Daniel 12:1–13 “Dearth of Detail: Abundance of Assurance”

A number of years ago, I was on my way to work and stopped to get some gasoline. As I waited for my truck to fill up I was approached by a man. I could see him out of the corner of my eye and figured he might want to say something to me.

So I looked up at him and when he got close enough he said: “Are you worried about what you see in the news?” I wasn’t expecting him to ask a question like that. I figured he might lead with something else, like “hello” So being surprised, I stammered out a response that I don’t remember.

Whatever I said indicated that I was indeed worried. Seeing an opportunity to meet my need, He thrust a pamphlet in my direction, mumbled something about God having the answers, and walked briskly back to his car and drove away. Unsure of what had just happened, I looked down at the pamphlet. At that moment I realized that I had just been evangelized! 

By a Jehovah’s witness!

He didn’t offer me the true good news. He’s wrong about the gospel But he was right about something. We, collectively speaking, are a worried people. His whole evangelism tactic was based on the assumption that we are worriers.

We worry about the future. We worry about our paychecks keeping up with inflation. We worry about the safety of our children. We worry that our health may suddenly decline. We’re worried about artificial intelligence taking all our jobs!

In our text this morning we’ll see that in some ways our worries are well founded. Things will get bad as the end draws nearer. But we’ll also see the solution to our worries. The solution we desperately need. 

Today we’ll be moving through Daniel 12. And as we go, we’ll note three things. 

    • First, An Abridged Apocalypse

    • Second, A Timeline of Troubles

    • And lastly we’ll see An Abundance of Assurance

If you’re taking notes this morning, we’ll use those points as guideposts along the way. I’ll call them out as we go.

    • We’ll start with An Abridged Apocalypse

Let’s start by reading Daniel 12:1

Daniel 12:1 (ESV)

    • 1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 

After reading this verse it seems like we’re thrust into a story that’s already underway. And in some ways that’s true. The two chapters before Daniel 12 are one long revelation that narrates military skirmishes and struggles for power.

So verse one of chapter 12 assumes that we’ve read chapter 10 and 11. We don’t have time to look back over those chapters. But here’s what you need to know those chapters, which are full of war and conflict, culminate in the appearance of a king who sets himself above every god.

This is a man who elevates himself above the God of gods. He is the anti-christ. He pops up throughout the book of Daniel.

Thankfully, the end of chapter 11 tells us that he will meet his end. So why does chapter 12 begin by talking about a time of troubles? I thought our troubles were behind us!

Well we’re stubbing our toe on an interesting aspect of apocalyptic writing. It often repeats itself. What we’re reading here is a recapitulation of prior chapters. It’s repeating the same events over again and describing them slightly different. We’ll see this happen again throughout the course of this chapter.

So who is this Michael character? Both here and in chapter 10 he’s described as a warrior angel that’s responsible to protect Israel. He fights on her behalf. If you want to read more about his end-times conflict with Satan, I recommend reading Revelation.

In fact, Daniel 12 is almost like an compressed version of the entire book of Revelation. There’s so much overlap between them, Daniel just summarizes it. Kind of like cliff notes. (Maybe some of you used cliff notes in high school or college. They were these little tiny books that summarized great big books. You could use one to get familiar with the big book without having to read it. If you used Cliff Notes - no judgment here.)

Daniel is doing the same thing. He’s writing an abridged apocalypse. As part of this abridged version of the apocalypse Daniel is told that there will be a time of trouble. Widespread suffering. And it’s going to be intense.

Look at what it says there in verse 1. Daniel is told that the destruction will be unlike anything anyone has ever seen. Nothing like this has ever happened since there was a nation.

Think about that for a moment. Think about some of the tragedies you’ve lived through. Think 9/11, Hiroshima, the Rwandan Genocide. The suffering Daniel writes about here will be more intense and result in more death than any of those. We do not have a category for this. We haven’t seen anything like this. This is a sobering text. But it’s not the end of the story. Look at what else is promised. 

The last sentence of verse 1 gives us hope, look at what it says.

    • “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”

Praise the Lord. Our deliverer is coming. The trials will come, but our God will have the last word.

As we move through this text, my hope is that you see that you don’t have to be worried about what you see in the news. In the midst of the persecution, there is also comfort. Deliverance is promised for all those whose name is found in the book.

