This chapter is an appendix to the eleventh chapter and shows the distress that came over Daniel's people {"thy people") the Jews; how Michael, one of the chief princes came to the aid of the righteous Jews, etc.
I will first call the reader's attention to some extracts from the exposition of the twelfth chapter of Uriah Smith's book "Daniel and Revelation."
His exposition of this chapter is the most marvelous conglomeration of fancies a person can think of. When he is going to prove, or thinks he has proved anything, his argumentation rests on such windy premises as these: "The time of trouble of Dan. 12:1, is, according to the view we take, still future." — "Or it might have been expressed in words like these." — Under verse 4 he says, "The 'words' and 'book' here spoken of doubtless refers to." — "Many shall be purified and made white, and tried doubtless describes a process," etc. — "This period is doubtless given to show." — "From the same point, undoubtedly." On so tottering a foundation is he building his expositions of the Lord's prophecies, but nevertheless, the Adventists have accepted his suppositions as their unshakable truth, though none of them understands their real meaning.
Listen to the beginning of Smith's commentary on this chapter: "The time when the king of the north shall plant the tabernacles of his palace in the glorious holy mountain; or, in other words, when the Turk, driven from Europe, shall hastily make Jerusalem his temporary seat of government."
We ask you again to study Daniel's eleventh chapter and try to prove, that the Egyptian king Ptolemy XI Auletes fills the requirements of the prophecy in the 17th verse. If you cannot do this, Rome is excluded from the eleventh chapter, and the Turk from the last verse. Who can prove that Auletes, who died B.C. 51, could have a war, give his daughter in marriage to Caesar in the year B.C. 48; i. e. three years after his death? A dead person cannot do anything on earth, even if he was a king during his lifetime. See the remarks on the previous chapter.
Smith goes on: "Michael is Christ. Michael is called (in Jude 9) the archangel. This means the chief angel, or the head over the angels."
It is true Michael is the chief angel; but where is it written that he is the Christ, or the head over the other angels? Michael is called one of the chief princes in Dan. 10:13 — not the chief.
Concerning Matt. 24:21 where the great tribulation is mentioned, Smith says, "This tribulation, fulfilled in the oppression and slaughter of the church by the papal power, is already past."
What blindness!
The passage refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. "Then they which were in Judaea fled into the mountains. Let him which is on the housetop not come down. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: for then shall be great tribulation." (Verses 16-21.) The word "then" refers to what should follow the events spoken of from the 14th verse, and that they should flee in the days that were to be shortened. (Verse 22.)
This tribulation was fulfilled on the Jews in A.D. 70; and not against the church by papal Rome, which arose several hundred years afterwards.
Luke 21:22,23 makes mention of the same days of vengeance: "For these be days of vengeance. For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon, this people." Which people? We assert that the days of vengeance were intended for the Jews A.D. 70, when Titus murdered 1,100,000 Jews, and this distress cannot apply to any persecution against the church by the papal Rome which did not yet exist.
Smith adds that the tribulation spoken of by Matthew was visited upon the church, but the tribulation in Daniel 12:1 was to come over all people.
This application is wrong in both places, for the angel who spoke to Daniel said that the tribulation should come over the children of "thy" people. Daniel's people were the Jews. And we know that in the year 70 the distress came over the Jews. Adventists, will you admit that your professor is mistaken?
Coming to the fourth verse, Smith says, "The time of the end, as has already been shown, commenced in 1798. As the book was closed up and sealed to that time .... and after that time knowledge shall be increased."
Smith makes the assertion that the vision in Dan. 8:14 shall be to the time of the end, that this time began A.D. 1798 and ended A.D. 1844, a period of forty-six years from the beginning of the end. It is true that the vision should be at the time of the end, but that this time commenced 1798 and ended 1844, is an astounding error.
The fulfillment of the vision began in the Medo-Persian empire about B.C. 538. Alexander the Great, the first king of Greece, was in the vision. He died B.C. 323. Subtract 323 from 538 and we have already a period of 215 years at the death of Alexander. Then we have his divided kingdom, counting from his death (323) to B.C. 30, or 293 years. In the end of that time the little horn should come up. One-half of 293 is 146.5, say 147 years. This time must now be added to 215 years. This gives us a period of 362 years, from the time the vision commenced to the middle of the divided kingdom of Alexander, which was divided by his four generals. But we have not yet come to the time when the little horn should arise, for the angel says that it should arise at the end of their kingdom (Dan. 8:23). We have shown plainly that the little horn in Daniel's eighth chapter is the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, who died in B.C. 164. Our period was 362 years, to the middle of their kingdom. 362 from 538 brings us down to B. C. 176. The difference between 176 and 164 is twelve years. These twelve years must also be added to the former time, that was 362 years, and we get the whole period of the vision, a time of 374 years, from B.C. 538 to 164. The Adventists have come to the conclusion that the time of the vision is forty-six years, from A.D. 1798 to 1844. There is a difference of 2,336 years between us, when the vision commenced, and a difference of 328 regarding the length of the vision from beginning till end. Who is right now? If the Adventists can prove by history that Medo-Persia, which was first in the vision, extended its empire after A.D. 1798; that Alexander had a war with this power and took possession of it; that Alexander died and Greece was divided in four kingdoms; that the little horn came up then and did the works ascribed to it in Daniel's 8th chapter; all this must be crowded into the forty-six years, from A.D. 1798 to 1844. The vision was at the time of the end, and these things mentioned belong to the vision. The vision began 1798 and ended 1844, according to the Adventists. Then these things must take place during the forty-six years. If they have the truth here, it is no wonder that they warn their innocent followers against my propaganda.
"The vision could not be understood before 1798," says Uriah Smith.
Suppose that a person has had a vision several hundred years ago concerning the battle at Manilla Bay between Spain and America. Could the Spaniards not understand this vision before 2,129 years since Admiral Dewey had destroyed their fleet? The whole world knew of it a few hours after the action.
Alexander captured Medo-Persia B.C. 331 through the battle at Arbela. Why could not the Persians understand the vision at that time, but have to wait 2,129 years to A.D. 1798, when Miller, the father of Adventism, began to advocate his fanciful calculations, and till Mrs. White came and supported his folly with her false visions? Can you not see yet, that the vision began in Medo-Persia and that the time of the end was where the vision was being fulfilled? This time was for the ungodly Jews whose transgressions were full at the end of the kingdom of Greece (Dan. 8:23).
As the reader already has noticed, the vision began to be fulfilled more than 500 years before Christ and not 1798 years, A.D. Therefore is all their following contention on the twelfth chapter erroneous from beginning to end. It would be too tedious to go into details. The 2,300 evenings and mornings in Dan. 8:14 are so many years. One time, times and a half time (Dan 12:7), they say are 1,260 years. The 1,390 days in verse 11 are years, and the 1,335 days in verse 12 are years. All these periods are after A.D 1798 and applied to papacy with the exception of Dan. 8:14, that commenced B.C. 457 and ended 1844 when Jesus rode in a carriage within the second veil in the heavenly sanctuary and became our high priest first in A.D. 1844.
Their whole theory is so nauseating and implicated that there is not one Adventist who understands it. The preachers have learned the exposition of Uriah Smith by heart; but they do not understand what they preach, they believe blindly what they have read, and you cannot find a single Adventist who understands these various periods. They believe blindly in their leaders as their preachers believe in Uriah Smith without knowledge of real facts.
When such people who have believed that Rome fills the requirements in Daniel's eleventh chapter, happen to see that Rome cannot come in here, because the foundation upon which they have built their view in verse 17, is a dead king who neither could have a war nor give his daughter in marriage after his death, they always come with this answer, "What shall we do then with Daniel's twelfth chapter?"
A thing that you do not understand does not disprove a fact that you do understand.
You know with certainty that five times seven is thirty-five. Multiplication is nothing else than a repeated addition. If you place five sevens under each other, and add them together, you get the same result. No way of figuring that you do not understand can change the fact that five times seven is thirty-five, which you do understand.
Antiochus Epiphanes fills the requirements of the prophecy in Daniel's eleventh chapter from verse 21 to the end of the chapter as the king in the north, and died B.C. 164 or 163, just as certain as five times seven is thirty-five. The proofs of this statement are invincible. Then we have the key right before us, by the aid of which we can open the first verse of the twelfth chapter which reads as follows:
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
At what time then shall Michael, the great prince, come up? At the time spoken of in the end of the eleventh chapter, when the king in the north who is proved to be Antiochus Epiphanes departed this life, B.C. 164. It is accordingly this time when the angel Michael shall stand up that opens up for us the twelfth chapter.
The Adventists write and preach that Michael here means Christ, and they can hardly do anything else when they believe that the vision was at the time of the end of the world and began A.D. 1798. The vision was at the time of the end of the ungodly Jews, whose transgressions had come to the full in the end of Alexander's divided kingdom, and the vision began in the kingdom of Medo-Persia.
