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Series Code: DAA
Program Code: DAA000011A
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00:03 Music...
00:25 And we welcome you once again to this final installment 00:28 in our Daniel All Access Series. 00:32 Thank you for joining us during this time together, 00:36 I pray that you have been informed and inspired 00:40 as we've taken a look at this book of Daniel. 00:43 It certainly has not been an exhaustive look 00:46 but we've tried to look at the persons... the places... 00:51 the times... and the interplay between God and man 00:56 and the prophetic landscape as portrayed for us 01:01 by this wonderful man of God named Daniel. 01:05 We've chosen to combine chapters 10 and 12 01:10 because truly they circle in an orbit around chapter 11. 01:16 Chapter 10, I see, as preparatory 01:20 to the events in chapter 11 01:23 and chapter 12 an epilogue to the book 01:27 and to the writings of Daniel 01:28 so, this particular sermon "Touched by an Angel" 01:32 or "He Touched me" 01:34 circles in the orbit of chapter 11 01:37 chapter 11... 01:38 and we have chosen to combine them both. 01:41 Daniel has been serving for a long period of time. 01:47 When we met him, he was a young man 01:50 taken captive with Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael... 01:54 you know them as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 01:58 taken captive and taken to the Court of Babylon 02:02 to be in service for the king. 02:06 It was his intention to take them 02:09 to turn them into Chaldeans... to get service from them 02:15 He chose the select of Israel, the best looking, blemish-free, 02:21 intelligent, 02:22 and they were intended to be used in the service of the king 02:28 and so, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego 02:31 along with others were taken captive to Babylon. 02:35 We meet them again, as I said, as a young man... 02:39 he is in his teens and he has served now 02:43 as we come down to the end of his time with us 02:46 and his writing of this book... he served for many, many years. 02:50 Nebuchadnezzar sat on the throne some 40 plus years 02:54 Daniel serving through most of that time... 02:58 certainly much of that time 02:59 and then followed by a succession 03:02 of three additional kings that he was called to serve under. 03:07 In each incident, 03:09 it is interesting to note that Daniel found favor 03:12 in the heart and mind of each of these rulers. 03:15 Two in Babylon... two more in Persia, 03:19 each found him worthy of honor 03:23 because of the spirit that was within him. 03:26 He served, as I said, a long, long time. 03:30 He had suffered through attempts on his life, 03:33 he suffered through attempts on his ministry, 03:36 he suffered through attempts on his working... 03:39 his job standing... 03:40 he suffered through attempts on his life 03:45 that pertained to his religion, his religious beliefs 03:49 and yet God has been faithful to Him 03:51 as he has been faithful to God for these many, many years 03:57 and none of those attempts succeeded. 03:59 You know of the Lions' Den experience 04:02 and so many other experiences where his faith was assaulted 04:09 and his leadership was assaulted but in each case, 04:13 God saw him through. 04:15 It is a testimony to us today to know and understand 04:20 that when we stand up for the Lord, 04:22 the Lord truly does stand up for us 04:24 and we see that played out in a very wonderful way 04:29 in the life of Daniel the prophet. 04:33 So, now at the end of two empires 04:35 and four kings... of service, 04:39 we come now to Daniel chapter 10 04:42 but before we actually go into the book, 04:45 shall we ask God's blessing upon us? 04:48 "Gracious Father, how we praise you and thank you 04:54 as we have read these chapters from the book of Daniel, 04:58 we have seen how you have protected your servant 05:03 and we are given encouragement to know 05:06 that when we stand up for you, 05:08 you have promised to stand up for us. 05:12 Christ has indeed said, 05:14 "If you stand up for me before men on this earth, 05:17 I will stand for you before my Father which is in heaven. " 05:21 We see that played out in a beautiful and marvelous way 05:24 here in the book of Daniel 05:27 and as we look at these last two chapters, 05:30 be pleased, dear Lord, to give us you presence and your power, 05:34 teach us... help us to know and understand 05:38 these words that are of such import to the modern-day church 05:42 written so many, many years and centuries 05:47 before the birth of Christ 05:48 and yet so pertinent to us today. 05:52 Help us dear Father, 05:54 because we need you each and every day of our lives... 05:58 those of us who live now on the threshold of eternity 06:02 help us to look back and in looking back 06:06 to see our way to a bright and glorious future 06:10 that lies ahead of us all, 06:12 in Christ Jesus, amen and amen. " 06:16 Turn with me if you will now to Daniel chapter 10. 06:21 We move into this wonderful book of God 06:27 Daniel chapter 10 06:30 and we will combine our study of chapter 10 06:34 as I mentioned with chapter 12. 06:39 Daniel chapter 10 is really a rather straight-forward chapter. 06:48 After going through the complexities, dare I say, 06:53 of Daniel chapter 11, 06:56 chapter 10 is kind of refreshing 06:59 and since it precedes Daniel chapter 11, 07:05 it is sort of a breath of fresh air 07:08 before we hunker down into the complexities 07:11 of the following chapter. 07:13 So, you know, it is a rather straight-forward chapter. 07:17 Note in Daniel chapter 10 07:20 the lack of symbolism 07:22 as has dominated so much of the book of Daniel. 07:26 No beasts, no horns in this chapter... 07:30 no complex time considerations and calculations... 07:35 no 2,300 days... no 1,260... no 1,290... 07:40 no 1,335... 07:41 no 457 B.C. alluded to 07:45 a fairly straight-forward chapter 07:48 and, of course, we're heading into this complex chapter 07:51 which we've looked at already but Daniel is being prepped now 07:57 for what is going to happen in chapter 11. 