The two angelic figures stand as witnesses at the edges of history, guaranteeing that God’s word will never fail.
When the prophet Daniel—an exiled member of the royal family of Judah who lived from around 620 BC to 538 BC—records, “Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river, and the other on that bank of the river” (v.5), he is describing a scene where heavenly messengers appear on opposite sides of a river to deliver and confirm God’s prophetic message. Daniel ministered during the Babylonian captivity and into the Persian era, serving under multiple kings (Daniel 1-6). In this moment, the specific river in question is traditionally understood to be the Tigris, which flows through the historic region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), the cradle of ancient Middle Eastern civilization. Daniel sees these two figures as part of the grand revelation outlining the events at the culmination of history.
By stating, “Then I, Daniel, looked…and behold, two others were standing” (v.5), Daniel draws attention to the sudden appearance of these figures, indicating that God’s prophetic timetable involves angelic beings who stand ready to explain or enact His plans. This passage is situated at the end of the book of Daniel, where the prophet receives visions about the final resurrection, judgment, and the ultimate hope for God’s people (Daniel 12:2-3). The presence of these two others frames an important question about the length and certainty of the end-time events. Centuries later, New Testament passages confirm a continued expectation of God’s intervention in human history (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), connecting Daniel’s vision with the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ as the Son of Man (Matthew 24:30).
In the larger context of Daniel 12, this riverbank scene underscores the reliability of God’s revelation about future events, reminding believers that God remains sovereign over times and epochs. Daniel, faithful from his youth amid exile to his time of service in the Persian court, records these words to assure the people of God that their destiny lies firmly in the Lord’s hands. Just as God’s promises were fulfilled in the first coming of Christ, culminating in His death and resurrection (Romans 5:6-8), Daniel’s vision foreshadows the future fulfillment of God’s plan for the end of the age.
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Daniel 12:5 meaning
When the prophet Daniel—an exiled member of the royal family of Judah who lived from around 620 BC to 538 BC—records, “Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river, and the other on that bank of the river” (v.5), he is describing a scene where heavenly messengers appear on opposite sides of a river to deliver and confirm God’s prophetic message. Daniel ministered during the Babylonian captivity and into the Persian era, serving under multiple kings (Daniel 1-6). In this moment, the specific river in question is traditionally understood to be the Tigris, which flows through the historic region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), the cradle of ancient Middle Eastern civilization. Daniel sees these two figures as part of the grand revelation outlining the events at the culmination of history.
By stating, “Then I, Daniel, looked…and behold, two others were standing” (v.5), Daniel draws attention to the sudden appearance of these figures, indicating that God’s prophetic timetable involves angelic beings who stand ready to explain or enact His plans. This passage is situated at the end of the book of Daniel, where the prophet receives visions about the final resurrection, judgment, and the ultimate hope for God’s people (Daniel 12:2-3). The presence of these two others frames an important question about the length and certainty of the end-time events. Centuries later, New Testament passages confirm a continued expectation of God’s intervention in human history (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), connecting Daniel’s vision with the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ as the Son of Man (Matthew 24:30).
In the larger context of Daniel 12, this riverbank scene underscores the reliability of God’s revelation about future events, reminding believers that God remains sovereign over times and epochs. Daniel, faithful from his youth amid exile to his time of service in the Persian court, records these words to assure the people of God that their destiny lies firmly in the Lord’s hands. Just as God’s promises were fulfilled in the first coming of Christ, culminating in His death and resurrection (Romans 5:6-8), Daniel’s vision foreshadows the future fulfillment of God’s plan for the end of the age.