Boker Tov! Welcome back to Mishkan Katan. I hope your Shabbaton gave you much rest at the end of last week and that you are drawing near during these Days of Awe between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Last week, we finished studying chapter 11. However, in a similar vein that chapter 10 bled into chapter 11, chapter 11 is tied to chapter 12. So, for continuity’s sake, we are going to back up just a little bit to review the last verse of chapter 11, before proceeding onward. Keep in mind that chapters 10-12 are one, long vision, and that chapter designations were not part of the original composition.
When we ended chapter 11, what were we seeing? We were studying a dual fulfillment prophecy, which was fulfilled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 BCE. It will also be fulfilled again by the False Messiah, during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, also called the Tribulation Period. Jews call this 7-year period the Chevlai Mashiach, which means “birth pains of the Messiah.”
Chapter 11 was one long history lesson, until....we got to verse 36. The remaining verses of the chapter forecasted the rise of the False Messiah, otherwise known as The AntiChrist. Let’s look at the last verse of chapter 11 now, verse 45. Today, I am using the CJB translation.
45 Finally, when he pitches the tents of his palace between the seas and the mountain of the holy Glory, he will come to his end, with no one to help him.
The “he” we are most concerned about here is the False Messiah of the future. This verse refers to the battle of Armageddon, when the Antichrist will be defeated by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who will return to Earth in the skies, and “every eye will see Him.” Although the Antichrist will have amassed his army between the Mediterranean and the mountain of God (Jerusalem) he will swiftly “come to his end.” After his defeat, he will be locked away in the Pit/Tartarus, for the duration of Yeshua’s 1000-year earthly reign.
Now, beginning in chapter 12.
“When that time comes, Mikha’el, the great prince who champions your people, will stand up; and there will be a time of distress unparalleled between the time they became a nation and that moment. At that time, your people will be delivered, everyone whose name is found written in the book. 2 Many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and abhorrence. 3 But those who can discern will shine like the brightness of heaven’s dome, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
Verse one is both awe-inspiring and horrifying. “When that time comes” is a reference to the Tribulation Period. First, here we see Mikha’el, the archangel. My translation says he will “stand up”. I wonder what that means, exactly. We know from Daniel 10 that Michael battles in the heavenlies for Israel already. If you look across the different English translations, you may see “arise” or “rise up” in your own copy of the Scriptures. The reason he will do so is that, from the time Israel became a nation, that is, over 3000 years ago, until that moment, whenever in the future it is, Israel will undergo a time of distress at the midpoint of the Tribulation Period, such as they have never before experienced.
When I was writing the text for this teaching, this past Monday, we were marking the anniversary of October 7th, 2023, an extremely sad day in Jewish history. It marked a turning point in many of our lives. As someone who has made 3 trips to Israel and been so blessed by being in The Land, my attention and prayers were turned in a direction I never hoped they would have to go, over this past year. I have thought of the archangel Michael several times over the past weeks, as rockets and bombs have been hurled upon Israel. Oh yes, I know the country has three outstanding defense systems. I also know that “He watching over Israel slumbers not nor sleeps”, and that it is the mighty power of God that directs where those rockets go. We read here that Mikha’el will champion Israel in these battles, and likely already is today since the October 7th attack. It is hard to imagine a time of distress worse than what Israel is dealing with today. Attacked on 7 different fronts over the past year, facing military “giants” and subversive, cowardly terrorist groups, simultaneously. The support of the world practically non-existent...we shudder to ask, “how could it get worse?”
However, the FM is not yet active on the scene today. He has not been revealed. So, we can be assured that “get worse” it will. Next, in this passage, we see a miraculous deliverance of the people of God, the Jews, mainly, presumably from this battle referenced in verse one. Is this the battle of Gog and Magog? Perhaps, although there are others who believe Gog/Magog will occur right at the beginning of the Tribulation Period. My friend, Joseph Good, of Hatikvah Ministries is one who believes that to be the case, that that battle will precede the revelation of the identity of the FM.
”At that time, your people will be delivered”...we know these are the righteous, because it says their names are written in the book, presumably the Book of Life. At the midpoint of the 7-year Tribulation Period, after 1260 days, the FM will break covenant with the Jews in a dramatic fashion. He will set up in the Temple the Abomination of Desolation, much as Antiochus IV Ephiphanes did. The Jews will be forced to flee to other parts of the country and area for safety. Where will they go?
