Daniel

The Time of the End

Daniel 12:1-13

(Note: this sermon audio starts mid-sentence)

Our journey through Daniel ends today. When we began in August, I gave three reasons for studying this book. Having been through the twelve chapters of Daniel, those reasons seem even more relevant today than they did then. I said we should study this book because …

Daniel’s situation parallels our own. Daniel spent his entire adult life as a believer living in a pagan culture. We can gain much insight from the way he handled his challenges.

Daniel’s prophecies may soon be fulfilled. Just as many of Daniel’s detailed prophecies have already been fulfilled in history, the remainder of them will be fulfilled in the same way. God’s word is true—from the big picture of the flow of world kingdoms down to the individual message given to an exiled Jew in Babylon.

Daniel’s God is our God too—and He is still on the throne. This may be the most important lesson of the book. We have seen it in ever chapter, in every event of Daniel’s life and in every prophecy God gives in this book. God is sovereign over heaven and earth. He rules the hosts of heaven and the world of men. He is in charge of nations, families, and individuals. God knows and determines the past, the present, and the future. He is in charge of good times and bad days, of happiness and sorrow, of joy and heartache, of great victories and shocking defeats. He is in charge when a child is born and He is in charge when death knocks at your door. Having studied this book we ought be more confident in the sovereignty of a God who works all things for our good and for His glory.

As we come to the end of this book, Daniel is an old man. He has served God in the courts of pagan kings for over 70 years. Daniel 12 brings us to the end of his career as a prophet.

If you’ll remember, this is part of the last vision recorded by Daniel. It began with chapter 10, which gave us the setting. He was standing on the bank of the Tigris River when the Lord appeared to Daniel and an angel spoke with him. Chapter 12 gives us conclusion in a conversation between the angels and with Daniel. And in between, chapter 11 is the message of the great vision that was given to Daniel. There the angel explains the vision giving Daniel some details of human history from Daniel’s day during the Persian kingdom forward ending with Antichrist and his defeat at the end of the age.

The first four verses of chapter 12 is the last part of the angel’s message to Daniel. We could call it the end of the age. Then verses 5-13 gives us the end of the book.

The End-Times Message

Daniel 11:36-45

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Our world is changing. Where is it all heading? As human beings, we have a natural curiosity to know the answer to that question. There’s much we don’t know about the end times. We can be thankful, however, that God has told us exactly what He wants us to know about what’s going to happen to this world in the future. And although the Bible is realistic in its view of this world and its end, it is not cynical. It is hopeful. And so should we be. I pray that are encouraged with faith and hope in God and His sovereign plans for the world and for you today.

We have been studying Daniel’s final vision in chapters 10-12. In Daniel 11 the angel tells Daniel what was going to happen from Daniel’s day in the 6th century B.C. to the climax of the end time. The first section of chapter eleven (1-20), though future for Daniel, is actually history for us now, and is the prophetic record of what happened from roughly 535 B.C. to 175 B.C. It covered the time of the Persian empire into the time of the Greeks. In the second section (21-35), we find a detailed prediction of the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the wicked God-hating, Jew-hating, Syrian ruler who plagued the world in the second century B.C. So far most scholars agree on the interpretation of these verses.

Now today we come to the final section of the message of chapter 11 (36-45). It is both climactic and controversial. We’re told about a ruler in verse 36, a king. “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.” Who is this king?

An Amazing Prophecy

Daniel 11:1-35

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In the book of Daniel we have seen God do great things through Daniel and his friends because they knew God. He strengthened them and they did great exploits: interpreting dreams and visions, escaping the fires of the blast furnace, stopping the mouths of lions. When we are done studying the first part of Daniel 11 today I will ask you a question. I’ll ask it now at the beginning to get you to thinking about it as we study: Do you know God and if so great things are you doing in God’s strength?

The background of this vision we had in Chapter 10, where Daniel suddenly saw a most shattering, dazzling sight, the Lord Jesus in the fullness of His majesty and glory, the very same One whom John describes in the opening verses of Revelation. It is the same one who arrested Paul on the road to Damascus and Who appeared in light that was brighter than the sun. You can imagine the effect of all this upon the prophet Daniel. He is drained of energy and falls on his face to the ground. But an angel is sent to help him and to give him the message that goes along with this great vision. What the angel tells Daniel is the most detailed prophecy of the events of human history before they occur that is contained in the Bible.

A Glorious Vision

Daniel 10:1-21

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A journalist assigned to the Jerusalem bureau takes an apartment overlooking the Wailing Wall. Every day when she looks out, she sees an old Jewish man praying vigorously. So, the journalist goes down and introduces herself to the old man. She asks, “You come every day to the wall. How long have you done that, and what are you praying for?”

The old man replies, “I have come here to pray every day for 25 years. In the morning I pray for world peace and then for the brotherhood of man. I go home, have a cup of tea, and I come back and pray for the eradication of illness and disease from the earth.”

