When most people talk about the resurrection, they talk about it in terms of the righteous, when Christ comes to take his people to live with him eternally. But Daniel speaks of a resurrection in which the righteous and the unrighteous are raised to life again. What happens to the unrighteous? Are they raised to live eternally as well? 

Sin, Evil, Death, Dying, and What Happens After We Die

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.  

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again. 

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

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Inviting God’s Presence

Lord God, Our Father, your kingdom will last forever and ever. Prepare our hearts for Jesus’ Coming so we may enter your kingdom and live eternally. In Jesus’ Name Amen 

As we have seen previously, the resurrection is the time when Jesus will come a second time to this earth and wake up the sleeping dead. Read Daniel 12. In it, we find hope for the righteous dead when Jesus returns.

Thus far in this lesson, we have looked at the following Old Testament verses:

Job 19:25–27; Psalm 49:15; Psalm 71:20; and Isaiah 26:19.

Review them again if you need to. All of these verses talk about the resurrection of the righteous dead. They talk about the time when Jesus will raise His people from the dead.

But Daniel 12 talks about a time when Jesus will raise not only the righteous but the unrighteous.

When will this happen?

The answer is found in Daniel 12:1.

1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. (Daniel 12:1).

It is the time when “ ‘Michael will stand up.

But first, we need to know who Michael is. In Daniel 12:1 Michael is referred to as the “great prince”.  (Split)

The book of Daniel gives us some clues.  In this book, all of Daniel’s dreams about the future end with Jesus and His kingdom.

So, this helps us understand that Daniel chapter 12 also talks about Jesus and His heavenly kingdom.  

In other verses in Daniel, we read about many different names for the Lord.

The Lord is named “the Prince of the host” in Daniel 8:11, NKJV).

Other names for the Lord in the book of Daniel include:

• “ ‘the Prince of princes’ ” (Dan. 8:25, NKJV)
• “ ‘Messiah the Prince’ ” (Dan. 9:25, NKJV),
• and finally, “ ‘Michael, the great prince’ ” (Dan. 12:1, NKJV). 

From this, we can see that Michael is another name for Jesus Christ. 

So, when Michael, Jesus, stands up, He shows us that His work as Judge in heaven is finished. (Split)

Gabriel tells Daniel in 12:1 at that time: “ ‘There will be a time of much trouble, the worst time since nations have been on earth. But Daniel, at that time every one of your people whose name is found written in the book of life will be saved’ ” (Daniel 12:1, ERV).

In Daniel 12:2, Gabriel goes on to tell Daniel

2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2, NKJV).

Many people believe that Daniel 12:2 is talking about a special resurrection of certain people, both the wicked and the righteous, at Christ’s return.

It is described in the book the Great Controversy as follows:

“Graves are opened, and ‘many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth . . . awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.’ Daniel 12:2.

All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law.

‘They also which pierced Him’ (Revelation 1:7),

those that mocked and ridiculed Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory

and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.”— The Great Controversy, p. 637.

Thus, we have hope beyond the grave. We have hope that Jesus, the giver of life, will raise the righteous dead back to life to live with him eternally.

Listen to how this event is so beautifully described in one commentary.

“The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound, and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1143.

Our Hope extends beyond the grave!

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