“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.”
My Notes
What Does Daniel 12:7 Mean?
Daniel 12:7 is the climactic answer to the question asked in verse 6: "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" The answer comes with the most solemn possible authority — a divine oath.
"The man clothed in linen" — this figure, first described in 10:5-6 with features resembling both an angel and the glorified Christ, stands above the waters of the river (the Tigris, 10:4). His position — above the waters — symbolizes authority over chaos and time.
"He held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever" — a normal oath required one raised hand (Genesis 14:22, Deuteronomy 32:40). This figure raises both, doubling the solemnity. He swears by the eternal God — the highest possible authority. Whatever is about to be said carries the full weight of divine guarantee.
"It shall be for a time, times, and an half" — the Hebrew mo'ed mo'adim vacheytsi (a time, times, and a half) is typically understood as three and a half years — one year, plus two years, plus half a year. This period appears repeatedly in Daniel and Revelation (Daniel 7:25, Revelation 11:2-3, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5) and represents a limited period of intense tribulation. The number is deliberately incomplete — three and a half, not the complete seven — signaling that the suffering is cut short.
"And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished" — the Hebrew kalah lenappets yad-'am-qodesh (when the shattering of the power of the holy people is complete) states a paradoxical condition: the end comes when the breaking is complete. Deliverance arrives not before the suffering but through its completion. The holy people must be fully broken before the restoration can begin.
The verse holds together divine sovereignty (the oath), limited suffering (three and a half), and a difficult truth: God's people are broken before they're restored.
Reflection Questions
- 1.The end comes when the 'power of the holy people' is shattered. Have you experienced a season where losing your own power was actually the prerequisite for God's deliverance?
- 2.'A time, times, and a half' — the suffering is intense but incomplete, cut short. How does knowing suffering has a divine limit change how you endure it?
- 3.The angel swears with both hands raised — the most solemn possible oath. What promises from God do you need to hear with that level of certainty right now?
- 4.This verse says deliverance comes through completed breaking, not before it. How do you trust God when His plan seems to involve your situation getting worse before it gets better?
Devotional
The angel raises both hands and swears by the eternal God. Whatever he's about to say is as certain as anything in the universe can be.
And what he says is this: the suffering will last a specific, limited time. And it will end when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered.
That second part is the hardest thing in this verse. The end doesn't come when God's people get strong enough to fight back. It comes when they've been fully broken. The shattering of their power is not the failure of the plan — it is the plan. Deliverance waits on the other side of complete dependence. As long as the holy people still have power to rely on, the process isn't finished.
"A time, times, and a half." Three and a half. Not four. Not seven. An incomplete number — the suffering is real but it's cut short. It doesn't reach its full potential. God sets a limit on the tribulation before it begins, and the limit is less than wholeness. The breaking has a boundary.
If you're in a season of being broken — of watching your own power, resources, self-sufficiency, and control being systematically stripped away — this verse won't comfort you the way you want. It won't say the breaking is almost over (you might not be there yet). But it will say this: there's a limit. It's sworn to by the eternal God with both hands raised. The shattering has an end point. And on the other side of the last piece breaking is the beginning of everything the rest of Daniel's vision promises.
God doesn't break His people to destroy them. He breaks their power so they'll finally depend entirely on His.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river,.... Christ, as he appeared in a human…
And I heard the man ... - That is, he replied to the question at once, and in a most solemn manner, as if he were…
Which was upon the waters - By this description, he was standing on the water. This is very similar to the description…
Daniel had been made to foresee the amazing revolutions of states and kingdoms, as far as the Israel of God was…
The answer to the inquiry, given with solemn emphasis, and overheard by Daniel.
upon above, as Dan 12:12.
and he lifted…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture