Your Best Life Then: Daniel's Divine Delay

Intro

Live your best life now! This was the title of a popular book that came out a few years ago. It was a #1 on New York Times Best Seller List, and stayed on the list for two years. It sold 8 Million Copies. This philosophy became a poplular thing to say and meme about all over the internet, even if you didn’t read the book. Many people have taken this philosophy and adopted it to their own life, even if they haven’t read the book itself.

The premise of this book is that God desires for your life here and now to be happy, wealthy, and successful. The author takes you through seven steps to ensure your life is full of God’s physical, social, and material blessings here on earth. The book is focused on the here and now, and not on the life to come. The book describes God’s main focus being your happiness.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and do one thing, it would be to go back to 537BC, and hand Daniel this book. I would want to sit accross the table from him as he reads it. I would want to see how far he makes it through this book. I have a feeling he might not treat this book with grace and dignity.

But this idea of your best life now has problems for us as well. We might like the idea of this book and what it is promoting, who doesn’t want their best life now? We all what that. But experiencially, we have all realized a different reality. Whatever “your best life” is, cannot be obtained. We come to grips with the fact that life is hard. Things are not easy. We try to do all the right things, make the right choices, get all of our ducks in a row, but sometimes, life is still hard. There is still suffering for us.

We go through financial hardships, persecutions, social conflicts, mental illness, anxiety, depression, and relavent to this passage, loss and death.

And the real fact of the matter is, we might live okay lives here, maybe even what we think is the best life could be, but we all are living our lives toward and end point. And no matter how “best” my life is here, that end point is still coming. The best life mean nothing for eternity. What is 70-80 years compared to the billions in eternity?

Daniel’s Final vision is meant to bring us encouragement about life not here on this earth, but in the one yet to come. Daniel’s final vision redirects our hope away from the present, and into the future.

MAIN POINT: Because of the promised life to come, we live faithfully in the present.

Let us think about where we are at in Daniel to get some perspective of this chapter. Daniel 11, and really, the prophecy section of this book are slightly negative. They deal with the reality of life. That it is hard. That the followers of God are often opprossed. That evil appears to win.

If you remember from chapter 11, it is about wars and kings trying to make a name for themselves and seek their own glory. They fight for their own success, happiness, and their own blessings. They are trying to seek their best life now. And this culminates with Antiochus Epiphanies and then the Antichrist looking to seek their own glory by persecuting the people of God. And chapter 11 ends with Daniel 11:45 “45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him.”

We are reminded that he comes to and end, and now we see how.

But this chapter is going to change things for us. Daniel’s last prophecy is a message of hope for believers, to encourage us to live faithfully. We see that though there is suffering in this life, God’s people live on in eternity. Let’s jump into it.

I. Encouraged by Eternity Daniel 12:1-4

First, we see Daniel encouraged by eternity. We see this in verses 1-4.

In verse 1, we see Michael reintroduced to us as the one who watches over the people of God. And through the great time of trouble, that God’s people will go through, such as they have never experienced before, the people of God will be delivered.

And who are the ones being delivered? The ones whose name are found written in the book.

If you are curious of this book, it gets discussed in a few places.

Exodus 32:32–33 NET 2nd ed.

32 But now, if you will forgive their sin … but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.” 33 The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me—that person I will wipe out of my book.

This is a very important text when we learn about how serious God is with sin as the people who he just delivers from Egypt are unwilling to trust him.

Psalm 69:28 NET 2nd ed.

28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living. Do not let their names be listed with the godly.

This is the way that the Psalmist prays over his enemies. That they would not have eternal life and be removed from God’s book.

In Isaiah 4:3, we see that God is the one who determines the destiny of those who live, and that the Holy ones continue to live.

In Luke 10:20, Jesus reminds his disciples not to rejoice over the power to cast out demons, but that they have their names written in heaven.

Paul in Phil 4:3, affirms that the ones who labored alongside him in difficulty have their names written in the book.

In Revelation 3:5, Jesus reminds a few faithful believers at the Church of Sardis that the ones who keep their garments clean, a metaphor for remaining pure in the way that Jesus has called them, will not have their names erased from the book.

Revelation 20:12 NET 2nd ed.

12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.

Revelation 20:15 NET 2nd ed.

15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.

