And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolishedThis phrase refers to the cessation of the regular temple sacrifices, a significant event in Jewish religious life. Historically, this occurred during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who desecrated the Second Temple around 167 BC. The daily sacrifices were a central part of Jewish worship, as outlined in
Exodus 29:38-42. The abolition of these sacrifices symbolizes a severe disruption in the covenant relationship between God and His people. This event is also a foreshadowing of future events, as Jesus refers to a similar occurrence in
Matthew 24:15, indicating a future fulfillment in the end times.
and the abomination of desolation set up
The "abomination of desolation" is a term used to describe an idolatrous act that desecrates the holy place. In the historical context, this refers to Antiochus IV setting up an altar to Zeus in the Jewish temple. This act is seen as a direct challenge to God's authority and a profound violation of the sacred space. The phrase is also prophetic, pointing to future events described in the New Testament, particularly in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:15) and in the book of Revelation. It serves as a type of ultimate rebellion against God, which will be fully realized in the end times.
there will be 1,290 days
The specific number of 1,290 days is intriguing and has been the subject of much interpretation. It is slightly longer than the 1,260 days (or 42 months) mentioned in other prophetic scriptures such asRevelation 11:3 and 12:6, which are often associated with the period of tribulation. The additional 30 days may suggest a period of transition or cleansing following the abomination. This time frame emphasizes the precision of God's prophetic timeline and His sovereignty over historical events. It also encourages believers to remain faithful and patient, trusting in God's ultimate plan and timing.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DanielA prophet and the author of the Book of Daniel, who received visions and prophecies about the future of Israel and the end times.
2.
The Daily SacrificeRefers to the regular offerings made in the Jewish temple, which were central to the worship practices of ancient Israel.
3.
The Abomination of DesolationA term used to describe a sacrilegious act or object that desecrates the holy temple, often associated with end-time prophecy.
4.
1,290 DaysA specific period mentioned in the prophecy, which has been the subject of much interpretation regarding its symbolic or literal significance.
5.
The TempleThe central place of worship for the Jewish people, which plays a significant role in biblical prophecy and eschatology.
Teaching Points
Understanding Prophetic TimelinesThe mention of 1,290 days encourages believers to study and understand biblical prophecy, recognizing that God's timing is precise and purposeful.
The Importance of WorshipThe abolition of the daily sacrifice highlights the significance of worship in the life of believers and the spiritual warfare that seeks to disrupt it.
Vigilance Against DesecrationThe abomination of desolation serves as a warning to guard against anything that would desecrate or undermine the sanctity of our faith and worship.
Hope in FulfillmentProphecies like
Daniel 12:11 remind us that God is sovereign and His plans will come to pass, offering hope and assurance to believers.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 12:11?
2.How does Daniel 12:11 relate to the prophecy of the end times?
3.What is the significance of "the abomination that causes desolation" in Daniel 12:11?
4.How can we prepare for the fulfillment of Daniel 12:11's prophecy?
5.Compare Daniel 12:11 with Matthew 24:15. What connections can you find?
6.How does understanding Daniel 12:11 impact our daily walk with Christ?
7.What is the significance of the 1,290 days mentioned in Daniel 12:11?
8.How does Daniel 12:11 relate to the prophecy of the abomination of desolation?
9.What historical events might fulfill the prophecy in Daniel 12:11?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 12?
11.Why does Daniel 12:11–12 specify two different periods (1,290 days and 1,335 days) without a clear explanation for the discrepancy?
12.Why are there 1260, 1290, and 1335 days in Tribulation?
13.What is the Abomination of Desolation?
14.In Revelation 11:1–2, how can the measuring of a temple be taken literally if the historical temple no longer stands?What Does Daniel 12:11 Mean
And from the timeDaniel is given a chronological marker. The prophecy hinges on an identifiable “time” that God Himself sets, underscoring His sovereign control (Isaiah 46:9-10;Acts 17:26). This is not vague symbolism; it is an actual point in history that believers can look for with confidence in the accuracy of God’s word.
the daily sacrifice is abolishedThe phrase recalls the continual offerings described inExodus 29:38-42 andNumbers 28:3-8. Those sacrifices were a visible reminder of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. For them to be “abolished” points to:
• A deliberate interruption of true worship (Daniel 8:11-13).
