Daniel 12*

A.(1) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:

B. and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

C.(2) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (3) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

D.(4) But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

E.(5) Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.(6) And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

F.(7) And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

E’.(8) And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

D’.(9) And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

C’.(10) Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

B.(11) And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (12) Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

A’.(13) But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Note: this chapter begins with Michael standing up for God’s people and ends with Daniel standing – accepted – at the judgment. The moving to the centre we see the need for patience – the end will come.

One thought on “Daniel 12*”

  1. I have jus come across the following – Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 2016 Vol. 30, No. 1, 91–111, “The Two Eschatological Perspectives of the Book of Daniel” Benjamin Victor Waters. He suggests the following chiasm but only by omitting 11:36-45.

    A 10,2-14
    B 10,15-21a
    C 10,21b-11,2a
    D 11,2b-35
    C’ 12,1a
    B’ 12,1b-4
    A’ 12,5-13

    “The validity of this chiastic structure is confirmed by the presence of various textual and/or thematic links between the different chiastic sections in addition to its evident structural harmony. In particular, A and A’ both contain an angelic epiphany near a river, a reference to Daniel sleeping/resting and then stand-ing/rising (see 10,9-11; 12,13), and a discussion with an angelic being that closes with a reference to the last days; B and B’ both evince an overall pattern of extreme distress followed by deliverance, which applies to Daniel in the former case and his people in the latter case (see 10,16-19; 12,1b-2), and contain a discussion with an angelic being that closes with a reference to what is written in the -of 12,4); C and C’ both mention Michael at the be דברים of 10,21a (i.e., the כתב ginning and quickly close with a reference to an angelic being who עמד to protect Darius the Mede in the former case and Daniel’s people in the latter case. Indeed, this chiastic structure not only accounts for the revelatory promises in the pro- logue but also the narrative breaks in ch. 12”.

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