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Daniel Chapter
Twelve
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 12
This
chapter begins with an account of a time of exceeding great trouble to the
people of God, who are comforted with the consideration of Michael the great
Prince being on their side, and with a promise of deliverance, with the
resurrection of the dead, and the glorious state of wise and good men upon
that, Daniel 12:1, and
Daniel is ordered to shut up and seal the book of the prophecy, until a time when
it should be better understood, Daniel 12:4, next
follows a question put by an angel to Christ, and his answer to it, with
respect to the time of the fulfilment of those wonderful events, Daniel 12:5.
Daniel, not understanding what he heard, asks what would be the end of those
things, Daniel 12:8 in
answer to which he is bid to be content with what he knew; no alteration would
be among men; things would be neither better nor worse with them, Daniel 12:9, a time
is fixed for the accomplishment of all, Daniel 12:11, and
it is promised him that he should have rest after death, and rise again, and
have his lot and share with the blessed, Daniel 12:13.
Daniel 12:1 “At that time
Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons
of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since
there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people
shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
YLT 1`And at that time stand up
doth Michael, the great head, who is standing up for the sons of thy people,
and there hath been a time of distress, such as hath not been since there hath
been a nation till that time, and at that time do thy people escape, every one
who is found written in the book.
And at that time shall Michael stand up,.... The
Archangel, who has all the angels of heaven under him, and at his command, the
Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ; who is as God, as the name signifies, truly and
really God, and equal in nature, power, and glory, to his divine Father:
"he shall stand up"; which is not to be understood of his
incarnation, or manifestation in the flesh, for this refers to times long after
that; yet neither of his personal appearance in the clouds of heaven, and
standing upon the earth in the latter day; but of his spiritual presence among
his people, and protection of them, and continuance with them: this respects
the spiritual reigns of Christ, the Lamb's standing upon Mount Zion, and the
144,000 with him, Revelation 14:1,
and this will be at that time, when the eastern antichrist, the Turk, will be
destroyed; for the words are closely connected with the last verse of the
preceding chapter; and when also the western antichrist, the pope of Rome, will
come to his end; for, as they rose, so they will fall, much about the same
time; and then Christ will rise and stand up, as the glorious Head of the
church, and as a triumphant Conqueror over all his enemies, and take to himself
his great power, and reign, and that kingdom which of right belongs to him.
The great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people; the King of
kings, and Lord of lords, the Prince of the kings of the earth; great in his
person, and in his office; great in dignity, power, and authority; who always
did, and ever will, stand on the side of the true Israel of God: he espoused
their cause very early; he wrought out salvation for them in time; he
intercedes for them now in heaven, and will appear to be their patron and
defender against all their enemies in the latter day: here it seems to have
special regard to the people of the Jews, Daniel's people; whom Christ shall
appear unto, and for, in an eminent manner, to convert and save them, help and
assist them, protect and defend them.
And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since
there was a nation even to that same time; that is, ever since the
world was, from the beginning of it, from the creation of the world; not only
from the time that the Jews became a people, which was at their coming out of
Egypt, as some understand it, but from the beginning of time; and so our Lord
interprets it, who seems to have this passage in view in Matthew 24:21,
there have been many great and sore troubles in the world, great confusions in
it, and convulsions of it, strange and amazing changes in it; very afflictive
and distressing times have been to each of the kingdoms, nations, and cities,
which have been entirely overthrown; but never was any like to this; which
respects not the distresses of the Jews in the times of Antiochus, or at the
destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; nor does it seem to respect them at
all, at least they will have no further share and concern in it, than as they
will be in connection with other people, among whom they will be at this time;
and it will be to them rather a time of deliverance and salvation than of
distress; but it is that time of trial, and hour of temptation, that shall come
upon all the world, Revelation 3:10 as
it may concern the church and people of God, it is the last struggle of the
beast, of antichrist, at the time of his downfall and ruin, when he will make
his last effort; this will be the last persecution of the saints, which will be
short and sharp; the slaying of the witnesses, which will affect the whole
interest of Christ everywhere; and as this concerns others, it designs the
pouring out of the vials of God's wrath upon all the antichristian states, and
all those judgments and calamities which will come upon the nations of the
world, signified by the harvest and vintage; see Revelation 14:14,
&c.: and this time of trouble, for the nature, quality, and extent of it,
will exceed any and all that ever were in the world.
