714ff. |
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. The first part of verse 11 may also be translated, "And from the time of the taking away of the continuation, even in order to set up the abomination. . . ." The illustration depicts Clovis' baptism. The supposed anointing of the Holy Spirit is seen in the upper right. © Corel. |
From
the time ... daily Considering the alternate translation of this
verse (at the left), we may view the removal of the
continuation (or "daily") at the beginning of the 1290 years as preparation
for the subsequent establishment of the "abomination of desolation." 30
years later, this "abomination" would begin the period of the 3½
"times" (1260 years). The events are also in da1131.
See note on that verse.
Pagan practices, identified as the continuation when they were assumed by the church da0813, were here officially taken away when Clovis declared his people, the Franks, to be Christian. Thirty years later, 538, the church of Rome came into full power and began to promote and enforce the pagan practices which it had adapted for the Christian religion. See the note clarifying the dates. So what are the continuation (daily) and the abomination? Jesus said the abomination would stand in the holy place (the territory of Jerusalem) before the city would be destroyed mt2415. In 70 A.D. the army of pagan Rome surrounded the city, then retreated. A few years later they broke into the city and burned the temple. Following this pattern, abominations surrounded the Christian church. When adopted into it, they became the continuation of what God had forbidden, profaning His way of salvation as seen in the sanctuary (or temple). da0813. The term, abomination of desolation, comes originally from the practices of idolatry among the Israelites that resulted in their city and temple becoming desolate when they were taken captive. Jesus used the term in Matt. 24. mt2415. Daily sacrifice The word "daily" should be "continuation" and "sacrifice" is supplied by translators. da0811b. |
| .12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. | Blessed
The word also means "happy." We see the same end-time blessing for those
who die during the time of the three angels re1413.
Waiteth and cometh They would be living at the end of this period. Notice, at the beginning of the next verse, how Daniel is addressed. His desire to understand would be theirs. They would actually receive the understanding v8. [1335] days We have just mentioned the 1290 days. Those who wait and come to the 1335 days may be seen in contrast with those who arrive only at the end of the 1290. By a natural reading of the text, we see the same beginning point for the two periods. 1335 is 45 more than 1290. Adding 45 to 1798 brings us to 1843. This was the happy time before the disappointment in 1844. See the notes for v12. |
| .13
But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in
thy lot at the end of the days.
"But go your way till the end; and you shall rest [in the dust, v2], and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days." RSV |
But
go thou ... Literally, "But you, go. . . ." The prophet's experience
is in contrast to that of those who arrive at the end of the 1335 days.
Allotted place Daniel was called as a prophet – given "understanding in visions and dreams." da0117. He was first to sleep in death and then speak through his book. At the end of the days Daniel will be resurrected with others who sleep but that is not the message of this verse. See re1111. He would stand again at the end of what days? The ones we have just been studying, the 1260 and 1290 ending in 1798 and the 1335 ending in 1843, '44. Advances in understanding came after both of these times. |
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The end of the book of Daniel
