Daniel Chapter 12
VERSE 11 “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.”
“From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate SET UP” would be a time period of 1,290 days (years).
The “abomination that makes desolate” actually began before Justinian’s day. That doctrine started in the 300s, but it was “SET UP” by Emperor Justinian when he gave Papacy its power as the Man of Sin in A.D. 539. Two things happened:
(1) The daily merit of Christ’s sacrifice was taken away by the substitution of the doctrine of the Mass.
(2) Papacy was established as a contending power. The little man-child was caught up to “heaven” (the ecclesiastical heavens here on earth) and became as (the false) Michael (Rev. 12:5, 7–10). A war in heaven (the nominal ecclesiastical heavens) ensued, and the dragon (Pagan Rome, the civil authority) was cast out.
In effect, Justinian opened the door to Papacy by recognizing the pope as the head of the Christian Church, even though the Eastern Orthodox Church was right in Constantinople. What Justinian probably thought was that by throwing out this bone, he would be unifying the eastern and western divisions of the empire, Constantinople and Rome being the respective headquarters. But instead, Papacy was strengthened so that it became its own entity. The tables were turned. No longer was Papacy the servant of the government; instead, the government became the servant of Papacy.
Thus A.D. 539 was a very critical period of time, for the starting point of the 1,260 days, the 1,290 days, and the 1,335 days are all that same year. From that point we add the prophetic time periods.
539 + 1,260 = the year 1799 A.D.
539 + 1,290 = the year 1829 A.D.
539 + 1,335 = the year 1874 A.D.
In 1829 A.D. the Miller movement began. William Miller, who had an interesting ministry, understood the 1,260 and the 1,290 days, but he expected the Lord to return visibly from 1844 A.D. to 1846 A.D.
See the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
Also note the following from Rev 10:8-11:
“Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel (Jesus) who stands on the sea and, on the earth, (the harvest message, containing events to follow during the time of the end). So, I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth (O, the blessedness of him that waits and comes to the 1335 days”). But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter (The after effects are always more or less a blending of the bitterness of persecution with the sweetness). And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings (You prophesied once about the return of Jesus [during the Miller Movement in 1844 A.D.] you will do it again [in the Seventh period of the Church]. History confirms that the teachings of Brother Russell ministry caught the ears of many, including those in power, government leaders, kings).”
The Adventist predictions were stimulating and rapidly absorbed by thousands (sweet as honey), but as the angel had warned (in Verse 7) the mystery was not yet to be finished. Their understandings were imperfect and wrong enough to be disappointing (bitter to the stomach).
VERSE 12 “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.”
The 1,335 days mark the beginning of the parousia, our Lord’s secret (invisible) presence, the return of our Lord to earth’s atmosphere, in 1874 A.D.
VERSE 13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
The twelfth chapter of Daniel is saying that there are four end periods:
1,260, 1,290, 1,335, and “X,” the unknown date yet future. One of the many things that will happen at that unknown date is the resurrection of the Ancient Worthies. Daniel will stand in his lot then, “at the end of the days.” In other words, the Ancient Worthies will come forth not like mankind, with the last being first and the first last, but right away as a group at the midnight hour of Jacob’s Trouble.
Daniel was told he would “rest” for a long period of time, and then “stand in ... [his] lot at the end of the days.” He was told, in effect: “This information is being given to you, even though you do not understand it.” And Daniel recorded the information, realizing it would benefit others, not himself. The suggestion was that when the 1,335 days came, it would be a wonderful time, for it would mark the real beginning of the unsealing process. As time went on, the “words,” the “book” (that is, present truth), would be unsealed more and more (Dan. 12:4). In the beginning of the parousia, the key to present truth was given to begin to unlock the mystery (or mysteries) due to be understood at the end of the age.”
