Many Will Rush Back and Forth and Knowledge Will Increase

At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape.  Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt. Those who have insight will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.  "But you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam about, and knowledge will increase."  Daniel 12:1-4

These are some of the final words of prophecy that the angel disclosed to the prophet Daniel in the last chapter of the book of Daniel.  There are some very interesting bits of information regarding the end times that Daniel is given in the prophetic pronouncement.  Let’s look at these four verses briefly and break them down.

“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up.”   The previous chapter included the angel relating to Daniel a prophecy concerning the coming antichrist during the seven year tribulation. So, “at that time” refers to the last days, the seven years of the tribulation period, just prior to the millennial kingdom period.  Michael is described as the “prince” (archangel) that “watches over your people”.  So we learn here that the archangel Michael is assigned as the protector of the Jewish people (Daniel’s people).  Michael “rises up”, and we find out in the book of Revelation exactly why Michael is rising up.  He is going to do battle with Satan and his demons and cast them out of heaven for good.
“Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought,  but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.  So the great dragon was thrown out -- the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.”  Revelation 12:7-9

“There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time.”  This time of distress is called the time of Jacob’s trouble which is the final three and a half years of the seven year tribulation period.  It is a time of distress because Satan, through the antichrist and the false prophet, attempts to destroy the Jewish people (Israel). The book of Revelation in chapter twelve describes Satan as the “dragon”, and Israel as “the woman” which had given birth to the Messiah.  “
“When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male child.”  Revelation 12:13
“Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.”  Jeremiah 30:7

“But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape.”  The “book” being referred to here is the Lamb’s book of Life.  In it are written all the names of everyone ever to exist on earth.  Those who choose to reject Jesus have their names blotted out or erased from the book.  Only the names of those who accept Jesus as Lord will be found written in the Lamb’s book of Life.  
"In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5

“Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt.”  The term “sleep in the dust” does not refer to what is known as soul sleep, a belief that a person’s soul is unconscious and unaware while in death.  A person’s soul remains conscious and aware even after death.  To “sleep in the dust” is simply a euphemism for the body being dead and buried in the ground, appearing to be asleep.  The Bible teaches that every person will be resurrected after death, both soul and body.  Those who are found righteous will receive glorified bodies and be given eternal life.  The unrighteous will also be resurrected, however will not receive a glorified body as the righteous will.  The Bible never teaches that the unrighteous receive a “glorified” or otherwise modified body.  They will be judged at the great white throne judgement, and if their names are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life they will face “disgrace and eternal contempt” (shame and object of everlasting repulsion)  in the lake of fire.  They will be cast into the lake of fire, body and soul, where they will experience torment and then be consumed in the fire of God’s righteous judgement. 
“Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.  I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. ... And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-12, 15
"Don't fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Matthew 10:28

“Those who have insight will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”  Those who have insight (understanding), basically the righteous, will “shine” like the stars at night in the sky.  Those who lead others to righteousness will blaze like stars forever and ever.  Jesus uses this same metaphor in the book of Matthew to describe the righteous who dwell in God’s kingdom.  We will exist in the new heaven and new earth with the Lord, and there will be no need for the Sun, Moon, and stars because the Lord will provide the light.  We will reflect His glory for all eternity.
"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.”  Matthew 13:43
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”  Revelation 21:23

"But you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end.”  Daniel was instructed to seal the book and keep the words secret until the time of the end.  In contrast, John was told to make the book of Revelation known.  However, we are also told that in the end times the book of Daniel will be unsealed, and the words of the book will be made known.  Those who seek out God’s Word will understand, and the Holy Spirit will give understanding to those who ask.  The Holy Spirit will give understanding to believers in the end times to correctly interpret and understand the prophecies recorded in the book of Daniel.
“Then he said to me, "Don't seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.”  Revelation 22:10
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”  John 14:26

“Many will roam about, and knowledge will increase."  “Many will roam about” is translated in other versions as “run to and fro” or “rush about back and forth” which is probably a better translation.  It is interpreted as in the end times, people will travel about more, roaming around the planet.  However, it is actually more than just that.  The Hebrew words give the image of rowing a boat, and in actuality the root words come from the words “row” and “lash or whip”.  So it more accurately gives the image of men rowing a boat frantically as a taskmaster lashes them with a whip.  The “roaming about” becomes “frantically rushing here and there”, which is a much better description of this day and age where people seem to be coming and going at the same time, rushing around from one appointment to the next.  The end times are also characterized by an increase in “knowledge”.  The Hebrew word for increase used here implies to increase exceedingly, as to multiply.   It has been estimated that human knowledge has doubled approximately every century until 1900, but by 1945 it doubled every 25 years, and by 1982, every 12-13 months.  With the recent advent and implementation of Artificial intelligence (AI), it is now estimated that human knowledge is doubling approximately every 12-13 hours.  Take a second and let that sink in.  In the end times, knowledge is without a doubt increasing.  The question is, what will mankind do with all that knowledge?
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard about it, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all perseverance and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”  Colossians 1:9-12