Daniel All Access

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Series Code: DAA

Program Code: DAA018011A


00:03 Music...
00:24 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
01:19 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...
02:57 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,
04:38 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.
06:47 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.
08:55 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
10:39 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"
10:52 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.
12:24 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
13:23 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,
13:31 things are not going to change that much
13:34 so he is saddened now
13:36 for the spiritual condition of his people
13:38 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
15:42 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"
17:01 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
20:07 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...
21:21 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
27:58 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. "
32:26 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.
41:12 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
41:49 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.
42:38 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
44:30 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...
45:54 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
46:05 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
47:01 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.
47:51 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
50:11 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...
52:22 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"
53:45 this is the Lord telling Daniel,
53:48 "You get to rest from your labors now. "
53:50 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
54:28 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...
54:51 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.
55:52 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.


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Revised 2019-01-21