This world will come to an end

12 Then the angel said to me, ‘At that time God's great angel Michael will come. He is the leader who takes care of your people. There will be a time of great trouble. It will be worse than any trouble that has happened since God first made your nation. But many of your own people will escape from that trouble. Those are all the people whose names are written in the book.^{[a] 2} Many dead people who lie under the ground will become alive again. Some of them will receive life that continues for ever with God. But other people will receive shame that continues for ever. ³ People who are wise will shine like the bright sky. Those who help many people to do what is right will also shine brightly for ever. They will shine like the stars in the sky at night.

⁴ Daniel, you must now close this message. Put seals on the book so that nobody can open it until it is time for the end of this world. Many people will try to understand about these things. They will travel everywhere to get more knowledge.’^[b]

⁵ After the angel said this, I, Daniel, looked up. I saw two other people. One of them stood on the same side of the river as me. The other one stood on the other side of the river. ⁶ One of them spoke to the man who wore linen clothes and who now stood above the river. He asked that man, ‘How long will it be until these wonderful things finish?’ ⁷ The man who wore linen clothes lifted up both his hands towards the sky. I heard him make a strong promise with the authority of God, who lives for ever. He said, ‘It will continue for three and a half times.^[c] Then the enemies of God's holy people will finally lose their power. That will be the end of all these events.’

⁸ I heard the man's words, but I did not understand. So I said, ‘Sir, how will all these things finally finish?’ ⁹ He said to me, ‘You must go now, Daniel. This message will remain secret until it is time for the end of this world. The seals will keep the book closed. ¹⁰ The time of trouble will cause many people to become clean and pure. But wicked people will continue to do evil things. No wicked people will understand what God is doing. But wise people will understand.

¹¹ People will suffer for 1,290 days during that time of trouble. It will start from the time when people can no longer offer their sacrifices each day in the temple. That is when the enemy will put a disgusting thing that causes trouble in the holy place.^{[d] 12} But God will bless all those people who remain faithful until the 1,335 days come to an end.

¹³ You yourself must serve God faithfully until the end of your life. You will die. But at the end of time you will rise to live again. Then you will receive the good things that God has prepared for you.’