• A hostile power suppressing temple service, just as Antiochus IV Epiphanes did in 167 BC (1 Maccabees 1:44-50) and as the future Antichrist will do (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
Jesus treated this prediction as still future inMatthew 24:15, affirming a literal end-time fulfillment.
and the abomination of desolation set up“Abomination” refers to something idolatrous and detestable to God (Deuteronomy 27:15). “Desolation” speaks of the devastation that follows. Putting the two together, we see:
• An idolatrous image or act placed in the holy place (Daniel 9:27).
• A trigger for unprecedented tribulation (Matthew 24:21).
• A direct affront that brings God’s judgment, just as similar defilements brought ruin to Shiloh (Jeremiah 7:12-14).
The language is concrete: a real object or act will be “set up,” not merely a spiritual principle.
there will be 1,290 daysGod gives a precise span—1,290 literal days (Revelation 11:2-3). Notably:
• 1,260 days equals 3½ prophetic years (42 months), the familiar length of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 13:5).
• The extra 30 days (1,290 minus 1,260) point to a transitional period—likely for cleansing the temple, judging the nations (Matthew 25:31-32), and inaugurating Christ’s millennial reign (Zechariah 14:9,16).
• The specificity offers assurance: every day of hardship is numbered (Psalm 31:15), and the end is as certain as the start.
summaryDaniel 12:11 anchors the end-time timeline to a historical moment when regular temple worship is forcibly stopped and an idolatrous abomination is installed. From that event, exactly 1,290 days elapse until God’s set purpose is fulfilled—culminating in judgment on the wicked and vindication for the faithful. Scripture’s precision invites absolute confidence: God knows the schedule, governs every day, and will keep every promise.
(11)
From the time.--It appears as if at this verse the prophecy recurs to the more immediate future, and that these words point to the same subject as
Daniel 11:31. The language used respecting the "abomination" is almost verbally the same as that in
Daniel 8:3;
Daniel 8:11;
Daniel 9:27, and prevents us from arriving at any other conclusion. The great and apparently insoluble difficulty is the relation which the 1,290 or the 1,335 days occupy with regard to the 2,300 days, or the time, times, and the dividing of a time. Assuming that these four periods all commence at the same epoch (see Note on
Daniel 8:14), the death of Antiochus closes the 1,290 days, and the 1,335 days point to some event which occurred forty-five days, or a month and a half, later. The principal objection to this view is that the exact date of the death of Antiochus is uncertain, and therefore all calculations based upon the precise day of his death must be untrustworthy. It is obvious that neither of the two periods mentioned in this and the following verse can be made to agree with three years and a half without setting the rules of arithmetic at defiance. Also the obscurity which rests over the greater portion of the history of Israel should guard us against assuming that we can explain all the contents of the last three chapters by means of what occurred in those times, and also against assuming our historical facts from Daniel, and then making use of them to illustrate his prophecies.
Verse 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. The Septuagint is, "From
the time the sacrifice is taken away for ever, and the abomination of desolation is prepared to be set up, are a thousand two hundred and ninety days." The translator must have had
עֹלַת ('
olath) before him, and read it
עלָה ('
olah), else he could not have translated
תָּמִיֻד "for ever," and written "sacrifice" also. The Hebrew copyist, following the usage of Palestine, which makes "sacrifice" understood after "continual," had omitted it in the text followed by the Massoretes. Theodotion's rendering is, "From the time of the change of the daily sacrifice (
ἐν δελεχισμός) and the abomination of desolation set up ("given,"
δοθήσεται) is a thousand two hundred and ninety days." The Peshitta and Vulgate do not call for remarks. This verse is a veritable cruz
interpretum. From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away. This event is referred to in
Daniel 11:31. Whether the eleventh chapter is earlier or later is in our opinion scarcely doubtful. Also in
Daniel 8:11 we have the taking away of the daily sacrifice mentioned as one of the deeds of Antiochus. While the reference in ch. 11. and ch. 8. is to the action of Antiochus, it is not necessary to maintain that this refers to him; other oppressors might take away the daily sacrifice. This clause certainly seems to give the
terminus a quo, but it is difficult to fix the date in question. Certainly from the fact that the words used here are used by the writer of the eleventh chapter to describe the actions of Antiochus, and that in 1 Macc. 1:54 there is also a similar identification, we might be inclined to take the event here mentioned as the starting-point of the twelve hundred and ninety days. But the acknowledged impossibility of fitting the days to the chronology militates against this view.
