What is the meaning of Daniel 12:12? Setting in Daniel 12 Daniel 12 opens with “a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then” (Daniel 12:1). Gabriel is describing the climactic period often called the Great Tribulation (cf. Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14). Verses 1–3 move quickly from the distress to resurrection and reward, then verses 4–13 circle back to the timeline. Daniel 12:11–12 gives two numbers beyond the familiar 1,260 days (three-and-a-half years in Daniel 7:25; Revelation 11:3; 12:6; 13:5). Verse 12 reads, “Blessed is he who waits and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.” Timeframes Introduced: 1,260, 1,290, 1,335 • 1,260 days: the second half of the seventieth week (Daniel 9:27) when the “abomination of desolation” stands in the holy place (Daniel 11:31; Matthew 24:15). • 1,290 days: thirty days past the 1,260. “From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days” (Daniel 12:11). • 1,335 days: forty-five more days, for a total of seventy-five days beyond the 1,260. The Additional Thirty Days: Cleansing after Desolation A literal reading sees the abomination removed at Christ’s visible return (Matthew 24:29–30; Revelation 19:11–21). The extra thirty days allow for: • Removal of the defiled altar and any idols (cf. 2 Chronicles 29:16–17, where Hezekiah’s cleansing of the temple took sixteen days). • Mourning and national repentance in Israel (Zechariah 12:10–14). • Judgment of surviving nations, often called the “sheep and goats” judgment (Matthew 25:31–46). The Extra Forty-Five Days: Transition into the Kingdom After cleansing, forty-five more days prepare for Messiah’s earthly reign (Revelation 20:4–6). Possible events: • Restoration and re-consecration of the millennial temple (Ezekiel 40–43). • Allocation of tribal inheritances (Ezekiel 47:13–48:29). • Setting governmental structures in place with resurrected saints sharing authority (Luke 19:17; Revelation 2:26-27). The Blessing Pronounced “Blessed is he who waits and reaches the end of the 1,335 days” (Daniel 12:12). Those who survive all seventy-five post-tribulation days: • Enter the messianic kingdom alive, experiencing its peace, health, and prosperity (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:6-9). • Avoid the judgments that fall on the Beast and the rebellious (Revelation 19:20-21). • Witness the fulfillment of covenant promises to Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 11:26-27). Encouragement for Believers • God’s calendar is precise; nothing delays His plan (Galatians 4:4; Acts 17:26). • Perseverance is rewarded. The admonition to “wait” mirrors Jesus’ call to endure to the end (Matthew 24:13; Revelation 14:12). • No suffering is meaningless. Temporary affliction leads to eternal glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). summary Daniel 12:12 promises a special blessing for those who patiently persevere through the worst period of human history and live to see Christ establish His kingdom. The 1,260-day tribulation ends at His return; thirty days appear to cleanse what the Antichrist defiled, and forty-five more finalize kingdom arrangements. Those who reach day 1,335 step into the long-promised age of righteousness and peace. The verse calls every generation to steadfast faith, confident that God keeps time perfectly and rewards those who hold fast until His plan is complete. |
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