07:59 You must look at it in that context 08:02 although we've taken time to sort of reverse our roles 08:05 and we put chapter 11 first because it is so complex 08:08 and because we're combining chapters 10 and 12 08:12 but think of it in terms of... 08:14 Daniel is being prepped for the last of his great visions 08:19 which takes place in Daniel chapter 11. 08:22 So, he is being prepped and if truth be told, 08:26 we too are being prepped for what is going to happen 08:29 in Daniel chapter 11. 08:32 Again, no beasts... no horns... 08:35 no complex time calculation... 08:39 Daniel chapter 10 is a fairly straight forward 08:43 piece of preaching and prophecy and part of this book 08:48 that gives us the chance to take a little breath, as it were, 08:52 before we head into the complexities 08:54 of Daniel chapter 11. 08:56 Pause. 08:57 And, of course, since there are such differing interpretations 09:01 of what's going on in 11, 09:03 it's kind of nice to have a chapter of which 09:06 there is fairly universal agreement 09:08 as there is in Daniel chapter 10. 09:10 So, let's quickly examine the segments or divisions 09:14 of Daniel chapter 10. 09:17 When we are introduced at the very beginning, 09:21 we find Daniel is fasting and praying. 09:24 This is verses 1 through 3 and of course 09:27 Daniel is fasting and praying for himself and for his people. 09:32 Daniel pretty much understands by this time 09:35 what his people are about to face. 09:38 He realizes from Daniel chapter 9 09:42 that Christ is coming 09:44 and that his people are going to be given 09:47 a certain amount of time 09:48 to, as it were, get themselves right with the Lord 09:53 and he also is forced to the realization 09:56 that at the end of that time period, 10:00 his people will be cut off. 10:02 That says to me that Daniel has the understanding 10:06 that things are not going to get much better 10:09 with the people of Israel. 10:11 They will be given a time to accept the Lord 10:13 they will be given a probationary period 10:17 62 weeks and then 7 weeks and then one week 10:21 and at the end of that time, Israel will be cut off 10:27 Messiah will be cut off as it were, 10:29 so that is saying to Daniel... certainly says to me 10:32 that there was not going to be a great change 10:34 in the spiritual condition of God's people 10:37 during that time period 10:38 so he's fasting and praying 10:40 and if any... you know when you look at that kind of situation 10:43 it will make you sad... 10:45 it will make you very humble before the Lord 10:47 so we find him fasting and praying... 10:49 he's eating no pleasant bread 10:50 he says, "Nothing sweet, nothing special" 10:53 no cakes, no pies, no desserts, 10:54 nothing sweet like that 10:56 and he's also not dealing a lot with some of the niceties... 11:01 necessities that you would do 11:03 when you're going to go out and be in public 11:05 you know, he says, "I'm not oiling myself, 11:07 I'm not doing these kinds of things... " 11:08 so he's pretty much staying by himself... 11:10 he's humbling himself before the Lord, 11:12 he's praying for himself, he's praying for his people 11:15 and he's in a state of... of... of humility before the Lord 11:20 so that is all taking place 11:21 in Daniel chapter 10 verses 1 through 3. 11:25 Then in Daniel chapter 10 verses 4 through 9, 11:29 we have Daniel's vision of Christ 11:32 and we're going to talk a little bit more about that 11:35 but it's a wonderful vision... 11:37 he sees this man of God and recognizes 11:40 and we can understand by the description 11:42 that he's dealing with the glorified Lord. 11:44 Then he is touched by an angel in Daniel 10:10 through 12. 11:49 Beautiful experience... 11:51 then, Michael... that is Christ in a glorified state 11:57 puts in, what I call, His cameo appearance. 12:00 Christ comes also in verse 13 of Daniel chapter 10... 12:05 we see that there 12:06 Then Daniel talks to a holy being... an angel... 12:10 who he refers to as, "my Lord" 12:12 Daniel 14 through 17 12:14 verses 14 through 17 12:17 and he is strengthened by an angel. 12:21 Daniel chapter 10 verses 18 through 21. 12:25 So, we see then this pattern in the book of Daniel chapter 10 12:30 broken down into these particular section... sections 12:34 Daniel is in mourning... 12:37 the word... the Hebrew word is "Abal" 12:40 Abal... it simply means to lament. 12:42 He's sorry... he's sorry... he's sad... 12:44 he is, dare I say, depressed 12:47 because he knows the fate of his people. 12:49 You remember, Daniel was allowed to see all the way down 12:53 to the end of time... 12:54 in your day... in our day... 12:56 and he saw the interplay of history... 12:59 he saw the lifespan as it were, 13:03 the spiritual lifespan of the Jewish people. 13:05 He had to know and understand 13:07 that Christ would not be fully accepted... 13:09 that the Leaders would reject him 13:11 and now he's in mourning, he is lamenting... 13:13 he is sorry... he is sad... he is morose 13:16 because he understands the fate of his people 13:20 and so we meet him in Daniel chapter 10 13:24 in a state of sadness and lament. 13:26 He's been shown the state of Israel, 13:29 he's got to know that when Christ comes, 13:32 things are not going to change that much 13:34 so he is saddened now 13:36 for the spiritual condition of his people 13:39 and it is that condition that puts Daniel into this... 13:44 this saddened mood 13:46 seeing that the Bible is portraying... 13:50 seeing that he sees what the Bible is saying here 13:54 that Israel will not come out of this condition well 13:59 the 70 weeks will pass but not much will have changed. 14:04 Certainly, this would cause him to be sad 14:06 and to be in a state of lament. 14:10 He's seeing the history of the world. 14:13 In chapter 9, he's given to understand 14:16 in broad terms 14:18 that even down to the time of Christ... 14:21 the oft times willful spiritual condition of the Jews 14:26 was not going to change. 