Joe Good has done a teaching on this, identifying 8 places of refuge to which the Jews will flee. Some of them are 1) Yarmuk, the wilderness to which Elijah fled as he ran from Ahab; 2) the Yavvok River, where David fled from Avshalom (Absolom), who is another OT type of the FM; 3) an area of Edom from the Zered River to just north of Wadi Rumm; 4) Petra, which is currently in Jordan; 5)Jabal al-Lawz, a mountain that many believe is the true Mt. Sinai, near the Gulf of Aqaba in the area once known as Midian. I’ll leave it there, for the sake of time. But, these sites point out that “there is little new again”. These places were places of refuge hundreds and thousands of years ago for the Jewish people, and they will likely be again.
Other Bible teachers liken this passage to Revelation 12:14-16, which describes the righteous fleeing the Beautiful Land from the wrath of the False Messiah, where they will be protected for “time, times and half a time.” That period equals 3.5 years, the time Daniel tells us the righteous Jews and Gentiles will be hidden, until Mashiach returns at the end for the great battle of Armageddon.
Zechariah 13:8-9 may be referring to this awful 2nd half of the Tribulation Period, referring to this persecution of God’s people.
In time, throughout that land,” says Adonai,
“two-thirds of those in it will be destroyed —
they will die, but one-third will remain.
9 That third part I will bring through the fire;
I will refine them as silver is refined,
I will test them as gold is tested.
They will call on my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is my people’
and they will say, ‘Adonai is my God.’”
After the Jews and other believing righteous flee Jerusalem, the city will be under the control of the Gentiles for the duration of the Tribulation period, the latter 3.5 years. Accordingly, it will be subjected to severe judgment from our holy God. About the “believing righteous” - - there WILL be people converted during the Chevlai Mashiach, I believe. Joe Good points out that David’s army, when he was fleeing Absolom, was made up of 1/3 non-Jews; and, accordingly, Joe believes the righteous fleeing Jerusalem after 1260 days, the first 3.5 years, will also have a large contingent of non-Jews who have recognized that Yeshua is the Messiah and devoted the remainder of their lives to Him.
And, then, in verse two a resurrection from the dead is prophesied. It’s unclear whether this will happen immediately, or after some years. But, it is both a resurrection of the righteous dead AND the unrighteous dead. Is this a full-scale, worldwide resurrection? Or, is it a more localized, small-scale resurrection, contained to Jerusalem, much as occurred when Yeshua was raised from the dead? It is hard to say conclusively.
Some compare this prophecy of Daniel’s to the words spoken by Yeshua and recorded in Matthew 25:32, toward the end of the lengthy discourse by Yeshua in Matthew 24 and 25. Verse 32 references a “sheep and goats” judgment. Here’s those verses:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, accompanied by all the angels, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. 33 The ‘sheep’ he will place at his right hand and the ‘goats’ at his left.
As you can see, though, this judgment comes after Yeshua returns and establishes his earthly rule in Jerusalem.
Some have this interpretation, that this is NOT the Great White Throne judgment of the unrighteous DEAD, which occurs after the 1000 year reign and Satan’s brief release from the Pit and the final skirmish he instigates against the Lord. Instead, this is referencing the earthly judgment of the Gentile nations, as Yeshua organizes his earthly kingdom. There will be favored nations and ones with less favor in the Millennial Reign of Messiah, and favor will be conferred based on how each nation treated Yeshua’s “brothers”, the Jews. Beth Moore in her Daniel study says that this will be a judgement of surviving INDIVIDUALS from the Gentiles nations. She goes on to say that any Gentile who assists or protects a Jew during this period will do so because that Gentile has believed in the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua. Otherwise, they would view the Jews as arch-enemies. A person’s works will, as they do now, reveal who and what he or she is. Under this interpretation, which is shared by many Christian theologians, the Old Testament saints will be raised at the time of this judgment, and given their incorruptible bodies at that time. I can find no scriptural reference for this, but it is a widely-held view. Does this correlate to Daniel 12:2? You can decide. I tend to think that the sheep/goats judgment is one of NATIONS, not of individuals, that it IS the one being referenced here in vs. 32, and that it occurs as Yeshua is setting up His earthly kingdom.
For another perspective, Amir Tsarfati shares that there is a 1000-year gap between verses 1 and 2 of Daniel 12. And, that this judgment in verse 32 IS the GWT Judgment. Let me share how he lays it out. To lead up to that, here are the BODILY resurrections mentioned in Scripture:
1. Yeshua is raised. The “Firstfruits”
2. Shortly after He is raised, there is a localized resurrection in Jerusalem, as recorded by Matthew 27:50-53, where the dead were raised and seen walking around. (Matthew is the only gospel writer who records this incident...)
