#DailyDevotion The Resurrection Is The Destination
Daniel 12:1–3 “At that time Michael, the great prince, will stand up to protect your people. It will be a time of trouble such as hasn’t been since there was a nation until that time, but at that time your people will be saved, all who are written in the book. 2And many sleeping in the ground will wake up, some to live forever and others to be ashamed and detested forever. 3And those who understand will shine like the light in the sky and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever.
Michael, the one like God, the great prince makes an appearance here. Some think Michael is Jesus. Jesus is the very image of God which in some respects reflects the meaning of the name Michael. If this were the case then Michael is not a created angel but the Word of God, which if you remember the definition of angel (messenger) would also make some sense. But if Michael is not the uncreated Word of God then Michael and Jesus of course are not the same person. We see Michael in Revelation casting Satan out of heaven which to some extant also reflects some of this text.
Well we are approaching the end of the Church year and approaching Advent where we prepare especially for the second coming of Christ, so it makes sense we get a Last Day prophecy from the Old Testament. Now Daniel 12 is the culmination of chapter eleven. Chapter eleven for the most part deals with the four generals who take over Alexander the Great’s empire and their descendants. It reads like a history book which is why doubters think it was written after the fact but the whole book of Daniel shows us the God of Israel can reveal the future to us and does.
However the last few verses of chapter eleven seem to project past the Hellenic dynasties and Rome and shoots to the end-times, even unto the Last Day. Michael comes to protect the Church of God which is Daniel’s people. Jesus speaks of the last days as being very tumultuous. Of course the problem it seems like there is always a particularly tumultuous time during our lifetime, sometimes several. I remember coming out of the 60’s. Then there was dramatic face off between the US and the USSR in the early 80’s which mutual assured destruction. Then we had the war with Iraq I. Then we had 9/11 followed by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And we’ve had a bit of a tumultuous times with radical elements in the last twelve years causing riots.
But the good news is, things can and will probably get worse. Good News you say? Well, yes, while it won’t be pleasant we know such times will usher in the return of Jesus Christ with all his angels, including Michael. When Christ Jesus returns, everyone who is written in the Lamb’s book of life will we raised from the dead immortal and all those still living in the book will be changed and receive new immortal bodies like Jesus’ risen body. We will enter God’s kingdom and be with him forever. We will shine like the light of the sky and the stars.
Heavenly Father, you promise to send your Son Jesus Christ to us a second time to deliver us, raise us from the dead immortal and enter into your kingdom. Grant us faith to believe in this so we may not have our names removed from your book of life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.