14:27 The sad thing is, 14:29 when we look at history of... of the Jewish people, 14:31 looking back now... 14:32 we see a pattern of... of success 14:36 followed by failure... followed by success... 14:38 followed by failure and the truth is 14:40 only very few times in the history of these people 14:44 that God called His own 14:46 were they successful in meeting the commands of the Lord. 14:50 Their history is a history of wandering... 14:53 coming to God... wandering... 14:55 God sending prophets... Elijah... Elisha... 14:57 the major prophets... the minor prophets... 15:00 Jeremiah... history of suffering... 15:02 being conquered... being freed... 15:04 being conquered, being freed... 15:05 and the truth is, 15:06 all of this was in response to their wandering... 15:09 and if we have to break it down 15:10 it was really idolatry and Sabbath breaking... 15:13 taking under themselves... the sins of the people around them 15:17 and very few times did they ever really... 15:19 can I use the term, "Get it right with the Lord" 15:22 and even those times were followed 15:24 by a period of backsliding. 15:25 Why are they in the Babylonian captivity? 15:27 why were they in this condition that we see them now? 15:30 Because they had failed to follow the Lord. 15:33 Isaiah told them... Jeremiah told them... 15:37 but they could not and did not 15:40 and would not heed the Word of the Lord 15:43 and so, they found themselves into captivity 15:47 and so, Daniel is seeing that close to 500 years later, 15:52 nothing much will have changed. 15:54 That is enough to make you sad and to make you morose 15:59 and to lament the condition of your people. 16:04 These 70 weeks would find then no real change 16:09 in the fate and mindset of God's people, Israel. 16:13 Pause. 16:15 Chapter 10 is not a lengthy chapter... just about 20 verses. 16:18 Initially, there were issues 16:22 with the Jews returning from captivity... 16:24 we see that actually outlined in the book of Ezra. 16:28 For three weeks, Daniel's mind is beclouded. 16:32 He's sad... he's in... he's in bad mental state. 16:36 He's on a modified fast and spending time with himself 16:43 and with the Lord. 16:44 He's lying now with some friends near the Tigris River 16:48 the Bible lets us know. 16:50 Cyrus is the king, he is there... 16:55 and he sees one whom he calls "a certain man" 17:00 and he is there with his friends... his comrades... 17:09 and he gives a description of this Being 17:12 that closely identifies 17:15 another Being that we see in another chapter. 17:22 By way of repetition, Daniel fasts... 17:26 he's in humility for three full weeks. 17:31 We find him by the Tigris River. 17:33 Revelation chapter 1 verses 13 through 16, 17:38 gives us a description of Christ. 17:41 Now what you will note is 17:43 that the description of the glorified Lord 17:46 in Revelation chapter 1 13 through 16 17:50 is remarkably similar to this description 17:53 that we see of this Visitor... this Divine Visitor... 17:57 in Daniel chapter 10. 18:00 They are remarkably similar. 18:03 So, this is no doubt... this Visitor is the glorified Lord. 18:11 This Being in verses 10 through 12 18:14 strengthens him, stands him up... 18:18 because Daniel was prostate, provides consolation... 18:21 provides information and understanding. 18:26 So, again, Daniel is being... 18:28 dare I say, "Homeschooled" by heaven. 18:31 He's being taught and instructed by heaven itself 18:34 and God wants him to know and to understand 18:39 what is happening and what will happen 18:42 and to move him from this lethargic state. 18:45 So, Daniel is accompanied by friends who fled in terror 18:50 and Daniel experienced this vision all alone. 18:55 Subsequently, Daniel is touched by the hand 18:59 of a different heavenly Being. 19:01 This Being, we see in verses 10 through 12, 19:06 again, as we said, strengthens him... 19:09 stands him up... provides consolation... 19:12 provides information... provides understanding 19:16 for the Prophet Daniel. 19:18 Now, an interesting pattern can be seen 19:22 in Daniel chapter 10 verses 13 and on. 19:26 13... 21... 12:1... Jude 9... and Revelation 12:7 19:36 and that pattern is simply this... 19:38 Michael versus Satan... 19:40 when you look at the times that the Bible references Michael... 19:45 in the Hebrew it means "One who is like God" 19:47 it tends to use that language 19:50 when there is a direct confrontation 19:52 between the Lord and Satan. 19:56 When there is direct confrontation... 19:58 direction spiritual warfare... 20:00 between heaven and the forces of hell 20:03 when Christ Himself is called to do battle with Satan 20:08 and you see it in these... these chapters 20:11 Daniel 10:13, 21... 12:1, Jude 9... Revelation 12 verse 7 20:18 we see this reference to Michael 20:20 and it always is set in the context 20:21 of direct spiritual warfare between Christ and Satan. 20:26 That's one of the ways that we know 20:28 that when it speaks about Michael... 20:29 the Prince of the angels or the Archangels 20:32 it's talking about the commander-in-chief of the angels 20:35 who is Jesus Himself. 20:38 Daniel then speaks to one who he addresses as "My Lord. " 20:45 His lips are touched and he speaks. 20:48 Daniel is touched, by-the-way 20:50 in the book of Daniel chapter 10... some three times. 20:55 Three different touches... 20:57 He is touched by heavenly beings each time 21:01 with the purpose of assisting him for understanding... 21:06 for strength and for inspiration. 21:11 What is salient in this rather short chapter 21:14 is: Who is fighting "with" who? 21:18 We saw Michael versus Satan... 