Discover the secrets that lie within the enigmatic Book of Daniel as Dr. Robert Jackson leads us through the profound prophecies and promises of the end times. Prepare to be captivated by the discourse on the Great Tribulation, the pivotal role of Michael the archangel, and the dichotomy of resurrection for the just and unjust. Dr. Jackson's expertise brings clarity to the complexities of biblical prophecy, offering encouragement and a beacon of hope for believers in Jesus Christ. The anticipation of salvation becomes tangible as we traverse the final chapter of Daniel, unearthing the deep-seated truths that have puzzled scholars for centuries.
Venture further into the realms of Christian eschatology with a compelling discussion on life after death, where Dr. Jackson dissects the 'first resurrection' and its implications for the faithful. With insights into the Apostle Paul's teachings, the episode sheds light on the conscious existence of both the righteous and the wicked after death. The promise of reign with Christ for a thousand years is expounded upon, illuminating the pathway to hope and glory for those steadfast in their faith. As we eagerly await the conclusion of this divine narrative, we invite you to embrace the revelations that emerge through these scriptural explorations, and join us next week for a deep dive into the various judgments that await.
Discover the secrets that lie within the enigmatic Book of Daniel as Dr. Robert Jackson leads us through the profound prophecies and promises of the end times. Prepare to be captivated by the discourse on the Great Tribulation, the pivotal role of Michael the archangel, and the dichotomy of resurrection for the just and unjust. Dr. Jackson's expertise brings clarity to the complexities of biblical prophecy, offering encouragement and a beacon of hope for believers in Jesus Christ. The anticipation of salvation becomes tangible as we traverse the final chapter of Daniel, unearthing the deep-seated truths that have puzzled scholars for centuries.
Venture further into the realms of Christian eschatology with a compelling discussion on life after death, where Dr. Jackson dissects the 'first resurrection' and its implications for the faithful. With insights into the Apostle Paul's teachings, the episode sheds light on the conscious existence of both the righteous and the wicked after death. The promise of reign with Christ for a thousand years is expounded upon, illuminating the pathway to hope and glory for those steadfast in their faith. As we eagerly await the conclusion of this divine narrative, we invite you to embrace the revelations that emerge through these scriptural explorations, and join us next week for a deep dive into the various judgments that await.
Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson.
Speaker 2:
Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa. Gather around, grab your Bibles and let us look into the written Word, which reveals to us the living Word, which is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:
Today we're in Daniel, chapter 12. We have finished our journey through the book of Daniel and we are now in the last chapter of the book of Daniel, but it's going to probably take us three weeks to finish this last chapter. Let's start with verse 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. Well, this is the final chapter and it concludes God's revelation to this greatly beloved prophet concerning his people, israel. That phrase at that time marks the time of the rule of the anti-messiah During the last half of the 70th week of Daniel that was referred to in chapter 9. We call it the Great Tribulation. This 12th chapter speaks of the Tribulation time, but it also concludes by referring to the Resurrection. So let's look at verse 1.
Speaker 2:
So let's look at verse 1. We know that this shall be the fiercest of all the persecutions that Israel has ever endured, even greater than the Holocaust under the Third Reich. Praise the Lord for those Jewish people, messianic Jews, completed Jews who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and for those who believe and accept the Lord as their Messiah and their Savior. For those who do believe in Him, they shall escape the coming tribulation. We have already learned from previous chapters that a great leader of men shall arise and confirm a covenant with Israel for seven years. During the first three and a half years, israel will enjoy perfect harmony and tranquility. But unfortunately, this man breaks the covenant, as we see in chapter 9. He will claim to be God and then destroy the rebuilt temple. Israel will be the object of his persecution. Israel will be the object of his persecution, although he himself will be a Jew, as described in chapter 11. The angel Michael again shall be called upon to deliver the people of God, as verse 1 in chapter 12 tells us, and as the Lord Jesus has said, those days shall be shortened for the sake of the elect. If they weren't, jesus says, all flesh would die. That's in Matthew 24, verse 21 and 22.
