Diving into Daniel: A Timeline by the River
Daniel 12:5-13 - We should go on our way forward in life sheltered in His promises.
“Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.
As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My Lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.””
Daniel 12:5-13 NASB1995
The deeply complex book of Daniel ends with Daniel himself, in the first person, seeing two men on the opposite banks of a river (believed to be the Tigris) with a man dressed in linen above the waters of the river One of the men on the banks asks the man in linen how long it will be until the end of these wonders in the prophecy told to Daniel. This is the same riverbank that Daniel was near when this long prophecy began in Daniel 10:4.
The man in linen responds by raising his hands towards heaven and swearing by Him who lives forever that it would last for a time, times, and half a time. This “time, times, and half a time” is 3.5 years, according to commentary and other prophecies that mention this same time, which is the time of the Great Tribulation. Some believe the man in linen to be a pre-incarnate Christ, but others believe the three beings are angels. Suffice to say, they are of high heavenly rank and can claim to know and swear by God.
Here is what Enduring Word says about this passage:
Two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank: Daniel is back to the riverbank first mentioned in Daniel 10:4. The visions of Daniel 10-12 all took place as Daniel stood at this riverbank.
One said to the man clothed in linen… “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” Seemingly, these other men on the riverbank were angels. One angel asked the other, not for the benefit of the angel, but for Daniel’s benefit and our benefit.
Held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever: In a solemn oath, one angel announced that the time of trouble would last three and one-half years (a time, times, and half a time).
The prediction was emphasized by the solemn oath, and by the miracle that accompanied the words: who was above the waters in the river. The angel “walked on water” when he told the other angel and Daniel that these things would happen within a three and one half year period.
A time, times, and half a time: This three and one-half year period is well known in other passages of Biblical prophecy.
Daniel 7:25 described it as the period that saints are given into Antichrist’s hands.
Daniel 9:27 described it as the period between the breaking of Antichrist’s covenant with Israel, the erection of the abomination of desolation, and the establishment of Jesus’ kingdom.
Daniel 12:7 described it as the duration of “the time of trouble” for Israel.
Revelation 11:2 described it as the period that the holy city will be tread underfoot by Gentiles.
Revelation 11:3 described it as the period of ministry for the two witnesses.
Revelation 12:6 and 12:14 described it as the period that Israel (perhaps only its remnant) is preserved by God in the wilderness.
Revelation 13:5 describe it as the duration of Antichrist’s authority to rule, persecute and blaspheme.
Taking all these together, we are obviously dealing with the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week (the Great Tribulation); and we know very little about the first half.
When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished: The people of Israel will seem completely crushed as these things end, but at that time, the Messiah – upon whom they will trust before He returns – will return to rescue them.
Daniel doesn’t understand and asks what will be the outcome of these events. He was told by one of these messengers to go on his way (continue his life and service to God) because the words are sealed and concealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined; the wicked will act wickedly and will not understand, but those who have insight will understand.
Daniel is told very succinctly that the time from when the regular sacrifice is abolished until the abomination of desecration is set up will be 1,290 days. Whoever can stand until 1,335 days is indeed blessed! So what in the world do these timelines mean? Gotquestions.org has an answer for the different days seen in Daniel and Revelation:
Revelation 11:3 specifically mentions 1,260 days, which corresponds exactly with Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation. In Revelation, we have an added detail: two divinely appointed witnesses will preach and perform miracles for half of the tribulation—the first half, according to the chronology of Revelation. These two witnesses are killed at the midpoint of the tribulation; their bodies will lie in the streets for three and a half days as the world celebrates their demise; then they will be resurrected and taken up to heaven (Revelation 11:7–13).
The 1,260 days of the second half of the tribulation begins as the Antichrist breaks the treaty, occupies the third Jewish temple, and sets up a profane and sacrilegious object of worship. This 1,260-day period ends when the Antichrist is defeated at the battle of Armageddon upon Jesus’ return to earth. At that time, the tribulation will be at an end.
Daniel 12:11 mentions 1,290 days, however, which is 30 days more than the second half of the tribulation. Different ideas have been put forward to explain what happens in those 30 extra days. One likely theory is that the land of Israel will be rebuilt in that month after the devastation it endured during the tribulation.
Then, according to Daniel 12:12, there will be an extra 45 days, on top of the extra 30 days, after which something else will happen. Daniel does not say explicitly what will happen, but he says those who remain until the end of that segment (1,335 days after the breaking of the treaty and 75 days after the end of the tribulation) will be “blessed.” The blessing here is entry into the millennial kingdom. What will take place during those 45 days? Very likely, this is when the judgment of the Gentile nations, described in Matthew 25:31–46, will take place. In this judgment, also called the judgment of the sheep and the goats, the Gentiles are judged for their treatment of Israel during the tribulation. Did they aid Jesus’ “brothers and sisters” (Matthew 25:40), or did they turn a blind eye to the Jews’ troubles or, worse yet, aid in their persecution?
So, those who survive the tribulation and survive the sheep and goat judgment will enter the millennium. This is a blessing, indeed.
In summary, here is the timeline as we see it:
• Sometime after the rapture of the church, the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation.
• At the midpoint of the tribulation (1,260 days later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews.
• At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
• During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt and the earth is restored.
• During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel.
• The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3, 5–6).
