Heb. ba‘eth hahi’, “at that time,” or “in that time.” Some hold that these words point back to the phrase be‘eth qeṣ, “at [or in] the time of the end” (ch. 11:40); that is, that the events to be narrated take place within that general period of time. However, the context warrants the conclusion that “that time” refers to the time of the disappearance of the power described at the end of ch. 11. It should be noted that the words “at that time” do not specify whether the events here foretold are to occur simultaneously with those of ch. 11:45, or whether they immediately precede or follow. The important point is that the events of the last verse of ch. 11 and those of the first of ch. 12 are closely related in point of time.

 See on ch. 10:13. Here the divine Champion in the great controversy takes action to deliver His people.

Heb. ‘amad. The same word is used later in the verse to describe Michael’s standing “for the children of thy people.” The sense seems clearly to be that Christ arises to deliver His people (see GC 613, 633, 641, 642, 657).

 Heb. ‘śar (see on ch. 10:13).

Heb. hab‘omed ‘al, “who stands over,” that is, in protection.

When Christ’s mediation ceases and God’s Spirit is withdrawn from men, then all the pent-up powers of darkness descend with indescribable fury upon the world. There will be a scene of strife such as no pen can picture (see GC 613, 614).

 What a consolation that in this great controversy the outcome is not in doubt! Compare chs. 7:18, 22, 27; 10:14.

 That is, the book of life (see on Dan. 7:10; cf. Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; 20:15; 21:27; 22:19).

 A special resurrection precedes Christ’s second advent. “All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message” will arise at that time. In addition, those who beheld with mockery Christ’s crucifixion, and those who have most violently opposed the people of God, will be brought forth from their graves to see the fulfillment of the divine promise and the triumph of truth (see GC 637; Rev. 1:7).

 Heb. der’on, a word that appears in the Bible elsewhere only in Isa. 66:24.

It is related to the Arabic dara’, “to repel,” and has the sense of “abhorrence.” After witnessing the awfulness of sin during the millenniums of the great controversy, the inhabitants of the universe will regard sin with a feeling of strong revulsion. When the controversy is finished and God’s name is fully vindicated, a mighty abhorrence of sin and of all it has contaminated will sweep through the universe. It is this abhorrence that makes possible the assurance that sin will never again mar the harmony of the universe.

Heb. hammaśkilim, from the verb śakal, “to be prudent.” The form may be understood either in a simple sense, as “those who are prudent,” “those who have insight,” or in a causative sense, “those who cause to have insight,” that is, “those who teach.” The man who truly has insight into the things of God realizes that, by virtue of that very fact, these things must be shared with others. Divine wisdom leads him to be a teacher of that wisdom to others.

 Maśkilim appears in ch. 11:33, where it is translated, “they that understand.” There they are shown as persecuted for their faithful endeavors; here they are rewarded with eternal glory. Compare v. 10.

 Compare the similar admonition in regard to Daniel’s earlier vision (ch. 8:26). This instruction did not apply to the whole of the book of Daniel, for a portion of the message has been understood and thus been a blessing to believers for centuries. It applied, rather, to that part of Daniel’s prophecy that dealt with the last days (AA 585; DA 234). Not until that time was reached could a message, based on the fulfillment of these prophecies, be proclaimed (see GC 356). Compare the “little book open” in the hand of the angel of Rev. 10:1, 2 (see TM 115).

 Heb. shuṭ, a word occurring 13 times in the OT (Num. 11:8; 2 Sam. 24:2, 8; 2 Chron. 16:9; Job 1:7; 2:2; Jer. 5:1; 49:3; Eze. 27:8, 26; Dan. 12:4; Amos 8:12; Zech. 4:10). In most of these occurrences shuṭ describes a physical roving about.

Many interpreters believe that shuṭ is here used in a metaphorical sense and describes an earnest search throughout the pages of the Bible, with the result that there is an increase of knowledge concerning the prophecies of the book of Daniel (see under “knowledge shall be increased”; cf. DA 234; GC 356). Others believe that Daniel here predicts a multiplication of travel and of means of travel such as have marked the last century.

The LXX exhibits a vastly different reading: “And thou, Daniel, cover up the commands and seal the book until the time of the end, until many will rave violently [literally, “go mad”] and the earth shall be filled with unrighteousness.” Theodotion’s version is nearer the Masoretic: “And thou, Daniel, close the words and seal the book to the time of the end; until many are taught, and knowledge is increased.”

 This clause may be considered the logical sequel to the immediately preceding clause: When the sealed book is opened at the time of the end, knowledge concerning the truths contained in these prophecies will be increased (see PK 547; cf. Rev. 10:1, 2). At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century a new interest in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation was awakened in widely separated places of earth. The study of these prophecies led to a widespread belief that the second advent of Christ was near. Numerous expositors in England, Joseph Wolff in the Middle East, Manuel Lacunza in South America, and William Miller in the United States, together with a host of other students of the prophecies, declared, on the basis of their study of the prophecies of Daniel, that the second advent was at hand. Today, this conviction has become the driving force of a worldwide movement.

This prophecy has also been interpreted as pointing to the stupendous advances of science and general knowledge in the last century and a half, advances that have made possible a widespread proclamation of the message of these prophecies.

 Verses 5-13 form an epilogue to the vision of chs. 10-12 and may be considered, in a less definite sense, as an epilogue to the entire book.

