Daniel 12:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

DANIEL CHAPTER 12 Michael shall deliver Israel out of trouble: the general resurrection and recompence of the just and unjust, Daniel 12:1-4. Daniel heareth the times, but understandeth not: he is bid to wait the end, which shall be in his favour, Daniel 12:5-13. Many interpret this of the heat of Antiochus's persecution, but their arguments are not cogent; but the meaning is this, as after the death of Antiochus the Jews had some deliverance and respite, so there will be yet a more famous deliverance to the people of God when Michael your prince, i.e. Messiah the Prince, shall signally appear for your salvation. He is called the great Prince; but these words in their contexture refer not to the times of Antiochus, but to antichrist, and to that part of them which are the last part. Yet I think the truest meaning is to interpret these words, at that time, of all the time of Christ, from his first coming to the last. These all are the last times wherein God spake to us by his Son, Hebrews 1:1-3, to which Michael answers well, i.e. who is like God, which notes his equality with God, Philippians 2:6. It was necessary Christ should now appear as a Prince to comfort his people against the oppression of Herod and the Romans, by bringing in a glorious salvation, which should wholly free the elect Israel of God from the Roman yoke, both under the persecuting emperors and under antichrist. Every one that shall be found written in the book: thus this election is called by a metaphor usual in Scripture, and drawn from the usage of men in many cases, namely, writing some select men's names in a book; showing that this salvation shall not be national neither to Jews nor any Gentile nation, but only a gathering together of the elect of God which are scattered abroad, called therefore a remnant, Ro 9.