40 At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites.

42 He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him.

44 But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.

CHAPTER TWELVE

1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

2 And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Most Bible commentators agree that something strange happens in the final part of this prophecy about the arrogant Greek king Antiochus. It’s like it goes “off script” and describes events that weren’t part of the historical Antiochus’s life – as if it extends the portrait beyond his death to further violence and greed. And then it jumps, in chapter 12, to the resurrection of the dead at the end of this world – “some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt” (12:3).

It's hard to say for sure why the vision does that. Maybe the angelic messenger is projecting Antiochus forward as a prototype for all proud and tyrannical rulers. That would reinforce what we saw yesterday: we can expect life for believers today to be like it was for the Jews back then.

I think lots of Christians today feel like the state of the world and its political leaders isn’t just bad – it’s worse than it has ever been before. Rulers who are corrupt or drunk on power, religious ideologies and conflicts that threaten the entire world order … these things can tempt us to panic and to either compromise our faith or rebel against the government God has placed over us.

But I have found this vision a helpful reminder that, however bad it gets, it’s not the first time. These things have happened for millennia, those rulers won’t last forever – and God is still taking things towards the end that he has appointed in Jesus.

That end will be like … waking from a troubled dream. And those whose names are in Jesus’ book of life will “shine like stars forever and ever” (12:3). Knowing that should help to replace the panic with peace, so that we can focus on shining like stars right now, as we “hold forth the word of life” in this corrupt world (Phil. 2:14-16).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.