All humanity will be resurrected for either everlasting life or everlasting judgment.
Daniel, who prophesied during the Babylonian captivity (circa 605-539 BC), shares a profound revelation in “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (v.2). By using the imagery of ‘sleep in the dust,’ he indicates that all humanity is subject to mortality, yet each person will ultimately face a resurrection. This signals that physical death does not mark the end of God’s plan. Instead, it points forward to a future awakening, a theme echoed in later scriptures where resurrection becomes central to hope for both Israel and believers in Christ, such as in John 5:28-29.
The verse also highlights a division of destinies: “these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (v.2). Heaven’s eternal reward and the consequences of choosing to reject God stand in stark contrast. While God has always been consistent in His righteous judgments, the notion of some receiving “everlasting contempt” underscores the seriousness of disregarding His truth. At the same time, it proclaims the promise of “everlasting life” for those who remain faithful—an assurance that resonates with believers and is firmly taught by Jesus and His apostles, for example, in Matthew 25:46.
Daniel, living in exile under foreign rule, would have found immense comfort and courage in knowing that the story does not end with worldly powers' dominance. Instead, it ultimately climaxed in the revelation of a grand, eternal outcome, where God’s kingdom prevails. Christians interpret this, in light of the New Testament, as referring to the final resurrection and judgment described in Revelation 20. The reference to both life and contempt clarifies that no one remains neutral in eternity.
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Daniel 12:2 meaning
Daniel, who prophesied during the Babylonian captivity (circa 605-539 BC), shares a profound revelation in “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (v.2). By using the imagery of ‘sleep in the dust,’ he indicates that all humanity is subject to mortality, yet each person will ultimately face a resurrection. This signals that physical death does not mark the end of God’s plan. Instead, it points forward to a future awakening, a theme echoed in later scriptures where resurrection becomes central to hope for both Israel and believers in Christ, such as in John 5:28-29.
The verse also highlights a division of destinies: “these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (v.2). Heaven’s eternal reward and the consequences of choosing to reject God stand in stark contrast. While God has always been consistent in His righteous judgments, the notion of some receiving “everlasting contempt” underscores the seriousness of disregarding His truth. At the same time, it proclaims the promise of “everlasting life” for those who remain faithful—an assurance that resonates with believers and is firmly taught by Jesus and His apostles, for example, in Matthew 25:46.
Daniel, living in exile under foreign rule, would have found immense comfort and courage in knowing that the story does not end with worldly powers' dominance. Instead, it ultimately climaxed in the revelation of a grand, eternal outcome, where God’s kingdom prevails. Christians interpret this, in light of the New Testament, as referring to the final resurrection and judgment described in Revelation 20. The reference to both life and contempt clarifies that no one remains neutral in eternity.