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The End of the Jewish Latter Days (Daniel 12)

Chapters 10 through 12 all record Daniel's vision of Jewish latter days.  Chapter 10 was an account of the events and circumstances leading up to the vision.  Chapter 11 begins with the actual vision of prophecy which deals with the Destiny of the Jewish people as the commonwealth of God.  Historically, chapter 11 covered significant events in history as they effected the Jewish people from the time of Cyrus of Persia until about the turn of the millennium which saw the Roman Empire's rise to power.  Historically by the end of chapter 11, Jesus Christ was alive on earth.  Chapter 12 covers the final events which were significant to Daniel's people, and closes with the final destruction of Jerusalem and the end the Jewish nation as a commonwealth holding of God. 

The Jews were no longer the chosen people of God.  They were chosen from the beginning to bear the lineage of the Messiah.  Jesus Christ had come, the old covenant had been fulfilled and nailed to the cross of Christ.  The new covenant had been revealed, established and confirmed.  Jesus Christ had ascended back to heaven and all that remained was for the Jewish holdouts who refused to accept Jesus Christ to have their temple worship forever taken away.  This was accomplished with the utter and complete destruction of the temple without which there could be no Levitical worship.  With the removal of the temple and the destruction of Jerusalem, God placed His final closing exclamation mark on the Jewish nation and Mosaic system of worship with such completeness that the restoration of it could never be accomplished without direct divine assistance.  Such assistance has not been forthcoming in the past 2000 years. 

The premillennialists have altogether a varied view of both chapter 11 and 12 of Daniel.  It is not the purpose of this study to provide an exhaustive study of all the different beliefs associated with Daniel's last vision.  Daniel explains to whom this vision applies in words that cannot be misunderstood unless one approaches them with some kind of preconceived beliefs.  It is the belief of this Bible student that by simply assigning this vision to whom the text identifies as the ones to whom it pertains, one need not spend a great deal of wasted time and effort in misguided interpretations.

Daniel 10:14
Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
KJV

Daniel's people were the Israelites, or the Jews as they came to be called.  This entire vision applies to Daniel's people.  The Jewish nation ceased to exist after 70 AD therefore this vision applies to Daniel's people prior to that date.  2000 years after the Jewish nation was destroyed is not the latter days of Daniel's people.  There are descendants of Daniel's people alive today, but Daniel's people as a nation is what is obviously in view in this vision. 

Premillennialists say that God is yet to fulfill the land promises made to the Israelites.  To answer that, one need only look as far as Joshua 21:43-45, "And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.  And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.  There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."  Inspiration went out of its way to lay these facts out in terms easy to comprehend and impossible to misunderstand.  There should be no argument or dispute from such a declaration from scripture. 

This is important because premillennialists believe that God has some earthly designs for the Jews sometime in the future.  All of these earthly designs involve the establishment of some kind of earthly kingdom with Jesus reigning on earth for a period of a thousand years.  One of the main contentions in support of this doctrine is the belief that God still has to fulfill the land promises to the nation of Israel.  According to Joshua, this has already been accomplished. 

While on earth, Jesus made some very significant references to the forthcoming kingdom which He was to rule.  In Mark 9:1, Jesus declared, "Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."  Was Jesus mistaken?  Is there anybody that was in attendance with Jesus that day that has not tasted of death? 

During Christ's mock trial before His crucifixion, Pilate interrogated Him at which time Jesus was asked if He were the king of the Jews.  Jesus answered Pilate with these words as recorded in John 18:36, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence".  In Luke 17:20-21, our Lord made this statement concerning His coming kingdom, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you".  According to the teachings of Jesus, the kingdom of God is not going to be a physical thing which we can point to and declare its presence.  It is a spiritual kingdom and not an earthly one, which resides within the hearts and minds of mankind.  This is not the kind of kingdom the Jews were hoping for.  They wanted to be set up as authority figures for the whole world as the chosen children of God.  This kingdom Jesus was teaching didn't suit their liking at all so they rejected it.  premillennialists today are ignoring the same teachings of Jesus that the disbelieving Jews of the first century rejected.  They, like the Jews are still looking for a physical kingdom which is never going to exist on this earth.  Premillennialism at its core is as wrong as the Jews who rejected Christ way back in the first century.   

Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

We need to focus on the first words of this verse; "And at that time".  Not 2000 years in the distance future or any other whimsical period of time down the road of time, but AT THAT TIME.  This section of Daniel's final recorded vision is set in the same time period as the former and cannot be separated from it.

"shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people"

This is the second time Michael has been mentioned.  We saw a previous reference to him in Daniel 10:13 where he was referred to as one of the "chief princes" and again in Daniel 10:21 where he was referred to as "your prince".  Michael is a key player in the plans of God as evidenced elsewhere.  In Jude 9 he is identified as an archangel which means a chief angel.  In Revelation 12:7, we see a battle scene with Michael in a conflict against Satan who was represented as the Dragon.  Here in this vision, we learn that Michael stands for the children of Daniel's people.  It is obvious from this and other passages of scripture that heavenly beings are active in the purpose of God for mankind. 

By standing up, this means that Michael is going to become directly active in the affairs of the vision.  Daniel's vision has only one event left to conclude the latter days of the Israelite nation as the commonwealth holding of God and that is the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.  By associating Michael with this event, we can be assured that the entire affair is being carried out per the instructions of God.  The destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem was carried out under the direct supervision and oversight of one of God's chief angels. 

The exact role of Michael in this affair remains a point of conjecture, however we can infer from this account that the destruction of Jerusalem was something that figured in to God's overall plan and that its execution according to that plan was left in the hands of one of His most trusted servants.

"and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time"

First of all, it must be noted here that Jesus Christ, while discussing the impending destruction of the temple to His disciples directly alluded to this phrase in Daniel's vision as recorded in Matthew 24:21, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be".  The connection between Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21 cannot be reasonably denied.  Both accounts tell of a time of tribulation unparalleled both in the past and in the future.

From Daniel's perspective, the destruction of Jerusalem was going to be worse than anything he had ever witnessed.  Keeping in mind that Daniel lived through the first destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and was an eyewitness to some of the devastation.  And now he is told that the one yet to come is going to be worse.  And indeed it would, because after the initial destruction in Daniel's time, the temple and the city would be rebuilt, however, after the destruction yet to come, there would be no rebuilding. 

Josephus wrote of the devastation in the "Wars of the Jews".  In book six, named 'From the Great Extremity to which the Jews were reduced, to the Taking of Jerusalem by Titus', he provides a detailed account of the suffering which the Jews underwent during that period of time.

The devastation of the siege leading up to the destruction of the temple and the city lasted about five months and was horrible beyond belief. Thousands died of starvation. When the Romans finally broke into the city, the sight of so many corpses shocked even hardened soldiers. The slaughter of the Jews was so extensive that several fires were extinguished by their of blood (Josephus, Wars 6.8.5).

Josephus recorded that 1,100,000 Jews were killed in Jerusalem, and that some 97,000 others were taken as slaves into captivity. It has been estimated that some 1,337,490 Jews in Jerusalem and in areas adjacent to Judaea died by famine, by the sword, by burning, and by crucifixion (Wars 6.9.3-4).  Josephus expressed the view that the human suffering as a result of this holocaust exceeded anything known to man previously (Wars, Preface, 4; 9.4).

"and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

Those who had accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah and were faithful would be delivered from the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jesus warned his disciples of the coming destruction as recorded in Matthew 24.  Those "found written in the book" is a reference to Christians who have their names written in the Lamb's book of life.  Those Jews who had become followers of Jesus Christ would be delivered from the destruction spoken of in Daniel's vision. 