The Bible says that there are many angels. Thousand times thousand makes a million, and ten thousand times ten thousand is hundred millions. The angels who are sent out to serve those who inherit salvation have different ranks and offices. There are cherubim and seraphim, Gabriel, Michael, and archangels. In Jude, verse 9, we see that Michael is an archangel, but that he having contended with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Michael, the archangel, left the judgment to the Lord Jesus.
Concerning the resurrection of the dead, Paul says in 1 Thes. 4: 16, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." If the archangel here is Christ, the trumpet of God is also Christ. Myrberg says in his translation, "He shall give an order with the voice of the archangel." That is plainer. It is necessary to use one's judgment on these occasions or it is easy to be misled.
In John 5:27 we read, "And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."
The 28th verse reads, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice." The voice of Jesus, therefore, shall raise the dead.
Michael is an angel of war, who stands by God's children when they are fighting for the Lord. He is always winning, and loses never in battle. In Dan. 10:13 Michael is called one of the chief princes, not the chief. In the 20th verse Michael says that he was to fight against the prince of Persia, and when he had gone forth the prince of Grecia should come. This Michael is not with us when we are fighting for error.
As Michael is an angel of war, and Christ is coming to judge and fight with righteousness, then it is perfectly fitting that he should give his orders with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God.
Michael was to appear for the children of Daniel's people. For the children of "thy people," the angel said to Daniel. Then there should be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. The words, "thy people," gives us all the information we need, it was concerning the people of Daniel, the Jews, and not the believers at the appearing of the Lord.
Because so many have believed that Dan. 12:1 applies to the second coming of Christ, they have mixed up the verse with Matt. 24:21 where Jesus speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem. "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor even shall be." The Adventists say that one tribulation was for God's people and the other for the world. But where is that written? The great time of trouble spoken of in Dan. 12:1 which the angel mentioned when he spoke with Daniel was for thy (Daniel's) people. If this verse should apply to the believers on Christ at his second advent and Michael was Christ, then the angel would not have said "thy" people but Michael's people, for the angel talked not to Michael but to Daniel.
The tribulation was greater at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in A.D. 70 when one million Jews were murdered.
In Luke 21:23 the same tribulation is referred to, "For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people." Which people? The Jews.
So great a tribulation had not been visited before upon the Jews as when Antiochus Epiphanes murdered many in Jerusalem between B.C. 170 and 164. But in A.D. 70 the tribulation was still greater when Titus put to death 1,100,000 Jews. Jesus adds in Matt. 24:21 that such tribulation should never occur again.
Of "thy people," Daniel's people, all those should be saved whose names were found in the book. In what book were these names written? In the sanctuary in Jerusalem were two books, one for the faithful and one for the ungodly Israelites. These books were open before God's throne and in them their deeds were recorded.
When the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes broke out against the Jews, there were a number of Jews who had their names in the book of believers, but who fell away from Jehovah and deserted the law of God. Others were faithful and kept the commandments, preferring to die than to disobey their God. Their names were not blotted out from the book. Others came under the wrath of Antiochus, as for instance Judas Maccabeus, and others. It was those that Michael, the great prince, came to assist.
In Exodus 32nd chapter we read of the golden calf which Aaron had made while Moses was communing with God on the mount. The people confessed that they had committed a great sin; Moses says in verse 32, "If thou wilt forgive their sin . . . ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." But the Lord is answering Moses, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him I will blot out of my book" (verse 33).
David asks the Lord that he should blot the names of the wicked out of the books of the living, and not write them with the righteous (Ps. 69:28).
Dr. F. W. Farrar says that there were such books open in the earthly sanctuary which are a symbol of those which are spoken of in the heavenly.
Mention is made of the judgment in Rev. 20. John saw both small and great standing before God's throne, and the books were opened; the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
If people would consider that they are their own book keepers and that their deeds are recorded in heaven, according to which they will be judged some day, their actions would probably be a little different from what they often are. May we think of this truth, dear reader, before it is too late.
From Dan. 12:1 we have learned that Michael is a warrior who should defend the children of "thy people," the Jews; that it was the time spoken of at the end of the previous page when the king in the north who was Antiochus Epiphanes was ending his career, which happened in 164 or 163; that those of Daniel's people were going to be saved whose names were not taken out of the book of the righteous which lay open in the sanctuary in Jerusalem. If we make the slightest use of our reason in reading Dan. 12:1, we see without difficulty that there is no question of any other people than the Jews, the people of Daniel. He was one of them, and prayed so earnestly for them. It is natural that God should let him know the destiny of the people he was praying for, and not the people living at the time of the end of the world.
