The Great Resurrection
From the content, it is obvious that Daniel is no longer writing only about Antiochus of Syria or the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus with the Roman army.
By using the phrase, those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, he makes it clear that he is speaking of the great resurrection of the dead after the last war is finished. He is prophesying about the misty, distant future and says, I heard, but I did not understand. Daniel 12:8.
There is hope; there will be deliverance, but first comes destruction and desolation. The people of Syria are already experiencing it. If the destruction in Syria now is the beginning of the last war, it will move south from Syria into Israel. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation; until that time.
And at that time your people (Daniel's race) shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. According to some commentators, this means "those destined for death in the war, will die, those destined to life will live".
However, it seems to me that Daniel is here introducing the idea of the resurrection of the dead. The dead shall be delivered from the grave; all those that shall be found written in the book. It is true that Daniel limits that resurrection to the Jews because Judaism is a one nation religion, but after the resurrection of Christ, the Apostles could understand that since Christ died for all races then also all races would be included in the resurrection.
And many, the word (many) is sometimes used for "all"; see Rom_5:15, Gill.
many (all) of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:1-2.
Christ, speaking of the rapture, said, For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works. Mat. 16:27.
John, in the Apocalypse, wrote it like this, I saw the dead, ... stand before God. And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Rev. 20:12.
For anyone who believes the Bible to be true or even those who do not, but still believe in life after death, this teaching is certainly a great incentive to live lives with high moral standards. Our eternal rewards will be commensurate with our lifestyle while on earth.
Christ, speaking of the rapture, said, For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works. Mat. 16:27.
John, in the Apocalypse, wrote it like this, I saw the dead, ... stand before God. And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Rev. 20:12.
For anyone who believes the Bible to be true or even those who do not, but still believe in life after death, this teaching is certainly a great incentive to live lives with high moral standards. Our eternal rewards will be commensurate with our lifestyle while on earth.
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:1-2. To me, it seems interesting that Daniel is not comparing life with death but rather with shame. Even those who do not receive rewards for a life well lived will still be alive but suffer shame and everlasting contempt.
For more on this topic, I suggest:
http://spaceshiptheology.blogspot.com/2015/02/54-you-are-not-going-to-heaven-when-you.html
The question is then asked when shall be the end of these wonders? The answer is when they have made an end of scattering the power of the holy people (the Jews). When the antichrist and his army have destroyed the military forces of Israel; when Israel can no longer count on her own prowess to win the battle of Armageddon then all these things shall be finished. 12:6-7.
But Wait Your Turn
But you go on to the end, for you shall rest and stand in your lot at the end of the days. 12:13 Daniel is told to continue steadfast till the end of his life and then he will go to rest in the dust of the earth (2:2) just like all other people who will die before the rapture.
Concerning this topic lets look at some Bible heroes:
1. Abraham: the father of the Jewish nation: looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb 11:10. He did not receive the promise, for God had provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us. Heb 11:39-40. Abraham is still waiting for the rapture of the church before he will enter heaven!
2. Samuel: When King Saul went to the witch of Endor to recall Samuel after Samuel had died, the witch saw him coming up out of the earth. Samuel said to Saul, Why did you bring me up?
It is obvious that he did not come down from heaven which he would have needed to do if saints go to heaven when they die. Samuel said to Saul, Jehovah has left you and has become your enemy and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. Jehovah's enemies do not end up in heaven. This shows that Samuel, though he was dead, had not yet gone to heaven. All of us must wait for the rapture before we will see Jesus face to face!
3. David: Israel's most famous poet and songwriter and a man about whom Jehovah said, I have found David ... to be a man after My own heart. Acts 13:22. Even so, about him the Apostle Peter said, the patriarch David, ... is both dead and buried. Acts 2:29. David has not ascended into the heavens. Acts 2:34. If a man after God's own heart has not yet gone to heaven why would any of us think that we will as soon as we die?
4. Job: Known for his unending patience said, and even after they corrupt my skin, yet this: in my flesh I shall see God. Job 19:26. He did not expect to go to heaven as soon as he died. He expected to be in the grave at least until his skin was destroyed in the grave. Then, at the rapture of The Church, with his new glorified body, he would see Jehovah.
