Nine Marks of Eschatological Discipleship

Daniel 12:1-13

Main Idea: In light of God’s sovereign control over history and the promised return of Christ, God’s people must pursue faithfulness and fruitfulness all the way to the end.

1. Be Comforted by God’s Protection (12:1).
2. Be Ready for Trouble and Intense Persecution (12:1, 7).
3. Count on God to Rescue His People (12:1).
4. Hope in the Resurrection (12:2).
5. Live Wisely and Point Others to Jesus (12:3).
6. Treasure God’s Word and Grow in Your Understanding of It (12:4).
7. Patiently Trust That God Will End Things at the Right Time (12:5-9).
8. Pursue Holiness and Rejoice in Its Fruits (12:10).
9. Endure to the End, Knowing It Is Worth It (12:11-13).

In 1 John 3:2, the apostle makes a wonderful declaration concerning our future:

Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.

John then follows up in verse 3 with a clear application: “And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.” John’s point is clear: Future destiny impacts present discipleship. What I will be someday will mold and shape how I live today.

The prophet Daniel conveyed that same message in the final chapter of his prophetic masterpiece. The hope of my future resurrected body (12:2) provides motivation for discipleship (v. 3) and personal holiness (v. 10). In fact, it seems to me we can identify no fewer than nine marks of what I am calling “eschatological discipleship” in Daniel 12. More specifically, Daniel 12 teaches us how to live as faithful exiles in a world, a context, that is not our home. It helps us answer the question, How can we live as kingdom citizens, dedicated disciples, in a land that is strange and even hostile toward us?

The vision that began in 11:2 actually continues through 12:4. Verses 5-13 then serve as the epilogue or conclusion. Still, clear continuity links 12:1-4 with 12:5-13. I recently read that

the Old Testament book in which the exiled Daniel refuses to obey orders to worship the king rather than his own god [sic] is seen as “very dangerous” by the Chinese government in light of the explosion of Christianity in China. (Phillips, “China on Course to Become ‘World’s Most Christian Nation’ within 15 Years”)

I can understand that, and chapter 12 is a fitting finale to this guide for exile living, as it provides what Sinclair Ferguson calls “the eschatological ethic that characterizes all Scripture” (Daniel, 223). So what are the nine marks of eschatological discipleship the last chapter of Daniel provides?

Be Comforted by God’s Protection

Daniel 12:1

chapter 12 begins with “At that time,” which links 12:1 with 11:36-45 and the reign and end of the antichrist. When that eschatological day arrives, God will raise up the angel Michael (cf. 10:13, 21), who is identified as “the great prince who stands watch over your people.” Michael is called the archangel in Jude 9. He leads a victorious war against Satan and his angels (demons) in Revelation 12:7-12. Michael is, as are all angels, a ministering spirit “sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). He no doubt is ministering to God’s people today, but at the “time of distress” (Dan 12:1) or “the time of the end” (12:4, 9, 13) he will intensify his involvement on behalf of the people of God. To Daniel and his readers, I believe this referred to the righteous remnant of Israel, “the holy people” (12:7). Looking at it from this side of Pentecost and with the insights of Romans 11 and Ephesians 3, we know it points to the church, the eschatological community of the redeemed of all ages. God takes a particular interest in his holy people purchased by the blood of his Son.

Dale Davis puts it well:

From Daniel 10 we understand Michael to be the warrior-advocate of Israel who takes up the cudgels on their behalf. There are unseen legions (cf. Matt. 26:53; Heb. 1:14) standing behind the wobbly people of God in their darkest trouble. (Message of Daniel, 162)

So be comforted by God’s protection as you live for Jesus. His angels are on your side, and they are busy at work on your behalf.

Be Ready for Trouble and Intense Persecution

Daniel 12:1, 7

Second Timothy 3:12 reminds us that “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” This basic theological axiom runs true throughout redemptive history in both testaments. But as history as we know it draws to a close, opposition, persecution, and suffering will escalate so that “there will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time” (Dan 12:1). Verse 7 adds that this will be “when the power of the holy people is shattered.” This will be when “all these things will be completed.”

