Well, I’ve had another opportunity to analyze an ‘interesting’ question posed from a preterist (all biblical prophecy has been fulfilled) perspective. Let’s jump in.

First of all, we need to put Daniel 12:7 back into the context of Daniel, chapter 12.

The Great Unveiling: Divine Revelations and Eternal Promises

In Daniel 12, we are reminded that no matter how difficult or tumultuous our circumstances may be, God’s protection and promises remain constant. We are also called to seek wisdom and understanding in the face of mystery, reminding us that, ultimately, our quest for knowledge is a divine journey.

Verses 1-4: The Time of Distress and the Promise of Resurrection

These verses describe a time of unparalleled distress that will occur at the end of days. Yet, in this time of strife, Michael, the great prince, will stand to protect Daniel’s people. It also mentions a resurrection, where those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting contempt.

Verses 5-7: The Sealed Prophecy

Here, Daniel sees two beings, one on each side of the river, asking the man clothed in linen about when the astonishing events will occur. The man, raising his hands to the heavens, swears by the eternal God that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and when the power of the holy people has been shattered, all these events will be completed.

Verses 8-13: The Duration of the End Times

Daniel, not understanding, asks for clarification. The man, however, tells him that the words are sealed until the time of the end. He describes that the wicked will not understand, but the wise will, and puts forth times and durations to signify the end, blessing those who wait and reach the 1335 days. Finally, Daniel is told to go his way until the end, for he will rest and then rise again for his allotted inheritance at the end of days.

Daniel 12, the concluding chapter of the Book of Daniel, continues and finalizes the long-range prophecy given to Daniel by an angel. In this captivating finale, Daniel receives revelations of the end times, including a period of unmatched distress, the promise of resurrection and judgment, and the sealing of these prophecies until the end time.[i]

First of all, I have no idea exactly why Daniel said what he said in Daniel, Chapter 12. All I know for sure is that an angel (some say Gabriel) spoke to Daniel, that Daniel wrote down what the angel told him, and that Daniel asked for clarification (v. 8), but the angel clarified exactly nothing and told Daniel to go about his way.

Furthermore, I’m not sure Daniel understood what the angel told him either, because he asked for clarification:

“I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” (v. 8)

The angel then told Daniel:

“He (the angel) said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.” (v.9)

Let’s move on to what the angel said about the fulfillment of prophecy: “when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.” (v. 7)

Note that the above meme claims that “the shattering of the power of the holy people” occurred with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. We are to automatically accept that assertion as fact and move on. That’s where my research became interesting. I consulted and recorded information found in nearly a dozen commentaries and found references to a repeated pattern of persecution and the scattering of God’s people at three different specific times:

• Antiochus Epiphanes’ destruction of Jerusalem in 168 B.C.
• Rome’s destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
• The Antichrist’s persecution of Christians in New Testament times, prior to Jesus’ second coming in judgment.

One commentary offered an excellent summary of those periods:

Although Daniel’s understanding had been helped by the interpreting angel, the visions and revelations that God gave him had more significance than he may have realized. Their symbolic meaning extended beyond the period of conflict that followed the Jews’ return from Babylon. The terrible suffering under Antiochus, though it was the last great persecution of the Jews before the coming of the Messiah, was by no means the end of their troubles.

When the Messiah came, the Jewish people as a whole rejected him and brought upon themselves, at the hands of Rome, greater suffering than they had ever experienced before (cf. 7:23-25). Jesus more than once connected the Jews’ rejection of him with the ‘desolating abomination’ and ‘awful horror’ of the Romans’ destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 21:37-41; Matthew 23:37-38; Matthew 24:15-22,Matthew 24:32-33; Luke 21:20-24; Luke 23:28-31).

Many years after the destruction of Jerusalem, John wrote of the persecution of God’s people, using symbolism that again was taken from the book of Daniel (Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:6-7,Revelation 12:14; Revelation 13:1-12; Revelation 17:8-14). An anti-God spirit had motivated the persecutors of the Jews in Old Testament times, and now the same anti-God spirit was motivating the persecutors of Christians in New Testament times. The anti-God spirit was now specifically anti-Christ. This spirit is always hostile to God and his people (1 John 2:18), and will have its fullest expression in the antichrist who will appear at the end of the age and who will be destroyed by Christ at his coming (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation 19:20).

Whatever the era and whoever the antichrist, the message for God’s people is always one of encouragement: ‘he who endures to the end shall be saved’ (Daniel 12:12; Matthew 24:13; 2 Timothy 2:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:11-12; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 13:10; Revelation 20:4). In the end all the powers of this world must give way to the rule of God, whose people inherit his eternal kingdom (Daniel 7:27; Matthew 25:34; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 19:1-8).[ii]

Back to the meme for a just a couple more comments. The shattering of the power of the holy people is equated with “their (Israel’s) old mode of covenantal existence”, which was of course in 70 A.D., when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies. Disregarding the claim that Israel’s old covenant existence ended in 70 A.D., the more significant question is “When did the Old Covenant with God’s people end and the New Covenant begin?” Two primary passages give us the answer to that question.

Jesus, when he last dined with his disciples told them:

“Luke 22:20b  “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”  (See also Matt 26:28 & Mark 14:24)

Then, on the cross at Calvary, when the sinless Savior, having fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law, with his final Jesus declared:

“It is finished” (John 19:30).

____________________________

Once again, I’ve had the opportunity to analyze another questionable meme sourced from a full preterist site (ASiteForTheLord.com). You probably won’t find the FB meme at the site (at least I couldn’t), however you can certainly purchase some books and download a free PDF called Fulfilled Eschatology from the homepage, as well as a concise one page summary on the End Times Topics page. ASiteForTheLord memes keep popping up on a couple of sites I visit. I read somewhere that preterists can be really clever at seducing younger believers who are not yet biblically well read into accepting their beliefs. This was just another example.

[i] https://biblehub.com/chaptersummaries/daniel/12.htm

[ii] https://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com/commentaries/bbc/daniel-12.php