Jewish believers historically took refuge at Pella, southeast of the Sea of Galilee, before the Roman legions had encompassed Jerusalem; and they were able to do so on the basis of the advance warning and information here given in Daniel, furthermore and more imminently supplied by Jesus’ more detailed projections regarding that event some forty years in advance in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 19:41-44 and chapter 21.  Especially see Matthew 24:2 and 15-21, Luke 19:41-44 and 21:20-24.

Daniel 12:2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

There is no shortage of speculation as to the meaning of this fragment of the prophecy.  One cannot help but associate it with the resurrection of the just and of the unjust on that great and final day of the Lord which signifies the end of all things physical.  And it would be wrong to emphatically declare that the final resurrection is not in any way in consideration here.  Certainly we know from other scripture that the events detailed here will take place on the last day.  The very words of Jesus affirm this to be the case as recorded in John 5:28-29, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."  It is impossible to read the text of this verse and not associate it with the events associated with the final judgment yet to come. 

It is the nature of apocalyptic language to speak of literal events in figurative language and to lay out these events in less than a chronological manner.  The book of Revelation is ample evidence of this as it jumps back and forth in time and speaks of future events that will happen in past tense form.  There are a number of ways one can look at this passage, however, consistency demands that we look at it in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem and try and draw some parallels between the text and that event. 

Apocalyptically speaking, the spiritually dead Jews were to come to life as believers in Jesus as the Messiah, while those who rejected Jesus are destined to suffer “shame and everlasting contempt".  Verse 3 has language which helps us keep this vision in the proper focus. 

The resurrection in view here can be directly compared with the resurrection spoken of in Revelation 20:6 which is in reference to Christian baptism, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."  Those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah will submit to Christian baptism and be figuratively resurrected with Christ (Colossians 2:12; 3:1), to walk in "newness of life" (Romans 6:4).  It is this Bible student's conviction that verse 2 of Daniel chapter 12 is an apocalyptic allusion to Christian baptism and the resurrection of the new birth process associated with it. 

Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

And here are the words that help to keep us from identifying the former verse with the day of final judgment.  On the day of the Lord, there will not be any turning of many to righteousness.  On that day, the opportunity for turning will have passed.  The wise who accept Jesus will "shine as the brightness of the firmament".  Paul wrote of the brightness of Christians to the Philippians in chapter 2:V15, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world".  Christians were commanded by Jesus to let their lights "so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). 

The connection with this context of Daniel's vision and Christians under the new covenant is compelling and it follows well with overall flow of the vision being about the events in the lives of Daniel's people leading up to and concluding with the coming of Christ and the end of the Jewish nation as the commonwealth holding of God.  The Mosaic system was fading away and the Messianic system was being ushered in.  Gentiles and Jews alike would be ushered into the new spiritual kingdom as equals and all nations would be given the opportunity for salvation through Christ. 

Daniel 12:4
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Daniel was here told to record the vision in words, to write it down and protect it, taking whatever necessary steps required to see to it that the recording of it be kept and preserved so that it would be available for future generations up to, including and going beyond those who would live at the time of Christ and see the fulfillment of this vision.  It is well evident that the instructions to guard and preserve the message refers to all of the writings of Daniel concerning his prophetic visions.

"many shall run to and fro"
Many generations will live and die through the course of these visions.  Many will run, many will strive, many will live and many will suffer in the years to come.  This is a reference to the number of people living through the centuries of time that will come to pass though the latter days of Daniel's people. 

 "and knowledge shall be increased."

These visions written in apocalyptic language are shrouded in mystery and hard to understand for those living before Christ came.  The knowledge required to make the connections in this vision will be given by Christ when he came to bring focus to these prophecies with additional clarity in Matthew 24:15-21, Mark 13:14-27 and Luke 21:20-24. 

Many things were kept secret but at the time of Christ were revealed.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:4-5, "Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit".  This is yet another indicator that this vision is in association only with the events leading up to and ending with the coming of Christ as the promised Messiah.  Knowledge which had been kept secret and shrouded would be increased.  There would be a coming of understanding which had never been seen before. 

Daniel 12:5
Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

Daniel noticed two more figures standing on either side of the river. 

