Daniel 11:1  “…in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him”
Chapters 10-12 are continuous, they continue the same vision and explanation.  The angel is finishing a thought from the end of chapter 10.  He has been working with Michael in the spiritual warfare which has been going on with Israel, Babylon, and Persia.

What follows is a detailed account of what happens during the 490 years appointed for the Jewish people.  The details will be relayed as though the years are contiguous; there won’t be a pause after the 69th week as has actually happened.  The details given to Daniel by God were so detailed, skeptics have wanted to say that the book must have been written after the fact.  However, the prophecy isn’t complete.  We still have the last week.  That lends credibility to the assertion that all of this was given to Daniel before any of the events took place.

The thing to remember about the “end of time” on this earth is that it is not about the end of the earth, but the completion of God’s promise to Abraham regarding the Jewish people, that He would someday bring them to Himself as a nation.  The rest of the world is just along for the ride.  This is what the 70 weeks is all about.

2-45..The details.  These are best understood and studied with a good history commentary which can give the names of the kingdoms and how secular history records the events.  Since some of the kingdoms referenced didn’t exist yet in Daniel’s day, he refers to them geographically.  Gives further credibility to the actual time of the book.

21  “…in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue”
Verse 21 begins the overlap between the current incidents and their antitypes of the end.  Antiochus is described here in detail.  As he is the antitype of the Antichrist, his behavior will be duplicated at the end.  The device of the antitype is another key to understanding scripture.  God sets up history to repeat itself to let us know what will happen.  There will be slight differences to distinguish the times, so diligent study is required.

31  “…they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation”
This will happen again at the end.  Jesus makes mention of it in the gospels when describing the end times, the last week.

Daniel 12:1  “…there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time.  And at that time your people shall be delivered”
The last three and a half years of the final week are the Great Tribulation.  The Antichrist/Satan will pour out his greatest persecution upon the Jews and any who will believe in Christ during that time.  But God will save the remnant, and Christ will return bodily.

2  “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Described in Revelation 20.  The “dead” believers are resurrected or rejoined with their bodies, to participate with Christ in the Millennial Reign.  The remaining “dead” aren’t resurrected until the end of that reign when the Great White Throne judgment is set up.  Christ throws Satan and all who rejected Christ into the lake of fire.

4  “…shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end…”
Daniel is told to shut up the words, whereas John is told not to.  Daniel was given information regarding the Jews which wouldn’t be completed until the time of the 70th week.  John was given info for the family of God.  The return of Christ for His family will precede the last week and is imminent.  We must be diligent and watchful.

7  “…it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished”
Another reference to the Great Tribulation.  It completes all of God’s wrath and brings the nation of Israel back to Him.

13  “…you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days”
There is an end to all that we see, and God has already planned all of it out.  Daniel was given a preview of it so he could let us know, but beyond that, he was shown that God holds all of it in His hands.  No matter what we encounter or receive in this life, one day it will all be corrected, and we will life with Christ forever.

I hope you enjoy reading and studying His word.  May it accomplish what He desires.  Please feel free to comment or post questions.  Thanks for reading!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.