Daniel 12:1-3
The time of the End
Pray
Intro
√ The time of the end
Chapter 12 concludes the Angel’s message to Daniel regarding his (Daniel’s) desire to know and understand the meaning of the vision that he saw.
“Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.” ~ Dan. 10:14
As such it provides us an overview of what the End Times…
The Tribulation
The Resurrection
The Kingdom Age
…will look like, and the timing of some of the key events in the End Times.
√ Encouragement
You’ll remember that up to this point in the Angel’s message to Daniel has been pretty depressing!
So far all he’s heard about is very long period of time in
which his people, the Jews, and his nation,
…get trashed!
But good news is forthcoming! In chapter 12 Daniel gets the good news that…
His people & his nation will be delivered!
He and those who are faithful to God will be rewarded!
So, Daniel finds comfort and consolation in the promises of God to make all things right at the end of time!
Ap. Look ahead
When you get discouraged, or feel like you’re never going to get any deliverance…
…look ahead to God’s promises and you’ll find strength to carry on.
Ex. Running ~ my own experience and Heb. 12:1-2
The Tribulation (vs. 1)
Dan. 12:1 “At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
√ The Tribulation
Note the context of the Angel’s comments to Daniel…
“At that time…” ~ vs. 1
What time?
At the time just described by the Angel in chapter 11 verses 40-45!
The point is that the Angel’s commentary on the “time of trouble” in chapter 12 is a continuation of what he has just revealed to Daniel in chapter 11, a future time when the…
Antichrist invades the
A time of unprecedented trouble and persecution for the Jewish people and their nation ~ Daniel 12:1
A time when the Jewish people and their nation will be delivered from the Antichrist.
The time that Jesus called the “Tribulation” (Matt. 24:21) and Jeremiah (whose prophecy led Daniel to seek the Lord!) called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7).
√ People of the Tribulation
It is vital to recognize the people identified as enduring this time of Tribulation…
…Daniel’s people ~ the Jews!
Dan. 12:1 “At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
Remember the context of book of Daniel is God’s plan of discipline and deliverance for the Jewish people.
70 years of discipline in
7 X 70 years of discipline by the Gentile nations
69 of those groups of 7 years have come and gone leaving only the last week of Daniel 9 unfulfilled…
…the time now described in chapter 12 (The Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s Trouble, the 70th week of Daniel 9).
√ Deliverance
But, don’t miss the good news of God’s promised deliverance!
The end of vs. 1 reads…
“And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. “
Which matches with Jeremiah’s prophecy about the Tribulation…
Jer. 30:7 Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.
And what Jesus also promised…
Matt. 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Finally some good news for Daniel! Remember that the entire last quarter of
Daniel’s book (chapters 9-12) came about because he was contemplating the end
of their 70 year captivity in
But, then God revealed to him that the discipline of the Jewish people wasn’t over…
…it was going to go on for long time.
But, now God comforts Daniel with the promise that He will deliver the Jewish people from all of their enemies and establish His promised Kingdom on earth!
The Resurrection (vs. 2-3)
Dan. 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan. 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
√ The Resurrection
The second comfort that the Angel gives Daniel is God’s promise to raise the dead!
“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake…”
“Sleep” speaks of the physical body after death in that the person appears to be asleep. Paul uses the same symbolism in I Thess. 4:13-18 when speaking about Christians who had died.
Not soul sleep as taught by some cults.
While the body may appear to be sleeping, the soul of a person continues to be fully (I’d suggest completely) alert as it is ushered into either Heaven of Hades after their physical body stops working.
Ex. Soul doesn’t sleep
Paul taught…
2Cor. 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
And…
Phil. 1:23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
And…
Jesus’ account of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
Everyone involved in clearly conscious.
Jesus’ rebuke of the Sadducees who did not believe in the Resurrection of the dead (Mark 12:27)
Mark 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.”
And, Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration…
…He was speaking to Moses and Elijah who were clearly alert and alive!
√ Two Resurrections
Note that both the righteous and the wicked will be brought back to life.
The Righteous, like Daniel, to everlasting life and blessing.
The Wicked, like those in Daniel’s visions, to everlasting punishment.