This time of distress or trouble echoes Jeremiah 30:7 and the time of Jacob’s trouble. It also is found on the lips of the Lord Jesus in Mark 13:19 (cf. Matt 24:21-22). Trouble is on the way. It comes now, of course, in the regular ebb and flow of normal life in a broken and fallen world. Such troubles, however, are only an inkling, a foretaste, of what will come at the time of the end. Since we have no idea when that day will be, we must prepare ourselves in the present. Living as a holy people, even if we are shattered, broken in pieces, must be a vital part of our discipleship. Purifying ourselves, cleansing ourselves, being refined by the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit will not be an optional consideration. It will be essential warfare equipment for the battles we engage. It will not be a small skirmish. It will be a take-no-prisoners total war! The brilliant philosopher of science and mathematics John Lennox simply notes,

It is hard to get one’s mind around this grim statement. The time of Antiochus was horrendous, as was the period around the later fall of Jerusalem. The Holocaust beggars description. But Daniel indicates that there is even worse to come at the time of the end. (Against the Flow, 341)

Be prepared. Be ready. Don’t get caught by surprise.

Count on God to Rescue His People

Daniel 12:1

A time of unprecedented trouble is coming for God’s people. However, don’t be alarmed. Gabriel promises Daniel, “At that time your people shall be delivered” (ESV). And who are Daniel’s people? They are “everyone whose name shall be written in the book” (ESV). This is a reference to the book of life (cf. Rev 20:12, 15), the Lamb’s book of life (cf. Rev 13:8; 21:27). It also is an echo of Psalm 69:28 and a precious promise for the people of God. The antichrist may rage against the holy people of God. It may seem for a while like he will succeed and be victorious. Saints will suffer, and saints will die (as they are all around the world today). But do not panic. Don’t be afraid. Deliverance is on the way, as Daniel 7 promised with the glorious coming of the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Further, be comforted. Your deliverance is assured because your name is written in the book! Your eternal destiny is secure. Your heavenly citizenship cannot be revoked. The book of life contains your name and is a guarantee of final and certain salvation. H. C. Leupold puts it beautifully:

That a record of heaven with reference to those who are to inherit eternal life should be available is equivalent to saying that God’s thoughts for the salvation for his children run back into eternity, and that He loves to busy Himself with their eternal welfare. (Exposition of Daniel, 528–29)

You can count on God to rescue his people.

Hope in the Resurrection

Daniel 12:2

One component of God’s deliverance is our future bodily resurrection. The empty tomb of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem is our guarantee. Verse 2 discusses this future hope in terms of a general resurrection, drawing a contrast between the righteous (v. 3) and the unrighteous. Resurrection day will also be separation day.

Drawing from the language of Genesis 3:19 and the curse of sin warranting our death both physically and spiritually, God’s Word promises that those whose bodies lie in the grave will be reanimated by the power of God with no exceptions. All will be bodily raised. However, at that point the similarities end. Some will awake to everlasting life because their names are “found written in the book” (v. 1). Others, tragically, will awake and rise “to disgrace and eternal contempt” (Dan 12:2) only to be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14-15) where, as Revelation 14:11 says, “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night” (ESV).

C. S. Lewis, in sobering terms, helps us understand what is at stake according to this verse, as well as our proper response:

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. . . . There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. . . . It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. (The Weight of Glory, 45–46, emphasis in original)

God’s people have hope in their future bodily resurrection.

Live Wisely and Point Others to Jesus

Daniel 12:3

verse 3 could be called “a soul-winner’s promise” (cf. Ps 126:5-6). It is an appropriate companion to the wonderful promise and striking truth of Verse 2. The insightful (cf. 11:33) are busy about the business of disciple-making (to use the language of the New Testament). They encourage others to turn to God. Those who

influence others to go on walking in righteousness and assist them in remaining faithful in the pressure of the times will “shine like the brightness of the sky above . . . like the stars forever and ever.” (Davis, Message of Daniel, 162)

Bob Fyall says this verse “is a powerful motive for evangelism” (Daniel, 188). John Calvin adds,

No one of God’s children ought to confine their attention privately to themselves, but as far as possible, everyone ought to interest himself in the welfare of his brethren. God has deposited the teaching of his salvation with us, not for the purpose of our privately keeping it to ourselves, but of our pointing out the way of salvation to all mankind. (Commentaries on the Book of Daniel, 376–77)

I love the simple paraphrase of Eugene Peterson in The Message : “Those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.” Do you want to be an all-star for King Jesus? Then do the work of a soul-winner following in the footsteps of the Savior (Luke 19:10).