This book is the book of life. The record that God keeps of his children. If your name is written in the book you can be assured of God’s deliverance. God keeps his promises. God promises deliverance from these troubles. While this is written with the end times in view, it’s true today as well. This promise is for us. God is faithful – now. Deliverance is coming, friends.

We are not just deliverance FROM something. We are also delivered TO something.

Look at verse 2

Daniel 12:2 (ESV)

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

This is one of a handful of verses in the OT that speak to a bodily resurrection. Those who sleep in the dust awake! The dead are raised to life again! But even though everyone is resurrected, not everyone arrives at the same place.

There are two final destinations here. And they’re very different. First there are those who are raised to everlasting life. Just like verse one, this verse offers rock solid assurance to the one whose name is written is the book of life.

Now, Daniel’s understanding of salvation would have been a little different than ours. He didn’t have the New Testament. But even though he lacks the information of the gospel, he knows what it means to have your name written in the book of life. He knows what qualifies someone to be raised to everlasting life.

But what about those who don’t receive everlasting life? What about those whose names are not written in the book of life? They are not raised to everlasting life. But instead they are raised to “shame and everlasting contempt.

There is a bright red line separating everlasting life and everlasting contempt. While Daniel doesn’t give us specifics about what everlasting shame and contempt mean, the Hebrew word which is translated as contempt is only used on other time in the Old Testament. Isaiah uses this word to describe the eternal state of those who rebel against God.

He says in Isaiah 66:24

Isaiah 66:24 (ESV)

    • 24 “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

The word contempt in Daniel 12 is abhorrence in Isaiah. Those who reject God will be an abhorrence. They will be contemptible. Such horror is what awaits those who are not raised to everlasting life.

This is a different kind of assurance. Rather than producing peace and joy, this kind of assurance inspires dread. Everyone is going to be raised to a state of everlasting existence.

Where will you be? What will characterize your eternity? Life? Or shame and contempt These are hard words to hear. But I want you to see the mercy of God in giving them to us.

You have been given the gift of knowing what the future holds. You can prepare accordingly. If you haven’t already put your faith in Jesus Christ. Please don’t waste this opportunity. Be like the wise that Daniel writes about next.

Look at Verse 3.

Daniel 12:3 (ESV)

    • 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

The wise will shine like the brightness of the sky. The wise here are the ones who are raised to everlasting life. The ones who trust in Christ. They will radiate light. They will be like the one who saved them.

Jesus gives us a preview of this in Matthew 17. If you’re familiar with this story, you’ll remember that Peter, James, and John accompany Jesus up to a mountaintop. 

And then we read in Matthew 17:2 that Jesus…

Matthew 17:2 (ESV)

    • 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

Jesus shone like the sun! This transfiguration scene from Matthew is like a preview our glorified bodies. No longer will sin cast a shadow. The image of God will shine through completely. Every believer will be like a burning star shining radiating beauty. But we can’t see this visibly now. I wonder if you’ve met someone like this. Someone who reflects Jesus so clearly that they almost shine! I know that’s not always true of me. But someday when God delivers his people and resurrects the saints, they will shine like the sun. I can’t wait for that day.

Now as we turn our attention to verse four, things take an unexpected turn.

Look at verse 4 with me.

Daniel 12:4 (ESV)

    • 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

What a strange shift. Daniel has just been shown zoomed out version of the end of all things. Persecution, Deliverance, Resurrection and Glorification. Then Daniel is told “shut up the words and seal the book”.

What? 

I think upon first reading it almost seems like Daniel is being told to keep this a secret. As if Daniel isn’t supposed to let this word of prophecy be discovered. But that’s not what is meant here.

You see in ancient times, promises or contracts were enclosed or “shut up” in a clay pouch to preserve their contents. It was also sealed with wax. This signified that it was the authoritative version of that specific contract or covenant. It’s finalized. It’s a done deal. It’s like a notary signature.

Daniel has been given the authoritative word on God’s plan for the end of all things. The plan is finalized, but it’s not a secret. In fact Daniel is then told that many will seek knowledge about what they see happening around them. And as they seek to understand, Daniel is told that their knowledge will increase. 

This is self evident, right? Those who press into God’s word will — no matter how slowly — come away with a greater understanding of his plan for the end. That’s what we’re all doing right now. And I pray that God would give us the understanding that we seek.

