Now Standing Up At The Plate - Michael Series

Daniel 12: 1 – 13

Now Standing Up At The Plate - Michael

“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. 4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” 7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. 8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” 9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. 11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. 13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

Chapter 12 should be included in chapter 11. Please do not forget that the placement of chapters and verses did not occur until hundreds of years after the bible was put together.

So, the statement, ‘after that time’ indicates a time after all the persecution that has taken place in the later part of chapter 11.

Now the time when Daniel live was about 603 BC. So, everything that he has prophesied is in the future, is it not? At the time of this sermon it is the year 2012. Now stop and think how far or future a prophecy of Daniel’s future time frame given today would be in thinking about the year 2685 AD. This future date stuns your thinking.

Having depicted the end days of the world in symbolism Daniel now looks at it from the point of view of the people of God. What is a catastrophe for the world is the beginning of eternal glory for His people. The first three verses of this chapter sum up the end of time from their point of view. The final part then summarizes the intent of the book.

“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.

Michael, the great prince of angels is assigned by Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High - to watch over God’s people, will be ‘standing over them’, ever on the alert to watch over them and protect them. Michael is one of only two angels mentioned by name in Scripture. He is described by Jude 1.9 as an archangel, and in Revelation 12.7 he leads God’s army of angels. His part is to deal with the activities of the evil angels who seek to control the world, and to intervene to prevent their final misuse of the people of God.

Who were the people of God at this time? Christians? No, they were Israelites. Please note the verse again – ““At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.”