These verses are about the judgement of humanity, and the books being opened. And if someone’s name was not found written in the book of life they are cast into the lake of fire for eternity.

Daniel mentions the book of life, and the people of God being written in this book, as a reminder that through in this life, you may get treated like trash, scum, ignored, and persecuted. God wants you to know that you are valued. Despite what the world says, you are secure, loved, chosen by God for eternal life.

The scroll with names is a reminder that you might go through life feeling overlooked and neglected, but God has not forgotten you. You are forever his.

We see in verse two that this expectation of life through difficulty, extends beyond the grave to those who have died.

Some people debate the Jewish belief of an afterlife and ressurection. Remember at the time of Jesus that the Sadducces and Pharassies disputed this.

We could go through a meriad of texts in the Bible looking at the promise of the afterlife. But Jesus comes to clear up belief in the afterlife.

In John 5:24-30, Jesus informs us that the one who believes in him and his father, has eternal life. And the wicked will be raised from the dead to judgement.

Jesus not only comes to teach us about the afterlife, but shows us the afterlife thorugh his own resurrection. He comes to be the first fruits, the waymaker, the one to break death so that we can have eternal life.

While many texts teach us about life after death, Some scholars believe that Daniel 12:2 is the clearest undisputed passage teaching about a resurrection in the Jewish Bible.

Sleep is being used as a metaphor for the temporary state which we are assured to be awoken from.

The promise comes that all who die will be raised to life. The godly to everlasting life, and the ungodly to everlasting shame and punishment.

Notice the reversal of the curse. Genesis 3:19

Genesis 3:19 NET 2nd ed.

19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat food until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

After Adam and Eve sin, the ruin eternal life. And we with our sin ruin eternal life. This is the curse that because of sin, we will return to dust. We could do a whole biblical theology on dust. But it is to the dust of the earth that we return.

But here, we see the reversal of this curse. Those who are dead in the dust of the earth, will be resurrected to life.

The greatest hurdle for humanity, Death, the issue we can’t find a solution for or fix, is not big deal to God. He looks at death and says “I’ve got this.” God is sovereign not just over life, but also over death.

Death is possibly the most feared thing, but we who believe in Jesus do not have to be concerned. Jesus is coming back for us. God will raise us from the dead.

We remember who Daniel is writing to here. He is writing to the people of God. What is this meant to do?

Knowing that the Godly are raised to life encourages us that death is not the end for us. Even death does not remove us from the Love of God.

But there is also a reminder to the people of God that those who are against God find their shame and their demise.

This is an encouragement to us. When we see evil appear to win in this life, it is not the end.

God is a God of justice. And this life often seems unfair and lacking justice. But God will bring about his justice and his time.

One illustration of this would be Jeffery Epstein. Many of you remember his court case a few years ago. It appeared like there would be justice. But leading up to his sentencing of trafficing and crimes against dozens of women and girls, he took his own life. The judge had to dismiss all criminal charges. What justice is this? How can that be fair? This fate seemed left the victims, and everyone watching for the outcome feeling empty.

Verse 2 is a reminder that no one escapes justice. We have a God who cares for justice. The ones who appear to escape it in this life will someday receive their reward of shame and punishment.

Also notice that life is eternal. You will spend eternity somewhere. When you die, if you were not “good enough” you don’t stop existing. you go to everlasting terror.

I’d like to take a bit of an excusion at this point. There is a note in the text about those who sleep. Have you ever wondered what happens to me when I die? What happens to my Soul and Body? Do I sleep until the resurrection or Jesus comes back? Am I concious?

This is what is called the intermediate state. Between this life, and the life to come. I thought it might be helpful to think through this concept a bit this morning. There are four baisc beliefs about this intermediate state.

The Intermediate State

Soul Sleep

Purgatory

Immediate Resurrection

Temporary Soul Separation

Soul Sleep

Soul sleep is a concept to which the Jehovah witnesses and the Seventh Day Adventists hold to. They believe that the state between death and the resurrection is unconsciousness. The believers of Soul Sleep believe that the Body and Soul cannot exist without each other. God basically puts a little cloriphorm on your soul, and you sleep for a while. Many times when the Bible describes death, it is described as sleep. Think about Stephen’s death described as sleep, Jesus talks about Lazurus and sleeping. David is said to have fallen asleep.

