Daniel 12

 

Several more non-reversing vavs in this chapter, also underlined.

וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יַעֲמֹד מִיכָאֵל הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל הָעֹמֵד עַל־בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְהָיְתָה עֵת צָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נִהְיְתָה   12:1

  מִהְיוֹת גּוֹי עַד הָעֵת הַהִיא וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יִמָּלֵט עַמְּךָ כָּל־הַנִּמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר׃

Dani. 12:1   “And at that time the great prince, Michael, shall stand, who stands on behalf of the children of your people, and it shall be a time of trouble that will not have been since a nation existed until that time, and at that time all of your people who will be found written in the book shall be delivered.”

Bible scholars and commentators assume this verse is continued from the last verse of the previous chapter.  They assume that the last chapter contains the words of one of the angels.  I have assumed instead that Daniel dictated another of his visions in Chapter 11 and this chapter continues from the end of Chapter 10, where Gabriel was speaking to Daniel.  Notice the phrase “your people” in this verse.   The “your” in that phrase, being singular, is evidence for my assumption.  It is obvious here that the angel is speaking directly to Daniel as he was in that chapter.  Except for the fact that this chapter is an obvious end to the book of Daniel, I might think it should really be inserted before Chapter 11.  However here’s what I am suggesting:  The narrative should follow the order Chapter 11, Chapter 10, Chapter 12.  Notice also that this verse and much of the rest of the chapter speaks directly to the end of time, when souls will rise again.  It, like much of this book, does not relate to mundane time.

                                                                                                                       [Return to Dani. 11:3]

וְרַבִּים מִיְּשֵׁנֵי אַדְמַת־עָפָר יָקִיצוּ אֵלֶּה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְאֵלֶּה לַחֲרָפוֹת לְדִרְאוֹן עוֹלָם׃   12:2

Dani. 12:2   “And many of the sleepers of the dusty ground shall awaken, some to life everlasting, and some to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence.”

וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִים יַזְהִרוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים כַּכּוֹכָבִים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד׃   12:3

Dani. 12:3   “And those having insight shall shine as the light of the firmament and those turning the many to righteousness shall be as the stars forever and ever.”

וְאַתָּה דָנִיֵּאל סְתֹם הַדְּבָרִים וַחֲתֹם הַסֵּפֶר עַד־עֵת קֵץ יְשֹׁטְטוּ רַבִּים וְתִרְבֶּה הַדָּעַת׃   12:4

Dani. 12:4   “Now you, Daniel, keep close the words and seal the book until the end time; many shall run to and fro as the knowledge will be increased.”

The implication here is that these prophesies are meant to be esoteric and impossible to understand.  That knowledge will come gradually to us as time progresses.

וְרָאִיתִי אֲנִי דָנִיֵּאל וְהִנֵּה שְׁנַיִם אֲחֵרִים עֹמְדִים אֶחָד הֵנָּה לִשְׂפַת הַיְאֹר וְאֶחָד הֵנָּה לִשְׂפַת הַיְאֹר׃   12:5

Dani. 12:5   Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one here toward the bank of the river and the other there toward the bank of the river.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָאִישׁ לְבוּשׁ הַבַּדִּים אֲשֶׁר מִמַּעַל לְמֵימֵי הַיְאֹר עַד־מָתַי קֵץ הַפְּלָאוֹת׃   12:6

Dani. 12:6   And one said to the one wearing the linens who was above the waters of the river, “How much longer shall the end of the wonders be?”

וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת־הָאִישׁ לְבוּשׁ הַבַּדִּים אֲשֶׁר מִמַּעַל לְמֵימֵי הַיְאֹר וַיָּרֶם יְמִינוֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם   12:7

וַיִּשָּׁבַע בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם כִּי לְמוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי וּכְכַלּוֹת נַפֵּץ יַד־עַם־קֹדֶשׁ תִּכְלֶינָה כָל־אֵלֶּה׃

Dani. 12:7   And I heard the one wearing the linens who was above the waters of the river, as he lifted his right hand and his left hand to the heavens and swore by the One living forever that in a time, times and a half, and after the completion of the shattering of the power of the holy people shall all these wonders be finished.

See Dani. 7:25 for an Aramaic version of the phrase time, times and a half.  It makes no more sense there than it does here.  And what does the phrase “shattering of the power of the holy people” mean?

וַאֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי וְלֹא אָבִין וָאֹמְרָה אֲדֹנִי מָה אַחֲרִית אֵלֶּה׃   12:8

Dani. 12:8   Now I had heard, but could not understand, so I said, “My lord, What shall be after these things?”

Well!  Even Daniel didn’t understand.

וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ דָּנִיֵּאל כִּי־סְתֻמִים וַחֲתֻמִים הַדְּבָרִים עַד־עֵת קֵץ׃   12:9

Dani. 12:9   And he said, “Go, Daniel, for the words are being kept close and sealed until the end time.”

יִתְבָּרֲרוּ וְיִתְלַבְּנוּ וְיִצָּרְפוּ רַבִּים וְהִרְשִׁיעוּ רְשָׁעִים וְלֹא יָבִינוּ כָּל־רְשָׁעִים וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִים יָבִינוּ׃   12:10

Dani. 12:10   “Many shall purify themselves and be whitened and refined, and the wicked shall act wickedly and none of the wicked will understand, but those having insight will understand.”

וּמֵעֵת הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד וְלָתֵת שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם יָמִים אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים׃   12:11

Dani. 12:11   “And from the time of the removal of the continual [burnt offering] and the setting up of the detestable appalling thing shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה וְיַגִּיעַ לְיָמִים אֶלֶף שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה׃   12:12

Dani. 12:12   Happy shall be he who is waiting and will reach to the one thousand two hundred and thirty-five days.

What might be the significance of the following fifty-five days?  I’m guessing that Daniel had no idea of its meaning either.

וְאַתָּה לֵךְ לַקֵּץ וְתָנוּחַ וְתַעֲמֹד לְגֹרָלְךָ לְקֵץ הַיָּמִין׃   12:13

Dani. 12:13   “Now you go, and you shall rest to the end.  Then you shall arise to your lot in the end of time.”

 

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