Daniel 12 - The Time of the Resurrection

There have been many attempts by well intentioned people to identify the time of Messiah's return. It's connection in time to the abomination that desolates as spoken by Daniel the prophet and as mentioned by Messiah Yahusha is well known. But all previous attempts to calculate this time have failed. Those who have predicted that Jesus would come at some time in the past are false teachers. But none of those predictions are based in an understanding of what must take place in history and in the last days - they are just guesses. But the time of the end is upon us and the spirit of Elohim is bringing clarity to the meaning of prophesies to prepare his people for the trouble to come.

There is always much criticism of those who search diligently to ascertain the actual time of Messiah's second coming and then "set a date." And rightfully so for those who have predicted falsely. Especially egregious are those so-called prophets or teachers who convince their followers to sell all that they have and give to the poor. When their prediction falls flat, those who trusted in them are penniless and destitute and their faith shattered. The lesson is clear: don't put your trust in men and their predictions. Place your trust in the Almighty and believe only what he has clearly revealed.

With that in mind, the following interpretation of the Daniel 12 prophesy is a calculation. I am not prophesying. I am not telling people "thus says the LORD." I did not hear a voice from heaven, nor did I have an inspired dream. Elohim did not appear to me and reveal this in such a fashion. What follows is a calculation based on the prophesy and historical accounts. It is what I have put together based upon information that has come to my attention and what the plain meaning of the text of Daniel 12 appears to be. This should not be regarded as "prophetic utterance" or "setting a date."

Nevertheless, this interpretation is more sound than anything else I have heard about or read concerning the time of the return of the Messiah. Many other theories have been disproved by the simple fact that they didn't happen when the prognosticator expected. We may not know with absolute certainty whether this interpretation of Daniel 12 is true or not until either the time laid out in this article comes true or it comes and goes without the resurrection event or the resurrection occurs before the time mentioned here. So read and respond to the following and decide whether it make good Scriptural sense or not. You decide.

The Text of Daniel 12

1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people-- everyone whose name is found written in the book-- will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" 7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."

8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My master, what will the outcome of all this be?" 9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. 13 "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."

Daniel's Prophesy of the Resurrection

Daniel 12 is the last in a series of chronological prophesies chronicling the history of Yahuwah's people from their upheaval from the land of Israel up to the resurrection event. The angel Gavriel tells Daniel that "at that time" the resurrection will take place when those sleeping "in the ground" will wake up to everlasting life:

At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation's beginning up to that time. But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book, will escape. Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake-- some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:1-3).

This prophesy tells us that after the time of the great distress, the resurrection event will happen. It's instructive to note that Yahusha tells us the same order of events in his discourse to his disciples as recorded in Matthew 24:29-31

"Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Could it be that Yahusha is merely reiterating information about the resurrection that is available to us from the Torah and the Prophets? At the time the Son of Man comes on the clouds, the dead in Messiah will rise. Paul also repeats this point for us:

For the Master himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of Elohim, and the dead in Messiah will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

The resurrection event is well attested to occur at the time of Messiah's coming on the clouds.

So there is nothing hard to understand about these words spoken to Daniel. Very clearly, the resurrection of the righteous and of the wicked is described. Many who are "wise" - a reference to the righteous ones who proclaim the righteousness of Elohim - will awake from their sleep in the grave and will shine like the stars. These are "wise" because they brought many to righteousness on account of their testimony to the truth of the Word of Elohim and their witness of the Messiah.

This resurrection of the righteous ones which occurs at the return of the Messiah is called "the blessed hope (expectation)" by Sha'ul in his letter to Titus:

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great Elohim and our Savior Yahusha Messiah (Titus 2:13).

This is the event which culminates the history of human struggle with sin. At this time, all sin will be eradicated and all wrongs will be set right. Those who are dead in Messiah will be raised to life to reign with the Messiah in the Messianic age.

(Note: In association with this study of Daniel 12, I recommend you read our study on Yom Teruah: The Day of the Awakening Shout, because this lays the foundation for understanding the precise calendar day of Messiah's return as pictured and foreshadowed in the prophetic Appointed Times.)

