Verse 8: “And I heard, and I did not understand. And I said: ‘My lord, what is the end of these things?”

Lord: Sir

What is the end of these things: Daniel wants to know what the end result of all these things are going to be. He is still struggling to comprehend what he has seen and what he has been told.

Verse 9: “And he said to me: ‘Daniel, go your way, for these things are closed and sealed until the time of the end.”

Closed and sealed: These words are sealed until the end days. They will be made known and more clearly understood then.

The time of the end: Once again we are told that the things we have been reading about have to do with the end days. The majority of Jewish people will not come to faith until the very end.

Verse 10: “There will be those who purify themselves and who make themselves white, and many are going to be refined. But the wicked shall act wickedly. All the wicked are not going to understand. But the wise ones will understand.”

Purify themselves and…make themselves white: They are going to live in a way that is pleasing to God. During this time there are going to be people who are growing spiritually. They will be maturing and are going to be prepared for these events.

The wicked shall act wickedly: At that time there will also be many who continue on in their wickedness.

Note: The book of Daniel is relevant for us as Believers. We are going to go through a portion of the suffering that the Jewish people are going to go through. We need to be prepared for this.

Verse 11: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is removed and the giving of the abomination of desolation there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

The daily sacrifice is removed: This verse repeats (and adds insight) to what we read in Daniel 11:31. The antichrist is going to stop the worship that is happening in the third temple – which has been rebuilt for his purposes.

Note: The antichrist had initially allowed these sacrifices to recommence as he was favourable towards Israel, trying to court and seduce her in an attempt to get her to accept him as the Messiah. Initially the religion of the antichrist is going to be pluralism – meaning this: people will be allowed to worship whomever or whatever they choose to worship. For a limited period of time, all religions are going to be lauded as good and leading to G-d. However, at the midpoint of the seven year “week” the antichrist is going to stop all forms of worship and demand monotheistic worship (Daniel 11:36, 2 Thessalonians 2:4) – only the worship of himself will be seen as an acceptable form of worship (this is also known as the ‘abomination of desolation’).

One thousand two hundred and ninety days: Revelation 11:2 tells us that Jerusalem will be trampled on for 42 months, which is 3.5 years, or 1260 days. We are also told that for 1260 days the 2 witnesses will be in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:3-14). Revelation 12:6 tells us that the woman (Israel – Rev 12:13-17) will be taken care of for 1260 days. This verse, however, clearly reveals to us that there is another 30-day period – this additional 30-day period will take us to 1290 days (1260+30=1290) after the removal of the sacrifices and after the abomination of desolation is set up.

Note 1: 30 days in Jewish culture (Biblically) is the time set aside for mourning after a death (Deuteronomy 34:8, Numbers 20:29, See also Zechariah 12:10-14. There is going to come a time when Israel is going to “look upon the One they have pierced” and they are going to understand the cross and be grieved, for a period of 30 days, over their rejection of Yeshua as Messiah) Note 2: The rapture (or ‘Blessed Hope’) is a completely different event to the second coming of Messiah Yeshua. No man knows the day or the hour that the rapture is going to take place (the only indication we have of its approximate timing is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). However, this verse alludes to the fact that the Second Coming of Messiah is calculable.