Berean Study Bible The End TimesDaniel’s final vision points to the future consummation of God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. The events belong to the same climactic period described in Daniel 11:40–45 and anticipated in later biblical prophecy. 2Ti 3:1 But understand this: In the last days… Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, Michael is the angelic prince assigned to Israel’s defense (Daniel 10:13, 21). Jude 9 identifies him as an archangel, and Revelation 12:7 portrays him leading heaven’s armies against Satan. Israel’s preservation rests ultimately in God’s power, exercised through His appointed servant. Jud 1:9 But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed… will rise up. Michael’s action signals decisive heavenly intervention during a period of unparalleled conflict. The unseen spiritual battle behind earthly events will culminate in God’s judgment of evil and protection of His covenant people. Rev 12:7 Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels… There will be a time of distress, The coming distress corresponds to the great tribulation described by Jesus in Matthew 24:21. It will bring severe affliction, persecution, and divine judgment upon a rebellious world. Jer 30:7 How awful that day will be! None will be like it!… the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. No previous war, exile, or national calamity will equal the severity of this future crisis. Jeremiah likewise calls it “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” yet promises Israel’s deliverance from it (Jeremiah 30:7). Mat 24:21 For at that time there will be great tribulation,… But at that time your people— Daniel’s people are Israel, the nation chosen through Abraham and bound to God by covenant. Though many will face distress, God has not abandoned His purposes for them. Isa 26:20-21 Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors… everyone whose name is found written in the book— The heavenly book records those who belong to God and receive His saving mercy. Scripture later identifies this register as the Book of Life, containing the names of those destined for eternal life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:12, 15). Exo 32:32-33 “Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin”… will be delivered. God’s deliverance includes preservation through tribulation and final salvation from judgment. The promise prepares for Daniel 12:2, where deliverance reaches beyond earthly survival to the resurrection of the dead. Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD… And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, Daniel looks beyond Israel’s immediate deliverance to the final resurrection, when God will summon the dead from the grave. Death is pictured as sleep because it is not the final condition of God’s creatures; those whose bodies return to dust, as Genesis 3:19 declares, will be raised by divine power. Isaiah 26:19 anticipates the same hope, and Jesus confirms that all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out (John 5:28–29). The resurrection will involve real persons whose bodies are restored for God’s appointed judgment. Isa 26:19 Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.… some to everlasting life, God will raise the righteous into unending fellowship with Him. Everlasting life is not merely continued existence but the full enjoyment of God’s kingdom, holiness, and peace. The promise finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, whose resurrection guarantees the resurrection of all who belong to Him (1 Corinthians 15:20–23). Faith in the Son brings the assurance that death cannot overturn God’s saving purpose (John 3:16). Jhn 5:24 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word… but others to shame and everlasting contempt. God’s resurrection judgment also reveals the final destiny of those who reject His rule. Shame exposes sin before the holy Judge, and everlasting contempt describes an irreversible condition of judgment and exclusion from God’s blessing. Jesus likewise speaks of eternal punishment alongside eternal life (Matthew 25:46), and Revelation portrays the final judgment before God’s throne (Revelation 20:11–15). Daniel’s vision establishes that human history ends not in oblivion but in resurrection, justice, and eternal accountability. Jer 23:40 And I will bring upon you everlasting shame… Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, Those who know God, understand His truth, and remain faithful in the time of testing will share in the glory of the resurrection. Daniel’s promise follows the resurrection of the dead in Daniel 12:2, placing this radiance in God’s future kingdom. Jesus echoed the promise when He said that “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). Mat 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun… and those who lead many to righteousness Faithful teachers, witnesses, and servants of God will be honored for directing others away from rebellion and toward obedience to the Lord. During Israel’s final distress, many will need courage, instruction, and steadfast examples. Such service reflects God’s purpose for His people to be a light to the nations and anticipates Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations. Isa 53:11 After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life… will shine like the stars forever and ever. God’s reward is not temporary recognition but everlasting glory. The stars portray enduring splendor, guidance, and the permanent honor God grants to those who faithfully serve Him. Believers will be conformed to the glory of the risen Christ, who is the true source of righteousness and light. 