Sabbath School for Adults: Lesson 13: From Dust to Stars

Thursday March 26

The Waiting Time

Read Daniel 12:5-13. How does the book conclude?

Interestingly, this final scene takes place at the “river,” or the Tigris, the place of Daniel’s last major vision (Dan. 10:4). However, the word used here is not the common Hebrew word for “river,” but the term ye’or, which usually designates “the Nile River.” This reminds us of the Exodus and shows that just as the Lord redeems Israel from Egypt, He will redeem His end-time people.

Three prophetic timetables are given. The first one—“a time, times, and half a time” (NKJV)—answers the question—“ ‘How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?’ ” (Dan. 12:6, NKJV). The “wonders” refers to the things depicted in the vision of Daniel 11, which are an elaboration of Daniel 7 and 8. More specifically, this time period was mentioned in Daniel 7:25 and later in Revelation 11:3; 12:6, 14; and 13:5. It also corresponds to the 1,260 years of papal supremacy, which extended from a.d. 538 to 1798. And Daniel 11:32-35 refers to the same persecution without mentioning its duration.

The other two time periods, 1,290 and 1,335 days, answer a question—“what shall be the end of these things?” (NKJV)—posed by Daniel himself to the Man clothed in linen. And both begin with the removal of the “daily” and the setting up of the “abomination of desolation.” From the lesson on Daniel 8, we learned that the “daily” refers to the continual intercession of Christ, which was replaced with a counterfeit worship system. Thus, this prophetic period should start in a.d. 508, when Clovis, king of the Francs, converted to the Catholic faith. This important event paved the way for the union between church and state, which held sway throughout the Middle Ages. Hence, 1,290 days ended in 1798, when the pope was arrested by the French emperor Napoleon. And the 1,335 days, the last prophetic period mentioned in Daniel, ended in 1843. This was the time of the Millerite movement and renewed study of the biblical prophecies. It was a time of waiting and hope in the imminent coming of Jesus.

All through Daniel we see two things: God’s people persecuted, and God’s people ultimately vindicated and saved. How can this reality help us seek to stay faithful, regardless of our immediate trials?