Today is the Third-Last Sunday of the church year. In these last three weeks our attention moves towards the end-times, the return of Christ and the Day of Judgment. It can be a scary thought that one day we will have to face God who knows every thing you have done and everything you have said, and not only that, but also everything you have thought in your mind and felt in your heart. Nothing is hidden to the One who judges all mankind justly. It is certainly a frightful thing to have to face God alone with everything about our life exposed to His scrutiny. How could you stand before His presence? The Day of Judgment could certainly be a terrible and shameful day for all of us. How can we be saved from such a fate?
Our Old Testament reading of Daniel 12:1-3 tells us what God does for us. Verse 1: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.” Michael is the chief archangel who stands for the children of Israel in time of conflict. He saw to it that God’s people survived physically and spiritually during the time of their exile in Persia. Satan had tried desperately to destroy them and with them the promise of a Saviour for mankind. Yet, God kept His promise to protect His people, even when they disobeyed Him and ended up captive in the land of Persia. There he sent them his best and strongest angel to protect them.
We, the church, the people of God would also be destroyed spiritually were it not for God’s protecting angels. Not only that, we also have an advocate who intercedes for us before the Heavenly Throne, the One who says: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17, 18)
Do you believe in angels? Today it seems fashionable to believe in angels. In fact, many today have such a fascination with angels that they seem to forget the One who created the angels. They forget that the angels are God’s servants who carry out His orders. If angels should ever becomethea focus of our attention, then we are in danger of honouring them more than the Creator. And we know that the only angels who accept such honour are Satan and his fallen angels who would disguise themselves as harmless protecting, wish-granting angels of light. Thus they divert our devotion away from God and from His promises and direct it to themselves.
If you fear God and worship Him with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:29), God will certainly send His angels to protect you, even without you having to be aware of it. And that is the way it is supposed to be. God, your heavenly Father is the One who deserves your devotion and praise, and not your so-called “guardian angels.” How many times have you been delivered from danger? Therefore it would be wise for us to remember the One who refused the help of angels when He hung on the cross, in order that we might have their unseen support and ministry day after day. Jesus struggled with Satan so that we would be surrounded by angels.
When the Day of Judgment comes near, we are further told that: “there will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of the nations until then.” (Daniel 12:1). Our Epistle lesson records the reason for this distress: It “indicates the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” (Hebrews 12:27) God allows distress to fall upon us from time to time so that we learn to put our trust not in what is temporal, but in the One who is eternal. Distress is meant to lead us to repentance and into the arms of our Saviour.
When it is time for Christ to return on the Day of Judgment there will be a great time of distress, but those whose names are written in the book will be delivered. This most important of all books is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life that has recorded in it all the names of those who will be saved. Some people have a singular obsession their names are written in somebody’s will. But we have learned that we cannot serve God and money and that our real hope is that our names are written in “the book.” But how can I be sure that my name is in that book?
There was once a Christian Welshman called Cadwaladr Jenkins, and that he might not be saved was his constant fear. Then one night he had the most wonderful dream. He was caught up into heaven and he entered a great hall of glory where he saw a table on which lay a huge book. He walked up to the book and opened it, turning the pages to the letter J. He went down with his finger past the James's to the Jenkins's and there, finally, in letters of gold he read the name "Cadwaladr Jenkins." His own name recorded there. He woke up the next morning overwhelmed with joy and walked on air all the morning. At noon the doorbell rang and at the door there stood a stranger who when he spoke to him had an Australian accent. Cadwaladr asked, "Yes, what can I do for you?" The stranger said, "Do you remember many decades ago your father's younger brother emigrated to Australia? " "Yes, I do remember him telling me that," said Cadwaladr. "Well, I am his son, and your cousin." "My cousin?" said a dumb struck Cadwaladr. "I've come back for the first time to meet my family here." "Come in. Come in," said Cadwaladr, "what's your name?" "Well," his cousin said shyly, "my father loved your name so much that he called me Cadwaladr Jenkins too." With that knowledge all the joy and assurance the dream had given the Welshman evaporated in a moment.
This story is to warn you not to hang your hopes on your feelings or on dreams. No one can ever read the Lamb's Book of Life before he enters the dwelling place of the King. But there is another book that you may read and that is the Bible. In the Bible you hear the words of your Saviour, Jesus. There you learn that your name was written on His palms in grace most amazing as he was nailed to the cross. There you find your names written on His heart when He refused to end His sufferings and come down from the cruel cross. For it is not by our efforts that we gain assurance of salvation. Rather, we find that assurance in God’s promise we received when we were Baptized into His Name, the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The words of Jesus now apply to you: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28) As you read your Bible, listen to Jesus’ voice and put your trust in His promises, you will own His promise that your name is written in His Book of Life. This is wonderful news—and there is still more!
The angel addressing Daniel goes on to say: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” Here the angel refers to death as if it were just a kind of sleep. When Jesus walked the earth it was demonstrated three times that even a corpse can “hear” when God is talking and return to life. And when Jesus returns in all His glory to judge the world, all who have died will hear His voice and return to life. Those who thought they could end their wicked lives and the countless miseries they inflicted upon others by killing themselves—and I’m thinking of people like Adolf Hitler—they will find in death not a release from accountability, but the beginning of a horrible nightmare. For they will “awake” from death to face their judge and suffer everlasting shame and contempt.
But let me assure you that God would never ever wish this outcome on anyone, not even a monster like Adolf Hitler. If Hitler had turned to God and confessed his sins, I believe there would have been the great rejoicing in heaven. Rejoicing I say, because a person who had been so deep under the control of Satan had been snatched out of Satan’s grip and set free by love and truth.
Sometimes people ask how a loving God can send anyone to hell. Well, if you read your Bible carefully, you will find that God doesn’t send anyone to hell. Rather, hell is something people choose for themselves as they continually turn away from God’s gracious love and “do not consider themselves worthy of eternal life” (Acts 13:45). I am convinced that on the Day of Judgment, one of our surprises will be to see how utterly gracious God is towards all people, far more reluctant to allow the wicked to enter hell than any of us would be if we were in His position. So let us be careful not to let others colour the God of all grace and mercy as being vindictive and unloving.
For our heavenly Father wishes His people not to suffer shame and contempt, but to “shine like the brightness of the heavens” and “like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3) Those who will shine are described, first of all, as those who are wise. It is wise to put all your trust in God’s promises and to live your life as if they were true. Then you will find an everlasting treasure and you will shine like the stars forever and ever.
Secondly, they are described as “those who lead many to righteousness.” The church has many such luminaries. No Christian has any lack of them. How many “stars” do you have in your life? Who are the people that have brought you to the Lord’s house, who have taught you the love of God in Jesus, who have drawn your attention to God’s promises when you were doubtful of His love? I’m sure there must be many. Furthermore, every one of us who bears the name of Christ is also such a star, shining forth the love that God has shown to us. And that love of God is one of the things that will not be “shaken” or removed from us on the Last Day. For we will go on beaming forth the praises of God forever and ever. Amen.