Verse four closes the book so to speak on the high level overview of the end. It closes the book on the abridged apocalypse. But there is so much left unexplained.

I bet that Daniel had so many questions. Thankfully God doesn’t leave him in total confusion. He gives him a timeline of troubles.

If you’re taking notes, that’s our second point today.

    • Daniel receives a Timeline of Troubles

Let’s read verse 5–6

Daniel 12:5–6 (ESV)

    • 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 

So here we read about some new characters, a question, and we also learn a bit about where Daniel is. Back in chapter 10 of Daniel he records that he’s standing on the bank of the Tigris river near the end of the month of April.

At that time of year the river would have been a violent torrent because of the melted snow from the surrounding mountains. So picture Daniel standing on the bank of a violent river and then floating above the water is a divine being clothed in linen.

Daniel also records meeting this man clothed in linen in chapter 10. He’s described as having a face like lightning, with burning eyes, and a voice like a roaring river. Daniel’s vision of the man clothed in linen perfectly matches John’s description of Jesus in Revelation 1.

John says that he saw:

Revelation 1:13–15 (ESV)

    • 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

When we put these two scriptures together, we understand that Daniel is seeing pre-incarnate Christ here. How awesome! I don’t know about you - but I would not have said anything. I would have been so terrified.

Daniel must have felt similarly. Because he doesn’t say anything. Instead he hears someone else as the man clothed in linen a question. “How long until the end of these wonders?” The question is aimed at knowing how long the church will be persecuted for.

Let’s see how the man in linen responds. Verse 7...

Daniel 12:7 (ESV)

    • 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.

Before we get to his answer look at what he does. He raises one hand, and then the other hand towards heaven. And then he makes an oath. 

You’re probably familiar with this kind of gesture. This is the posture of someone making a vow. In a courtroom trial, when someone is sworn in, they raise their right hand. And then normally they place their other hand on a Bible. They’re swearing by the highest authority on earth.

So who is the Lord Jesus swearing to here? God! There’s nothing higher to swear on, so he swears on the one who gave him all authority.

And then he answers the question in an interesting way. He says that the troubles for God’s people would last for a time, times, and half a time. It’s a little cryptic. But it’s actually not that complicated.

This is one of many scriptures that concern the period of time when the antichrist persecutes God’s people. Some scriptures refer to this period as a number of days, Some refer to it in weeks, Some refer to it in months. In Daniel 12:7 we see this word times used.

But no matter if days, weeks, months or times are used, all these periods of time equal about three and a half years. It’s like using 10 dimes to make a dollar,  Or 100 pennies. The total is the same, you just got there a different way.

And as much as people like to fight about eschatology, everyone agrees that time, times, and half a time means three and a half years. And so in answer to the question “how long will these wonders take place?” Jesus basically says “These times of trouble will last for three and a half years.”

Time of trouble? This sounds familiar doesn’t it? This sounds like verse 1 again. It’s true This verse is referring to the same event that’s talked about in verse 1.

Remember this chapter circles the same event three different times. And each time there are different details included. Remember how the first 4 verses were very high level?

Now in verses 5–7 things get a little more specific. The telescope zooms in, if you will. 

We learn specifically that the “holy people” are the ones who will be under attack. Verse 1 only mentioned a “time of trouble”. It didn’t say who was at the center of that trouble.

We also learn how long this persecution will last. Three and a half years. So after learning that God’s people will be under attack for three and a half years, how is Daniel feeling? 

Verse 8

Daniel 12:8 (ESV)

    • 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?”

Amen!

Praise God for Daniel’s honesty. I’m sure we’ve all felt that way after reading apocalyptic prophecy. But Daniel is not satisfied. In fact, I think he’s distraught. He works up the courage to ask a question of his own.

Look at the second half of verse 8 and 9

Daniel 12:8–9 (ESV)

    • 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.

Daniel is shocked by this revelation. Pre-incarnate Christ has just told him that the “power of the holy people” will be shattered.

What? I thought we were going to win! I thought we were going to be delivered! Earlier he was told that God’s plan to deliver and resurrect his people was finalized. And now he’s being told that God’s plan for his people to be persecuted is finalized.

But he’s also told something new. The man clothed in linen says “go your way, Daniel.”

That’s kind of like telling a kid to “run along”. That’s something you would say to a young child who has a lot of questions about something too heavy for them?

