Facing End Times
Living in Babylon: An Exposition of Daniel

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All right, good morning, church! We had such an amazing service, the first service, sixteen people baptized and just a packed house, we had to put out chairs. It was awesome, and we’ll show that the end of the service we’re editing the video so we can show it to you, too. So you can bear witness to that wonderful service. We had first service this morning, and we’re continuing our series. Actually, we’re concluding our series this morning in the book of daniel, and so just out of curiosity who has been with us on all twelve weeks. This is the twelfth week. Lift your hands quickly if you’ve been a great number of you. And and so i i actually met some people that were at the first service, at the first service, and they were like, we can we? How do we see the other eleven? So there’s, some people playing catch up and that’s awesome! The lord has blessed our study of the book of daniel together, so the book of daniel, as we’ve talked week after week, is about how to live in babylon because we’re seeing how daniel and his friends who were exiles carried off by king nebuchadnezzar to the city of babylon from their homeland in jerusalem how they navigated that that new place that new culture and so forth and we can learn from that because we’re like exiles as we’ve repeated every week because we’re believers and our king is is jesus and we’re citizens of heaven and so babylon then becomes like a metaphor for the world because we need to know how to live in the world and so babylon’s a metaphor for the world’s system of government religion the economy, et cetera and so we need to know how to do that

as we conclude chapter twelve is about the end times and we’ve been building up to this climax and in all its chapter twelve the last chapter of daniel but it’s it’s describing the last chapter of of what god is planning for the people of planet earth if you will for that season on planet earth and it specifically focused on the end times concerning god’s purpose and plan for israel and so he’s really he’s really bringing things to an end at the end of day just after twelve and as we face end things as we talk about end times we’re talking about a couple of things we need to face

one is how do we live in view of what we’re learning and daniel how do we live in view of what god’s word says about the end and then the other thing is all of us are facing a particular end and that’s called death either either we will die or the lord will come and take us from this place when he takes all of us home but but many of us will experience death so how do you live facing death? You know and then the other thing is how do you face eternity that’s the that’s the third thing is there an eternity is there death after life? And so all of this comes up in chapter twelve and so how do you face death? What what’s your emotion for such things? Do you fear death? Do you do you fear the future? Do you fear eternity is anxiety the the emotion that comes to mind or do you have confidence or maybe you don’t think about it at all you’re going like if you hadn’t brought it up i was not planning on thinking about it today a lot of us do that, you know we’re like the ostrich sticking their head in the sand we don’t want to think about it but it’s inevitable the lord wanted daniel to think about it the lord wanted them not only to think about it but he wanted him to write it down so his people could be knowledgeable concerning end times not that he would tell us every detail, but he would tell us enough to know so that we would know how to live and how to live without anxiety and how to have confidence as we face the future i think it’s what god wants for us he wants his people to have confidence in him and not worry about the future.

And so as we look at daniel, i think this final chapter especially the lord instructs daniel how to live in view of the time of the end how to live he gives them instructions on how to live in view of the end times and i think we can learn from what god tells daniel how we can live in view of end times and how can we obey the instruction of the lord concerning these we’re gonna look at chapter twelve and we’re going to follow a pattern for the first twelve verses and by the way, i’m just i’m a little bit sad because i’ve been here so long how do you feel? I mean, i’ve been in this book so long and so twelve chapters i mean that’s you know, we’ve been here twelve weeks, but i am a little bit happy about something this is the shortest chapter in the book and so oh boy last week woo you know the unpreachable sermon that was something right forty five verses and and this was only thirteen but there’s a lot here because it’s the last chapter so we really wanted to dig in so what what i’m gonna do so i’ll read a verse and comment on it which is what we did last week to try to to navigate this so let me do that