And at that time thy people shall be delivered; the Jews, the
people of Daniel; these shall be delivered not only from the then present
outward troubles, not only from their present captivity and afflictions, but
from their spiritual evils; from the bondage of sin, and the captivity of
Satan; their disbelief of the Messiah; their confidence in their own
righteousness, and attachment to the traditions of their fathers; they shall be
turned from their transgressions, and return to the Lord their God, and David
their King, and shall be truly converted, and spiritually and eternally saved, Romans 11:25.
Every one that shall be found written in the book; in the book
of life, as Jacchiades; in the book of God's eternal purposes and decrees,
concerning the salvation of his people by Christ; for it is according to these
that God saves and calls men, whether Jews or Gentiles, 2 Timothy 1:9.
Daniel 12:2 2 And
many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting
contempt.
YLT 2`And the multitude of those
sleeping in the dust of the ground do awake, some to life age-during, and some
to reproaches -- to abhorrence age-during.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,.... Which is
not to be understood in a figurative and metaphorical, sense, as by R. Jeshuah
the Jew, Porphyry the Heathen, and by some Christian writers; neither of the
deliverance of the Jews from the troubles of Antiochus, or their present
captivity; nor of the spiritual resurrection of them, or others, from their
state of infidelity to a profession of the Gospel, which in some is real, in
others only hypocritical; but, in a literal sense, of the resurrection of the
dead at the last day, which, with respect to the righteous, will take place
upon the personal appearance of Christ at first, 1 Thessalonians 4:16,
for, as death is oftentimes compared to "sleep", in which the senses
are bound up, and the body is in a state of inactivity; see John 11:11, so the
resurrection from the dead is expressed by awaking out of sleep, when the body
shall rise fresh and vigorous, in full health and strength, as a man out of a
comfortable sleep; see Psalm 17:15. The
word "many" is used, either because, as all will not sleep, so all
will not be awaked; there will be some that will be alive and awake at Christ's
coming, 1 Corinthians 15:51,
or, as it signifies, a multitude, Psalm 97:1 and so
here the innumerable multitude of the dead, who are afterwards distributively
considered; and indeed the word is sometimes used for "all"; see Romans 5:15,
some to everlasting life; to the enjoyment of
everlasting life and happiness with Christ in the world to come; a phrase often
used in the New Testament, though never before in the Old; expressive of that
felicity and bliss which the saints enjoy in heaven after this life is over,
first in the separate state of the soul, and then, at the resurrection, in soul
and body, and of the everlasting continuance of it; they that shall enjoy this
are those that are written in the Lamb's book of life, or are ordained unto
eternal life; who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, regenerated by his
Spirit and grace, justified by his righteousness, adopted into the family of
God, are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; these are the dead in
Christ, which rise first:
and some to shame and everlasting contempt; wicked men,
who lived in a course of sin in this world, without any remorse or shame; but,
when they shall rise from the dead, they will rise with all their sins upon
them, and with a full conviction of them in their consciences; and will be
ashamed of them, and to appear before God the Judge of all; and will be had in
contempt by the Lord, by elect angels, and all good men; and this reproach
shall never be wiped off; see Isaiah 66:24. Our
Lord seems manifestly to have respect to this passage, when he speaks of men
coming out of their graves at the last day, "some unto the resurrection of
life, and others unto the resurrection of damnation", John 5:28 and upon
these words it may well be thought the Apostle Paul grounded his faith of the
resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust, Acts 24:15, and
though the resurrection of both is spoken of here and elsewhere together, yet
it will be at distinct periods of time; the resurrection of the just at the
beginning of the thousand years, and that of the wicked at the end of them, Revelation 20:5,
between which will be the intermediate state of the saints dwelling with Christ
on earth; where they will be favoured with his presence, and the rewards of his
grace, to which the following verse has respect.
