Daniel 12:1

Daniel 12:1 says, 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: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  After all the prophesies of doom and destruction that would often come to God's people, there is now a prophecy of hope.  We know that not only was there a time of trouble for God's people in the time before Christ came and immediately thereafter,, but also that it will get worse before Christ returns again.  Matthew Henry says that those written in the book of life were written in before creation and would remain written in after the destruction of the world.  As I have stated many times, I do not believe that some people are destined to be saved and others doomed even before they are born, so I would say that a person's name is written in the book of life at the time that person accepts Christ as Savior and Lord.  In the Old Testament they entered into a relationship with God looking ahead to the coming Messiah, and since Jesus, the Messiah, came, we look back to His sacrifice on the cross.  The Bible tells us that faith in Christ is the only way to salvation, and that each person must make a decision whether to accept or reject Him.  Verse two adds, 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.  This is a definite reference to the second coming of Christ.  The dead shall rise, some to everlasting life with God through their faith in Christ, and all others to everlasting contempt.  Again, if all this was predetermined, then there would be no purpose to anything that happens in this life.  Verse three continues, 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.  I believe that this means that those who believe in Christ will shine in His presence, and especially those that reached others for Him.  Verse four concludes, 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.  Daniel was told to seal the book until the time of the end.  At the appointed time, it would be opened and understood.  The same is true of the second coming of Christ.  The time is determined, but we do not know when that will be, and no amount of studying will ever reveal that day to us.  We need to simply live as though today is the day.