21:22 who is fighting with who? 21:24 Because Daniel tells us here 21:26 that there is this battle between the Prince of Persia 21:32 and this angel visitor 21:36 who says that the Prince of Persia withstood me 21:38 withstood me... some 21 days... 21:43 "The Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days. " 21:48 Coincidently, that's the same amount of time 21:50 that Daniel was fasting... praying 21:52 and humiliating himself before the Lord. 21:54 Now, the question is, what do we mean by "with" 21:59 if I'm battling "with" someone, what does that mean? 22:05 "Fighting with" can mean "against" 22:09 or "on the side of" 22:11 depending on how it's used, 22:13 now, if I said, "I had a fight with my brother" 22:16 well, that can mean that I was fighting against my brother 22:22 but I could also say, "I fought with my brother" 22:26 that could mean that my brother and I fought together 22:30 against a third foe. 22:32 So, which is the meaning here when the angel says, 22:36 "I fought with the Prince of Persia... " 22:39 am I fighting against him or am I fighting alongside him? 22:45 Because the word "with" can mean both things. 22:49 You can say, "I fought with the 10th Legion" 22:52 that means, "I was part of the 10th Legion" 22:55 fighting against someone else 22:57 or we fought with the other army. 23:01 So that means we fought against the other army 23:04 so, which is the Bible talking about? 23:06 Who is fighting with who? 23:09 The question is, "Who's fighting with who?" 23:12 This, I believe, is spiritual warfare 23:16 against dark and evil forces. 23:19 So, I don't think the Prince of Persia is being fought... 23:24 the angel is fighting with him, 23:27 I think the Bible is saying 23:29 that the angel fought alongside of him 23:33 against a third force. 23:36 If I say I'm fighting with the Prince of Persia, 23:39 that could mean I'm fighting against him 23:41 but it also can mean, 23:42 I'm fighting on his side against a third foe... 23:46 a third entity... 23:47 so I believe it's saying... he fought with the Prince of Persia 23:54 against dark and evil forces... 23:57 forces that were trying to keep God's people in captivity... 24:04 trying to keep God's people suppressed. 24:09 I think the dark forces were trying to 24:14 influence this King of Persia 24:18 and the angel is fighting alongside him 24:22 to try to get him to understand the necessity 24:27 to free God's people. 24:29 It is spiritual warfare as I said 24:31 against dark and evil forces 24:34 trying to negatively influence human government. 24:38 What's the price? 24:40 The price is the mind of the king. 24:41 The price is also the immediate release and destiny of the Jews. 24:47 It is God's plan and time for them to be free, 24:51 it is Satan's plan to keep them in captivity 24:55 and the decision must be made by the King of Persia 24:59 and so, an angel comes to fight with him 25:03 against those forces that would try to turn him 25:06 from the will of the Lord 25:08 and would try to keep God's people 25:12 in captivity 25:14 and away from what the Lord would have them to do. 25:16 Now, there are... there are some scholarships... 25:19 I need to mention this that sees this Kingdom of Persia 25:23 as a euphemism for Satan himself. 25:26 I don't believe that is so particularly in this book... 25:29 this chapter of the book which is so straight forward 25:32 I believe the King of Persia or the Kingdom of Persia 25:35 is a real kingdom... 25:37 "sat on the throne by a real king 25:39 who is being assisted by the angel of the Lord 25:43 to follow God's mandate to let His people go 25:48 and return back to their ancient homeland. 25:52 Now, in closing, this third heavenly being 25:56 who Daniel 10:18 says is in the likeness of a man 26:02 says, "When I am done, 26:06 I've got some additional wrestling to do... 26:09 I've got to go back and continue this fight. " 26:13 So, that lets us know that we're dealing with... 26:16 not the Lord Himself but an angel... 26:18 and an angel who needs to get some assistance in this fight 26:23 in verse 20 he says, "And now I must return 26:29 and fight with the Prince of Persia 26:31 and when I have gone forth, 26:33 the Prince of Greece will come. " 26:35 So we're seeing now the... 26:36 the... the closing down, dare I say, 26:39 the shutting down of the kingdom of Medo-Persia 26:43 and the announcement that Greece 26:46 and Alexander the Great are coming 26:49 but, of course, by the time Greece 26:51 and Alexander the Great come on the scene, 26:54 Israel has been free... 26:57 so this wrestling match... 26:58 this fighting evidently has been successful 27:01 and who can fight successfully against God? 27:03 So, this... this battle with the Prince of Persia is successful 27:08 and, of course, we know that in 457 B.C. 27:11 Artaxerxes Longimanus gave the decree 27:14 for God's people to return home 27:16 and so, this battle was a successful one 27:19 and it is alluded to... 27:21 and the success thereof is alluded to in Daniel chapter 10. 27:26 Just a couple more texts to reinforce this, 27:29 the Angel says, "my partner is the one who is your Prince. " 27:34 So, this angel who's in this battle is saying, 27:37 "The one who is fighting along with me 27:39 is the same one who is your Prince" 27:41 he's talking about King of Kings and Lord of Lords 27:44 he's talking about... about Christ 27:46 and he says, "My partner... 27:48 the one who is assisting me in this battle, 27:50 is your Prince... " 27:52 my Prince is going to be your Prince, 27:54 my battling partner... my fighting partner... 27:57 is going to be your Prince 27:59 so, we know that it's going to be successful 28:00 and one of the reasons that we know it was successful 28:02 is the fact that in 457 B.C. 28:05 God's people did indeed return home. 28:08 He says, "The One that was on my side is also on your side... " 28:17 and, of course, that's Jesus. 28:18 The angel is letting me know, 28:20 "The One that fights with me will also fight with you. " 28:23 What a wonderful way to end this chapter. 28:25 Daniel is being assured 28:27 and through Daniel, we are being assured 28:30 that the One who's on my side 28:32 is also the One who's is on our side. 28:35 We have Jesus on our side 28:37 and we know that when Christ is on our side, 28:40 we can do anything but fail 28:44 and we cannot win without the power of Christ 28:47 and God's people certainly did return home 28:51 and then the scene changes 28:56 and another power comes on the scene. 28:59 Now, I want to jump over chapter 11 29:02 which we've talked about 29:03 very complex chapter... 