Daniel 12

Daniel and the days of these kingsIn this, our second installment on the resurrection in Daniel, we examine the Lord’s divine commentary on Daniel 12:2. Did Christ See Daniel’s Appointed Time? In the first segment we noted that Daniel identified the “time of the end” as the appointed time for the indignation or anger of God against his people Israel.

Daniel 8:17, 19, shows that it was the time of consummation. At that time God would destroy the holy people, Dan. 8:24, 7:25, 12:7, and bring an end to the Old Covenant nation. It is also at this time when God would deliver the righteous, describing it as their awakening from sleep in the dust, 12:2.

Jesus spoke of the resurrection hour.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:24–29)

Daniel 12 and John 5

The context of these words have a direct bearing on the prophecies of Daniel. Chapter 5 opens with Jesus performing miracles that brought his Deity into question. He had healed a man on the Sabbath.

The man whose malady resulted from sin, told the Jews, Jesus healed him. They then persecuted him and sought to kill him. This desire to murder him heightened upon telling them God was his Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:1–18)

If Christ is equal with God, (Phil. 2:6), then he is the Ancient of Days who comes to destroy Israel per Daniel 7:13, 14, 21, 22). It is this very argument concerning his authority as equal with that of the Father, that leads to a discussion of Daniel’s end time them, i.e. resurrection.

In this manner, Christ connects the time of judgment (God’s indignation and wrath upon Israel) with resurrection. This follows the pattern of Daniel.

The metaphorical “graves” of Jesus’ prophecy equate with Daniels “dust of the earth.” Graves is used as a metaphorical term in connection with resurrection to indicate that Israel is separated from God through sin. (Ezk. 37:1–14; Hos. 13:14; John 8:34, 35)

Life from death, as Jesus describes, comes by hearing his word and believing in him. This is precisely the pattern of life from death for the Ephesians. They believed Christ’s word, (Eph. 1:13). They were made alive being raised up together with Christ, (Eph. 2:1, 6). Their resurrection though begun, in the Spirit, was not yet consummated.

It awaited the appointed time of the end. Therefore He says: Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light. The assumption is made that salvation is an accomplished act as is commonly read by those unfamiliar with the contextual nuances of the N.T. on the subject.

Daniel And Paul

Although texts such as Romans 6:4, 5 or cited as proof, the careful reader will note that “walking in newness of life” and being in the likeness of his [Christ’s] resurrection are future tenses and do not consummate at the time of one’s baptism into Christ.

Phil. 1:6, addresses this as the work (resurrection) begun in this, but as Paul affirms of the exanastasin, i.e. the resurrection out from among the dead ones, it has not been perfection (reached its telios or consummation), Phil. 3:11, 12).

This brings us back to John 5, and Christ’s discussion on the time of the eschatological hour for the resurrection. Jesus’ words, “the hour is coming and now is” emphasizes the imminence of the resurrection about to begin in the last days of the nation of Israel.

The point here is to see the connection between Daniel’s context of judgment upon Israel in the appointed hour of consummation, which is the end of their nation. Jesus, as the Ancient of Days, in equal status and authority as the Father, would come to judge and raise those who slept in the dust of the earth. The phrase “now is” is the temporal equivalent of “at hand” meaning the time was near.

Daniel and Matthew 24

In his final discourse to the nation, held on the Mt. of Olives with a few of his disciples in bird’s eye view of their temple, the Lord announced the following.

“And Jesus said to them, “do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:2, 3)

The Lord had just finished speaking in the temple area, pronouncing woes upon the nation, declaring them to be a wicked generation ripe for judgment.

They being guilty of perpetuating the sins of their fathers in murdering the prophets, were about to murder Christ and the apostles and prophets he would send to them. He concludes by telling them all the righteous blood shed on the earth would be avenged upon them, i.e. that very generation.:

“Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See your house is left to you desolate.” For I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Matt 23:36–39)

Thus, Matthew 24, is a prophecy about the end of the nation. It expresses God’s indignation and the final destruction of the holy people as Daniel prophesied.

Jesus makes clear his message is drawn from Daniel’s prophecies;

  • the time of the end, (Matt. 24:3, 13, 14, 34, Dan. 8:17, 19, 11:35, 12:4, 7, 9 13),
  • the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel (Matt. 24:15, Dan. 9:26–27)
  • the great tribulation or time of trouble, (Matt. 24:21; Dan. 12:1)
  • the coming of the Son of Man upon clouds [Ancient of Days] to the “tribes of Israel”  (Matt. 24:27, 30, Dan. 7:13, 14, 21, 22)
  • the coming of the kingdom in judgment, Matt. 24:14, 25:31, Dan. 7:13, 14
  • the resurrection [at the sounding of the trumpet], (Matt. 24:31; Dan. 12:2)
  • the deliverance of the righteous [the elect] (Matt. 24:13, 22, Dan. 12:2)

Thus, all the criteria for the appointed time of the last hour of Daniel is found in Matthew 24. Most importantly, as Christ affirmed in Matthew 23:36, all the events in the following chapter through 25 would occur within the first century generation.

More Studies On Daniel and Matthew 24

For more on Matthew 24 see: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Thus Daniel’s last hour for the indignation and resurrection is that which Jesus applied to the end of Israel’s age in A.D. 70. In our last segment we will examine Daniel’s last hour judgment in according to Paul.

Daniel: Part 1, Part 3

For more studies on the coming of the Lord and the resurrection, order your copy of The Re-Examination,  a study on Christ’s return in judgment upon Israel. Learn more about Daniel and the resurrection at allthingsfulfilled.