C. Daniel's most detailed vision of the future chs. 10-12

We have observed that God's method of revealing what He wanted Daniel to know and to communicate about the future follows good pedagogy. God first gave the prophet a general picture of the future, first about humanity generally and then about Israel. Then, after Daniel had had time to think about what God had told him, He filled in more detail. In other words, God went from the known to the unknown in teaching Daniel these things. In this final vision of the book, we have even more detail about the future, particularly about Israel's future.

"There is hardly anything in the Bible that is just like these chapters, especially like chapter 11. The word, the vision, and minute prediction are combined in a manner that is found nowhere else in the Scriptures."³⁸⁰

The first chapter (ch. 10) and verse 1 of chapter 11 introduce the vision that follows. There are two parts to this vision: the immediate future from Darius through Antiochus (11:2-35) and the distant future, namely, the seventieth seven (9:27), the Tribulation period (11:36-12:4). The rest of chapter 12 provides a conclusion to this revelation.

 1. Daniel's preparation to receive the vision 10:1-11:1

 2. The near future 11:2-35

The interpreting angel now explained the long anticipated (since 10:1) revelation about the future that involved Daniel's people, the Jews. The first part of it concerns events preceding Messiah's first advent (vv. 2-35) and the second part events preceding Messiah's second advent (11:36-12:4).⁴⁰⁵

 3. The distant future 11:36-12:4

In the revelation given to Daniel about the 70 sevens (years, 9:24-27), we observed that what Gabriel told the prophet in verses 24-26 has already happened. Those verses described what would happen in the first 69 sevens. Verse 27 predicts things that have not happened yet. It reveals what will happen in the seventieth seven. There is a similar break between verses 35 and 36 of chapter 11. What was predicted in verses 2-35 has happened. What follows in this chapter has not happened.

"No commentator claims to find precise fulfillment in the remainder of this chapter."⁴²³

Even liberal scholars, who believe that a second century writer wrote the book as history rather than as prophecy, admit that all of what follows has had no literal fulfillment in the past.⁴²⁴A few scholars, liberal and conservative, believe that Antiochus Epiphanes fulfilled some of these predictions, especially those in verses 36-39.⁴²⁵However, I am not aware of anyone who believes that he fulfilled them all literally.

In view of later revelation, in the Olivet Discourse and in the Book of Revelation particularly, what the angel told Daniel in these verses must refer to the last one of Daniel's seventy weeks. This is the last seven-year period before Jesus Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom. Jesus called it a time of great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), and Daniel's angel called it the worst period of distress that the Jews have ever seen (12:1). Therefore it seems reasonable to conclude that what follows will occur in that seven year period.

 4. The end of Israel's trials 12:5-13

Daniel continued to view things in the vision that he began describing in 10:5. The book ends with a question and answer session.