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Commentary On: Daniel 12: 1-3The book of Daniel was written ca. 165 B.C. at a time of bitter persecution for the Jews at the hands of the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Its purpose was to provide comfort and a vision of the divine purposes for this beleaguered community of faith. It belongs to a type of literature known as apocalyptic (as does the gospel lesson from Mark 13), which speaks in powerful and elaborately picturesque imagery of the difficulties of the last days and the triumph of God's reign. The last half of Daniel (chaps 7-12) consists of a series of visions of these end times. The final vision (10:1-12:13), of which our text is a part, is concerned with the history of nations from Cyrus to the defeat of Antiochus (11:45); although presented as a vision of the future, it is likely a recital of events that brings history up to the time of the author, the "at that time" repeated three times in 12:1. The author describes the current persecution of the community of faith under Antiochus as one unsurpassed in anguish since history began (12:1; cf. 11:44). In the midst of these desperate days, he expresses the certainty that the time is imminent when the archangel Michael (see Rev 12:7), the patron angel of the people of God, will arise and deliver them. He is imaged as a prince who will do battle successfully against all the forces of evil and judge the nations of the world. The righteous to be delivered are those whose names are written in the book, described in Malachi 3:16 as "those who fear the Lord and trust in his name" (also noted in Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15). This book is, in effect, a figure for the divine remembrance of the righteous. In sketching these momentous events, and the language remains unclear and without detail, the author is probably building on the images of communal resurrection in Is 26:19, only here understood in individual terms. The "dust of the earth" could refer to either the grave or to Sheol, a place of shadowy existence which may here be understood as a kind of "waiting room' for this resurrection. Special attention is given in v. 3 to the "wise," probably the same group as "those who bring many to righteousness" (to be linked to the suffering servant in Is 53:11). The wise may be a special group within those who are raised in v. 2 rather than a general reference to the righteous. They may be singled out because of their selfless leadership role among the community of faith during the times of persecution; they exhibited a concern for the future of others besides themselves. Metaphors associated with the heavenly bodies are used in verse 3, probably not because of any special astrological influence, but because such images evoke ideas of honor, splendor, eternality, and divine faithfulness (see Jer 31:35-37 for the use of images from the non-human sphere for comparable purposes). Verses 2-3 suggest that this deliverance will coincide with the resurrection of the "many." In light of this limiting word, though scholars disagree as to import, it seems likely that a general resurrection is not in view, but a limited resurrection of those who have died in the recent years of persecution (see 11:33-35). This persecution is what presses in so sharply on the author's particular situation; it is his contemporaries who have lost loved ones and who are now suffering so. They are the ones who need comfort and assurance with respect to the future. Hence, nothing is apparently said of the faithful who have died in previous generations; the author is interested only in recent events at this point. The wicked who will be raised to everlasting disgrace is probably also limited, namely, to the persecutors of the righteous in this generation; they will receive their due reward and be alive to know it at the same time, the "eternal" reference in vv. 2-3 makes clear that this is not just a return to life as usual, but to a resurrection to a new, but clearly historical world. It remains for subsequent literature to extend this image to a general resurrection of the dead from all previous generations (cf. 2 Macc 7:7-23). But this text, which may be the first (and only) explicit reference to individual resurrection in the Old Testament, breaks new ground and makes it possible for that later, more fully developed perspective to see the light of day. Hence, for the preacher, this text can be drawn into the orbit of that more comprehensive resurrection hope, made so clear by God's raising Jesus from the dead. At the same time, with its pastoral concern for those who were (at the time of writing) experiencing such desperate times, the passage focuses on those who are alive. Such persons need more than a general word about resurrection; they need a word of comfort about their own experience of horrendous evil that has pressed death so deeply into the sphere of their family and friends. This is a very specific word of hope for them about the bright future God has in store. In this end-of-millennium time, when numerous scenarios about the end of the world will be promoted with great fanfare, this quiet word of the hope of eternal life, grounded in God's gracious promise, is what the faithful among whom we serve need to hear most. The evil, shame, persecution, injustice, despair, and violence so common among us will not have the last word. God will bring in the kingdom and all will be well. Terence E. Fretheim St. Paul, MN
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