דניאל, פרק י״ב, פסוק ז׳

The climax of the prophetic vision features a dramatic cosmic oath. Daniel listens as a celestial figure dressed in linen speaks [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some identify this heavenly being as the angel Gabriel [יוסף אבן יחיא]. Standing above the waters of the river, the figure raises both his right and left hands toward the sky, performing a traditional physical gesture used when taking a vow [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He swears by God, the eternal source who gives life to and sustains the entire world [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, יוסף אבן יחיא]. This severe oath serves a distinct purpose: it guarantees that the final redemption will not be delayed beyond its appointed deadline, although if the Israelites are worthy, it could arrive even sooner [מלבי״ם].

The timeline for this redemption is presented as a known period, followed by two more of those periods, and then half of that same period, though the exact chronological duration remains unstated [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This specific framework mirrors a timeline of eras and half-eras mentioned earlier in the prophetic visions [מלבי״ם, יוסף אבן יחיא].

Before this final era can arrive, a difficult reality must unfold. The end of days will only come when the power of the holy people is completely shattered and their scattering is brought to its conclusion. The primary approach among commentators is that this describes the absolute lowest point of the exile. The redemption will dawn precisely when the strength of the Jewish people is entirely broken and exhausted by the crushing weight of their subjugation [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, יוסף אבן יחיא].

Reaching this ultimate point of despair serves to fully cleanse them of their past wrongs [מצודת דוד]. Once this purification is complete, all the troubles and plagues that characterized the long exile will finally end [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, יוסף אבן יחיא]. In the wake of these hardships, monumental shifts will transform the world. The dominance of the surrounding nations will cease, the Israelites will regain sovereignty in their own land, and the kingdom of heaven will be established [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, the entire world will unite under a single faith in the one God [יוסף אבן יחיא].