Purgatory

This is the belief of the Catholic church. At death, the soul realizes God’s punishment. Hebrews 9:27 would be a critical text for this interpretation. The souls realize their destiny immediately. People living in sin are sent to hell right away, but may receive greater judgement at the resurrection. Some are sent to purgatory who have not paid their full penance for sins. Souls in purgatory are assisted until no sins remain. After venials sins are paid for, the soul goes to heaven. This view promotes people being able to atone for their own sin. If you have not paid penance for your sins in this life, you will in the next. Salvation and eternal life are obtained by Jesus...and you working in cooperation. Ephesians 2:8-9 come to mind as Salvation is God’s gift, not of works. Titus 3:5, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but on the basis of his mercy he saved us by the washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 3, Paul calls the Galatian believers foolish for thinking that they could initially be washed with the Holy Spirit, and then that they must finish God’s work through their own human effort.

Immediate Resurrection

Instant resurrection is another view. They believe that the soul is instantly clothed with a new body right after death. 1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Corinthians 5 aids in this understanding. This view would consider Jesus’s resurrection and his immediate glorified body as our promise as well. There might be some warp in time that at death, your soul is immidately put in a new glorified body, or your glorified body goes to heaven.

Temporary Soul Separation.

The last view is Temporary Soul Separation. The Soul lives in a concious state outside of the body after death. This understanding sees humans as having two parts, a body and a soul. Remember when Jesus says “don’t fear the one who can kill only the body, fear the one who can kill both body and soul. I consider Revelation 6 where the souls of saints are in heaven with God. Paul seems to indicate that bodies are transformed at a future resurrection in Phil 3 and 1 Thessalonians 4. Some of the understanding of this view is a nitty gritty dive into the two seperate places of torment of Hades and Gehenna. Hades is temporary, Gehenna is eternal. Hades is a place for temporary souls to go and await judgement. The Righteous do not go to Hades but rather heaven is a parellel place to hades. Peter in Acts 2 says that David is not in Hades, but he is in a place where decay does not happen. In Luke 16, in contrast to the Rich man, poor begger lazurus is sent to a place where Abraham dwells with the faithful of God. This text explicetly teaches that there is a concious intermediate state that is in contrast to soul sleep. Jesus tells the theif on the cross that “today, you will be with me in paradise. Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 and Philippians 1:19-26 that to be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord, immediatly with Jesus.

Of these views, I believe that Temproary Soul Sepeartion is the most defendable biblically. And also, this view gives hope to us who are saved by Christ, and exhorts the ones not living for God to repent and turn to Christ lest they suffer beyond this life. For Daniel, this intermediate state and the resurrection is intended to be an encouragement to him.

Enough of that excursion.

In verse three we see the motiff of contrast continued in the exhalted and the humiliated. The wise ones shine like the stars in heaven. There is a meriad of Biblical passages to connect here. But I might pick on backward, and one forward.

Consider God’s promise to Abraham. Your descendents, including the gentiles, will be like star of heaven. They display the glory of God in their connection to God and his people.

Then consider Philippians 2:15 “15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world”

As we live holy lives after God, we display his glory to those around us. We shine like stars against the black background of the world and unbelievers.

The ones who have been neglected, pushed down, crushed, abandoned, God will vindicate them and make them shine like stars against the ones who have crushed them.

Note here that the people of God are not content to keep the light to themselves, What does verse 3 say? They do not shine for their own glory, but they shine that others may be turned toward righteousness.

This is what it looks like to be a faithful follower of God. Bringing others to God through our display of his glory in our lives. We shine by living out the Word of Christ in our lives and his righteousness that he has given to us.

One other hyperlink. Jesus quotes Daniel 12:3 directly in chapter 13 of matthew. After saying that the weeds and the wheat will grow together in this time, he describes the end and quotes Daniel: Matthew 13:41-43

Matthew 13:41–43 NET 2nd ed.

41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!

We see the same contrast being made by Jesus as Daniel speaks about in our text. The ones who continue practicing sin are punished, and the ones who live in Jesus’s righteousness shine with their Father in heaven.

Then lets look at verse 4. Sealed here can mean preserved instead of kept secret, but of the 11 times it is used in scripture, it always means hidden or kept away. We also know that it is kept secret because of Daniel’s response in the coming verses. Also, the reverse of this seal appens in Revelation 22:10 when the prophet is told to not seal it up because the end is hear.