That’s an important truth to apprehend because many churches today have abandoned the Biblical reality of eternal punishment.
Yet, the Bible clearly teaches that everyone will rise from the dead, that there are two resurrections…
…one for the saved unto eternal blessing, and one for the condemned unto eternal punishment (John 5:29; Revelation 20:4-6; 11-15).
Jesus said…
John 5:29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Furthermore, whenever we find Jesus speaking about Hell, He makes it clear that it is an eternal place!
Ex.
In Rev. 20:10 we read…
Rev. 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
John Walvoord writes…
"There would be no way possible in the Greek language to state more emphatically the everlasting punishment of the lost than here in mentioning both day and night and the expression ‘forever and ever,’ literally ‘to the ages of ages.’ " (ref. The Revelation)
This is the same destination for all who reject Jesus…
Rev. 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Dave Guzik writes…
“Logically, Hell must be eternal, because it is where imperfect beings must pay a continual penalty for their sins, because they cannot ever make a perfect payment. Principles behind Old Testament sacrifice remind us that an imperfect payment for sins must be a continual payment for sins.”
Back to Daniel! Daniel would find the words of the Angel a great source of encouragement and comfort because…
All of the Godly people that he knew and loved who perished at the hands of ungodly kings…
…and those he saw in his visions who also perished for their faith, would be vindicated at the end of time and rise to be blessed by God!
Ap. When is the Resurrection?
It’s important that we recognize that Daniel 12:2-3 only tell us that there will be a resurrection…
…but it doesn’t give us all the details about when and how!
1) Resurrection of the saved
There’s some confusion in the Church over “when” the saved will be raised from the dead because of one statement in Rev. 20…
Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev. 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev. 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
At first glace it would appear that the righteous are not raised until after Jesus returns to the earth, something our Posttribulational friends love to point out.
But note the context…
John is writing about the Tribulation Martyrs…
…not all of the righteous who are saved.
For example, Jesus was the “first” to rise from the dead and He is clearly not part of the group mentioned here.
Additionally we’re told in Matthew’s Gospel (27:52-53) that after Jesus rose from the dead that many of the saints did too!
We also know from Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians that the dead in Christ are raised up at the time of the Rapture.
So, “first” doesn’t mean the one and only time that the righteous are raised from the dead. In fact, that is seen in the original text where the word “first” is Greek is “protos” and means…
“foremost (in time, place, order or importance): — before, beginning, best, chief(-est), first (of all), former.”
Which could render Rev. 20:5-6…
Rev. 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the best resurrection.
Rev. 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the best resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
So, when we read “first” resurrection don’t think of it as a single event, rather, as “first” as in before the resurrection of the wicked who will be condemned to the Lake of Fire…
…and “first” as in best!
2) Resurrection of the lost
As we just read in Rev. 20 all of those who have rejected Christ will all be raised from the dead at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.
√ A great promise
Note vs. 3…
Dan. 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
The Angel tells Daniel that those who are “wise”, those who chose to serve the true King will…
“shine like the brightness of the firmament”
That is, those who live in God’s wisdom will shine in the Kingdom Age like the stars of heaven!
Despite the calamity and all the difficulty coming upon Israel, God promises to those who are wise, that they shall shine!
All God’s people are like stars in the sense that they radiate light and help others to see and find their way to Truth.
But certainly, those who turn many to righteousness shine even more brightly, helping even more people to see the light and find their way.
This promise applies to all the wise, and all of those who turn many to righteousness through all ages.
But it may have its most specific application to the 144,000 Jewish evangelists from Israel’s tribes during the Tribulation (Revelation 7).
Note also that God’s promise is that the wise will shine “forever”!
That is, the honor and glory that God grants to His faithful servants doesn’t fade away or grow dim.
His rewards last for eternity and will always be cherished!
Unlike the rewards, prizes, and honor that Men can bestow that “shine” only temporarily.
Ex. Floyd Landis ~ his Tour victory tarnished by a leaked press report! (Never mind that it would be impossible for him to test at an 11/1 testosterone level one day and be normal the next).
The point is that it’s worth it to invest our lives into the things that last forever and ever…
…rather than the careers, honors, and rewards of this world.
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