29:05 and go to the concluding chapter in this very fine book 29:08 in the time that is left to us... 29:10 we want to go over chapter 11 and into chapter 12 29:15 the last chapter of the book of Daniel. 29:19 As we said at the beginning, he is quite a bit older 29:22 and he now looks at the scenes 29:27 that are just before the time of the end. 29:31 Daniel is looking down through the corridor of time 29:35 and he's looking all the way to the end 29:38 and he says... Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1, 29:42 "At that time Michael shall stand up, 29:47 the great prince who stands over the sons of your people; 29:52 and there shall be a time of trouble. " 29:56 Let's lock into "At that time... " 30:00 what time is he talking about? 30:04 He's talking about the time just prior to the second coming 30:09 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 30:12 So, Daniel now has seen the span of time 30:14 not only to the time of the Jews... 30:16 not only to the time of the Dark Ages... 30:18 not only to the time of the ascendency of Pagan Rome 30:21 followed by Papal Rome, 30:23 not only to the time of 1798 30:26 and 1844 and those times... 30:29 he sees now all the way to the days 30:32 just before the second coming of Jesus Christ 30:36 and Daniel chapter 12 verse 1 30:38 picks up the story... the saga... 30:40 just before the coming of the Lord 30:42 and he says, "At that time, Michael shall stand up" 30:48 in other words, "He's going to flex Himself" 30:50 He's going to move in such a way 30:53 to take care of God's threatened people. 30:57 Pause. 30:59 So now, Michael stands up 31:01 giving assurance to us that he's on the job 31:04 for His people... 31:05 and I... I like this, Daniel chapter 12 31:07 again... very simple... 31:09 not a lot of beasts... not a lot of numerology... 31:12 not a lot of horns and cryptic language, 31:15 this is straight-forward prophecy. 31:17 Very plain... literally taken... 31:20 God is going to stand up for His people... 31:22 that's you and me... and the truth be known... 31:24 whenever we get in trouble, God stands up for us now 31:27 but in these last days, 31:29 God is going to show Himself mighty in so many, many ways 31:33 and so, at that time, 31:34 Michael is going to stand for his people 31:37 because the world enters a time of trouble 31:40 unequal since there was a nation. 31:43 When we look at our newspapers, 31:45 read them... look at our televisions... 31:48 listen to the radio... 31:49 we see trouble on every hand... wars and rumors of wars... 31:52 as Matthew 24 tells us... 31:54 but the Bible is talking about here... a time of trouble 31:58 that has never been since men were on the earth 32:01 and God is going to stand up for His people... 32:05 I like that... 32:06 I like the idea that we will never be left alone. 32:09 Joshua 1:9... 32:13 the text comes to mind... 32:14 "I will never leave you nor forsake you" 32:15 and if you need a New Testament reference, 32:18 go to Hebrews 13:5 and 6... 32:20 it's repeated, "He will never leave us nor forsake us" 32:24 and we can boldly say, "God is our helper. " 32:27 Well, in these last days, Daniel chapter 12 verse 1, 32:30 we get to see God is our helper 32:33 as Michael stands up 32:36 for His people 32:38 because the world is going through 32:41 a time of unequal turmoil and chaos 32:44 and... and when we talk about this, 32:47 we are talking particularly for those of us 32:49 who name the name of Jesus. 32:51 The world is going to be divided into two camps, 32:52 either you'll be on Christ's side 32:54 or against those who are on Christ's side 32:56 and the promise is that those who are on Christ's side 33:01 will be delivered... 33:04 "Deliverance is for those whose names are in the Book. " 33:09 Praise the Lord, I want my name in the Book, 33:11 what about you? 33:13 We need to have our names in that Book. 33:14 What Book are we talking about? 33:17 This is Christ's Book of Life. 33:20 This is the book that has the names 33:23 of those men, women, boys and girls 33:26 who are living for Jesus. 33:28 This is Christ's living book with a living record 33:33 of those who will be granted to live forever 33:38 and to receive eternal life 33:41 and God is promising here 33:43 and there are other places in the Bible... 33:45 certainly in the book of Revelation 33:46 that those whose names are written in that book 33:50 will be delivered by Jesus Christ Himself. 33:55 The indication is that those whose names are in the book 34:01 and who stand for Jesus will be saved 34:06 but the indication is also that those names 34:10 are already in the book. 34:12 They will be put in the book at that time... 34:14 they are in the book at that time 34:18 and those whose names are in the book... 34:20 those who have lived for Jesus and loved Jesus... 34:24 and served Jesus... 34:26 they will be protected by Jesus 34:30 as Christ stands up for those who are His own. 34:34 All that remains is the reward and punishment. 34:38 God is going to take care of His own... 34:40 we have that promise and to that, I hardly say, 34:44 "amen and amen. " 34:47 Then comes one of the most important sections 34:50 in this epilogue. 34:53 Daniel is instructed to symbolically shut up the words 35:01 and seal the book of this vision until the end times. 35:09 The command is, 35:10 "Shut up the words and seal the Book" 35:14 shut the words up and seal the book 35:17 until the time of the end. 35:20 All of this that we have read... 35:23 these prophetic utterances... 35:26 these times, dates and places, 35:28 these understandings of princes and kings... 35:32 the movements of nations... 35:34 the establishment of a kingdom that shall see no end... 35:38 this information was to be held in abeyance... 35:42 held in secret until the last days. 35:46 Most of these discoveries 35:48 that we have found in the book of Daniel 35:50 were not discovered and understood 35:53 in their complexity and completeness 35:56 until after 1798. 