Daniel 12:7I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
The setting
Tigris River, Babylon, 536 BC. A divine being raises BOTH hands skyward — the ancient gesture of the most solemn oath possible — and swears by the Eternal One...
The emotion here: reverent amazement at witnessing the most solemn divine oath possible
The original word
nishba (נִשְׁבַּע) — to swear, make solemn oath; literally 'to seven oneself' (complete the sacred number)
Why it matters
Raising both hands was the highest form of oath-taking in ancient Near Eastern culture — more binding than any human contract
Read with care
What most readers miss in Daniel 12:7
This being swears by 'Him who lives forever' — using God's eternality as the guarantee of temporal promises
Common misconceptionPeople focus on the 'time, times' timing formula, but miss that God is staking His eternal reputation on keeping this promise — it's about certainty, not scheduling.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Daniel 12:7
Bible Genome reading
Daniel 12:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Daniel 12:7 comes from the book of Daniel, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to clothed_man. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine oath, timing, sovereignty. Notable phrases: held up both hands; swore by him. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Daniel 12:7 mean to you, today?
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