But we are not left hanging out there by the messenger from heaven. Not only does he describe the resurrection event as occurring at the time following an unprecedented great distress of Yah's people, we are also told precisely what events and time intervals to expect leading to the resurrection event:

He said, "Go, Daniel. For these matters are closed and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made clean, and refined, but the wicked will go on being wicked. None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand. From the time that the daily sacrifice is removed and the abomination that causes desolation is set in place, there are 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days. But you should go your way until the end. You will rest and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive what you have been allotted" (Daniel 12:10-13).

Here, Daniel is told that "blessed" is the one who reaches the end of the 1335 days. This term "blessed" evidently refers to those people who will have a part in this resurrection of the righteous. Then Daniel is told that he would "rest" (a reference to death) for now until the end of these days when he is to "arise (come back to life)"and inherit those things which were to be his."

So, the time line of events begins with the time the daily sacrifice is removed and ends after 1290 days and 1335 days at which time the dead will awake. In other words, the very TIME of the resurrection is put into a chronological sequence, such that when one witnesses the first event - the removal of the daily sacrifice - then the time of the resurrection is a simple calculation in time!

The Time of the Resurrection to be Revealed in the Last Days

It is important to see here that the time of the resurrection was going to be made known in the latter days. There are many in the Christian world who would condemn anyone who tries to discern the time of Messiah's return. Many false prophets have come into the world and have deceived many. But Daniel is first told that no one is to understand these time prophesies in his days:

But you, Daniel close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end (verse 4),

But then Daniel is told that at the time of the end, there would be those who will understand the time of the resurrection. This is so because the time line was sealed (hidden) from men then, but in the last days it would be revealed:

He said, "Go, Daniel. For these matters are closed and sealed until the time of the end" (verse 9).

At the time these things were told to Daniel, the understanding of them was to "be sealed" or kept from his understanding. But at the time of the end, these things were to be understood.

He also emphasizes that "none of the wicked" will understand. The wicked are those who stand in rebellion against Elohim and refuse to live according to his instructions. But although the wicked would still not understand, the "wise" were to understand the meaning and interpretation of these things and the timeline leading to the return of Messiah and the resurrection.

None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand (verse 10).

The "wise" are those who obey the Torah and listen to the voice of Elohim. The Spirit of Elohim is to reveal the meaning of this and other time prophesies in the last days to those who understand and obey the Torah. That time is now!

It should not surprise us that the time of the resurrection would be revealed and understood in the last days (these very days), because the Almighty made the promise that he would reveal all things to his prophets before the came to fulfillment:

Surely Adonai Yahuwah does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

And this is precisely what Yahuwah has done. He gave the timeline to Daniel. And he is now revealed its interpretation to us in these last days.

The "Day for a Year" Principle of Interpretation

The first key to unlocking the mystery of this prophetic revelation is to understand the scriptural principle of prophetic interpretation that a day referred to prophetically sometimes may represent a year of time. The first example of this is found in the account of Israel in the wilderness. We are told that Mosheh sent out spies to survey the land and the people living in it. The spies spent 40 days looking about. After the 40 days, ten of the twelve spies brought back to Israel a pessimistic report. Their recommendation was not to try to enter the land because it would be too difficult to overcome the giant people who lived in the land.

Yahuwah was angry with the spies and with the people who accepted their report and balked at going forward to take possession of the land.

"How long must I bear with this evil congregation that murmurs against me? I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Yisrael that they murmured against me. Say to them, 'As I live, says Yahuwah, I will surely do to you as you have spoken in my hearing. Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness--all those numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me. You will by no means enter into the land where I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Yephunneh and Yahusha son of Nun. But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war, and they will enjoy the land that you have despised. But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, and your children will wander in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your dead bodies lie finished in the wilderness. After the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days, one day for a year, you will suffer for your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me.

For each day the spies walked the land in unbelief, they have to wander a year in the wilderness. Thus, a day of unbelief resulted in a year of punishment. A Year for a Day!

The second example of this principle has Ezekiel laying on his side one day for each year the nation of Israel was in rebellion against Yahuwah:

"Then lie on your left side, and place the iniquity of the house of Yisrael on it. You will bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side. I have determined the number of days you will bear the iniquity of the house of Yisrael--three hundred ninety days--to correspond to the number of years of their iniquity. "When you have completed these days you will lie down a second time, but on your right side, and you will bear the iniquity of the house of Yehudah--I have assigned you forty days, one day for each year. You will turn your face toward the siege of Yerushalayim with your arm bared, and prophesy against it. Look, I will tie you up with ropes, so you cannot turn from one side to the other until you complete the days of your siege. "Take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, put them in a single container, and make food from them for yourself. You must eat it for the same number of days that you lie on your side--three hundred ninety days (Ezekiel 4:4-9).