35:59 The time of the end... men are running too and fro 36:03 they're running backwards and forwards 36:06 and men are also studying the Word of God 36:08 and as men like William Miller 36:11 Manuel de la Cumso, 36:13 Wyan Joseph et Ben Ezra... 36:15 men of God in Europe... America... 36:18 North and South America 36:19 all around the world 36:21 began to study the prophecies anew and again... 36:23 and there came to this country 36:26 and to many places in the world a great awakening 36:29 as the Scriptures... 36:30 particularly Daniel and 14th of Revelation were opened 36:34 men's eyes were opened and they began to see 36:39 that God had a special message for this end-time generation. 36:44 Out of that study came a group of people called Millerites... 36:49 people who studied and understood 36:51 that Christ was coming very, very soon... 36:55 they were in error as to the exact time 36:58 but they were spot on in the understanding 37:02 that the Sanctuary would be cleansed 37:04 in accordance with the antitypical Day of Atonement 37:09 and that the time in which they found themselves 37:14 was parallel to the history of the world 37:17 and that the Sanctuary was going to be cleansed 37:21 and at the end of that time Christ would come back 37:24 for a clean and delivered people 37:27 so, the... the wraps came off the understanding 37:29 of the book of Daniel. 37:30 Men and women began to study and understand 37:33 that what was happening symbolically in this book 37:36 and in those chapters and verses and texts 37:39 that talked about the Day of Atonement... 37:42 the typical Day of Atonement and the services of that day 37:47 were parallel and had a corollary 37:49 into what was happening in the world 37:52 and that understanding did not begin to take place 37:54 until the time of the end 37:58 and so, Daniel was given the command, 38:01 "Shut these things up... this is going to be sealed... " 38:04 this is going to be kept as it were under spiritual wraps 38:07 until the time of the end 38:09 and then men were going to study 38:11 because God was going to let them know 38:14 that Christ was coming soon. 38:15 In the book of Amos chapter 3 verse 7 38:19 the Bible says, 38:21 "Surely the Lord will do nothing, 38:24 but that He revealeth His secrets 38:26 to His servants the prophets. " 38:29 Now what that is saying is... that is almost the... the key 38:34 to unlock the book of Daniel and prophecies allied to it. 38:39 In other words, when God comes back here, 38:41 just checking... making sure... 38:44 Daniel chapter... or rather... Amos chapter 3 and verse 7, 38:47 "Surely the Lord will do nothing, 38:49 unless he reveals his secret to His servants the prophets. " 38:52 So, God is not trying to sneak the second coming in on you, 38:56 He's trying to let you know. 38:57 This book "Daniel" has been unsealed 39:00 and Christ is getting ready to come 39:02 and so, God wants to let us all know 39:05 through the prophetic pen and the prophetic voice 39:08 to get ready 39:10 because Jesus is coming very, very soon. 39:13 So God wants to save as many as 39:17 want to be saved 39:18 and God wants you to know that we are in the time 39:22 to get ready for the coming of our Lord. 39:26 That is why Daniel chapter 10, 11 and 12 39:30 are so vitally important 39:31 as are really all of the prophetic sections 39:34 of the book of Daniel 39:37 as each one has given us a little broader scope 39:40 and a little more information 39:42 and in Daniel chapter 11, we've dug a little deeper 39:46 all in an effort to know and understand who we are... 39:50 where we are... 39:53 what God wants from us... 39:55 where we've come from... 39:58 and where we are going. 40:01 So, this epilogue is very, very important 40:03 because it lets us know that the books of Daniel 40:06 and the books of Revelation are now opened to be studied. 40:09 There are so many churches... 40:10 I hear pastors say and members say, 40:12 "Oh, we don't study the book of... of Revelation... 40:14 we don't really bother with that 40:15 because it's a... it's a closed book. " 40:17 Well, if that ever was true, it is not true now 40:21 because God has told Daniel, "Take the wraps off" 40:24 the Holy Spirit is there to enlighten us. 40:27 The Revelation is a Revelation... 40:30 it is a revelation of Jesus Christ 40:32 and the foundation for that revelation 40:35 is the book of Daniel. 40:37 The foundation for that super structure 40:39 that is Jesus... is right here in the book of Daniel 40:43 so, shut up the vision... seal the words... 40:46 until the time of the end... 40:47 Ladies and Gentlemen, we are in the time of the end... 40:50 Christ is coming very, very soon, 40:53 and God's people must be warned 40:56 and they must be ready for the coming of the Lord. 41:02 Daniel 7:25 talks about the time of the end. 41:05 We're in the time of the end, 41:06 we're post times, time and half a time... 41:09 we're in... and have been for quite a while. 41:13 It is time now for us to learn to study and then to do. 41:19 I want to mention just one additional set of time period 41:25 mentioned in the Word of God. 41:27 I put 1798 up there 41:30 just to remind you that that was the "time of the end" 41:33 that is the official year that we understand from prophecy 41:37 is the time of the end 41:39 when you use your times, time and half a time. 41:44 Times... 360 times 2 41:47 time... another 360 41:50 and half a time... another half a time... 41:53 another 180 gives us 1,260 41:58 subtracted... added to... rather... 42:01 457 B.C. gives us that date 1798 42:06 for the "time of the end" 42:08 and of course, we took a fairly exhaustive look at that 42:13 in our discussion of Daniel chapter 11. 42:18 Pause. 42:20 The key words... now... 42:22 let's go to something else here 42:23 want to just go back to this for just a moment, 42:27 in 508, Clovis King of France was converted to Catholicism 42:31 and the Goths were overthrown. 42:34 One of the time periods that we see also is 1,290. 42:39 When you add your 1,290 to 508, 42:43 you come up with the same 1798. 42:48 So, one of the things that this shows us 42:50 is that these time periods... be it the 1,260... 42:53 the 1,290... 