3. Next will be the Rapture of the bodies of the righteous dead (the Bride), who believed in Yeshua as Messiah at the time of their deaths.
4. Then, at the midpoint of the Tribulation, the “two witnesses” will be resurrected out of the streets of Jerusalem.
5. Then, the resurrection of the Old Testament righteous and the tribulation saints, at the time of Yeshua’s 2nd coming. Daniel 12:13 tells us that the righteous dead of the Old Testament will rise from the dead “at the end of days”, but that does not tell us exactly when.
All of these preceding are resurrections of the righteous. All those will be in immortal bodies, during the 1000-year reign of Yeshua on earth, ruling and reigning with Him.
6. The next resurrection, the one referred to in Daniel 12:32, is the one spoken of in John 5:28-29 and in Revelation 20:12-15. It is a MIXED resurrection of both righteous and unrighteous. The righteous dead raised at that time will be those who were born and who died in Christ during the Millennial reign. The unrighteous dead will be the unrighteous dead of all time. (Great White Throne Judgment). All people will die and will be resurrected into an eternal body, which will endure for all time....somewhere, either in the presence of God or apart from His presence, in the torments of eternal damnation.
So, I’ve given you two perspectives here this morning, and I am sure there are more.
The next verse is one of my favorites. In fact, I started Resplendent Daughter Ministries back in 2014, I chose this verse as the guide verse for my ministry. It speaks to the importance of the righteous, exercising discernment.
3 But those who can discern will shine like the brightness of heaven’s dome, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
Isn’t that beautiful? We need to pray for discernment in all things, as we walk out our faith in our Mashiach. And, we certainly need to be about the business of leading people to the righteous paths found in both the written and the Living Word of God. We need to “shine” while we have time to do so. Now, more than ever. Amir Tsarfati interprets these people to be the 144,000 Jewish believers who are selected and sealed, to preach the gospel during the Tribulation Period (Revelation 7:4).
4 “But you, Dani’el, keep these words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there as knowledge increases.”
None of us knows when the actual “time of the end” will occur, but I think it is safe to say we are living in the end times. That period actually started when Yeshua finished his earthly work and returned to Heaven, to sit down at the right hand of Father Yahweh. So, we have been living in the “end times” for nearly 2000 years! After the first advent of Yeshua, the Word of God began to be dispersed among both Jews AND Gentiles. God’s Word was no longer a treasure that the Jews kept to themselves. The truth began to spread all over the Middle East, and to lands beyond. The latter half of verse 4 certainly typifies our modern life today. We rush here and there, flying all over the world at the drop of a hat, and knowledge has increased exponentially, particularly since the invention of the internet and tools like microfilm, cell phones, satellites, etc. A type of knowledge that has DECREASED, though, is a desire to study and know the Word of God. Amos 8:11-12 speaks of this. Let’s look at those verses.
11 “The time is coming,” says Adonai Elohim,
“when I will send famine over the land,
not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of Adonai.
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
and from north to east, running back and forth,
seeking the word of Adonai;
but they will not find it.
Daniel was told in verse 4 to “keep these words secret” or to “obcure the matter”, in one Jewish translation. The Jewish sages say that there were two figures in the Tanakh that had the End revealed to them, and they were Jacob and Daniel. But, they were both led to not share all they were shown. Rashash argues that, had not Daniel originally known more than he wrote down, why would it have been necessary for the angel Gabriel to tell him to keep the words secret? While the angel told Daniel to seal up the book, the angel who spoke to the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos told him to NOT seal up the words of the prophecy of the book of Revelation (Rev. 22:10). Why not? Because ... “the time is at hand.” John’s Revelation helps us to understand the book of Daniel, while Daniel’s vision lays the foundation for the visions given to John.
We are moving on, to verses 5-7
5 Then I, Dani’el, looked; and I saw in front of me two others, one on this bank of the river and the other on its other bank. 6 One of them asked the man dressed in linen who was above the water of the river, “How long will these wonders last?” 7 The man dressed in linen who was above the water of the river raised his right and left hands toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times and a half, and that it will be when the power of the holy people is no longer being shattered that all these things will end.
The obvious question is . . . who are these heavenly characters, who have appeared to wrap up this vision and put a bow on it?
