Deeper Reflection
Daniel 12 begins with “Now at that time” (Dan 12:1a). What is this “at that time”? Daniel 10 to 12 is a single prophetic-theological vision given to Daniel in King Cyrus’ third year (Dan 10:1). God sent a heavenly being to Daniel “to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days…the days yet future” (Dan 10:14). This future of God’s people “is inscribed in the Book of Truth” (Dan 10:21) – the contents of which are narrated in Daniel 11: the conflicts between the South Kingdom and the North Kingdom of post-Alexander Greece (Dan 11:2-20), which climax with Antiochus’ blasphemous opposition against God and brutal persecution of God’s people (Dan 11:21-35). Then there will arise the future final Antiochus-like anti-God king (Dan 11:36-45) – the New Testament antichrist (2 Thess 2:3-4; 1 Jn 2:18).The “at that time” (Dan 12:1) is “the interval between the beginning and the end of the conflict” mentioned in verse 45.¹³ The beginning is the antichrist’s invasion of God’s people – “the beautiful Holy Mountain” and the end is the antichrist’s miserable demise – “his end”. The interval is “a time of distress such as never occurred” before (Dan 12:1). Jesus also speaks of this unprecedented “tribulation” that His disciples will suffer (Mk 13:19). We must expect and be ready for this unparalleled “time of distress”. It is a divine necessity for us to “be distressed by various trials” that we may grow in faith and perseverance by anchoring in and living by the Word of God (1 Pet 1:6-7; Jas 1:2-4). This prepares us spiritually for the unprecedented “time of distress”.

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¹² Psalms 25:1, 16-20 ¹³ Joyce G. Baldwin, Daniel, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (IVP, 1978), 203