We begin with the keeping of records: whether on tablets of clay or stone, or scrolls of papyrus or parchment. One generation records its deeds for the education and enrichment of another. This is how we did it, and these are things you should know. It’s a step beyond word of mouth. Wisdom accumulates through record keeping; and before you know it, multiple generations are involved in a common project of accumulating knowledge that we call “civilization.”
Record keeping creates its own problems: as information accumulates it becomes harder to find. We get a little glimpse of this in the Book of Ezra, where King Darius of Persia is trying to find the record of a law made during the reign of King Cyrus. They searched high and low in the royal archive in Babylon, but only found it, after a struggle, in the archive of a neighboring town. The decree about the re-building of the Temple in Jerusalem had been made some time before, but nobody remembered it; or at least, no one was certain. Not until they searched the record did they discover the royal policy, ensuring continuity over time in their civilization.
Ancient Israel kept records too. We hardly need to mention the Ten Commandments, inscribed on stone by the finger of God. The Book of Ezra, which told the story of the mislaid records of the Persian Empire, also meticulously records the names of the people and families who returned from exile in Babylon; and the gifts made to furnish the rebuilt Temple; even the names of the foreign officials who objected to the work! All of them were written in the book. Ancient Israel was “keeping score,” literally, and record keeping was the key.
In our first reading this morning, from the Book of Daniel, we have just part of a vision that the prophet has by the Tigris river, in Babylon where he’s in exile. An angel appears to him, with a message of deliverance. It’s the reign of King Cyrus, and the angel tells him that the People of God in exile will return to Jerusalem and to the promised land. In the time of Darius there will be a great conflict between Michael the archangel and the forces of the enemy. “There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book” (Dan. 12:1).
You see how important record keeping was in ancient Israel. This book is “the book of remembrance” (Mal. 3:16) that the prophet Malachi talks about; it’s also called “the book of life” (Rev. 20:12) in the Revelation of John. In short, God remembers the lives of his servants; their names are recorded in the book of life. “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book” (Dan. 12:1), as it says in our reading.
There’s an earlier vision in the prophecy of Daniel, however, that we don’t want to lose sight of either. The prophet has a vision of God enthroned, surrounded by the heavenly hosts. It’s a bit like the vision that accompanies the call of the prophet Isaiah. “His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence… The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:9-10).
Not one book, but at least two. Remember, it’s a scene of judgment, of distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous. Even Ezra kept score in his accounting. Daniel’s vision suggests that if there is a book of life, there is also its opposite. The Revelation of John says that “all were judged according to what they had done” (Rev. 20:13). Pause for thought, if you ask me. For us, it’s important to remember that no one knows the final result of this accounting, short of the judgment; also to remember that it is God who judges, and not us. “Judge not” Jesus says, “lest ye be judged” (Matt. 7:1).
Our vision from Daniel this morning leaves us with the book of life, however: the record of those who are delivered. “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). This is the promise of the Gospel: that Jesus will raise us to the new life of resurrection. There is a judgment ahead, yes, but this is good news, as God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. The world may forget the deeds of the saints; empires may lose track in their archives; but God does not forget his People, and he will not forget you.