42:54 or one we're going to talk about in just a moment 42:56 the 1,335... 42:58 all had their same beginning in 457 B.C. 43:02 In 508, Clovis King of France was converted to Catholicism 43:08 and the Goth were overthrown. 43:11 So, from this date, the Medieval Church... 43:13 the Papal Church... the Catholic Church 43:16 was pretty much functioning 43:18 as a stand-alone entity unopposed. 43:20 We recall that after the demise... 43:23 the dissolution of the Roman Empire, 43:25 you had several Barbarian Kingdoms that came in. 43:29 Franks, Goths, Visigoths, Heruli, 43:32 Vandals... many of them... 43:35 and the Goths were really 43:38 one of the last major Barbarian tribes 43:43 to be subdued and subjugated 43:45 that were opposed to either Papal Rome or Pagan Rome. 43:49 So, by 508, the Catholic Church is functioning now unopposed 43:54 and it crowns... or rather not crowns but 43:58 the first major Gothic king... major barbarian king 44:05 converts to Catholicism. 44:07 That is very, very important. 44:10 So, not only is the king converted to Catholicism, 44:15 he is given his legitimacy by being coronated 44:23 by the Catholic Church. 44:24 So, in that short period of time, 44:26 508 to 538... the church has positioned itself 44:31 and solidified its position as "King Maker" 44:35 so, you have the church moving from 44:39 just the conversion of a monarch to legitimizing his monarchy. 44:45 You have defined the 1,290 and then the 1,260. 44:50 The keyword in this particular passage 44:56 is the word "wait" 44:58 so we see the 1,290 the 1,260... the 1,335... 45:03 the passage says, "Blessed is he who waits" 45:08 and that lets me know... or at least gives me an inkling 45:13 that all three time periods begin with the same event 45:18 and, of course, that event is the 457 B.C. decree 45:24 to let the Jewish people return to their homeland. 45:29 "Blessed is he who waits" the Bible says 45:32 because they all start at the same time... 45:36 some wait for the 1,260... 45:38 some wait 30 more years to the 1,290 45:41 and then there is the 1,335 45:44 so, I believe these... 45:45 these time periods overlap and are contiguous 45:50 one with the other. 45:52 Pause. 45:53 The passing of... 45:55 and this is a theory that has taken hold in the minds of many, 46:01 I want to expose you to it 46:03 so you can understand it 46:04 and I don't quite know if I buy it just yet, 46:08 I'm studying it... I'm praying about it 46:10 but I want you to understand it 46:11 because there are many theologians 46:13 who believe it is so. 46:14 In looking at what they see is an inkling on augur 46:18 of the second coming of the Lord, 46:20 they look at these time periods. 46:22 They say from the passing of the National Sunday Law 46:27 these time periods give us some hint or inkling 46:32 to last-day events. 46:33 Now, why is the National Sunday Law of such import? 46:38 There are on the books of many of the States 46:42 in the United States... laws that are called "Blue Laws" 46:45 these Laws are written 46:48 and have been voted to deal with certain kinds of activities 46:54 that can or cannot take place on Sunday. 46:57 Back in the 1800s... A.T. Jones 47:00 and many of the Adventist leaders... 47:02 particularly A.T. Jones... spoke before Congress 47:06 against these Sunday Blue Laws 47:09 because Seventh-day Adventists were being jailed 47:11 along with... with many of the Jewish brethren 47:13 across the land for working on Sunday 47:15 in defiance of some of these Sunday Blue Laws 47:19 some were being fined... 47:20 many were spending some time in jail 47:23 and so representatives of the church... 47:25 A.T. Jones in particular... there were others... 47:27 spoke before Congress against these laws. 47:30 It is our belief that one day soon and very soon 47:34 before this all wraps up, these laws will be reinforced. 47:37 There is much legislative effervescence 47:41 in trying to get these laws reinstated even now. 47:43 There are church leaders who are saying, 47:46 "We need to have a day of rest, 47:47 we need to have a day when we can come aside" 47:49 and they have designated that day to be Sunday. 47:52 The laws are on the books of many States... 47:54 they simply are not being enforced. 47:56 There are legislative minds who say, 47:59 "They ought to be enforced. " 48:01 Well, the enforcing of that Law 48:03 will put those of us who are Sabbath Keepers 48:06 in a particularly tough position. 48:08 We will have to decide if we are going to obey that law 48:12 or obey the Laws of God. 48:15 You recall in Acts, 48:17 the Brethren said, "It is better... better" 48:22 Paul said, "rather to obey God than man" Acts 5:29. 48:26 Well, we're going to have to say that 48:28 one day very, very soon. 48:29 "Do we obey God... Do we obey man?" 48:31 And when these laws are reinforced 48:33 and we believe that that time is coming 48:36 when there will be a mandate... a legislative mandate... 48:39 to keep a particular day 48:41 and that Mandate will be enforced by the rule of Law, 48:46 we will have to decide who we are going to believe... 48:49 who we are going to serve... who we are going to follow... 48:53 will we keep the Sabbath as commanded to us by the Lord 48:56 in the 4th Commandment 48:58 or do we go along with the laws of the land... the laws of man? 49:05 So, there are many who believe... 49:07 and I've heard these in many, many places 49:10 and read this in many places 49:11 that when you begin with that date 49:14 of the passing of a National Sunday Law... 49:17 that is a Country-wide... not just State-wide 49:20 but Country-wide Sunday Law 49:22 that mandates the resting on Sunday, 49:25 that from that day... if you use the 1,260 days... 49:31 that will take you to the close of probation. 49:35 They draw that from Daniel chapter 12 verse 7. 49:38 They say that if you use the 1,290 days 49:43 from the date of the passing of that Sunday Law, 49:45 that will take you to a... a time 49:49 when a decree for breaking that Law 49:53 will be punishable by death. 