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Michael, and conflicting kings, a raiser of taxes and a vile person "stand up", and the
conflict ends with a time of trouble such as never has been known nor ever shall be again.
Four separate attempts are revealed in which the evil One attempts to seize the
opportunity to put his own man in office:
"But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate." "He shall not be
found."
"Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes." "He shall be destroyed."
"And in his estate shall stand up a vile person."
"But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces (or munitions). Yet he shall come
to his end" (Dan. 11: 7, 19, 20, 21, 38, 45).
Over against this repeated abortive effort Daniel and his fellows are placed. During
these terrible antichristian times, some will forsake the holy covenant, but they that
understand among the people shall instruct many; some will be tried and purged "to
make them white" (Dan. 11: 30-35). It is to this tried and tested company that Dan. 12: 3
refers:
"And they that be wise (or are teachers, cf. `instruct many' [Dan. 11: 33]) shall shine
as the brightness of the firmament: and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars
for ever and ever."
The references to "the book" and "the words" in Dan. 12: 1, 4 and 9 do not speak so
much of the book of Daniel as a whole, but the book of life in which the overcomer's
name has been written (Rev. 3: 5; 20: 15), and is probably the "Book of remembrance"
spoken of in Mal. 3: 16 in a similar day of trial. No interpretation of Dan. 12: can be
acceptable that ignores the context of the preceding chapter, and the peculiar character of
the times in which these events occur prevent any extension, except in a very wide sense,
to the subject of "the blessed hope" of the believer. As we cannot occupy space enough
in this article to present the book of Daniel as a whole, we must perforce leave the matter
with the hope that enough has been exhibited to point the way for any fuller and more
intimate research. Let us bring our examination of the testimony of the O.T. to a close
with the wondrous words of Hosea 13: 14, words which were lifted out and placed in
the conclusion of I Cor. 15:, a chapter that must necessarily be laid under tribute when
we come to the testimony of the N.T.:
"I will ransom them from the power of the grave:
I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy
destruction: repentance shall be hid from Mine eyes" (Hosea 13: 14).
Redemption or Ransom in Gospel preaching is often limited to the forgiveness of sins,
to conversion, salvation and other blessed features of redeeming love, but if sin only were
touched and the bondage of death forgotten, then we should be, as the Apostle exclaims,
"of all men the most miserable". In Heb. 1: 3 we read that the Saviour "purged our
sins" and in Heb. 2: 15 He delivers those who through the fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage. In the last epistle he wrote, the Apostle Paul speaks of Christ
"Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the