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'War and Peace', Tolstoy's epic novel, covers Russian social history during the time of Napoleon. Tolstoy initially intended to write about the Decembrist Uprising of 1825 in which Russian army officers led a revolt of about 3,000 Russian soldiers on December 14, but when he was researching this, Tolstoy was led back to Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and the history of that war. 'War and Peace' was eventually published in serialised form between 1865 and 1869 and was hailed as a new kind of fiction which covered the great themes of life during war time and during peace time.

It was so new and so different that many critics of the day refused to consider it as a novel at all. But history has put its own stamp of approval very firmly on 'War and Peace', which is now considered to be one of the greatest literary achievements of our time. 'War and Peace' continues to be read, studied, filmed, televised, broadcast and performed on the stage.

Times of terrible national stress such as war, often produce amazing artists, poets, writers, photographers and new forms of art or literature. Apocalyptic literature emerged in Israel during the time between the two testaments, from around 200 BCE onwards, a time of great distress and persecution for Jews. This persecution was at its height around 165 BCE, when the Book of Daniel was written, although it is set in the 5th century BCE. Between the testaments, the country was under the vicious control of Antiochus 1V Epiphanes, whose desecration of the temple around 165 BCE sparked the Maccabean revolt. The Book of Daniel was written to strengthen and comfort the Jewish people in their ordeal.

Apocalyptic literature in the Bible is a type of writing which is based on visions revealing the future or disclosing heaven, or both. In this form of writing the present age is seen to be under the rule of evil powers, although these evil powers may be described using code names and the often bizarre imagery used is that of fabulous beasts. Numbers are important too and certain numbers such as three and seven have symbolic significance.

The thrust of apocalyptic literature is that the evil powers will soon be overthrown and destroyed by God, who will usher in a new age of joy and peace and blessings for the faithful. However, this new age will be preceded by intense sufferings and disasters of cosmic proportions.

In the Old Testament, the Book of Daniel is the prime example of apocalyptic writing and in the New Testament the main example is the Book of Revelation. But there are other, shorter examples which appear within other books and today's reading from Mark's gospel is an example of apocalyptic writing, often known as 'The Little Apocalypse.'

The 'desolating sacrilege' of Mark 13:14 echoes Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11 and refers to a previous foreign empire taking over the Jerusalem temple and offering sacrifices there to foreign gods. Both Daniel and Mark were written at around the time that the temple was destroyed by invading powers, Daniel when it was desecrated by the Syrians and Mark when it was destroyed by the Romans.

Today's reading from Daniel 12 is typical of apocalyptic literature. It looks forward to a time when the faithful will be delivered, but warns of anguish prior to that delivery: At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. 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.

'Michael' probably refers to the archangel Michael, who stood in the heavenly assembly on behalf of the Jewish people. The passage then goes on to give a clear statement of belief in life after death, the clearest statement in the Old Testament about resurrection. The author predicts that after death, some will arise to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And he goes on to hint at who will be especially blessed: 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.

In Daniel's eyes, these wise teachers are those who oppose guerrilla tactics against the Syrians, but naturally those who collude with the Syrians are the ones who will awake to everlasting shame and contempt.

Daniel's message, like Jesus' message in Mark's gospel, is to urge the people to keep their trust in God, for God will deliver his people. There will be difficult times ahead, but in the end, those who remain faithful and who rely upon God will be vindicated. Even though they may have a terrible time in this life, in the life to come they can look forward to everlasting life, shining like the stars in the sky.

Today, we ourselves are not in a war situation. Although we may be involved in the 'war against terror', and although it may come close to us at certain times of atrocity, on the whole we are distanced from it. We live in a time of peace and plenty when apocalyptic literature is usually less palatable. Based on apocalyptic literature, many people deride Christianity as 'pie in the sky when you die.' But Jesus himself was at pains to point out that the Kingdom of God can be experienced here and now on this earth as well as after death. The Kingdom of Heaven is both 'here and now' and 'not yet.'

If we were in a state of war, we might regard apocalyptic literature quite differently, for then it would speak again to our own situation.

However we regard this somewhat strange and difficult apocalyptic literature, Daniel's message is clear and stands alone for any circumstance. Trust God and God will deliver. Like Jesus, we may not know how this deliverance will take place. But still like Jesus, if we continue to trust God throughout any ordeal or none, we too will discover resurrection. And that may be in this life or the next, or in both.