The Time and the End

Series: Daniel

Daniel 12:1-5 ESV

Revelation 12:1-12 ESV

Daniel 10:13 and 21 ESV

Jude 9 ESV

We remember what Daniel saw had been identified as ‘in the end’ in the last part of Daniel 11.

In the final chapter of Daniel, the Prophet would have probably been in the last phase of his life (maybe past 70 years old). He was captured and taken out of Jerusalem when he was around 14 years old.

Daniel 12:1-4 opens with, “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. 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. 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. 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.”

Daniel opens with a statement about Michael and he refers to him as “the great prince”.

Do you remember Michael being mentioned previously in scripture?

We remember in Daniel 10:10-14 the Prophet referred to Michael as the chief prince, “And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

Then in Daniel 10:21 again he spoke of Michael when he said, “But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.”

In Revelation 12:1-6 we are told, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.”

An then in Revelation 12:7-12, “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

At the time of the end Michael is the one with his angels who will fight the dragon.

In Jude 9 we are told, “But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

In a Daniel 12:1-5, the prince and archangel Michael who has charge of the people will be there when there is trouble. This isn’t just any kind of trouble, it’s the kind of trouble that has never been seen before.

But, we are told in the midst of the terrible trouble the people, THE people, YOUR  people WILL   be delivered. These are the people whose names will be written in the book…the Book of Life.

Daniel also saw that those who are (dead) asleep in the earth will awaken. He saw that some will awaken to everlasting life and some will awaken to eternal contempt and shame.

The Hebrew word for contempt in Daniel 12:2 is lə·ḏir·’ō·wn and in every case it is translated as contempt or everlasting contempt. In this sense contempt is disregard for an offense or an act of disobedience.

We are reminded in this sense a contemptible person is considered to be worthless. They have not done anything that merits their consideration. They made choices and what is about to happen to them is based on the decisions and choices they made.

The Hebrew work for shame in Daniel 12:2 is la·ḥă·rā·p̄ō·wṯ and it is translated to mean with reproach, disgrace, or shame.

The opposite of that is referenced in Daniel 12:3. They are referred to as the wise ones. Daniel saw that they will shine brightly like the sky above. With the bright stars they will shine.   

The wise ones are attributed for turning many others to righteousness that is justified. They chose to turn to the light and they told others about the light. Their light shines (bright like an LED Floodlight) and others saw the light in them.

Finally in a Daniel 12:4 the Prophet was told to make his words be silent and to seal the book until the time of the end when there will be one who opposes God, there will be a world war and the one who opposes God will be defeated. There will be a time of tribulation of three and a half years and then the people of God will be delivered, resurrected, and rewarded.

Until then, we wait and pray…

Spiritual Practice: Pray

Thank God for the promise of deliverance, resurrection, and our heavenly reward.

In God, Deborah

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