Daniel 12:2, commentary and pictures

Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake from death, some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt. This awakening stands after Michael stands up for God's people, in a time of trouble such as never was, when everyone found written in the book is delivered. At that deliverance there is a special, partial awakening when faithful believers of the third angel's message are raised glorified to hear God's covenant of peace, and those who pierced and mocked Christ are raised to see Him in glory and witness the honor given to the obedient. At Jesus' return the sleeping saints rise clothed with immortality, the living believers are changed, and together they are caught up to meet the Lord in victory over death and joyful reunion. The dead rest wholly in the grave until then, so reward and punishment lie in the future, and this coming dawn of deathless life makes death only a short, peaceful sleep full of comfort and hope.

Setting in Daniel's Vision

The awakening of those sleeping in the dust stands in the setting where Michael stands up for God's people, there comes a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, and everyone found written in the book is delivered. That resurrection with its two destinies to everlasting life and to shame and everlasting contempt belongs to the last-days vision of Daniel 12:1-3.

The resurrection to everlasting life comes as the fourth in order after Michael's standing up, the time of trouble, and the deliverance of the saints. The deliverance of the living at the voice of God is a separate event before the first resurrection, and from that deliverance until Christ appears the saints have power over the nations that remain after the former plagues.

The awakening is directly joined to what follows, where the wise shine like the brightness of the sky and those who turn many to right living shine like stars forever. That shining marks the outcome of the two awakenings, and the wise understand at the time of the end.

The prophecy belonged to the close of this world's history and was not fully understood in Daniel's lifetime, being closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Now the seal is removed so light shines upon the visions, and Daniel stands in his lot bearing testimony to be understood at the end of the days.

Resurrection and Two Destinies

Many of the dead are described as sleeping in the dust of the earth, and they will awake in a resurrection. That awakening takes place at the time of final deliverance and judgment, when those found written in the book are delivered. The awakening does not bring one common lot to all, but divides into two opposite and eternal outcomes. Some awake to everlasting life, while others awake to shame and everlasting contempt. The sinner therefore has no cheering hope of having a part with the blessed, so death closes his life in fearful uncertainty.

Those raised to shame and contempt face final destruction with Satan after the second resurrection. Even though they then acknowledge God's righteousness, that acknowledgment does not open another probation for them. Their cases are forever settled.

Special Resurrection at Deliverance

At the time of God's deliverance there is a special, partial resurrection when graves are opened and many sleeping in the dust of the earth awake, some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt. It takes place at the deliverance of God's people, when the graves open and the dead awake in two opposite destinies. After a mighty earthquake and unprecedented trouble the graves open and the dead are raised at the time of the end and the coming of the Son of man.

In that awakening those who died in faith faithful to the third angel's message are raised glorified to hear God's covenant of peace made with those who kept His law. Those who kept the Sabbath and died in faith under that message rise glorified for that same hearing. Sealed believers who die rest in death through the time of trouble and then awake to everlasting life at the voice of God to stand upon the earth with the 144,000, so their death is rest that results in good and is no cause for mourning except for the loss felt by the living deprived of their company.

Also raised are those who pierced Christ and mocked His suffering, who rejected and crucified Him, and who violently opposed His truth and His people. They are raised to see Him in glory and to behold the honor given to the loyal and obedient. The fiercest opponents rise to witness that exaltation while the saints are changed in a moment and caught up to meet Him.

Resurrection at Christ's Return

At Jesus' return His call awakens those sleeping in the dust, opening their graves for the resurrection to everlasting life. The sleeping saints rise clothed with immortality, restored and made immortal at the voice of the Son of God. The living believers are changed, and together with the risen they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air in victory over death. The raised saints know again those they loved who had died, recognizing them and reuniting with them and with their living friends.

They come forth in immortal glory with youthful vigor and beauty, their bodies brought back to perfection while every deformity and effect of sin is left behind. Adam stands among the risen in towering stature, showing how far the race declined since creation. Christ restores the divine image in body as well as in character, and the redeemed grow up to the stature and glory humanity possessed at the beginning.

Those who died for the truth rise to everlasting life in the city of God, while their persecutors remain outside beholding their acceptance with shame and anguish. Sinners awake to feel the full weight of their guilt and to know they have cut themselves off forever from the joy and peace of heaven, and that awakening is shame and everlasting loss.

