“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued,” (12:1).
Daniel was left with questions, unable to understand all the distressing events he had just heard.
As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” (12:8).
The study of end times can indeed be distressing, ushering in great concern for those who continue to reject the gospel, accompanied by dread of what awaits those who increase in knowledge, but not in truth.
“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase,” (12:4).
Add to that the reality that those who belong to Him through faith, who have received His indwelling Holy Spirit, will not be spared the purging, the purifying and the refining. But in the midst of unparalleled distress, God’s people are promised understanding.
“Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand,” (12:10).
And as we come to the end of Daniel, to the end of his visions, we, like Daniel, will also be left with questions, but not without hope as we consider Him Who Will Rescue Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book
…and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. (12:1).
rescue/escape: “4422. מָלַט mālaṭ: A verb meaning to escape… This word is usually used within the context of fleeing for one’s life… It is also used to describe rescue from death…” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.
Every offer of hope for escape, every promise of Rescue from death recorded in Daniel’s vision is contingent on one thing: being Found Written in the Book.
Consider Him Who Will Rescue Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book
- Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book will be Rescued from distress and death.
- “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued,” (12:1).
- Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book will be Rescued to everlasting life.
- “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (12:2).
- Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book will be Rescued to inherit their allotted portion at the end of the age.
- “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.” (12:13).
The stipulation requiring that names be Found Written in the Book has been His Everlasting Truth since He called a people to Himself and brought them out of Egypt.
- Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book will be Rescued through His forgiveness of sin.
- Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. 32 But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” 33 The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book,” (Exodus 32:31-33).
- It is only faith in the sacrificial blood of the Lamb that we are forgiven our sin and can be Rescued and Found Written in the Book.
- “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins,” (Matthew 26:28)
- and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, (Revelation 1:5)
- Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book must be recorded as righteous.
- Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. 29 May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous, (Psalm 69:27-28).
- It is only through faith in what Christ accomplished on the cross that we can be Rescued and Found Written in the Book and recorded as righteous.
- Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1 HCSB).
- He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book will be spared as a son, and prepared to be His own possession.
- Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. 17 “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him,” (Malachi 3:16-17).
- And it is only through faith in the message of truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ for salvation, that we will be Found Written in the Book and Rescued as His adopted sons, spared and prepared to be God’s own possession.
- He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will… 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory, (Ephesians 1:5, 13-14).
This Book is named in Revelation, it is the Lamb’s Book of Life, the Lamb Who gave His Life for us. And all Who trust in Him alone for salvation will be Found Written in the Book and Rescued.
and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, (Revelation 21:27).
How do we respond to Him Who Will Rescue Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book?
There is a very sobering and frightening reality that cannot be ignored: there will be no Rescue for anyone who is not Found Written in the Book of Life.
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire, (Revelation 20:15).
When we trust Christ for salvation, we are Rescued for all of eternity. God would not have us live in doubt, but we are exhorted to examine ourselves to see that we are truly in the faith and Found Written in the Book.
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5).
We can examine ourselves as we again consider the Scriptures above. Have we acknowledged and confessed our need for forgiveness and trusted in His righteousness alone to adopt us as His own and Rescue us from an eternal hell? There is nothing that we can bring or do that will make us acceptable; it is only believing in God’s Son that saves and grants us eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
And Scripture teaches that saving faith is a faith that endures to the end; that endures the purging, the purifying and the refining.
“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved,” (Matthew 24:13).
The truth of Scripture is that there will be none who are Found Written in the Book who merely possess knowledge and offer nominal lip service. Saving faith is life-changing faith; saving faith is overcoming faith.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5).
This saving faith, this enduring faith, this overcoming faith ensures our place before Him Who Will Rescue Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book.
“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels,” (Revelation 3:5).
And this overcoming faith is not dependent on us. As we acknowledge that salvation belongs to Him alone, confessing His overcoming blood that has forgiven us our sins and declared us righteous, He will be faithful to strengthen us to love Him Who Will Rescue Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book more than this temporary life on earth, and He will empower us to overcome to the very end.
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death,” (Revelation 12:11).
So… we have come to the end of this amazing and perplexing book of Daniel. And in this prophecy, we are exhorted to use the time we have until we are clothed in white garments and brought to His eternal kingdom, to be His witness that others might be led to righteousness through faith in Christ.
Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. (12:3).
Oh, that we would be His willing vessels who daily submit to Him for His Glory. It is all about Him after all. And however He sees fit to use us in this life, let us always be eager to respectfully share the reason for the hope we have: He Will Rescue Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book.
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence, (1 Peter 3:15).
Oh, how much we have to be thankful for, even in the purging, the purifying and the refining; He is faithful and our eternity is secure in Him. Let us commit to live in tenacious thanksgiving, that we would daily be filled to overflowing with the overcoming joy we have in Him Who Will Rescue Everyone Who is Found Written in the Book.
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven,” (Luke 10:20).