And the abomination that maketh desolate set up. At first sight the reader is inclined to follow Wieseler, and regard this as a statement of the
terminus ad quem. The grammatical difficulties against this view are forcible. Although
לְ...
מִן, "from" and "to," are sometimes used for
עד ...
מִן, "from... until," it is rare, and the intrusion of
וְ, "and," is strong against this interpretation. Yet it seems strange that two
termini a quo should be assigned and no ter
minus ad quota. A thousand two hundred and ninety days. While this seems to be the same period as that reckoned in the seventh verse, "a time, times, and half a time," yet it is not absolutely coincident. It is thirty days more than three and a half times the prophetic year of three hundred and sixty, and eleven days more than three and a half mean solar years. As we have already said, if we take the profanation of the temple, 25th Casleu, 145 Seleucid era, as our starting-point, it is impossible to fix any great deliverance or any event of importance which happened some three years and seven months after. Antiochus may have died seven months after the news arrived of the reconsecration of the temple; but we have no data. As above stated, the death of Antiochus wrought but little alteration in the condition of the Jews. If we regard the days as literal days, there is one period that nearly coincides with the twelve hundred and ninety days - our Lord's ministry upon the earth. It is difficult to understand how our Lord's commencing his ministry was the removing of the daily sacrifice. Yet in the "heavenlies" it might be so. Further, we sometimes reckon "from" a period to come, as we can say, "We are yet - weeks from harvest, midsummer, or Christmas." So the Crucifixion as the fulfilment of all the sacrifices of the Law may be regarded as their removal. Certainly in his crucifixion was the real abomination which maketh desolate set up. It suits the next verse. From our Lord's crucifixion to his ascension there would be exactly forty-five days if, as is commonly believed, his ascension, as his resurrection, took place on a Sunday. This, however, is merely a thought thrown out. If we take the date indicated by our Lord, the war against the Jews, dating from Vespasian's march to Ptolemais in the beginning of A.D. to the capture of the temple and the cessation of the daily sacrifice (Josephus, 'Bell. Jud.,' 6:02. 1), is not far off twelve hundred and ninety days. From this to the final capture of the city is close upon forty-five days. If we, however, take a day for a year, then another series of possible solutions are before us, all more or less faulty. One has the merit of postponing the solution to a date still future. The capture of Jerusalem by the Arabs in A.D. is made the starting-point; if we add to that twelve hundred and ninety years, we have A.D. . The Mohammedan power may have fallen by that time; anything may have happened then. All these various solutions, all more or less unsatisfactory, prove that no solution is possible. If the fulfilment is yet in the future, circumstances may convey to us the interpretation. We must remember the vision was sealed to "the time of the end." Professor Fuller suggests that Babylonian discovery may at some future date throw light on Daniel's use of numbers.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
And from the timeוּמֵעֵת֙(ū·mê·‘êṯ)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256:Time, now, whenthe daily [sacrifice]הַתָּמִ֔יד(hat·tā·mîḏ)Article | Adverb
Strong's 8548:Continuance, constant, ellipt, the regular, sacrificeis abolishedהוּסַ֣ר(hū·sar)Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5493:To turn asideand the abominationשִׁקּ֣וּץ(šiq·qūṣ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8251:Disgusting, filthy, idolatrous, an idolof desolationשֹׁמֵ֑ם(šō·mêm)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8074:To stun, devastate, stupefyset up,וְלָתֵ֖ת(wə·lā·ṯêṯ)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5414:To give, put, setthere will be 1,290אֶ֖לֶף(’e·lep̄)Number - masculine singular
Strong's 505:A thousanddays.יָמִ֕ים(yā·mîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117:A day
Links
Daniel 12:11 NIVDaniel 12:11 NLTDaniel 12:11 ESVDaniel 12:11 NASBDaniel 12:11 KJV
Daniel 12:11 BibleApps.comDaniel 12:11 Biblia ParalelaDaniel 12:11 Chinese BibleDaniel 12:11 French BibleDaniel 12:11 Catholic Bible
OT Prophets: Daniel 12:11 From the time that the continual burnt (Dan. Da Dn) 
