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Thus Say The Prophets
Prophet Daniel

Book of Daniel: Chapter Twlve

Commentary © By John of AllFaith*
12:1 "At that time, the great prince, Michael, who stands beside the sons of your people, will appear. It will be a time of trouble, the like of which has never been since the nation came into being. At that time, your people will be rescued, all found inscribed in the book.

At the End of Days, Daniel says as he continues his presentation from 11:40: At the time of the End— At the completion of the Olam Haza when the final war is upon us, Celestial beings will openly aid us in our fight with the Nephilim and the Globalist Elite. The angels will aid 'the Children of your people' Israel and, with their help, those still alive, and all generations of homo sapiens humanity will be liberated from the hold of the Nephilim and our yetzer hara. The Song of Redemption will be heard, the Torah will be written into the human consciousness, and we will da'at or know God as objective reality as we are 'inscribed in His Book of Life.' The War between the Nephilim Children of Darkness and the Children of Light will then be finished.

12:2 Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence.

Note that it says "many of those," not all. This first resurrection will be for two types of mortal human neshamot: Those soulish homo sapiens entities have merited eternal life by achieving spiritual enlightenment during their lives, and those neshamot that have conclusively demonstrated their destain for God's Ways. It is in part based on this verse that some of our teachers believe that some humans will be cast back into the void, eternally cast off by HaShem with no hope of redemption or restoration, or as Ramchal thinks that God will 'unmake' some neshamot. They will cease to exist as entities as though they had never been. This doesn't seem easy to accept. Did not God say, that all Israel will be redeemed and inherit the Olam Haba" (Isaiah 60:21)?" So if all Israel are to be saved, these who "go to everlasting abhorrence," or as the KJV translates: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt," who are these later cast off people? If we maintain contextual consistency, these cannot be Jews. We will release the urge to discuss who is and is not Jewish, but the Scripture seems clear that 'All Jews have a place in the World to Come."

Ezekiel 37:12 and 13 clarifies: Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says Adonai Elohim: Look! I am going to open your graves; I will make you come up out of your graves, my people, and bring you back to the land of Israel. You shall know that I am Adonai when I open your graves and make you come up out of them, my people!

Details concerning this are matters of some debate among our scholars. In any case, this first resurrection is for those who, in their lifetimes, conclusively chose for or against the Divine One and His Glorious Light according to context.

12:3 And the knowledgeable will be radiant like the bright expanse of sky, and those who lead the many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.

Those granted this first resurrection will be filled with the Light of God as the Song of the Torah is written into their consciousness. These tzadikim will lead those who have yet to become enlightened to enlightenment. Instead of lording it over the people as many religious leaders do today, these resurrected Light Workers will greet people as they rise and grant them understanding. Hence, they are prepared to achieve the Light.

12:4 "But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the book until the time of the End. Many will range far and wide, and knowledge will increase."

Daniel's prophecy has long been known but has been denigrated due to ignorance of its contents and lack of respect for its importance among the other Jewish Nav'aim (Prophets). The Chazal even lowered its official status within the Jewish canon from Nava'aim or Prophets to Ketavim or Writtings. But as the Latter Days draw nearer and nearer, or are likely upon us, the Light realized by 'those with eyes to see' is gleaning brighter from this book. Realizations from Daniel's visions are expanding as the days he spoke of are approaching. Exactly as he foretold. In our generation, as in none other in recorded history, people have access to world events, history, and astounding technologies like no previous generations would have considered impossible. The KJV translates this verse more precisely: "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Read this carefully: Not only will human knowledge 'increase,' but that knowledge "will be increased" by outside sources. Such an increase in human knowledge has never been truer than it has of the post-World War Two generation. That generation is now beginning to fade away. Yet, we hope that a remnant from our generation will live to behold the coming of Mashiach ben David as suggested by certain texts. Until then, amazing knowledge will continue to increase, both for the good and ill.

12:5 Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on the banks of the river, one on either bank.

Contextually, this would be the River Ulai near the old Persian Fortress of Shushan, as described in Daniel 8:2. This is where the bulk of Daniel's prophecy was revealed.

12:6 Someone said to the man clothed in linen above the river's water, "How long until the end of these awful things?"

The 'end of these awful things' references the end of the final seven-year horrors and the beginning of the Olam Haba and the coming of Mashiach ben David. 12:7 Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river, swear by the Ever-Living One as he lifted his right hand and his left hand to heaven: "For a time, times, and half a time; and when the breaking of the power of the holy people comes to an end, then shall all these things be fulfilled." 12:8 I heard and did not understand, so I said, "My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?" 12:9 He said, "Go, Daniel, for these words are secret and sealed to the time of the End. 12:10 Many will be purified, purged, and refined; the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but the knowledgeable will understand. 12:11 (From the time the regular offering is abolished, and an appalling abomination is set up—it will be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12:12 Happy the one who waits and reaches one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.) 12:13 But you, go on to the End; you shall rest, and arise to your destiny at the End of the days."

A most unsettling answer in hindsight. Daniel's answer is the one we have discussed at great length. The angel gave Daniel a sign to watch for but not a specific prophecy of time. Verse ten is fairly obvious. Some people will continue to be purified, while others will continue to reject the Torah. Those who lack wisdom will not understand what the righteous warn them about. They will continue mocking the Torah and emunah and continue fighting against HaShem and His Elect. Those who hold to the Truth, a remnant of humanity, will be wise and maintain their emunah in HaShem alone.

As Daniel has already been told:

Koren Jerusalem: And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.

KJV: And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

ESV: And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.

