The Gospel According to Daniel

In Nomine Iesu
Daniel 12:1-3
November 15, 2009
Pentecost 24/Proper 28B

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus~

When it comes to the book of Daniel, I have a theory. Like most theories this one needs to be tested. I don’t know if it’s true. Right now it’s just a hunch. My theory is this: When it comes to the book of Daniel, I suspect that most members of this congregation can recall two major events from this major prophet. If I took a poll asking you to tell me about the contents of the book of Daniel, I suspect most of you would tell me about two things. At the top of the list: Daniel in the lions’ den. And a close runner up would be the account of the three men who get thrown into the fiery furnace. A fair share of you could even tell me that those three were named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

We know those stories from Daniel because those are the stories that editors are sure to include in the children’s Bibles. Those are the stories that get rhymed and illustrated in the Arch book series. Those are the stories that will get taught in our very own Sunday school classrooms this Sunday and next. But this morning I want to expand your Daniel horizons. From now on, whenever you pull up the Daniel file, I want to be sure that it also includes the good news that we heard minutes ago in Daniel chapter twelve. For the next few minutes, allow me to acquaint you with the Gospel according to Daniel.

As a whole, the book of Daniel is challenging. Much of Daniel is what’s called “apocalyptic” literature. Like the New Testament book of Revelation, Daniel contains lots of unusual symbolic imagery, dreams and visions, with a heavy emphasis on the events of the End Times. But the three verses at the center of our attention today are clear and comforting, sure and certain. If you’re wondering what the end of the world will be like, Daniel—in these three verses—tells us almost everything we need to know.

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.” The Michael here called a “prince” is perhaps better known as Michael the Archangel. The archangels are sort of like the five-star generals of the armies of heaven. Michael the Archangel is perhaps best known for slaying the satanic serpent in Revelation chapter twelve, which is reflected in the artwork on the cover of today’s bulletin. The name Michael means “one who is like God.” And at the end of days, this mighty warrior archangel will be fighting for and protecting the people of God.

This mention of Michael is a wonderful reminder that God is working for you and for the benefit of His church even in ways that are mostly unseen. The Bible tells us, for instance, that angels are here among us this morning, in this place, as we gather around the Lord Jesus and His gifts. The words of the proper preface remind us of the unseen guests who join us for every Divine Service: angels, archangels and all the company of heaven. Martin Luther saw fit to remind us that we should begin and end each day asking God, “Let Your holy angel be with me that the wicked foe have no power over me.”

The angels of God are a daily reality in our lives. But because their presence is largely unseen, we tend to ignore and forget about this gracious dimension of God’s care for us. When tragedy is narrowly averted—when we walk away unscathed from twisted wreckage—when we turn away from shameful sin and vice at the last minute—does it even cross our minds that the holy angels of God may be at work on our behalf? Or are we more likely to conclude that dumb luck and chance simply landed in our favor?

Dumb luck and chance will get you nothing when it comes to the end of the world as we know it. You’ll be glad for the assistance of the angels at that time. Just how bad will it be? Daniel tells us: “There will be a time of distress such as has not been from the beginning of nations until then.” Just think of all the distressing times we read about in the history books: wars, famines, pandemics, natural disasters, revolutions, ethnic cleansing and mass murder. Daniel reminds us, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” In short, as the end approaches, know that things in the world and in the church will get worse, not better. Distress will increase, not decrease. We’re not evolving into a better world, but devolving into days of distress.

And do not be deceived—your government will not be there to rescue you. The false god of government will be rendered impotent as the end draws near. I love my country. I treasure the freedoms we enjoy because of those who pledged their sacred honor and their very lives to battle against tyranny. The United States Constitution is perhaps one of the finest documents ever penned by human authors. But big government is quickly replacing our great God in the hearts of many. Do we fear, love and trust in God above all things? Or is it Washington we look to for deliverance and rescue? Whether it be the economy or the flu pandemic or climate change or healthcare—the prevailing sentiment today seems to be that our government will bless us and keep us safe from all harm and danger.

To that Daniel would say, “Do not be deceived. Don’t bow down to that idol.” Daniel himself had been a citizen of Jerusalem—God’s holy city. But God Himself used the Babylonians to destroy it and burn it. And this is why Daniel found himself in Babylon. God’s people will be delivered, even as earthly kingdoms rise and fall. In fact, Daniel reminds us that it’s not your earthly citizenship that matters. Instead, “Everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered.” That’s a reference to the Lamb’s book of life, mentioned many times in the Bible.

There’s a great multitude of people whose names are in that book, who are saved by grace through faith for the sake of Jesus. It’s comforting to me that it’s always referred to as the “book” of life. The names of those who belong to the Lord are written down in a book. I like this metaphor because whenever something is written down and published as a book, there’s an air of finality about it. I routinely write things down on post-its. Post-its are colorful and sticky and I use them to record some fairly important names and numbers. But post-its aren’t perfect. They aren’t made to last forever. I lose them sometimes. I also write down important information in electronic format and store it on my laptop. I’m sure nothing bad will ever happen to the information I’ve got stored on my laptop (knock, knock, knock!).

But books have a little more staying power, don’t they? In God’s book, the names of those who trust in Jesus are written down, recorded, preserved. It shows that God means business when it comes to your salvation. He will never forget the promises He first made to you in your baptism. It doesn’t mean “once saved, always saved,” but it does mean that your salvation has been in the works since before the world began. And when your days in this world are winding down—or when this world itself is flaming out—what comfort and joy it will be to know that your name is inscribed in the Lamb’s book of life.

I told you moments ago that Daniel’s words about the end of time were clear and comforting. How’s this for clarity? “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” On the Last Day God is going to raise up you and all the dead. Please note that all will be raised—believers and unbelievers—no exclusions. The believers in Christ will awaken to everlasting life; the unbelievers to shame and everlasting contempt. Or to put it in the language of the New Testament, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Some of you have been listening to my sermons for several years. You know that I’m not what you might call a “fire and brimstone” preacher. God hasn’t called me to scare people into heaven. But make no mistake. Those who foolishly reject God’s gracious gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ will face an eternity of shame and regret.

But those who are wise will shine, Daniel tells us. In the Bible to be “wise,” doesn’t necessarily mean to be smart or even highly intelligent. Those who are wise are those who hear the Word of God and keep it. Those who are wise are not perfect. They daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment. Those who are wise believe that Jesus is their Savior—that His blood has cleansed them from all guilt and sin. Those who are wise view Jesus as their substitute—who kept God’s law perfectly on their behalf, and took the punishment they deserve.

Those who are wise will enjoy an eternity in God’s presence. They will shine like the brightness of the heavens. You are wise because you’ve got your eyes fixed on Jesus. And Daniel declares that by your words and by your witness, you can bring others along with you. “Those who lead many to righteousness [will shine] like the stars forever and ever.” You are wise and you enjoy the righteousness of Christ because someone cared enough about you to bring you to church, to teach you about Jesus, to bring you to baptism. Sinners can’t become wise on their own. They must be led. They must be brought. They must be invited, just as you were. Your God loves it when more are taught and more are brought to join in His feast of victory.

Here’s the good news from Daniel this day. God’s angels are watching over you today, and all the more as the Last Day draws near. Your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. On the Last Day God will raise up you and all the dead, and will give eternal life to you and all believers in Christ. That faith you’ve been given in Christ makes you wise. That wisdom isn’t always apparent today. Today you might feel like you’re in the lions’ den or about to get burned up in a furnace of fire. But that’s not the last word. God gets the last word. And according to Him, for all eternity you will shine like the stars, reflecting the glory of your great God. Here ends the Gospel according to Daniel. Amen.