Life does not seem fair in so many ways. We look around and see the obvious wickedness and rebellion of many world leaders, either crushing their people or those around them. We see the restrictions placed upon the Church of the Lord Jesus in so many countries. We look at the poverty of many ethnicities in a host of countries. Children being born and literally left to die. Hunger, disease, pain and suffering. We see so many born without many body parts apart from those blind, deaf and dumb. Then we look at life and want to say … “Life is not fair.” But when we look into the Holy Word of God, we start to see another picture developing. One where God is good and kind and merciful but the human race so desperately wicked … living in rebellion without having a thought to consequences and accountability. All of this and everything man means when he says “Life is not fair” must be attributed to the Fall in the Garden. Before that man was good, sinless and righteous. After the fall every faculty of man was affected by the inherited sinful nature … literally man is depraved! This does not mean we are as bad as we can be but it does mean that all of our being is tarnished with sin. If one will continue to say, “Life is not fair” … then we need to blame our representative head, Adam. What he did he did for us and this means we did it! This all sounds very depressive. Is there an end to this tunnel? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Indeed there is, but only in Jesus Christ. The whole Bible is about Jesus, God’s rescue plan for man. Having said this, we are ready to open the last chapter of Daniel.
1) Getting the context.
Da 12:1 “At that time Michael
This time refers back to:
Da 11:40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
And now:
Da 12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.”
Remember these words are still the Divine Messenger’s prophetic words … He introduces Michael, who is the protector of the people of God from the king of the North. He will bring with him fierce persecution
Da 12:1 There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.
Even though the battle will be extreme and even though many of God people will experience pain, suffering and death, the description of these events can be seen vividly as one reads the Book of Revelation. Both Daniel and Revelation are “apocalyptic” … that is, they deal with the last days of planet earth.
2) The eternal security of the saints. Remember Daniel is looking at the final battle on the planet between the enemy and the Lord. He is dealing with Jesus’ return for the second time and reveals what will happen then.
Da 12:1 But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
If you could plough your “converted life” (however long that might be) into the Kingdom of Jesus only to find that your soul’s eternity was no secure, would you consider Jesus? I am sure you won’t. Daniel now is given personal comfort and comfort for all true people of God. Their souls shall never be lost, damned and land up in the Lake of Burning Sulphur! The apostle John helps us to understand Daniel better as he writes under inspiration:
Rev 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
Rev 20:15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
(1) The elect of God stretches into eternity past … the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. Before God created man … before man disobeyed God and fell into sin … God’s salvific plan was already concreted. Nothing catches God off guard.
(2) Because of God’s snap shot picture of all history past, present and future in one glance He is able to say salvation was procured before creation … the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
(3) This leads to mentioning that God’s Book of Life had be written and completed before creation! If election occurred before creation and if the Lamb of God was slain from the creation of the world, then the “book” the Divine Messenger referred to in Daniel and the Book of Life John refers to in Revelation is not only the same book but was completed before the creation of the world.
(4) Each soul whose name is written in this Book of Life was given to the Lord Jesus. He will ensure that each soul shall be saved!
Jn 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
(5) Satan can never destroy the souls of the elect of God. The enemy might have power far greater than that which we have. He might be able to see things we cannot see. He has the capacity of hurting our bodies, breaking our bones, taking our physical lives and upsetting our emotions … but he does not have the power to harm our souls. He does not have the ability of snatching our souls from the Divine Claws of Jesus. He is powerless to touch our soul.
(6) We live in time and space. What God decreed about our souls was done before there was time and space. At the right time He came as man, God incarnate, to redeem each and every soul whose name is inscribed in the Book of Life. Not only did He pay the sin price (Calvary) on our behalf, He rose again guaranteeing our eternal salvation.
Thank You Lord for Your superlative salvation design before creation, effected in creation for eternity for me. Amen.