This week, we read the final chapter in the book of Daniel. This reading is a portion of three chapters describing Daniel’s final vision.
Although Daniel is best known for his time in the lion’s den, scholars have studied his prophetic writings and have tried to decode their meanings for centuries.
Let us now turn to the Book of Daniel, chapter 12 and read a portion of Daniel’s final prophesy....
Scripture Daniel 12:1-3, 5-13
“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank.
One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”
The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.
Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
“As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen
Let us pray...may the words....
Sermon End of Days
In a few minutes, we will say the words of the Apostle's Creed together. After I came to Trinity, Ned told me that previously there had been a tradition at Trinity that our congregation said the Apostle’s Creed on Sundays we celebrated Holy Communion. At some point the practice had fallen by the wayside. I didn’t object to saying the Creed together, so I added it to our monthly Communion Service. In my life of faith, and in my years of ministry, I have found it helpful to learn creeds and say them together.... even if we don’t believe in every portion or concept of the creed, it is helpful to have a basic list of Christian ideas to work towards. The Creeds are Christianity 101.
One of the portions of the Apostle’s Creed I have always found a little tricky, at least in my faith life, is the part that says, "I believe in the Resurrection of the Body.” Most UCC members believe in Jesus’ resurrection. But, the Apostle’s Creed isn’t talking about Jesus’ resurrection here. It is talking about OUR resurrections – a theological concept that all people will experience a bodily resurrection at the end of human time and will then be judged for our life’s sins and activities... Depending on how the judging goes, we will then enter Heaven and live with God into eternity.
Some theologians have interpreted the bodily resurrection as something that will literally happen. When religious groups embrace this concept, they want people’s bodies to not be embalmed or cremated after they die, so that their body is ready to be reanimated when the “Resurrection of the body” occurs.
Other theologians, even ones who lived long ago, wrote about the resurrection of the body being more communal than individual. Origen of Alexander, who lived from 185 to 253 AD, wrote that after we die, all souls will be received into Heaven. When the time comes for the resurrection of the body, we will all become part of Jesus’ resurrected body. So, Jesus will be the “head” of the body, and our souls will unite to make up the rest of the body. Our individual selves will merge into the body of Christ.
In the Bible, the earliest mention of the bodily resurrection comes from today’s passage in the book of Daniel. We read: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” This prophesy comes from one of Daniel’s dreams; we don’t know if Daniel intended, or God intended, us to take this passage as something that would literally happen. Certainly, other portions of Daniel’s dreams are intended to be taken as symbolic—last week, we focused on his dream of eagle-winged lions and four headed leopards which are believed to represent ancient empires and rulers. But, no one believes rulers will actually grow eagle’s wings and turn into lions or become leopards with four heads.
The dreams and prophecies of Daniel are strange, and beautiful, and mysterious and odd. Despite their sometimes scary symbolism, there is a uniting theme: Things are bad now, things are going to be bad for a while more, and then God is going to make everything right.
Daniel lived in a time of fear and exile. He and his fellow exiles didn’t know if when or if they would return to their homeland of Judah. The kingdom of Babylon was also constantly under attack, so they didn’t know if peace would ever prevail in their midst. They longed for God to make everything right.
Daniel was written down in the 2nd century. During the time it was written, Israel was ruled by the Greek Seleucid Empire. The Israeli people wanted to rule and control their own land. They longed for God to make everything right.
In our own time, we face a lot of stress and uncertainty. The war in Ukraine has lingered for years. Israel is in turmoil. People are still getting Covid. Up-coming elections are making some people combative and other people nervous. We long for God to make everything right.
Daniel ends on a hopeful note. Everyone who has suffered and longed for peace will be rewarded. God will gather up God’s people, those alive now and those who have lived before, and we will all receive prosperity, love and hope. God will make everything right.
When we are facing difficult situations and choices in our personal lives and in our communal lives, we can easily forget that our faith is a faith of promise. We have a God who loves us more than we can possibly understand. God doesn’t always intervene to make our lives easier or free of stress, but God supports us as we work to get things right in our lives. God guides and sustains us. And, the promise of our faith is that God will lead us, and God’s people, into better futures, better tomorrows, and better outcomes got all people. God will make everything right.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment