A"nd 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" (Daniel 12:1). Michael is an archangel who stands for God’s people.

“And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” This is referring to the 3-1/2 years of Great Tribulation, the last 3-1/2 years of the Antichrist’s seven-year reign. Jesus also specifically mentions this terrible period of time. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

"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. 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" (Daniel 12:2-3).

Here we have the second Coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection and rapture of the saints, which occurs "immediately after the tribulation of those days." (See Matthew 24:29-31; 1Corinthians 15:51-52; 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17.)

We are told that those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:2,3.) Those who have won many to righteousness will shine as the stars.

We don’t earn salvation, we can’t work for salvation–it’s a gift! But we can receive praise and commendation from the Lord, His “Well done, good and faithful servant.… Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

"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" (v. 4).

The Lord told Daniel to close up the book and seal up the prophecy until the End: It’s been almost 2,500 years that the Book of Daniel has been virtually a sealed book, and it’s only very recently that men have begun to understand the prophecies that Daniel received from the Lord. Although they had the Bible for so many thousands of years, they still didn’t understand Endtime Bible Prophecy. But now we’re supposed to open the book, break the seals and read and understand it!--Because we are living in the time of the end!

“Many shall run to and fro,” literally means speeding about, here and there, and today we not only drive at enormous speeds and cover great distances in our automobiles, but a jet can fly around the world in 24 hours, and a spacecraft circles the planet in 80 minutes. Never in all of world history have people traveled the distances, the speeds, or with the frequency that hundreds of millions are traveling today. Truly many are running to and fro, just like God said they would in the “time of the end.”

“Knowledge shall be increased.” It is with good cause that the term “information overload” was coined in recent years. If the amount of information currently available is an indication of all the knowledge available, knowledge has increased within our generation almost beyond imagination! Look how much man’s knowledge increased from 1800 A.D. to today!

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. Two more, somebody besides the one that was talking to Daniel apparently-“the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.” Now he sees two more Angels or helpful spirits.

Verse 6: And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? In other words one of the angels is asking, “How long is it going to be to the End?” The End of the World, Man’s World, and the other angel said,

Verse 7: 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 sware by him that liveth forever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

This word “time” here meant more specifically a year. It shall be for a time”--one year--“times”--two years--“and a half-a-time”. Here’s that 3-1/2 years of Great Tribulation again that scripture speaks of so often! So how long will it be to the end of these things?--He says, 3-1/2 years! “and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”

The Antichrist, is making war on the mighty and the holy people (Christians) and he’s destroying their temporal power, their political power, their financial power. It doesn’t say completely kill all the holy people, he doesn’t say completely abolish them, but to scatter their power during this 3-1/2 years of Great Tribulation. (Revelation 13:7; Daniel 7:21, 25; 8:24)

Verse 8: And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? Daniel still didn’t understand! Now, Daniel asks the Lord as he really wants to know when is the real end going to be? Not just the end of the 3-1/2 years of the Great Tribulation, which Daniel didn’t understand, but the end of all events that are going to happen at the end of the World as we now know it.

Verse 9: And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. In other words, He’s telling Daniel he wouldn’t understand because the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Why are we beginning to understand the prophecies that Daniel received, because we are living in the Time of the End!

Verse 10: 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.

The wise are going to be purified, made white and tried. Christians will have to go through persecution, trials, tribulations, troubles, through the Great Tribulation! (Daniel 11:35) But the wise will understand what is happening in the Time of the End and “…the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many:… (Daniel 11:32-33) The people of the world who reject the Bible will not understand the endtime events that are taking place in the Time of the End!

Now the Lord in verse 11 begins to answer Daniel’s question in verse 8…. “O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?”, which again cover the 3-1/2 years of Great Tribulation that we read in verse 7 of this chapter with additional information in verse 11

Verse 11: 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.

