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11 episodes with because daniel
2 episodes with because daniel
2 episodes with because daniel
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
A quick run through of the news, Baker, bottoms, Daniel don'ts, and our smashes of the week. Because Daniel has Covid the guys couldn't get together this week, but they still wanted to get a quick show out. Looking to be back in studio next week.
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Phages, microbes, and scientific conundrums, oh my! Shaun Duke turns the tables on Daniel Haeusser to ask a metric ton of questions about microbiology. Why? Because Daniel is one of those legit scientists. Join us for a wide ranging and utterly wild conversation about bacteria, viruses, micro-whatsits, and speculative wonders! Thanks for listening. We hope […]
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Lesson 27 – Daniel 9 Cont. 2 DANIEL Week 27, chapter 9 continued 2 We'll not quite finish Daniel 9 today, but we'll get close. Because Daniel 9 verses 24 through 27 are so difficult and controversial yet crucial we're going to spend more time with it today, and begin with a brief review of […] The post Lesson 27 – Daniel 9 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
At That Time Daniel 12:1-13 by William Klock Daniel 12 begins with the words, “At that time”, which means we need to remind ourselves what time Daniel's vision was talking about. Remember that these last three chapters of the book are one long vision. It began with Daniel lamenting what he could see. Pagan kings, instead of being judged for their wickedness, were getting strong and stronger. And his own people, an awful lot of them, seemed apathetic about the end of the exile. They'd made lives for themselves in Babylon and simply weren't interested in returning to Jerusalem. And those who did return were facing opposition at every turn as they worked to rebuild the city and the temple. Daniel was losing hope. And so an angel appeared and in the first part of the vision the angel explained that there was more to things than what Daniel could see. Unseen forces fought a battle in the heavenlies that somehow corresponded to events on earth. In fact, Daniel was told, the angel Michael fought for the people of God. Even if he couldn't see any of it, Daniel had reason to hope. And then, in Chapter 11, the angel gave Daniel of vision of things to come, as if to show how God is sovereign even in the wars and intrigues of pagan kings. First the Persian kings and then the Greeks, as they squabbled and fought over the land of Judah. That was most of Chapter 11. Things would get worse before they would get better, but here was a chance to hope—to put into practise that truth that sometimes there's more going on than what we can see. Even in the intrigue, the subterfuge, the assassination of those Greek kings of Egypt and Syria, even in all that, the God of Israel remained sovereign. Even as the worst of them came to power. And that was the heart of Chapter 11: this evil king who wanted to convert the Jews into pagan Greeks. Antiochus made it illegal to live by God's law, he desecrated the Lord's altar, and he forbade the daily offerings made in the temple. 1 and 2 Maccabees tell us how he tried to force Jewish men to eat pork, torturing them and even killing them when they refused and how women who circumcised their sons were thrown off the city walls along with their children. To remain faithful to the Lord in those days came at a great cost. Many even paid with their lives. Meanwhile, a significant segment of the Jewish people capitulated, finding ways to compromise or abandoning their faith altogether. The faithful died and the unfaithful lived. It wasn't supposed to be like that. Daniel was written for these people—to exhort them, to give them hope, and to assure them that the Lord remained sovereign and would vindicate them in the end. And that's where Daniel's vision gets difficult. Up to the events of about 167BC the vision maps right onto history, but then at 11:40 the angel says, “At the time of the end…” As I said last week, the natural way to read this is as a continuation of the events that took place under Antiochus Epiphanes. Verses 40-45 describes another war between Egypt and Syria. They describe tens of thousands falling, but also being delivered out of his hand. The king conquers Egypt, Libya, and Cush. There's a vague description of him going off to another war—or something—and pitching his tent between Mount Zion and the sea, and then—suddenly—he comes to his end. The vision changes in these verses. What was very specific suddenly becomes vague. The language becomes more grandiose. And what's described here doesn't map onto historical events as easily as the earlier parts of the vision do. So some people think with those words “at the time of the end”, the vision is jumping to some time in the future and that the king is no longer Antiochus Epiphanes, but a future antichrist. But as I said last week, the vision itself doesn't suggest at all that the timeframe has changed and to interpret it that way ends up undermining the purpose: to give hope to the faithful living under Antiochus. The reason for the change is twofold. First, the author of this vision, although writing it as if he were Daniel living centuries before, was really writing it at this point. Up to now, he's been looking back at events that already happened and now he's looking to the events of the roughly three years that will follow. Is it actually a prophecy? Or is it his Spirit-inspired insights based on what he knew of two centuries of Greek fighting coupled with what he knew from the Prophets? And I think that's key here. Suddenly, here, the vision borrows language and images from Isaiah and Ezekiel and the Psalms. He was using those passages to interpret current events and that explains why the language becomes grandiose and why the historical one-to-one's fall apart at this point. The key truth here isn't so much the exact historical events that would happen, but that in them the God of Israel would act to judge the wicked, and to deliver and vindicate the faithful. As modern people who tend to think of prophecy mainly as foretelling future events, we forget that prophecy in Israel was always far more interested in telling us about the God behind world events. And as