Daniel 12:11,12 “When They Happen…”

 Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹¹And from the time the regular [sacrifice] is caused to be taken away and [the] abomination of desolating [is] given, [there will be] one thousand two hundred and ninety days. ¹²Blessed [is] the one waiting and he will arrive at days of one thousand three hundred thirty and five.” 

As I approach the end of this wonderful book, my mind is swirling with thoughts I’d like to record. I’m not sure even where to begin – so I think I’ll just do that -- begin.

Cryptic. One of the things which has deeply impressed me from this study through Daniel is how much of Bible prophecy is exactly that: cryptic. Notice above in my “fairly literal” translation, all of the places where I’ve included the [-----] words. Those are places where there simply are no Hebrew words to translate. I’m “adding” those words, attempting to render the sentences at least somewhat intelligible.

Sometimes that is simply Hebrew. It honestly is about like Chinese to our American minds. I’ve said before, to me, Hebrew is like a short-hand language where you “had to be there.” To us, it takes a LOT of “reading between the lines.” It is a picture language which just doesn’t say enough to satisfy our technically precise American English brains.

So that presents a very real problem when we resolve to totally understand prophecies and turn them into our rigid systems and timelines. The very language itself is one of our biggest obstacles. Then there are so many passages like the one before us. Several times we’ve run into the timeline of 3½ years or 42 months or 1,260 days. Now, all of a sudden, we’re told something about 1,290 days and then another reference to 1,335 days. For what?

We’re not told. All we know is that the Lord promises a blessing on those who “wait for and reach” the end of those 1,335 days. We’re not told. Let me say it one more time: We’re not told. I’m belaboring this particular point because, for the last 2,600 years since Daniel, theologians and “scholars” have been proffering their opinions what these “days” are about. If you read what they say, after a while it is almost laughable. Time itself has rendered most of those opinions laughable.

If those “scholars” had simply (humbly) offered their opinions and ideas what it was about, we could easily dismiss what they wrote. The problem is, so many of them wrote (and still do) with an iron-clad certainty. If we read our “scholars” of today, their “iron-clad” assertions often sound quite reasonable and believable. What I believe the Lord has taught me is to try to keep a measure of humility in my own prophetical opinions.

My heart has been deeply blessed to study Daniel’s prophecies and then especially to see how it all plays into the book of Revelation. The two books really are Daniel Volumes I & II! I feel far more aware of the Lord’s plans for the ages. If anything, I’m even more convinced our traditional “Pre-Trib/Pre-Mill” understanding is correct. However, I’m now far more keenly aware how wrong we might be. Once again, our commitment needs to be to those prophetic Scriptures themselves, not to our “neat and tidy” little system with it’s timelines and interpretations.

Daniel 12:11,12 are case in point. We can be absolutely confident of a blessing on those who “wait for and reach” the end of the 1,335 days.” Even in Hebrew, that is very clear. What exactly will happen in those days, the truth is we simply don’t know. We’re not told. Just so it’s said, I like the interpretations of men like Roy Beacham and John Whitcomb. They suggest that, after Jesus returns, ending the Great Tribulation, the world will be such a mess, it will take time to clean it up and get things organized for the Millennial Kingdom and Jesus’ 1,000 year reign. The “1,290” will be some sort of significant 30 days, then the “1,335” will add an additional 45.

Makes perfect sense to me. Seems very reasonable. My “system” says I think they’re right. However, the humility that I hope Daniel has taught me would remind me to hold those opinions and my “system” with open hands. It will all play out exactly the way the Lord intends, not necessarily the way I think. As Jesus said, “I’ve told you these things beforehand, so that, when they happen, then you’ll believe, then you’ll know…”

I’m intrigued by the Lord’s promised blessing on those who “wait,” but I think I’ll turn off my spinning head for this morning and take up those thoughts in another post.