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. (Daniel 12:2)
The Apostle Paul spoke of the Church as a “mystery” hitherto unknown. The Old Testament (OT) prophets did not foresee the Church in their forecasts of the coming Messiah and the full restoration of the nation of Israel.
The Prophet Daniel who arguably gave us the most concise view of the “latter days” forecasted a 490-year period (Daniel 9:24-27), which, when we consider that it was given around the fifth century B.C., has long expired its timeframe. In that prophecy, Daniel predicted the exact day when the Messiah would be “cut off” (483 years) followed by a final seven years “to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24). “To anoint the most Holy” refers to establishing the kingdom for the Messiah that was previously “cut off.” By way of hindsight, we know that refers to Jesus Christ who was “cut off,” i.e., crucified for our sins.
However, after Jesus was crucified and rose again, the seven years came and went and things continued as always. The “most Holy” was not anointed, and more significantly, Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. That meant He had no earthly kingdom, no Israel, over which to reign. Here is where the “mystery” comes to play. Paul says, “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32, emphasis mine). After Messiah was “cut off” and ascended to heaven, the time clock for Israel stopped and the time for the Church started. That time is about to end (we do not know “the day or the hour”), and the time clock for Israel – the final seven years – will begin.
Daniel did not see the Church. He could not even conceive of such a thing. However, he did see the final end of all things – the final judgment. He foresaw the time when all the dead would rise, and all would be judged and receive their just reward – “some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2).
The Apostle John recorded that event in detail as the “Great White Throne Judgment”:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
Judgment is coming, and it is closer now than ever. Reader, are you prepared for that day? If not, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.” You can also find more information on the “last days” on my “Revelation”
Ernie's Musings 