Part 4: Daniel 11-12:
The book of Daniel was written in 2 languages, Hebrew and Aramaic. Daniel chapter 1 thru 8, and chapter 12 were written in Hebrew. Chapters 2 thru 7 were written in Aramaic. Therefore, when studying the book, one needs to examine many of the words closely, because in certain instances they do not mean what they appear to mean in our modern English.
Daniel 11:40 to 45 concerns end time events that lead into the 7 years of tribulation. Daniel was a Jew of the tribe of Judah; taken into captivity in 606 B.C., spent most of his captivity in Babylon under king Nebuchadnezzar; then eventually under Cyrus the Greats authority.
The book concerns the gentile world empires; their interaction with the Jews, the land of Israel; the temple and their religion. The book covers the period between 605 B.C. until the end of the age when Christ returns and sets up his kingdom; still future. In this article we will examine the verses that are relevant to end time prophesy.
This post will take a look into the last few verses in Daniel 11-then a more detailed study of Daniel 12. But first, we must lay the groundwork that will eventually bring us to the end of the age when Jesus set’s up the kingdom.
Daniel 11:41 tells us in the end days, the antichrist will enter into the Promised land. After the rapture of the church, Israel will be without any political or military allies. They will also be surrounded by their Islamic enemies, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon, Sudan and Ethiopia. Even America, without any Christian presence because of the rapture, they will also be an enemy to the Jews, as will all of Europe, Russia and China.
Today, Russia is supplying weapons to many Middle Eastern countries, and China’s is also developing interests in the Middle East.
Daniel 11:45, “And he (the antichrist) shall plant the tabernacles (his chief residence) between the seas (Mediterranean and Dead seas) in the glorious holy mountain (Mt. Moriah where the Dome of the Rock now stands); yet he shall come to his end (destruction), and none shall help him.”
Daniel 12:1, “And at that time (tribulation period) shall Michael (God’s Holy messenger) stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your (Daniel’s) people: and there shall be a time of trouble (Jacob’s trouble, the great tribulation), such as never was since there was a nation (of Israel) even to the same time: and at that time your (Daniel’s) people shall be delivered, every on one that shall be found written in the book.”
In verse 5, Daniel sees two men one on each side of a river bank. Verse 6, he also sees a man clothed in linen standing upon the waters of the river. One of the two asks the one standing on water, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders.?”
The man standing on the waters replies,
Verse 7, “that it shall be for a time, times, and a half = (3 ½ years) and when he (God) shall have accomplished to scatter (disperse) the power (meaning a part of) of the holy people (saved Jews), all these things shall be finished.”
There will be a small number of Jews saved during the tribulation. “Shall” in the above verse is in the 3ed person, and implies a promise or determination that shall be fulfilled, and, that the Lord has the authority to enforce these promises.
Now, the meaning of the word “time” in the above verse represents the time (1 year) between the same feast; as from a particular feast to the following year’s feast: it’s a set time of a solemn feast: total time involved, 3 ½ years.
The text of verse 7 lies in the context of the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation. Verse 1, it will be “A time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation (speaking of Israel) even to the same time:”
Jeremiah 30:7, speaks of the last days, “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble:”
Over the centuries, Israel’s has had many wars, catastrophes, and purges, each bringing with them, destruction, death, slavery and dispersion. To say the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation will bring upon them a catastrophe like no other in their history, is unimaginable. But it must be so, for it is written and emphasized and described in Matthew 24:21; Revelation 2:22 and, 7:14, as “the great tribulation.” Tribulation as in distress and affliction like never before or ever shall be after.
The angel Gabriel gives the answer to the question, “how long?” verse 7, “a time, times and half,” meaning 3 ½ years between one of the most important feast or festivals of the Jews; possibly, Passover, Shavuot or Sukkot. Also, there are two very important High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Not sure which one these Gabriel is speaking of, but my guess would be either in late September or October.
Passover, also known as the Festival of Unleavened Bread, is a spring holiday commemorating the Exodus. It’s a foundation for all Jewish beliefs, falling this year, 2020 on 4/8.
Pentecost or Shavuot occurred fifty days after the offering of the barley sheaf during the Passover feast, falling this year on 5/31, ending in June.
Sukkot, also known as the “Festival of Booths.” It’s the seasoning of rejoicing, it fell last year on 9/23, and ends on 9/30/ 2019 A.D.
Also, there are two High Holy days, the first is Rosh Hashanah meaning, “head of the year.” It’s the day on which the year number changes, as from 2019 to 2020. It begins on September 18, and ends October 1st.
Yom Kippur is celebrated this year on the 27th of September, 2020, this being the most important and solemn of Jewish holidays.
During Christ’s earthly ministry which lasted exactly 3 ½ years, Jesus brought to the Jews a new covenant beginning sometime between the 15th and 30th of October 27 A.D., after he had turned 30 years old, and just after his baptism by the Holy Spirit, and his 40 day wilderness experience with the devil.
Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, the days come (future), said the LORD, that I will make (make here means to cut off the old and make) a new covenant with the house of Israel (10 tribes) and with the house of Judah (2 tribes).”
This is the same promise the LORD made with the Jews in,
Ezekiel 37:19, “Thus saith the Lord God; behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel (speaking of the 10 Northern tribes) his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah (2 Southern tribes) and make them one stick (one nation), and they shall be one in mine (God’s) hand.”
In order to fulfill this promise of confirming God’s new covenant, the 12 tribes had/have to be gathered together as one people in one nation. This was the situation in Israel before the Romans went in to destroy the Temple and Jerusalem.
During the 3 ½ years of Christ’s earthly ministry to the day of the last supper, all 12 tribes were present in the land. After the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the Jews would be scattered to every nation by God, as prophesied. And for the next 1878 Years, they were a people without a country. And during that time, they were called ‘the wandering Jews!”
You can read about the prophesies in the following verses. Deuteronomy 30:4-5: Ezekiel 37:21-28: Isaiah 11:10-16: Amos 8:14-15: And,
Hosea 3:4-5, “The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice … Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king = (symbolic of Christ); and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the Latter days.”
It was officially on May 14th 1948, God began to draw all 12 tribes back to the land as prophesied. And on May 13th, 2019 the Jewish people will celebrate a full 70 years in the land. Today, there are over 8 million Jews living in Israel today.
This number does include the, “whole house of Israel.” Don’t let anyone tell you any different, there are no lost tribes! These things are in the Lord’s hands, and they will be accomplished as promised, remember He said, “all these things shall be finished” verse 7.
And because for the most part the Jews today still reject Jesus as their Messiah. And because of this, they are, in the eyes of God still under the law. In the past 70 years, they have committed the same transgression they had before their days in captivity to the Babylonians. What was that transgression? In the past 70 years they have not rested the land once every 7 years.
Revelation 2:10, “You (those who go into the tribulation) shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death;” ten days translates in English to “a short time,” obviously meaning the 7 years of tribulation.
During Jesus earthly ministry, he had been cut off by his people, not at the cross, but during the 3 ½ year he spent healing the sick, raising the dead and showing many other signs and wonders.
Cut off between October of 27 A.D., until the day of the cross, April of 31 A.D., it was the Lord who cut the people of Israel off, that is, except for a very few who had received His new covenant.
For 3 ½ years, Jesus was considered too be a rebellious son by the religious leaders, and so they rejected him as their Messiah, as did the Jewish people. They made several attempted to arrest him and also attempted to kill him.
John 5:18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”
To the Jews, this was Blaspheme, a sin worthy of being stoned to death. Again in,
John 7:30-32, “Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.” Verse 32, “The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.”