But for Daniel, in a frustration to him, this clarity of this vision is made secret to him.

But in the coming times, people will be able to understand and have more knowledge as they go through these events.

Consider when you are a kid, and your parents try to explain to you what having a job is like and the world of understated heirarchy. Or what being in marriage is like and understand what true selflessness looks like. Or even what waiting at the DMV is like. And while you might have a fuzzy idea of those things, you don’t really understand them until you go through them. They are “SEALED” if you will until you go through them and experience them for yourself. When you get a job and step on a few toes by accident before you understand the interpersonal office heirarchy system, when you come face to face with a choice in marriage of whether to satisfy yourself or please your spouse, when you experience waiting for hours at the DMV, you say “oh! This is what it is like!” Your knowlege is increased in these things as go you through them.

Daniel is told a similar thing. He is given a message of hope. But that these promises and truths will be kept fuzzy and secret until people go through them.

This is a reminder for us as well. That we cannot know everything. He essensially tells Daniel, Don’t seek to know all the answers. Know what I told you and then focus on what this moment.

II. Confiding in the Countdown Daniel 12:5-9

Next, we see confiding in the Countdown. This is where the specific timeline is given, and we are meant to trust in it.

Look at verse 6, we see an individual clothed in linen who is hovering over the waters. This is quite possibly a vision of our Lord that we also see a few chapters back in 10:5. There is a parellel description of this person in Revelation 1 if you remember.

Interestingly, the angel, or someone on the bank of the river, does not know the time, but this heavenly Christlike figure does know the time of these events. And this individuals tells that the time alotment for suffering will be Time, Times, and half. Most commentators believe this to be a three and a half year period since the latter days given is 1290 which is 3.5 years on the jewish calendar.

We could spend a bunch of time trying to determine exactly what this means, but remember what Jesus says in Matthew 24? No one, not even the angels, know the time. So I will leave this sealed for now.

But this is a reminder that the end will come. Those who are evil, who have had their time to trample over God and his people, God says “my turn now; you are over.”

It is almost a flashback of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Where the scene is an utter disaster of chaos as the Prophets of Baal try to make a name for themselves and the one they serve. They are jumping around, cutting themselves, trying to accomplish what they want. Then Elijah says “my turn.” And calls on God to work in a mighty way.

God is almost waiting for evil to exhast itself trying to work for it’s own glory, then he will show his glory through his Children.

Consider the story of Joseph. He is persecuted by his brothers. Trampling over him on the way to their own selfish persuits and goals. But the irony in the story is that he actually loves them and gives them life. They finally come to him for reconciliation and life, after trying things their own way. He is the only one who can give it.

The people that want to depend upon themselves and work for themselves, are reminded that they cannot do it. The solution must be found outside of themselves, not within themselves.

Daniel in verse 8 speaks up here. He does not want to know the when. He doesn’t need the why. He wants to know if it will be worth it.

Look at verse 8. He says “What will be the outcome?” All of the suffering that he has experienced in this life, the suffering under evil that is described in chapters 7-11, the suffering for the people of God, Our suffering, will it be worth it? What is the purpose of it? Why does God allow it?

We look to verse 9 for the answer. The linen clothed person says “go your way, the book is sealed.”

The outcome is uncertain. The answer is that he has enough. We always want more knowledge and a greater understanding. If I just had a better understanding of this thing, I could go on. If God would explain this theological difficulty to me. If I only understood why God allowed me to suffer in this one specific way, I could live for him. If he told me the reason why I have this mental struggle, why i have this difficult family member, why i have this burden, I could then go on.

But the Christlike persons answer is that you have enough, you need to trust. Confide in the countdown that God has given you all you need. Trust in his promise to end suffering and reward you for the suffering.

III. Realizing Refinement Daniel 12:10-11

Next, we Realize refinement. This is a process that we must understand.

While the the Linen clothed heavenly being’s answer in verse 9 is a bit disappointing, because it seems like a non-answer, in verse 10, a reason is given. Daniel asked for the outcome, what will be the outcome? And the heavenly being wants Daniel to not focus on the big picture ending “what will it look like?” and he turns the focus inward.

