Certain things must be understood before a 21st century person can make any sense out of Daniel 12:8-10.  Otherwise everyone who looks at these verses will indeed suffer the "brain freeze" here suggested, and indeed "not understand".

     First they must understand that originally, before the Old Testament books were separated into chapters, Chapter 12:1-3 was a part of chapter 11, and represented the "War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness" now rediscovered at Qumran as the Dead Sea Scroll labeled 1QM "The War Scroll". 

      Verses 40-45 of Chapter 11 are historical, but after Antiochus Epiphanes, and describe Roman history and the times of Herod the great. 

       The great victory of the Essenes predicted, with the resulting "deliverance" of the Jews, "thy people" of 12:1, never occurred during the reign of Jesus Christ as Essene "Messiah" between 29 and 33 AD, and for this and other reasons, he was turned over to the Romans by the Essenes to be crucified.

     Jesus Christ is not described positively in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but rather negatively.  He was called, among other things, "the wicked priest", and the "man of a lie", or the "liar".   His followers were called "seekers after smooth things", and he led them out of the body of the much stricter Essenes as a new sect or "offshoot" that later assumed the name of "Christians" at Antioch around 44 AD, 11 years after Christ's crucifixion.

      Paul, who became the major "Theologian" for the new sect of Christianity, was considered by the other Essenes and by James, Jesus' brother, as a rather wicked man who by using popular Greek and Roman reasoning and mythology was also promoting "smooth things" and easy ways to achieve forgiveness of sins without real holiness and a life of "good works".

      Daniel 12:10 describes first the Essene ideal of purity and holiness, later subverted by Jesus and Paul to become instead, "wickedness."  Since Christianity was much more attractive to Pagans, and therefore more successful, "none of the wicked could understand" (then and now) why anyone would instead choose real holiness and purity as a way of life.   Contemplating such an uncomfortable and difficult course caused then, and later between 1888 and the 1950s the "selective mind block" described quite graphically and accurately in Daniel 12:10.

     10 "Many shall be purified (genuine holiness and purity, like that of the original Essenes, but not the Christians) and made white (able to wear the brilliant white robes characteristic of the Qumran Essenes) an tried (but only for a limited time, a "period of probation"); but the wicked shall do wickedly (shall fail the trial, "stumble", "fall off the path", rejoin the "wicked"), and none of the wicked shall understand (this  will be an attractive type of wickedness in which people can sin repeatedly, and not be censured or called "wicked"); but the wise (those not caught up in this delusion, and not believing these lies) shall understand."

 

       10 "Many shall be purified, and made white (as in Ellen G. White), and tried; --"

"This is an apt description of that group of Millerites who, under Ellen G. White's instructions, became Seventh-day Adventists.  Obsessed with "Perfection" and dedicated to "Good Works", they turned their back on what Ellen White called "nominal Christianity" on good days, and the "wicked world" on bad days, and became strict Sabbath-keepers and "Health Reformers".      They were in effect "Latter-day Essenes." This lasted until under the influence of Dr. E.J. Waggoner and A.T. Jones they rediscovered Paul's "Gospel" in Galatians.  In 1888, after 44 years.

      10b "--but the wicked shall do wickedly:-- 

    In Ellen White's account of her first notable vision, she prophesied that this early obsession with following the Essene Jesus would not last, and that many Adventists would tire of this "narrow path" and rejoin the wicked world (described in exactly the terminology of Daniel 12:10b. "Early Writings" page 14-15 "If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city (Qumran and Essenism) they were safe.--But soon some grew weary, and said that the city was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before.  ---- Others rashly denied the light behind them and said it was not God that had led them out so far. (That would be as prophecy became history --- E.J. Waggoner and A.T. Jones). "The light behind them (described in Daniel 12:10a as "to be purified, made white, and tried--") went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below."

      10c "--and none of the wicked shall understand."

