Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament… You know what the "firmament" is, you young people. It is the blue vault of Heaven above as. And, you know what the stars are. A little girl described their appearance by saying, "They are gimlet holes in the floor of Heaven, to let some of the light shine through." Of course they are not. They are great worlds, some of them bigger than the world we live in. 1. Let us see that we understand this verse. By "those that are wise," are here meant those who are "wise unto salvation" — those who have the wisdom to hear God's voice and have been led to trust it and obey Him. The New Testament speaks of believers as a great "cloud" of witnesses. Here they are compared to the "firmament" itself — vault of God's great spiritual temple, His purified and glorified Church, far more gloriously "beautiful than the resplendent dome of the sky. By "those that turn many to righteousness" are meant these who are not only wise for themselves, but have wisdom, patience, and love in seeking to bring others also to the love and fear of God. Is not that the noblest kind of life? If you have found the true wisdom yourself, to seek that others may have it too? That is a poor soul who is only careful for himself. The truly noble life is the life which, in gratitude to God, is laid out for the good of others. People often seek to be thought wise among men — to get credit for knowing a great deal more than other people. Be it yours to be accounted wise by God, in knowing Him, and loving Him. For that is the true Wisdom. (C. A. Salmond, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. |
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