CHAPTER 12 - verses 1-3

Verse 1: “At that time the archangel, Michael, will stand up concerning the sons of your people. For there shall be a time of trouble which has not been from since there was a nation that this time will be. But at that time your people shall be delivered – everyone who is written in the book.”

At that time: At the end of time, last days, i.e. In those final seven years.

Archangel: An elevated, great, leader among the angels.

Michael: His name means ‘Who is like God?” There is NOONE like God. The antichrist is not like Him at all. Michael is the archangel who protects/guards/watches over the Jewish people.

Will stand up: He will defend the Jewish people at this time.

The sons of your people: This is a reference to the Jewish people (Daniel’s people).

There shall be a time of trouble: These same words appear in Jeremiah 30:7. There is a time of trouble and great suffering coming for the Jewish people in the last days.

Which has not been from since there was a nation: They will have never had it so hard (This is going to be like a second holocaust. It comes immediately before the second coming of Messiah, but after the rapture of the church). The Jewish people are going to suffer because of their rejection of the antichrist.

Your people shall be delivered: Not all of them, but a 1/3rd remnant according to Zechariah 13:8-9.

The book: John wrote about a book in Revelation 20:12 called the Book of Life. Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 21:27 call this book “The Lamb’s Book of Life”.

Messiah Yeshua is that Passover Lamb who shed His blood for redemption. The names written in this book are the names of those who have received the Lamb.

 

Verse 2: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will rise up. Some to eternal life and others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”

Sleep in the dust: This is an idiom for people who have died. Going to sleep is not the end. The expectation with sleep is that once sleep is over we wake up. This verse is speaking of a resurrection (a “waking up”) of all the unbelievers (“many”) who have died.

Note: The believers would have already experienced their resurrection at the rapture, which would have occurred before this point – 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Revelation 20:4-6

Some to eternal life and others to disgrace: Dependent on whether they accepted Yeshua or not, every human being is going to experience one of only two things: Eternal life in the Kingdom of God or eternal condemnation in the pit of hell.

 

Verse 3: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky. These are the ones who have made righteous many; they are going to be like the stars forever and ever.”

Shine like the brightness of the sky: The people who are wise are going to shine with the glory of God.

The ones who have made righteous many: The wise ones are those who proclaim the gospel, those who tell people the truth of how they can find justification by faith.

Like the stars forever and ever: They are going to shine (with the glory of God) forever.

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