Would you like to see your name on a list? You probably would answer that it would depend on the list. If it is a list of winners in some big contest, then yes. At work you would like your name to be on a list of people getting promotions or salary raises, but not on a list of those who will be let go. Back when we were in school, we liked to see that we made the list of the sports team or cheerleader squad we tried out for, or the list of those who got good grades on the big test. We would eagerly scan the list, hoping to see our name, but hope that our name will forever stay off of a casualty list. Our brief Scripture today from the Book of Daniel mentions a list of names written in a book. Let’s take a look at this Scripture and see if it is a list we would want to be on, or not, and what else the passage speaks about.
The Book of Daniel is a very interesting one in the Old Testament. In the book, Daniel tells some very dramatic and thrilling accounts from his and his friends’ lives, along with some prophetic dreams and other prophecies. Our Scripture from the 12th chapter contains some of Daniel’s prophecies of End Time events, events that take place during the Tribulation period.
During the Great Tribulation there will be persecution against true Christians, those who get saved during the Tribulation period, along with a terrible attack against Jews in an attempt to exterminate them. However, they will be delivered by Michael the Archangel (vs. 1). The persecution against God’s people will be so extreme, that God’s Word says that there will never have been such a time of trouble in all of history. Christians have suffered periods of persecution and even martyrdom throughout history, along with the Jewish people. Yet those times will pale in comparison with what those who get saved during the Tribulation period and Jewish people will go through from the Antichrist. God promises, though, that the heavenly warrior, Michael the Archangel, will stand up for them.
As we continue in verse 1, we read of a book. This is a book where the names of all those who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus have their names written down. Daniel prophecies that at the height of the terrible persecution, all those who have had their names written in God’s Book will be delivered. This book is referenced several times in various parts of the Bible. We read in the book of the prophet Malachi, where he refers to a book of remembrance, where the names of those who fear the Lord are written down, and how God will spare those people (Malachi 3:16-17). Jesus mentions how believers’ names are written down in heaven (Luke 10:20). And the final book in the Bible, the Book of Revelation mentions this book, the Lamb’s Book of Life, several times (Revelation 13:8; 17:8; 20:12-15; and 21:27). It also tells of the final destination of those whose names are not found in this book, that being the Lake of Fire.
If we never find our names on any other list in life, it is so important to be sure that our name is written down on that list! We can’t get our name on that list by being a great athlete, or scoring good on a test. Nor can we get our name on that list by being a good employee, or by giving a lot of money to various worthy charities. The only way to ensure that our name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life is by accepting the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior. We must realize we are a sinner with no hope of redemption on our own, and that the Lord Jesus came to earth and died on the Cross for our sins. Accept Him as your Savior, and your name will be written down in indelible ink, ink that can never be erased!
As we continue on in our brief Scripture passage, we see that what we go through in life for the Lord Jesus is nothing in comparison to His rewards. There are believers who suffer greatly for Him today. As we read earlier, during the Tribulation there will be horrific persecution against believers, but God promises to reward all His faithful followers . However, those who do not accept Jesus as Savior will have a terrible judgment awaiting them (vs. 2).
As we close our Scripture, Daniel speaks of those who are wise and who are stars (vs 3). Most people want to be wise, and many would also like to be a star. God’s Word here tells us the way we can be both. The wise are those who live for God, and do everything they can to take the Gospel to others. Trying to be a “star” by this world’s definition is vain, and only temporary. Movie, TV, and music stars may be famous today, but tomorrow they are gone, a nobody. Trying to be a star in that regard usually brings on more troubles, and often ultimately leads to eternal doom. God’s stars are wise, and seek to lead others to Jesus. To be a star for God is eternal, and will bring many rewards.
As we read today in Daniel’s prophecy, we should strive to be wise and a star for God. And above everything else, be sure your name is written down in God’s Book. When the names are read, be sure that yours is there!
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