I said last week, I think that's where the solution to our problems with Daniel lies. Throughout the Old Testament Prophets we see foretellings of judgement and vindication in history, and we can look back at the historical record and see that they really did happen, but most of the time there's still an eschatological element that we don't see fully fulfilled in the historical events. As Daniel speaks here of the end, there's the end, the historical end of Antiochus Epiphanes, an end to his blasphemies, an end to his persecution of the faithful, but there's also a sense of this big, this final End with a capital “E”—something that will bring history to a close with a once and for all judgement that ends wickedness forever and sees the faithful, the just fully restored and given justice. God's judgements in history always point us to a day when all will be set to rights once and forever. So when the angel says to Daniel “at the time of the end”, he is talking about historical events in the near future, but there's an element or an aspect of these events—at least in the way they're described here—that looks forward to and anticipates a future End with a capital “E”. Look at Daniel 12:1-4. “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Things are bad, but they're going to get worse, so the angel reminds Daniel of the beginning of the vision. There's more to what's going on than what Daniel—or the faithful in Judah—can see, so don't despair. Again, scripture doesn't fill us in on all the details about these battles in the heavenlies. Is it angel wresting with angel or is it armies of angels fighting with each other? How does it work? How are these battles in the heavenlies connected with what's happening here? We don't know and it's not important. The key point is that God's people are not alone in our struggles. Not only do angels fight for us, but Michael, who is apparently the greatest of them, stands on the side of the people of God. As he fought the angelic powers behind Persia and behind the Greeks, so—I think it's safe to assume—he fights whatever angelic powers lie behind those who persecute the Church today. The angel describes a time of trouble like never before. These are the words of Jeremiah 30:7 and they call back to the Lord's promise to restore his people at the end of their exile: “Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace…. Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. (Jeremiah 30:5, 7-9) The Lord will once again hear the cries of his people in their distress and as they stand firm in faith against a wicked king, so Michael will fight for them in the heavenlies. There is a book, the angel reminds Daniel, and the Lord will deliver everyone whose name is written in it. This book pops up throughout the Old Testament—Exodus, Isaiah, Malachi, and Psalm 69. It's a census of the covenant faithful. The book itself is a reminder that the Lord is not only sovereign, but that he's paying attention—that he knows the names of those who kept the faith. To know that the Lord is paying that kind of attention is itself encouraging. Think back to 11:33, where we read about the “wise” during these dark days: And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some day they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. The world is not as it should be. The people who deserve life receive death. But the Lord keeps the books and he will set everything right in the end. The angel tells Daniel about the many who sleep in the dust of the earth. Think of Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones. An image of death, hopelessness, and injustice. The people who should know the life of God are dead and all but forgotten. But there's a promise. The Lord will restore them to share in his life. The angel, speaking to Daniel, draws on the language of Isaiah 26:19: Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. The angel here in Daniel takes these old prophetic images of resurrection that were originally illustrating Israel's return from exile, here the angel gives those images a literal fulfilment and the return from exile becomes an image or an earnest, a down-payment, on this even better thing that the Lord will do for his people. They were longing for a restoration to the promised land where they could once against live with his presence in their midst in the temple, but now through the angel the Lord promises that he will raise his people from death and share his life with them. Those who were dead will sing for joy. And the wise, the faithful who put their own lives on the line to exhort the rest of the people to faithfulness, the angel says, they will shine like the stars. He draws on the image of the suffering servant from Isaiah 52: Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. The angels speaks of hayyim olam, everlasting life. It's is the only place this phrase is used in the Old Testament, but it seems to draw on the Lord's promise to the king in Psalm 21. And it suggests that the Lord is sharing something of himself with the faithful, because everlasting life is something that belongs only to God. It's what he shared with human beings in the garden by means of the tree of life. It also calls back to Daniel 2:44 where Daniel is told: The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. The faithful dead will sin for joy forever. But giving life to the just only balances one side of the ledger. The angel says, too, that the wicked—the apostate Jews who conspired with Antiochus—they will be raised as well, but instead of being raised to know the life of God, they will be raised to face judgement and death. The description of them is taken from Isaiah 66:24: “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” The wicked, the apostates, and the collaborators who sided with the pagans and forsook the Lord's covenant, who died—presumable natural, peaceful deaths—thinking they'd done the right thing, they are raised briefly so that they can know the Lord's justice, so the books can be set straight, and then we have this image of their corpses being cast in the Valley of Hinnom to rot, a testimony to everyone of the Lord's justice—that regardless of how things may look now, he will in the end give life to the just and destruction to the wicked. The important thing in all this is the Lord's vindication of his faithful people and, in that, his vindication