SERMON: “Blessed in End Times Prophecy” (Dan. 12:8–12)
“Blessed in End Times Prophecy”
(Dan. 12:8–12)
Series: “Daniel:
God’s Sovereign Plans” #36 Text: Daniel
12:8–12
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: Oct. 18, 2026
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
Introduction
We sometimes wonder if there is anything worthwhile in
studying end-times prophecy, especially when there is so much disagreement out
there. Yet, as Revelation 1:3 says, “Blessed
is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the
things which are written in it, for the time is near.” There is a spiritual benefit to knowing what
the Bible says about the end-times, and that benefit will increase
exponentially for those who must live through the Tribulation.
This is the conclusion of Daniel’s final vision. Daniel wanted to know what will happen to his
people, and he gets to see all of it.
This will be a time of unprecedented distress, but the Lord has
Michael’s intervention, the deliverance of Daniel’s people, and the
resurrection of the just and unjust (12:1–3).
That means there is a blessed hope in all of this, a theme we will
revisit today.
Last time, we considered the divine timeline from eternity
past. Note the sworn duration already
given in v. 7 (“a time, times, and half a time,” or 1,260 days on a 360-day
lunar calendar). That also will become
important again.
Prophecy can be confusing, and even the Prophet Daniel
struggled with it. Yet, the Lord here seals
the vision for the end time, describes the refining effect of the tribulation,
and gives precise chronological markers that begin at the abomination of
desolation. This helps the reader better
understand the timing of the second half of the 70th week and the interval that
follows it.
Considering the amount of ink devoted to the end times, the
Holy Spirit obviously wants His people to know about it. There is a blessedness for those who study
and know prophecy, especially for those who live through it! Tonight, we’re going to see the purpose of
this prophecy (vv. 8–9), the purified and persistent of the prophecy (v. 10),
and the parameters of the prophecy (vv. 11–12).
May we grow in our knowledge and experience these blessings as we study.
First, Note the Purpose of the Prophecy (vv. 8–9)
As for me, I heard
but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of
these events?” He said, “Go your way,
Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.
If you struggle with Bible prophecy, you’re in good
company. We read here that Daniel hears
the revelation but cannot understand the outcome of these things. He may have been a prophet, but he didn’t
always understand what these things meant, and the concept of “understanding”
is certainly a theme in the Book of Daniel.
The best thing to do when we’re at a loss concerning God’s
Word is humble ourselves and ask for help,[1]
both through prayer and the council of others.
That’s what Daniel did before (Dan. 8:15), and he does it now. He respectfully asks his “lord,” whoever we
interpret that to be here.
He specifically asks about the “outcome” or “final end”
(NASB footnote) of these events. Again,
we’re struck with his heart. He doesn’t
ask for a detailed chronology as many of us do, or a trigger point for the
beginning of these things. Rather, he
cares about his people, so he wants to know how it will all turn out in the
end. Many of us who care about our
families can empathize.
It’s a good thing he didn’t ask for a detailed chronology,
because that’s not what he receives. In
fact, the first thing he hears is a command: “Go your way, Daniel.” This has been an incredibly long vision, but
Daniel cannot stay here for now. As one
commentator says, “Communion with God is not
our continual feast in this world … we must go down from the mount.”[2] Unfortunately, Daniel will receive no more
revelation and must get back to normal life.[3]
Sometimes, the Lord denies our request for more information and calls us
to live in light of what we’ve already learned.
Then comes the explanation, translated here, “for these
words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.” This is as we read back in v. 4, and it’s
important to note again that this doesn’t mean “hidden from view.” Other translations here have “shut up and sealed” (ESV), “closed and
sealed” (NET, similar to the KJV, NKJV, and NIV84). The point is to protect a document for future
authentication, and the seal won’t be broken until the time of judgment (cf.
Rev. 5:1–10).[4]
This means that full clarity of the prophecy is reserved for
the generation that will experience the events.
This is for those in the “end time.”
Now, that doesn’t mean the prophecy is unintelligible or without
implication in the present time; it simply means its precise fulfillment and
implications become evident as the end approaches. Incidentally, this is part of the evidence
that God can see the end from the beginning, and He knows what people at that
time need to hear.
We have more light than Daniel because of the Olivet
Discourse and Revelation. Yet, even now,
certain details remain for “those who have insight” in the end time. Even so, our faithfulness does not require
exhaustive comprehension, any more than it did of Daniel. Sufficient is the word that this is purposed
for a future people, and that brings us to the next point:
Second, Note the Purified and the Persistent in the
Prophecy (v. 10)
Many will be
purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the
wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.
The language of this verse uses the imagery of metallurgical
and textile refining. Though the Hebrew
forms might be reflexive (ESV), meaning that this is something the people do to
themselves, most versions translate the verbs as passive (something God accomplishes). Just like in 11:35, there will be a time in
the future when descendants of Israel will be, as we could literally translate
one of these terms, “made white” (NASB footnote).
How does this happen? First, many unbelievers will finally receive
Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah; as Zechariah
13:9 says, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as
silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer
them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my
God.’ ” Second, those who already
trust in the Lord “develop in
godliness through trials.”[5]
Unfortunately, the same trials that refine some people can
drive others further from God. We see
this contrasting parallel: “but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the
wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.” Those who trust in the Lord will gain
understanding, but the wicked will see the events of the Great Tribulation
coming true, and not only fail to understand the significance of it, but they
will grow in wickedness.