Daniel 12:3 3 Those
who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who
turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
YLT 3And those teaching do shine
as the brightness of the expanse, and those justifying the multitude as stars
to the age and for ever.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament,.... That are wise, not in things natural and civil, but in
things spiritual; who are wise unto salvation; that are wise to know
themselves, their state and condition by nature; their impurity and impotence;
the insufficiency of their own righteousness; the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
and the dangerous circumstances they are in; that are wise to know Christ, and
him crucified; to believe in him, and trust in him for everlasting life and
salvation: these at the resurrection shall shine, both in body and soul; their
bodies shall be fashioned like to the glorious body of Christ; their souls shall
be filled with perfect light and knowledge, and be completely holy, without any
sin upon them; and this light and glory that will be upon both soul and body
will be like the brightness of the heavens when the sun is risen; yea, it will
be like the brightness and glory of the sun itself, as our Lord affirms;
having, as it seems, respect to this passage, Matthew 13:43. Some
render it, "they that instruct"F9משכילים
"erudiunt", Munster; "erudientes", Junius & Tremellius;
"qui alios instituerint", Grotius. ; or make others wise, and so
restrain it to ministers of the word; but the more general sense is best; and,
besides, they are more particularly described in the next clause:
and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and
ever; or, "that justify many"F11מצדיקי "justificantes", Pagninus, Montanus,
Junius & Tremellius; "qui justificaverint", Calvin, Piscator. ;
that teach the doctrine of a sinner's free justification by the righteousness
of Christ; that lead and direct souls sensible of sin, and of the weakness of
their own righteousness, to the righteousness of Christ, as being that only
which justifies before God; otherwise it is God alone that justifies men, by
imputing the righteousness of his Son unto them: but these show men the way of
justification, or that which God takes to justify sinners; and this being the
principal doctrine of the GospeL, they are denominated from it; and no man deserves
the name of a Gospel minister that does not preach it, though this is not all
that they preach; they preach all other doctrines of the Gospel in connection
with it, and also instruct men thus justified to live soberly, righteously, and
godly: now, as these are stars in the church of Christ below, who receive their
light from Christ the sun of righteousness, and communicate it to his people;
so they will continue stars in the Millennium state, and appear exceeding
glorious, having the glory of God and Christ upon them, and not only then, but
to all eternity. These words are applied to the days of the Messiah by the JewsF12Shemot
Rabba sect. 15. fol. 102. 4. .
Daniel 12:4 4 “But
you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end;
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
YLT 4And thou, O Daniel, hide
the things, and seal the book till the time of the end, many do go to and fro,
and knowledge is multiplied.'
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words,.... Of the book,
in which he had wrote the visions and prophecies delivered to him: this he is
bid to "shut up", to keep it from the common and profane people, who
would only burlesque it; and to keep it to himself, as a peculiar treasure
committed to his care; and though it was not kept from the saints and people of
God, from their reading it, yet he was not to interpret and explain it to them;
it was to remain a secret until the time of its accomplishment was come, or,
however, near at hand; so that this denotes the obscurity of the prophecy, and
the great difficulty of understanding it; it being like a book that is shut and
sealed, as follows, see Revelation 5:1,
and seal the book, even to the time of the end; till the time
comes appointed for the fulfilment of it, which shows that it reached to times
at a great distance; that till these times were come, or near, it would be as a
sealed book, and yet the accomplishment of it would be sure and certain, as
what is sealed is:
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased; that is,
towards the end of the time appointed, many persons will be stirred up to
inquire into these things delivered in this book, and will spare no pains or
cost to get knowledge of them; will read and study the Scriptures, and meditate
on them; compare one passage with another; spiritual things with spiritual, in
order to obtain the mind of Christ; will peruse carefully the writings of such who
have gone before them, who have attempted anything of this kind; and will go
far and near to converse with persons that have any understanding of such
things: and by such means, with the blessing of God upon them, the knowledge of
this book of prophecy will be increased; and things will appear plainer the
nearer the accomplishment of them is; and especially when accomplished, when
prophecy and facts can be compared together: and not only this kind of
knowledge, but knowledge of all spiritual things, of all evangelic truths and
doctrines, will be abundantly enlarged at this time; and the earth will be
filled and covered with it, as the sea with its waters; see Isaiah 11:9.
Daniel 12:5 5 Then
I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the
other on that riverbank.
YLT 5And I have looked -- I,
Daniel -- and lo, two others are standing, one here at the edge of the flood,
and one there at the edge of the flood,
Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two,.... Other two
angels, besides the man clothed with linen, Daniel 12:6 or rather
besides the angel who had given Daniel the long account of things that were to
come to pass, in the preceding chapter, and the beginning of this; whom Daniel,
being attentive to that account, had not observed before; but now, that being
finished, he looks about him, and takes notice of those other two who were
standing, being ministering spirits to Christ, and ready to execute his orders:
the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on
that side of the bank of the river; Hiddekel or Tigris, as
appears from Daniel 10:4. The
reason of this position was chiefly on account of Christ, the man clothed with
linen, who stood upon or above the water of the river, in the midst of it; and
to show that they were waiting upon him, and ready to go every way he should
send them to do his will; and also on account of Daniel, that he might hear
what was said, whether to Christ, or to one another; since, being at such a
distance, their voice must be loud; and indeed the design of all that follows
to the end of the chapter is to inform him, and by him the church and people of
God in all future ages, of the time and end of all these things before
delivered in the prophecy.
