Today’s passage: Daniel 12:5-13
Helpful thoughts:
- From the time of the Anti-Christ’s turn against the Jews to the “time of the end”. (This is called the Great Tribulation.)
- A time = 1 year
- Times = 2 years
- Half a time = 6 months
- 3.5 years – This is the second half of the final week mentioned in Daniel 9.
- The other marker used is another “abomination of desolation” similar to that of Anitiochus Epiphanes. The idea being that the Anti-Christ will make himself to be god, thereby ending the worship of God in the Temple.
- 1,290 days = Using 30 days as representative of a month (Which is in line with the Jewish calendar), this amount of days adds one more month to the 3.5 years.
- 1,335 days = …plus another month and a half. Perhaps the blessing of those who waits and arrives at the end of this day is blessed because they have witnessed the beginning of the promised millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ.
- God’s commandment and promise to Daniel:
- Go live out the remainder of your life.
- “You shall rest” (Daniel is in heaven today).
- “You shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days” (Daniel will experience resurrection. He has an allotted place and purpose in the kingdom of God and in eternity!)
Questions to consider:
- Though a Great Tribulation is coming, what is promised to those who believe and follow God?
- Can you think of any Scriptures in the New Testament that give the same kinds of promises to Christians? (A little help… 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, John 14:1-3, Revelation 20:4)
- How do the promises of God’s grace in the future encourage you to live for Him today?