Daniel 12:6
And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

And one of the new arrivals asked the one standing on the waters of the river a question.  This is in all likelihood the same individual introduced in chapter 10 who had been sent to make Daniel "understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days" Daniel 10:14.  There were several heavenly visitors throughout the course of this vision.  The fact that he was standing on the water, combined with Daniel's reference to Him as "my Lord" in verse 8  lends one to speculate if this individual may have been a manifestation of Jesus Christ but the next verse seems to put this idea to rest.  We see this individual swearing an oath by "him that liveth for ever" in answer to the query which is an obvious reference to at least one of the members of the Godhead. 

"How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?"

Oddly it was not Daniel who first asked this question of the one revealing the vision.  Whether this was a prearranged thing to make sure the following information was revealed or if the heavenly visitor was just acting out of his own curiosity is something we may never know this side of the judgment.  In either event, the thing to focus on here is "the end of these wonders" which are wholly centered around what would befall Daniel's people in the latter days.  This vision has always been about Daniel's people, the Jews.  Any attempt to project this vision at this point any further than the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is to take it beyond what it claims to be.  The following verse lends even more credit to this vision being restricted to just the Jewish people up to that event in time. 

Daniel 12:7
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, standing upon the waters of the river holds up his right hand and swears an oath by God that after a period of time, the things mentioned thus far in the vision would be accomplished.  The period of time is not given in exacting years, and it could not be.  If this time period were exactly given, it would be revealing too much information at the time.  This would have been information that the enemies of the Jews could use against them.  Apocalyptic language is like that.  It is shrouded in mystery in order to conceal the true message from all but to whom it is written. 

The period of time is given as a "time, times, and half".  When we add these together, we come up with three and a half "times".  Numbers had a significant meaning to those living in old testament times.  This number appears in scripture in a variety of forms.  It is half of 7 which symbolizes the perfection of God on earth.  The number 3 1/2 symbolizes that which is incomplete or unspecified.  Since seven is complete, then three and one-half is incomplete and represents something indefinite.  This number also appears disguised in different forms in scripture.  In Revelation 11:2 it is represented as forty two months, which is 3 1/2 years.  In Revelation 12:6 it appears as 1260 days which is also 3 1/2 years.  In Revelation 12:14 it appears as "time and times and half a time" which is how it appears here in Daniel 12:7.  The reference in Revelation is undoubtedly an indefinite or unspecified period of time.  In Daniel 7:25 we read almost the exact same wording when he is prophesying about the Roman Empire, "and they [the saints] shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."  All of these forms of 3 1/2 are symbolic of an indefinite or unspecified period of time.

"and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people"

Keeping in mind, this is a vision given to Daniel, and Daniel, as well as every Jew that would read it would have associated this reference to the "holy people" as the Jewish people.  It is also possible that this is a reference to the Christians who were scattered across the Roman Empire due to the destruction of Jerusalem.  Keeping in mind that there were many Jewish survivors of the destruction of Jerusalem and they too were scattered all over the Roman Empire.   Both Jew and Christian alike were scattered as a result of the destruction of Jerusalem, but this Bible student believes that this reference is more in line with the Jews than the Christians.  The text says the "power of the holy people", which seems to mean their power was broken and disrupted.  Certainly this was manifested in a dramatic way with the destruction of the Jerusalem and the temple located therein. 

Either way, there can be no doubt this scattering of the holy people is a reference to the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman empire.   

Daniel 12:8
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Daniel was hearing the words but did not understand them, obviously grieved over hearing that the "holy People" would be scattered.  Keeping in mind that Daniel lived through the Babylonian captivity where his people were carried away and scattered across the Babylonian empire as slaves. 

So he added his request for understanding to the query made by one of the heavenly visitors standing nearby.  It was entirely understandable that Daniel wanted further clarification.  And we will see in the next verse that Daniel's plea for further enlightenment was denied. 