Daniel 12:6 6 And
one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of
the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”
YLT 6and he saith to the one
clothed in linen, who [is] upon the waters of the flood, `Till when [is] the
end of these wonders?'
And one said to the man clothed with linen,.... One of
the angels on one side of the bank of the river spoke to Christ, who appeared
in a human form, as a presage of his future incarnation; and as clothed in
linen, expressive of his priestly office, and of his purity and holiness, which
qualified him for it; See Gill on Daniel 10:6. Which
of the angels it was that spake is not said, or on which side of the river he
stood; very probably each of them spake in their turn, and joined: in the same
request to Christ:
which was upon the waters of the river: or aboveF13ממעל למימי "super
aquas", Pagninus; "desuper aquas", Montanus; "supra
aquas", Calvin, Cocceius, Michaelis. them; denoting his power and dominion
over men, kingdoms, and nations, sometimes signified by waters, and even over
those the most tumultuous and raging:
how long shall it be to the end of these wonders, these
wonderful things before predicted, concerning the state and condition of the
people of God, their troubles and afflictions, the fall and ruin of antichrist,
and the glorious things that shall follow upon that: angels, as they are
inquisitive creatures, and pry into the mysteries of grace, so into those of
Providence; especially such as concern the church of God, for whom they have a
great regard; of the secrets of which they have no knowledge until revealed
unto them; though this question seems to be put not so much for their own sakes
as for the sake of Daniel, who was present, but had not that courage and
presence of mind as they had; nor could use that freedom with Christ as they
did, at least at first, till encouraged by their example.
Daniel 12:7 7 Then
I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river,
when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him
who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a
time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered,
all these things shall be finished.
YLT 7And I hear the one clothed
in linen, who [is] upon the waters of the flood, and he doth lift up his right
hand and his left unto the heavens, and sweareth by Him who is living to the
age, that, `After a time, times, and a half, and at the completion of the
scattering of the power of the holy people, finished are all these.'
And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of
the river,.... Christ, as he appeared in a human form, and as the High
Priest our profession, and as the Mediator that has power over all flesh; so he
pronounced articulate sounds with a human voice, and so loud, clear, and
distinct, that Daniel could hear every word he said, and for whose sake it was
said:
when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven; the lifting
up of the right hand is a gesture used in swearing, and the lifting up of both
hands is either for the greater solemnity of the action, or with respect to the
two angels that stood one on one side of him, and the other on the other, that
both might be eyewitnesses of this solemn affair; though lifting up both hands
is often a prayer gesture, and there may be a mixture of both in this action,
of both praying and swearing; Christ, as the High Priest, intercedes for his
church and people, that their faith fail not till the end of their troubles
comes:
and sware by him that liveth for ever; by the living
God, the immortal One, who only hath immortality. MaimonidesF14Moreh
Nevochim, par. 1. c. 72. p. 146. So R. Joseph Albo, Sepher Ikkarim, l. 1. c.
69. בחי העולם "per
vitam aeternitatis", so some in Gejerus. interprets it, "by the Life
of the world"; that is, by God, who is the Life of the world, that gives
life and being to all creatures; all live, and move, and have their being in
him, and so is greater than all, and by whom an oath is only to be taken.