Paul wrote, For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, (the dead are still dead when the trumpet sounds) and we shall all be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Cor. 15:52-53.
5. Christ: But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruit of those who slept. 1 Cor. 15:20. Of all those who have died, Christ is the first to go to heaven. The writer of the Book of Hebrews said that Abraham, and the Old Testament saints, would not receive their promise, without the church being present and it is just as true that the members of The Church will not receive their inheritance without the Old Testament saints being present.
While writing about some New Testament Christians who had passed away, St. Paul did not say, "they have gone to heaven" or "they are now with Jesus" or anything of that nature. He wrote, For this cause many ... sleep. 1 Cor. 11:30. In another case, Paul wrote, Afterward He was seen by over five hundred brothers at once, ... but also some fell asleep. 1 Cor. 15:6. Again, there is nothing here about any saints going to heaven when they die!
Concerning this topic lets look at some Bible heroes:
1. Abraham: the father of the Jewish nation: looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb 11:10. He did not receive the promise, for God had provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us. Heb 11:39-40. Abraham is still waiting for the rapture of the church before he will enter heaven!
2. Samuel: When King Saul went to the witch of Endor to recall Samuel after Samuel had died, the witch saw him coming up out of the earth. Samuel said to Saul, Why did you bring me up?
It is obvious that he did not come down from heaven which he would have needed to do if saints go to heaven when they die. Samuel said to Saul, Jehovah has left you and has become your enemy and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. Jehovah's enemies do not end up in heaven. This shows that Samuel, though he was dead, had not yet gone to heaven. All of us must wait for the rapture before we will see Jesus face to face!
3. David: Israel's most famous poet and songwriter and a man about whom Jehovah said, I have found David ... to be a man after My own heart. Acts 13:22. Even so, about him the Apostle Peter said, the patriarch David, ... is both dead and buried. Acts 2:29. David has not ascended into the heavens. Acts 2:34. If a man after God's own heart has not yet gone to heaven why would any of us think that we will as soon as we die?
4. Job: Known for his unending patience said, and even after they corrupt my skin, yet this: in my flesh I shall see God. Job 19:26. He did not expect to go to heaven as soon as he died. He expected to be in the grave at least until his skin was destroyed in the grave. Then, at the rapture of The Church, with his new glorified body, he would see Jehovah.
Paul wrote, For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, (the dead are still dead when the trumpet sounds) and we shall all be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Cor. 15:52-53.
4. Daniel: a man greatly beloved, Dan. 10:11, must wait until the end of the days for his inheritance. How then, is it logical that we will get our inheritance immediately at our death?
How could it be that we should spend some time in heaven, with Jesus, and later, after the rapture, be arraigned to stand at the judgement seat of Christ to find out our standing? If even Daniel does not go to heaven at the time of his death, where did Bible teachers get the idea that "us ordinary folks will go to be with Jesus as soon as we die"?
How could it be that we should spend some time in heaven, with Jesus, and later, after the rapture, be arraigned to stand at the judgement seat of Christ to find out our standing? If even Daniel does not go to heaven at the time of his death, where did Bible teachers get the idea that "us ordinary folks will go to be with Jesus as soon as we die"?
5. Christ: But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruit of those who slept. 1 Cor. 15:20. Of all those who have died, Christ is the first to go to heaven. The writer of the Book of Hebrews said that Abraham, and the Old Testament saints, would not receive their promise, without the church being present and it is just as true that the members of The Church will not receive their inheritance without the Old Testament saints being present.
While writing about some New Testament Christians who had passed away, St. Paul did not say, "they have gone to heaven" or "they are now with Jesus" or anything of that nature. He wrote, For this cause many ... sleep. 1 Cor. 11:30. In another case, Paul wrote, Afterward He was seen by over five hundred brothers at once, ... but also some fell asleep. 1 Cor. 15:6. Again, there is nothing here about any saints going to heaven when they die!
For more on this topic, I suggest:
http://spaceshiptheology.blogspot.com/2015/02/54-you-are-not-going-to-heaven-when-you.html
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