verse one at that time shall arise michael the great prince who has charge of your people at that time so verse one of chapter twelve is a continuation of the vision that started with verse one of chapter ten so we’re in the third chapter of one vision and this is gabriel the angel the interpreting angel gabriel speaking and he says to daniel at that time what time what time is he talking about he’s he’s continuing install from versus thirty sixty forty five of chapter eleven he’s talking about the time of the anti christ the time of tribulation this is at that time michael at that time michael the great prince who has charge of your people who are daniels people the jews and who’s michael he’s the archangel for you young people he’s the super angel ok he’s he’s an arca in greek means number one he’s the number one angel he’s the top one and he’s the one that protects the jews he protects israel so that’s where we’re starting
s was at that time at what time that end time no michael shall rise to protect you and there shall be a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation till that time so there’s coming up a time of trouble that’s coming now jesus talks about this time of trouble in matthew chapter twenty four

he says for then there will be a great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world see how it sounds like daniel you could tell that that that jesus is very familiar with the book of daniel when he’s speaking in matthew chapter twenty four he says, such as there’s not been from the beginning the world until now no one never will be and if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved daniel’s talking about or or gabriel is talking about this to daniel and there shall be a time of trouble now this this time of trouble has been called the various names we know that earlier and daniel it was called the seventieth week really remember that the seventy week prophecy the seventieth week was seven was one week of years so seven years so there’s a time coming that’s that’s called the great tribulation

according to jesus and according to john when he wrote revelation called the great tribulation here here daniels calling it the time of trouble but he says that they will be delivered from misery and there should be a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation till that time but at that time your people who are your people that’s the jews shall be delivered so it’s it’s a horrible time coming but there will be a deliverance and so god has he’s bringing a horrible time a time of trouble a time of great tribulation who’s it for who’s that aimed at the jews it’s not for the church it’s for israel he’s not finished with israel so some people read the bible and they think the church inherits everything that has to do with israel

when i read the bible i see that there’s a future for israel that god is not finished with israel and so that’s what i see and that’s that’s how i’m preaching it but god still working with israel he’s still bringing them to the point where they will accept jesus as their messiah and even this time of trouble is god’s effort because sometimes friends listen sometimes the only way we come to christ is by hitting rock bottom the only way we we look up is by hitting we go down as far as we can and so he even in the midst of this time of trouble that he’s bringing on israel there’s mercy within it because he wants to bring deliverance out of it you still with me? We’re still in verse one still unpacking that

and then he says the ones that will be delivered will be the ones everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. Now what books he talking about the book revelation says this is the book of life the book of life we sing a song when i was growing up so one of my one of my little brother barry’s favorite song my name is in the book of life oh, bless the name of jesus i know, i know, i know, i know, i know, i know it kind of repeated that my name is written there you know that book that that song my name some of you looking like i’ve never heard that song. You don’t know that song. Okay, but do you know? No, no. Do you know i know, i know. I know that your name is in the book of life. How do you know that you receive jesus? The only way to get your name in the book of life is to have jesus put it there for you and that’s. What he’s telling daniel right here i’m going to bring a deliverance that’s all in verse one right there, jeremiah talks about this time of trouble that it belongs to israel

he says in jeremiah chapter thirty verse seven alas for that day is great so that there is none like it it is the time of jacob’s trouble but he shall be saved out of it so this time of trouble is for jacob who’s jacob it’s he’s the one who had the twelve sons that became the twelve tribes he’s the one who had his name changed to israel it’s the time of israel’s trouble

Verse two and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake sleep in the dust of the earth what does that mean? But the bible prefers the word sleep over the word death and here’s why? Because god sees death as a temporary state just like sleep so it’s called sleep sleep in the dust means buried that there are many who will be in the grave they will be sleeping in the dust it seems to be what the description here he’s not talking about real sleep so don’t don’t get confused with those who suggest that he’s talking about the doctrine that is taught i think falsely called soul sleep i don’t affirm that i don’t believe that that’s not what we’re being taught here he’s just saying their in the grave there in the grave their bodies were in the grave, he says, and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake what is that? Maybe they’ll be resurrected, they’ll be raised up so it’s going to be a resurrection coming at the end of the time of tribulation at the time of trouble and there’s two kind of people coming up and many of those who sleep in the dust of they shall awake some to everlasting life they’ll have their names in the book of life and some to shame and everlasting contempt that’s what the book says they’re two there are two places of eternal destination taught in god’s word heaven and hell there’s two destinies that life after death is real and what you the decision you make about jesus on this side will determine your destiny on that side and it’s very clear here

