What is the meaning of Daniel 12:11? And from the time Daniel is given a chronological marker. The prophecy hinges on an identifiable “time” that God Himself sets, underscoring His sovereign control (Isaiah 46:9-10; Acts 17:26). This is not vague symbolism; it is an actual point in history that believers can look for with confidence in the accuracy of God’s word. the daily sacrifice is abolished The phrase recalls the continual offerings described in Exodus 29:38-42 and Numbers 28:3-8. Those sacrifices were a visible reminder of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. For them to be “abolished” points to: • A deliberate interruption of true worship (Daniel 8:11-13). • A hostile power suppressing temple service, just as Antiochus IV Epiphanes did in 167 BC (1 Maccabees 1:44-50) and as the future Antichrist will do (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Jesus treated this prediction as still future in Matthew 24:15, affirming a literal end-time fulfillment. and the abomination of desolation set up “Abomination” refers to something idolatrous and detestable to God (Deuteronomy 27:15). “Desolation” speaks of the devastation that follows. Putting the two together, we see: • An idolatrous image or act placed in the holy place (Daniel 9:27). • A trigger for unprecedented tribulation (Matthew 24:21). • A direct affront that brings God’s judgment, just as similar defilements brought ruin to Shiloh (Jeremiah 7:12-14). The language is concrete: a real object or act will be “set up,” not merely a spiritual principle. there will be 1,290 days God gives a precise span—1,290 literal days (Revelation 11:2-3). Notably: • 1,260 days equals 3½ prophetic years (42 months), the familiar length of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 13:5). • The extra 30 days (1,290 minus 1,260) point to a transitional period—likely for cleansing the temple, judging the nations (Matthew 25:31-32), and inaugurating Christ’s millennial reign (Zechariah 14:9,16). • The specificity offers assurance: every day of hardship is numbered (Psalm 31:15), and the end is as certain as the start. summary Daniel 12:11 anchors the end-time timeline to a historical moment when regular temple worship is forcibly stopped and an idolatrous abomination is installed. From that event, exactly 1,290 days elapse until God’s set purpose is fulfilled—culminating in judgment on the wicked and vindication for the faithful. Scripture’s precision invites absolute confidence: God knows the schedule, governs every day, and will keep every promise. |