of himself. The Lord will make known his faithfulness and, seeing it, the peoples will give him glory. In reading a stack of commentaries on Daniel, I've noticed that this gets lost. Everyone puts their attention on when this will happen or they get side-tracked with discussion about what all this means for our concept of the afterlife. That's not the point. I love the way the Jewish Bible scholar Jon Levenson puts. He writes, “The main point…is not afterlife; it is vindication, the vindication of the just and their God against the rebels or defectors who had of late triumphed over them and disgraced them. In short, in these texts the resurrection of the dead is best conceived as a reversal, not so much of death as of condition and status. God intervenes to make the downtrodden and the triumphant change places, in the process vindicating his own honor and sovereignty….In stark contrast to recent experience, the faithful traditionalists will live (and the ‘wise' among them will shine radiantly), but the desecrators of the covenant will either die or endure an unending ignominy.”[1] The central part of Chapter 12 comes to a close in verse 4, where the angel tells Daniel to seal all of this up until the “time of the end”. I think that, again, stresses that the time the author of Daniel was writing about was the days of Antiochus Epiphanes and Judas Maccabeus. If the book was sealed, no one could read it, so the idea here is that those who read the book would know that this was their time. And, again, that was meant to give them hope in the midst of very dark days as they watched their own people being killed for their faith. The final paragraph of the book, I think, stresses this pretty clearly. Look at verse 5 and following: Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 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. And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” So we're now back where we started at the Tigris River with this majestic man clothed in linen and gold. There are now two others who seem to be angels and “someone” asks the man how long it will be to the end of all this”. And the man swears to heaven as he tells Daniel that it will be a times, times, and a half time. This isn't the first time we've heard this figure in Daniel and as before, it's sort of a cryptic way of saying three-and-a-half years. That's the emphasis of this whole paragraph. Daniel says that he doesn't understand, and the man more or less says the same thing again in two different ways. From the time the regular offering is taken away and the altar is desecrated—and that points again to this being about those days when Antiochus did that, not some far future—from that time it'll be 1290 days. And then the man, and without any other cue I think we have to assume he's referring to the same time period, he says 1335 days. Both numbers work out to a little more than three-and-a-half years. Bible scholars debate the reason for the two additional numbers that differ a little from each other and from the first. Some think each is calculating the time using a different calendar: one lunar, one solar. Others point out that the numbers are symbolic and that you can work out various sums with them that have their own symbolic meaning. It's a complex discussion with no certain solution. The simple point seems to be that all of this was supposed to happen in roughly three-and-a-half years. So it's worth noting that, indeed, Judas Maccabeus and his forces captured the temple in December of 164 BC. (Jews celebrate that victory every year at Hannukah.) And Antiochus Epiphanes also died in December of 164 BC. That was three years from the desecration of the altar. It probably took some time for the news to get to Jerusalem. We know the morning and evening burnt offerings were stopped sometime before the desecration of the altar, but not precisely when, so the three-and-a-half years as a rough number with some symbolic significance fits. And yet, even though Antiochus died and the altar and sacrifices were restored, the wicked were punished and the faithful vindicated, no one was literally raised from the dead. And this is why so many interpreters have insisted that this all must be about something in the future, not the days of Antiochus Epiphanes and Judas Maccabeus. To see this as describing future events has been the majority opinion for both Christians and Jews, but it isn't the only opinion. As I've been studying Daniel, one of commentaries I've been reading is on the history of its interpretation and I've found it interesting that some of the earliest Christian readers of Daniel understood this to be fulfilled allegorically in the victory of the Maccabees and the death of Antiochus. I think they were on the right track. Again, as I said last week, it's typical of the Old Testament prophets to write about judgement and vindication, whether of Israel or the nations, in a way that we see fulfilled in historical events, but that also points to a future day—to the great and final End with a capital “E”—that has yet to happen. And I think that's what's happening in Daniel's vision. He wrote his book to encourage the faithful living through the dark days of the 160s BC and the people to whom it was written obviously found encouragement in it, because they made sure that the book made it into the Bible as scripture. They recognised the Spirit of God speaking through this man and his stories and visions. I can't see them, with so much here that grounds Daniel's vision in the events in which they were living, I can't see them projecting this into some distant future. They knew that no one was resurrection from death in 164 BC but instead of throwing the book out as a failed prophecy, they were encouraged and exhorted by it, it made sense of the events through which they were living, they understood it to be fulfilled in some way in the events they experienced, and so they identified it as God's word. This is, again, part of the nature of prophecy in the Bible. It speaks to the original people and rebukes or exhorts them in their historical circumstances, while also pointing to the future. Brothers and Sisters, life is not easy. Maybe this is why Daniel is grouped with the wisdom books in the Hebrew Bible. Because Daniel reminds us that to walk in faith with the Lord doesn't mean an escape from the trials and tears of the world; it