verse three verse three well, let me read this quote first before i go to verse three some quote, i got from david dr david jeremiah in his book the handwriting on the wall so we have the resurrection of the saved in three installments christ the church and here we’re reading about the old testament saints because we know Christ has already been resurrected right that’s that’s in the gospels then then i believe, as the book of revelation teaches as first and second thessalonians teach in other places that the church will be resurrected prior to the tribulation because i don’t believe that tribulation is for the church i believe it’s for israel and so the church is part of that part of that and then this that’s being spoken of here is the resurrection of old testament saints and then after will be the resurrection of the unjust

now some say, well, that looks like a general resurrection to me it looks like the saved and the lost got resurrected at the same time, but now i’m from the hills and so when you’re from the hills, you know how certain things work out when you’re from the hills maybe you have visited the hills and you know this when you first come up on the hills, it looks like they’re all up against each other looks like, well, there’s a mountain and there’s a mountain there right beside each other, but then when you start driving closer and closer, you find out that there’s a great valley in between those two hills and the hills actually don’t touch it all and that’s what i think we’re seeing here, i think as we look at these the resurrection of of those to everlasting life i think happens right after the tribulation and it’s the old testament saints being raised but then the resurrection of those that are wicked is later at the time of the great white throne that it looks like they’re together because from daniel’s perspective but i think there’s a great gap of time between them

verse three and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above and those who turned many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever now we have stars in hollywood today we called them stars and we especially like superheroes people who dress up like he wrote we put them on the front covers over magazines and we tweet about them we’re excited about these people but they will fade very quickly they fade before the year’s out and there’s a new star but there are stars in glory there was shine like the stars in heaven forever and ever and they will be the people listen, they will be the people who turn many to righteousness in other words they’re going to be the ones even during the time of tribulation even during the time of persecution that are preaching the gospel at the risk of their own lives and they’re turning people to christ because during the tribulation it is gonna be a terrible time but a great many jews a great many jews are going to turn to jesus

the book of zechariah suggested that two thirds two thirds of the jews will die during the tribulation but one third will be saved one third will come to belief this this is a time when many will come to faith and many not just of the jewish background but of the whole world and they will be the stars in heaven that will shine like the stars in the universe. I could just kind of picture the lord announcing and now we have john who is one of our stars because he led many to turn to righteousness and well, i don’t know this morning we baptize sixteen people now people said, why did you save them up that took the whole service just about why did you save up so many? We didnt we just had a baptism at easter we didn’t save him up those are people coming to christ in there church praise lord that’s, what god’s doing god’s work? You see, the results were just listen, we’re just telling people to turn the righteousness and they and so we sat here and we we applauded after everyone and we hooped and hollered glory to god these people are following jesus and we got a little baby foretaste i said the video, we’ll get it, they will show before the service is over, but let you get a little small taste so you can clap to but i think eternity is going to be like amazing Amount of this this awards ceremony where you’re like, oh man, i’ve been waiting to see m there’s like there’s the apostle paul wow, look what wait a minute who’s that and he and they’re going to call your name and you’re gonna like what? Absolutely absolutely, i mean, this is a wondrous thing,

Verse four but you, daniel, in contrast, to all of this that’s getting ready to happen in the future, you’re not actually going to be a part of most of that because that’s way in the future. But you, daniel, shut up the words and seal the book. In other words, put a period at the end of this go go back and i’ve told you all this stuff twelve chapters worth of stuff you’re coming up on ninety years old now you’ve been faithful, put a period at the end, shut up the book and seal it, but your seal on it, you know we sign it, they may have a signet ring, put your seal on it and preserve many copies of it because it’s needed at the end. In fact, this book’s going to be read like a newspaper during the time of tribulation. People going what? Wait a minute that’s happening right now , what’s the next verse say they’re going to be glued to it and i believe it says here that knowledge shall increase, people will understand it better and better, just like we did when we looked at the historical stuff of Chapter eleven and we were able to say well that was pointed to told me that was pointing to antiochus the fourth epiphanies that was pointed why? Because history is twenty twenty you look past the look in the past you could understand it this is all future right now but when it starts happening people are going to their knowledge will increase