So, Ezekiel lay on his left side 390 days and then on his right side 40 days, which corresponds to the 390 years of the rebellion of the house of Israel and the 40 years of the rebellion of the house of Yehudah. A Day for a Year.

So we find this same principle in operation in prophetic utterance. A day may be a day. Or a day may represent a year. This is one of the items which needs interpretation in Daniel 12. Are the 1290 days and 1335 days to be fulfilled in actual days? Or are these numbers to be interpreted as representing 1290 and 1335 years? It should be fairly simple to determine which it is. One needs merely to identify the beginning event in the time line and then count days forward and count years forward and decide which interpretation brings us to the next event in the prophesy. At the end of the 1290 days or years, the abomination of desolation will be standing in the holy place. And at the end of these 1335 days or years, the resurrection will occur (Daniel will arise to take possession of his inheritance). That's it! Very simple.

Hebrew Terminology

The second key to unlocking the mystery of this prophetic revelation of Daniel 12 is to identify the event that starts the prophetic timeline. This is the hard part of interpreting this prophesy. What then are the events in history the prophesy is referring to. It is helpful to have an understand of the Hebrew terminology in order to correctly identify the events spoken of. The Hebrew of verses 11 and 12 literally reads:

`~y[iv.tiw ~yIt:am' @l,a, ~ymiy" ~mevo #WQvi ttel'w> dymiT'h; rs:Wh t[emeW

`hV'mix]w: ~yvil{v. tAame vl{v. @l,a, ~ymiy"l. [:yGIy:w> hK,x;m.h; yrEv.a;

Daniel 12:11,12 (BHS Hebrew Old Testament 4th edition).

The Hebrew verb rWs ("sur") "to turn aside" in the Hophal stem means "to be taken away, removed." And the word dymiT' (pronounced tamid) means "continuity" and is a reference to the ongoing daily routine of the temple service. A simple word lookup of tamid will bear this out. Additionally, the "from...to" sequence in verse 11 (in Hebrew, Þl' ... me) indicates that the 1290 days or years begins with the "removal of the tamid" and ends with the "setting up of the detested thing" - the abomination of desolation.

Here, then, is my literal translation of these two verses with those grammatical points underlined:

And from the time of the removal of the "tamid" and to the setting of the detested thing which desolates will be one thousand two hundred ninety days (years). Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches to the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days (years).

Now we need to identify when the tamid was (will be?) removed. This would be the time of the ending of the ongoing and continuousness of the work of the priests in the set-apart place where Yahuwah dwells. Next we need to identify when the "abominable thing" was placed on that same set-apart place. These two events, the prophesy tells us, are separated by 1290 days (years).

Another point to be emphasized is that each of the marking points in this prophesy will be fulfilled at the temple site. The tamid is a reference to the work in the temple. The abomination, we are told, is the thing that desecrates the temple site. And the resurrection has to do with the return of the presence of Yahuwah in person (i.e. the Messiah) to his temple. Thus, we have to look at what has happened at the temple site to recognize the fulfillment of each marker in this prophesy. If we want to identify the details of this prophesy and see these things being fulfilled, we must keep our eyes on the temple site in Yerushalayim.

The Removal of the Tamid

Now, let's find out when the tamid was removed. In 70 C.E. Titus destroyed the temple built by Herod. But even prior to that, Antiochus Epiphanies in about the year 133 B.C. polluted the alter and halted the temple service by sacrificing a pig on the alter. Thus, the daily temple ritual was interrupted (the tamid was removed).

But there was a removal of the tamid even earlier than that. At or around the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasions of Yerushalayim and the subsequent destruction of the temple, the tamid was removed. It is the first removal of the tamid which must be in view here, because the temple ritual and all its corollary activities were truly tamid or "continuous" until the very first time it was stopped. After that, technically speaking, it was no longer tamid or "continuous."