Speaker 2:
Let's read verses 2 and 3. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly, like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars, forever and ever. Here he's talking about the resurrection. Here the resurrection is stated to occur after the tribulation. But wait, I thought the church had its resurrection before the tribulation began. Is this a contradiction? No, no, dear brothers and sisters. Contradiction. No, no, dear brothers and sisters.
Speaker 2:
Remember the Old Testament. Prophets knew nothing of the church, nor of the church age, which has lasted nearly 2,000 years. When the resurrection is mentioned in the Old Testament as it is here in these second and third verses, the resurrection of the church is completely omitted. The resurrection of the saints, as recorded in the Old Testament, includes those who have been saved, from Adam until the ascension of Christ, from Adam until the ascension of Christ, and it includes those who are saved and die during the tribulation. It occurs after the tribulation, while the resurrection of the church occurs before the tribulation.
Speaker 2:
So let's talk about resurrections, okay, now. Next week we're going to talk about judgments, but today I want us to focus on what the Bible says about resurrections. First of all, there's a couple of principles that I want you to understand. Principle number one there is not one general resurrection day, but rather the resurrection of the just and then there's a resurrection of the unjust. So there are two resurrections the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust. Let me read you a verse in the book of John that will help you to understand what I'm talking about here John, chapter 5, verse 28 and 29. In fact, in my Bible it calls it two resurrections.
Speaker 2:
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and he will come first those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. So you understand that there is a resurrection for the just and then there's a resurrection for the unjust. That's the first principle. The second principle we have to understand is between the death of the body, the physical body, and the resurrection, both the righteous and the wicked exist in a conscious state. You remember that Paul told us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so that after a believer dies, he is in a conscious state and in the presence of the Lord. So Both the wicked and the righteous exist in a conscious state after death. So the first principle, that there's not one general resurrection day, but rather two the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust, two distinct events. And between the death of the body and the resurrection, both the righteous and the wicked exist in a conscious state. So now let's talk about the resurrection of the just.
Speaker 2:
First of all, I want you to understand that there's also called a first resurrection In Revelations, chapter 20,. I want you to look at a verse where, in Revelations 20, verse 5 and 6, the Bible says the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. So you see, there is a first resurrection and it will occur in several stages. So the resurrection of the just has multiple stages. What's the first stage? Well, the first stage is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the firstfruits, he is the firstborn from the dead. Jesus is the head of the church and he has the preeminence in everything. So the first stage of the resurrection is our Lord Jesus Christ, who was resurrected from the dead. And then the second stage is the dead in Christ.
Speaker 2:
In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16, paul tells us that he doesn't want us to be ignorant about certain things and he says to us I want you to know that the dead in Christ will be raised first, and then those of us who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. He's talking about the rapture of the church, but when the rapture occurs, the dead in Christ will be raised first and then, at the rapture, those who are alive. They will be caught harvest of the church. This is the harvest when the dead in Christ are raised first and then those who are alive are caught up together in the clouds. And then, thirdly, is the two witnesses. During the middle of the tribulation, in Revelation 11, the Bible talks about the two witnesses who preach, and then they are killed and then, of course, they are resurrected.
Speaker 2:
Now, now, who are these two witnesses? We really don't know. People speculate that it's moses and elijah, or maybe enoch and elijah, for you know, both enoch and elijah were raptured, or translated. They did not die. Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die, and then comes the judgment. So neither Enoch nor Elijah died. So it stands to reason that maybe it will be Enoch and Elijah, or maybe Moses and Elijah. One represents the law, one represents the prophets, so who knows? But anyway, these two men who preach will then die and then be resurrected.
Speaker 2:
So the third stage of the first resurrection is these two preachers, these two prophets who call down fire from heaven, and then, after a period of time, they die, and then, three days later, they are resurrected. That's the third stage. And then the fourth stage is the redeemed of the Old Testament and the redeemed of the tribulation period which is being referred to in this verse in the book of Daniel the redeemed of the Old Testament, the redeemed of the Old Testament and the redeemed of the tribulation period, who die during the tribulation, and they will be raised prior to the millennium. And this is referenced in this verse, in Revelations 20, verses 4 through 6. Let me read it again. Then I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. You see, came to life, they were resurrected. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. For, you see, there's another judgment at the end of the millennium, and we'll talk about that next week.
