Excitement or Dread?

Daniel 12:1-4 (ESV) “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.”

Think about a day that you were really excited about. Christmas Day as a kid. Your wedding day. The birth of your kids. The start of your career. Now think about a day you were dreading. The first day of school. That history test you didn’t study for. That job lay off. Surgery. A funeral. Those are two totally different expectations and emotions, aren’t they? Daniel gives us a glimpse into what we are to do in light of that impending day of the Lord.

1. Believe God is standing watch (12:1)
   1. “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people.
   2. Daniel 10:21 (ESV) 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.
   3. Revelation 12:7-8 (ESV) Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, [8] but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
   4. Michael is a warrior. He has charge (watches over God’s people—looking back before the cross we could say that these are the redeemed of Israel, the faithful who believed. Looking after the cross we would say these refer to the church. You are only in Christ, belong to Christ through faith in Christ. There has never been another way of salvation)
   5. God is watching over his people. He is guiding his people. He is protecting his people.
2. Remain faithful till you are rescued (12:1)
   1. 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
   2. Isaiah 26:20-21 (ESV) Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. [21] For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.
   3. Matthew 24:21-22 (ESV) For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. [22] And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
   4. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV) But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. [2] For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, [4] treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
   5. We must continue to persevere in Christ. We must stand firm in the Lord. Our rescuer is coming.
3. Rescue only comes to those in the book—Are you in the book? (12:1)
   1. everyone whose name shall be found written in the book
   2. inscribed, engraved, enrolled in the book
   3. Psalms 69:28 (ESV) Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
   4. Luke 10:20 (ESV) Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
   5. Revelation 20:11-15 (ESV) Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13] And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
   6. Repent and believe the gospel!
4. Realize there is a resurrection day coming (12:2)
   1. 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.
   2. Daniel uses the imagery of sleep because sleeping is temporary. If you lay down for a nap, most of the time you expect to wake back up again.
   3. There is a resurrection day coming for all.
   4. Isaiah 2:2-3 (ESV) It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, [3] and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
   5. The picture we see painted here is of the final resurrection before the judgment seat of God (Rev. 20)
   6. You and I will either be raised to everlasting life or everlasting contempt (abhorrence).
   7. Job 19:25-27 (ESV) For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. [26] And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, [27] whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
5. Shine the light of Christ (12:3)
   1. 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.
   2. We have a responsibility as believers to represent Christ in this world. We do not represent ourselves. We play a pivotal role in the culture around us. That is one reason on Tuesday it is critical that when you vote, you vote according to the mandate of Scripture and not personal opinion. That is also another reason, that ultimately, it does not matter who sits in the oval office, because it should not change how I shine the light of Christ. I should be living all out for Jesus no matter who is in the White House, because I belong to the King of kings who sits in the throne room of the universe.
   3. Proverbs 11:30 (ESV) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
   4. Our responsibility is the glory of the Lord. Shine out the glory and let God bring a conviction and repentance to souls!
   5. Shine and turn!
   6. James 5:19-20 (ESV) My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, [20] let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
6. Safeguard God’s Word (12:4)
   1. 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.”
   2. Shut up (keep close)
   3. Seal (authenticate the authority of)
   4. Knowledge may increase, but if it devoid of the wisdom and understanding of the Lord it is fruitless.
   5. Amos 8:11-12 (ESV) “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. [12] They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.

Conclusion

The time of the end is approaching. We don’t know when it will be. The finish line is getting closer. We do know God is watching over all time. Guiding. Protecting. Providing. Fighting. We need to rest in that fact and realize we have a work to do of glorifying the Lord and turning souls to righteousness that is found only in Christ. We have a responsibility to safeguard God’s word. Christian—is your life shining out the glory and the holiness of Christ? How? How are you personally turning souls to righteousness?

Where will you stand on resurrection day? Everlasting life or everlasting contempt?

Life Group Discussion Guide

1. We live in difficult times. How do we find peace during these times according to Daniel 12?
2. Look at Revelation 20 and discuss it in light of Daniel 12:2. Read Job 19:25-27.
3. What is our responsibility according to Daniel 12:3? Why is it so easy to lose sight of that? In light of the upcoming election on Tuesday, how does this passage help us bring the life of the believer into focus?