Another layer we should consider is that Daniel's time prophesies should be understood in light of the events of his day. The Daniel 9 prophesy that "from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Yerushalayim..." is understood to refer to the decree which happened in Daniel's time and which resulted in the return from the Babylonian captivity. Likewise, the chapter 12 prophesy which says, "from the time that the daily sacrifice is removed," should be interpreted as an event that happened in his lifetime (rather than to the later removals of the tamid). So the question that begs for an answer is: "when does the time prophesy begin?"

Many have suggested that the temple services didn't end until the complete destruction of the miqdash (set-apart place) during Nebuchadnezzar's second wave of attacks against Yerushalayim in or about the year 587 B.C. The Scriptures record that event:

So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Yerushalayim with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. The city remained under siege until King Zedekiah's eleventh year. By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food. The enemy broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king's garden. (The Babylonians were all around the city.) Then they headed for the Yarden Valley.

But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with him in the plains of Yericho, and his entire army deserted him. They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where he passed sentence on him. Zedekiah's sons were executed while Zedekiah was looking on. The king of Babylon put out Zedekiah's eyes, had him bound in chains, and carried him off to Babylon. On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Yerushalayim. He burned down Yahuwah's temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Yerushalayim, including every large house. The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Yerushalayim (2 Melakim 25:1-10).

It was at that time that Nebuchadnezzar burned down the miqdash. But this text doesn't say that it was at this time that the temple services were halted, including the "turning aside" or "removal" of the tamid. While it is certain that the tamid was stopped at this time, it is just as certain that the first halting of the temple service happened before this time. In fact, we are told that Nebuchadnezzar attacked Yerushalayim in several waves over a period of more than 20 years, culminating in his burning down the miqdash in 587 BCE. So which attack is the prophesy referring to?

The account of Yehoiakim's reign as recorded in 2 Melachim (Kings) 23-24 asserts that Nebuchadnezzar first invaded Israel during Yehoiakim's reign:

During Yehoiakim's reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Yehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he changed his mind and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. Yahuwah sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him. He sent them to destroy Yehudah, in accordance with the word of Yahuwah proclaimed by his servants the prophets. Surely these things happened to Yehudah according to Yahuwah's command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done (2 Kings 24:1-3).

The historian who chronicled 2 Kings recognized that it was Israel's rebellion that caused this judgment to fall upon the land.

Now Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) tells us what year Nebuchadnezzar became king of Babylon:

The word came to Yirmeyahu concerning all the people of Yehudah in the fourth year of Yehoiakim son of Yosiyah king of Yehudah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (Yirmeyahu 25:1).

So, we are told that Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne in the "fourth" year of Yehoiakim and 2 Kings tells us that it was during Yehoiakim's reign that Nebuchadnezzar first invaded the land of Israel.

Daniel clarifies this chronology of events for us. The identity of the time when the tamid was removed is revealed very plainly by Daniel! Daniel himself gives us the information we need to know how to correctly identify when this time prophesy begins - when the tamid was removed. Chapter one of Daniel tells us:

In the third year of the reign of King Yehoiakim of Yehudah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Yerushalayim and laid it under siege. Now Yahuwah delivered King Yehoiakim of Yehudah into his power, along with some of the vessels of the temple of Elohim. He brought them to the land of Babylonia to the temple of his elohim and put the vessels in the treasury of his elohim (Daniel 1:1,2).

Daniel pinpoints the time of Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion as occurring during the third year of Yehoiakim's reign. This apparent discrepancy with the record of Yirmeyahu, who says Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne in the fourth year of Yehoiachim's reign can be easily reconciled when we realize that there is some overlapping in chronologies. For example, one year of a king's reign may overlap parts of two years - the reign of the preceding king, and the reign of the king to follow. So, where 2 Kings identifies the ascension of Nebuchadnezzar as king in Yehoiakim's 4th year, Daniel identifies the invasion of "King" Nebu as happening in Yehoiakim's 3rd year.

Daniel's account of the removal of the vessels from the temple of Elohim in Daniel chapter 1 is a subtle hint that this is the time when the daily temple services (the tamid) was first interrupted. In addition to articles which were taken from Yahuwah's temple, Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the royal family, including Daniel and his 3 friends, and brought them into exile in Babylon to be servants of King Nebuchadnezzar.

