Daniel 12
December 3
Reading: Daniel 12
1 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream.
6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?"
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.
8 I heard, but I did not understand.
Then I said, "O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?"
9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days."
Three times toward the end of chapter 11 we read that we are nearing “the end.” Daniel 12 reveals events that will happen at the end.
In Daniel 12:1-4 we read the strongest statement on the coming resurrection in the entire Old Testament. The order of events follows what we read in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. There will be a time of great tribulation. Following this will be an amazing rescue and a resurrection.
We see in verse 2 that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and there will also be a resurrection of the unrighteous, not necessarily at the same time. There are two ways. There is the way of the world and there is the way of the Lord. Each way is a path to a particular end. Which way are you on?
Verse 3 describes the end result of the way of the righteous, those who will rise to everlasting life. They will shine like stars forever and ever. This is not suggesting that we will actually be stars, burning balls of gas. No. This is a metaphor for the glory that we will enjoy as we share the Lord’s righteousness.
After this, the angel tells Daniel to “shut up the words and seal the book until the end.” What words? What book? “Seal” means to authenticate and preserve the contents of what has been written. This is Daniel’s book, not the book mentioned in verse 1, that Daniel has no part in writing. These words that Daniel has written are to be treasured and kept until God’s people are able to understand exactly what they mean when the end comes. Notice that “end” is mentioned three times in this chapter, and is alluded to even more.
As the book closes it is important to notice all the indications that these words are difficult to understand for Daniel and for anyone who might read them. Even the angels are asking about what will happen. Verses 7, 11, and 12 obviously refer back to the weeks of Daniel 9, but how it all fits together is a mystery. Someday we will know.
Daniel 12:10 is again important for our application. We are to live every day as if the end is coming, because it is. How then do we live? Like Daniel 11:33-35, we are to live through purging, refining, and purifying from the Lord as we go through tribulation, all the while showing the insight that comes from the Scriptures.