Well, if you have a feeling you have seen this before, you have! Think back to Daniel 8:16. There, also, you had a theophany, a pre-incarnate manifestation of Yeshua, hovering over the water and calling out. There, Gabriel was identified as one of the two angels standing on each side of the river. Can we surmise these three are the same characters? I will leave that up to you. It seems reasonable, but we really don’t know for sure.
Here in chapter 12, it is noted that the Being hovering above the waters of the river is clothed in fine linen. What significance is that? Fine linen was the type of cloth the priestly garments were made of. Also, He lifted both His hands up, and swore by Father Yahweh. We can find similar behavior in Ezekial 20:5-7 and 39-40. These actions affirm the promise that these things will come true and WHEN they will come true. The manifestation of the Divine, Majestic Mystery said that the horrors of the last half of the Tribulation period would be for a time, times and a half a time, in other words 3.5 years. That’s basically 1260 days, which would be fine, if the numbers stopped there. Let’s read on.
8 I heard this, but I couldn’t understand what it meant; so I asked, “Lord, what will be the outcome of all this?” 9 But he said, “Go your way, Dani’el; for these words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will purify, cleanse and refine themselves; but the wicked will keep on acting wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand. But those with discernment will understand. 11 From the time the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 How blessed will be anyone who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But you, go your way until the end comes. Then you will rest and rise for your reward, at the end of days.”
You have got to give Daniel points for trying. He certainly is not shy about pressing for answers, is he? However, he was brought up short. “Go Daniel!” In other words, “Stop asking for more clarification.” There are varying opinions about the significance of these three numbers, 1260, 1290 and 1335. Let me see if I can unpack them for you.
In Revelation 11 vs 3, we are told that the two witnesses will prophesy for the first 1260 days of the 7-year Tribulation period. We are also told that the Abomination of Desolation occurs at the midpoint of the 7-year period. The A of D is mentioned three separate times in the book of Daniel. However, there is an additional 30 days after the end of the 7-year period, leading us to 1290, and then there is an additional 45 days after that, leading us to 1335.
Here is one possible timeline and explanation for what will happen in the additional 75 days, the difference between 1335 and 1260.
Not long after the Rapture of the Bride, including and preceded by the earthquake resurrection, the Tribulation period will begin. It will last for 2520 days, or 7 years. The Two Witnesses will begin their preaching.
1260 days “in” the Two Witnesses (having the spirits of Moses and Elijah) will be martyred and resurrected, caught up to Heaven, 3 days later.
1260 days “in”, the False Messiah will break the treaty he signed with the Jews, 3.5 years earlier. He will desecrate the Temple with the A of D, and begin an intense persecution of the righteous, which will last 1260 days.
1260 days after the desecration of the Temple, Yeshua will return and defeat the False Messiah.
During the next 30 days, Israel will be rebuilt and the earth restored. During this time, also, the Temple will be rid of the onerous Abomination of Desolation, and it will be cleansed. The Temple will be in operation during the Millennial Kingdom. So, it will have to be made ready.
During the next 45 days, leading up to 1335 days after the desecration of the Temple, the “sheep and goats” judgment will occur, to judge the Gentile nations for their treatment of Israel. Leaders will be appointed, etc.
At the end of the 1335 days, the Millennial Reign of Mashiach will begin. It will last for 1000 years.
Is your brain tired yet? Man! Mine is! As we finish up our study of Daniel, let’s take one last look at verse 10 of this chapter. It’s a great place to end.
10 Many will purify, cleanse and refine themselves; but the wicked will keep on acting wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand. But those with discernment will understand.
This verse makes it clear that as we walk out our faith in Yeshua, we have a responsibility to submit ourselves to the Ruach HaKodesh, who wants to purify, cleanse and refine us. Another key point of this verse is that the wicked will be with us until the Olam Haba (the world to come). Even at the end of the Millennial reign, a period during which humans will be born, will make a choice either for or against Mashiach, and will die, there will be wicked people on the earth. It will be a fascinating time, because there will be righteous in their immortal bodies, living on earth with “mere humans”, during that 1000-year period. At any rate, the wicked will keep on doing evil and they will not understand. Remember that it is the Spirit of Truth who enlightens and gives discernment of the things of the Spirit. Again, as I stated earlier, may we all pray to have discernment!
As Daniel was told to “Go your way!”, may we also. May we not blend in with the world. May our theology have a head-on collision with our reality. May we go and do great things for the kingdom of our great God.