The intent of this suffering is purification. The ones who choose God are purified and made clean by the sufferings in this life. The wicked go on being wicked and will pay for it. The wicked don’t understand because there is nothing for them to understand. They are being used in what they thing is their own glorious persuits, to purify the people of God. God is sovereignly using them through their attack on God’s people for refinement. It is in our weakness that our rescue happens. In our suffering that God makes us more like him.

Think about Gold. Gold can only be purified once it is given to the sufferings of heat. When gold is melted, the “dross” or the impurities come to the top and can be removed so that the thing standing left, is a shining pure metal.

I think of the old hymn “the dross to consume and thy gold to refine.”

This is the point of verses 11 and 12 as well. There is an end to the things that are against God and the things that are making the people of God desolate. God’s people, not the evil ones, will be the ones who are remaining and blessed.

Notice the pattern that happens in verse 10:

a Many will be purified, made clean, and refined,

b though the wicked will act wickedly.

b′ Yet none of the wicked will understand,

a′ while those having spiritual insight will understand.

Notice the ABBA pattern here. The wicked don’t understand and wont. But the ones mad pure are promised understanding.

Notice that it comes from spiritual insight. I believe this is the Holy Spirit helping the followers of Christ with understanding as we go through suffering.

What is our response to hard times? Do we go through it and then think “well, glad that’s over, on the the next thing in life.” Do we continue in the way we were going without much thought?

Or do we spend time asking God for spiritual insight from the Holy Spirit for understanding on how the suffering is meant to purify us and make us clean? How has the circumstance in my life brought me closer to God and more relient on my savior?

IV. Investing in the Interim Daniel 12:13

Last, we see Investing in the Interim.

Daniel is told to rest. Of all the things that Daniel needs to be told, he is told to rest. He is told that he will be one of the ones resurrected to stand at the end. But notice what he is told. To go on and live his life, in light of this vision.

Everlasting life and justice is coming, keep living in the present.

This is the time that we are living in also. The interim. We have the same promise of Daniel through. We can rest in the fact that though we go through sufferings in this life, we will be blessed as the ones who remain past the persecution. God will sustain his people and resurrect his people in the life to come.

Consider 1 John 3:2-3 as a parellel to this text.

1 John 3:2–3 NET 2nd ed.

2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure).

Though we don’t know exactly how God will bring things about, we know we are God’s Children and will be made like him in the life to come. And what do we do with this knowledge of the future? We live faithfully in the present. Seeking to be made more like Jesus everyday. Purifying ourselves. Removing sin. Living for the kingdom to come.

Beyond the Walls

If you are here today, and you do not know Jesus, let me point out something important in this text. This life is temporary. You will spend all of eternity somewhere. This passage and the rest of the Bible teaches that there are two destinies for humanity. Eternal judgement by God, or eternal blessing with God. Jesus has made a way. Jesus has paid the penelty of judgement for you so that you don’t have to. Eternal life is being offered to you as a free gift. I plead with you top accept it today.

Circle back to Your Best Life Now. Daniel was not looking for his best life now. He was told to wait, and rest in the knowledge that his best life is still to come. Life in resurrection with God.

We all know that because of the things we go through here, this cannot be our best life now. If this is our best life now, there is a lot of unfillfilled expectations. This life leaves us wanting more. This life leaves us unsatisfied. We can even become complacent in the unrest of this life. Life just seems normal. But this passage, and the prophecies of Daniel are telling us how we should feel and think about this life.

When we see brokenness and difficulty, this should make us long for restoration. The hardships in this life make us more dependent upon God. As we draw closer to God, he is making us more purified. Don’t be discouraged by the difficulties in this life. Rather use them to fuel your desire for Christ’s return and the restoration of all things.

The gospel truth for all of us is that we can labor in the certainty of our Savior’s love. We work well for our eternal rest that is already won for us. Not by our actions, but my Christs. So be faithful to Christ in the interim.

The lyrics of this songs are often a Christmas song, but they are true for us now in this moment also:

From depths of hell thy people save;

and give them victory over the grave …

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night;

and death’s dark shadows put to flight …

O come, thou Key of David, come,

and open wide our heavenly home;

make safe the way that leads on high;

and close the path to misery.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

Let’s take a moment to respond to the text today.

Pray and thank God that he has promised resurrection through his son Jesus.

Ask the Holy Spirit for insight into how the situations in your life are purifying you after Christ.

Ask God to purify you though difficulty this next week.