Daniel 12:9
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Daniel is told that it is time now for him to be on his way.  The complete understanding of the words given him will not be revealed until the time of the end.  The end in view here being the scattering of the holy people at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 

Daniel 12:10
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Many people through the centuries are going to come to righteousness and they are going to suffer persecution as well.  Daniel is being told here that a considerable span of time is going to pass.  Many people are going to come and go.  Some will be righteous and some will be wicked. 

The wicked will continue to be present and would not understand these things, having no real interest to do so.  Such was the case then and such is the case today; 1 Corinthians 1:18-20, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"

Daniel 12:11
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

Here is language which positively identifies this vision with the destruction of Jerusalem.  Daniel would not have known the details of what was coming, but he certainly understood what it meant to have the daily sacrifice taken away.  This is in reference to the continual sacrifice which was offered by the Israelites (Exodus 29:37-39) with only a few interruptions along the course of their history such as the Babylonian captivity which Daniel was aware of, and when Antiochus IV extinguished the flame and offered swine on the alter in the temple. 

"and the abomination that maketh desolate set up"

In this instance, the abomination was the Romans within the temple itself.  This was the same language the God used to describe the prophecy of the desecration of the temple by Antiochus IV and his army.  The Israelites would know what these words meant.  They regarded the inner chambers of the temple, behind the veil, wherein was kept the mercy seat as the "most holy place" (Exodus 26:34-37).  Only the high priest would enter into that room and then for only one day out of the year (Hebrews 9:5).  Access to this room in the temple was strictly forbidden to anyone else.  The presence of any unauthorized person in that room was an abomination, and it rendered the whole sacrificial system of the Jews void.  In order to re-establish it, a whole system of purification and sanctification had to be performed.  Once the daily sacrifice was extinguished and the inner sanctuary defiled, it was no light thing to restore it to functionality. 

Jesus directly referenced this verse of scripture in Matthew 24:15 when He was warning His disciples about the impending destruction of the temple, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains".  There can be no reasonable doubt that this prophecy of Daniel is in reference to the destruction and desolation of the temple in 70 AD by the Romans. 

"there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days."

Daniel was earlier told in verse 7 that it would be for "time, times, and half".  When adding these up we have 3 and a half times.  The text never said anything definite about these periods of time in reference to days or years.  It simply left it as "times", which is a vague and indefinite description.  Daniel asked for further clarification and was denied.  Now here we have language which not only fails to give any clarification but makes it even more nondescript. 

When you add up one thousand two hundred and ninety, you get the equivalent of forty two month, or three and one half years.  These periods of time are used in these various forms elsewhere in scripture and they always refer to an undetermined or unspecified amount of time.  This is no different.  Literal days obviously are not in view here so we must come to the understanding that this is a reference to an unspecified period of time which will be revealed at the unfolding of these events. 

Daniel 12:12
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Many have tried to unravel the mystery of these added extra days and many have only further confused it.  Daniel has already been told that it would be for a "time, times and half a time" for these things to occur.  It is a vague and unspecified amount of time for which Daniel was made aware of.  He was told of events to come but the precise timing of them was shrouded in apocalyptic language. 

To unravel the mystery of these added extra days, we first need to recognize that there are two separate events being predicted.  The first was to be fulfilled in 1290 apocalyptic days and the second one would be in 1335 apocalyptic days.  That is a difference of 45 days and probably means nothing whatsoever to the actual time periods for which it refers.  These are apocalyptic time periods and are unspecified periods of time.  What is significant to our understanding here is that there are two events noted herein.      

The next step in unraveling the mystery is to go back and examine the preceding text of the vision and try and determine of there are two events described therein which can be separated from one another.  The scattering of the holy people was accomplished in 1290 apocalyptic days.  Here in verse 12, Daniel is told, "blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the second period of time.  There were no blessings pronounced on those who were scattered.  The blessings were given to those who waited beyond the 1290 apocalyptic days to the fulfillment of the second period of time. 

The amount of time is not significant in this context.   What is significant is that there are two time periods and that those who persevere beyond the first to the second are the ones who receive the blessing.