verse five then i daniel okay this is daniel talking now gabriel is concluded verse four now daniels talking then i daniel looked and behold two others stood went on this bank of the stream and went on that bank of the streams remember where’s he at he is at the tigris river and someone appears on that bank there’s someone appears on the opposite bank i believe these are two angels

verse six and someone said to the man one of the angels no doubt said to the man clothed in linen who’s that well we encountered him early in chapter ten who did we conclude that the man in linen was we concluded that it was the preincarnate christ this is christ before he was born in the flesh to the virgin mary because there never was a time that christ was not he’s not a created being he’s the second person of the god head the father son and the holy spirit he has always been and here i believe he’s appearing to daniel and he’s in proper form walking on water it seems and someone said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the streams how long shall it be till the end of these wonders so the angel wants to know you know the angels don’t know everything they’re like wait a minute i know you get ready to talk to daniel but could you give us like how i was going to be before this stuff happens these wondrous things that you’re talking about angels wanted out and daniel overhears the man clothed in linen

Verse seven and i heard the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the stream oh here comes he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever now look if you go to the court and then you bear witness they have you put your hand on the bible and then you know and they say but you know on the bible lift your right hand you swear to tell the whole truth nothing but truth so help you god and so you’re you’re swearing at that which is above you what do you what do you swear by if you’re god you swear by your own name he puts both hands and swears by his own name woo that’s cool man that’s really cool i like that because i tell you what i’m getting ready to tell you will happen i swear by my own name puts up both hands i swear by him who lives forever that it will be time times and half the time there that is again we’ve encountered that a few times in this book we’ve learned that when it says time it refers to what one year when it says times it refers to two years and based on that when it’s just half a time it means half a year

let’s do our math now two plus one plus a half that’s three and a half years he’s saying that the worst part of this seventieth week will last three and a half years that will be the time of trouble it will last forty two months, three and a half years that’s going to be and it’s going to be so bad jesus says over in matthew twenty four as we’ve already read if god had to put a limit on it it would kill everybody everybody would have died it was horrific this time that’s coming this time has not come yet it’s in the future and he says that when the shattering time times and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes so there’s this purpose of the tribulation the tribulation purpose is that it’s shatters it shatters the rebellion of the holy people who were the holy people they are the jews it shatters their rebellions to jesus as messiah. They’ve rejected him. They reject the new covenant. They just have the old covenant that we have both because we have jesus, they have the old covenant. But they reject the new covenant because they rejected source christ. Now everyone who wrote the new testament were jews who believed but the leadership in the majority of judaism rejected jesus. I believe that god’s still working with israel, he’s he’s, working with us the church. But he’s, working with israel still has a future for israel. And here, he’s, going to the tribulation will be a time that will shatter their power, shatter their rebellion.

When the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be finished. That’s, that’s, god’s, decree christ is sharing it with daniel here. And daniel says what? Maybe many of us say as we’re reading the book of daniel i heard or say, but i did not understand some people in my small group. I was encouraged some of you read ahead, read the next chapter, so you’re like already working on it before i preach it.

one of the members of my small group came to me the week before i did chapter eleven yes pastor i read that like five times good luck i don’t know what in the world i read and daniels like ok, i hear what you’re saying lord, i don’t understand and then he asked his question then i said, oh my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things? Okay, i kind of understand because you’ve been repeating some stuff there’s a repetition to the book of daniel it that has increasing detail about the people of israel it kind of starts out here with the world, the kingdoms, the gentile kingdoms then it gets real specific about israel and that’s kind of how the book progresses it’s like it’s, like you’re at thirty five thousand feet and you’re moving into almost microscopic as you’re getting there two chapter twelve talking about israel and it starts out like this is the whole world and now just israel and i’m getting a lot of that but what what i’m trying to understand lord is what about that? What was what’s the outcome of this house is going to turn out but what’s next

