Daniel 12:1-4

CHAPTER TWELVE

VI. EPILOGUEDaniel 12:1-13

a. TRIBULATION

TEXT: Daniel 12:1-4

1

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who 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.

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.

3

And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

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.

QUERIES

a.

What is that time when Michael shall stand up?

b.

What is the time of trouble, such as never was. ?

c.

Why order Daniel to seal the book?

PARAPHRASE

But take courage for during those troublous times of which I have just spoken, Michael, the prince guarding over God's people shall interpose on their behalf. Now when the troubles of the faithful shall have reached unprecedented intensity, then shall be the time for God's great deliverance to appear for all who are, in God's book, truly of Israel. 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. Those who are wise and believe God in these matters and who turn many of their brethren to righteous living will glorify God and shine like the stars forever and ever. As for you, Daniel, your job is about finished, so complete your prophetic writing and see that its authority concerning the things of the end of the troublous times is corroborated, for many shall search it through, and the understanding shall become great.

COMMENT

Daniel 12:1 AND AT THAT TIME SHALL MICHAEL STAND UP. Once again it is apparent to the careful exegete that this is contextually connected to the whole vision which was begun in chapter 10! If the reader would disregard, momentarily, the imposed chapter and verse divisions, and read Chapter s 10 through 12 as one unit, he would readily observe the continuity of purpose. It is also apparent from the phrase, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people, that the same subject, namely, God's providential protection of His people in a time of exceeding affliction by heavenly warriors, is still under consideration from chapter 10.

The holocaust of human suffering under Antiochus IV and its termination is still the primary revelation being made to Daniel, for in the termination of this convulsion shall be the sign that the age of the Messiah or the eternal kingdom of God (ch. 2, etc.) is beginning to rise on the horizon.
That there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was. is no exaggeration! The troubles that came upon the Hebrew people under the persecutions of Antiochus IV probably surpassed any that the Hebrew nation, or any other nation for that matter, had ever experienced. The Lord Jesus spoke of the Roman tribulation of 70 A.D. in the same terms, and that later prophecy was no exaggeration, either!

Further, at this time of the end of their tribulations which shall signal the time for establishing the predicted eternal kingdom of God (ch. 2, etc.), all those who were true Israelites, enrolled in God's book would be delivered. In other words, the predicted deliverance of Daniel 9:24-27 would be accomplished. It does not mean, necessarily, that certain pious Jews in the days of Antiochus IV would be saved from death by the Maccabean heroes. There were many faithful written in the book long before Antiochus's time (cf. Moses, Exodus 32:32; Hebrews 11:4-40), who were delivered by that which was accomplished in fulfillment of Daniel 9:24-27;! as well as all the millions of Christians since the substitutionary death of Christ who have been delivered by it. The death of Christ was efficacious for all men of God who, by their faith, either looked forward to God's undeserved grace or look backward toward it (cf. Romans 3:21-26; Hebrews 9:15). Even Abraham saw the Messiah's day, by faith, and rejoiced (cf. John 8:56)!

Daniel 12:2. AND MANY OF THEM THAT SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH SHALL AWAKE. There are two interpretations of this passage, both of which would be acceptable in our opinion. (a) It was primarily to refer to events that would occur in the time of Antiochusto the arousing of many to defend their country, as if called from the dust of the earth, or to their being summoned by Judas Maccabeus from caves and fastnesses, and to the honor to which many of them might be raised, and the shame and contempt which would await others. This primary, figurative meaning, at the same time, was intended, typically and prophetically, to teach the literal and final resurrection from the dead. Perhaps it was the angels intention to bring this final resurrection into view, even though secondarily, in order to focus the thoughts of the pious onward, far beyond the troubles and the triumphs in the days of the Maccabees, to the time when the dead should arise, and when the retributions of eternity should occur. There are a few places in the O.T. prophets where a resurrection is spoken of in figurative terms with a possible double reference (Isaiah 25:6-12; Isaiah 66:18-24; Hosea 6:2, etc.) (b) Or, what seems more likely to us, the angel, passing in rapid succession from the time of trouble in the days of Antiochus (Daniel 12:1), to the end of that time and deliverance as predicted of the Messiah in Daniel 9:24-27 (Daniel 12:1), to the final resurrection of the dead (Daniel 12:2), has done what we call shortened perspective (see our comments in Minor Prophets, College Press, pg. 32). Widely separated events (often times separated by many centuries) are spoken of in unseparated succession in the text. Two successive verses in the same chapter may be divided by 700 unspoken centuries (such as between Joel 2:27-28)! It is evident that the O.T. clearly teaches a doctrine of the resurrection of the just and the unjust, literally and bodily! Granted it is veiled and sparselife and immortality was not brought to light until the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, The reason for unspoken centuries between the days of the prophets and the final consummation is spiritual immaturity. And this is no surprise for the apostles found spiritual immaturity a hindrance to apprehension of the profound things of God even in N.T. times!