According to research I did, only about 15% of the members of the many Christian denominations subscribe to a Pre-tribulation Rapture; the rest of these end times predictions are usually acknowledged at least at a superficial level. I also looked at the articles and statements of faith for the church we currently attend (essentially considered Bible-believing “non-denominational” but connected to a General Baptist converge movement) - the end times proclamations are deliberately vague.
Let’s look at one more commentary, this one from Enduring Word again (this organization approaches things from essentially a Reformed congregation perspective, in case you’re wondering). This is quite fascinating:
Go your way, Daniel: The command to go your way is literally merely “to go” but it is not meant physically. The angel told Daniel to make a mental departure from the questioning. More details would be revealed later; but Daniel must be content with what God has revealed thus far.
For the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end: Daniel must make a mental departure from his questioning, because the revealing of these things will not come till the time of the end. Until then, there is a sense in which these prophecies are closed up and sealed.
We shouldn’t think there was no instruction, no blessing, or no benefit in these words for any generation until the time of the end. But the meaning of these prophecies would be less mysterious at the time of the end.
The massive interest in prophecy, and the incredible development in understanding of Biblical prophecy in the last 150 years should make us see that we truly are at the time of the end.
One of the common arguments against some understandings of Biblical prophecy is “Your ideas are new. The early church or Christians through the ages didn’t teach these things. Your ideas are wrong because they are new.” But this word to Daniel, that the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end should make us think differently.
Additionally, when we look at Church history, we see that God has successively had the church focus on specific areas of doctrine at different periods. Our present understanding of many areas of Biblical teaching were only most carefully and precisely defined after God appointed the church to focus on that doctrinal area.
For example, in the second through fourth centuries, the church focused on the doctrine of Scripture. In the fourth century, the focus was on the doctrine of God (in the Trinity). In the fifth century, the focus was on the doctrine of Christ. In the fifth through seventh centuries, the focus was on the doctrine of man. In the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, the focus was on the doctrine of salvation. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the focus was on the doctrine of the church. So it should not surprise us that it was not until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries – the time of the end – that the focus would turn upon the doctrine of last things and the return of Jesus.
Many shall be purified, made white, and refined: This is another prediction for what was future to Daniel, because this degree of purification is only possible after the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
But the wicked shall do wickedly: Most specifically, we would say that this prediction has to do with the end times, when wickedness will abound more than ever (as in the Antichrist and his government), but an innumerable multitude will also be saved (as is seen in Revelation 7:9-10).
And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days: This was an amazingly specific prophecy. Daniel said that from the time of the abomination of desolation, you can simply start marking off your calendar to the final consummation of all things, 1,290 days later.
This is why Jesus pointed to Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation as the sign that would mark the immediacy of His return (Matthew 24:15).
Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days: It is difficult to say what the relationship is between the three and one-half years mentioned in many places and the 1,335 days mentioned here. We could say that at the end of the 1,260 days Jesus returns. At the end of the 1,290 days, Jesus’ government is officially installed. At the end of the 1,335 days the nations are judged (Matthew 25:31-46).
But you, go your way till the end: Daniel’s mind was filled with exciting and frightening prophetic thoughts. Perhaps it was easy for those things to become a distraction instead of a blessing to him. So the angel concluded with an important reminder: go your way till the end. God had a course He wanted Daniel to complete, and Daniel needed to remain focused on that.
Adam Clarke draws the following points from Daniel 12:13:
Every man has his way to go.
Every man has an end.
There is a rest provided for the people of God.
There is an inheritance for the people of God.
At the end of the gospel of John, Jesus told Peter about his destiny to die as a martyr for Jesus. Peter wanted to know about John’s destiny, so he asked Jesus, “What about John?” Essentially, Jesus replied, “It’s none of your business. You follow Me” (John 21:22). In the same way, Daniel was not to spend all of his time and energy speculating and worrying about things he couldn’t know. Instead, he should simply obey the word to go your way till the end – something we must all do.
Ok, we’re right back to where we started when I began this study of Daniel. I knew (and I know a lot more now) that it was chock-a-block with end times prophecies. But just like our reliance on our investment advisors for our retirement funds (I don’t sweat daily up and down swings in the markets), I know the following:
I have a plan from God and a way for me to go. I will continue to read, research, write, pray, worship, obey, evangelize, give and just love Him.
I will die.
I will have my soul rest in heaven with the Lord (“soul sleep” is not Biblical).
I will, at some point in the future, have an inheritance from Him and a new perfect body on the new Earth.
Daniel received remarkable insights about God’s plan for humanity but the bottom line at the end is that Daniel should not spend all of his time worrying about these events but should rather trust God and His word until the end. Let’s be like Daniel and be at peace in His promises!
My next devotional will summarize my study of Daniel and will include a key verse for each chapter, a short synopsis by passage, a lesson and the prayer. After that devotional, I will begin a study of the Epistle to the Philippians.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - We know the beginning and we are told about the end. For believers, that is a great comfort. Our task is to make sure others come to You for their salvation and to leave the details in Your sealed and concealed words for when You decide it is time. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Enduring Word commentary by David Guzik is used with written permission. Minor formatting changes have been made to improve readability.
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 6/14/2025 to answer the question, “Why do Daniel and Revelation give varying counts of 1,260, 1,290, and 1,335 days for the tribulation?”