49:55 They bring that from Daniel chapter 12 verse 11 49:58 and this may be the most controversial of the three 50:01 but I've heard it many, many times 50:03 and really I'm studying it in my heart 50:05 to see if there is any validity to it 50:08 that if you take the 1,335 days 50:12 from the passing of that National Sunday Law, 50:16 that will take you to a time of the second coming of Christ 50:21 and that they pull from Daniel chapter 12 verse 12. 50:25 Now here's what is interesting. 50:26 The Bible says, "Nobody knows the day nor the hour. " 50:31 Well, they get around that by saying, 50:34 "We don't know the day or the hour 50:36 of the passing of the Sunday Law 50:38 so we won't know when 1,335 days after that is accomplished. 50:45 So, we really still don't know 50:47 what the second coming of the Lord will be. 50:51 But these numbers are used in that way. 50:54 It is at best a secondary application 50:58 because the original application as I've said before 51:01 and as we've discovered and discussed 51:03 is 457 B.C. up until the time of these great events 51:11 and the time of the end in 1798 51:15 and the 1,335 takes us to 1843 51:20 which was the date that William Miller 51:22 originally came up with 51:24 and then Stores and some of these other fellows 51:27 talked about the time of tarrying... 51:29 which moved it into 1844 and we had October 22, 1844 51:35 as the "alleged" or "supposed" date 51:38 when Christ was going to return 51:41 of course, we knew that... 51:43 we found out that that was not so. 51:45 So, this is a secondary application... 51:47 some people may even think of primary applications 51:50 but it is at best a secondary application 51:52 that is gaining some traction dare I say in the church 51:56 and in the studies of those who are studying the Bible... 52:00 we thought we would mention it to you 52:02 because it is out there 52:03 and it is something that you need to study for yourself 52:06 and make up your mind for yourself. 52:08 suffice it to say... 52:10 nobody knows exactly when Christ will come... 52:13 what we do know is that Jesus is coming very, very soon. 52:20 So... 52:23 I want to look at the final salutation of the Lord 52:30 for Daniel in these last days. 52:35 This text gives me comfort and peace. 52:40 Daniel has been told to shut up the vision and seal it 52:46 and again in chapter 11 52:52 there is mentioned... and I'm looking at my Bible, 52:55 "There shall be 1,290 days. Blessed is he who waits... " 53:01 that's the "wait" I was talking about, 53:03 "and comes to the 1,335 days. " 53:07 So, we see those in Daniel chapter 12 verse 11. 53:12 Pause. 53:14 It is 11 and 12... 53:17 It is the last verse in this chapter that gives me hope. 53:23 The Lord says to Daniel, 53:25 "But you go your way till the end, 53:31 for you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance 53:36 at the end of the days. " 53:39 This is the Lord telling Daniel, "You've done a good job" 53:46 this is the Lord telling Daniel, 53:48 "You get to rest from your labors now. " 53:51 This is the Lord telling Daniel, 53:53 "Well done thou good and faithful servant... 53:57 you served a number of kings, you served a number of empires, 54:03 it's time for you now to take your rest 54:07 and 54:09 you will arise to your inheritance. " 54:12 What this also says... it's a... it's a... 54:14 it's a... a statement on the state of the dead 54:17 and it is so interesting that in the Bible 54:20 you can find one doctrine reinforcing another, 54:22 one statement which seems fairly innocuous 54:25 really building up the foundation of another doctrine 54:29 but a number of things are being said here. 54:31 Daniel is being told, 54:33 "But you go your way till the end... for you shall rest. " 54:43 This faithful man of God is resting... 54:46 waiting for the end... 54:48 this faithful man of God is not in heaven... 54:52 he's not looking down at us from the lofty skies, 54:55 he is resting until the end 54:59 and then the Bible says, I'm in verse 13... 55:02 "And will rise to your inheritance 55:07 at the end of the days. " 55:09 So, Daniel is going to be resurrected 55:12 along with all of those whose names are in the book 55:15 who will rise to their inheritance... 55:18 what is our inheritance. 55:19 Our inheritance is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 55:25 If we are faithful... if we are true... 55:29 our inheritance will be eternity with Jesus 55:33 and there's that wonderful text at the end of Hebrews 13 55:37 that says, "God has provided something better for us 55:41 that when Daniel gets his inheritance, 55:45 all of those of us who are faithful 55:49 will also get their inheritance. 55:53 We, along with Daniel 55:55 and all of those worthies of the past... 55:58 those men and women slaughtered by the millions 56:01 in the catacombs 56:03 and in the arenas and in the Dark Ages 56:07 and under the Inquisition 56:10 and all of those men and women 56:12 who remained faithful to the Lord... 56:13 when they get their reward, we will get our reward 56:19 and we won't get our reward 56:21 one second before they get theirs 56:24 and they will not get their reward 56:26 one second before we get ours. 56:28 We will all rise to meet the Lord together. 56:32 Such is the promise of 1st Thessalonians 4:16 56:35 and onward. 56:37 So Daniel... this faithful man of God... 56:39 who has served his Lord for so many years... 56:43 the Bible tells him, "But you go your way... " 56:47 he's going to go the way of all flesh... 56:49 that means, "You're going to pass on" 56:52 "till the end... for you shall rest" 56:55 you'll rest and wait "and will arise... " 56:58 you will arise from your dusty bed... from your grave... 57:02 "you will arise to your inheritance" 57:07 Praise the Lord... "at the end of the days. " 57:11 And when Daniel arises to his inheritance... 57:15 praise God... you and I will also receive our inheritance 57:21 and as the writer, Paul, said to the Thessalonians, 57:29 "so shall we ever be with the Lord, 57:34 wherefore," he says, 57:37 "comfort one another with these words. " 57:42 God bless you. |
Revised 2018-12-12