doesn't mean an escape from wicked rulers or, for that matter, wicked neighbours; it doesn't give us a get-out-of-persecution-free card. What it does mean is that the Lord holds us in his hands through the trials and tribulations of life. Daniel reminds us that our names are written in his book. Daniel reminds us that no matter how bad things that we can see may look, God fights for us in the heavenlies. But, I think most important, to walk in faith with God is to know that his acts of faithfulness in the past—and even today—give us a sure and certain hope of vindication and of life everlasting in the age to come. Daniel and his people gathered year in and year out to eat the Passover meal and in doing that they remembered and participated in the events by which the Lord had rescued their ancestors from Egypt, made them his people, given them his law, dwelt in their midst, and made them a promise of life. They sat down at that table, recalled the past, and looked forward in hope because the past told them who the Lord is and that he is good and faithful. And if that was true for Daniel and for the faithful Jews living in the days of Antiochus and for Jesus and his disciples sitting down to eat the Passover in the upper room, how much truer is it for us? Like I said last week, Jesus did with Daniel what Daniel had done with the Prophets. Jesus saw himself fulfilling that future element of Daniel's vision. He saw himself finally inaugurating that big and final End with a capital “E”. Jesus died and rose from death, as Paul would later write, the firstfruits of that promised and long-hoped for resurrection of the dead—the day when the Lord will set his creation to rights, vindicate his people who have suffered disgrace for their faith, and will reveal his glory as he deals once and for all with evil and sin and with death. Brothers and Sisters, think on that as you come to the Lord's Table this morning. As we eat the bread and drink the wine we remember the events of that first Easter Sunday when the false verdict on Jesus and his disgraceful crucifixion were overturned and he was vindicated by his Father: restored to life and declared the King. We remember those events by which he has delivered us from death. As you pass the font, dip your fingers in the water and remember that Jesus has led us through these waters in an exodus from sin and death. Brothers and Sisters, we remember the goodness and faithfulness of God revealed in Jesus, revealed in the giving of his Spirit, revealed in the new life he has given. He has made us his people. Our names are written in his book. And so we know—we have hope—for the day when he will bring to completion what began the day Jesus rose from the grave. One day he will wipe away ever tear and we will sing with joy and shine like the brightness of the sky. Let's pray: Gracious Father, fill us with faith. As we look back on your mighty and saving deeds, remind us of your goodness and your faithfulness and grow our faith that we might remain faithful to you. Grow our faith that we might stand firmly for you no matter the circumstances. Knowing that you have given the life of your own Son because you love us, fill us with your grace and teach us to love you in return with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength as we look forward in hope to day when you bring completion this work of new creation begun in Jesus. Amen. [1] Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel: The Ultimate Victory of the God of Life (New Haven: Yale, 2006), 190-191.
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Daniel Packard is an Anxiety Solution Pioneer and a U.C. Berkeley Mechanical Engineer, who turned his painful 10-year-long battle with severe anxiety into a mission to engineer a permanent solution for anxiety. After eight years or intensive research and testing, Daniel and his research developed the world's only permanent anxiety solution program with a 90% success rate. And because he is so passionate about achieving results, his company is the only emotional health company in the world where clients only pay at the end, once their anxiety is completely resolved. Daniel also has a background in acting and has had fifteen years' experience as a stand-up comedian. Daniel's father was an inventor, who told him that if something isn't working, invent something better. Daniel was so fascinated by this philosophy as well as his dad's creations, that when mountain bikes burst onto the scene, instead of buying one he built his own, eventually earning his degree in Mechanical Engineering. Through his own struggles with anxiety, spending $100,000 over ten years with no results, he finally decided to look at anxiety through the eyes of an engineer. Which is to see a problem, find a solution, test, and retest the results until the problem is solved. Daniel explains that he started looking at anxiety as a mechanical problem, not a psychological one, since he realized that anxiety is in the body, not the mind. He further describes that the human body consists of a series of systems, and the one which was broken was being ignored, which was the nervous system. Which is why he and his team focused on the nervous system, and developed the 6-week program called Nervous System Reset which has helped hundreds of individual clients but also over 3,000 people at over 300 companies and universities all over the world. Daniel's unique background as an engineer as well as an actor and comedian makes for a fascinating, enlightening, and entertaining episode, where he explains the mechanics of anxiety, why it took an engineer to solve the problem, and why the mental health and self-improvement industry owe their followers an apology. Download this informative episode with its positive message of hope and healing. Because Daniel passionately believes another important lesson his dad told him years ago, which is that if you really want to make people's lives better, results matter. And because results do matter, no one has to live with anxiety, and all of us can find our path to permanently eliminate it and reclaim our lives. https://anxietysolutionprogram.com/ https://www.facebook.com/danielpackardpublic https://www.instagram.com/danielpackard/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiW5BRtH6i9iI4jP1bGmEng QUOTE: “Anxiety is a feeling of being unsafe, which is mechanical, not psychological.”
