“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
If I ask you who wrote this quote, “Let’s kill all the lawyers.”, you might say Hitler or Lenin, or some similar revolutionary or despot that would kill intellectuals to solidify their dictatorship. In fact, they were written by Shakespeare, 400 years ago. Now, if I ask you who wrote the verses above, you might say John, in Revelation. It would be Daniel some 600 years earlier, in the Old Testament. So similar are these visions that they solidify our faith in Scripture.
Here in the Old Testament is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, returned as Judge. Here is mentioned the Book of Life, described by John in Revelation. And, most importantly, the resurrection of the dead on Judgment Day. Those not written in the Book of Life are thrown into the Lake of Fire of shame and everlasting contempt, Daniel says. Take comfort that the Old and New Testaments agree on this crucial aspect of our hope for the future. May your name be in the Book of Life so we can read the rest of Scripture with the assurance of salvation.
Dear Lord, thank you for the book of your word and for the Book of Life. may our name be in the Book of Life and our noses be in the book of your word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church