The Christ in Prophecy Journal

The Mighty Angels of Daniel 12: Prophesy a Puzzle

MP3: The Mighty Angels of Daniel 12 Continued
Hosts: Nathan Jones & Vic Batista

Prophesy a Puzzle

Nathan Jones: God’s mighty messenger angel finished up God’s message to the old prophet Daniel with a mathematical puzzle. Daniel 12:11-12 reads:

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the 1,335 days.”

The angel provided Daniel with a few more clues to answer the prophet’s question in verse 8, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” The reason for the question derives from Daniel’s confusion over the timing of the last days prophecies the angel relayed over the preceding three chapters. Daniel clearly didn’t understand what the prophecies meant and when they were to occur. In truth, these prophesies continue to remain a challenge to us today when it comes to their interpretation.

Vic Batista: The angel relayed a whole lot of information, even jumping across history thousands of years between events, from those events being fulfilled during the Intertestamental time period to what still remains future us in our day — the Tribulation.

Nathan Jones: Daniel 10-12 stands out as one prophetically meaty section in the Bible! Understanding the passage requires familiarity with other prophetic books, such as Revelation.

The key to understanding the angel’s puzzle is the daily sacrifices. One day the Jewish people will regain control of the Temple Mount. The Second Temple was completed in 512 BC, but destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Since the designation “end times” and “last days” refer to the days leading up to and through the Tribulation culminating in Christ’s return to set up His kingdom, then the angel was indicating the building of a Third Temple.

That means that someday soon the Islamic Dome of the Rock will be removed from holding the Temple Mount hostage, and a rebuilt Jewish Temple will rest on its historic spot. Building plans for the Third Temple and all the construction materials have already been prepared. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem is all equipped and ready to build the Third Temple. Once the Temple has been restored to its rightful position, the sacrificial system will begin again. Judaism still believes in the sacrificial system as they haven’t accepted Jesus as their Messiah yet.

When two angels asked the messenger angels in verse 7 a similar question as Daniel had, the mighty angel answered, “that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.” We learned previously that the term “time” equals a year, so the angel was answering with 3.5 years, or in months 42 months, or in days 1,260 days, based on a 30-day month.

We also learned back in Daniel 9 the prophecy of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. This prophecy foretells the worst time period to ever befall the world, and it will last for a seven year stretch. And, at the mid-point of the seven years, after the first “time, times and half a time,” we learn that an “abomination of desolation” will occur at the Temple.

A foreshadowing of this Tribulation-era abomination was foretold in Daniel 11 and fulfilled centuries after Daniel by Antiochus Epiphanes, the mad Greek leader who desecrated the Second Temple. History relays that in his attempt to force the pagan Greek culture on the Jews, Antiochus sacrificed an unclean swine on the Temple’s altar and set put up a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies. During the Tribulation, the Antichrist will commit the same heinous transgression as Antiochus did by also setting up his own abomination of desolation. He too will desecrate the Temple and set up a “living image” of himself in the Holy of Holies to be worshiped by the world.

Vic Batista: Matthew 24 and Revelation 13 provide further details about this abomination of desolation.

Nathan Jones: Yes, Jesus Himself brought the topic up, and in doing so, Jesus confirmed the book of Daniel by referencing it. We can trust the truth of the prophecies contained in the book of Daniel, because Jesus Himself confirmed them.

We can trust the truth of the prophecies contained in the #BookofDaniel, because #Jesus Himself confirmed them. #BibleProphecy Click To Tweet

The first segment of this series on the mighty angels of Daniel began with a tragic back story. In the eighty-seventh segment, we’ll try to decipher how God will use an extra 75 prophesied days.

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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

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