it sounds like my son stephen when he was small i could entertain him all day long he’s first born you know anybody any first borns in here? I mean he is first born he was he was an only child until the next one was born and ruined it all okay, until jonathan came along, so for three years, he was he had it all, you know, and one of his favorite things to say, daddy, what are we going to do now son i played out in the yard with you all day. I take you swimming and we brought you some roller skates. We did this. I talk to you, i could list i could be, like, spend the whole day with him and be bedtime, and he’d be like, what we’re going to do tomorrow. He always wanted to know what was next on a road trip, when are we going to get there just constantly what’s next, i think he couldn’t really enjoy what we were doing then because he was afraid it was going run out, he didn’t know what was next. What’s the outcome of all this, this daniel must have been a first born What’s the outcome what was lord saying to him. You know your way, daniel, you go back. Look, you’re coming up on ninety, you get back the word no words, i don’t take anything else, and then he says it’s for the words or shut up and sealed in other words, put a period on it. Now we’ll tell you think new but they does it does clarify a few things

verse ten he says many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined but the wicked shall act wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but those who are wise shall understand he said and we’re going into the future it’s going to get worse and worse on planet earth sinners they want to sin more and more and more more wickedly and they will not understand that this book they will not understand my book but the wise will and they will refine themselves and purify themselves and make themselves holy and they’ll understand it daniel if you want to understand that you just need to focus on getting right when may just focus on that more questions because i’ve told you all i need to tell you all that all that’s needful has been revealed to you now and go your way

verse eleven and from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up there should be twelve hundred ninety days in the two hundred ninety days is three and a half years plus thirty days because the jewish year which was based on jewish months which lasted thirty days that would be twelve hundred and sixty do the math work it out it’s it’s all thirty days why is that gary what’s that mean i don’t know no one else does. I’ve got a stack of commentaries on home like that everybody disagrees on what those two numbers twelve, twelve, ninety, which is it’s three and a half years plus one month plus thirty days.

And then verse twelve blesses who waits and arrives at the thirteen hundred thirty five days that’s plus seventy five days. I don’t know some say what’s because it took thirty days to clean up the mess after the lord overthrew the anti christ and there’s. And then it took another forty five days in order to read they’re just it doesn’t say that here they’re just guessing, well, what? I don’t know, but three and a half years concluded everything, and then blessed is he who waits for the next seventy five days. I’m not sure what happens there. I don’t know that anyone is i’m just being honest if you’re like, i can’t go to that church anymore, cause pastor gary does not know what that thirteen hundred thirty five days is. What? I’m sorry, you should go somewhere and they’re going to claim that they know and you shouldn’t go there anyway because they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Verse eleven says that this time that’s coming at the at the at the midpoint of the seven years the anti christ for three and a half years has been a man of peace and everybody thinks he’s a world hero they probably giving him you know they’ve given him all kind of of of awards but then at the midpoint the three and a half years he reveals himself for who he really is that he claims to be christ except according to the power of satan and he takes his own image and he puts it in the holy of holies in the temple that has to be rebuilt for this to come to pass it hasn’t been rebuilt yet it’s the dome of the rock sits there now on top of the place where it should be but he’s going to put his own image there which is called the abomination it’s an abomination to put his image there in the place that’s supposed to be the worship place of god and the word desolate means to make empty so he’s going to make empty their ability to worship up there so there will be no burnt offerings and he’ll make it empty so that’s the abomination of desolation it will happen at the midpoint which inaugurates the three and a half years of the time of jacob’s trouble the time of tribulation

