What does Daniel 12 all mean in context, what did it mean at the time? Well, how about this – God has plans for His people that are absolutely certain. Daniel’s prophecy, and the visions he had, certainly were of some value in his own day. But, there would come a future day, the time of the end of v.9, when his prophecy would be of even more importance.
This is where we come in. We are closer to that than Daniel was, aren’t we? We are closer to the time of the end than Daniel was. As time is moving along in its linear fashion, we are further down the line than Daniel was, so to speak, and therefore the time of the end is closer to us than it was for Daniel.
The book of Daniel would have given the people a rock solid future hope that would in turn motivate their current faithfulness. They knew what was coming in the future, so, they knew how to act today. Just think – your behaviour now is always governed by what you think or what you know is coming, isn’t it?
For a couple of quick examples, I work to deadlines each day of the week because of what I know is coming:
Friday is coming – study and pray and write a message.
Tuesday is coming – same for our midweek teaching.
8am is coming every day – prepare a daily devotional.
What we know is coming motivates and influences what we do in the now, doesn’t it?
So, for God’s people here in the book of Daniel, they have pretty much been told what happens to them now with the coming earthly empires that will rule the land in which they live, then a little in the future, then a long way into the future, and ultimately into eternity. They’ve seen that waiting is worth it when the object of your wait is worthy. They know what God has said about them and what He will do, they know what is coming so they know how they ought to live now.
And what about you?
Is your future certain?
We’ve talked so many times in Daniel about Jesus and His second coming and what future certainty this brings for believers.
Is your future certain?
Because of what Jesus did the promises of
But the wise will shine
like the brightness of the heavenly expanse.
and
Many will be purified, made clean, and refined,
are available to you.
Are they in your future?
This is now getting intensely personal, isn’t it?
At the end of the Gospel according to John, Jesus tells Peter that he is, essentially, going to die the death of a martyr, he is going to die for the faith and belief he has.
Peter than sees John, and asks
“Lord, what about him?”
Jesus’ response is so personal, so intensely personal, do you know what He said?
“If I want him to live until I come back, what concern is that of yours? You follow me!”
The same is true for Daniel here,
But you should go your way until the end. You will rest and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive what you have been allotted.”
And the same is true for you:
Are you certain what your future holds?
Do you know where your future certainty comes from?
Do you know that
You will rest and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive14 what you have been allotted.”
Do you know that, are you certain of that?
I really hope you are.
Because of Jesus, and the grace of God, you are able to have those words applied to yourself,
You will rest and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive14 what you have been allotted.”
There is nothing in our lives that will give us as much certainty as that which is found in Jesus.
So, Daniel 12: is your future certain?
If you have put your faith in Jesus, your trust in Jesus, your hope in Jesus, then yes, your future is certain.
If you haven’t done that yet, or you have done a half hearted job, then let’s do it now, and you can experience the kind of certainty that is only found in Jesus.
James Travis 