Ending Well

March 7th

Read: Daniel 12

Ending Well

“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.” (v.2)

Endings matter. They are a part of every created thing. It is only God that is eternal and HIS Kingdom has no end. Even for us as Gods children, there is an “ending” that must precede our entering into eternal life. There is a death to self that must take place before we are fit to take hold of the eternal life being given us in Christ:

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:3)

“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:19,20)

In this way, death is the doorway into new life. This begs an age old question: would you want to know when YOUR end was? Would it be a blessing or a curse to know the when and the how of our “passing away”? There is a clue buried here in the ending of Daniel. It is my hunch that this sort of knowledge would bring more heart ache than it would comfort. I believe that in our curiosity we long to know how things end… and when… but I am not convinced it is what is best for us. Look at what Daniel says in this passage: “I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” (v.8) Daniel wants to know when and how the end will come. He echo’s the word’s of an angelic being on the other side of the river; “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” (v.6) You see, those of us on “this side” of the river want to know when it all ends… and the knowledge is held by God on the other side of the river. All we know is that he will be there to carry us across when it is time. The Arch Angel Michael’s answer is cryptic- “time, times, and half a time”. (v.7) In short - we don’t get to know exactly.

It is ironic to come back writing to you all in the midst of a war beginning. Reading the book of Daniel we have seen the way that kingdoms have fought each other since the dawn of time. We are probably asking ourselves the same questions as Daniel… “When will this end?” “What is going to happen?” “Will this be the death of us?” Couple this with the remnants of a health scare like Covid, and you have many people wondering about “the end” and afraid of death. What is God’s answer for us as his people?

“He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly…But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” (v.9,10,13)

God calls us to “keep on trucking”. He tells us to “go your way”. Sometimes in life we want to know all the details and God asks us t keep walking and moving forward on the path he has given us. This is “going our way”. It is not wrong to ask, but there are times when the Lord will say, that information is “shut up and sealed until the time of the end”. He calls us to find comfort in this: one day we will “rest and stand in our allotted place”. We shall not “cross the river” until God calls us. He will not call us to another world until he is done with us here. We are the ones who “purify ourselves and make ourselves white and refined”. We are the ones who will “awake to everlasting life”. (v. 2) In the end - the Lord will ask us to handover our work to the next generation. He will look at us and tell us, “ You don’t need to worry anymore, you are free… go your way… take hold of the rest and place waiting for you on the other side. You leave worrying about the end to someone else. The book is already written. You have done your work… now let others come and take your place.”

May we find comfort in the midst of uncertainty knowing no one but God can add or take away a day of our lives. May we find assurance in knowing that God will not call us from this life into the next until it is our time… and when it Jesus will carry us to the “other side of the river”. May we be willing to labor for righteousness and refinement as we walk along “our way”. Lord, give us contentment when we do not understand… trusting you have already “sealed it in your book” and it will all come out in the end. In short - let us “end well”. Love you guys. - JDP