Sunday Evening Bible Study
Daniel 12:2-3
Introduction
We are finishing up a look at a vision given to Daniel from an angelic visitor.
The visitor came to give Daniel an incredible prophecy
detailing things that were to happen to Daniel's people,
We have seen the prophecy going into the near future to talk about a person we know as the antichrist.
:2-4
:2 many of them that sleep ... shall awake
We call this resurrection.
Note that there are two types of resurrection.
Some to everlasting life.
Some to everlasting contempt.
At first glance, it appears that it all happens at once.
But in actuality, it will happen in several stages.
Here's how it all fits together:
1. Before Jesus died and rose again, whenever a person died, their body went into the grave, and their spirit went to Sheol.
Sheol was divided into two compartments,
Those who trusted in God went to
We get a picture in Luke:
»Luke 16: 19-31 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20* And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21* And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22* And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23* And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24* And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25* But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26* And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27* Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28* For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29* Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30* And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31* And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
2. There have been several "temporary" resurrections through history.
Elijah raised the widow woman's son from the dead. (1Ki.17:22)
Elishah raised the Shunamite woman's son from the dead. (2Ki.4:35)
Jesus raised several people from the dead, including his friend, Lazarus. (John 11)
But these were all temporary resurrections.
These people didn't live forever, but just had a continued life for a while on the earth.
They eventually died.
3. When Jesus died on
the cross, He went to Sheol and emptied out the
»1Pet.3:18-19 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19* By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
»Eph.4: 8-10 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9* (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10* He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
But these Old Testament saints were still in their body-less state.
4. When Jesus rose from the dead, He received a glorified body.
He wasn't just a spirit, but had a physical body.
»Luke 24:36-43 AV And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them [his] hands and [his] feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took [it], and did eat before them.
His old body was transformed.
He could now do things like appear out of nowhere, walk through walls, fly (ascending on the clouds) - WAY COOL!
5. Currently, whenever a person dies, their body goes into the grave, and their spirit goes to one of two places, either to hell (same old place), or to heaven (to be with Jesus). Both kinds of people are in what is called an "intermediate state". In other words, they are conscious, alive, but without a body.
Paul says to die (or, depart) means to go to be with Jesus:
»Philippians 1:19-24 AV For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 According to my earnest expectation and [my] hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but [that] with all boldness, as always, [so] now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether [it be] by life, or by death. 21 For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this [is] the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh [is] more needful for you.
Paul says that to be absent from the body (to be dead) is to be present with the Lord:
»2Corinthians 5:6-8 AV Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
6. Coming very soon to a world near you will be the next major resurrection.
We call this the Rapture.
»1Thessalonians 4:13-18 AV But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Those righteous ones who have died from the beginning, all the way up to the Rapture (the ones currently in heaven) will first receive their new, resurrection bodies.
Immediately afterwards, those of us who are living on planet earth, and are believers, will be caught up in the clouds and transformed to receive our own new bodies.
»1Corinthians
At the point of the Rapture, all those who have come to trust in Jesus up to that point will have their new, resurrected bodies.
All the wicked will continue in hell, in their "intermediate" state.
And people will continue to come to the Lord on the earth, while the earth goes through it's seven years of tribulation.
7. At the end of the tribulation, and after Jesus comes back, will come the next Resurrection.
»Revelation 20:1-6 AV And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
At this point, those who were believers and were martyred during the tribulation period, will then receive their new bodies.
The rest of the dead (all the wicked waiting in hell) will have to wait until the end of the thousand years.
This is the first of the resurrections in Revelation 20, called "the first resurrection". The second one happens in a few verses.
8. The last resurrection happens after the end of the thousand year reign of Christ on earth.
»Revelation 20:11-15 AV And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
It's at this point that all those born in the millennium who are righteous receive their new bodies.
Now, all the righteous have these new, glorified bodies, designed to enjoy all that heaven has.
»Revelation 21:4-AV And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And it's at this point that all the wicked dead are finally brought up to face the judgment seat of God.
The wicked dead will also receive a new body.
Daniel 12:2 -
"shame" - cherpah - reproach, scorn
"everlasting contempt" - d@ra'own - aversion, abhorrence
Just as the righteous receive a body that is best suited to enjoy all of heaven, the wicked will receive a new body meant to endure and suffer eternally in the lake of fire. They don't just burn up and disappear.
»Revelation 20:10-AV And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
»Isaiah 66:24-AV And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
:3 they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament
Other translations:
»Daniel 12:3-NAS "And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven
»Daniel 12:3-NIV Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens
Jesus said:
»Matthew 13:43-AV Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
This is talking about the glory that we'll have in our new, resurrected bodies.
»1Corinthians
This is just like Jesus, as He let His disciples get a peek at His glory:
»Matthew 17:2-AV And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Who are the "wise"? Are we talking about the glory of the intellectuals?
»Proverbs 9:10-AV The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.
:3 they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever
It seems that God has a special kind of glory for those who help in the work of turning people away from their sins and to the Lord:
»James 5:20-AV Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Once we have a little glimpse of what the future holds, how could we do any less?
In fact, the wisdom mentioned above is tied to this too:
»Proverbs 11:30-AV The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.