Also, during his 3 ½ year ministry, Jesus was accused of having a devil; He endured the contradiction of sinners; he lived in poverty, was falsely accused; had no place to rest his head; his Father’s house was made a house of merchandise; He was run out of the temple, betrayed, mocked, spit on, beaten, then hung on the cross as any common criminal would. At the cross the people shook their fists at him and said to him as he hung there, mocking him,
Matthew 27:40, “You that destroyest the temple, and (claim to) build it (back) in three days, save yourself, if you be the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
And at his death, his enemies took great satisfaction in his death. But, while hanging on the cross, he looked down on the religious leaders and the people he came to save, then said,
Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Also, as he looked down on the crowd standing before him, mocking him, said,
Mark 15:34, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Even the 11 apostles, Mark 14:50, “they all forsook (abandoned) him.”
Many say He was talking to the Father, that’s nuts! What he was doing was repeating what David wrote 1000 years before in Psalms 22:1, fulfilling prophesy, and making the religious leaders know it. The Father had sent his Son: Jesus came of his own free will, to do what? To do the will of His Father and finish the work of His Father. He said in,
John 19:30, “It is finished.”
Meaning, the things he came to do had been done. He fulfilled the demands of the law: His obedience to the Father’s will was even unto death, the death of the cross: the promise of deliverance was finished: Redemption was completed: He had finished the transgression and made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness. He had fulfilled everything that had been written by the prophets. And, the way to the Holy of holies in heaven was made manifest to every believer by his blood.
In Revelation 13:8, it was said of Jesus, He was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” This was God’s plan from before the creation, and neither the Father or Son were caught by surprise, they expected Jesus to die that death, because they knew the hearts of man was evil continually.
Hebrews 12:2; Jesus is said to be, “the author and finisher of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (His Father).”
To say the Son was speaking to the Father when he said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” makes no sense. Because it was by him, the author of our faith who centuries before, had it written concerning his own death by those he came to save. The three, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit knew exactly what was going to happen, and the three are witnesses in heaven. He spoke to the apostles about his death before the cross, but,
Mark 9:32, “they understood none of these things,” that’s why the 11 abandoned him. His Father loved his Son, and he loved his Father, and with his last breath, He said,
Luke 23:46, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Doesn’t sound to me like the Father abandoned his Son.
So, after the 3 ½ years of Jesus ministry to the Jews proclaiming his new covenant, there remains 3 ½ years to finish the conformation of this new covenant with the Jewish people. So, the question remains, when?
The final 3 ½ years will be fulfilled by the two witnesses, Revelation 11. Before they begin their ministry, I am sure they will be marked with God’s seal before the tribulation begins, so there will be NO MISTAKING THEM, as to who they represent.
Revelation 11:3, “I (the LORD) will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3 ½ years.)”
What are the two going to do during the 3 ½ years? Finish confirming what the Lord Jesus had started! And in so doing, fulfill,
Daniel 9:27, “He (the Lord) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 years): and in the middle of the week (3 ½ years) he shall cause the sacrifices and oblation to cease,” Jesus found the Jews sitting in darkness, and except for a precious few, left them sitting in darkness, and to this day, they remain as blind people, sitting in darkness.
When the two witnesses are finished, they will be killed, and after 3 days be raised up alive into heaven, just as the Lord was.
This verse in Daniel 9:27, in no way is speaking of the antichrist making a covenant with the Jews, that’s nonsense! I understand the Dome of the Rock is going to be his Temple in Jerusalem, it standing on God’s Holy Mt., Mt. Moriah.
Concerning the 70 weeks or 490 years spoken of in Daniel 9:27, there are 7 years remaining for its fulfilment. When the tribulation begins, the first 3 ½ years will overlap the 3 ½ years of the two witness’s office. And the last 3 ½ follows, it called the “great tribulation.” This will fulfill Daniel 9/27, the prophesy concerning the 490 years. That will end the tribulation and bring in Christ’s kingdom.
Next, I will cover Daniel 12:11-13, the 1290 and the 1335 days of Daniel 12:11-12.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com