Daniel 12

1  And at that time shall Michael [Christ] stand up [to reign],

the great prince [Jesus Christ] which standeth for the children of thy people [Israel of God]:

and there shall be a time of trouble [the destruction of the nations], such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people [Israel of God] shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book [the book of life].

2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake [special resurrection], some to everlasting life, and some [those that crucified Him] to shame and everlasting contempt.

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.

4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end [1798]:

many shall run to and fro, and knowledge [Biblical knowledge] shall be increased.

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 [prophecies of Daniel 11 and 12]?

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 [1260 years]; and when he [Papacy] shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things [prophecies of Daniel 11 and 12] shall be finished [indefinite period].

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 [1798].

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.

11  And from the time [start date 508 AD] that the daily sacrifice [paganism] shall be taken away,

and the abomination that maketh desolate [Papacy] set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days [1290 years].

12  Blessed is he [the wise] that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days [1335 years].

13  But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot [bear his testimony] at the end of the days [1843,1844].

c Second Coming

d 1798 AD

e 1804 AD

f 1817 AD

g 538 – 1798 AD

[1260 Years]

h 1798 AD

a 1816 – 1818 AD

b 1832 – 1844 AD

c 22 Oct 1844 AD

d 508 AD

e 538 AD

f 508 – 1798 AD

[1290 Years]

g 508 – 1843 AD [1335 Years]

h 1843 AD Spring

i 1843, 1844 AD

To “stand up” means to take the kingdom, or to reign (Dan 11:2,3). Christ is presently reigning in association with His Father on the throne of universal dominion (Eph 1:20-22; Rev 3:21). Christ gives up the universal throne
(1 Cor 15:24) when He receives the kingdom of those redeemed from sin. Christ will then stand up at the ^a end of His High Priestly ministry and put on the Kingly garments of vengeance (Isa 59:16,17), and the seven last plagues will be poured out on the earth.

Christ is the ‘great prince’, who stands for Israel
(Acts 5:31) or for those who belong to Him (Gal 3:29). He stands as their advocate in the sanctuary, interceding in their behalf.

The Time of Trouble

The destruction of the nations will take place during the period of the seven last plagues (Rev 16). This period is a ^b time of trouble among the nations, the like of which has never been before. The nations of the world are to be broken in pieces (Dan 2:34), never to rise again. At this time, God’s people will be delivered and the everlasting kingdom of God set up (Rev 11:15; Dan 2:44).

The Special Resurrection

Those who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message (since it was first given in 1844 AD) are raised glorified (Rev 14:13), to hear God’s covenant of peace and witness the ^c Second Coming of Christ. Those that crucified Jesus (Rev 1:7) and the most violent opposers of His truth, are also raised, to witness His coming, in dreadful fear.

Sealed until the Time of the End

The angel now reveals to Daniel the time at which the wise would understand the sealed portions of Daniel’s prophecies. These portions were sealed until the ^d “time of the end” (Dan 11:17) in 1798. The 2300 day prophecy, that was shut up or sealed in Daniel 8:26, was to be understood by the wise after 1798.

The ^e British Bible Society was organised in 1804 and the ^f American Bible Society followed in 1817. By these (and their of host of affiliates) Bibles were multiplied, bringing with them a great increase in Biblical knowledge. Many began to “run to and fro” in the Scriptures searching for an understanding of the latter day prophecies.

A Time, Times, and an Half = 1260 Years

“These wonders” in verse 6 refer to all the prophetic wonders that had been revealed to Daniel thus far in chapters 11 and 12. The question is put, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” The answer seems to be given in two divisions. First, a specific prophetic period is marked off and second, an indefinite period follows before the conclusion of “all these things” is reached.

The prophetic period of 1260 years marks the time of
^g Papal supremacy, during which the Papacy oppressed and scattered the holy people. Once this prophetic time period was completed in 1798 the last events were to be concluded without regard to time.

Daniel pressed the angel for a further understanding of “the end of these things” (the events after 1798) however, it
was not given to him. Their knowledge was sealed up until
^h “the time of the end”.

The Wise Understand

“The wise” (Mat 24:45; 25:4) are the people of God, who at the time of the end would understand the book of
Daniel. Their experience is described in Revelation 10. There the “little book open” (Rev 10:2,8) represents the unsealed book of Daniel.

In 1818, William Miller, through ^a his study of the book of Daniel, came to the conclusion that the 2300 days were to be fulfilled by the Second Coming of Christ in 1843. This view, ^b he proclaimed from 1832 until 1844. Many in the Protestant churches at the time accepted these truths and a great revival movement began. However, the sweet doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming failed, with the bitter ^c disappointment of 1844 (Rev 10:9, 10). William Miller and his associates had correctly predicted the time period, the 2300 days ending in 1844, however they were incorrect about the event to be fulfilled. The event was the change of Christ’s ministration. In 1844, at the end of the 2300 days, Christ began His ministry in the Most Holy Place (the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary in Daniel 8:14). This ministry is the judgment that followed the 1260 years in Daniel 7:9,10,13, 26.

A Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety

Days = 1290 Years

The key figure in the disposal of paganism in favour of the Catholic religion, was the Frankish king, Clovis. The Franks upheld the cause of the Papacy and through wars of conquest they ^d ended resistance to the development of the Papacy. Thus by 508 they had prepared the way for the setting up of the Papacy.

The ^e establishment of the Papacy came thirty years later, with the removal of the Ostrogothic kingdom from Italy by Justinian’s General, Belisarius. Thus from the time of the removal of paganism by the Franks in 508, until the end of Papal domination in the year 1798, the
^f prophetic time of 1290 years is calculated.

The Thousand Three Hundred and Five and Thirty Days = 1335 Years.

Another time period of 1335 years is now introduced. The start of this time period is reckoned from the beginning of the previous time period in 508. Thus the 1335 years reached to the year 1843. The year 1843 is significant because it locates climax of the first angel’s message (Rev 14:7) when the ^hproclamation of Christ’s Second Coming was given. The Advent people, who had been cast out of the Protestant churches, received this message with gladness. They were waiting expectantly for Christ’s Second Advent at the end of 1335 days and in Daniel’s prophecy a blessing was pronounced upon them.

Daniel was told to go his way until his end, when he should rest (die). His prophecies would be sealed until “the time of the end,” and would ⁱ bear his testimony at the end of the 1335 days.