Daniel 12

AND at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people Many interpret this of the heat of Antiochus his persecution but their arguments are not cogent, but the meaning is this as after the death of Antiochus the Iews had some deliverance and respite, so there will be yet a more famous deliverance to the People of God when Michael your prince, i. e. Messiah the Prince shall signally appear for your Salvation. He is called the great Prince, but these words in their contexture refer not to the times of Antiochus, but to Antichrist, and to that part of them which are the last part. Yet I think the truest meaning is to interpret these words, at that time, of all the time of Christ, from his first coming to the last. These all are the last times wherein God spake to us by his son, Heb. 1.1, 2, 3. to which Michael, answers well, i. e. who is like God, which notes his equality with God Phil. 2.6. it was necessary Christ should now appear as a Prince to comfort his People against the oppression of Herod, and the Romans, by bringing in a glorious Salvation, which should wholly free the Elect Israel of God from the Roman yoke, both under the persecuting Emperours, and under Antichrist., 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 Thus this election is called by a metaphor usual in Scripture, and drawn from the usage of men in many cases, namely writing some select mens names in a book, showing that this Salvation shall not be National neither to Iews nor any Gentile Nation, but only a gathering together of the Elect of God which are scattered abroad called therefore a remnant, Rom. 9. in the book.

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 So inamoured are some of their notions though sound false and ill grounded that they will pertinaciously hold them, and seek still to prove one absurdity from another, as Grotius does here, still expounding all of Antio hus, and so makes this Resurrection metaphorical and not the real ultimate one, whereas the most learned Iewes themselves are against him, as the late Manasseh Ben Israel in his Book de Resurrectione..

And they that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament Here the faithful are called wise, i. e. to Salvation, and so these two members, include Teachers, and Disciples that are truly taught the way of Salvation, i. e. such as are taught of God to learn Christ as the truth is in Jesus, Ioh. 6.45. Eph. 4.21., and they that turn many to righteousness They that reach true justification by the righteousness of Christ, imputed to aith which is the sum of the Gospel, and express i by righteous walking, they shall have high degrees of glory., as the stars for ever and ever By being diligent and faithful instruments in the Lords hand by the word of God, and a holy example of the conversion of Souls from an evil state from an evil heart, and from an evil Life unto God, They shall shine not in fame for a long time, as Grotius lamely renders it, but for ever and ever in heavenly glory as the words import..

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end By these words the Angel does not forbid all knowledge of the things here foretold, for whatsoever is written, is written for our learning, but the meaning is, that Daniel must take notice of the special favour of God to him to make so great discoveries of the Divine Secrets. 2. That they were intrusted with him to see the force and fruit of his humiliation and ervent Prayer. 3. That he should support and lay up these things for the support of the godly in their future deep afflictions. 4. That God would never utterly forsake his people, though their sins justly provoked his heavy hand upon them. 5. That these things be kept from the profane, who would make an evil use of them. 6. The Book was commanded to be sealed because it would be long ere the words would be all fulfilled, whereas those that were shortly to be fulfilled were forbidden to be sealed, see 2 Chron. 21.12. Isa. 8.16. Rev. 22.10.: many shall run to and fro They shall diligently inquire and search these Prophesies concerning the fates of the Church, and shall see and admire both the Prescience and Providence of God concerning things to come; they shall know signs of the times, and waite upon God in the way of his judgements, see Ps. 77 5, 6, 7. Isa. 26.8. 1 Pet. 1.10, 11 12. The miserable Jews pervert this Scripture, and forbid the people by dire threatnings to calculate times, namely least they find thereby that Iesus Christ is the true Messiah. Thus are they wilfully and judicially blinded, Act. 28.26. Rom. 11.8., and knowledge shall be encreased He means chiefly in Gospel times, which came by the preaching of Christ and searching the Scriptures about it..

Then I Daniel looked, and behold, there stood other two Two Angels waiting and ministring on Christ to observe his commands, by the banks of the River Tigris or Hiddekel where this new vision was., the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

And one said to the man clothed in linen To Michael, chap. 10.5. Christ who seemed to stand between the Banks, i. e. in the ayr above the waters, or upon them, Matth. 14.25. upon many people say some, Rev. 10.2., which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the the end of these wonders The Angels themselves inquire into these things, for they do not know all, yea they are ignorant of many things, Matth. 24.36. Eph. 3.10..

