Summary:
In the middle of Daniel’s 70th week, Michael will take a “stand” (v. 1) by booting Satan out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-12), causing “great wrath” (v. 12) on earth. Verse 1 says it will be the worst time ever, the “great tribulation” (Mt. 24:21). But Jews will be “delivered” (v. 1) or “saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7) by the Lord’s victory at the battle of Armageddon (Zech. 9:14-16).
But only Jews “written in the book” (Dan. 12:1), i.e., the book of life (Rev. 20:15), saved Jews. Unsaved Jews will fight and die on the side of the beast at Armageddon. The kingdom will then begin with a resurrection (Dan. 12:2). The Lord quotes this verse to say that the unsaved will rise to “damnation,” but Daniel 12:2 says they’ll rise to the resurrection of shame and eternal contempt because in the kingdom the “pit” of hell (Isa. 14:13) in the heart of the earth will be an open pit, and believing Jews will abhor men in hell (Isa. 66:23, 24). These resurrections will be separated by a thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 5 cf. 7, 11-15).
The “wise” (12:3) are soul-winners (Pr. 11:30) who’ll shine “as the firmament” (v. 3 cf. Gen. 1:14-16; Mt. 13:43).
The best way to define what it means to “shut up the words and seal the book” (Dan. 12:4) is to notice the Lord told John not to do that (Rev. 22:10) because the time was “at hand” for the things in his book to come to pass. That means Daniel was being told to shut and seal the book because the things he prophesied were not about to come to pass. But when they do, many will run to and fro increasing the knowledge of God (Mt. 24:14).
Once Gabriel finishes talking, Daniel sees an “other” angel in verse 5, standing by the “river” he saw in Daniel 10:4. He asked the Lord (v. 6 cf. 10:4 cf. Rev. 1:13-15) a question, exemplifying I Peter 1:10-12.
The One who “lives for ever” (Dan. 12:7) is God the Father (Deut. 32:36-40). The Lord swears by Him because He wants to be believed, and He knows men confirm things with oaths (Heb. 6:13). Here He swears the great tribulation will last no longer than three and a half years. During that time, the antichrist will scatter the holy people of Israel by persecuting them. At that time, God will have had enough, and will bring an “end” (v. 7) to the beast at the Lord’s coming.
When Daniel asked about the details of the Tribulation, the Lord reminded him the book was shut and sealed, so he wouldn’t live to see them, so he didn’t have to understand the details.
The word “tried” (Dan. 12:10) refers to the “fiery trial” that Jews heading into the Tribulation were enduring before the mystery interrupted it (I Pet. 4:12). Notice verse 10 says Jews are “purified” by obeying God’s command to believe and be baptized (I Pet. 1:22), and then “tried” by the Tribulation. Only the nation gets purified by the trial of the Tribulation (Zech. 13:8, 9). Once individual Jews are purified by faith, they will do what God says and endure to the end of the Tribulation without taking the mark of the beast. But un-saved Jews will “do wickedly” (Dan. 10:10 cf. Rev. 16:8-11).
1290 days (Dan. 12:11) is a 30-day difference from the 1260 days of the last half of Daniel’s 70th week. Daniel 9:27 says Antichrist’s abominations happen “in the midst” of the week, but here they are said to happen 1290 days before the end of the Tribulation. So many things are said to happen in the “midst” of the 70th week they’ll take 30 days to transpire.
1335 days (Dan. 12:12) is 75 days different from the 1260 days, suggesting that that’s how long Revelation 19:17-21 will take before the kingdom can begin. Finally, Daniel is told he’ll “rest” (12:13) in death (cf. Rev. 14:13), but rise from the dead someday and “stand” in the “lot” of his tribe in the Promised Land.
Video of this sermon is available on YouTube: Michael Takes a Stand – Daniel 12:1-13