Now the Torah does not allow anyone in the set-apart place except those priests who are authorized and set apart through the cleansing ritual. Any unauthorized visits into the set-apart place would defile the temple and require a ceasing of the ritual until the set-apart place could be cleansed (set aright). Since it is clear that Nebuchadnezzar had entered into the temple (either himself or his men) and removed some of the articles which were used in the service, the tamid was necessarily halted due to the defiling presence of these men in the miqdash. Repeating, the presence of these men in the temple during Yehoiakim's third year defiled the miqdash (set-apart place). Thus, the daily sacrifices, the burning of incense, etc. (the tamid) had to be halted because the place had been defiled. This is the first removal (halting) of the tamid, spoken of in the prophecy of Daniel 12.

The Third Year of Yehoiakim

Daniel was an eyewitness of these things he records in Daniel 1 and reports to us what Nebuchadnezzar did. And he reports to us that this happened in the "third year of the reign of King Yehoiakim of Yehudah." The preponderance of historical accounts identifies the third year of Yehoiakim's reign at 607 B.C.E.

There is sufficient evidence from reputable sources which supports the year 607 B.C.E. as the 3rd year of Yehoiakim. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia online, in an article entitled "Jehoiakim" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehoiakim) states that

King Jehoiakim ("he whom Jehovah has set up", Hebrew language: יהוֹיָקִים) is a biblical character, whose original name was Eliakim. His name is also sometimes spelled Jehoikim. He was the son of Josiah by Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah, and king of Judah. He was also the husband of Nehushta and the father of King Jehoiachin. Both William F. Albright and E. R. Thiele agree on dating his reign to 609 BC-598 BC.

The Encyclopedia Britannica Online in an article entitled, "Jehoiakim" (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9043491?&query=jehoiakim&ct=), lists the beginning of his reign in 609 BC:

also spelled Joakim, in the Old Testament (II Kings 23:34–24:17; Jer. 22:13–19; II Chron. 36:4–8), son of King Josiah and king of Judah (c. 609–598 BC).

The CRI/Voice, Institute website (http://www.crivoice.org/othbabylon.html) lists Yehoiakim's reign as "Jehoiakim [Eliakim] (609-598)," indicting the beginning of his reign at 609 BC.

There are more sources which agree with the date of 609 B.C. and yet other sources which deviate slightly from this date - but not by much. For example, the website http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p78.htm records the beginning of Yehoiakim's reign at 608 BC:

Jehoiakim (King of Judah)

Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah and Zebidah. At age 25, he was made king by Pharoah Neco in place of his brother Jehoahaz, who was exiled to Egypt. Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years (608-598 BC) but his reign was an evil one. During his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem.

Though some accounts differ slightly from the 609 B.C. date, 609 B.C. still seems to have the strongest attestation and agreement as to the beginning of Yehoiakim's reign.

Let's remember to factor into the equation that in Hebrew, reckoning the "3rd year" does not mean "after 3 years" but means anytime during the year following the 2nd year. Thus, since Yehoiakim began reigning in 609 B.C., anytime during the year 607 B.C. would be considered the "3rd year" of his reign. So, these sources seem to confirm that 607 B.C. is the first time Nebuchadnezzar entered into the miqdash, defiling it and halting its processes, and removed the articles from the temple.

The year 607 B.C. is the beginning date of the Daniel 12 time prophesy. This was the time when the tamid was removed, and begins the chronological countdown.

The Abomination of Desolation

Now, let's understand and identify the "detested thing" - the "abomination of desolation." The Hebrew word is #WQvi (pronounced sheequts). It can mean "abhorrence, an object to abhor, horror, monster." In Devarim 29, it is used to refer to the idol gods of the pagans:

You have seen their detestable things and idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold (vs 17).

In 1 Melakim (Kings) it also refers to "other elohim" which are described as "detestable, an abomination":

Shlomo worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite elohim Milcom.... Furthermore, on the hill east of Yerushalayim Shlomo built a high place for the detestable Moabite elohim Chemosh and for the detestable Ammonite elohim Milcom (1 Melakim 11:5, 7).

The transgression of the Torah is described by the prophet Yeshayahu as "disgusting" (Heb. "sheequts"):

The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog's neck; the one who presents an offering includes pig's blood with it; the one who offers incense also praises an idol. They have decided to behave this way; they enjoy these disgusting practices (Yeshayahu 66:3).