"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (verse 2).
Before this verse many learned theologians have stopped and made many and various explanations, and it is not easy to understand together with other passages dealing with the same subject. But as we said before, a thing that we do not understand does not disprove what we do understand. It is possible that this verse is not correctly translated, or it may have a double meaning. The whole twelfth chapter belongs to the same time as the eighth and the eleventh chapters.
Many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake — not all. When Jesus returns the second time all the believers shall arise in the first resurrection, then this verse does not fit. Others believe that it was fulfilled when Jesus died upon the cross, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose." (Matt. 27:52.)
But those spoken of in Dan. 12:2 arose, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
In Matt. 27:52 there is no mention of unbelievers who arose at the death of Christ.
Dan. 12:2 does not seem to agree with the happenings at the death of Christ. It does not fit the second coming of Jesus, for then all believers who have died in Christ shall arise; but the unbelievers after the thousand years. (Rev. 20:5.) It does not fit after the thousand years. It is standing alone and does not harmonize with other passages that deal with this subject. The verse must in the first place fit the Jews at the time which is spoken of in the end of the eleventh chapter and at the same time that is referred to in 12:1. But it does not seem to fit anywhere, we must therefore leave it as it is and not try to make any application of it. The learned scholars who specialize in the Biblical exegesis may find its proper place at last.
"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever" (verse 3).
The vision in the eighth chapter is the guiding star even in the twelfth chapter and began to be fulfilled several hundred years before Christ and not A.D. 1798. Therefore the exposition given by the Adventists is erroneous, because their foundation is false. To follow all the avenues the Adventists have gone to find support for their views is both for my readers and myself too tiresome. I shall therefore make the synopsis as short as possible.
There is no doubt that the third verse applies to the Jews when the vision was being fulfilled, but it may also be applied to the second coming of Jesus, for such references are repeated.
Antiochus sent his general with 22,000 men to Jerusalem B.C. 167 with order to kill every Jew. Many escaped his anger, however. He tried with flatteries to persuade many to apostate. "But the people that do know their God shall be strong" (Dan. 11:32). "And they that understand among the people shall instruct many" (Verse 33). Judas Maccabeus with his army with which he recaptured Jerusalem instructed many during the time Antiochus raged against the Jews. They that had understanding taught them righteousness, exhorted them under all circumstances to obey God, and not allow anything to seduce them to apostasy which happened with many of them during this time.
When the vision was fulfilled, and Antiochus was dead, then these shone as stars who had during this critical period of six years instructed many to righteousness, recaptured the holy city, and restored the true worship of Jehovah.
"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" (verse 4).
Daniel is exhorted to seal the book to the time of the end. The Adventists say that this time of the end is the same as in Daniel's eight chapter. That is absolutely correct. The end of the vision as well as that of the time was the 2,300 evenings and mornings (Dan. 8:14, 26), which is clearly demonstrated in our exposition of Dan. eighth chapter, and which ended B.C. 164 or 163 when Antiochus died and justice was done the sanctuary through the restoration of divine service.
"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. And one of them said to the man clothed in linen and who stood upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? 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 swore by him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished" (verses 5-7).
To the question, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" the answer is, "It shall be for a time, times and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." Times is plural, meaning two years. The whole time, three and a half years. The Adventists say that this is prophetic time, i. e. every year of 360 days is so many years. 360 times three are 1,080 years, plus a half time (180 years), total 1,260 years. This calculation is not correct according to the chronology in Daniel's book. One time in his book is everywhere one year. Nebuchadnezzar was in the wilderness seven times, seven years. If now one time in Dan. 4:20 is a year, how can it then in 12:7 be 360 years?
Let the laws of the English language designate one year with the term a time. The reader goes to France seven times, seven ordinary years. Afterwards you go to Russia three and a half times, but here it means 1,260 years. Is there any sense in this way of speaking? But that is the way the Adventists have to reason in order to make all ends meet.
In one place it means a year, in another it means 360 years. If it is prophetic time in Dan. 12:7, it is also prophetic time in Dan. 4:20. Seven times, prophetic time, are Seven times 360, making 2,520 years.