The journalist is amazed. “How does it make you feel to come here every day for 25 years and pray for these things?” she asks. The old man looks at her sadly. “Like I’m talking to a wall.” (“Wailing Wall,” Religious Joke of the Day, beliefnet.com, 4-25-03; www.PreachingToday.com)

How often do people feel like they’re talking to a wall when they pray? They pray for something over and over, and nothing seems to happen. Then they begin to wonder if it isn’t all a waste of time. If that’s been your experience, you might be encouraged by what happened to the prophet, Daniel, in the Old Testament. He prayed desperately for three weeks, and nothing happened. Then all of a sudden an answer came that laid him flat on the ground.

Chapters 10-12 record Daniel’s final vision and message recorded in this book. Chapter 10 is the introduction to the vision, with chapter 11 spelling out the detailed events which will occur from Daniel’s day to the end of time. Chapter 12 then provides a final broad overview of the prophecies of this book, restating the big picture, and closing with comforting words spoken to Daniel.

In chapter 10, verses 1-3 provide a brief description of the events leading up to the vision. Verses 4-6 describe the One whom Daniel sees in his vision. The impact which this vision had on Daniel and those with him at the time is revealed in verses 7-9. Verses 10-14 disclose the words of the angel who spoke to Daniel, explaining the purpose of his visitation and the reason for his delay. In verses 15-17, an account is given of the debilitating impact this visitation had on Daniel. Verse 18 of chapter 10 through verse 1 of chapter 11 provides a record of the encouragement and strengthening of the angel, along with his account of the part he plays in matters in heaven and on earth.

The Seventy Sevens

Daniel 9:24-27

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If you have ever taken a trip with your children to anyplace further than the grocery store, you have probably been asked repeatedly, “are we there yet?”

We have seen in the visions of the book Daniel that the world is moving toward the destination of the eternal kingdom of God. This destination is confirmed by the rest of scripture both in the Old and New Testaments. The question is, “are we there yet?”

That is the question I believe Daniel was dealing with in the ninth chapter of his book. Remember that Daniel concluded after reading Jeremiah the prophet that the 70-year period of Israel’s captivity must be virtually over, and that return of Jews to their own land surely is imminent. With this hope in his heart, Daniel prayed for himself and his people. He confessed his sin and the sins of his people and prayed for the restoration expecting that they were almost there, that God would return His people to their land and establish the kingdom of heaven.

The Answer to Daniel’s Prayer

Daniel 9:20-27

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In the ninth chapter of Daniel, Daniel concludes after reading Jeremiah the prophet that the 70-year period of Israel’s captivity must be virtually over, and that return of Jews to their own land surely is imminent. With this hope, Daniel prayed for himself and his people. We studied His prayer of confession and intercession. It is a great example of an effective fervent prayer of a righteous man. When we get to verse 20, we find that God answers Daniel’s prayer but certainly not in a way Daniel would have expected. God sent Gabriel, His angel, to give Daniel understanding and insight into the vision he had received. God wanted Daniel to understand the relationship between Israel’s soon return to the land and the rebuilding of the temple—in the light of God’s promise to restore His people and establish His kingdom on the earth. God wanted Daniel to know that Israel’s imminent return to the land was not the coming of the kingdom of God.

Gabriel’s announcement provides Daniel and his reader with an increasing level of understanding of the vision God had previously revealed. Verses 24-27 begin to spell out future events in detail rather than with vague, mysterious symbols as in the visions. While not all Christians agree on the meaning of these verses, I think it is safe to say that all Christians would agree that they provide very important information concerning the last times.

True Confession

Daniel 9:1-19

(Please note that this sermon recording only includes the end of the sermon because of a technical problem we had while recording it. Sorry we did not get the whole thing recorded)

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2017 marks the five hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. It was on October 31, 1517 that a German monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg challenging the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church to answer the charges. In 1520, Martin Luther wrote an essay which he called “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church.” What he meant was that forces and powers that were foreign to Christ and to his Word had captured the mind and heart of the church. She was in bondage to godless forces.

Specifically in his day Luther saw these forces in the Roman Catholic Church. But are they any less at work in our day? John Piper writes this:

Millions of church-goers today think the way the world thinks. The simple assumptions that govern behavior and choices come more from what is absorbed from our culture than from the Word of God. The church shares the love affair of the world with prosperity and ease and self. Many groups of Christians are just not that different from the spirit of Babylon, even though the Lord says that we are aliens and exiles and that we are not to be conformed to this age. So, like Israel of old, much of God’s church today is captive to godless forces. … Much of the Christian movement today has become a desolation of disobedience and disunity and dishonor to the name of Christ. So the way Daniel prays for the desolation of his people is a pointer for how we can pray for the desolation of ours.