Treasure God’s Word and Grow in Your Understanding of It

Daniel 12:4

Verse 4 is a bit tricky and susceptible to misunderstanding. Daniel, interestingly and surprisingly, is told to “keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end.” The idea is not to hide the words but to protect them, keeping them safe. Joyce Baldwin notes, “‘Seal the book’ has the double sense of authenticating and of preserving intact (cf. Is. 8:16; Je. 32:11, 14)” (Daniel, 206). God’s people need this word from our Lord, especially as we move toward the end of the age. We need to be ready and not taken by surprise. The closer we get to the end, the more important God’s Word and the understanding of it will be.

The last phrase of Verse 4 is enigmatic: “Many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.” Some read it negatively, referring to unbelievers and drawing a parallel to Amos 8:12 (Ferguson,Daniel, 227). Because of the near context of verse 3, however, I cautiously take it in a positive sense. Dale Davis explains,

As the Lord’s people give diligent attention to this piece of Scripture, they will, especially nearer the end, have a clearer grasp of its meaning. . . . It is immersion that brings insight. (Message of Daniel, 164)

Stephen Miller puts it clearly and simply:

As the time of fulfillment draws nearer, the “wise” will seek to comprehend these prophecies more precisely, and God will grant understanding (“knowledge”) to them. (Daniel, 321)

Patiently Trust That God Will End Things at the Right Time

Daniel 12:5-9

In verses 5-9 the vision shifts as two other angels join Gabriel, who has been talking to Daniel. They stand opposite each other on the banks of the Tigris River (cf. 10:4). Next, “the man dressed in linen” (cf. 10:5-6) appears again “above the water of the river” (12:6). This is the glorified Son of God, robed in his priestly purity. One of the angels asks him, “How long until the end of these wondrous things?” (ESV, “wonders”; NIV, “astonishing things”). How long will these extraordinary things continue once they start? When will they stop? There is an urgency to the request. Further, this is a question to which even the angels do not know the answer. Jesus reaffirms this in Mark 13:32.

In a display of amazing solemnity and seriousness, the Son of God raises both hands to heaven (cf. Gen 14:22; Deut 32:40), an unusual act, and he invokes an oath “by him who lives eternally” (12:7). The answer to the angel’s question is twofold: (1) “It would be for a time, times, and half a time” or three and a half years; (2) This terrible and intense “time of distress” (12:1) will end right on time, according to God’s timetable, “when the power of the holy people is shattered.” It is then and only then that “all these things will be completed.” Ligon Duncan puts it well:

When evil has done its worst, we are told, as soon as [it finishes] shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be complete. When evil has done its worst and the hopes of the people of God seem shattered, then God will act. The grim work of the oppressors will roll on and on and on. But at the appropriate moment God will intervene. (“Blessed Is the One Who Waits”)

Daniel’s response in verse 8 so encourages me: “I heard but did not understand.” I can certainly identify with that. So he follows up with a question of his own, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?” Verse 9 gives him his answer, but probably not the one he wanted. Respectfully Daniel is told, “Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret and sealed until the time of the end.” Go on about your life and business, Daniel. You have received all you are going to get, and it is enough. This prophecy and its understanding will become more clear only “as God unravels history in the unseen future” (Ferguson, Daniel, 229). The word is protected, and it will be preserved. Everything will happen as God intends at the right time. Be faithful. Trust him. Be patient. As Adrian Rogers so often said, “God is never late, and he is never early. He is always right on time!”

Pursue Holiness and Rejoice in Its Fruits

Daniel 12:10

When it comes to eschatology, there are things we know and things we don’t know and can’t know because God has chosen not to reveal them to us. However, one thing we can know with certainty is how we are to live in light of the Son of Man’s coming at the time of the end. And there is good news. God will see to it that the things related to our redemption come to pass. In those days of great distress and trouble God will see to it that his “holy people” (12:7), his bright and shining ones (v. 3), those whom he will raise to “everlasting life” (v. 2 ESV), “will be purified, cleansed, and refined” (v. 10).