and now we’ve come up to verse thirteen but go your way till the end and you shall rest and shall stand and your allotted place at the end of these at the end of the day’s that’s where i’m going to preach friends, i’m going to preach the last verse of the last chapter of the book, but before i do a quick summary of what we’ve learned a quick summary of what we’ve learned, i made a chart i’ve been like a chart making dude, right? I actually put a number of charts on my blog this week if you want to go look at them but we learned in chapter two nebuchadnezzar had a vision he had a dream and daniel interpreted it remember back in chapter two he dreamed of a statue with gold head and chest of arms of silver in the belly and thousand bronze and legs of iron and feet, ten toes and ten toes of made of iron mixed with clay member that statute and daniel interpreted the vision, and he said, the head of gold represents you king nebuchadnezzar and babylon but after you is going to come a kingdom of the mito persons that will overthrow you after you have gone but you but you’re good to go until then but it’s coming next and then there’s going to be a kingdom after that, right? And he describes he describes them and so that’s nebuchanezzer then god gives daniel his own vision, which basically reaffirms with extra detail and chapter seven he has a dream of a lion with eagle’s wings which is babylon he has a dream of a bear with one side higher which is the mito persians, right? He has a dream of a leopard with four heads and four and that that begins to tell us there’s going to be four generals coming out of greece out of alexander and he has a dream about a beast with ten, um horns which matches the ten toes which talks about the ten kings that are coming in the future, or maybe even in the present period it’s already happening, right? So that’s chapter seven and so we’ve got this the stone that smashes that which turns out to be the that’s christ is the stone here he’s called the son of man here he’s called in chapter ten through twelve he’s called the man clothed in linen right? Do you see what’s happening? We’re getting greater and greater detail about the kingdoms of the past they were all future to daniel, but the kingdoms of the future this book of daniel i don’t have time to get through the whole chart cause i need time to preach there go back and look at that chart that’s where we’ve been that’s what that and see how it overlaps and see how it fits together okay and know this god’s word can be trusted what he says will happen will happen what he what he says will have what he promises will come to pass i mean just look at this one a chapter nine where he says from the time of the decree to return to jerusalem there’ll be four hundred eighty three years actually he says there will be sixty nine weeks of years but that’s four hundred eighty three before the messiah comes and that’s exactly what happened jesus came four hundred eighty three years after the decree to return to jerusalem man you just can’t make this stuff up this is amazing the book of the book of daniel so all of this has happened and it makes me think it makes me know that what he says will happen will happen because what he said did happen did happen okay

versethirteen i’ve described versus one through twelve now would like to preach verse thirteen but go your way till the end this is the first instruction to daniel how to live in view of the time of the end daniel how to view how to live in time of view of the time of the end christian go go be busy fulfilling god’s purpose for your life now listen there’s a tendency and for twelve weeks we’ve had our nose right down in prophecy we’ve been like wow wow like look and that’s good it’s profitable it’s profitable but don’t don’t get so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good don’t get down in there so that your i’m not going to give up try to figure out what those twelve hundred ninety days are well good luck because i spent almost one hundred nine days feels like trying to figure out what those i spent a long time here what that was and i finally had to admit to myself which is always hard to do and then admit to you no i’ve got a thousand theories i think i have one thousand two hundred ninety theories about what that means that i’m not sure it’s a little more than three and a half years not sure exactly what it means and there are other parts of the bible that i’m like that so what i’m going to do is i’m not going to be the eschatology man i’m not gonna preach eschatology every sunday as your pastor i’m not going to be like that’s all i talk about all i write about i think that’s what he’s trying to tell daniel daniel all of this is not for you it was for you to write now now write it now put a period at the end, shut it up and seal it up and go live your life go go be the main listen you’ve you’ve been a great leader go your way what’s your what’s what’s daniel’s way. Well, daniels ways not your way. Go your way, what’s your way it’s whatever god’s purpose for you gods gods designed you uniquely your where your mom go be a mom. Go teach your children about jesus are your dad will be a dad? Are you single person live a life of purity and a life that shows other people about the love of jesus in your life devote yourself to jesus because you don’t have to focus on anybody else. For now you’re in a season where you’re single whatever it is, wherever you are, go your way what’s your way, it’s the way that god designed you to get i’m not talking about do your own thing i’m not talking about that i’m talking about do what god’s called you, go your way. Did daniel go back? Listen, i’m finished telling you stuff. Go write it down like the biggest part of go your way is go get this written down

