Daniel 12: 1 | Patterns In The Bible
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.” - Daniel 12: 1
Daniel 12: 1
Daniel 12 concludes Daniel’s third and final apocalyptic vision of the future (Dan. 7-12). In the first verse of Daniel 12, three prophecies were given to Daniel.
First, when the prophesied king goes out with “great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction” (Dan. 11: 44), Daniel is told that “at that time shall arise, Michael, the great prince who has charge of [Daniel’s] people” (Dan. 12: 1a).
Daniel’s visions are filled with kings and empires making war and it is easy to feel fearful and powerless in the face of constant, life-threatening conflict.
Thankfully, God promises that the mighty hosts of the heavens will, echoing the kings and armies of the world, arise in response to the wars on earth. God’s people are not alone when death and destruction come.
Second, Daniel is told that “..there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time” (Dan 12: 1b).
Just before the giving of this prophecy, we read of how “tens of thousands shall fall..” (Dan 11: 41) in a preceding conflict. Terrifyingly, this new, coming time of trouble will be extraordinarily worse for God’s people compared to previous conflicts which came before it.
Third, Daniel is told that “..at that time [his] people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book” (Dan 12: 1c).
All is not lost. God’s people will be delivered from the coming time of trouble. Just as how God delivered Daniel’s fellow tribesmen from the fiery furnace (Dan. 3) and Daniel from the lions (Dan. 6), so God is able to and will deliver His people from the coming trial and tribulation.
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Questions
Q: Many centuries have passed since Daniel received these prophecies. Has the prophesied time of trouble come and gone or does it still lie in the future?
Q: Which parts of Daniel would be good to re-read and meditate on?