Daniel 12.7a-The Prophetic Events Recorded in Daniel 1136-123 Will Be Three and a Half Years in Duration
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday September 9, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 12:7a-The Prophetic Events Recorded in Daniel 11:36-12:3 Will Be Three and a Half Years in Duration
Lesson # 379
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 12:6.
Daniel 12:6 And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” 7 I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.” (NASB95)
“As he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven” indicates that Daniel heard the man dressed in linen speaking as he raised both his hands to heaven.
“And swore by Him who lives forever” presents the purpose of the man dressed in linen raising both his hands to the heavens.
It indicates that the man dressed in linen is giving his solemn assurance to the angel who asked him a question that his statement in response to this question is trustworthy and reliable.
“For a time, times, and half a time” is composed of the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) “for” and its object is the noun mô·ʿēḏ (מוֹעֵד) (mo-ade´), “a time” which is followed by the noun mô·ʿēḏ (מוֹעֵד) (mo-ade´), “times” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and,” which is followed by the noun ḥǎṣî (חֲצִי) (khay-tsee´), “half.”
The noun mô·ʿēḏ means “appointed time” referring to a particular point of time related to other points of time with emphasis that this time has a purpose designated by an authority and appears two times in this prepositional phrase.
The first time it is in the singular and means “appointed time” referring to one year according to the Jewish calendar which is 360 days and are sovereignly decreed by God.
The second time it occurs in the plural and means “appointed times” referring to two years according to the Jewish calendar which is 720 days and are sovereignly decreed by God.
The noun ḥǎṣî means “half” of a unit of time referring to half a year according to the Jewish calendar which is 180 days and are sovereignly decreed by God.
Therefore, if you do the math, this entire expression means three and a half years or 1,260 days according to the Jewish calendar.
The first time the noun mô·ʿēḏ occurs it is the object of the preposition lĕ, which is a marker of a duration of time with reference to another period of time.
Thus this prepositional phrase indicates that the power of the holy people of God will be overcome by the power of the Antichrist “for the duration of” a three and a half year period.
Daniel 12:6 Next, one said to the man dressed in linen who was apart from, above with respect to the river’s waters, “How long will these extraordinary events take place?” 7 Then, I heard the man dressed in linen who was apart from, above with respect to the river’s waters as he lifted up his right hand as well as his left hand toward the heavens in order to swear by the immanent eternal one that “it would be for a period of an appointed time, appointed times and a half an appointed time.” (My translation)
In Daniel 12:6, Daniel tells the reader that one of the angels who was standing by the banks of the Tigris with him posed a question to a man dressed in linen who was standing above the waters of the Tigris and who was in fact the preincarnate Christ.
He asks the Lord “how long will these extraordinary events take place?”
Now, here in Daniel 12:7, Daniel presents to the reader the Lord’s answer to this question.
Daniel says that the man dressed in linen, who we noted in our study of Daniel 12:6 is the preincarnate Christ, communicates to him the duration of the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:36-12:3.
He does so while raising both his hands toward the heavens.
The raising of hands in Old Testament times was done when swearing an oath to God and would signify the most solemn assurance that the words spoken are reliable or trustworthy.
Therefore, the Lord is solemnly assuring the elect angel and Daniel and more importantly those regenerate Jews who would have to endure the persecution of the Antichrist that this persecution would last three and a half years and no longer.
The Lord tells the angel and Daniel that these extraordinary events will take place for a period of a time, times and a half time, which is three and a half years or 1,260 days according to the Jewish calendar.
This is a reference to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
This is indicated by the fact that the “time, times and a half time” in Daniel 12:7 correspond with the “for a time (one year), times (two years), and a half time (six months)” in Daniel 7:25 and the “one thousand two hundred and sixty days” in Revelation 12:6 and the “forty-two months” in Revelation 11:2.
All of these are references to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
The fact that the Lord tells the angel that it will take three and a half years to fulfill the prophetic events in the revelation communicated to Daniel indicates that He is speaking of the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:36-12:3 which is indicated by two factors.
First, Daniel 11:36-12:3 speaks of prophetic events that will take place during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week and those associated with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
The second is that the last three and a half years of the seventieth week ends with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
History records that the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:2-35 have all been fulfilled in history, from 530-164 B.C. but the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:36-45 will take place during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
The prophetic events recorded in Daniel 12:1 speak of the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
However, the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 12:2-3 are associated with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
In Daniel 12:2, the prophesy that many who are dead will be raised again to everlasting life is a reference to the resurrection of regenerate Israel which would include Old Testament saints in Israel as well as regenerate Jews who were martyred during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
Daniel 12:3 contains a prophecy of these saints in Israel receiving rewards for faithful service to God while enduring underserved suffering.
This too will take place at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the extraordinary events mentioned in Daniel 12:6 are a reference to the prophecies in Daniel 11:36-12:3 because the last three and a half years of the seventieth week ends with the Second Advent and the prophecies in this passage speak of events taking place during this Tribulation period and the Second Advent.
This is the second time in the book of Daniel where the last three and a half years of the seventieth week are mentioned and the first was in Daniel 7:25.
Daniel 7:25 “‘Furthermore, he will issue statements against the Most High. Also, he will make it his habit of persecuting the Most High’s saints as well as attempting to change the times, yes even the Law. Indeed, they will be given into his power for a period of a time, times and a half a time.’” (Author’s translation)
If you notice, both Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 mention the three and a half years in relation to the Antichrist’s persecution of the Jewish remnant of believers living during the seventieth week indicating that this three and a half years is a reference to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
So therefore, Daniel 7:25, 12:7, Revelation 12:6 and 11:2 refer to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week which is called the tribulation period.
Daniel 9:27 teaches that the seventieth week begins with Antichrist’s treaty with the leadership of Israel.
It also teaches that the tribulation portion of the seventieth week begins when Antichrist breaks the treaty after three and a half years when he desecrates the temple by deifying himself.
Daniel 9:27 “Then, he will establish a firm covenant with the leaders, which will be one unit of seven years. However, he will cause the sacrificial offering to stop in the middle of this unit of seven years while between the wings which results in abominations, he will cause desecration. Indeed until a decreed complete destruction is poured out against the desecrater.” (Author’s translation)
Revelation 19:11-20:3, Zechariah 12 and 14 and Daniel 2 and 7 teach that the seventieth week ends with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.