Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
This passage of scripture describes the close of this earth's history as we know it, with Jesus Christ standing up for the final and permanent deliverance of His people, who have been the subject of relentless assaults by many foes for almost six thousand years. The time here spoken of by the prophet Daniel refers to that period of earth's history when a complete system of man-made government and religious institutions have finally been put in place by the dragon, working through the man of sin and various religious and political entities.
At this time the mark of the beast will be fully functional, and all those who are living in rebellion against God's government, and have signaled their intention to continue doing so by receiving the devil's stamp of approval, will be living as it were independently of God, or so it may seem, whilst those who have placed their entire trust in God will be shielded from the seven last plagues that are to be poured out without mercy. The beast system will be allowed to gain momentum so that it may seem to have validity, and The Lord will permit it to have legs, so that all who really hate the divine precepts may have their decisions sealed for time and for eternity. Let's read:
Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
2nd Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
One of the solemn truths pertaining to this time of trouble is that our decisions, whether good or bad will have no possibility of any reversal, because anyone who dares to receive the mark of the beast, will by so doing permanently separate themselves from God with absolutely no chance of ever being saved in His kingdom. This truth cannot be stressed enough, for many Christians today are playing a game of "Hide and seek" with the gift of God's salvation, by which the two sides of the spiritual fence are being straddled daily. In other words, some of us have one foot in the camp of the Lord, by regular church attendance and many religious rites, ceremonies and charitable works, while the other foot sits squarely in the camp of the enemy by the indulgences we exercise, and the close affinity with the world and its customs which is often displayed by our actions.
But our actions do speak much louder than our words, and one day we will discover that we have been setting up a concrete pattern of decision-making which would make the decision to follow the Beast seem even more plausible. Our thoughts bear fruit in actions, and our actions form habits, and our habits result in our characters being built either for weal or for woe. This is the reason why the message given by Christ to the last generation of Christians, beckons us to make up our minds once and for all about serving God, or serving sin. A lack of steadfast purpose and decision in this direction results in a lukewarm state of affairs in our lives, a situation that is most repugnant to The Lord Jesus. Let's read:
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
This is the reason why Revelation chapter three ends with an urgent and solemn appeal from Christ Himself, for His people which are called by His name to institute the necessary changes to this morbid state of things, by putting on the robe of His spotless righteousness, and aspiring to the gold of character which only God alone can impart, and also by anointing our eyes through the study of His word and character, by the power of the Holy Spirit. These reforms are now desperately needed and must be established firmly in our hearts before "Michael stands up". Let's read:
Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. "Good night" and God bless!