The Bible says in Daniel 12:4, But thou, O
Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many
shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
I think that in the first part of verse 4 Daniel is being told that this is the
last of the information that is being revealed to him. God does not reveal
everything. He only reveals pieces and parts of the future that He wants us to
know. But a couple of more details are given about the time of the end.
First it says that many shall run to and
fro. Perhaps this speaks of the technological
advances of the past one hundred fifty years with the invention of trains,
automobiles, and airplanes that allow people to be constantly on the move, or
perhaps it refers symbolically to the fact that human beings are not at peace
and not at rest. There was a time when people traveled rarely, if ever, more
than a few miles beyond the place where they lived. As you look at the world
around you, can you conclude that the prophecy given to Daniel is true? Can you
see that the time of the end is when many
shall run to and fro in the earth?
The time of the end shall also be a
time when knowledge shall be increased. Just as with transportation,
knowledge has exploded in just the past one hundred fifty years. In every field
that you can think of man now knows many times more than he knew for all the
previous thousands of years of human history. Look at what has been learned
about diseases and modern medicine, electricity, computers, atomic energy,
telephones, televisions, space travel, architecture in the building of
sky-scrapers and bridges, and much more. Yes, knowledge has increased and will
continue to increase. It has happened because it says right here in Daniel
chapter twelve that it would happen. Too bad that man has not learned to
properly use this knowledge. Too bad that as knowledge has increased, so has
the wickedness of man on the earth. That is why this world and its political
and religious systems are heading towards a very bad ending. Knowledge is not
enough. Wisdom is also needed and only God can give that.
The Bible says in Daniel 12:5-6, Then I
Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the
bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.[6]
And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the
river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
In verse six Daniel asked the question that everyone wants to know: when will
the end be? Will it be today or a hundred years from now? When will it be? The
disciples of Christ asked that same question in Matthew 24:3, And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples
came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? It also says in Acts 1:6-7, When they therefore were come together, they asked of
him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel?[7] And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the
times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
This is the answer that the angel gave
to the question that Daniel asked. It says in Daniel 12:7, And I heard
the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held
up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth
for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall
have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things
shall be finished. The only definite date that is given to Daniel will be
known to those who are alive during the Great Tribulation, but to no one else.
We know that the rapture can occur at any moment, but we do not know when it
will occur. But once the great tribulation has started, and then once the
Abomination of desolation has occurred at the middle of the Great Tribulation,
then we know that three and half years remain until the end of the Great
Tribulation and until the return of Christ. For example, if the Rapture of the
believers was to take place today, in approximately 3 ½ years would be the
Abomination of Desolation, and 3 ½ years after that would be the return of
Christ. Notice that we are told to look for the Abomination at the middle of
the Tribulation to be our signal-point to start counting 3 ½ more years. We are
told this both here in Daniel and in the teachings of Jesus in Matthew chapter
24. That is probably because no one who is alive art that time will really know
that the Great Tribulation has started. The Christians will know, but they will
no longer be in the earth because they will all be transported to heaven in the
rapture just before the Tribulation starts. Also, the antichrist initially
comes into power rather quietly, using common political methods to acquire his
initial power through the making of promises and alliances with other leaders.
As some people become saved during the first half of the Great Tribulation and
as they study the Bible, they will come to understand the significance of the
Abomination of Desolation; and then when the antichrist commits that act of
desecration and blasphemy in Jerusalem, it will be known that there are three
and a half years left until the return of Christ, and so that generation of
believers will know the exact dates of those events.
It says in Daniel 12:8-9, And I heard,
but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these
things?[9] And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up
and sealed till the time of the end. Once again Daniel
asks the question that we would all like to know, and once again Daniel is
given the same answer that everyone will be given, except for those believers who
are alive during the Great Tribulation.