If you’ve spent time around kids, you have probably fielded those questions. Sometimes those questions are heartbreaking. You might have been asked 25 years ago “how come those people wanted to fly that plane into those buildings?” Why did Daddy leave? Why were you crying after your doctor visit?

What do you say to those questions? Run along, now. Go play. These worries are too big for you. Daniel doesn’t understand how this story can end up in the right place. He’s looking for answers. How does the shattering of the holy people end with victory for the good guys?

He asks “How will everything be put right? What will be the outcome?” Have you felt like Daniel before? You look around, take stock of the circumstances, and fall into despair. How will the Lord pull me out of this? Maybe you are watching the news and you are worried about what you see. If that’s you this morning: Listen to the words of Psalm 131.

Psalm 131:1–3 (ESV)

    • 1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Hope in the Lord. He will work it out.  You can trust him. Even though — like Daniel, you don’t have all the details. God doesn’t give us turn by turn directions of how he’ll provide for us. If he did we wouldn’t need faith to follow him.

Trust the Lord to work out his plan. After verse 9, Daniel still has very little information. But the man in linen has more to say. And he’s about to give Daniel an abundance of assurance.

Let’s turn now to our third section.

    • Daniel receives an abundance of assurance.

Let’s read verses 10–12

Daniel 12:10–12 (ESV)

    • 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.

So now the telescope zooms in even further. We learn that during this time of trouble there will be a polarizing effect. The righteous will continue to be refined. They will be progressively purified. And the wicked will continue in their wickedness.

And apparently at that time, the circumstances unfolding will be obvious enough that the wise will understand what’s going on. Do you see that at the end of verse 10? The wise will see the signs. But the wicked won’t recognize it. 

Daniel chapter 7 tells us that the anti-christ will finally bring peace to the middle east. He’ll put a stop to sacrifices and offerings that will take place during that time. These are the signs that the wise will recognize and understand.

One of the most fascinating signs is the abomination of desolation. I want to be clear - nobody knows what this is. People have a tendency to go nuts with speculation about this and the mark of the beast. So it’s wise to only go so far as scripture allows.

Matthew 24 tells us that it’ll be set up in the temple. Because of that I assume that it’ll be some sort of Satanic idol or something. But after it’s set up, there will be intense persecution for one thousand, two hundred, and ninety days. And not one moment more.

Isn’t it amazing that there is a number of days given. God isn’t winging it. He has tight reigns on the forces of evil. After that specific number of days, Matthew 24 tells us what happens next.

Matthew 24:29–30 (ESV)

    • 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Praise the Lord! This is the best news. Jesus is coming to judge sin and save his people. But Daniel doesn’t know this. The man in linen doesn’t tell him this part!  All that he’s told is that the one who survives one thousand three hundred and thirty five days after the abomination is blessed. But he doesn’t even know what it means to be blessed! All Daniel knows is that if you survive the 1,290 days, and you survive the second coming of Christ,

and you survive 45 days after Jesus begins to judge the wicked, and that’s a good thing.

Then look at how the chapter ends. 

Verse 13

Daniel 12:13 (ESV)

    • 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

Again Daniel is told - “run along now”. He’s told to persist in living for the Lord until the end. And then he receives a promise. He is promised rest. And he’s promised that there’s a place prepared for him.

This is exactly what Jesus talks about in John 14 when he says that he’s going to prepare a place for his people. Friends - if you have put your faith in Jesus, he has made a place for you. You don’t have to worry about whether or not you’ll be let into heaven. You will be welcomed in - shown to your eternal home.

In this chapter Daniel was given very few details. He only has a very fuzzy idea of how everything will unfold. But despite the lack of detail, he has an abundance of assurance. 

This same assurance is available to us.

Not only do we have these same words that Daniel recorded, we have the whole Bible. We have the Holy Spirit as part of the new covenant We have books upon books written by really smart Christians who have gone before us that help us think through these issues. But most importantly we have been shown the mystery of the gospel.

We know that the Son of God became a man, lived a sinless life, died in our place, and rose again to life, defeating death. That’s the gospel — that’s the truth that will bring you home.

You don’t have to worry about what you see in the news. Stand on the unshakable promise of God that he will set all things right. Our deliverer is coming. 

Every knee will bow.