The Apostle Paul describes the time of the end very concisely in 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-3. “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first.” Very few of us will deny that the signs of the deepening apostasy are all around us and most Christians believe that very shortly we will be standing in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, when the year 2000 came and passed without event, huge numbers of lukewarm Christians fell by the wayside in their belief of His Coming, as if somehow God had let them down. Interesting isn’t it, that we somehow think God should follow our interpretation of His Prophecy. It just proves that His Word is wrapped up in such an intricately woven veil that truly, only the seasons seem clear to us. Still, one wonders! After all, He caused His Prophet Amos to declare “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3: 7). And Jesus Himself said, “Behold, I have told you before” (Matthew 24: 25). So perhaps it should be obvious that God wants us to read the signs and study the prophecies, to become familiar with His Magnificent Plan. The fact that it is interwoven amongst all the Books of the Bible makes it a most demanding task but through continual study, secrets will emerge. Fortunately, today’s students have the benefit of the tremendous studies of such scholars as Howard Rand, Ivan Panin, Bishop Usher, Frank Dowsett and many others.

Daniel 12 is one of the most overwhelming prophecies in the entire Bible. Certainly, it should give hope to all those who endeavour to walk with Jesus Christ and pause to those who have yet to be drawn to Him. Of course, Daniel 12 ties in with numerous other prophecies throughout the Holy Scriptures but space permits mention of only a few. It is the last of Daniel’s prophecies and relates to the time of great trouble for the descendants of Jacob Israel. In fact, Verse 1 foretells that at this time of unequalled trouble for true Israel, Jesus will return to deliver them. Verse 2 relates to both the First and Second Resurrections, both those who will awake to everlasting life and those who awake to shame and everlasting contempt. Then Daniel is told (Verse 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.” This is a very significant verse in that it refers to a period at the end of the age when travel and increasing knowledge will become very commonplace. A well-known scholar pointed out to me that the word knowledge used in this verse also has the inference of “knowledge of evil” (Strongs’ Concordance #1847). Certainly, we recognize that we are in this “Time of the End” but the question begging an answer is “When did this period begin?” Some suggest the words tie Daniel to Revelation in that John is told in Revelation 1: 3 that “The time is at hand”; meaning that what was sealed with Daniel is now being revealed with John. It’s hard to disagree with this line of thought but perhaps there is another connection that should be explored.

In Verse 5 & 6, Daniel sees two persons standing on each side of a river. One said to the other, who was now upon the waters, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” So now we are faced with a second time reference, the first being a period known as the “time of the end” and then “the end of these wonders,” that is, the pinnacle of the “Time of Trouble and the Resurrection.” In reply, (Verse7) the man clothed in linen, believed by a growing number of Bible students as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, lifts both arms, presumably pointing to the past and future, and refers to a time, times and half of times. Perhaps the quickest way to place “time, times and half a time” into perspective is to refer to Revelation 12: 14 in relation to Revelation 12: 6. Verse 12: 14 gives the time factor as “time, times and half of time” whereas 12: 6 describes the exact same event as a thousand two hundred and threescore days, meaning of course that the two expressions relate to an equivalent time period, i.e. 1,260 days. Then, we have but to refer to Ezekiel 4: 6, “I have apponted thee each day for a year,” and we come up with Jesus pointing to 1,260 years to the future and 1260 years to the past. Taken together, the 2,520 years of Verse 7 was fulfilled in 1917/18 with the liberation of Jerusalem by the British, that is, at the expiration of the seven times punishment imposed upon Israel for disobedience (Leviticus 26: 18). Jerusalem was conquered in 604/603 BC and seven times (7 x 360 years) expired in 1917. Also in Verse 7, the man in linen says, “when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” I’ll briefly touch on this later.

In Verses 8 & 9, Daniel said he doesn’t understand so again he asks what shall be the end of these things. And again he is told to go his way because the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. In Verse 10, the time of the end is described in the sense that many will be purified, that the wicked shall do wickedly, that the wicked won’t understand, but the wise (Bible students) will understand. In Verse 13 Daniel is told to go and wait for the end, that he will rest (in the grave) and will be in the Resurrection. Verse 11 is exceptionally important, “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.” I agree with many of those Bible students who interpret this as 30 days (prophetically 30 years) beyond the 1,260 years that ended in 1917/18, bringing us to 1947/48. The agreement for the Jews to return to Jerusalem was signed in 1947 and the modern Israeli nation was born in 1948. We have to remember that not all Jews are Israelite. Also, that they brought with them to the Holy land a religion based on the tradition of the elders rather than on the Laws of God and the foundation of Jesus Christ. Consequently, to many scholars, the year 1948 marks the establishment of the abomination of desolation.

I must confess that I am at a loss to understand Verse 12, “Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” Perhaps one of you, dear readers, will be able to throw more light upon the verse. Please write us. Some students suggest that the 1335 relates to the number of lunar years (converted to solar years) between 622 A.D. (date of flight of Mohammed from Mecca) to 1917 (Liberation of Jerusalem from Turks), thus the Moslem year 1335 was 1917 on the Christian calendar. Other students say the significance is the 45 years beyond 1290 and add this to 1947/48 and come up with 1992/93, when Britain became a member of the European Community in disobedience to God’s command that she should be separate and not be reckoned among the nations. I suppose either could be the right interpretation but I have difficulty in seeing the significance. As I said, I just don’t know.