Series on Daniel
III. The Consummation
- E. Achieving Heaven. Text: Daniel 12
Title: What Kind of People?
Introduction
And now we come to the last chapter and the last message on Daniel. Here we have a reiteration of prophecies previously given and some new information as well, but these are not the most important instruction in this chapter. What is really important here is the advice given to Daniel about his faith and conduct in the light of all these marvelous revelations that God has given to and through him. In his second epistle, the apostle Peter talks about the Day of God which is coming in which the heavens will disappear and the elements will be destroyed by fire, and he says in II Peter 3: 11, Since everything will be destroyed in this way what kind of people ought you to be? If we don’t ask this question then we are wasting our time studying the Bible. At the beginning of this series i warned us that idle speculation was not the way to approach Biblical prophecy. In the end, Daniel gets the same message. Our job here is not endless conjecture or interminable theorizing. our job is to glorify God. Sometimes a lot of spiritual capital is used up playing who’s who. We know there are volumes dedicated to identifying who’s who in various callings, but that is generally unfruitful when dealing with Scripture and trying to identify figures in prophecy like the anti-christ. Today i ask you to consider with me only two things, the truth unveiled and the truth unanswered.
I The Truth Unveiled
Michael is not only the great angel who is the protector of israel but so close to the Lord and his glory that his name means “Who is like God?” According to Jude 9 he is the one who contended with Satan over the body of Moses. Satan claimed Moses because he had been a murderer in his youth, but the grace of God in the covenant had forgiven that sin, indeed erased its memory.
Thus Michael is the one who enforces the covenant, the special love of God, for his people. The first thing in the text in verses 1-7 is the word that says Michael will stand up, “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.” If we are right that chapter 11 has brought us from the time of Antiochus in the Old Testament up to the last days and Antichrist then this standing up refers to the last days which would be characterized first of all by great tribulation and then by life from the dead both spiritual and physical resurrection. Notice this is the future of those who are written in the book, God’s chosen, elect, beloved people. This is spoken of in Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in Heaven, Michael and his angels engaging in battle with the Dragon. Covenantal protection is the point here. What Michael enforces is the mercy of God which is merited and sealed by the blood of the everlasting covenant, the blood of our Lord Jesus. There are various views on this tribulation and when it occurs. There is a great variety of opinions. There are several reasons why i believe this is speaking of the time in which we now live. First, the New Testament perspective is that the last days begin with the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies in Jesus Christ. Secondly, the language truly describes our times, the times of the Gentiles and the worldwide dissemination of the gospel with the words, Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. Men are ever learning but drifting further from the truth. With all the explosion of knowledge men can only know the truth through the Word of God. Finally and most importantly, according to verse 7, When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed. The holy people is the covenant nation, Israel, and the power is broken with thew destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Therefore the fulfillment began in the first century and continues today. However, if we miss the point of verse 4 we miss the real reason the prophecy was given in the first place. Daniel is told to seal up the prophecy, But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. That means two things. First of all it means it is preserved for us. Secondly it means that it is revealed to some but not to others. With all the explosion of knowledge men can only know the truth through the Word of God. As Amos describes the situation in 8:12, And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of Jehovah, and shall not find it. The book is sealed so that only the faithful read and understand. So the point of prophecy is not to inform us about obscure things but to help us get through life trusting God. Daniel and Revelation were not put in our Bibles to provoke speculation, but to make us triumphant over all enemies even death in the midst of troubled times and to use that truth to glorify
God. What we should do is keep our noses to the grindstone. The saints are triumphant because of God’s covenant mercy which is enforced in part by the archangel Michael. This brings me to the second point which concerns what we do not understand.
II The Truth Unanswered
The whole last part of the chapter in verses 8-13 is, for the most part, a reiteration of what has already been said, I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?” He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” We read earlier in verse 5 of two witnesses because their is an oath. The oath is along the same line as we saw in those opening verses. No matter what happens all these things shall be finished in God’s time and in God’s way. I have already told you that I believe the time, times and a half time to refer an indefinite period, the time from Christ to the end of the age and therefore a time referring to this period in which we live. But if I am wrong it is a small matter just as it is a small matter if others are wrong because their are countless views about the three and one half years and that is multiplied three fold when the 1,335 days is introduced. There might be two people somewhere who agree on what this addition means, but in my wide reading i have not found them. Even the people who seem to know exactly what everything means stumble at these numbers. What counts is the end. Even Daniel himself does not understand. We might expect to understand better but some things are hidden Daniel is told to go his way, proceed on in other words, fight the good fight of faith, persevere to the end. What will come to pass will be understood at the proper time. The fulfillment will make it clear, and meanwhile it is his job and mine to go on. The closing verses make it very clear. Daniel is one for whom the truth is unveiled, but also one who must live with unanswered questions. Such is the nature of true faith as we are told in Hebrews 11: 8 By faith Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. The closing words might have been written for Abraham, You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance. Hold fast dear friends. Many of us do not want to live our lives that way. We want every thing certain and comfortable. It’s only natural. But faith rises above. When we joined the church and professed faith in Christ, some of us thought we were getting on a cruise ship. We are waiting for the porter to come and fluff our pillow, but the Son of Man had no place to lay His head, News flash. You did not get on a cruise ship; you got on a battleship. Man your stations. There are three things to remember. First, That there is a time fixed for the termination of the church’s troubles, and the bringing about of her deliverance, and that this time will be punctually observed to a day. Secondly, That this time must be waited for with faith and patience. Thirdly, That, when it comes, it will abundantly recompense us for our long expectations of it. Blessed is he who, having waited long, comes to it at last, for he will then have reason to say, “Lo, this is our God, and we have waited for him.”
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