1Co 15:41 The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another,… But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. God commanded Daniel (“God is my judge”) to preserve the revelation without expecting its full fulfillment or understanding in his own generation. Sealed documents protected their contents and confirmed their authority until the proper time for opening. The prophecy concerns the appointed end of human history, when God will judge evil, deliver His people, and establish His kingdom. Revelation portrays a related image in the sealed scroll that only the Lamb is worthy to open, showing that Jesus Christ (“Yahweh saves,” “Anointed One”) directs the fulfillment of God’s purposes. Dan 8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings…… Many will roam to and fro, The closing days will be marked by urgent searching and widespread movement. People will seek answers amid upheaval, yet human searching cannot produce the wisdom that comes from God. Amos described a famine in which people wandered in search of the word of the Lord, while Daniel points toward a time when God’s prophetic plan will become increasingly clear to those who receive His revelation. Amo 8:12 People will stagger from sea to sea and roam… and knowledge will increase.” Knowledge will increase as God brings His revealed purposes nearer to fulfillment and enables His people to understand what earlier generations could not fully grasp. Increased learning and discovery do not themselves give spiritual understanding; truth must be received with faith and obedience. The unfolding of Daniel’s prophecy calls believers to trust the sovereign God who knows the end from the beginning. Hab 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory… Then I, Daniel, looked and saw Daniel personally received the vision, bearing witness to revelations granted by God during Israel’s exile. The scene continues the heavenly disclosure begun beside the Tigris, where Daniel was shown events extending from his own day to the final resurrection and judgment. Dan 10:5 I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man… two others standing there, Two angelic beings appeared as attendants and witnesses to the divine message. Their presence confirms the certainty of God’s purposes and prepares for the question concerning the duration and completion of the appointed tribulation. Luk 24:4 While they were puzzling over this, two men… one on this bank of the river One angel stood on the side nearest Daniel, beside the Tigris River where he had first encountered the heavenly messenger. The river marks the earthly setting in which Daniel received knowledge that no human wisdom could obtain. Ezk 47:6 “Son of man, do you see this?” he asked.… and one on the opposite bank. The second angel stood across the river, while the man clothed in linen remained above its waters in the following scene. The arrangement directs attention to the authority of the heavenly messenger, whose oath establishes that God has fixed both the course and the end of suffering for His people. Ezk 47:12 Along both banks of the river, fruit trees… One of them said to the man dressed in linen, Two angelic beings stood on opposite banks of the river, and one addressed the glorious figure Daniel had previously seen in linen. The man dressed in linen bears marks of heavenly holiness and priestly authority, recalling the garments appointed for Israel’s priests. His position and authority in the vision identify him as a divine messenger, and his description closely connects him with the majestic figure who appeared to Daniel by the Tigris in Daniel 10:5–6. Dan 10:5-6 I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man… who was above the waters of the river, The man’s place above the river reveals sovereign authority over creation and history. The Tigris provided the setting for Daniel’s vision, yet the figure standing above its waters showed that earthly kingdoms, turbulent events, and the passing course of time remain under God’s rule. Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;… “How long until the fulfillment of these wonders?” The question seeks the appointed end of the unprecedented distress, resurrection, judgment, and deliverance revealed in Daniel 11–12. God’s servants do not deny the certainty of His promises; they seek to understand the time established by His sovereign purpose. The answer that follows confirms that the period of suffering has a fixed limit and that God will bring His people to final deliverance. Dan 8:13-14 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one… And the man dressed in linen, The heavenly messenger continues the vision begun in Daniel 10. His linen clothing marks him as belonging to the presence and service of God, recalling the holy garments worn by priests and the radiant figure Daniel saw beside the Tigris River. Dan 10:5-6 I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man… who was above the waters of the river, His position above the river displays authority over the created order and over the course of human events. The vision remains connected with the Tigris setting where Daniel first received revelation concerning Israel’s future conflict and deliverance. Dan 10:4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month,… raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, Raising both hands toward heaven forms a solemn oath before God. The gesture parallels the Lord’s own oath in Deuteronomy 32:40 and confirms that the appointed outcome cannot be altered by earthly rulers or spiritual enemies. 