Dan 12:3 | KingComments | STEP | Among those who form the faithful, God-fearing remnant, “those who have insight” have a special place ( ). During their lives they have taken that place among the people and they take that place in the heavenly part of the kingdom of peace when it has come. We can see that from the way they are presented. They “shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven” and “like the stars”. This place they will receive as a reward for their service on earth. They will also be signposts in the firmament in the kingdom of peace, giving directions for life on earth. Through their service on earth “those who have insight” have led “the many to righteousness”. They were taught by and from the Lord Jesus, and by this they got insight and obtained understanding and wisdom. This understanding and this wisdom have been of great importance in a time of enormous trials and temptations of all kinds. They have been able to teach the believers the right way, that is the way of the righteous. Leading the many to righteousness means that they have taught many how to live righteously. It will be clear that the leading to righteousness of others is not meant to teach the way in which one can be justified before God. How a man can be righteous with God is discussed in detail in the letter to the Romans. But the doctrine of righteousness before God does not stop with the knowledge a person has that God no longer sees sin in him. The latter is an important and necessary teaching and must first be known and accepted. But it must be followed by a righteous life, which is a life in which God gets what He is due and in which people get what they are due. It is about the teaching by those with insight and that they show how to live in a world in which doing unrighteousness is the most natural thing, must live as one for whom doing righteousness is the most natural thing. Understanding and wisdom are especially needed in the end time, that is the time in which we live. That is why it is also important for us to let our minds be shaped by and be taught in wisdom. This is only possible at the feet of the Lord Jesus. He is the perfect Understanding and Wise. Those who have insight are also those who can teach others, who can pass on their wisdom to others. Paul writes in his second letter to Timothy, a letter about the end time, that people are needed who are able to teach others ( ). Those who have insight are people who have been taught and who also teach themselves. The end time is so corrupt that we need God-fearing people more than ever who can make a distinction between good and evil. In the end time in which we live, these things are reversed. Evil is called good and good is called evil ( ). If we think we can decide for ourselves, we have already been affected by this reversal ( ). This difference must be made clear to us. We only learn this in the presence of God. With this announcement about those who have insight, the explanation to Daniel about the things to come has come to an end. The kingdom of peace as such is not a part of what Daniel has been told. He is the prophet in the times of the nations. What concerns him is how his people will fare during those times. That is what has been told to him and that is what we have been told by him. The comments that follow are instructions to Daniel on what to do with what has been made known to him. A few more questions arise from that and there will be an answer to that as well.

‏ Daniel 12:3

Those Who Have Insight

Among those who form the faithful, God-fearing remnant, “those who have insight” have a special place (Dan 11:33 ; 35). During their lives they have taken that place among the people and they take that place in the heavenly part of the kingdom of peace when it has come. We can see that from the way they are presented. They “shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven” and “like the stars”. This place they will receive as a reward for their service on earth. They will also be signposts in the firmament in the kingdom of peace, giving directions for life on earth.

Through their service on earth “those who have insight” have led “the many to righteousness”. They were taught by and from the Lord Jesus, and by this they got insight and obtained understanding and wisdom. This understanding and this wisdom have been of great importance in a time of enormous trials and temptations of all kinds. They have been able to teach the believers the right way, that is the way of the righteous. Leading the many to righteousness means that they have taught many how to live righteously.

It will be clear that the leading to righteousness of others is not meant to teach the way in which one can be justified before God. How a man can be righteous with God is discussed in detail in the letter to the Romans. But the doctrine of righteousness before God does not stop with the knowledge a person has that God no longer sees sin in him. The latter is an important and necessary teaching and must first be known and accepted. But it must be followed by a righteous life, which is a life in which God gets what He is due and in which people get what they are due. It is about the teaching by those with insight and that they show how to live in a world in which doing unrighteousness is the most natural thing, must live as one for whom doing righteousness is the most natural thing.

Understanding and wisdom are especially needed in the end time, that is the time in which we live. That is why it is also important for us to let our minds be shaped by and be taught in wisdom. This is only possible at the feet of the Lord Jesus. He is the perfect Understanding and Wise. Those who have insight are also those who can teach others, who can pass on their wisdom to others. Paul writes in his second letter to Timothy, a letter about the end time, that people are needed who are able to teach others (2Tim 2:2).

Those who have insight are people who have been taught and who also teach themselves. The end time is so corrupt that we need God-fearing people more than ever who can make a distinction between good and evil. In the end time in which we live, these things are reversed. Evil is called good and good is called evil (Isa 5:20). If we think we can decide for ourselves, we have already been affected by this reversal (Isa 5:21). This difference must be made clear to us. We only learn this in the presence of God.

With this announcement about those who have insight, the explanation to Daniel about the things to come has come to an end. The kingdom of peace as such is not a part of what Daniel has been told. He is the prophet in the times of the nations. What concerns him is how his people will fare during those times. That is what has been told to him and that is what we have been told by him. The comments that follow are instructions to Daniel on what to do with what has been made known to him. A few more questions arise from that and there will be an answer to that as well.