How To Deal With Doubt | The Todd Coconato Show Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give There are two primary ways Christians can stop doubting God. The first is reading the Bible. In order to stop doubting, trust must be built. But it is hard to trust a stranger, or even an occasional acquaintance. When salvation occurs and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in one's heart, it is just the beginning of a lifelong journey (and beyond) of getting to know God. The primary way of knowing God is reading the Bible. One thing that the Bible makes abundantly clear is that God is faithful, trustworthy, and good. As we fill our minds with the proofs of God's power and love through history, we are better able to overcome doubt. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Bible is unique because it is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), which means the words on the pages may look ordinary but they are inspired by the Holy Spirit. God's Word even “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Bible reading encourages us (Romans 15:4), satisfies and sustains us (Matthew 4:4), and guides us through life better than any GPS (Psalm 119:105). The Bible simultaneously reveals God to us—what He is like, what He loves, and what He hates. And the more a believer learns about the person of God, the more his faith will increase—and the less he will doubt. The second way Christians can stop doubting God is prayer. Prayer may be the most difficult discipline to develop in the believer's life, but it is also the most rewarding. Our reading of Scripture should prompt our praying. In Daniel 9:2–3, we read, “I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” In other words, Daniel knew from Scripture that God was going to end Israel's captivity, and that knowledge spurred him to pray. Why did Daniel pray for what he already knew would happen? Because Daniel knew that God uses the prayers of His people in the working out of His eternal purposes. If God is so benevolent that He would allow us such an important place in His plan for this world, surely we can trust Him to hear our prayers and answer them. Not only does God hear our prayers, but whatever we ask in accordance with His will shall come to pass (Luke 11:9–13). In the words of Andrew Murray, “Let no delay shake our faith. Of faith it holds good: first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Each believing prayer brings a step nearer the final victory. Each believing prayer helps to ripen the fruit and bring us nearer to it; it fills up the measure of prayer and faith known to God alone; it conquers the hindrances in the unseen world; it hastens the end.” Our prayers should be made daily, in a quiet place with no distractions. It's good to keep a prayer journal. There's no need to write down every detail of your prayers, but do write some of your petitions, and, when God answers, write that down also. It won't be long before you have a bona fide record of how God supernaturally speaks into the lives of His children through answered prayer. This can be a tremendous help in overcoming doubt. God doesn't want His people to doubt Him; He wants them to be confident in His love, watchfulness, and protection. Do not hesitate to call to Him; He has promised to answer (Jeremiah 33:3).
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Because Daniel remained faithful despite threats to his life, King Darius of Persia, praised God. Back in 2014, after reading the king's words, I sat down and penned, "You Rescue! You Save!" as a song of worship to God. You Rescue! You Save! Verse: You are the living God. You are forever more. Your kingdom cannot be destroyed. Your dominion will never ever end. Chorus: You rescue! You save! Your power is shown in all the earth! You rescue! You save! Your power is shown in all the earth! You have rescued. You have saved. Bridge: When fear and doubt assail me. When fear and doubt assail me. When fear and doubt assail me. I will sing. I will sing. Ending: You have rescued. You have saved. You have rescued. You have saved. You have rescued. You have saved me. © 2014 PocketNeif Music --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pocketneif/message
Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Because Daniel had a spirit of excellence; he found favored with the king. Excellence is not perfectionism, competition or superiority. Excellence is being anchored to the things and ways of God. Excellence the ability to follow His voice whole heartedly even in the midst of persecution. Excellence is not a fruit that is produces but a choice to obedience, preparation and honor.
Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?
