Daniel 12:3 “And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” NASB
Daniel 12:3 “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” KJB
First wow— the images in this verse are vivid.
The Book of Daniel was written in two languages Hebrew and Aramaic. The beginning and the end chapters are in Hebrew while the middle chapters are in Aramaic. The Book is written after Babylon had defeated Judah and took most of the Israelites into captivity. The first chapters written in Hebrew deal with four young men who were taken into captivity who were in the family of David. We know Daniel by his Hebrew name, but we know his three friends via their Babylonian name which are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These first chapters deal with these three friends being thrown into the fire because they refused to eat the diet that Nebuchadnezzar had ordered them to eat because it had foods that were forbidden by the Torah. While they were in the furnace there was seen a four man with them… and when they were removed from the fire they had not been touched. Daniel would not pray to the Babylonia gods, and he was thrown in the Lion’s Den who were hungry, but none of them touched him.
Then begins the visions of Daniel which talk of the fall of Persia and the Greek empire… neither of which had reached greatness at the time of the Vision. He will then have a vision that concerns the fall of the Roman Empire which did not exist yet, and finally he will have a vision of the last days of this world. These visions are to offer hope for all of God’s people because God will be with them, and he will one day confront the Beast in the final days. In the last vision Michael comes to him to speak of end times. In Matthew 24:21-24 in which Jesus says that God’s people will be delivered. He warns us not to listen to false teachers, and we need to be faithful unto death for God is with us. He states that the world will be in the worst Chaos than it ever has been.
In this verse I presented two translations because I have comparison of verses is a useful tool. The word wise is listed in one translation and the other uses insight. In this context both of these words basically mean a person who has vision, understanding, awareness, intuition, perception, acumen, comprehension, discernment and perceptiveness.
But what does this mean when it comes to the Lord?
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Proverbs provided us an answer. Wisdom begins when we fear, reverence, or respect and in this verse in Proverbs and Daniel 12:3 is how this word is used. I would also like to note that here is a clarity that Knowledge brings us understanding. Knowledge is not information. Information is just facts, but knowledge requires study so that you can understand what those facts actually mean. These days we have a lot of information but little knowledge. We must strive for knowledge.
This verse in Daniel goes on to say that these will lead many people to God because God will shine thru them as vivid as the stars. Remember the sun is also a star.
What does this verse mean for us?
I hear rumbling from many that we are in the last days, and that the tribulation will come soon. Those thoughts can cause fear and can cause joy… because thoughts of how can I deal with it if it happens in my lifetime brings anxious thoughts. The joy comes from us knowing that Christ is coming soon and God will be with us.
We need to forget about either thought because no matter what God is with us, and we need to be a witness to who Jesus is all of our days. We also can rejoice in the faith that Jesus will return, but we do not know the day of that event. We can have joy in knowing he will come.
In the meantime, we need to stay faithful to our Lord. “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” (Phil 4:4) Give love and patience to each we meet. Be forgiving as we have been forgiven. Pray often with our praises and with our needs. Trust the Lord, and know that He is always with us. No matter what others will say about our Lord because those that do not know the Lord will not understand. They have information and do not have knowledge of Him.
Today’s question:
How will you live this day?
Ever in Christ’s Love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
February 28, 2024 & July 1, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 