In contrast, God’s enemies will only be hardened in their sin and rebellion against his sovereign authority. Dale Davis says it well:

The wicked will—what else—act wickedly. . . . None of the wicked will understand [cf. Rom. 1:22], but only the wise will come to understand. . . . The wicked remain in their accustomed darkness, but the Lord’s wise ones will discern the issues of the time, what they are called to do and what it will cost them. Their “understanding” may also include having more exact clarity about the meaning of the revelation given via Daniel’s “book.” (Message of Daniel, 166, emphasis in original)

Endure to the End, Knowing It Is Worth It

Daniel 12:11-13

I love the honesty and humility of James Boice when it comes to these verses. Concerning them he simply says that there are things here “which we cannot yet explain” (Daniel, 122). Acknowledging that exact sentiment, I will give it my best, knowing caution is the wisest course to take.

Once again we have a reference to “the abomination of desolation” (v. 11; cf. 9:27; 11:31; Matt 24:15; also 2 Thess 2:3-4). Dale Davis again is helpful when he says,

Verse 11 is speaking of the repression of true worship (the regular offering . . . taken away) and the imposition of false worship (an appalling abomination . . . put in place). We have already noted that Antiochus Epiphanes would do this sort of thing (8:11-13 and 11:31), yet there will be another near the end who will out-Antiochus Antiochus, one who will not only put a stop to legitimate worship (9:27b) but along with “abominations” is himself one “who makes desolate” or “is causing horror” (9:27c); now in 12:11, under the aegis of this “final scourge” of history, the abomination making desolate appears again. I think Jesus has 9:27 and 12:11 in view when he refers to the “abomination of desolation” in Mark 13:14. Even though “abomination” in that text is a neuter noun, the following participle is masculine—“where he ought not” (emphasis mine). Jesus agrees with Daniel 9:27 that the “abomination” is supremely a person and assumes that his appearance is future to Jesus’ own earthly ministry. (Message of Daniel, 166–67)

This seems to me to be a reasonable and persuasive interpretation. But what of the 1,290 days of Verse 11, and the beatitude of verse 13: “Happy is the one who waits for and reaches 1,335 days”? With James Boice, here I must confess my lack of understanding. This much, I believe, we can say: our Lord promises to bless those who endure and persevere through these difficult and troubling times of opposition and persecution. These specific numbers affirm God’s sovereign control over the details of history. Things will move ahead as he has decreed, and things will also end as he has decreed. There is wonderful hope and assurance even if there remains mystery concerning the particularities.

The book concludes with a personal word for Daniel that can aid us all: “Go on your way to the end.” You are in your last years, God says, but I still have work for you to do. When it is time for you to retire from my work, then I will bring you home. Then “you will rest” because you will be with me. Then, as promised in Verse 2, you will “stand to receive your allotted inheritance” (v. 13; ESV, “allotted place”), your destiny, your reward. This will happen “at the end of the days.” So do your duty, make disciples, proclaim my Word, and endure. Something wonderful is on the horizon at the end.

Conclusion: How Does This Text Point to Christ?

Just as we saw in Daniel 10:5-6, again we see the majestic man “dressed in linen” sovereignly standing above the earth and declaring his absolute authority over all things (12:7). This is a Christophany, a preincarnate appearance of the Second Person of the triune God. Both in appearance and action he conveys God’s glory and greatness. He is Lord of history, not these petty tyrants, including the antichrist, who come and go. We must never forget and always “know that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms. He gives [them] to anyone he wants and sets the lowliest of men over [them]” (4:17). Will we exalt the arrogant and prideful antichrist? Never! Will we exalt the humble Galilean from Nazareth? Absolutely!

Reflect and Discuss

1. What aspects of your discipleship need to be more fully shaped by your future destiny? How?
2. How does God protect his people? How have you experienced the protection of God?
3. Why is preparation for persecution a necessary part of discipleship? What kinds of persecution might you face for the sake of Christ?
4. Why can one’s heavenly citizenship not be revoked? What comfort does this bring?
5. Why is the resurrection an important and necessary component of the gospel? Why do you think it is so often overlooked?
6. According to verse 3, what is the proper task of God’s people living before “the end of the days”?
7. It is a basic principle of discipleship to study and meditate on God’s Word. How can you, like Daniel, work to preserve and live according to God’s revelation?
8. Do you ever grow impatient waiting for Christ’s return? To what area of faithfulness is God calling you as you wait?
9. If salvation is secure in Christ, why does the Bible focus on God’s people living holy lives?
10. Daniel ends with a call for endurance to the end. What other passages of Scripture call believers to persevere?