Nebuchadnezzar could not have been in the wilderness that long. His hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds claws in seven years (Dan. 4:30). Let us suppose that an eagle's feather is three feet, then his hair was three feet in seven years. Therefore if the growth was uniform it would be 1,080 feet in that time. His hair and beard had been so long that he had tangled himself up among the trees. The chronology in our English Bibles is the same as that of former times. A time corresponds to a year, a day to a year, a day of an evening and a morning was twenty-four hours; a week seven years, a week of evenings and mornings an astronomical week of one hundred and sixty-eight hours. Such time as the Adventists speak of does not exist. They say that you must judge from the context what is best suited for your theory, i. e. so that the message will hang together, that's all.
"At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon." (Dan. 4:29.) Why not say that this also is prophetic time, viz., 360 years? He is becoming too old already.
"In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks." (Dan. 10:2.) As twelve months are a year, so three weeks are twenty-one days. If it was prophetic time, Daniel had not had any "pleasant bread" for twenty-one years. "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days." (Dan. 10:13.)
If the translators had used the expression evenings and mornings where months, weeks and days are meant, many mistakes had been precluded.
When astronomical days of twenty-four hours are meant they have made it so plain that we should understand them literally. But in Dan. 8:14 they have in some translations rendered it evenings and mornings. 2,300 evenings and mornings are six years, four months and twenty days.
Daniel should seal the writing to the time of the end. (Verse 4.) "After a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished" (verse 7). This time is three and a half ordinary years. The first time Antiochus was in Jerusalem (B.C. 170) he murdered 80,000 Jews, burnt a part of the city and brought the most valuable things with him to Syria. Their power was not crushed, for the remaining part of the Jews continued to exercise political power and supported the temple service. But in B.C. 167, when he had sent Apollonius there, all their power was broken, morning and evening sacrifices were abolished. Antiochus gave an order that all his subjects should worship his god, and he who disobeyed this command should be put to death. On the same place where the Lord's altar had been standing Antiochus built a fortress for his idol. This idol is called in the Bible the abomination of desolation and was put up in the year 145 on the fifteenth day, in the ninth month (1 Mace. 1:57). This was Syrian time. They counted their time from B.C. 312. We must subtract 145 from 312 to get our time, which is B.C. 167. Dr. Farrar says that Antiochus was in Jerusalem in June, B.C. 167. The sacrifice was cast down, but it required the time from June to December, which was their ninth month, to build the fortress for their idol. Then the abomination of desolation stood in the holy place, and Jesus predicts in Matt. 24:15 that similar abominations should be repeated at the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70.
When Apollonius made his attack upon the city on a Sabbath day, Judas Maccabeus and his nine brothers escaped (2 Mace. 5:27).
Not long after this the king sent an old man of Antioch that he should force the Jews to fall away from the law of their fathers and keep God's law no longer (2 Mac. 6:1). They put up his idol in several places, and in December 15, B.C. 167, it was placed in Jerusalem. Woe to him who dared to worship any other god if he fell in the hands of the king! By studying the books of the Maccabees the reader will obtain a clear view of the conditions. Here is the man who cast down holidays and laws.
"And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 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." (Dan. 2:8-10.)
From the time Daniel had the vision and to the time of the end was a period of more than 350 years. It was a trying time for the Jews who did not deny their God. They were purified, made white, and tried. They were said to have understanding who did understand the vision.
The Adventists imagine that they are the wise people who understand the vision, though they are as ignorant of its true meaning as I am of the Chinese language. Knowledge should increase at the time of the end. The Adventists have published a book, showing how many inventions have been made these last years and that these apply to the prophecy in question. That our times have witnessed a marvelous growth in this respect no one can deny; but it is only the knowledge of the vision which should increase, and it was great also at the time, although it has been obscured in latter years. All we need to understand is that the time of the end is where the vision is fulfilled. Then we can proceed correctly and understand that the time had reference to the Jews before Christ, and not 2,000 years after Christ.
In the third year of Cyrus Daniel had a vision. The angel said to Daniel, "Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days; for yet the vision is for many days." (Dan. 10:14.) This vision also speaks of wars. Persia and Greece are the leading nations. (Verse 20.) The angel says, "And there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael, your prince." The vision referred to "thy people" (Daniel's people, the Jews), in many days to come. When the vision was being fulfilled in the future and these days were when Persia and Greece had a national existence, a person must be blind if he tries to show that these things were fulfilled after A.D. 1798 and is warning his members for Satan when one is endeavoring by God's grace and true knowledge to show them that they are on a wrong track.
"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. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." (Dan. 12: 11, 12.)
