Articles
Daniel 12
Daniel 12
Chapter 11 concluded with the coming of the Romans and their rule over Judea and Jerusalem. With them would come a time of trouble for the Jewish people that had never been. While they had been destroyed by the Babylonians, such destruction came with a promise of being restored and rebuilt. This time, they have rejected the son of God and brought a destruction that would not be undone.
Jesus had spoken of this desolation and identified it with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (see Matt. 24, esp. vs. 15f ). With that destruction the end of the Jewish nation and the Old Covenant came. In this manner Jesus spoke of 'the end' (cp. Matt. 24:6, 13, 14).
IS the resurrection of vs. 2 the final resurrection at the 2nd coming or the spiritual resurrection unto life through Jesus? While it can be debated, it makes more sense to me to be the spiritual resurrection. Jesus had said in John 5 the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live" (John 5:25). Paul said that believers are raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6; Eph. 2:1-4; and Col. 2:10-14).
Daniel is instructed that those who are faithful will be blessed. The message speaks of the abomination that makes desolate that would happen in '1290 days'. This is the same time period as 3 1/2 years and seems to me to be the last of the 'last week of the 70 weeks'. Those 70 'weeks' ended with the destruction of Jerusalem. Thus, those who are faithful unto 1,335 days (being faithful even past the destruction of Jerusalem) would be blessed. Of course such faithfulness NEVER ends for John was told "be thou faithful unto death and you shall receive a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).
This of course caused Daniel to ask 'WHEN'. He is not told. He is asked simply to trust God in all of this. Daniel has learned several times that God rules in the kingdoms of men. God is not impressed or controlled by the whims of kings. God raises up kings and deposes kings. God will bring about HIS eternal purpose which is the salvation of men through Jesus.
Hugh DeLong
