1. Memphis Eschatology Conference 2016
Daniel 12

2. The Book of Daniel
The book of Daniel is a book of prophecy that outlines the history between the time of Babylonian captivity to the time of the Roman Empire. It serves as an excellent example of the inspiration of scriptures and of God’s foreknowledge.
The book’s main purpose is to reveal the time in which the cup of iniquity would be filled, sins for the world would be forgiven, man would be reconciled to God, everlasting righteousness would be brought in, all prophecy would be fulfilled, and the Most Holy would be anointed (Daniel 9:24).
These are all things that have to do with God establishing His everlasting kingdom with judgement and justice in the time of the Roman Empire.
The days in which these things would be fulfilled for Daniel’s people and Daniel’s holy city are called the “last days.”

3. Introduction to Daniel 12
Whose people would these things be concerning? Whose latter days?
Daniel’s people were the Jews.
Romans 9:3-4
Daniel 12:1 – “At that time”
Whatever confusion there may be regarding this statement, all of it is cleared up by Jesus’s inspired commentary on Daniel 12 in Matthew 24. After all, he wrote this book! (I Peter 1:10-12)
Regardless of how we attempt to explain “at that time”, it cannot contradict what Jesus said in Matthew 24.

4. Why Study Daniel 12?
When we think about the “end times” events, several major events come to our mind. All of these can be found in Daniel 12!
The Second Coming of Christ (1)
The Resurrection (2-3)
The Judgement (2-3)
The End (4)
With these four also come the other events that are associated with the end in different paradigms.
The Tribulation (1)
The Kingdom (3)
The Abomination of Desolation (11)

5. Daniel 12 “Quick” Exegesis (1-4)
Verse 1
“At that time” refers to the last days.
The great tribulation, which was greater than any other tribulation, would take place in these days.
It would be Jesus that would stand for those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Verse 2
During the time of the deliverance, the resurrection of the just and the unjust would take place.
The just would be resurrected to eternal life.
The unjust would be resurrected to damnation.

6. (1-4) Verse 3 The righteous would shine bright in the kingdom of God.
This light is the light of life that can only be found in Christ.
Verse 4
The preceding prophecies would not be fulfilled until the end – which concerned Daniel’s people and Daniel’s holy city.
The scripture says “time of the end” – not “the end of time.” Such a phrase cannot be found in the Bible.

7. (5-7)
Verse 5-6
Two other figures appear in addition to the one revealing the vision.
One of the figures asks for information concerning the duration of these wonders.
Verse 7
The man clothed in linen lifts both hands indicating the truthfulness of his statement.
He also swears by God that is testimony is true.
The events would take 3 ½ years to be accomplished.

8. (5-7)
The thing that would mark the end of the events would be the shattering of the power of the holy people.
Who were Daniel’s holy people?
What is the power of a Christian?
Will the gospel ever pass away? (Romans 1:16)
The holy people were obviously the Jews.
Their power was their covenant with God.
The covenant was manifested by the holy city and the temple in particular: Jeremiah 7:4.

9. (8-10) Verse 8-9 Daniel heard the answer, but he did not understand.
I Peter 1:10-12 shows us that the prophets did not always understand messages that were given to them concerning the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
If they had trouble understanding these things, shouldn’t we be careful to not jump to conclusions that “dust means dust?”

10. (8-10)
Verse 10
This would be a time when the “trying of faith” would work patience in some, but the love of many would grow cold.
The wicked would not grasp the significance of these events, but the wise would.
What is so hard to understand about bodies coming out of the ground?
What is so hard to understand about the earth burning up and time coming to a close?

11. (11-13)
Verse 11-12
Caesar’s sacrifice was refused on the 3rd of Ab, AD 66. From that point, it was 1,290 days until Titus marched from Alexandria and assembled his armies at Caesarea on the 3rd of Adar, AD 69.
45 days later, Titus established camp at Jerusalem on the 18th of Nisan, AD 70. (Simmons, 305)
Verse 13
At the end of the days that was just discussed – at the shattering of the power of the holy people – Daniel would rise to receive his inheritance.
Why should the days in verse 13 be anything different than the verses that Daniel just recorded?

12. Focus Points for the Rest of Our Lesson
Matthew 24 Comparison
The Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust
The Wicked Wouldn’t Understand

13. Matthew 24 Comparison
Christ brings deliverance: Daniel 12:1 | Matthew 24:30
Great Tribulation: Daniel 12:1 | Matthew 24:21
Resurrection: Daniel 12:2-3 | Matthew 24:31
Judgement: Daniel 12:2-3 | Matthew 24:37-44
The End: Daniel 12:4 | Matthew 24:14
Knowledge Shall Increase: Daniel 12:4 | Matthew 24:14
Shattering of the Holy People’s Power: Daniel 12:7 | Matthew 24:29
Many Refined by Tribulation: Daniel 12:10 | Matthew 24:12-13
The Wise VS the Wicked: Daniel 12:10 | Matthew 24:15
Abomination of Desolation: Daniel 12:11 | Matthew 24:15
Inheritance Given: Daniel 12:13 | Matthew 24:45

14. The Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust
John 5:28-29
This passage is often understood because the context in rarely noticed. This text has turned into a proof text for those who promote the idea of a physical resurrection. In fact, most miss the reference to Ezekiel 37:12! This is the time when the “bones shall flourish!” (Isaiah 66:14).
John 5:24-27
There are three indisputable facts that we need to notice about these verses.
Fact: those who obey Christ’s teachings pass from death to life (that’s resurrection; see I John 3:14).
Fact: the hour had arrived in the first century where the dead were being raised by responding to the call of the gospel.
Fact: This resurrection life is found in Christ (Acts 4:1-2).

15. Resurrection Continued
What was the present hour and what was the coming hour? Had Jesus defined that for us anywhere in the Bible?
Yes! One Chapter earlier!
John 4:21-24
The hour was coming when nobody could worship God in Jerusalem because it would be completely destroyed. The Jerusalem does not have the same covenantal meaning that it did 2000 years ago.
The hour had arrived that true worshippers could worship God in “every place” as opposed to the “this place” that Solomon built (compare I Kings 8:29ff with I Corinthians 1:2).
The hour that was coming would the time in which the power of the holy people would be completely shattered. John said, “it is the last hour” (I John 2:18).

16. Resurrection Continued
Acts 24:14-15
Paul’s teaching of the resurrection came from the Law and the Prophets. (By the way: Daniel prophesied of the time when all vision and prophecy would be fulfilled. Jesus – in connection with the abomination of desolation – said that all things written would be fulfilled! Daniel 9:24 and Luke 21:22.
The Old Testament passage that deals with the resurrection of the just and the unjust is Daniel 12:1-2. Because Paul’s hope came from the Law and the Prophets, we can be sure that he was not taking the passage out of context.
We see then that both John 5:28-29 and Acts 24:14-15 would be fulfilled when the power of the holy people would be completely shattered.

17. The Wicked Wouldn’t Understand
Again, we must ask:
What is so hard to understand about bodies coming out of the ground?
What is so hard to understand about the earth burning up and time coming to a close?
This is a common trend in passages dealing with the end.
Matthew 13:11-17 (Isaiah 6:11)
Matthew 24:15
II Timothy 2:15

18. Conclusion
We see then that Daniel 12 is unavoidably connected to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Since Daniel 12 would be fulfilled at the overthrow of Judaism, we can be certain that John 5, Acts 24, and other similar passages are concerning the same time.
Daniel 12’s link with Matthew 24 further solidifies what we have already invariably proven.