Did Daniel understand the prophecy he heard in Daniel 12?
No. Daniel heard the prophecy but did not understand it. In Daniel 12:8 he writes, 'And I heard, but I understood not.' The prophecy concerned the final seven years and the tribulation, yet Daniel did not grasp its meaning when he heard it.
Les teaches that Daniel 12:8 is such an appropriate verse for us to understand today. Daniel wrote down what he heard from the man clothed in linen, yet he says, 'And I heard, but I understood not.' The man clothed in linen had sworn by him that liveth forever that it would be a time, times, and half a time—three and a half years—when the power of the holy people would be scattered and all these things finished. Les points out this is in accord with Old Testament prophecy, Paul in Thessalonians, and John in Revelation, speaking of the final seven years when God deals with Israel on the basis of His covenant promises. Even so, Daniel himself did not understand the prophecy he heard.
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
More Questions
What does 'I heard, but I understood not' mean in Daniel 12:8?
Daniel 12:8—'And I heard, but I understood not'—is appropriate for us to understand today, because Daniel heard the prophecy but did not understand it.
Did the Old Testament prophets understand everything they prophesied?
Old Testament prophets received a glimpse of coming events but did not get the full picture.