Daniel 12.8-Daniel Inquires About the Future After the Prophetic Events in Daniel 1136-123 and 7
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday September 11, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 12:8-Daniel Inquires About the Future After the Prophetic Events in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7
Lesson # 381
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.” 8 As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” (NASB95)
“As for me, I heard but could not understand” presents a transition from the conversation between the Lord and one of his elect angels to Daniel telling the reader that he did not understand what would take place after the prophetic events in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7 are fulfilled.
Daniel tells the reader that he had absolutely no understanding of what would take place after the prophetic events in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7 are fulfilled.
“I said, ‘My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?’” presents the result of Daniel having absolutely no understanding what would take place after the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7 are fulfilled.
“My lord” is composed of the noun ʾā·ḏôn (אָדוֹן) (aw-done´), “lord” which is modified by the first person singular pronominal suffix ʾǎnî (אֲנִי) (an-ee), “my.”
The noun ʾā∙ḏôn means “lord” and is used by Daniel when addressing the man dressed in linen who we noted was the preincarnate Christ who is standing above the waters of the Tigris.
The noun ʾā∙ḏôn is used by Daniel as a term of respect for the man dressed in linen and polite address and expresses the fact that Daniel viewed himself as inferior to this man dressed in linen.
The noun ʾā∙ḏôn is modified by the first person singular pronominal suffix ʾǎnî, which means “my” since it is functioning as a possessive personal pronoun referring of course to Daniel and is expressing Daniel’s servant attitude in relation to this man dressed in linen.
The noun ʾā∙ḏôn is a vocative since Daniel is directly addressing this man dressed in linen and demonstrates Daniel’s respect for this man dressed in linen who he recognized as superior to him.
“The outcome of these events” is composed of the noun ʾǎ·ḥǎrîṯ (אַחֲרִית) (akh-ar-eeth´), “the outcome” and then we have the demonstrative pronoun ʾēl∙lě(h) (אֵלֶּה) (ale-leh), “these.”
The noun ʾǎ·ḥǎrîṯ means “after” since it is marking events taking place subsequent to the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7 have been fulfilled.
The construct state of the noun means that it is governing the demonstrative pronoun ʾēl∙lě(h) which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation between these two words.
This is a genitive of result which specifies the outcome of the construct term.
This indicates that the demonstrative pronoun which is pointing to the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7 specifies the result of these prophetic events being fulfilled.
Daniel 12:8 Now, as for me, I heard but I absolutely could not understand. Consequently, I asked, “My lord, what will take place after these extraordinary events?” (My translation)
Daniel 12:8 presents a transition from the conversation between the preincarnate Christ and one of his elect angels to Daniel communicating to the reader his inability to understand the Lord’s prophetic statements in response to the angel’s question.
In Daniel 12:6, one of the elect angels asked the man dressed in linen who is the preincarnate Christ how long it would take to fulfill the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:36-12:3.
The Lord responded that it would take three and a half years.
Then, he advanced upon this prophetic statement informing the angel and Daniel that when the defeat of the holy people’s military power has been accomplished, then each and every one of these prophetic events will be fulfilled.
Now, here in Daniel 12:8, Daniel reveals to the reader his inability to understand these prophetic statements.
Daniel’s question and the Lord’s prophetic statements in Daniel 12:11-12 indicate that he did not understand what would take place after the prophetic events in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7 are fulfilled.
Thus, Daniel’s question is the direct result of his not understanding what would take place after the prophetic events in Daniel 11:36-12:3 and 7 are fulfilled.
Daniel’s question reveals that he did not understand the Lord’s prophetic statements in Daniel 12:7 in the sense that he had no idea of what was to take place after these events are fulfilled.
He already told the reader in Daniel 10:1 that he understood the revelation communicated to him in Daniel 11:2-12:3 before he presented to the reader his account of receiving this revelation.
Consequently if we compare Daniel’s statement in Daniel 10:1 and his question here in Daniel 12:8, and the Lord’s statements in Daniel 12:11-12, we can infer that Daniel had no idea of what would take place after the prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:2-12:3 and 7 have been fulfilled.
So Daniel wanted to know God’s program for Israel after the events of the seventieth week have been fulfilled since very little information about the millennial reign of the Messiah had been given to him.
He obviously knew about the millennium by virtue of the revelation he received which is recorded in Daniel chapters 2 and 7 which both make reference to the millennial kingdom.
More information about the events following the seventieth week would be given to Israel through the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
In fact, the prophetic statements made by the man dressed in linen in Daniel 12:11-12 are directly related to the interval of time between the Second Advent and our Lord’s millennial reign.
In Daniel 12:11, the 1,290 days refers to the final three and a half years of the seventieth week plus the thirty days it will take to cleanse the temple.
The 1,335 days in Daniel 12:12 refers to the final three and a half years of the seventieth week, the thirty days it will take to cleanse the temple plus the time it would take to judge both the Jews and Gentiles.
Was Daniel asking one of the elect angels a question or the man dressed in linen?
It would appear that it was the latter he was addressing since the man dressed in linen had just finished speaking in Daniel 12:7 and one of those standing by the banks of the Tigris was asking a question in regards to the statement of the man dressed in linen which is recorded in Daniel 12:7.
This would indicate that Daniel is addressing this very same man dressed in linen here in Daniel 12:8.
There is no indication in Daniel chapter 10 or here in chapter 12 that Daniel knew or was a aware that he was asking the preincarnate Christ a question at the time since he doesn’t acknowledge explicitly that he was aware that this man dressed in linen was God.
However, his detailed description of him in Daniel 10:4-9 would indicate that he could have been aware during this encounter that the man dressed in linen was superior to the angels he had come in contact with previously and was thus God.
He could have recognized this man dressed in linen as God after this encounter.