 Two additional heavenly beings appear here, joining the one who has been narrating the prophecy to Daniel. Some have suggested that they are possibly the two “saints” mentioned in ch. 8:13.

 That is, the Hiddekel, or Tigris (see on ch. 10:4).

 Daniel had seen this heavenly Being at the beginning of his vision (see ch. 10:5, 6).

 The casualness with which Daniel refers to “the river” (v. 5) and “the man clothed in linen,” without making fuller identification, strongly suggests that ch. 10, where these both are introduced, is a part of this same vision.

 The angel here states the unexpressed question that must have been uppermost in Daniel’s mind. The prophet’s great burden was for the speedy and complete restoration of the Jews (see on Dan. 10:2). True, the decree of Cyrus had already been passed (Ezra 1:1; cf. Dan. 10:1), but much remained to be done. After the long, intricate recital of future events under which the people of God were to suffer, the prophet was naturally anxious to know how long “these wonders” would continue, and when the promise that “thy people shall be delivered” (Dan. 12:1), would be fulfilled. Daniel did not fully understand the relationship of what he had seen to the future. A portion of the prophecy was sealed and would be understood only at “the time of the end” (Dan. 12:4).

 See Deut. 32:40. Lifting both hands would indicate that the greatest solemnity and assurance were attached to the declaration.

 No greater oath could be sworn (see Heb. 6:13; cf. Rev. 10:5, 6).

 That is, the 1260-year period, A.D. 538-1798, which is first introduced in ch. 7:25 (see comments there). There the Aramaic ‘iddan, “a specified time,” or “a definite time,” is used; here its Hebrew counterpart, mo‘ed, appears, a word that emphasizes the fact that the heavenly Being speaks of an “appointed time” (see on ch. 11:35). God has sworn to meet His appointment.

 In the introductory verse of this vision (ch. 10:1) Daniel states that he “had understanding of the vision.” In the course of the vision the prophet was assured by the angel that he had come to make him “understand” (ch. 10:14). The revelation that followed was given in literal language. Now after the time element of 1260 years had been introduced in answer to the question, “How long?” Daniel confessed, “I understood not.” The part of this vision that Daniel did not understand, then, would seem to be the time element. He was praying for the speedy restoration of the Temple (see on ch. 10:2—an immediate problem. He seemed unable to fit the time element into his conception of an early deliverance for his people.

 Though he had already been commanded to seal this part of the revelation (v. 4), the aged prophet still desired to know more of its meaning.

God’s venerable seer and servant was not permitted to know the full import of the revelations he recorded. The complete significance would be appreciated only by those who should see the historical fulfillment of these prophecies, for only then could the world be given a message based upon the fact that they had been fulfilled (see GC 356).

Or, “purify themselves and make themselves white,” or, “show themselves to be pure and white.” While man cannot of his own power purify himself, he can show forth by his life the fact that God has purified him. This forms a contrast with the following clause, “but the wicked shall do wickedly.”

A guarantee that those in the last days who study devoutly and intelligently will understand God’s message for their time.

 See on ch. 8:11.

The clause may be translated literally, “and from the time of the taking away of the continual, even in order to set up the abomination.” This would indicate that the “taking away” was done with the direct intent of setting up the abomination. The focus may be upon the preparatory “taking away” rather than upon the subsequent “setting up.”

 The words of this passage are so clearly similar to those of ch. 8:11, 12, and ch. 11:31 (see comments there) that they must all refer to the same event.

 This time period is mentioned in close connection with the “time, times, and an half” (v. 7), or 1260 days, and the events to occur at the end of these periods are presumably identical. It seems reasonable to understand, then, that these two periods cover approximately the same historical era. The excess of the 1290 over the 1260 is probably to be understood in view of the fact that the beginning of the 1290 days is focused on the taking away of the “daily sacrifice,” preparatory to the establishment of the “abomination.”

 Those who hold to the view that the “daily” represents “paganism” (see on ch. 8:11) subtract 1290 from 1798 and arrive at the date 508. They see in the events surrounding this date, such as the conversion of Clovis, the king of the Franks, to the Catholic faith, and in the victory over the Goths, an important stage in the establishment of the supremacy of the Catholic Church in the West.

 Those who hold to the view that the “daily” refers to the continual priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary and to the true worship of Christ in the gospel age (see on ch. 8:11) find no satisfactory explanation of this text. They believe that this is one of those Scripture passages on which future study will shed further light.

 The time periods of vs. 7, 11, 12 reach down to the “time of the end” referred to in vs. 4, 9. “Happy” (see on Matt. 5:3), says the angel, is the person who witnesses the dramatic events of the closing scenes of earth’s history. Then, those portions of Daniel that were to be sealed would be understood (see on Dan. 12:4), and soon “the saints of the most High” would “take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever” (ch. 7:18).

This implies that the following prophetic period may be expected to continue beyond the end of the 1290 days. If the 1290 and the 1335 days begin at the same time, the latter period reaches to the year 1843, a significant date in relationship to the great advent awakening in America, generally known as the Millerite movement.

The fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies would reach many years into the future. Daniel was to rest in the grave, but “‘at the end of the days’—in the closing period of this world’s history—he [Daniel] would again be permitted to stand in his lot and place” (PK 547; see also EGW, Supplementary Material, on this verse).