“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:1-2 KJV)
This is a Scripture passage from Daniel’s prophecy of human history and God’s timetable known as Daniel’s 70 week Prophecy. I will not expand on Daniel’s Prophecy in this article but it showcases God’s timetable for human history, even to the days we now live in.
At the time in our future, just after Antichrist will declares that he is god in the Temple in Jerusalem (which is soon to be rebuilt!), we see what comes next in Daniel’s prophecy. We know this because Daniel 12 starts with ‘At the time’. What time? Well, we have to go back into the previous chapters to see that.That is how we know the time frame. This passage tells us that at this time in human history, the Antichrist is ruling and when the Tribulation period is over, Christ is going to return to Earth to setup His 1000 year Kingdom Age on Earth.
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is not in view in this passage. In Daniel 12:2, Daniel was being told that after the Great Tribulation (the last 3.5 years of the 7 year Tribulation period), at Christ’s physical return to the Earth, that the Old Testament believers will be raised up to everlasting life while unbelievers will awaken to shame and everlasting contempt.
This is not Church Age believers being resurrected who are The Bride of Christ from our current church age (The Dispensation of Grace) who at this point were already previously raised at the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. It is clear by context that Daniel is speaking about the nation Israel and so, Old Testament believers who will rise and also those martyred for their faith by the Antichrist (Jew or gentile) during the 7 year Tribulation Period.
Now, those who became and remained believers in Christ and His true Second Coming after the Pre-Tribulation Rapture in the Tribulation Period (as the 144,000 and 2 witnesses will be preaching at that time) who die (most will be martyred by beheading from Antichrist) will be Raptured at the same time of Christ’s return and setting His feet on the ground.In Matthew 25, we also see what happens in this time frame when Christ returns to Earth at His Second Coming and the Sheep and Goats judgment will take place. The Sheep and Goat judgement of the nations at that time will be judged just after Christ returns.
Old Testament Saints and Tribulation Saints will be brought back to life and will serve/reign in the 1000 year Kingdom Of God on Earth.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4 KJV)
Survivors of the Great Tribulation will remain in mortal bodies with long lives and will repopulate the Earth during the 1000 year Kingdom Age to come.
