Daniel 12:1-5,  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.

We have studied the chronology of the resurrection plan of God and concluded that the resurrection of the pre-church age saints takes place at the time of Jacob’s trouble.

It is at the end time of the Great Tribulation that is foretold by the angel as a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.

This resurrection is part of the deliverance of Daniel’s people that God conducts at this end time.

In verse three Daniel is encouraged for he finds that his faithfulness will bring reward throughout eternity, expressed here as for ever and ever.

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.

Those of the past ages who came out of the graves, those who were wise, those who died turning many to righteousness during this great time of trouble, will shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the brightness of the stars.

And this shining will be an eternal shining.

What does this mean?

It probably means that there will be a very noticeable difference in appearance between resurrected saints.

There appears to be a ranking according to the light that adorns the saints.

Paul in I Corinthians 15:41,42, talked about the differences in the heavenly bodies with reference to the resurrection:

So perhaps we are being given a glimpse into eternity with regard to rewards given in proportion to the faithfulness of God’s servants to His word.

As the moon and the sun and the stars show different glories God’s faithful will also show different glories.

We have different wattage bulbs do we not. So it seems God has such in his children.

How often did our Lord speak of his children as light.

He said to his disciples, Ye are the light of the world.

He testified of John the Baptist as a burning and shinning light.

The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

It is interesting that the world has its stars, those filled with the glitter that comes with fame, but the real stars are those who love God, those whom He finds faithful to His will and to His work.

Daniel is told that His faithfulness as well as all who bore the light of God will be assigned a position of authority and recognition corresponding with their devotion and diligence while they lived and labored upon the earth.

But after this the revelation is to be closed for the angel tells Daniel to seal the book.

Verse 4,  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.

Up to this point Daniel has been the recipient of many words which opened to him what is to take place from his time to the time of Jacob’s trouble.

But at this point, the end of this time of trouble, there is to be no more revelation given to the book, for Daniel is told to shut up the words, and seal the book even to the time of the end when many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.

The angel apparently told Daniel of further revelation but the instruction to Daniel was to not record any further revelation than that which was to be included in Daniel’s book.

Now the reason this was to be done seems to be connected to the last words of verse four, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

This is one of those passages in scripture that has been pondered ever since Daniel put pen to paper.

It is easy to see in our day the running of many to and fro for this is the age of high speed travel and abundance of travel.

How our own lives reflect the running to and fro, back and forth, hither and yon that all of us do each day.

It is breathtaking, is it not?

And what other age has seen the expansion of knowledge than that which has taken place in the last 100 years.

In fact according to research studies, the total store of human knowledge is now doubling every eight years."

80% of all the scientists who have ever lived are alive today.

Every minute they add 2000 pages to man's scientific knowledge, and the scientific material they produce every 24 hours would take one person 5 years to read.

About a half-million new books are published every year and now we have the internet where everyone can have everything they want published for others to see.

But this is not what this passage is talking about.

There is to be a connection of this running to and fro and the increase of knowledge to what is taking place at the end time, the time of Jacob’s trouble.

Daniel 12:3 speaks of teachers turning many to righteousness.

Daniel 12:4 speaks of many running to and fro with increasing knowledge.

The point that Daniel is making here is that when the end time comes knowledge of what is sealed up will be found out by these preachers of righteousness.

We can get a sense of this in other translations.

Darby translates verse 4:  Many shall diligently investigate and knowledge shall increase.

Fausset says,  Many shall diligently peruse it, and knowledge shall be increased.

Pierson says it this way:  Many shall read and review the book, and knowledge shall increase.

Daniel was instructed to shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end, at which time, when the prophecy in the vision is fulfilled, many will examine those prophesies carefully and the knowledge of them will increase.

We today have a sense that things are moving faster toward the time of Jacob’s trouble.

And we examine events that come on the scene in light of the book of Daniel and as time moves forward and events come to pass the book of Daniel will open up more and more and knowledge that God’s plan is being perfectly carried out will increase.

We see the worldwide movement of the Muslims, the people of Abraham’s son, Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman.

We see their expectancy of the coming of their Messiah and this opens up to us in a real way that which is given to us in the book of Daniel.

Today what we see is a view though a dark glass but during the time of tribulation it will be to those living a view through a glass clearly.

Israel is blind today to the truths of the book of Daniel but the day is coming when many Jews will read and understand, even as the Lord Jesus Christ predicted in, Matthew 24:15, a book which today the Jews reject.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

We are 2500 years closer to this time then that of Daniel.

We have the benefit on knowing the New Testament and the book of Revelation.

The Lord said to John in Revelation 22:10,  Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

All that was sealed or shut up to Daniel and the Jews of that day is now being unveiled to believers, so that with the book of the Revelation we can have a better understanding of the book of Daniel.

In our day knowledge of the book of Daniel is increasing among believers in Christ but as to the Jews they remain in darkness as to the truths of this book.

But during the time of Jacob’s trouble this will change when many will diligently investigate its pages and knowledge of its truths shall increase.

The prophecy of the Book of Daniel will be of great value to those living in the last times, for it will gives insight into the events taking place around them and its message of deliverance will be welcomed.

The book of Daniel will become one of the most widely read books in the last days preceding Christ’s second coming to the earth for God has so ordained it for He has said knowledge of it shall increase.

Daniel 12:5-7,  Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.  And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?  And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Daniel does not speak here but simply looks and listens.

There stood on both sides of the river Tigris, an angel.

In the midst of the river there was one to whom a question was asked.

This one in the midst of the river may have been the manifestation of the Son of God whom Daniel saw in great splendor in chapter ten for this one was the one to whom the question was addressed.

The response to this question came from this one who raised both left and right hands to the heavens and swore by the One who lives forever, that the end of these wonders would come after a time, times, and half a time.

This is generally understood to mean a period of three and one-half years.

and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.