and i’m reminded of a story in the book of acts with the disciples of the disciples were upon a mountain and they’ve spent this time with the resurrected jesus. They’d seen him crucified, they knew he was been buried, but now he’s resurrected and he’s he’s with them, and they’re so excited. And so they came together with in verse six of chapter one, and they asked him, lord, will you at this time restored the kingdom to israel? In other words, you’re going to get on david’s throne. Now, we’ve been expecting you to do that all along, and then you got killed. We kind of freaked us out, but anyway you’re alive again. So now you’re going to start the israel thing back up, and he said to them, it’s, not for you to know times or seasons that the father is fixed by his own authority like what he told daniel it’s not for you, daniel, to know all this stuff go so he says it’s, not for you to know all the details verse eight but you will receive power. We’ll tell you this much, you’re going to get the holy spirit he’s going come upon you and you will be my witnesses in jerusalem judea samaria and to the end of the earth and when he had said these things as they were looking on, he was lifted up in a cloud took him out of their sight and while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes i wonder if it was the same two angels just wanna ones that stood on either side of the tigris that we’re asking jesus questions maybe it was i don’t know it was two of them they stood by and they said to the men of galilee because they’re all standing like that they saw jesus ascended into heaven stand there like that and they said men of galilee why do you stand looking into heaven? This jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him in other words you don’t need to spend your whole life looking up to see when he’s going to return exactly what day it’s going to be go go go your way preach the gospel until he returns this is what jesus said go therefore make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit teaching them to observe all that i’ve commanded you behold, i’m with you always how long to the end of the age don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good it’s good it’s good that we’re digging in its good that we made charts and maps and everything because we take the word of god seriously but why did we do it? What was their purpose so that we could go our way with confidence until other people this word is true it is so true we’re building our faith that’s why we did it it wasn’t so that we could go around saying, i know what’s coming next be all haughty like and having arguments with people who have different views of the end times listen let’s get jesus, right? And if we have a little disagreement about what comes next, let’s not argue about that yeah, because i think we’ll all get to heaven someday and find that we get part of it, right part of it wrong when it comes to end times because we hear but like daniel, you don’t always understand all the details go your way study men times is profitable, but it should not be in the end of it unto itself. It should encourage us so that we go go our way the way that god’s designed us to go

here’s number two rest so preaching verse thirteen but go your way till the end and you shall rest rest be assured of god’s provision when facing death he tells you how to live go your way tells you how to face death you’ll rest you want to be afraid of death, you can rest daniel you don’t have to be afraid of the lions neon anymore you already did that you don’t have to be afraid of a fiery furnace rest is coming your way you coming up on ninety anyway buddy you’re not going to see this tribulation i want you to write down about it but you’re not going to see its way in the future. Daniel you’re going to rest that’s his word for daniel’s going to pass away then you’re more rest that’s how we should face death be at rest be at rest don’t be afraid. Don’t be anxious god’s got you he’s got you it’s he’s taken care of this.

Listen what paul says that’s what paul says in second corinthians is while we live in these earthly bodies we groan inside can i hear a groan out there man, i can groand like every time i get out of bed in the morning i groan i didn’t used to do that it’s like it just started happening somewhere around fifty is when i go owww robin would go what’s wrong and i go i don’t know it just came out. It seems like it helps me get up i don’t okay she’s doing it to now too something happened to us these earthly bodies we groan aside but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us rather we want to put on our new bodies i wish i had a body that didn’t creak and groan so much well that’s what we’re wanting we get this desire in this rather we want to put on a new body so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life and god himself has prepared us for this and as a guarantees giving us the holy spirit there’s a holy spirit inside of a saying that which you desire no is yours it’s coming so we’re always confident even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies were not at home with the lord for now we live by believing and not by seeing we live by faith, not by sight right now we don’t have i went wednesday and got most knees shot up with cortisone shots so i could get up and down these steps i feel pretty good today hey, by the way, but they wear off, i get a new body for now i’m walking by faith and cortisone shots and and not by sight

Verse eight yes , we’re fully confident and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies for then we will be at home with the lord or as the king james says, absent from the body present with the lord

verse nine so whether we are here in this body or away from this body , our goal is to please him, these bodies are temporary we will get a new one, a resurrection body you shall rest you shall rest

First thessolonians says for god shows to save us through our lord jesus christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other, build each other up just as you are already doing, you shall rest, you shall rest from your labors. Don’t be afraid. You don’t have to be anxious about the future, you know have to be anxious about death, you show rest.