Scripture clearly states that if we will honor God, He will honor us. Daniel and his three friends are a great case study regarding this promise. Because Daniel honored God in chapter 1, he was given the opportunity to be God's voice in chapter 2. Because Daniel's three friends honored God, they were given the… The post Daniel 2 and 3: Honor God Above All Else appeared first on Mount Vernon Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In the last episode, “How Far Gone is the Night?”, we put forward a prophetic verse from Isaiah to help us understand the final beast kingdom. Here it is in its couplets: “The pronouncement concerning Edom: One keeps calling to me from Seir, ‘Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?' The watchman says, ‘Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.'” (Is 21:11-12) This is important because the last beast performs his deceiving signs “in the presence of the first beast.” The first beast is Babylon. This explains why Babylon the Great is “fallen, fallen.” The image of the beast King Nebuchadnezzar set up for the nations to bow down and worship was one image. Because Daniel had interpreted his gold-silver-bronze-iron dream of the image as the successive beast empires, the King of Babylon thought by forming the image ALL of gold, his kingdom would endure forever. He thought all he needed to do was bring in representatives from all the nations to bow to it. Of course, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would not bow, and the king temporarily repented. He'd have to be turned into a crazy beast to be completely broken (Da 4:33). Likewise, in Revelation, human beings who will not repent or who will only repent superficially and worship the image of the beast will be completely broken. If Babylon the Great falls, then all the beast empires fall with it, including its systems among the nations of the world upon which the iron-and-clay feet stand. From the Babylonian head to the Persian chest to the Greek lower torso to the Red Roman iron legs, the Beast will fall. It is empires and nations, yet ONE image, which helps us to understand how the last beast's signs are performed in the presence of the first. The feet don't rome too far from the head. Sorry. Couldn't resist a pun. Edom is Rome, the last beast kingdom, and its feet are standing upon the earth mixed with the clay, the peoples of the earth. It will be shattered by the Stone of Israel, and all the beast kingdoms that attached to the golden head of Babylon will fall. The night watchmen, who represent those skilled in knowing the times and seasons that turn in their cycle, are experts in the moedim. The moedim were set in place on the fourth day of Creation when the sun, moon, and stars were put in their place “for the sake of the moedim,” often translated as “seasons.” The night watchmen watch these stellar movements every "night," or exile.
Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. None of his people can tell him nor interpret the dream. But the One true God gives Daniel the content of the dream and its meaning. Because Daniel stayed connected to God, God used him mightily to show God's glory even in a pagan land. Abiding in the Lord is a must!!! Pastor Justin Yeary
This morning we welcomed Daniel and Carolina into the studio to talk last night's Married At First Sight, and it's a good job Fitzy is isolating at home and broadcasting from there. Because Daniel had a lot to say to him. This got very awkward, very fast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two Ideas from Daniel 4 that must be important: 1. Because Daniel said it 3 times – “ We are not guaranteed a godly leader, but we are guaranteed a leader picked by god.” 2. Because Jesus borrowed the illustration – “Our shelter is found in God's Kingdom.”
Two Ideas from Daniel 4 that must be important: 1. Because Daniel said it 3 times – “ We are not guaranteed a godly leader, but we are guaranteed a leader picked by god.” 2. Because Jesus borrowed the illustration – “Our shelter is found in God's Kingdom.”
Everyone always talks about happiness and about being fulfilled and when you take a look at their life, they're not matching what they're saying. Well Daniel Bulgatz isn't one of those people. Daniel came on the show today to help everyone understand what it takes to pursue your passion and why its so important. Daniel Bulgatz is the co-founder of Graffiti Park, a non-profit organization in Las Vegas, Nevada. Graffiti Park helps raise awareness for local artists by giving them blank canvases to display their works... then they market it and raise awareness. Why we think this will work? Because Daniel's intentions are pure and his passion is real. Watch the episode to find out more about Daniel's life and what it really takes to pursue your passion. If you enjoy our content, please hit that subscribe button and share this with as many people as you know! We appreciate all support along our journey! Instagram : @talk2muchllc #podcast #passion #graffiti
Episode ten is here and our guest is Daniel Mesonero from Toadman Interactive. Daniel has worked in so many different regions and countries within the games industry that he has an incredibly wide breadth of knowledge to share. He even helped launch Toadman's Berlin studio and now runs the day to day operations. Because Daniel knows five languages, we spend a good portion of the episode exploring words and their cultural context.
In chapter 2 of Daniel, we see that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and asked for interpretation of it. Because Daniel continued to trust in God, when the call came to him, Daniel was able to give it. Though he was threatened with death, Daniel was faithful to give the king the interpretation that God gave him. Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was temporary and God would ultimately replace it with his kingdom. When we are faithful, God gives us the opportunity to be more faithful and strengthens us to live by faith.
