The Book of Daniel Unlocked

by W. S. Auchincloss

CHAPTER XII. [Hebrew.]

1. And at that time shall Michael

the archangel, see Jude verse 9

stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time,

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matt. XXIV. 21. Josephus says 1,100,000 perished in the Siege.

and at that time thy people shall be delivered,

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. XXIV. 13

every one that shall be found written in the book.

At the time of the siege all of the Christians escaped to the little town of Pella.

2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

As to the righteous:—“the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” Matt. XXVII. 52. As to the wicked:—Scripture is silent.

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.

Witness for instance the life of the Apostle Paul and the lives of a vast host of Christian saints.

4. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

These words find special emphasis in the present century, noted for its railways, steam engines, automobiles, bicycles, telephones, wireless telegraphy, public libraries, books, photographs, microscopes, antitoxins, x-rays, etc.

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.

In verses 4 and 5 of chapter X, Daniel beheld only one heavenly visitor, he now looks and discovers other two.

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?

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; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Since the power of the holy people was scattered in A.D. 70, all these things were finished at that time and right there Daniel’s prophetic work ended. The formula, “time, times, and an half” has already been considered under the head of Dan. VII. 25. See Note B.

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.

10. Many shall be purified, and made white,

“And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”—Acts II. 41.—“Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand.”—Acts IV. 4

and tried;

“At that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem.”—Acts VIII. 1

but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up

the sacrifice of swine and pollution of the holy place B.C. 168 to 141

there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

In B.C. 168, these sacrifices were ordered to be made DAILY, in every village and town throughout Palestine. The desecration of the temple area lasted until May 4th B.C. 141. Every moment of this time was part of one great abomination. Counting each prophetic day as made up of 49 ordinary days, the 1290 days bring us to May 24th A.D. 33—THE DAY OF PENTECOST—“THAT GREAT AND NOTABLE DAY OF THE LORD”—when the Holy Spirit was revealed to the Jews, and about 3000 souls were converted.

12. Blessed is he that waiteth

the Gentiles

and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

the Gentiles did wait for six years, while the disciples were busy, “PREACHING THE WORD TO NONE, BUT UNTO THE JEWS ONLY.” Acts XI. 19.—If now we make the calculation for 1335 days, we shall find, that the prophecy brings us direct to June 7th A.D. 39—on which day, the Holy Spirit was revealed to the GENTILES.

13. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Thus the heavenly visitor announced the fact of a resurrection day, but gave no intimation whatever as to when that day would come. In this respect also the teachings of Daniel are in perfect accord with those of the New Testament. “Of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of Heaven.” Matt. XXIV. 36.

NOTES.