A number of other places where this word occurs confirms the same. The sheequts which Daniel is writing about is an idol of a foreign deity or a pagan practice which offends the Living One by standing at the location where his Presence alone is to dwell - "standing in the holy place."

Messiah Yahusha said,

"So when you see the abomination of desolation--spoken about by Daniel the prophet--standing in the set-apart place (let the reader understand), then those in Yehudah must flee to the mountains... (Mattityahu 24:15-16).

Messiah said, "When you see...:", inferring that this event was future to his day. This offensive, despicable idol (or offensive thing) which was to "stand in the set-apart place" was yet future from the time of Messiah. The "set-apart place" as described by the Messiah can be no other place than the temple mount in Yerushalayim, the place where Yahuwah's Presence was. Has there ever been an "offensive, despicable thing" that was stood up on the site of the temple mount in Yerushalayim? Yes. And it still stands there to this very day! It is the offensive Dome of the Rock, a building setup in honor of the moon god Allah.

Allah is a foreign, pagan elohim of which the word sheequts is appropriate. And the building which was erected in his honor and for his worship on the very site of the ancient Temple of Yahuwah is also an abomination to Yahuwah. This abomination which is the Dome of the Rock causes desolation for the worshippers of the true Elohim. To this very day, 1330 some odd years since the beginning of its construction, none of the true worshippers of Yahuwah are allowed to walk in the abominable Dome, which is built on the very ground that Elohim calls "set-apart."

(Here is a pic of me standing in front of the desolating abomination during my trip to Yisrael during Sukkot 2006:)

Many have stumbled over the prophesy of the abomination of desolation. They have confused this with another prophesy about a man of lawlessness "sitting" as Elohim in the set-apart place (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2). The fact that the abomination is "standing" has been mistakenly thought to refer to the man of lawlessness who is "sitting" and who was to fulfill this Scripture. But that identification is incorrect. In fact, the abomination which desolates about which Daniel spoke "stands" in the set-apart place. It is a reference to the building which was erected in honor of the moon god and the religion of Islam and to this very day "stands" in the holy place on the temple site.

"The Despicable Thing" standing on the set-apart place

The Dome of the Rock fits perfectly the description of the "abomination that causes desolation standing in the set-apart place." But does it fit the time frame? There is a general consensus among historical records that places the time of the building of the Dome of the Rock at 684 C.E. The construction took about 6 to 7 years.

Great Buildings Online (http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Dome_of_the_Rock.html) lists the beginning of the construction of the Dome of the Rock at 684 C.E.

In an essay about the Al- Aqsa Mosque (http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=51579), the writer comments,

Al-Aqsa Mosque would not have been built if it were not for the building of the Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the Rock was begun in the heart of Jerusalem around 684 C.E and was finally completed in 691 C.E during the Umayyad Dynasty.

A Messianic source, First Fruits of Zion (http://ffoz.org/israelfocus/archives/catagory/history/000039.shtml), describes the setting of the Umayyad Dynasty and the building of the Dome of the Rock (the Abomination which causes Desolation):

The Umayyad caliphs, who resided in Damascus and in other towns and townlets of Syria and Erez Israel, shows a keen interest in Jerusalem.

In 684 CE the Ummayyad caliph Abd-al-Malik began to build the Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem extended and rebuilding of the walls and roads during rule of Abd el-Malik. Old wooden El Aksa Mosque constructed in 700 CE and Dome of the Rock built in 684-690 CE.

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem website (http://www.templemount.org/history.htm) explains when the Dome was built:

Islamic tradition alleges that Caliph Omar clears rubbish from temple Mount and prays there in 638 CE. Old wooden El Aksa Mosque constructed, 700 CE, and Dome of the Rock by Abd el-Malik, 684-690 CE.

And another - an online encyclopedia, Online.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/temple-mount) also attests to the date of the construction:

In 637 A.D. the City of Jerusalem was captured by the Saracens, led by Omar ibn al to Khatab. Between 684-691 A.D. the mosque, the Dome of the Rock, know in Arabic as Qubbat As-Sakhrah, was constructed on this site by Caliph Abd-al-Malik ibn Marwan.

With all these citations, it is rather well established that the Dome of the Rock began it's defiling of the set-apart place in the year 684 C.E., the year of the beginning of its construction. From that point in time and forward, the site of the ancient temple of Yahuwah has been off limits for anyone who worships the Creator. No one except moon god worshippers are allowed to enter the site of the Dome of the Rock. Certainly the Dome of the Rock has been a great desolating force against the worship of the true Elohim.

The Time of Messiah's Return and the Resurrection

Returning to the prophesy of Daniel 12:

From the time that the daily sacrifice (Heb. tamid) is removed and the abomination (Heb. sheequts) that causes desolation is set in place, there are 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days (12:11-12).

Finally, we can determine whether the 1290 days and 1335 days will be fulfilled in actual days or in years. Now nothing happened 1290 days or 1335 days after the defiling of the temple site following the defining of it by Nebuchadnezzar. So, let's test the theory that the days represent years in this chronology.

According to this prophesy, there was to be 1290 days (or "years") from the removal of the tamid until the Abomination of Desolation is set up. The tamid was removed in the year 607 B.C., which was the 3rd year of the reign of Yehoiakim, king of Yehudah. And the Dome of the Rock - that Abominable structure - was set up on the site of the miqdash (the temple or "set-apart place") in 684 C.E. Those two events are separated by exactly 1290 years!!!

The prophesy has been decoded and verified! The 1290 days (years) has been solved. When you add 1290 years to the year 607 B.C., you come out to the year 684 C.E. It was exactly 1290 years after the removal of the tamid by Nebuchadnezzar in 607 BCE that the Abominable Dome of the Rock was setup in 684 CE This is the fulfillment of Daniel's prophesy in 12:11.

The only thing left to do to understand the exact time of the resurrection is to properly interpret that leftover 1335 days (years). Since the first part of the "days" prophesy was established to have been fulfilled in years, then the second "days" prophesy must be interpreted the same way. The question that begs us is, "Do the 1335 years run parallel with the 1290 years or do they begin after the 1290 years?" Well, the answer is easy. Did the resurrection of Daniel occur in the year 729 CE? (That would be 607BC + 1335 years = 729CE) No. Nothing happened in that year. Messiah didn't return in that year and no resurrection took place.

Therefore, the 1335 days (years) must begin in 684CE, which is the endpoint of the first half of the prophesy. They represent an additional 1335 years, after which the resurrection will happen. We are told "Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days."

It is simple arithmetic to begin counting from the date of the Abomination that desolates (684 C.E.) and add to that 1335 years. That brings us to the year 2019. In the year 2019, the second part of the prophesy, that which is stated in verse 12, will be fulfilled. This is the time when the Messiah will return and the resurrection is to take place. It is just that simple.

607 B.C. the removal of the tamid

+ 1290 years the “1290 days” of Daniel 12:11

= 684 C.E. the construction of the Abomination – the Dome of the Rock

+ 1335 years the “1335 days” of Daniel 12:12

= 2019 C.E. the likely time of the return of Messiah and the resurrection

Conclusion

The appointed day of the teruah has been a mystery for centuries - yea - millennia. We have discovered that this day was to be a rehearsal or foreshadowing of the great day when, at the blowing of trumpets and with a loud shout (teruah), Yahusha the Messiah is to come down from heaven and resurrect all those who have died after faithfully serving him in covenant relationship.

Daniel told us that the wise would understand these things including the time they would occur. Messiah told his talmidim that his coming would be like a thief in the night to those who walk in darkness. And Sha'ul further explains that for those who are walking in the light, his coming would be known and understood.

Daniel, in fact, seems to be telling us exactly when the resurrection which takes place at Messiah's return will happen. Only the wise will understand this, though. Naysayers and scoffers will ridicule this explanation and will continue to walk in darkness and have that day overtake them as a thief. But the wise will understand that Messiah Yahusha is coming soon - if my calculations are correct, exactly on Yom Teruah in the year 2019. But if my calculations are not correct, he is still coming. If I have not correctly interpreted this prophecy, that does not make him a liar.

So there it is for what it's worth. The Daniel 12 prophesy appears to be telling us the time table for the return of Messiah and the resurrection of the righteous dead. And that's my contribution to its interpretation. May Yahuwah bring about the return of Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom in his time - the time appointed for this glorious development - to his honor and praise. May his name be known.

END