Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

16 September 2024

 Reading From Daniel 10-12

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

–Daniel 12:1-4

     In this incredible passage, Yahweh gives Daniel insight millennia into the future to the End.  What an extraordinary vision!  We see that even in great trouble, the people of God have Michael the Archangel and whole heavenly host of angels protecting them at the order of the Almighty.  From the language here, it would seen as though the trouble and the deliverance will happen at the same time. 

This reminds me of the prophecies found in the New Testament which allude to an element of surprise when the Lord rescues us.  In Matthew 24:40-42, Jesus our greatest Prophet, revealed us, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

     Part of keeping watch is knowing where your eternity lies.  We each must know whether or not our name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life and we know that by what we decide concerning Jesus.  Who is He?  But more importantly, who is He to us?  The way to salvation is by turning away from sin and turning to the Father through faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  If any human truly believes, repents and confesses that Jesus is Lord, they will be saved, their spirit sealed by the Holy Spirit and hidden with Christ on high. 

     At the resurrection, our bodies will come back to life.  The righteous who were born again in this present reality, will be reunited with our spirits to form glorious, resurrected bodies.  We will be perfectly united with God and reign with Christ in the New Heaven and the New Earth. 

Those who rejected Yahweh’s gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, will be judged and depart to outer darkness to spend eternity apart from the Presence of God.  The Scriptures give us the opportunity to read the end of the story.  I want to be on the Lord’s side.

“God, thank You for the benefit of Your eternal perspective revealed to the ancient prophets.  By the written record You preserved for us, we can know the way to salvation, have everything we need for life and godliness, and have confidence in You, our blessed hope.  We praise and glorify Your holy Name.  Amen.”

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

–I Thessalonians 4:16-17