“But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” 
(Daniel 12:13)

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This promise was given to Daniel in his old age. He was taken captive at a very young age and carried into Babylon (Daniel 1:3-4). He served God faithfully for seventy years in captivity. All that Daniel put his hand to the LORD prospered him (Daniel 2:48; Daniel 5:29; Daniel 6:28). Daniel now faces the prospect and reality of dying, but even in this God made him to realize this would be a blessing not a penalty. “But go thou thy way till the end be.” Several comforting and calming thoughts are found here for believers.

• 1) The time of our life on the earth is determined of God.

“Go thou thy way till the end be.” Surely our days are determined of the LORD (Job 14:5). We shall definitely leave this place, but not until our work is finished. Not until God is pleased to take us home (2nd Corinthians 5:6-9).

• 2) When a believer departs from this life we enter into rest.

“For thou shalt rest,” rest from all toil and labor and rest from the weariness of this sinful flesh (Romans 7:24-25; 2nd Corinthians 5:1-2). The Lord Jesus told the dying thief that He would be in paradise soon, to enjoy eternal rest for his soul (Luke 23:43). Every believer can say with Paul, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” (Philippians 1:23)

• 3) Our soul will be at rest with the LORD and our body will be asleep in the grave waiting for the glorious resurrection morning. 

“Till the end of day” (Daniel 12:2). Often death is referred to as sleep because of the inactivity of the body (John 11:11). But our soul is never said to sleep, it ascribed to being at rest in the LORD (Revelation 6:9).

• 4) We shall everyone stand in judgment at the end of days. 

“And stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” The believer’s allotment is to stand in the blessed merit and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and hear Him say, “Come ye blessed of my Father” (Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:6). The unbeliever will stand in the merit of their unrighteousness and hear Him say, “Depart from me, ye cursed.” (Matthew 25:41)

• 5) Until the end of our days on this earth be.

“Go thy way.” Like Daniel, we continue in faithfulness unto the LORD, waiting with great expectation and comfort, “to be absent from this body and to be present with the Lord” (2nd Corinthians 5:8). God in His grace will furnish us with living comforts along the way (2nd Thessalonians 2:16; Isaiah 40:1-2), and in the end dying grace (2nd Corinthians 12:9-10).

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T. Harding