1Ti 2:8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray… and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, The messenger appeals to the eternal God, whose life, kingdom, and purposes never fail. The coming distress is therefore neither accidental nor beyond divine control. Revelation 10:5–6 contains a similar heavenly oath concerning the completion of God’s plan. Rev 10:6 And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever,… saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. The period of “a time, and times, and half a time” signifies three and a half years, a limited season of severe oppression. Daniel 7:25 associates the same period with the persecution carried out by the final arrogant ruler, while Revelation describes it as forty-two months or 1,260 days. God sets a boundary upon tribulation and will bring it to an end. Dan 7:25 He will speak out against the Most High and oppress… When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, The holy people are Daniel’s covenant people, Israel, especially those who remain faithful to God amid the final assault. Their political strength, military ability, and outward means of resistance will be broken, leaving them wholly dependent upon the Lord. Such crushing persecution will expose the weakness of human power while refining those written in the book of life. Isa 62:12 And they will be called the Holy People,… all these things will be completed.” The events revealed to Daniel will reach their appointed conclusion: the oppression will end, the wicked ruler will be judged, Israel will be delivered, and those who sleep in the dust will be raised. God’s purposes move toward completion even when His people appear defeated. Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel… I heard, but I did not understand. Daniel had received a sweeping vision of conflict, persecution, deliverance, resurrection, and final judgment. Although he faithfully recorded what he heard, the full course and timing of God’s purposes remained hidden from him. Even a prophet given extraordinary revelation depended on God for understanding. The vision assured Daniel that the Lord governs the rise and fall of kingdoms and will preserve His people through the time of greatest distress. Dan 8:27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days.… So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?” Daniel addressed the heavenly messenger with reverence and sought to know how the events would reach their appointed end. His question arose from concern for God’s people and confidence that history is moving toward a fixed conclusion. The answer that follows does not satisfy every detail of Daniel’s curiosity, but it confirms that the words are sealed until the time of the end, when God’s purposes will be made clear and the righteous will be vindicated. Mat 24:3 While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, … “Go on your way, Daniel,” Daniel was released from the burden of obtaining every detail of the revelation. God had shown him enough to sustain faith and faithful service, even though the appointed future remained beyond his understanding. 1Ki 19:15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came,… he replied, The heavenly messenger who had disclosed God’s purposes to Daniel spoke with divine authority. Daniel’s response was not to be speculation or despair, but obedient trust in the God who governs history. 1Sa 3:10 Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before,… “for the words are closed up and sealed The revelation was to be preserved as God’s true word, while its full significance awaited the events it foretold. Daniel, meaning “God is my judge,” recorded what he received, providing later generations with a reliable witness to God’s plan. Dan 8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings…… until the time of the end. The final fulfillment belongs to the period of unprecedented trouble, Israel’s deliverance, resurrection, and God’s ultimate judgment described in Daniel 12. Believers are called to live faithfully while awaiting the day when God will make His purposes fully known. Dan 8:19 and said, “Behold, I will make known to you… Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, God will use the pressures surrounding the time of the end to cleanse and strengthen His faithful people. Daniel had already seen that some of the wise would fall so that they might be refined, purified, and made spotless until the appointed time (Daniel 11:35). Suffering does not save them by merit, but it exposes genuine faith and deepens their obedience. Like silver purified by fire, God removes what is corrupt while preserving His people for Himself (Malachi 3:3; 1 Peter 1:6–7). This work anticipates the holy people whom Christ will present without blemish (Ephesians 5:26–27). Mal 3:2-3 But who can endure the day of His coming?… but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. Divine judgments and clear warnings will not by themselves soften hearts committed to rebellion. As the end approaches, opposition to God and His people will persist, fulfilling the pattern seen throughout Daniel’s visions, especially in the arrogant ruler who exalts himself against God (Daniel 11:36–39). Human rebellion remains active until God brings final judgment and establishes His kingdom. Rev 22:11 Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous… None of the wicked will understand, Those who reject God will remain blind to the meaning of His purposes, His warnings, and the events unfolding before them. Their failure is moral and spiritual, not merely intellectual. Scripture teaches that a hardened heart resists the truth God makes known and cannot receive the things of His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). Pro 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek… but the wise will understand. The wise are those who fear the Lord, receive His revelation, and remain faithful under pressure. They will discern that history is moving according to God’s appointed plan, even when evil appears to