How is this possible?
We see an ancient example of this in Pharaoh, who witnessed the wonders
of God in Egypt and heard the prophecies from Moses and Aaron, but he still
chose to harden his heart to the truth (and God hardened his heart in return). Isaiah 32:6 says in part, “For a fool speaks
nonsense, and his heart inclines toward wickedness,” and Revelation 22:11 says,
“Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still
be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and
the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”
The wicked willfully engage in wickedness, and to those who continue to choose
it, the Lord sovereignly blinds their eyes, so that they do not repent.[6]
That fearful reality isn’t just a feature of the
Tribulation, as we see with Pharaoh and later, the Pharisees. The truth is that those who devote themselves
to sin today may find themselves handed over by God to sin (Rom. 1:18–32). This terrifying reality should motivate those
living in sin to seek the Lord while He may be found.
Those in the Great Tribulation will face a greater threat of
this. God will send upon them “a
deluding influence” (2 Thess. 2:11). He
will use the tribulation to reveal and intensify existing, ungodly character. The wise will repent before it is too late;
the wicked will not.
This verse explains the spiritual purpose of the intense
second half of Daniel’s 70th Week for the people of God. The prophecy will be for those in the end
time. However, some will have their
wickedness irrevocably hardened, while others will find themselves stripped of
impurities. And this will occur for a
specific period of time, as we see with the final point:
Third, Note the Parameters of the Prophecy (vv.
11–12)
From the time that
the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up,
there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is
he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!
The Lord returns us to the moment that divides the 70th
Week in half. We’ve noted before that
the Antichrist will break the covenant in the middle of the seven-year
tribulation, beginning the period of the Great Tribulation. This will include the abolition of the daily
sacrifice in the temple, which means that the temple will be reconstructed at
some point (perhaps the beginning of the tribulation).
That will be a betrayal, but it isn’t the worst. We read that it will be at that time that “the
abomination of desolation is set up,” or “horrible abomination” (NASB footnote). We’ve already noted this in a couple of
places (cf. Dan 9:27; 11:31), and Jesus talked about it in Matthew 24:15 and Mark
13:14. This verse doesn’t add much to
the information we had, simply referencing it now as marker to watch for as a
point in future history.
From that point there will be 1,290 days. Now, this is 30 days longer than the
1,260-day “time, times, and half a time” already given for the Great
Tribulation (v. 7; Rev. 11:2–3; 12:6; 13:5).
So, why is there a difference?
Unfortunately, the Lord doesn’t say here. One theory is that there is a gap of time in
the middle of the tribulation, perhaps a thirty-day period from the
announcement of the abomination of desolation to the act of setting up the
image of the Antichrist (cf. Rev. 13:14–15).[7] Another theory is that there is no gap within
the seven years, but that this extra time allows a period of judgement for all
those who are still alive in the judgment of the nations.[8] Again, though we can’t say for sure.
In fact, the next verse makes it more confusing! We read, “How blessed is he who keeps waiting
and attains to the 1,335 days!” So, now
we have an additional 45 days beyond the 1,290, for a total of 75 days past the
1,260-day mark. Perhaps this period
allows for the shattered Israel to be reestablished and for the nations to be
subjugated for the millennial reign of Christ.[9]
So, here’s one reading that may make sense of this. The original 1,260 days (or 3 ½ years) cover
the period of Antichrist’s dominion and the persecution of the holy people,
ending at the return of Christ. The
extra 30 and 45 days provide a short, fixed interval after the Second Coming
for the cleansing of the land, the judgment of the nations (Matt 25:31–46), the
regathering and restoration of Israel, and the formal inauguration of the
messianic kingdom. Yet, we cannot be
absolutely sure of this until it begins to transpire.
One thing is for sure.
The blessing is pronounced on those who endure through that final
interval and enter the kingdom. They
have seen everything and have proven to be faithful. They will then be blessed to be part of the
inaugurating generation of the greatest kingdom ever known to man!
I’m tempted to take us to v. 13, the final word to
Daniel. He won’t make it that long,
obviously. Even so, note that the same
God who has fixed the days of the tribulation and the interval that follows
also guarantees personal rest, resurrection, and reward for His servant. That brings us back to the blessings of this
period that we considered in vv. 1–3. We’ll
have to reserve full treatment of v. 13 (and a review of the entire book) for
next time, as we conclude this series.
Conclusion
God has sealed some of these details until the end. Even so, He has given us enough to know that
the tribulation is both limited and purposeful.
It refines the wise and hardens the wicked, to the glory of God. Those who endure until the end will be the
blessed of the prophecy.
For the church today: Live with the insight the Word already
supplies. We, too, must endure
faithfully until the end. We can rest in
the certainty that the Lord has already determined the outcome of these events.
Every believer — whether in the tribulation or before it — has
the hope of resurrection and inheritance that Daniel himself is promised.
[1] Matthew Henry, Matthew
Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume, (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1461.
[2] Ibid.
[3] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife
Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Da 12:9.
[4] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The
Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Da 12:8.
[5] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The
MacArthur Study Bible, electronic
ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1249.
[6] Henry, 1462.
[7] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
1985, 1, 1374.
[8] MacArthur, 1250.
[9] Ibid.