The Bible says in Daniel 12:10, Many shall
be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and
none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
We can say that this describes the world that we live in today, and we can also
say that it describes the spiritual circumstances of what it will be like
during the last days and the period of the Great Tribulation. When it comes to
the spiritual characteristics of man, some things do not change. All human
beings are sinners, no matter what age they live in. All human beings need
Jesus as Savior no mater what age they live in. Why is the world so messed up?
Why do so many people lie? Why are there so many murders, and molestations, and
wars? The answer is found right here in Daniel 12:10, the wicked shall do wickedly. The reason that they do wickedly is given here also: it
is because of their lack of understanding. Yes, they know the ways of the
world, and they know about material things, and they know the ways of human
beings; but they do not know Jesus Christ. No matter what country they are
from, no matter what is their religious background, and no matter what is their
level of education; at the core of the wickedness of this world are the
billions of people who do not know Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in Daniel 12:11-13, 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.[12]
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five
and thirty days.[13] But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt
rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. As we stated
before, when we say that the Great Tribulation is a seven year period, we do
not mean that it must be exactly seven years to the day. It is probably seven
years rounded off to the nearest year and might be off by a couple of weeks or
even a couple of months. Three and a half years equals 1,277 days. Therefore,
what accounts for the 1,290 days after the taking away of the daily sacrifice, and the abomination that maketh desolate? We know that the abomination
that maketh desolate will occur in the middle
of the Great Tribulation at the 3 ½ years mark per. Most of the seven years will be characterized
from a traditional Jewish standpoint by the daily sacrifice being taken away,
followed by the abomination of desolation. This is recounted clearly in Daniel
8:13-14. The combination of the two events is a situation in which the
sanctuary is trodden under foot.
If you are alive during the period of
the Great Tribulation and live to see the Abomination of Desolation, then you
will know that there are 3 ½ years until the return of Christ. Two periods of
time counted in exact days are given to Daniel: the first is 1,290 days and the
second is 1,335 days. Without a doubt one of these is the date that Christ
returns, probably the first date. Remember that when He returns, He fights the
enemies of God in the Battle of Armageddon, is set up as the King on the throne
of David in
The last verse of the book of Daniel
is not only written to Daniel, but is written to every believer as an
instruction of how to live life on this earth until Jesus returns. It says, But go thou
thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end
of the days. Daniel is told, go thy way. Each believer has his or
her own distinct path in life that is Gods will. Hopefully, you are
surrendered to Gods will and you seek Gods will in order to find and stay on
your way. There are certain characteristics about the way that are the same for
all believers. Jesus said in Matthew 7:14, Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it. For how long should we
walk the straight and narrow way, stay in fellowship with Jesus, and keep
confessing and forsaking our sins? The answer to that is obvious: we will do it
all the way to the end. We must go in with both feet: all the way. We must
proceed on the path that Jesus gives us no matter what we suffer, or what we
lose, or what opposition comes against us. That is our priority: to know what
He wants us to do and where He wants us to be. That is His priority too: that is
why He shows every believer which way to go in life. Using the Word of God and
the Holy Spirit, some how and some way the Lord will speak to every believer at
various times in our lives and say, This is the way. Walk ye in it. Just make
sure that when He shows you that you follow Him.
Once we have served Jesus all the way
to the end, we are told two important details about eternity: 1. It will be a
time of rest. Of course, this implies that our current existence is not a time
of rest. It is a time of work: work for the master. That is what walking in
the way in this life is all about: doing the work that the Master has for us
to do. Jesus said in John 9:4 about His life on this earth, I must work
the works of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no man can
work. 2. Once we do enter eternity, notice in Daniel 12:13 that
Daniel was told to stand in thy lot at the end of the days. The word
lot means allotment. In other words something is set aside and prepared for
Daniel in eternity. This has to do with rewards that we will earn. Yes, we are
saved by faith and faith alone, but there is also such a thing as rewards for a
believer; and the rewards have to do with out service to Christ in this life.
Serve the Lord Jesus all the way to the end, and then you will enter into the
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2014 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved