Daniel Chapter 12
VERSE 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.”
The Ancient Worthies are among those who “sleep in the dust of the earth” and will awake. They will come forth from the tomb first (at “midnight”—Psa 119:62), and then the rest of mankind will follow in successive waves after the Kingdom is established. After Jacob’s Trouble the Kingdom will be inaugurated.
The deliverance of natural Israel will be followed by a period of time in which mankind are awakened from death. However, the current generation (the generation which survived through Armageddon) will be dealt with first, before the general resurrection begins. They will have to be organized under the Kingdom authority and bow the knee and be educated that Christ is indeed reigning. Then the principle of “the last shall be first, and the first last” will operate in regard to the general resurrection.
And so, it will be, “Millions THEN Living May Never Die!" even as Judge Rutherford (the first head of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect, the “evil servant” of Matt 24:48, 49) once prophesied, when he announced in 1918 that The World had Ended, that Millions then Living May Never Die!. He also predicted that the earthly resurrection would commence in 1925, with the return to life of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Of course, none of this materialized, as he was never an appointed prophet of the Lord, nor was the organization itself.
Nevertheless, it is a distinctive possibility that millions THEN living, both those of the world as well as the “holy remnant” of Israel who survived Armageddon may entered into the kingdom and progress up the highway of holiness to a full and complete resurrection, and there upon its conclusion pass the final test given by the Father and be ushered into the everlasting kingdom, never having seen physical death.
The Ancient Worthies will come forth to “everlasting life” immediately, having already proven themselves, having passed the test. (Heb 11:39, 40)
In Acts 24:15 the Apostle Paul spoke of the “resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust,” which is another way of saying “some [will come forth] to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting [age-lasting] contempt.”
VERSE 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.”
“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament [the sun]” refers to the Little Flock. Matt 13:43, part of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, confirms the thought that the Little Flock will shine as the sun: “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
“They that turn many to righteousness [will shine] as the stars for ever and ever” refers to the Ancient Worthies. Their work during the Kingdom Age will be to “turn many to righteousness.” As the agents through which Kingdom power is exercised, they will be the mouthpieces of the reigning invisible Church.
When we look up at the heavens at night, we see the stars, but those stars are shining in the daytime too, even though we cannot not see them. The sunlight blocks our view.
Comment: The term “stand up” is used several times in the Book of Daniel referring to the exercise of power.
Comment: In a movie scene years ago, a king and a queen were sitting on elevated thrones. The court below them was filled with hundreds of people. All were talking and going about their own business until the king stood up. Immediate silence followed and everyone stood at attention.
Reply: Yes, the Lord God will arise and “shake terribly the earth” (Isa. 2:19, 21). From the moment Messiah stands up for natural Israel, a lot of things will begin to transpire. And then, following a period of dumbfounded silence, a great change will begin.
On to Verse 4 in our next post.
