Daniel chapter 12

By John Chopores

 

End times

Da. 12: 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.

The name “Michael” means “who is as the Lord?”.

“Michael --the guardian angel of Israel ("thy people"), (#Da 10:13). The transactions on earth affecting God's people have their correspondences in heaven, in the conflict between good and bad angels; so at the last great contest on earth which shall decide the ascendency of Christianity(#Re 12:7-10). An archangel, not the Lord Jesus; for he is distinguished from "the Lord" in#Jude 1:9.” [JFB].

Michael is seen fighting for God and His kingdom, many times in the Bible. Cf. Jude 1:9  But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

 Revelation 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;

 

Dan. 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.

 "in a literal sense,  of the resurrection of the dead at the last day,  which,  with respect to the righteous,  will take place upon the personal appearance of Christ at first,  #1Th 4:16, for,  as death is oftentimes compared to "sleep",  in which the senses are bound up,  and the body is in a state of inactivity; see #Joh 11:11 1Co 15:20 1Th 4:14,  so the resurrection from the dead is expressed by awaking out of sleep,  when the body shall rise fresh and vigorous,  in full health and strength,  as a man out of a comfortable sleep; see #Ps 17:15 Isa 26:19. The word "many" is used,  either because, as all will not sleep,  so all will not be awaked; there will be some that will be alive and awake at Christ's coming,  #1Co 15:51 1Th 4:17,

…some to everlasting life; to the enjoyment of everlasting life and happiness with Christ in the world to come; a phrase often used in the New Testament,  though never before in the Old; expressive of that felicity and bliss which the saints enjoy in heaven after this life is over,  first in the separate state of the soul,  and then,  at the resurrection,  in soul and body,  and of the everlasting continuance of it; they that shall enjoy this are those that are written in the Lamb's book of life,  or are ordained unto eternal life; who are redeemed by the blood of Christ,  regenerated by his Spirit and grace,  justified by his righteousness,  adopted into the family of God,  are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; these are the dead in Christ,  which rise first:

 

and some to shame and everlasting contempt; wicked men,  who lived in a course of sin in this world,  without any remorse or shame; but,  when they shall rise from the dead,  they will rise with all their sins upon them,  and with a full conviction of them in their consciences; and will be ashamed of them,  and to appear before God the Judge of all; and will be had in contempt by the Lord,  by elect angels,  and all good men; and this reproach shall never be wiped off; see #Isa 66:24. Our Lord seems manifestly to have respect to this passage,  when he speaks of men coming out of their graves at the last day,  "some unto the resurrection of life,  and others unto the resurrection of damnation",  #Joh 5:28,29 and upon these words it may well be thought the Apostle Paul grounded his faith of the resurrection of the dead,  both just and unjust, #Ac 24:15,  and though the resurrection of both is spoken of here and elsewhere together,  yet it will be at distinct periods of time; the resurrection of the just at the beginning of the thousand years,  and that of the wicked at the end of them,  #Re 20:5,6,  between which will be the intermediate state of the saints dwelling with Christ on earth; where they will be favoured with his presence,  and the rewards of his grace,  to which the following verse has respect.   " [JOHN GILL].