Halfway through the Antichrist seven-year reign, the Antichrist breaks the 7 year covenant and takes away the “Daily sacrifice” that refers to the ritual of Jewish faith in which the blood or flesh of a specified animal is offered in the Temple to God as a substitute payment for sin. (Daniel 9:27; 8:11;11:28,30-31) The “abomination of desolation” that is set up appears to be an image or large computerized Android of the Antichrist. The Antichrist government demands that the entire world worship the Antichrist and his “image”. (Revelation 13:14-15)

A mandatory economic system is put in place, by which everyone is compelled to receive the “mark of the Beast (666)” possibly a chip implant in the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16-18). This time period is known as the 3-1/2 years of Great Tribulation. It says 42 months in Revelation 13:5 and 1260 days in Revelation 11:3 and 12:6, which is 3-1/2 years. (Footnote: The Ancient Jewish Calendar year averages out to 360 days per year. So if you multiply 360, by 3-1/2 years, you get 1260 days.)

At the end of the final three and a half years or 1260 days --“immediately after the tribulation of those days” Jesus returns in the clouds of Heaven , and all of God’s saved children will be gloriously resurrected in what is known as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Rapture. (Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelation 1:7; 1Corinthians 15:51-52; 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17)

In this prophecy in verse 11 it gives us a time period of 1290 days, that extends 30 days longer than the 1260 days of the Great Tribulation and the coming of the Lord. We know from the Book of Revelation that two main events occur immediately after the Rapture. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, where the Christians will have a grand celebration and party in heaven, but also face the “judgment seat of Christ,” in which they will be judged and rewarded or chastised individually according to their deeds and faithfulness, and will enter into the particular places that Jesus has seen fit for them to occupy in His kingdom.

While this event is happening in Heaven, the horrific vials of the great “wrath of God” are going to be poured out upon the Antichrist and his people on the earth in the form of horrible plagues, such as the world has never known. (Revelation 11:18; 19:7-9; 2Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 16:1-11) If this interpretation is correct these two main events the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven and the Wrath of God on Earth, that occur immediately after the Rapture, will last a period of 30 days?

Verse 12: Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. That’s 1335 Days! Now there are two periods of time here that are mentioned that extend beyond the great tribulation. The first one is 1290 days, which is 30 days beyond the Tribulation, the other one is 1335 days! That’s 45 days more after the 1290 days! Now we’ve got a total of 75 days past the end of the Tribulation,-- Past the coming of the Lord. That’s a total of 75 days of the wrath of God. If this interpretation is correct this could mean the 30 days that He’s first speaking about is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven, while the Wrath of God is going on in Earth

Then begins the next 45 day time period, the great, cataclysmic event that ends Man’s World, The Battle of Armageddon. Armageddon is the End of Man’s World, the end of the World as it now is. This answers Daniel’s question, “O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

At the Battle of Armageddon the armies of the Antichrist will gather in the Valley of Jezreel, around the height of Megiddo, Armageddon, to war against the armies of the nations that oppose him (Revelation 16:12-16). The course of the battle will run from Megiddo to the very gates of Jerusalem (Joel 3:10-14; Zechariah 14:1-5).

At this time the Lord and all His resurrected saints from all the ages will come flying down on powerful heavenly white horses to destroy the Antichrist forces and rescue the opposing armies. (Revelation 19:11-21; Zechariah 14:1-5; Ezekiel 39:17-22).

The Antichrist and the False Prophet will be captured and taken from the Battle of Armageddon and tossed directly into the lake of fire--Hell (Revelation 19:20; Daniel 7:11). Satan, who possessed the Antichrist, will be imprisoned in the “bottomless pit” for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3).

The Lord and His resurrected saints, His saved people of all ages, will then work together with those on earth who were Blessed… the people that didn’t worship the Image of the Beast and didn’t receive the 666 Mark of the Beast in their right hand or forehead,” and yet survived the Wrath of God and the Battle of Armageddon and will help rebuild a new and better world, setting up the kingdom of God on earth (Daniel 7:18,27; Revelation 2:26; 20:4,6). This period will last for 1,000 years and is therefore known as the Millennium.

Are you ready for these great and final events of the end? You can get ready now by receiving Jesus into your heart! Simply pray this little prayer and He will come in: “Dear Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died for me. Please forgive me for all my sins. I ask You, Jesus, to please come into my heart and give me Your free Gift of Eternal Life! Help me to love You and believe Your Words and do my best for You and others.”