Prophetic Nearness and Fulfillment

The awakening of those sleeping in dust stands in a time very close at hand and near, at the close of the age amid trouble and deliverance. Its nearness means God is about to finish a short decisive work on earth before the Judge of all the earth comes to give every person their due reward. Then Michael stands up for His people as the great Prince, there comes a time of trouble worse than any since there was a nation, and everyone found written in the book is delivered. At that time many awake with divided destinies, some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt, while the wise shine like the brightness of the sky and those who turn many to right living shine like stars forever. Those who hinder the work of truth will answer for their actions and the resulting evil when each is rewarded.

The prophecy portrays the coming time of trouble and declares what is to take place on this earth at the end. It is to be read and understood, for its scenes are near and its great day is at hand. Seeing its fulfillment shows that the end of all things is at hand and the testing time is right upon us. Therefore the call is to build upon the Rock that will stand the storm of test and trial and to present the eternal principles of truth, with certainty that God will confirm the testimony of His servants as at the appointed time they give the loud cry.

Doctrine and Blessed Hope

The dead sleep in the grave until the resurrection, with the whole being resting there, so that reward or punishment lies in the future rather than at death, and the awakening of the righteous dead to receive immortal life makes the resurrection the central hope. Death is therefore a rest from which life will rise, for the dead are like seed hidden in the tomb that will be raised from the dust to deathless life. After a short rest in the grave the Life-giver will break the tomb's fetters and raise the dead immortal, never again to know pain, sorrow, or death, and this hope brings comfort and even cheerfulness amid sickness and distress.

Clara is laid in the cemetery to rest until the sleeping saints awake to immortality. The Christian's rest is peaceful and temporary, because a coming day will bring the summons to arise, and faithful Nathaniel, whose faithful life is finished, will share that hope of resurrection so that death cannot permanently separate him from his kindred, even though the awakening includes both everlasting life and shame and everlasting contempt. Death is a sleep, not the end, and the sleepers will rise to a glorious dawn and lasting reunion.

God distinguishes the righteous from the wicked, giving the righteous peace and comfort in this life and everlasting glory in the life to come, while the wicked receive confusion and unrest now and everlasting shame. The sinner faces everlasting shame and contempt, but Christ suffered shame on the cross so that sinners could be ransomed and crowned with eternal glory.

A coming day brings open reversal between two classes, when all will be seen as they are and known as they are and will meet what they have done. Those who served God through earthly humiliation, affliction, and contempt will be seen as the wise ones, gathered as victorious conquerors in spotless robes and crowns, shining with reflected righteousness and standing near the throne in purity and eternal righteousness. Those who despised and hated them and neglected eternal things will be ashamed and confounded, exposed as fools in pride and vanity, and shame and everlasting contempt will be their portion. For men who resist light and fight against God while holding positions of trust, that day means facing the harm they have done to the cause of God with anguish of heart and agony of soul proportionate to that harm.

Call to Readiness and Action

The warning of the awakening to everlasting life and to shame and everlasting contempt must be understood before the time of the end, because it shows what character must be formed to pass through the test and proving of the last days. It is a call to those living in spiritual weakness and backsliding who do not know what they believe to be sanctified through the truth and made ready. The same call reaches ministers who claim to believe the truth yet are not sanctified through it, that they be sanctified through the truth, lest they say in heart that the Lord delays His coming.

The two opposite destinies of those sleeping in the dust make serious the work that affects one's own salvation and the well-being of others, since eternal consequences turn on present life. The future harvest reaps the seed sown now in probationary time through God's mercy, when many awake either to everlasting life or to shame and everlasting contempt. Whether the crown of eternal rejoicing is bright or dim depends on a person's own course of action. By sowing bountifully it is possible to make calling and election sure and come into possession of the rich inheritance and a bright crown of rejoicing, while sowing sparingly defrauds the sower of the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

The resurrection stands among the events of the final time of trouble and deliverance when the Judge comes to reward each person, and those who hinder the work of truth will answer for their actions and the resulting evil. It is to be studied as a last-day warning that cities will become worse and worse with strife and bloodshed until earthquakes throw buildings down and fire consumes them, so believers must not invest in business interests in the cities. It declares what is to take place on this earth at the end, and seeing its fulfillment shows that the end of all things is at hand and the testing time is right upon us. Therefore there is need to build upon the Rock that will stand the storm of test and trial and to present the eternal principles of truth, with certainty that God will confirm the testimony of His servants as at the appointed time they give the loud cry.