Greetings! Welcome to the show today. Heroes— You know, I think it is very important for each and every one of us to have heroes; men and women of God we look to to inspire us and show us how to truly live for God. One of the heroes of scripture who inspires me the most is the prophet Daniel; a man taken into captivity to Babylon, which was the reigning world empire and forced to live amongst a strange people in a strange land surrounded by all sorts of false gods and various temptations. And yet in the midst of all that, he remembers to whom he really belongs and remains true to God in the face of (what seem at least to me to be) insurmountable difficulties. Backdrop— Now, just to give you a little background, Israel (because of their unfaithfulness to God) had been sent into exile. God had made a covenant promise to His people to be faithful to them; to prosper them; to bless them. Yet that covenant was contingent upon obedience to Him. They were to remain consecrated, set apart for Him. It was their obedience to God that would allow His presence to dwell with them in the temple; and it was that presence that would bless them. But if Israel was unfaithful to God, then God promised judgment on them. We see this clearly in Deuteronomy 28, which says… Deuteronomy 28:15 (ESV)— 15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Deuteronomy 28:36a (ESV)— 36 “The Lord will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known…. Deuteronomy 28:64a (ESV)— 64 “And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other,… Temple Destroyed— Now Israel, unfortunately, did not pay heed to this. They began worshiping the same gods and engaging in the same practices as the pagan nations. So God had to bring judgment. Israel was attacked and many Israelites were carried away into exile into Babylon. And we know that Daniel was among them. And not long after that the temple in Jerusalem, the center of their worship and the zenith of their faith; the very temple that was built and dedicated by Solomon, was destroyed. What This Did to Them— Now we cannot even begin to imagine what this was like. Jerusalem and particularly the temple were the heart of Jewish worship. In Jerusalem you had the monarchy, which had now ended. The temple in which the presence of God dwelt was destroyed (something they thought could never happen). And with the temple went their ability to function the way that God had intended them to. With the temple went the sacrifices and the priesthood. They lost everything. And eventually that is where all sin leads us; it leaves us destitute. It takes away everything from us. Unpopular Themes— Now we often do not like to talk about the judgment of God on sin. In fact in many churches nowadays if a pastor wants to start talking about judgment or sin, he probably ought to start packing his bags; because he very likely will not be at that church very long. Judgment and sin are very unpopular topics. Yet both are necessary before we can begin to understand God's grace and redemption. Because the message of Grace isn't that God overlooks sin, but that God's righteous judgment on sin was born by Jesus Christ. God's Judgment is Always Redemptive— Furthermore, those who look negatively at this biblical theme of judgment don't understand the true nature of God's judgment, which is always redemptive. God judges us (ultimately) because He wants to preserve us. You see, it is sin that destroys. And therefore God's judgment is always aimed towards liberating us from bondage to sin. It is always redemptive. Many of us love… Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)— 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Written to Those Under God's Judgment— Many of us know this verse by heart. But what many don't realize is that this verse was written to a people who were in exile; right in the center; the very heart of God's judgment. Even Daniel's name means “God is my judge.” The Promise of Restoration— And this reveals something remarkable to us about the way that God judges. Whenever God judges, He always leaves His people with hope; the promise of their restoration if they but turn back to Him. Even in His judgment He already begins to show them His mercy; His promise. And this pattern stretches all the way back to Genesis to the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Skins of Grace— Now usually when we talk about the Fall in those first chapters of Genesis we focus in on this theme of God's punishment. And I don't want to downplay that. But I think what we often miss is also a deep expression of God's loving provision. Adam and Eve had sinned against God; they had turned their backs on Him; and the Bible says they realized they were naked and hid. And God comes to them and lovingly leads them to acknowledge their sin. And afterwards He must, because He is a Holy God, deal with their sin. They are cast out of the Garden of Eden. Yet God does not send them out of the Garden naked and afraid, covered in nothing but the fig leaves they had tried to manufacture to cover themselves, though He had every right to. Rather, He takes an animal and kills it; He removes the skin of the animal and clothes them with that skin (foreshadowing the whole animal sacrificial system). I just think, what an amazing picture; that even though sin brought upon them shame (justly), God covers that shame with the skin of an animal. The death of that animal removed their shame. Even in the skin of that animal God was giving them hope; because He would eventually allow another to have His flesh torn and pierced; His very Son. And that death would be the death to end all death; to completely remove our shame and unite us again with the presence of God. As the skin of the animal covered them, foreshadowing sacrifice and the whole sacrificial system, so also it foreshadowed the day when we would be covered by the blood of Christ. Satan's Voice vs. God's Voice— When God judges us, He always leaves us with hope. In fact, some time ago I found myself sharing with somebody something my own mentor had told me years ago about how to distinguish in my mind between God's pointing sin out in my life and Satan's trying to condemn me. And that is a real struggle for many Christians; and it may be for you as well; knowing when God is trying to correct you and when it is really Satan trying to tear you down. The acid test is this; if the source is Satan, it will leave you