1260 days is 3 1/2 years. We've seen this number before. It is the 'time, times, and a half a time' prophecy we studied previously. In Daniel 9, we saw that the Second Temple would (from Daniel's perspective, has been from ours) be destroyed in 70 CE, and all sacrifices cease. That is ancient history to us. But this verse says the end of the daily offerings would be a key sign that the War's end was approaching. Yet, it continues today. There must be something more to this prophecy, therefore. Were the daily offerings stopped in 73 CE? No. So, considering this verse according to the context of chapter nine's Gap Period, we gain needed insights. When that Gap Period of uncertain years concludes, the "Man Crueler than Haman" will build his faux temple. When it has stood for roughly three and a half the Son of Perdition will defile the temple, as stated by Daniel, John the Revelator, and others, and then, "From the time the regular offering is abolished, and an appalling abomination is set up—it will be a thousand two hundred and ninety days" or three and a half years What will be 1290 days? The thing Daniel asked, "What will be the outcome of these things? His answer is when the coming of Mashiach ben David and the Olam Haba will occur, the World to Come, the Messianic era—the reign of Hamashiach as King of Israel and over-king of the earth. And then? The answer is not given directly because, as discussed, to do so would violate the terms of the War. But there are a couple of interesting things stated. 1. That period is not coming soon from Daniel's perspective, and 2. Daniel will return to complete an important assignment when that day does come. What will that be? Again, Daniel isn't told, so guesses abound. One of the more popular guesses is based on

Zechariah: 3:10: On that day, says Adonai Shavuot, each of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and his fig tree.

An obvious reference to the Olam Haba, continue reading:

Zechariah 4:1 (the following verse): And the angel that talked with me came back, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep [i.e., the nightmare of the Olam Hazeh],
4:2: And he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and seven lamps to it, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which were upon the top of it:
4:3: there are two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left side of it.
4:4: So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
4:5: Then the angel who talked with me answered and said, Knowst thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.

4:11: Then I answered and asked him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and the left side of it?
4:12: And I answered again and asked him, What are these two olive branches beside the two golden spouts that empty the golden oil of themselves?
4:13: And he answered me and said, Knowst thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.
4:14: Then he said, These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Again, the text is not conclusive. Some believe these two are Moshe and Daniel (others conjecture Moshe and Elijah or Elijah and Daniel). Rashi accepts the standard Jewish interpretation. They could signify the two anointed horns of the Priesthood (the Cohenim) and the Kingdom. Or they might represent the Yetzer haTov and Yetze haRa (the positive and negative human impulses that will have then been united in HaShem's service of HaShem). Ibn Ezra expands on the most common Rabbinic interpretation as follows:

And he said - The reason is Zerubbabel, son of Yitzhar, for he is the anointed one because he is the messiah who sits on the throne of Israel when it is written and parable about his throne. Yehoshua is the anointed because he is a high priest. And it is written: And a counsel of peace will be between them both, and they will not be jealous of each other.
Rabbi Steinsaltz explains:
He said: These are the two anointed ones, those anointed with olive oil. The olive represents Israel, while these two trees filled with bounty allude to the twin leaders of the generation, Zerubavel and Yehoshua, the High Priest, who attend to and are appointed to serve the Lord of the entire land.

The rabbis are almost united in interpreting the two olive trees in Zechariah this way. But are they correct? Time will tell. Given the placement of the Zechariah 4 prophecy, it makes complete sense, but it seems less likely in the case of the Daniel chapter 12 prophecy. As discussed, imminent interpretations are sometimes different from the expansive ones.

The phrase in the concluding verse also seems straightforward, but the Rabbis disagree: "But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand up for thy allotted portion at the end of the days." Daniel is told that he will die or 'rest in the earth,' like all mortals, but he will return to active duty during the End of Days. However, our sages say not so fast:

Rashi: —go to the End You will depart to your everlasting home [i.e., die and be buried]
—to your lot to receive your portion with the righteous.

Rashi does not interpret this verse literally. His reasoning is important to understand when studying here and elsewhere in the Holy Writ.

at the end of the days Heb. לְקֵץ הַיָמִין, like בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָמִים. We cannot interpret הַיָמִין as an expression of the right hand, because it is mentioned in the Large Masorah among the six words that are unusual because they have a final "nun" at the End of the word, which serves instead of a "mem," and there is none like them, e.g. (Job 31:10): "and may others (אֲחֵרִין) kneel upon her;" (ibid. 24:22): "and he is not sure of life (בַּחַיִין)" (Ezek. 4:9): "take yourself wheat (חִטִין)"; (ibid. 26: 18): "Now the isles (הָאִיִן) will tremble;" (Prov. 31:3): "to the pleasures of kings;" (here): "to the end of the days (הַיָמִין)."

Translations can be difficult to interpret because of the peculiarities of Evrit (the Hebrew language). However, might there be another reason the Sages do not consider Daniel one of the Two Olive Trees nor expect him to return at the end of the days, as the text states?

There is. As discussed, even though Daniel is unquestionably a navi or prophet, the Jewish sages chose to downgrade his work to the status of Ketuvim or writings. If we take Daniel at face value, he is not only a prophet but one of the greatest and most important. The texts are emphatic about the important role of the Two Olive Trees throughout time (Zechariah 4:24). If Daniel is accepted as one of these two figures, his importance would be greater than that of most other prophets, except Moshe. If he, like Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet), is to return to Earth and join Michael and Gabriel, Mashiach ben Yosef, and Mashiach ben David in the concluding battles of the War, then Daniel is a major prophet among the Major Prophets, and the Rabbinate will have done him a great injustice by denigrating him and his sefer.

In any case, Daniel was told:

12:13 But you, Daniel, go your way; you will rest, and arise again to your destiny at the End of the Days."

And here ends the Sefer of Daniel the Prophet and our commentary.

Continue to Chapter Twelve



* © This series is by John of AllFaith, © April 12, 1997 (last updated September 29,2024)



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