prevail. Daniel had been told that the wise would instruct many and would ultimately shine in God’s everlasting kingdom (Daniel 12:3; Proverbs 9:10). Hos 14:9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;… And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished The removal of the regular morning and evening offerings brought a devastating interruption to the worship God had appointed for Israel (Exodus 29:38–42). Antiochus IV Epiphanes halted the temple sacrifices in 167 BC during his persecution of the Jewish people. That historical crisis foreshadowed a greater future desecration connected with Israel’s final time of distress. Dan 8:11-12 It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host;… and the abomination of desolation set up, Antiochus defiled the temple by establishing pagan worship, including an altar associated with Zeus. His actions revealed the hatred of idolatry toward the true God and His covenant people. Jesus later identified the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel as still possessing future significance, warning those in Judea to flee when it appears in the holy place (Matthew 24:15–21). The final fulfillment will involve a blasphemous ruler who exalts himself against God and profanes what is holy (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). Dan 11:31 His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress.… there will be 1,290 days. God has fixed the duration of this affliction with exact precision. The 1,290 days extend thirty days beyond the 1,260 days, or forty-two months, associated with the final period of tribulation (Revelation 11:3; 12:6). The additional days point to events surrounding the defeat of evil, the cleansing of desecration, and the establishment of God’s righteous rule. Israel’s suffering and deliverance remain under the sovereign direction of the Lord. Rev 11:2-3 But exclude the courtyard outside the temple.… Blessed is he who waits God pronounces favor upon those who remain faithful through the appointed season of distress. Waiting requires steadfast trust rather than resignation, holding to God’s promises when deliverance has not yet appeared. Such endurance reflects the faith commended throughout Scripture, for those who wait on the Lord receive renewed strength and do not ultimately lose hope. Isa 30:18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you;… and reaches the end The blessing belongs to those who persevere until God brings His prophetic purposes to completion. Daniel had been shown a time of unprecedented tribulation, followed by resurrection, judgment, and the everlasting kingdom. Reaching the end involves remaining loyal to God through testing and living in expectation of His final victory. Mat 24:13 But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. of the 1,335 days. The 1,335 days extend forty-five days beyond the 1,290 days named in Daniel 12:11. God gives a real and determined period, though He does not fully explain every event occurring within it. The added days point beyond the removal of the abomination of desolation toward the completed establishment of God’s kingdom and the blessing awaiting those who endure. The precise timetable assures God’s people that tribulation is limited, history remains under His authority, and the promised end will come exactly as He has decreed. Dan 8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings…… But as for you, go on your way until the end. Daniel was to continue faithfully in the calling and circumstances God had assigned him, even though many details of the prophetic vision remained sealed. His service had not been wasted; God had received his prayers, preserved his testimony, and used his record to reveal His sovereign rule over earthly kingdoms. Faithfulness required Daniel to finish his earthly course in trust, as Paul later testified, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Mat 24:13 But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. You will rest, Daniel would die in peace under God’s care. Death for the faithful is not extinction but rest from the burdens, conflicts, and sorrows of life in a fallen world. Like those who sleep awaiting the appointed day, Daniel would remain secure in God’s covenant faithfulness until the resurrection. Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write… and then you will arise Daniel had already been told that many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2). His arising confirms that the hope of bodily resurrection belongs personally to God’s servants, not merely to Israel as a nation. God will raise the dead, vindicate the righteous, and bring mortal life under the final triumph of His kingdom. Job 19:25-27 But I know that my Redeemer lives… to your inheritance Daniel’s allotted portion would be granted by God Himself. Israel’s inheritance in the land pointed beyond itself to the lasting inheritance of those who belong to the Lord. Daniel, who had lived much of his life in exile, would receive an imperishable place in God’s eternal kingdom, secured not by earthly power but by divine promise. Heb 9:15 Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant,… at the end of the days.” The end of the days is the appointed conclusion of history when God completes His purposes of judgment, resurrection, and restoration. The kingdoms Daniel saw rise and fall would pass away, but the kingdom given to the Son of Man and shared with the saints would endure forever (Daniel 7:13–14, 27). Daniel was not called to see every outcome during his lifetime; he was promised that he would stand before God when every prophetic purpose reaches its fulfillment. Gen 49:1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said,… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
    |