The Book of Daniel, God’s Resurrection Plan Daniel 12:1-2 - Lesson 44

Daniel 12:1-4,  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

In our study of chapter 11 of Daniel we have been given details about the evil one who is yet to appear on the stage of history.

He is that evil one, the one who is Satan incarnate, the one who is called the Lie, who comes to bring about the kingdom that he has desired since the creation.

But God has other plans, for what is to come about will usher in the unending kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This time of trouble mentioned here in chapter 12, this seven year period known as the Great Tribulation, is but a prelude to the time of the glorious 1000 year period wherein our Lord rules and reigns throughout the earth.

And in this passage of Daniel we are give an astounding prophecy as to who will be governing with the Lord Jesus Christ during this glorious period for this passage concerns itself with the deliverance of a certain people.

We read of this in the end of verse 1 and the beginning of verse 2.  and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life.

This is astounding news, for Daniel hears of a resurrection which is part of the deliverance of Israel.

Deliverance here means not only deliverance from the awful conditions of the past three and a half years but it also means that those people of Daniel whose names are written in the book, not only those who are alive at the time, but also those who sleep in the dust of the earth will be part of the rebirth of the nation.

There are two groups mentioned here who are to be delivered at the end of the tribulation.

They are those Jews who have looked upon Jesus Christ whom they have pierced and have received him as their Messiah, the believing remnant of Israel, and those Jews who have beforehand departed this life as believers.

Now note the words "and at that time thy people shall be delivered".

This is an action that takes place with Daniel’s people in mind.

This is not the resurrection of the body of Christ, the church but a resurrection that is connected to the time of Jacob’s trouble, the time of trouble that is mentioned in verse 1.

This is in reference to the nation that is born in a day, a nation that will be composed of all Daniel’s people whose names shall be found written in the book, whether sleeping in the dust or awaked at the coming of our Lord.

This is how God intends to populate this born again nation, with Jews who are saved during this period and all those who were saved during the Old Testament period.

Now also note that verse two says in addition to those who awake to everlasting life it also says: and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

So if you simply take this at face value you would assume that this resurrection is to bring forth those who are saved and those who are lost at the same time.

In other words one general resurrection which many believe to be the case.

But here is where we must honor the scripture of II Peter 1:20, which tells us to be careful to honor all scripture with study for it takes all scripture to get a complete picture of what God wants us to know.

II Peter 1:20,21 says,  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

We are to compare scripture with scripture before we come to any conclusion, specifically in this case, conclusions about God’s plan for resurrection.

So I think this is a good place to depart from a general study of the Book of Daniel and use this lesson to study portions of the Bible that have to do with God’s plan for the resurrection of the saved and of the lost.

There is no question that all Bible believers agree that there will be resurrection of both the believing and unbelieving dead.

But there is disagreement about the details of those resurrections so we will look at scripture and see if we can find God’s mind on this matter.

We are told in Daniel 12:2, that some will awaken to everlasting life.

Jesus referred to these as the just ones in Luke 14:4,  And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

In John 5:28,29 He referred to this resurrection as the resurrection of life.

God’s word calls this resurrection the better resurrection in Hebrews 11:35.

And this resurrection of the just is called the first resurrection in Revelation 20:5.

Now in contrast to the resurrection of the righteous there is a resurrection of the unrighteous.

Again we refer to our Daniel passage where we are told that some will awake to shame and everlasting contempt.

In our John 5 passage we have already read of those will be part of the resurrection of damnation.

And in Acts 24:15 Luke tells us:   that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Now the question that is most asked is when will these resurrections occur for there are those who believe they occur at the same time and those who believe they are separated from one another by long periods of years.

We have already read passages where both the resurrections of the just and the unjust are mentioned together and appear to be occur at the same time.

Our passage in Daniel 12:2 is one such passage and the passage in John 5 is another.

Jesus in John 5 referred to both groups hearing his voice and coming out of their graves, one group coming to the resurrection of life and the other group to the resurrection of damnation.

To many people, these passages clearly speak of one general resurrection of both the saved and lost.

But these verses are not enough to bring us to a conclusive understanding of God’s plan of resurrection for all they say is that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous at the last hour or the last day.

This in itself could mean that these resurrections could stretch over a long period of time.

The passage in Revelation 20:5 bears out this conclusion for it gives us a period of one thousand years between the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust.

Here we have the souls of the spirits waiting for their resurrection which is called the first resurrection.

After they are raised from the dead, it is said the remainder of the dead did not live again until a thousand years after this.

So this is a phased resurrection, the parts being separated by one thousand years.

Revelation 20:6 tells us,  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

This pattern certainly falls into God’s program of harvesting which has four parts.

You have the firstfruits, the harvest, the gleanings, and the burnings.

Christ's resurrection was first in God's program, then to be followed by believers in various groupings, then unbelievers.

Jesus Christ was the first person to come back from the dead, never to die again.

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:20-23,  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

At his coming refers to his coming in the air where the trumpet is sounded and the dead in Christ are raised.

Note that these are the dead in Christ, this is the body of Christ, this is the church.

At the rapture of the church, the bodies of the living and dead will be changed.

I Thessalonians. 4:16,17,  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Paul told the church at Corinth about the change that would take place.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58,  Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So Christ is the firstfruit, the church the next in line and then comes the resurrection of the tribulation saints at the second coming of Christ, not at the Rapture, but after the tribulation.

Now we can return to our Daniel passage and see this resurrection in total for it not only includes those who were killed during the tribulation but it includes those whose names were written in the book, those who sleep in the dust of the earth.

These that are asleep in the dust, we are told were Daniel’s people, these are the saints of old, God’s people of the Old Testament.

So here we see the resurrection of those Old Testament saints, along with the church, participate in the governing of Israel and the remainder of the earth during the 1000 year period of the Kingdom of Christ.

God intends to populate Israel with believers who have been redeemed, believers saved during the tribulation, believers resurrected from the tribulation, and believers from the time of Adam to the resurrection of Christ.

Every believer, from the time of Adam until the Second Coming of Christ, will at this time have been resurrected.

Up to this time no unbelievers have been resurrected for we are told in Rev. 20:11-15 that this will take place after the 1000 year rule by Christ over this earth.

This comes prior to the time of the Great White Throne judgment.
 

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the 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.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

We see in this passage that all the unbelieving dead who have ever lived will be resurrected and judged at this time.

Of necessity I believe there will also be some righteous people who will be judged at the Great White Throne whose names are indeed written in the book of life.

They will consist of children who were born and died during the Millennium and became believers in Christ.

They will have been born to people who entered the Millennium with mortal, not resurrected bodies.

So in summary we find the pattern of God for the common harvest of crops on the earth being followed in His plan for the harvest of souls.

You have the first fruits, the harvest, the gleanings, and the burnings.

Jesus Christ is the first fruits,

the resurrection of the church and the tribulation saints along with the saints of the Old Testament is the harvest, this takes place at the beginning and the end of the tribulation period,

the resurrection of those saved during the Millennium is the gleanings,

and the resurrection of the lost is the burnings that take place as they are cast into the lake of fire.