So what went on that dated beyond the destruction of the temple, the abomination that made desolate and the taking away of the Jewish daily sacrifice?  What went on past that event that if endured resulted in the blessings of God?  Going back to the text in verse 10 we see the words, "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly".   Paying special attention to the words "and tried" keep in mind that the Romans who destroyed the temple were also instrumental in the terrible Christian persecution. 

"Blessed is he that waiteth"  Compare this to Revelation 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."  The entire book of Revelation was written to those Christians who would live through the terrible Christian persecution by the Roman Empire.  The temple was destroyed in 70 AD but the trials of the Christians went on beyond that.  It is this Bible student's conviction that the period of time denoted in Daniel 12:12 is an apocalyptic reference to the Christian persecution of the Roman Empire. 

 "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the" second apocalyptic period of time, parallels with Jesus words in Revelation 2:10-11, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."

Daniel 12:13
But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Daniel is here told that the vision is over and that it is now time for him to be on his way. 

"for thou shalt rest"

Daniel is an aged man at the revelation of this vision.  He had labored diligently throughout his captivity in Babylon.  He worked with a number of regimes from the top down and through it all, he remained a faithful witness of God.  Steadfast to the end, Daniel labored his entire life for God's righteousness, the welfare of his people and for the reestablishment of the temple in Jerusalem which had been destroyed by his first captor, King Nebuchadnezzar, when he was but a child in the courts of Judah.   Daniel's earthly time was drawing to an end and he is here told that his time of rest is upon him.  What remains for this noteworthy prophet is for him to record the vision he has seen and take such steps to preserve it for future generations.  We have the book of Daniel today which includes this remarkable vision of the events of his people in the latter days of their status on earth as the chosen people of God.  So thereby we know that Daniel did indeed do as he was instructed. 

"and stand in thy lot at the end of the days"

What a comforting thing to hear from a heavenly messenger.  Daniel is comforted with the affirmation that at the end of days, he would stand with the victorious.  Daniel lived an extraordinary life as a faithful prophet of God throughout one of the most difficult periods in Jewish history.  He suffered greatly, yet with the grace and poise of a true man of God, he lived his faith and remained faithful.  He lived in such a way that his life influenced the most powerful men on earth.  Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the richest most powerful Empire that had up to that time existed on earth.  Daniel's influence on Nebuchadnezzar was evident in his writings. 

The kings after Nebuchadnezzar knew him by reputation and called on him at various times when their own mystics failed them.  Daniel resided and served in the highest courts of the empires under which he lived his whole life.  he was respected and trusted by the most powerful men on earth.  One does not attain such a lengthy and notable position unless one has the character which engenders that kind of trust.  Daniel's long standing station as a Jewish captive in the service of the royal courts of the gentiles is a testament to the character of this extraordinary man.  Significant is the fact that he was this trustworthy to a people who had destroyed his home, destroyed his way of life, destroyed his way of worship to God, turned him into a eunuch and forced him to serve them in a foreign land.   Daniel lived the life of a godly man even in the face of the adversity he lived through.  And now, he is told that he would stand in his lot at the end of the days. 

Daniel's life is an inspired testimony to the way the godly man would strive to live, even to today.  His life was recorded as an example by which all who would live godly lives after him could look to an find instruction.  Daniel never lost his hope; never lost his faith.  He never gave up on relying on and looking to God for the answers, and never gave up on righteousness.  In considering Daniel's extraordinary career, let us look to the writings of Paul in closing.

1 Corinthians 15:55-58
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

 


 

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The Sermons, Bulletin Articles and Bible Studies published in this website are from sound members of the church of Christ and are free to everyone.  We feel the price was paid when Jesus died on the cross.   Please feel free to use any of the content found within this website for the spreading of the Gospel to all. 


Matt 11:28-29
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

The church of Christ in Granby Missouri

516 East Pine St.
P.O. Box 664
Granby, Mo. 64844
(417) 472-7109