Speaker 2:
But this resurrection is called the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Oh, my goodness, what a glorious, glorious opportunity for those who go through the tribulation without receiving the mark of the beast and they will be resurrected leaving the mark of the beast. And they will be resurrected and they will have an opportunity to be called a priest of God and of Christ and they will reign with Him for a thousand years during the great millennial reign of Christ. So this first resurrection, get it in your mind now, get it fixed in your little pea brains.
Speaker 2:
It has four stages. The first resurrection is first the resurrection of our Lord, jesus Christ, which is the first fruits. Then, at the rapture of the church, the dead in Christ shall be raised. First, that's the harvest. And then, thirdly, it's the two witnesses who preach during the tribulation time, who are killed for preaching the Word and then raised from the dead in front of God and everybody on the worldwide stage. And then, fourthly, it's the redeemed of the Old Testament and the tribulation saints who died during the tribulation and then will be raised at the end of the tribulation time and rewarded for their faithfulness at the end of the tribulation.
Speaker 2:
All right, there's that. But then there's another resurrection. It's the resurrection of the unjust. The resurrection of the unjust. Now, this is in Revelations 20, verses 5 and 6, which we've already read. It says the rest of the dead did not come to life. But when did they come to life?
Speaker 2:
Well, verse 12 tells us, and I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. What throne is that? Well, verse 11 tells us A great white throne, and him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. And books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And you see, all unsaved people of all time will be raised at the end of the millennium to be judged or rewarded and then cast into the lake of fire forever.
Speaker 2:
Hebrews 9, 27 says it is appointed unto man once to die, and then comes the judgment. All unsaved people of all time will be raised at the end of the millennium and they will all be judged according to the book singular and according to the books plural. Now, what's the difference there? Well, you understand that their eternal destiny is determined always by one thing whether or not they receive the Lord Jesus Christ in this life. What's being determined at the great white throne is not their destiny but their punishment. Our destiny is never determined in these judgments. Our destiny is always determined in this life by whether or not we receive the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:
Judgments are for judging our works and the great white throne judgment is for determining the degree of punishment according to their works. And that's why the book's plural is opened. The book of life is opened and they're scanning through the book of life to see if their name is appearing there. And if their name is not appearing in the book of life, then the heavenly Father looks at them and says Depart from me. I never knew you. But then there's an appeal and someone will say but wait, but wait, but wait, and they can appeal.
Speaker 2:
But then the book of works, the books plural, is open and they are even condemned by their works. As they stand before Him, who is the Holy One of Israel, whose eyes are too pure to even look upon iniquity, before Him, from whose face the earth and the heavens flee away, and from Him there is no place to hide. And he looks at them and says Depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity and they're cast into the lake of fire. They're cast into the outer darkness, where the worm dieth not, and the smoke thereof ascends unto heaven forever and ever. Oh, brothers and sisters, hear me clearly All of us have a brother or a sister, or a parent or a friend or a neighbor, and we know that they do not know Jesus personally. I beg you, go and speak to them, beg them to be reconciled to God. None of us wants any of our friends to be cast into the lake of fire to experience what the Bible calls the second death. Go to them yourself, pray over them incessantly and beg them, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God.
Speaker 2:
You and I understand the judgment of the unjust.
Speaker 2:
We understand what it means to be separated away from God in flaming fire for eternity.
Speaker 2:
You understand what it means to stand before holy God naked and exposed, without being clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, but to be clothed only in your own righteousness, which amounts to nothing but filthy rags. Please go to your friend, your lost friend, your lost family member, and plead with them to be reconciled to God. That's why I share with you a message on resurrections, a message on judgments, because judgment's real. It is appointed unto man once to die, and then comes the judgment. Jesus said he came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. You and I have the message of hope. We have the message of life. It is imperative that we share it with our friends and neighbors and family members. You're listening to Devotions with Dr Papa. If you like what you hear, I pray that you would share it with your friends and your family, your neighbors, and we'll be back again next week and we'll be talking about judgments the judgment seat of christ, the judgment of the nations, the purging of Israel and the great white throne judgment.
Speaker 1:
Tune in again next week and may the Lord bless you real good. Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom. This podcast is produced by Bob Sloan Audio Production at bobsloancom.
