Daniel 12:1-3, 5-13
‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others appeared, one standing on this bank of the stream and one on the other. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was upstream, ‘How long shall it be until the end of these wonders?’ The man clothed in linen, who was upstream, raised his right hand and his left hand towards heaven. And I heard him swear by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be accomplished. I heard but could not understand; so I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?’ He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. From the time that the regular burnt-offering is taken away and the abomination that desolates is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Happy are those who persevere and attain the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. But you, go your way, and rest; you shall rise for your reward at the end of the days.’
This morning’s reading reminds me of the one about two hunters who were lost in the woods.
After wandering around for a couple hours, they decided to weigh their options. One of the hunters said, “I once heard that if you shoot in the air, then someone would eventually hear and come to your rescue.” So they fired a few times in the air and waited. Nothing happened so they tried again a couple more times. After a few hours of this, they were starting to get worried and one of them said, “I sure hope we get help soon.” To which the other responded, “I know, right…I’m almost out of arrows!”
We’re finishing out our series on the book of Daniel this week and if anything, it is a book about salvation and rescue…God’s salvation and rescue to be more exact. Our God is a mighty God who can deliver us from whatever situation we might find ourselves in, good or bad. Of course, as I mentioned one of these weeks, I don’t know why we’d want to be delivered from a good situation but hey, God is consistent in his salvation. We simply must seek him out and humbly ask him for his gracious salvation. Believe it or not, a humble heart goes a long way with our gracious God. God works wonders for those who are in right relationship with him…for those who fear him and keep his commandments. Fear biblically speaking…with reverence and awe. Yes, our God is a God of the impossible, eager to save those who honor and trust him. One might say, “well, I don’t really need salvation. I’m living a good life, pretty content with my lot in life, not hurting anyone. Why do I need salvation?” Well, that person fails to consider all the discontentment in this world, all the discontented people in this world who would love to have that person’s contentment and would do whatever it takes to get it. We all need salvation. Some from ourselves, some from the hostile world around them. We all need saving sometimes. Even those who have found contentment in this world need help holding onto it. This world for the most part is a hostile, discontented world.
Yikes…if that isn’t a Debbie-downer way of starting a message! But it’s true and we can’t truly appreciate God’s grace and mercy without acknowledging the nature of this world. At the same time, I think by fully appreciating God’s grace we can’t help but want to live righteously. Daniel and his friends were righteous people. They honored God and trusted him and because of this they were saved from the hostile world around them. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were saved from the fiery furnace just as Daniel was saved from the lion’s den. Talk about hostile worlds! It doesn’t get more hostile than those! Yes, Daniel and his friends were saved from their dire situations by our God of impossible salvation. As the book of Daniel closes out, we hear Daniel speak about “a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence.” The great protector prince, Michael, would save us in this time, presumably distinguishable from the archangel, Michael. Regardless, I think Daniel is yet again lifting up the mighty salvation of our God even in the end times. It’s interesting that our passage also references the notion of resurrection, a notion that is rare in the Old Testament yet integral in the New Testament. Daniel writes, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” A unique notion, this idea of resurrection. But I think Daniel was using it simply to praise the righteous. And I could see how people could use such a verse to build on the idea of Hell or a place of shame and everlasting contempt.
Clearly the witness of Daniel and his friends was one of salvation and righteousness. Last week we explored the additional theme of God’s mighty sovereignty. God is in control of all things and all situations which enables him to do the impossible in any given situation. Now then…what does any of this have to do with our opening joke?! Well, our salvation is much the same as the salvation of those hunters. Our salvation relies on faith much the same as lost hunters firing soundless arrows into the sky. Just because God is mighty and sovereign doesn’t mean we have to do anything to appeal to that might and sovereignty. We’re utterly dependent on faith and God’s grace! As Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians, “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (2:8-9) We’re ALL hunters firing arrows in the sky in hope of salvation! Daniel and his friends relied on nothing but their faith to get them through their situations. We, too, have nothing but our faith to rely on! And you know what, that’s ok because our God is so gracious and so loving that He is eager to save us. As Paul tells us in his letter to Titus, “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (3:5)
As we close out this series, we give thanks for the witness of Daniel and his friends. We give thanks that it reveals a sovereign God of mighty salvation, a God who will save us even at the end of days. Why? Because of our righteous, faithful living. Let us be emboldened to live out righteous, faithful lives and give thanks for God’s gracious and merciful salvation. As the Psalmist sings, “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.” (37:39) Thanks be to God!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