Last time we saw looked at the first two verses of Daniel 9. We said that verse 1 teaches that 1) Effective prayer recognizes our circumstances in view of God’s plan (Dan. 9:1). Prayer is how we line ourselves up with the purposes of God. In verse 2 we said that 2) Effective prayer is prompted by scripture (Dan. 9:2). Daniel’s prayer was prompted by reading the prophet Jeremiah. His prayer was saturated with scripture. When God’s word abides in you, when it finds a home in your heart and in your mind, then you will pray effectively.

Today I want us to draw out of this passage some more principles concerning prayer. Specifically I want us to see in Daniel’s prayer some elements of true confession. Daniel here is coming before the Lord acknowledging his sin and crying out for forgiveness, for cleansing, for restoration.

The Prayer of Daniel (Part 1)

Daniel 9

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How many of you know the promise from the final words of James 5:16, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”? We often quote this verse to remind us that when righteous people call out to God, their prayers actually make a difference. And it is true. We see examples of this throughout the Bible. And some of us as Christians can testify that prayer really works, we’ve seen God answer again and again. It’s a great promise, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

But how many of you remember what the first half James 5:16 says? Let me remind you. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” What kind of prayers are powerful and effective? James says that it is especially those prayers that involve mutual confession of sin. It is prayers for repentance. It is prayers for healing and forgiveness of our spiritual diseases.

Whenever we dare to come clean with God and with each other about our faults, failures, and personal sins, when we stop playing religious games and cry out for forgiveness, that is when our prayer truly avails much.

I see that principle lived out in Daniel 9. This chapter is especially well-known for its prophecy in the last part of the chapter.  And many people, when they study Daniel 9 want to jump right to verses 24-27 that describe the 70 weeks prophecy. And certainly this is a monumental prophecy in Daniel. These inspired words of prophecy speak of the coming Messiah, through whom God will provide the forgiveness of sins and bring to earth the kingdom of God. They speak of the hope which lies ahead for every believer. They speak of those future certainties which put present events in perspective. For the first time in Daniel’s prophecy, the suffering and death of Messiah is introduced.

A Ram, a Goat and a Little Horn

Daniel 8

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The Bible is anchored in historical, objective events that have really happened. Think about the gospel of Jesus Christ by which we are saved. We look back in history to the cross of Christ where our Lord died for our sins. We look back to the empty tomb where Jesus was raised from the dead. We read the history of the Jewish people in the Old Testament and of the church in the book of Acts and the Epistles. All of these past events and messages from God give us foundations for believing and living as Christians.

But in another sense, our inspiration to persevere as disciples of Christ also rests on things that the Bible says will occur in the future. We know them as certainly as we know the things that have already transpired. We are sustained through the trials of this life not only by remembering the history of our faith, but also by hope in what God promises us in the future. Those of you who have been coming to our Wednesday Bible Study and Prayer meeting know that we have seen both of these emphases in our study of 1 Peter.

Peter, in his first epistle writes to encourage believers who are facing fiery trials of many kinds. He writes in 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” That is the historical reality, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Because of that real event we have a hope for living. We are anchored by that historical, objective truth.

But then in the very next verse Peter also points us to the future, “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Pet. 1:4-5). Our hope not only rests on the historical truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also looks forward to the glorious return of our Lord, to the vindication of the righteous, and to our inheritance with Christ in heaven.

By both of these types of scripture, history and prophecy, we are strengthened to deal with today’s trials, persecutions, temptations, and sorrows. As we have seen already, the book of Daniel is both history and prophecy. The first six chapters of Daniel tell the history of the lives of Daniel and his friends who trusted God before kings, in the fiery furnace, in the lions’ den. Under extreme circumstances they believed God and stood firm. We were encouraged to live faithfully as we saw their faith and courage lived out in real history.

The second half of the book of Daniel, however, is mostly prophecy. It tells about the visions that Daniel had of the future. Some of the things he saw and was told about, which were future to him, have occurred by now; others are still to come. These prophecies in Daniel are written for our encouragement and hope.

The Interpretation of the Vision

Daniel 7:15-28

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Daniel chapter 7, what a blessing and a challenge it has been for us as we have considered its prophecy over the last couple of weeks. We have seen Daniel’s vision of the four beasts representing four beastly kings and kingdoms of men. We have seen Daniel’s vision of the throne room of heaven as Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, receives the kingdom from His Father, the Ancient of Days.

Today we will consider the last half of chapter 7 in which Daniel is given some details about the interpretation of the visions that he saw that night. As we have seen these visions are prophecies that are expressed in apocalyptic language. They are in signs and symbols which stand for real persons and events in history and in the future. But as we have seen, some of the details of what all this means is hidden from Daniel and from us.

The good news is that Daniel was at least as troubled by the visions as we are. So Daniel asked about the meaning of the vision. So starting in verse 15 and going to the end of the chapter we have a divinely inspired interpretation of the vision which gives us some help and some more details in understanding this prophecy.