https://biblehub.com/nkjv/daniel/7.htm

Okay, time to open a can of worms. If you follow me, you know that my views are different from that of main stream Christianity. In fact, I call it “radically” different. So, let’s get it on!

First, let me say that there are probably 45,000 different ways to interpret end-time prophesy, because there are 45,000 different Christian denominations. I say that half in jest because I doubt end-time prophesy is the dividing factors in everything.

Second, I’ve been told, and this is not scriptural, but I’ve been told that Daniel and John wrote many of their visions cryptic, not because they were a big secret and part of Salvation is decoded them, but rather that if they wrote in plain language, they might have been killed for what they were saying. Especially John, when he wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ. I know, they tried to kill him in a pot of boiling oil, but God protected him. So we do have to decode these visions, and as I said, there is a lot of disagreement on the subject.

And speaking of Daniel and John in the same breath, many denominations believe that Daniels visions and Johns visions are very much related, and there are different publications that discuss both books as one. I choose not to direct you to one because they are denominational, so I’ll allow you to research on your own, if you choose to know more.

For the same reason, I’m not going to spend any time on Chapters 7 through 11, but I do have some thoughts on Daniels final chapter. And I’ll be specific.

Daniel Chapter 12, the New King James Version, is under the title “Prophesy of the End Time”.

In reference to Verse 1, do you believe Michael is another name for Jesus? I do. One of the reasons I like the New King James Version is because Holy Pronounces are capitalized. I know all personal pronouns are capitalizes, but phrases such as “Angel of the Lord” where the word “Angel” is capitalized indicates to me that we’re talking about Jesus. No, Jesus isn’t an angel, but He is the Archangel, the Head of all angels. When you read the passage where Joshua came up against a warrior, and the warrior was called the “Commander of God’s army”, that tells me the warrior was Jesus, especially when He tells Joshua to remove his sandals because he is standing on Holy Ground. That said, I believe Michael is Jesus, and Verse 1 refers to His Second Coming.

On to Verse 3. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.” I do not believe that when you die, you immediately go to Heaven or hell; I believe you simply sleep in the grave until Christ returns. This scripture supports that belief, but I also have opinions on the subject.

We always talk about “Aunt Bertha” who is in Heaven smiling down on us. Doesn’t scripture say that in Heaven there will be no more sorrow, no more tears? Tell me how a father can go to Heaven, and look down upon his living daughter who is being abused by her husband, or who has been critically injured in a car crash, or who is suffering from terminal cancer is is withering away in pain? I can’t imagine being in Heaven and looking down on a loved one who is suffering and not be sorrowful or in tears, can you?

Now, to the dead, it will seem instantaneous. Do you remember the exact second you fell asleep last night? I often false asleep with my tablet in my hand, and only awake when, in my slumber, I drop it. And for those lucky enough to get a full nights sleep, you often fall asleep without thought of it, and wake up the next morning in an instant. It doesn’t seem like you’ve slept for 8 hours, it seems like you had just went to bed, but you way up rested and refreshed.

Death, to me is the same. Even though Adam has been in the grave for centuries, for millennia, who will not recall the exact moment he died, but his first conscious thought will be Jesus resurrecting him from the grave. Even though it has been 6,000 years, to him it will seem like a second.

Furthermore, if we all go to Heaven or hell when we die, why was Lazurus still in his grave when Jesus woke him up? Why was Jesus in the tomb for three days? Why didn’t He immediately ascend to Heaven upon death?

Oops, looks like the worms have been freed and are slithering everywhere.

Of course, there are those that are in Heaven. Scripture says that God “took” Enoch. We know Elijah was carried away in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire. We also see where scripture says that, upon the death of Jesus, several graves opened up and people ascended to Heaven (Matthew 27:51-52). What were they still doing in their grave? Finally, we know Moses went to Heaven because Peter saw him, Jesus, and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. Scripture doesn’t say, but Jewish history claims that Moses was in his grave for three days, then God resurrected him and took him to Heaven.

I have more thoughts on death and sleeping in the grave, but I’ll elaborate more when we come across that subject in the future.

So, that is how I see it. You may disagree, and that is your prerogative.

Finally, Daniel Chapter 12 ends with the command to “seal” his book until such as time that it is to be opened.

What happens at the end time? I don’t have all the answers, and probably won’t under Christ returns. If I am able to withstand His Glory, I’ll ask for an explanation of Daniel and Revelation.

When will Jesus return? “Only the Father knows”. We can predict and speculate, but no one knows. There are certainly signs that it is close, but no one will know the real time.

And with that, I’ll leave you with an anecdote.

A man once asked his pastor when the best time to repent was.

The pastor answered with, “Your last day of life.”

Puzzled, the man asked, “How will I know when that is?”

The pastor smiled and replied, “Exactly”.

We do not know when it will be our turn to sleep in our grave. It could be ten years from now, or ten seconds from now. And that is why it is so critical that we prepare ourselves today.

Get to know God, the true God, not the man made God.

Pray frequently.

Confess your sins to God, be truly sorrowful for your actions, and pray for His Mercy. And He will be merciful.

His Mercy endureth forever.

Amen!

God bless you all. I love you!