Christ, as man, swears by his divine Father, who, as such, was greater than he;
though, if we understand it of God, Father, Son, and Spirit, the one, only,
true, and living God, there is no impropriety in Christ's swearing by himself
the living God, which is a character he sometimes bears; see Hebrews 3:12, what
he here swears to is,
that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; that it would
be so long to the end of these wonderful things; or that the troubles of the church
would last so long, and, at the end of that date here fixed, a glorious scene
would open, and amazing things appear, to the great joy and comfort of the
saints. "Time" signifies a prophetic year, or 360 years; and
"times" two prophetic years, or 720 years; and half a time half a
prophetic year, or 180 years, in all 1260 years; which is the exact date and
duration of the reign of antichrist, of the church's being in the wilderness,
and of the witnesses prophesying in sackcloth, and of the treading under foot
the holy city, expressed both by 1260 days, and by forty two months, which are
the same; see Revelation 11:2,
and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the
holy people: that is, either, "when he (God) shall have finished the
scattering the power of the holy people", the Jews; when the dispersion of
them, who were formerly a holy people to the Lord, and shall be so again, will
be over; and they shall be gathered out of all nations where they have been
dispersed, and, being converted, shall return to their own land: or, "when
he" (antichrist) "shall have done scattering", the church and
people of God in general; when his wars with the saints, and victories over
them, will be ended; and particularly when the slaying of the witnesses will be
over, at which time there will be a great scattering of the saints; they will
be as sheep without a shepherd, their pastors being smitten, slain, or removed
into corners; all which things will be fulfilled about the end of the date
before mentioned:
and then all these things shall be finished; or, as the
same glorious Person explains it, "time will be no longer, and the mystery
of God will be finished", Revelation 10:6,
the time of antichrist's reign, and of the troubles of the church, and the
witnesses' prophesying in sackcloth, will be protracted no longer than the
time, and times, and half a time, or the 1260 days, or forty months, that is,
1260 years; then all the afflictions of the church will be at an end, and
glorious times will succeed, as before spoken of; the spiritual reign of
Christ, the first resurrection, and the Millennium, in their order.
Daniel 12:8 8 Although
I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the
end of these things?”
YLT 8And I have heard, and I do
not understand, and I say, `O my lord, what [is] the latter end of these?'
And I heard, but understood not,.... Daniel heard what
Christ said, in answer to the angel, but he did not understand the meaning of
it, which he ingenuously confesses; he did not understand what was meant by
"time", and "times", and "half a time"; what kind
of time this was, and when and how it would end, and which he was very desirous
of knowing:
then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? he applied
not to the angel that put the above question, but to the man clothed with
linen; to Christ, whom he perceived to be a divine Person, a Person of
dominion, power, and authority, superior to angels, and his Lord and God; and
who only could resolve the question he puts, which is somewhat different from
that of the angel's, Daniel 12:6, that
respects the length of time, to the accomplishment of these things; this the
quality at the end of them, what kind of end they should have; or what the
signs, symptoms, and evidences of the end of them, by which the true end of
them might be known. Mr. Mede renders it, "what are these latter
times?" perhaps it might be rendered better, "what is the last of
these things?"F15מה אחרית אלה "quid erit
novissimum horum?" Munster; "postremum horum?" Calvin. what is
the last thing that will be done, that so it may be known when all is over?
Daniel 12:9 9 And
he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and
sealed till the time of the end.
YLT 9And he saith, `Go, Daniel;
for hidden and sealed [are] the things till the time of the end;
And he said, go thy way, Daniel,.... About thy business;
attend to civil affairs, the affairs in which he was concerned in the king's
court, and ask no more questions concerning this matter; but be content with
the prophecies that have been delivered to thee, and with what knowledge thou
hast of them: or he is bid to go and write in a book the several visions he had
seen, and the predictions related to him; that he might read them, and meditate
on them at his leisure, and transmit them to future posterity, for their use:
or go the way of all flesh, prepare for death and eternity; for in the present
state he was not to expect a full revelation of these things; but should rest
satisfied with what he knew, and assure himself with the full performance of
them, and that he should have his share of the blessed times in the Millennium,
and of the ultimate glory, as in Daniel 12:13.
For the words are closed up, and sealed till the time of the end; that is, till
the time comes, or draws near, that they shall be accomplished; till then they
would not be clearly understood, but remain in a great measure dark and
obscure, though sure and certain: it is suggested they would not always remain
so; time is the best interpreter of prophecy, and, the nearer the time of the
accomplishment of it is, the clearer it appears, things leading the way to it
being gradually fulfilled; but clearest of all when it is accomplished; then it
is no more shut and sealed, but open and manifest; See Gill on Daniel 12:4.
Daniel 12:10 10 Many
shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly;
and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.