We believe, therefore, the angel is referring directly and literally to the final resurrection of the just and the unjust at the consummation of all thingsthat the angel skipped over untold centuries of time between the Messiah's accomplishment of deliverance (Daniel 9:24-27) and His Second Advent. The aim of the angelic revelation is the birth of hope in the hearts of the people of God when they should be undergoing the persecution predicted. There was no need to explain in detail all of history that should transpire between the Christ and the consummation (any more than there is a need for such detail today).

Daniel 12:3 AND THEY THAT ARE WISE. This reminds one of the closing verses of Hosea (Hosea 14:4-9, esp. Hosea 14:9). The wise, those who fear the Lord (Psalms 111:10), will understand what the angel has revealed to Danielthat those who remain faithful unto death in the midst of persecution for the sake of God's glory will be delivered at the final judgment. They will shine with the glory of God which they have inherited. They will be precious jewels in the treasury of God! Their wisdom will also include an urgency in turning others to righteousness in those troublous times as well as turning many succeeding generations of believers to righteousness by their example.

Daniel 12:4. SHUT UP THE WORDS, AND SEAL THE BOOK. As is evident from our paraphrase of this verse, we believe it does not command Daniel to hide the prophecy. The angel has disclosed all that God wishes to be revealed. Daniel is commanded to discontinue writing and to insure that what has been thus far revealed is confirmed or authenticated as a revelation from God. In spite of the fact that nothing more is to be revealed, those of future generations, when these prophecies are being fulfilled or after their fulfillment, much more (knowledge shall be increased) will be understood about their place and their message as it relates to the entire scheme of God's redemptive work on the earth. Lange comments, many shall search it through, and the understanding shall become great. Barnes comments, by diffusing information, and by careful inquiry, those of coming ages would obtain much clearer views on these points; or, in other words, that time, and the intercourse of individuals and nations, would clear up the obscurities of prophecy. It may mean that in future times when the apostles and all Christians ever after run to and fro as missionaries in all the earth preaching the gospel of Christ, the fulfillment of these predictions of Daniel would be understood; or as the prophecies of Daniel were used to confirm the truth of the gospel, more power would be given its proclamation and knowledge of the Father and His Son would be increased. One is reminded of the magi from the East who came to worship the king of the Jews!

The time of the end has been thoroughly discussed in this section. It is the same time of the end referred to throughout Daniel 9 through 12the end of the troublous times and the nearing end of the O.T. dispensation and the nearing establishment of the eternal kingdom of God. It is not the end of all timethe Second Advent of Jesus Christ. Daniel did not mean that the prophecies of his book were to be hidden all through the Christian dispensation and reserved for fulfillment and understanding in some far distant future millennium (see Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10; 1 Corinthians 6; Luke 24:26-27; Luke 24:24-44, etc.).

QUIZ

1.

Who is Michael and where is he mentioned otherwise in Daniel's book?

2.

When shall the people of Daniel be delivered? (Daniel 12:1)

3.

What is the meaning of the prediction about the resurrection in Daniel 12:2 and how does it relate to circumstances in the time of Antiochus IV?

4.

Who are the wise?

5.

How is Daniel to shut the book and seal it?

6.

How is knowledge to increase in relation to Daniel's prophecies?