The sanctuary should be cleansed after the 2,300 days (Dan. 8:14). This happened on December 25, B.C. 167, when the first sacrifice was offered since the sacrificial service had been turned down for three and a half years.
If we count backward from December 25, B.C. 164, to December 25, B.C. 167, we get three years; counting six months from December 25, 167, to June 25, 167, we come to the month of June. This corresponds with history and the Books of the Maccabees and Dan. 12:7. But verse twelve has it 1,290 days. Three and a half years are 1,260 days, or thirty days less than 1,290. Verses seven and twelve contradict one another if we do not find out the real meaning. The Jewish year is 360 days. But the astronomical year is 365 days, five hours, forty-eight minutes, and forty-eight seconds. This causes an extra month every fifth year. When the angel expressed the time in years it was three and a half years. But when there was a question of exact days he says 1,290, just thirty days more, as an extra month was added to the year. Our leap year is an illustration of this additional month. "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days" (verse 12). 1,290 days are forty-five less than 1,335. Antiochus had determined to put to death every man in Palestine, and to send another class of people to inhabit the same. Although the Jews were victorious in the battles against the king, capturing Jerusalem and other points, they were not happy or secure before forty-five days later, and why? Yes, Antiochus died. The Jews had had a terrible experience during these six and a half years. But blessed was he who persevered in his faith. Their joy was great when they gathered in the holy place again. The blessing was considerably greater when they heard that he who had murdered so many, sold their wives and children, cast down their sanctuary, abolished the evening and morning sacrifices, was dead at last; it was a time of general rejoicing among the Jews. The death of Antiochus occurred in February, B.C. 163. The majority of the historians say that Antiochus died in B.C. 164, probably because it occurred so early in the year 163.
Finally the angel says to Daniel, "But go thou away till the end be : for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of days" (verse 13).
The strongest support for the doctrine of Christ's return was the 2,300 days, Mrs. White says. This time of the end was when she saw Jesus riding in a flaming carriage within the veil, becoming our high priest then, although the holy scriptures teach us that he became that since he had gained for us everlasting salvation. When Jesus began his mediatorial office in 1844 the investigative judgment also commenced. This is their most important doctrine.
Uriah Smith says in "Daniel and Revelation" (page 394), "How did Daniel at that time stand in his lot? Answer: In the person of his advocate, our great high priest, as he presents the cases of the righteous for acceptance to his Father. And when Daniel's case comes up for examination, he is found righteous, stands in his lot, is assigned a place in the heavenly Canaan."
A person who does not know the truth will have to use all kinds of speculations to make out his case.
It is said that Daniel should arise. But he did not arise in 1844, even if the 2,300 days had ended then. Jesus began to cleanse the sanctuary in A.D. 1844, according to the Adventists. It was the same sanctuary which was to be cleansed after the 2,300 days that was cast down at this time. Who had cast down or defiled the heavenly sanctuary? The best advice I can give you, Adventists, is to cleanse your own prophecies. God is abundantly able to take care of his sanctuary in heaven and keep it pure.
Although Daniel was a holy and good man he will have to wait for his resurrection till the time when all other worthy ones are going to rise at the first resurrection. If the end of the days had any reference to the 2,300 days, this verse would come in conflict with the second coming of Christ everywhere.
In our study of Daniel's twelfth chapter we have found the following facts:
It is very easy to see that Daniel's twelfth chapter was fulfilled, when the vision was fulfilled, that it was during the time of the Jews, and that the vision did not extend beyond B.C. 164, when the temple was cleansed and Antiochus Epiphanes died.
As it has been proved that the first verse refers to the last verse of the eleventh chapter, and that the whole twelfth chapter is dealing with the Jews, it is reasonable to infer that the second verse also belongs to the same period and the same people, though it is very difficult to understand in its present form. I will nevertheless say what I believe in regard to this difficult passage. But please note that this is only what I believe, without pretending to know with certainty. If the dust of the earth here may be taken in a figurative sense, it can be taken as indicating the spiritual condition of the Jews when the persecution broke out against them. They were sleeping in their sins in the dust, in their worldly cares, but now they woke up. Some rallied to the Lord's side and fought for the principles of righteousness. These awoke to everlasting life. Others fell victims to the abominations of Antiochus, those awoke to shame and everlasting contempt. The verse may have a double meaning. Anyone can make mistakes in his efforts to interpret this difficult chapter. Many translators and learned commentators have given it up in despair, but I hope the reader has received some help or suggestions from perusing the views I have aimed to bring forth.