Those Who Sleep in the Dust
As we will see, the New Testament talks a great deal about the resur-
rection of the dead; and, as we have already seen, the idea of the resur-
rection of the dead appears in the Old Testament, as well. These people,
in Old Testament times, had the hope of the final resurrection that we
do. Martha, living at the time of Jesus, already had this hope (John
11:24). No question, even then, the Jews had some knowledge of the
resurrection in the last days, even if not all believed it. (See Acts 23:8.)
Read Daniel 12. What resurrection hope is found here, in the writings
of this great prophet?
Daniel 12:1 refers to Michael, “ ‘the great prince,’ ” whose identi-
fication has been much disputed. Because each of the great visions
in the book of Daniel culminates with the manifestation of Christ and
His kingdom, the same should be the case in regard to this specific
passage. In the book of Daniel we find allusions to the same Divine
Being as “the Prince of the host” (Dan. 8:11, NKJV), “ ‘the Prince of
princes’ ” (Dan. 8:25, NKJV), “ ‘Messiah the Prince’ ” (Dan. 9:25,
NKJV), and finally as “ ‘Michael, the great prince’ ” (Dan. 12:1,
NASB). So, we should identify Michael also as Christ.
The Old Testament passages considered so far (Job 19:25–27, Ps.
49:15, Ps. 71:20, Isa. 26:19) all speak of the resurrection of righteous
people. But Daniel 12 speaks of a resurrection of both the righteous
and unrighteous. When Michael stands up, “ ‘many of those who sleep
in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to
shame and everlasting contempt’ ” (Dan. 12:2, NKJV).
Many view this verse to be talking about a special resurrection of
certain people, both the faithful and the unfaithful, at Christ’s return.
“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 derided
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.”—Ellen G. White, The Great
Controversy, p. 637.
