Wednesday Bible Study: The End of All Things- Daniel

This week, the 'End of All Things' subtitle is particularly appropriate as we are at the end of the Angel- possibly Jesus- telling Daniel about the end of the world.  To get the best lessons from this chapter, I had to get around a couple of 'elephants in the room'- one quite large, one rather small, but in my way.

Let's get the large elephant out of the way first.  Towards the end of the chapter, in an addendum to Daniel's scolding for being nosy, the Angel points out:

Dan 12:11  And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 
Dan 12:12  Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 

Now if you have studied prophecy, you may know that the Tribulation at the end of days is a 7-year process, neatly divided into 3 1/2 year segments; or, to put it as the Angel does here and in Revelation:

Dan 12:6  And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" 

Dan 12:7  And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 

'A time (one year), times (2 years), and half a time', ergo 3 1/2 years.  This was by the 30-day Jewish calendar, which gives you 1,260 days, which IS mentioned elsewhere.  So where does the 1,290 days, and the 1,335 days come in?

Answer, I have no clue, and neither does anyone else.  My research concluded that there were as many opinions out there as belly buttons- some cleaner than others, some full of lint (like one Adventist site that kept trying to tie it into Napoleon Bonaparte, the Pope, and 1844).  And further, I'm not going to speculate, lest I get slapped down as Daniel did:

Dan 12:8  I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, "O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?" 

Dan 12:9  He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 

The other, smaller elephant was a personal one.  There were two other members of our little group here...

Dan 12:5  Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 

One of these was the 'someone' mentioned a bit ago.  Now I realize that these are angels as well, as they had been there the whole time, apparently invisible to Daniel.  Or, possibly, could they be the time tossed '2 witnesses' of Revelation 11:3, who'd have a vested interest in knowing?  So I looked for an answer there, and got just about as far.  One commentator noted there was "apparently no significance" to them standing on either side of the river; Other came up with ideas such as "symbolizing Christ's reach as the Alpha and Omega", or "so that it can be known they weren't whispering to each other."  I don't believe God puts anything in His Word without a reason; but again, it's a distraction from what we CAN learn.  Which is:

1- Protection and Deliverance

Dan 12:1  "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 

The Jews who come to believe in those last days will be under Spiritual protection and be delivered.  Note Revelation 12:6 which tells of the Jews ('the Woman') and that protection, and something else we've mentioned...

5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

2- The reward for obeying the Great Commission

Dan 12:2  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Dan 12:3  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 

Keeping in mind here that the Gentile Church has been raptured out; these 'stars' are those converted by the two witnesses.

3- You can try, but you won't get it

Dan 12:4  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." 

The exact dates are sealed by God.  As Jesus said in Matthew 24:

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only...

Don't you like the way He put it:  "Many shall run to and fro", looking for the answer that they MIGHT get a glimmer of if they are wise- wise by the definitions we learned in Proverbs, that is.

4- Stay on point, Daniel!

Right after the slap-down, the Angel reveals something more important than the exact dates:

Dan 12:10  Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 

The point being, the main thing is to be purified by Christ.  And IF you get to that point:

5- Relax!

Dan 12:13  But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days." 

IF you are purified in Christ, no worries!  You will die, as we all do, but your spot in the end is secured!  Now, I mentioned above that this was an Angel (or Christ) talking to a Jewish prophet about a Jewish future- so does it apply to us?  Let's see... protection... reward...  don't sweat the 'don't get's... Great Commission... assured future... check!