King James Bible
"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."
The heavenly messenger from Daniel's vision appears in priestly linen garments, positioned supernaturally above the river. This elevated position and attire signal divine authority, preparing the reader for a solemn prophetic declaration about the end times. Raising both hands intensifies the normal oath gesture, emphasizing the absolute certainty of what follows. By invoking the eternal God as witness, the angel guarantees the prophecy's fulfillment with the highest possible authority. This cryptic phrase indicates three and a half prophetic periods, commonly interpreted as years. In apocalyptic literature, this duration represents a limited but intense period of tribulation, half of the perfect seven. The persecution will climax in breaking the strength of God's people, paradoxically marking the end of their suffering. This scattering serves as both the final trial and the signal for divine intervention to complete the prophetic timeline.