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From: Daniel 12:1-3

The Resurrection of the Dead

[1] “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your peo-
ple. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was
a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be delivered, every one
whose name shall be found written in the book. [2] And many of those who sleep
in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame
and everlasting contempt. [3] And those who are wise shall shine like the bright-
ness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars
for ever and ever.

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Commentary:

12:1-4. The prophecy ends by announcing the deliverance of the people of God
through the mediation Michael, the angel protector of Israel. The names written in
the book symbolize those who are truly the people of God — those whom God re-
gards as his people because they have stayed faithful to him. There is no mention
now of the everlasting kingdom on earth that we heard of in 2:44 and 7:14, but
one presumes that there will be one, for those who were dead will rise, either to
have a share in that kingdom or else to suffer the punishment they deserve. The
new situation in which the good and the wicked find themselves will never change
again: it will he forever. Those who will shine brightest are those who knew and
taught the Law — those who “turn many to righteousness” (v. 3), not the martyrs.
The book of Daniel goes further than the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel went. They
spoke symbolically of a resurgence of the people in terms of a resurrection (cf.
Is 26:19; Ezek 37); in Daniel as in 2 Maccabees 7:14, 29 the resurrection is real,
not symbolic: “God reveals the resurrection of the dead to his people progress-
sively. Hope in the bodily resurrection of the dead established itself as a conse-
quence intrinsic to faith in God as creator of the whole man, soul and body. The
creator of heaven and earth is also the one who faithfully maintains his covenant
with Abraham and his posterity. It was in this double perspective that faith in the
resurrection came to be expressed” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 992).

Moreover, Daniel proclaims the resurrection not only of martyrs (as happens in 2
Maccabees) but of all, for that is what the word “many” (v. 2) means. The Church,
too, in the light of Jesus’ teaching, believes that “all the dead will rise, ‘those who
have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the
resurrection of judgment’ (Jn 5:29; cf. Dan 12:2)” (ibid., 998).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18

Christ’s Offering of Himself Has Infinite Value (Continuation)

[11] And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sa-
crifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But when Christ had offered for all
time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, [13] then to
wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. [14] For by a single of-
fering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

[18] Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

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Commentary:

11-14. Teaching given elsewhere in the letter (8:5; 9:9-10, 12-13, 25; 10:14) is
now reiterated in order to show the universal efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice. Howe-
ver, here it is expounded by comparing the posture of the Old Testament priests
with that of Christ. They did in fact have to STAND in the presence of Yahweh,
offering victims repeatedly. Standing was the correct posture for servants and
employees. The reference is to Old Testament priests who repeatedly, every
day, went through the same motions and offered the same sacrifices. By con-
trast, Christ, as is stated in Psalm 110:1, after his Ascension is seated at the
right hand of God the Father (see notes on Mt 16:19 and Heb 1:3). In addition to
conveying the idea of repose and rest, being seated would be equivalent to recei-
ving royal investiture or to exercising authority (cf. Heb 7:26; 8:1); also, a king’s
chief minister or heir used to sit on the right of the king, as in a place of special
honor (cf. Mt 26:24; Mk 14: 62; Lk 26:69); and it might be pointed out that David
pitched his tent to the right of the tabernacle: cf. 2 Sam 7:18). What has hap-
pened is that by virtue of the efficacy of his single sacrifice, Christ has taken pos-
session of heaven for ever more and has merited royal dignity; all that remains to
happen, and it shall happen, is for all his enemies to submit to him (cf. 1 Cor 15:
25-28). So fruitful is his sacrifice that those who take part in it, “those who have
been sanctified”, are thereby perfected: they obtain forgiveness of sins, purity of
conscience, access to and union with God. In other words, the source of holi-
ness in men is the sacrifice of Calvary.

15-18. The last proof of the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of
sins is based on this passage of Jeremiah 31:33-34, already quoted in 8: 10-12.
The letter is insisting on the spiritual character of the New Covenant—ratified with
the blood of Christ—which is impressed on the hearts and minds of men. And it
is also emphasizing the effects of this Covenant—forgiveness of sins by God.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.