And I heard the man clothed in linnen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven Here he calls God to witness the truth of this thing; many reasons are given by sundry Expositors of it, why he held up both hands to Heaven. 1. For the more sure and solemn confirmation of it. 2. To denote the unchangeableness of Gods Decrees both for good to the Church, and for evil to her Enemies., and sware by him that liveth for ever, By God the Father, and by the Deity which was himself that liveth for ever, to show the Eternal God only knew that decreed it, and would bring it to pass; that he only is master of the times, Act. 1.7., that it shall be for a time, times, and an half It shall be for a long time, and yet a definite time. Some will have all this to be and end in Antiochus time, but we have proved before that this is a great mistake, and the Text and this chapter disproves that conceit., and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished Which reacheth to the calling of the Jews upon the destruction of Antichrist, for till he be down the Church will suffer and will not be up, which will fall out upon the powring out the sixth vial, and after, Rev. 16.1. &c. and the seventh vial, then all is finished, ver. 17. See also 2 Thess. 2.3. The judgment of Christ will not come, till the man of sin come and fall..

And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, O my LORD, what shall be the end of these things i. e. What is the meaning of all this, of the times, time and half, when they begin and end; and when the Enemies of the Churches, and the sufferings of the Church shall have their end..

And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up, and sealed till the time of the end They shall not be clearly understood, till the event make them good, see ver. 4. of this chap. and chap. 8.26. God is choice in keeping the keys of time at his own girdle, Act. 1.7..

Many shall be purified and made white and tryed Of this purging, and purifying you heard afore, chap. 11.35. the meaning is, the great afflictions of the Church are to prepare them by taking away their filth, for the Bridegroom: as Gold and Silver are tryed and refined., but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand They shall be blinded, they know not what they do, viz. they shall not be bettered by the Word, or Rod, or any warnings of God, but be hardned to their ruine, but the godly shall be taught of God to understand the ways of Gods providence, foretold by the Prophets for this is it they are always minded of and commended for; particularly in this kind of wisdom, 1. Because it is obscure. 2. Because they are concerned greatly to know their safety, and Gods honour lies in it..

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.

Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days These days are either natural days, and properly so called, and so the times of Antiochus are hereby noted. Or 2. Prophetical days, a day for a year, Ezek. 4.6. and thus 1290 days is 42 months, which if we multiply at 30 days the month make the sum 1290. Here many learned Expositors fall in together to that opinion of calculating these years by days, be ginning the 1290 days from the profaneing of the Temple to the Letter of King Antiochus to the Iews, 2 Macc. 11.27. and so make them to end exactly then: and concerning the abomination of desolation, whereof see what is said, Dan. 7.25. & 8.14. & 9.25. being the Epocha from Apollonius coming, who was called the Prince of Abominations, or from the Worship of God forbidden by Antiochus, and at last restored by Iudas Maccabeus, and confirmed by Antiochus from thence to the death of Antiochus are 45 days, which added to 1290, make 1335, but this is a false account and contrary to the scope of this place, and to History, and Chronology, which the learned Ioseph Mede has proved at large, lib. oper. III. pag. 882. The Iews make these days to end, i. e. years, at the coming of Christ but uncertainly when to begin their reckoning, but have been often and grosly deceived. Sound Christians refer it to the second coming of Christ, Mr. Mede makes the chief Revelation of Antichrist to be in 1123. the latter number of 1335. ends in An. Christi 1168, and so the Type of Antichrist which is Antioch. Epiph. leads us by the hand to the Revelation of Antichrist which fell out An. 1106. to An. 1120. between which time the Papal power was highly mounted the Church greatly persecuted, after that great numbers of them had separated from the abominations of Rome, openly declaring it to be Antichristian: Therefore the Angel says, the Saints by their tryals shall be purified and made white, that is by those cruel persecutions which befel them, from their ignorant and inraged Enemies, who went on to do wickedly and did not understand. How this is further cleared, and why the Angel makes use of the Roman supputation in this case namely by indictions, and how it answers, and resolves the case, see in the forecited Author..

But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days In which hope thou shalt dye, and rest from fear or feeling of trouble; till the Resurrection of the just, to the joyes of another World. Which some make to be here after all Enemies are destroyed, at least to begin here and to be consummated in Heaven Eternally, comparing this with Rev. 19.20, 21..