“At
that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your 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 your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.”
Daniel 12:1
Daniel 11 [45.] He shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one shall help him.
Daniel 12 [1.] “At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your 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 your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be 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 as the brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall be increased.”
Daniel 12 [5.] Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on the river bank on this side, and the other on the river bank on that side. One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? 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 a half; and when they have finished breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. I heard, but I didn’t understand: then I said, my lord, what shall be the issue of these things? He said, Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.
Meaning:
Daniel 12 brings to a close the long final vision of the book (Daniel 10-12). The angel has described the wars of the kings of the north and south and the end of a proud ruler who “shall come to his end, and no one shall help him” (see the Context). Now he looks beyond those events to “that time”: a time of unequalled trouble, the rescue of God’s people and the resurrection of the dead. Jesus echoed this verse when he spoke of oppression “such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation” (Mark 13:19).
- “At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people”
Michael is one of the few angels named in the Bible. Earlier in this vision he is described as a chief prince who fights for Israel against the spiritual powers behind hostile nations. To “stand up” means to arise for action. When the trouble is greatest, God’s mighty servant stands up on behalf of God’s people. Behind the history of nations there is a spiritual battle, and God does not leave his people undefended.
- “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation”
The prophecy does not promise that God’s people will escape all suffering. It warns of a time of trouble greater than any before. Jesus took up these words in his teaching on the Mount of Olives, applying them to the days that would follow the abomination of desolation, and adding that “for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days” (Mark 13:19-20).
- “At that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book”
Deliverance belongs to those “written in the book”. Scripture often speaks of God’s book in which the names of his people are recorded. Malachi says, “a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh” (Malachi 3:16). Jesus told his disciples, “rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Paul speaks of fellow workers “whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3), and the risen Christ promises, “I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life” (Revelation 3:5).
- Resurrection follows
The next verse goes further than any earlier passage in the Old Testament: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). The deliverance God promises is not only rescue from earthly danger but life beyond death. Jesus said the same: “the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out” (John 5:28-29).
The Significance of Daniel 12:1
- Protected in trouble
God’s people may face great suffering, but they are never without his help. He sends his servants to stand for them.
- Known by name
Our security rests not on our own strength but on being known and recorded by God. Those who belong to him are written in his book.
- Hope beyond death
The promise of resurrection gives believers courage to face even the worst times, knowing that God’s final word is life.
Cross-References:
Mark 13:19: "For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation" Jesus echoes Daniel.
Daniel 12:2: "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life" The resurrection that follows.
Luke 10:20: "rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Names written by God.
Revelation 3:5: "I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life" Christ’s promise to those who overcome.
Conclusion: Daniel 12:1 foretells a time when Michael, the great prince who stands for God’s people, will arise; a time of trouble unlike any before; and a deliverance for everyone written in God’s book. Jesus applied its words to the great oppression he foresaw. Together with the promise of resurrection that follows, this verse assures believers that however dark the days, God knows his own by name and will bring them safely through to everlasting life.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible