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" .... 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. 4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
This passage of scripture refers to the time in earth's history when the probation of the entire world would have been closed, and every individual will have made their final decision either for or against Christ. God never condemns us for the cancer of sin with which we are born, but what He holds us responsible for, is what we do with the remedy provided in Christ. The time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, refers to the perplexities and distresses that will be coming upon the earth in short order, for which there will be no human solution and no way of escape, once the door of mercy is forever closed. Let's read:
Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Most people prefer not to know that they are held accountable for their thoughts and actions, and because of this many have put the sacred truths pertaining to the judgment on the back burner of their minds. But the current state of things in the world demands that the justice of God be implemented very soon, for it seems as if the image of God is being obliterated from the hearts and minds of men on a daily basis. Those twenty one Christians who were beheaded by terrorists recently, were executed because of their faith in the Lord Jesus, and it is worthy of note that they belonged to the Coptic church in Egypt, one of the very few places on the earth where the true Sabbath of the fourth commandment was being kept during the Dark ages.
According to the Bible, the violence and animosity exercised against true Christians will escalate exponentially, hence the reason why our passage for today states that "At that time Michael The great Prince shall stand up". The reason why Christ, here referred to as Michael, will stand up is because He is going to intervene in marked ways for the deliverance of His people who stand resolutely for the truth, for the wickedness of man is great in the earth and is only getting worse as the days go by. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2nd Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Here in America we are living as it were in a dream, for we are currently engrossed in buying and selling, building and planting, as if the troubles in distant lands will not come to our shores. But the Bible warns the inhabitants of the earth to take heed, lest at anytime we should become obsessed with the mundane and material things of this world, and so that great day comes upon us unawares. Especially is that warning most relevant, now that we are living on the very brink of eternity. All the pieces of the puzzle are almost in place, and with the attempts now being made in the courts to make void the law of God on the issue of marriage, the next shoe to drop will be the establishment of the Sunday law, in flagrant violation of the fourth commandment, requiring all of earth's inhabitants to rest over the Sabbath hours.
Only two institutions were given in the garden of Eden, marriage and the Sabbath, and after marriage falls, the only one remaining will be the seventh Day Sabbath, which will usher in the mark of the beast, and which will cause Christ to stand up in defense of His people. To this very time we are now hastening, and thus it is incumbent upon us to choose to serve God in the way that He has established, so that when "Michael" stands up, we also may stand up with Him. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which cautions us not to be caught up with the materialism and inordinate pursuit of gain and pleasure with which we are surrounded, but rather to live soberly and righteously in this generation. Let's read:
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
May the Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!