Daniel 12.11-The Prophecy of 1,290 Days Elapsing From the Desecration of the Tribulation Temple to the Establishment of the Millennial Temple
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday September 18, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 12:11-The Prophecy of 1,290 Days Elapsing From the Desecration of the Tribulation Temple to the Establishment of the Millennial Temple
Lesson # 384
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 12:11.
Daniel 12:11 “From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.” (NASB95)
“From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished” is composed of the preposition min (מִן) (min) “from” and its object is the noun ʿēṯ (עֵת) (ayth), “the time that” and then we have the verb sûr (סוּר) (soor), “is abolished” which is followed by the noun tā·mîḏ (תָּמִיד) (taw-meed´), “the regular sacrifice.”
The noun tā·mîḏ means “daily sacrifice” referring to the continual burnt offering” that will be presented in the rebuilt Jewish temple in the morning and in the evening during the seventieth week.
The noun ʿēṯ means “point of time” since it pertains to a particular point in time in the middle of the seventieth week when the Antichrist will stop the morning and evening offering in the rebuilt Jewish temple.
The noun ʿēṯ is the object of the preposition min, which means “from” since it is functioning as a marker of time and specifically marking the beginning of a particular period of time.
It is used to mark the beginning of an elapse of time which will end with the establishment of the millennial temple.
The verb sûr means “to abolish” and refers to the Antichrist “abolishing” the daily sacrifice which will be offered to the God of Israel every evening and morning in the rebuilt Jewish temple during the seventieth week.
“The abomination of desolation is set up” is composed of the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) which is not translated and its object is the infinitive construct form of the verb nā∙ṯǎn (נָתַן) (naw-than), “set up” and then we have the noun šiq·qûṣ (שִׁקּוּץ) (shik-koots´), “abomination of” and then we have the verb šā·mēm (שָׁמֵם) (shaw-mame´), “desolation.”
The verb nā∙ṯǎn means “to set up, to erect” since it pertains to placing an object upright in full view and refers to the “erecting” of an image of the Antichrist during the midway point of the seventieth week.
The preposition lĕ is prefixed to the infinitive construct form of this verb nā∙ṯǎn and governs it and it is functioning as a temporal marker indicating a point of time taking place roughly simultaneously with another point of time.
This would indicate that the abolishment of the daily sacrifice in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem will occur simultaneously or roughly simultaneously with the setting up of the abomination which causes the desecration of the temple.
As was the case in Daniel 9:27, the noun šiq·qûṣ here in Daniel 12:11 is used of the Antichrist during the seventieth week setting up an abomination which causes desolation by setting up a statue of himself in the temple and demanding that it be worshipped.
The noun šiq·qûṣ is in the plural in Daniel 9:27 and thus means “abominations” referring to the actions of the Antichrist demanding the world worship an image of himself and sitting in the temple and displaying himself as being God.
However, here in Daniel 12:11 it is in the singular referring to the erection of the image of the Antichrist by the false prophet.
As was the case in Daniel 9:27, the verb šā·mēm in Daniel 12:11 refers to the desolation or desecration of the temple during the middle of the seventieth week as the result of the false prophet erecting an image of the Antichrist and demanding the inhabitants of planet earth worship it.
This action will serve to desecrate the temple which will be standing during the seventieth week in the sense that it will make it ceremonially unclean.
The participle form of this verb šā·mēm functions as an attributive adjective meaning that it is describing the abomination of the erection of an image of the Antichrist for the world to worship as causing the desecration of the temple which will be standing in Jerusalem during the seventieth week.
In other words, it is describing the state of this abomination as causing the desecration of the temple.
Daniel 12:11 “Now, from the point of time the regular sacrifice is abolished and simultaneously the desecrating abomination is set up, there will be 1,290 days.” (My translation)
The preincarnate Christ transitions from communicating to Daniel a prophecy regarding the wicked and the wise in Israel living during the tribulation to a prophecy regarding the length of time that will elapse from the desecration of the temple by the Antichrist to the establishment of the millennial temple.
The Lord informs Daniel that from the point of time the regular sacrifice is abolished and simultaneously the desecrating abomination is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
He tells Daniel that the abolishment of the regular sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem which will be standing during the seventieth week will take place simultaneously or roughly simultaneously with the erection of the abomination which causes the desecration of the temple.
Daniel 9:27 also says that the Antichrist will cause the sacrificial offering to stop in the middle of the seventieth week while simultaneously between the wings of the cherubim which results in abominations, he will cause the desecration of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
The setting up of an abomination which causes the desecration of the rebuilt temple is one of two abominations the Antichrist will commit which will result in the desecration of this temple in the middle of the seventieth week.
Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 reveal that the first abomination is the Antichrist sitting on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant between the cherubims and deifying himself by declaring himself as God.
The second is presented in Revelation 13:11-17 which reveals the false prophet will set up an image of the Antichrist which the Antichrist and the false prophet will then demand the world’s inhabitants to worship.
This is being referred to here in Daniel 12:11.
Now, as we noted the Lord informs Daniel that 1,290 days will elapse from the abolishment of the daily sacrifice and the setting up of the abomination which results in the desecration.
However, He doesn’t identify the event which terminates this period.
We know that the tribulation portion of the seventieth week begins with Antichrist abolishing the daily sacrifice and instituting the worship of himself in the temple in Jerusalem and we know when it ends, namely at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
We also know that the tribulation period of the seventieth week will last 1,260 days.
Therefore, we have thirty days to account for.
What will take place for thirty days after the Second Advent of Jesus Christ?
There are various interpretations for this month.
First of all, some argue that Antichrist will terminate the sacrifices and desecrate the temple 30 days before the middle of the seventieth week.
Some like Constable prefer this view since it views the explanation in Daniel 12:11 as more specific and the one in Daniel 9:27 as a general description.
Another view is that the Antichrist may announce the termination of the sacrifices and the setting up of the abomination of desolation 30 days before he carries out these acts.
Some also argue that there will be a 30 day period between the time when Antichrist abolishes the regular sacrifice and the time when he sets up the abomination of desolation.
The problem with all these views is that Daniel 9:27 specifically says that 1,260 days into the seventieth week the Antichrist will abolish the sacrifices and deify himself by sitting down on the Ark of the Covenant between the cherubims.
These events will mark the beginning of the last 1,260 days of the seventieth week which culminate in the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
The best interpretation from the vantage point of this author is that 30 days will extend beyond the last three and one half years and would include the cleansing of the temple.
This last view appears to this author to best fit the context since the prophetic statement in Daniel 12:11 is in regard to the temple and its desecration by the Antichrist and the suspension of the worship of the God of Israel.
Furthermore, if you recall in Daniel 8:14 the angel Gabriel prophesies about the persecution of Israel by Antiochus Epiphanes IV in the second century B.C.
He informed Daniel that 2,300 evenings, and mornings will take place and then, the temple would be reconsecrated.
The angel is telling Daniel that the persecution of the Jews under this wicked king will be for 2,300 evenings and mornings and then the temple would be reconsecrated.
Thus, Daniel 12:11 parallels Daniel 8:14.
So here in Daniel 12:11, the Lord Himself is telling Daniel that the desecration of the temple will be for 1,290 days and then it will be reconsecrated.
We know that Ezekiel 40-48 describes the millennial temple in great detail.
This passage teaches us that this temple will be established by the Lord Himself prior to His millennial reign.
Therefore, there will be a 30 day period which follows immediately after the Second Advent when the millennial temple will be set up and prepared for use.