My mother and grandmother used to sing a song. I tried to google it to get the lyrics, and i thought google knew everything, and google does not know this song so i had to listen to, uh i had to listen to an old thirty three and a third album somebody like what? What is that? But i’ve got an album that my mother and grandmother made in the nineteen fifties, i think when they recorded the song they probably, i think originally recorded on the seventy eight he came to my mind when i was reading about you shall rest you shall rest and i was like a song in my head i could here it’s like i’m a child at church and i could hear this song my mother and grandmother singing it there are times when my burdens are heavy and my heart is so crushed with its load but i looked to the father and trust him foerest at the end of the road at the end of their old many loved ones i’ll see and with Jesus my lord, i forever shall be i will ever press on to the heavenly abode there’s a heavenly ran ist at the end of the road i could hear him singing and they surely looked convinced and now so am i there’s a rest at the end of the road we don’t have to be afraid absent from the body present with the lord we close our eyes in this world and we open them to the face of jesus we don’t have to fear death

and then number three stand go rest stand be confident of god’s place for you in eternity this is how the lord closes out the book of daniel for daniel daniel you shall rest and you shall stand your body is going to die but it’s going to be resurrected it will stand back up again some day just as those that were baptized this morning represented christ death burial resurrection and it represents the same their old life is dead in their new life is risen, daniel, you’ll rest and then you’ll stand back up again you’ll be part of the resurrection to those that are resurrected to everlasting life. You shall stand and you shall stand not just anywhere but in your allotted place because daniel, i have prepared a place for you. I prepared a place for you. I have saved you a seat at the wedding banquet of jesus there’s a little placard we’ve already made it at the table. It says daniel, your seat is reserved listen, you don’t have to come in with the crowd and worry oh man, did they take all the seats? Where am i going to be? No there’s the angels will say, come here, daniel there’s your seat right there! We’ve saved it for you don’t worry, we’ve made a new body for you. You will live forever with the lord and we’ve given you in on a lot allotted place there’s a place reserved for you there are rewards for you, daniel, don’t worry, dan, you’ll go your way, you shall rest and you shall stand at the allotted place until the end of days,

jesus told martha, do you believe and she said yes lord i believe he says i am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me though he die yet shall he live he is the resurrection he says this to his disciples let not your heart be troubled you believe in god believe also in me and my father’s house are many mansions if they were not so i would have told you i go there to prepare a place for you and if i go to prepare a place for you i will come again and receive you to myself that where i am that you may be also he says it’s a prepared place i’ve prepared a place for you it’s an allotted place

there are two places of eternal destiny for humanity what the destination is determined by your decision for christ heaven and hell those are the two places one to everlasting life people will be raised from the sleep in the dust and others will be raised to shame and contempt and they will be judged this is the truth cs lewis, thinking about the immortality of humanity writes in his book the weight of glory the following it is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses to remember that the dullest and most interesting person you talk to may one day be a creature which if you saw it now you would be strongly tempted to worship or else a horror and a corruption such as if you were now to meet it. If it all only in a nightmare all day long, we are in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. It is immortals whom we joke with work with merry snub and exploit immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

Friends god has made you for eternity. Choose jesus. Choose the man in linen that is here talking to daniel. Go your way for you shall rest and you shall stand in your allotted place at the end.

Let’s pray lord thank you for your word. Thank you for the book of daniel. What a blessing to study and preach and share the book of daniel together may it so encourage and build us up so that we’re busy telling others about jesus and especially the person this morning, lord that’s in the room that might not know you that today i pray for you, my friend, that you would come to a saving knowledge of jesus. Would you pray with me right now? If it’s the desire of your heart? If you would desire to know jesus as your lord and saviour, pray with me now, dear lord jesus i’m a sinner and i need a savior. Would you come and forgive me of my sins come into my life? I believe you died on the cross, that you were raised from the grave, that you live today, come and live in me and make me the person you want me to be now, others are here this morning, and you’re a believer and you, you know, jesus. But would you pray with me? Lord, help me to go in the way you’ve made me help me, to do that, what you’ve called me to do, lord, help me to be faithful and tell others until the end, and i’m thankful today, lord, that you’ve called me and saved me, and that you’ve called me to an allotted place, a prepared place to be with you for eternity, lord we thank you in jesus name. Amen.