18 Jul (Daniel 12)

Daniel 12

(v.1) There are three mighty angels, called cherubs, that we know their names:

Michael ~ God's fighting angel

Gabriel ~ God's messenger

Lucifer ~ Considered the head cherub, but fell away by pride

God describes the last days here...Michael will fight Lucifer and his demons, while the Jews will endure the Great Tribulation.

The key to this verse is the Book of Life...those who love and worship God by faith will be in it. Those that don't will face eternal torment for their foolish pride.

(v.2) Everyone who has lived will be resurrected...the faithful and the unbelieving. All will stand before God and give account for their lives. The good news is that those in Christ will be judged in order to receive rewards in heaven, while the unbelievers will face judgment based upon the Law.

I think it's important to hammer home the concept of resurrection. We would not be saved unless Jesus was resurrected...we would be eternally in this sinful state. I remind my kids that after Adam and Eve sinned, God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, in order that they don't eat from the Tree of Life...if they had then, they would have spent eternity in their sinful state. It took the blood of God to wash that away, and to be resurrected into His heavenly body. We will do the same. 1 Cor 15:35-44

It makes more sense to my kids when I remind them that after Jesus was resurrected, His disciples didn't recognize Him at first. There was something different about Him. But after they spent some time with Him, they knew it was Him. This is what will happen with us...we will have our earthly bodies resurrected, and God will give us an immortal body. We will recognize family and friends, but we'll all be slightly different, and able to enjoy more than the four dimensions we experience now!

(v.4) Daniel didn't completely understand all this that God told him, but as history has unfolded, and the current events that line up with prophecy, we have the privilege to see God's Word come to life!

(v.10) We are wise because we have God's wisdom...the more we read and study the Word, the more we'll understand it. When we understand it, we can see God's plan of redemption clearly, and we see His will acting out in our lives.

(v.13) God tells Daniel to not worry about the prophecies, since he will be in the grave by then. But again, God tells Daniel that he will be resurrected in the last days, and then he will understand.