YLT 10Purify themselves, yea,
make themselves white, yea, refined are many: and the wicked have done
wickedly, and none of the wicked understand, and those acting wisely do
understand;
Many shall be purged, and made white, and tried,.... Though
Christ does not give, in plain, clear, and explicit terms, an answer to the
above question, when, and how, and what would be the end of the church's
troubles and afflictions; yet he here points out the use of them, which for the
present should be chiefly attended to; and, when duly considered, would be a
means of causing the saints to endure them with more patience and cheerfulness:
many should be hereby made more pure and holy, and more free from their spots,
their chaff, and their dross; their corruptions, and the power of them,
weakened; their graces tried, and become more bright and shining; and they
themselves a greater ornament to the religion they profess: hereby they should
be "purified", or cleansed from the chaff of their sins; or be
separated, as the chaff is by the fan, from hypocrites and ungodly men, who
would not be able to endure persecution for the sake of the Gospel: and
"be made white"; as cloth is by the fuller; freed both from their own
spots in their garments, being led to the blood of Christ to wash their
garments, and make them white therein; which afflictions may be the means of
guiding them to, under the direction of the blessed Spirit; and from such
persons who were spots in their feasts of love: and "be tried", as
gold and silver in the furnace, and so be rid of their own dross, and of the wicked
of the earth, who are like unto it; see the note on Daniel 11:35.
But the wicked shall do wickedly; go on in a course of
sin, and be never the better for the afflictive dispensations of Providence;
these either mean formal professors, that turn apostates from the faith, and
become openly wicked livers; or the profane world in common; and particularly
furious persecutors of the saints: such as each of these there will be till the
end of things come; see Revelation 22:11,
and none of the wicked shall understand; neither the
doctrines of the Gospel spiritually and experimentally; nor the providences of
God, and what he is doing in the world; and particularly not the prophecy of
this book, and especially what has been just delivered:
but the wise shall understand; more or less of each of
these things, such as are wise unto salvation; that search the Scriptures, seek
to God by prayer, and are much in meditation, and make use of every help for
the understanding of divine things, and even of these prophecies; and
especially towards the close of time, as the accomplishment of them draws near.
Daniel 12:11 11 “And
from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the
abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two
hundred and ninety days.
YLT 11and from the time of the
turning aside of the perpetual [sacrifice], and to the giving out of the
desolating abomination, [are] days a thousand, two hundred, and ninety.
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away,.... This is
in part an answer to the above questions, as they relate to the end of things:
some dates are given, by which it might in general be known when and how these
things would end: and these dates begin with the removal of the daily
sacrifice; that is, the doctrine of atonement and satisfaction for sin by the sacrifice
of Christ, the antitype of the daily sacrifice under the law; this was taken
away by antichrist, when he got to his height; when he established the doctrine
of works, and opposed the merits of men to the merits of Christ, and his own
pardons, indulgences, penances, &c. to the satisfaction of Christ:
and the abomination that maketh desolate; image
worship; the abomination of the Mass, and other acts of idolatry and
superstition:
there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days; from the
beginning of the reign of antichrist to the end of it are one thousand two
hundred and sixty days or years, or forty two months, which is the same,
according to Revelation 13:5,
here thirty days or years are added, which begin where the other end, and is
the time allotted for the conversion of the Jews, and other things, making way
for the kingdom of Christ; and which the reign of antichrist was an hinderance
of, but should now immediately take place.
Daniel 12:12 12 Blessed
is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and
thirty-five days.
YLT 12O the blessedness of him
who is waiting earnestly, and doth come to the days, a thousand, three hundred,
thirty and five.
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the one thousand three
hundred five and thirty days. Which is an addition of forty five days or
years more, beginning at the end of one thousand two hundred and ninety, and
make up this sum; during which time the vials will be poured out upon all the
antichristian states, and the Turkish empire be destroyed, and all the enemies
of Christ and his church removed, and clear way made for the setting up of his
kingdom in the world in a more visible and glorious manner; and therefore happy
is the man that will be found waiting for these times, and live to enjoy them.
There are various ways taken in the computation and application of these one
thousand three hundred and thirty five days by Jews and Christians. LipmanF16Nizzachon,
No. 332. the Jew makes them to be the same with "time", and
"times", and "half a time", Daniel 12:7,
"time" he supposes, designs the space of four hundred and eighty
years, from the Israelites going out of Egypt to the building of the first
temple; times the space of four hundred and ten years which is as long as that
temple stood; and "half a time" half of these two spaces, that is,
four hundred and forty five years; all which make up one thousand three hundred
and thirty five; but strange it is that time should signify a larger space than
"times". Much more ingenious is the computation of Jacchiades on the
text, who makes the account to describe the space of time from the days of
Daniel to the end of the world. He supposes there were three thousand three
hundred and ninety one years, from the beginning of the world to Daniel; he
then takes and joins the one thousand two hundred and ninety days in the
preceding verse, which he understands of years with the one thousand three
hundred and thirty five days or years in this, which make together two thousand
six hundred and twenty five; and, added to the above, the whole is six thousand
and sixteen years; which agrees with the opinion of Elias, in the TalmudF17T.
Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 97. 1. , that the world shall stand six thousand years.
Many Christian interpretersF18Broughton in loc. L'Empereur, Not. in
Jacchiad. in loc. Huls. Theolog. Jud. par. 1. p. 77, 78. apply it to the times
of Antiochus; and reckon them thus, understanding them of days; and not years;
from the time of his taking away the daily sacrifice, to the restoration of it
by Judas Maccabaeus, were three years and a half and some days, in all one
thousand two hundred and ninety, as in the preceding verse; during which time
the temple was profaned by idolatrous worship, the altar demolished, and the
daily sacrifice ceased, and was a time of great distress with the Jews; and
which, though greatly alleviated by the success of Judas, yet their calamities
were not over until the death of Antiochus, which happened forty five days
after; and these, added to the above number, make one thousand three hundred
and thirty five days; at the close of which it was happy times with them, being
delivered from so cruel and powerful an enemy; and therefore blessed were they
that waited and came to this time. This passage Mr. Brightman applies to the
Turkish empire; and thinks that time, and times, and half a time; Daniel 12:7,
measure the space of the power of that empire; "time" signifying one
hundred years; "times" two hundred years; "half a time",
fifty years; in all three hundred and fifty years; which added to one thousand
three hundred, when that empire began, the date ends in one thousand six
hundred and fifty, when he supposes, it would begin to decline; to which, if
you add forty five days or years, as here, it will bring it down to one
thousand six hundred and ninety five, when he thought it would be utterly
extinct; but time has shown this to be a mistake. Mr. MedeF19Works,
B. 3. p. 720. thinks these numbers are to be reckoned from the profanation of
the temple by Antiochus; and that the first number, one thousand two hundred
and ninety, ended in the year of Christ one thousand one hundred and twenty
three, when antichrist was come to his height, and was discerned by many to be
the person that was prophesied of as such; and the latter number, one thousand
three hundred and thirty five ended in the year of Christ one thousand one
hundred and sixty eight, when the Waldenses, Albigenses, and others separated
from the church of Rome as antichristian, upon which violent persecutions were
raised upon them: but then not happy, but miserable times, followed on these;
unless this blessedness spoken of is to be applied to the martyrs that died for
the sake of Christ, as in Revelation 14:13.
Another learned manF20Henr. Wolphius lib. de tempore apud Brightman
in loc. was of opinion that these numbers are to be counted from the
destruction of Jerusalem by Titus Vespasian, A.D. 71, from whence the first
number fell on the year 1361, at which time the school at Prague was founded by
Charles king of Bohemia, and the errors and tyranny of antichrist began to be
openly opposed by the same; and the second number ended in the year 1406, when
the light of the Gospel broke out more clearly; so that the angel here
pronounces those blessed who overlived these first seeds of the Gospel being
brought to light; but something of great importance and cause of more joy, is
here intended. Wherefore, upon the whole, it seems best to interpret these
numbers as at first, of the date of the reign of antichrist, and as showing the
full and certain end of it; when there will be blessed times, halcyon days
indeed!
Daniel 12:13 13 “But
you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to
your inheritance at the end of the days.”
YLT 13And thou, go on to the end,
then thou dost rest, and dost stand in thy lot at the end of the days.'
But go thou thy way till the end be,.... Prepare for death
and expect to be under the power of it, to lie in the grave, till the end of
the world, until the resurrection morn:
for thou shalt rest; from all toil and
labour, from all sin and sorrow; his body in the grave, his soul in the bosom
of Christ: and stand in thy lot at the end of the days; signifying that he
should rise again from the dead, have his part in the first resurrection, his
share of the glory of the Millennium state, and his portion in the heavenly
inheritance of the saints; the antitype of Canaan, which was divided by lot to
the children of Israel: and, in the faith and hope of this, it became him to be
contented and satisfied; believing the accomplishment of all that had been
shown him, and looking for the blessedness which was promised him. Agreeable to
which is the paraphrase of Jacchiades;
"but
thou, O Daniel, go to the end of thy life in this world; and, after thou art
dead, rest in the rest of paradise; and at the end of days thou shall stand and
live in the resurrection of the dead, and shall enjoy thy good lot in the world
to come'.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》