    The idea of being judged perfect because someone else has achieved "perfection" "Righteousness by Faith" is infinitely more attractive to us as human beings than the idea of struggling to reach goals that are neither easy for us to obtain, nor even attractive to us.  So Paul's "Gospel" designed for Gentiles, not Jews (as in Galatians) holds out the seductive, but basically dishonest hope that the Life of Jesus Christ, coupled with his crucifixion, death, and resurrection from the dead, makes "Righteousness by Good Works" derogatively titled "Legalism", no longer necessary.   Indeed counter-productive.   Without a belief in the "Trinity", that Jesus was and is actually "God", none of this works, but is indeed laughable.   Seen as the delusion it really is!   Not able to understand this, after the 1950s, Adventists became "Trinitarians" so they could be wicked, like other Christians depending not on "Good Works" but on "Righteousness by Faith".   Faith in what?   Faith that Jesus by living a righteous life, had satisfied God, and that therefore Adventists no longer needed to worry about the certainty of their Salvation.

      Meanwhile, a new generation of "Adventists" (Pentecostals and others who believe Christ will come again) began promoting a new view of the "Second Coming of Christ".  The only requirement was to believe that Christ has saved us from the results of our sins, and when the "Secret Rapture" occurs, that we, the Christians "will be taken" (as bodiless spirit entities) to meet him in the clouds, while the others (Jews and other non-Christians) who mistakenly rely on being judged by their works, -- will be left behind!

Three large groups of people, all three waiting for Jesus as part of a "Divine Trinity" to return to earth at three different dates (October 22, 1844, -- Sept. 11-13, 1988, and 2 dates in 2011 set by Harold Camping) without understanding that none of them fit the criteria of purity and holiness set by the Essene editors of Daniel 12:10.        If "righteousness by faith" was the only requirement for Christ to return, then, of course, Christ could have returned at any time during those almost 2000 years that have elapsed since his crucifixion and resurrection.

"Probation must close" However, there were several smaller groups of the Seventh-day Adventists who after the majority had rejoined the Trinitarian Protestants in the 1950s still saw Jesus as a human being and a "High Priest".      Back when the early Adventists still were enthralled with Ellen White's sanctuary vision, and saw Jesus as a "High Priest", not as part of a "Divine Trinity", they talked about a time of "Probation" in which they were to be given time to work on personal deficiencies of character while Jesus was still holding his censer in the Most Holy Place of a "Heavenly Sanctuary".   Once he put that censer down and took off his high priestly robes, "probation was over". Early Writings page 48 "We must work while the day lasts, for when the dark night of trouble and anguish comes, it will be too late for the work of God.  Jesus is in his holy temple, and will now accept our sacrifices, our prayers, and our confession of faults and sins, and will pardon all the transgressions of Israel, that they may be blotted out before he leaves the sanctuary.  When Jesus leaves the sanctuary, then they who are holy and righteous, will be holy and righteous "     "But those who are unjust and filthy, will be unjust and filthy still; for there will be no Priest in the sanctuary to offer their sacrifices, their confessions, and their prayers before the Father's throne."       One of these groups who still sees Jesus as our example for personal righteousness and purity, and our "High Priest" is  this small group located in Welch, West Virginia -- Smyrna Sabbath Chapel is non-Trinity       So, Pope Benedict, whose spiritual forefathers, who defend their contention that Simon Peter was the first Pope, and received from Christ Himself the "keys" that allow Pope Benedict to control all Christians, even in the United States of America, still has a little mopping up of dissidents yet to do. His main two "keys" are Fundamentalism and Trinitarianism, but Sunday Sacredness is not far behind in importance! And I heard him (the Pope as "Satan Clause") exclaim as he drove out of sight “Merry Christmas to all unless you follow Ellen White!” For more about strange sects and heretics: Click Here!

    

     

NOTE BY DR. ROBERT HOLT, md -- Finding hidden representations of the Essene "Millennial Week" has become sort of a specialty of mine.   The one in Daniel 12 was one of the first I found.  A much clearer depiction is found as "Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia" in Revelation 2:1 to 3:22.  Another pretty impress- ive depiction is in the 8 parables of Jesus in Matthew 13:18-52. (the first "sower" is Adam - 4000 BC, the second "sower" is Noah -3000 BC. Abraham sows the mustard seed in 2000 BC, the woman with the leaven 1000 BC is Jezebel. The treasure in the field  is Essene.