with a feeling of failure and the claim that you will never escape. But if the source of that voice is God, though the failure may be pointed out, He will always leave you with hope; hope that by His power, He can enable you to overcome. Because God always gives (even in His rebuke) the hope of future restoration if only we will repent and seek God (as Jeremiah 29:13 says) with all our hearts. Repentance is the key to redemption— And repentance is key to redemption. And repentance means more than saying I'm sorry. No, the Greek word “repentance” (μετανοέω) means a change of mind; a change in the inner man. And the Biblical Hebrew word for repent is שׁוּב (SHUB ), which means “to turn back, return.” It is directional. So it is more than confession; more than just being sorry and expressing it. No, it means to change your direction. You are going one way and now you begin to go the opposite way. If we want to be saved, we must μετανοέω; we must שׁוּב; we must change in the inner person and we must change our direction. And I want to encourage you today that, no matter how far you may have fallen, if you are willing to repent like that, God will help you to repent and God's promise of restoration will be available to you. The Temple Dedication— When the temple was first completed, Solomon (I think with amazing wisdom and foresight) prays this incredible prayer of dedication. And in it he seems to anticipate a time when Israel might turn from God. Listen to what he prays in… 1 Kings 8:46-51 (ESV)— 46 “If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47 yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,' 48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace). Daniel turned his eyes toward Jerusalem— Isn't it interesting that the Bible says (when Daniel is taken captive and placed under the charge of the chief of the eunuchs)… Daniel 1:9 (ESV)— 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, What had Solomon prayed for? That when Israel is taken captive, God might… 1 Kings 8:50b (ESV)— grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them God is answering Solomon's prayer. Why? Because Daniel (who knows what Solomon wrote) is doing exactly what Solomon said would be their visual act of repentance. 1 Kings 8:46-51 (ESV)— 48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, Remember King Darius' edict that all people in his kingdom (Israel included) should worship no other god except him as king? When Daniel hears that edict, how does Daniel respond? It says in… Daniel 6:10 (ESV)— 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Deliverance through Cyrus— You see, Daniel is modeling what real repentance looks like at that open window. And it is interesting to note that not long after this God does bring deliverance to His people through the hand of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian empire, which we will talk more about in the coming weeks. A feeling of hopelessness— You know, In general I sense this general feeling of hopelessness among Christians. I have even heard it said that America is too far gone to be able to turn things around. Now I understand that viewpoint, though I believe our passages today reveal to us another, more accurate way of seeing our current predicament. Yes I believe the time is fast approaching when God is going to judge this nation. But what I want you to see today is that this is not something we should dread, because (although it is going to be difficult) it is going to be redemptive. And if we individually and collectively repent, God will restore us. God always offers the hope of restoration to those under judgment; if they but turn to Him. And so this week, let us commit to live lives that are characterized by true repentance. May we seek God with all our hearts. And may you experience (in every way) His love, His redemption, and His restoration in your own life. Amen.
(Dn.1:1-6,8-20; Dn.3:52-56; Lk.21:1-4) “To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency in all literature and science, and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.” God is the giver of all good gifts; all is a gift from God. Whatever we give to Him can only seem paltry to Him “who look[s] into the depths from [His] throne upon the cherubim.” But He makes any gift we give, anything we do, great by His heavenly grace. All our offerings are as the widow's – but a couple of copper coins – even if we give vast wealth from our surplus. What is anything we offer in the sight of God, who owns the world and all that is in it, who sits “in the firmament of heaven”? So the size matters not. But when we give our paltry gift with a heart of faith, in answer to the love He gives us, how great our gift then becomes. For this He blesses. This He looks upon with favor. This He sees as He glances up; for it is the heart He looks upon and measures. It cannot but be that the widow gave her offering out of love, out of her deep faith in God. How could one become bereft of all riches if one did not believe in Him who surpasses all? And is it not Daniel and the young men's faith which God does bless with His gifts of wisdom and prudence? Because “Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the king's food or wine” sacrificed to his pagan gods, God first blesses him and his companions with exceptional health. Though they eat food that is poor as the widow's offering, yet “they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table” – again, because all gifts, including that of health, are in God's hands and not in the things themselves. And God's gift of knowledge and understanding is a reward for their faith in Him as well; they give themselves to Him in obedience and He who holds all such light of wisdom in “the temple of [His] holy glory,” who is “exalted above all forever” – which the young men readily recognize – grants them His favors by His grace. What gift have we to give? What paltry sum have we to offer? Let it be as the two fish the boy offered in faith and generosity to the Lord (Jn.6:9), and with it He will feed five thousand. Let it be as the two coins jangling in the widow's pocket, and with it He will build a home for you in heaven. Let it be given in the faith of the four young men and God will bless it and reveal Himself at work in you. ******* O LORD, you provide, you take care… let us not be afraid but give ourselves entirely to your service. YHWH, praiseworthy and exalted are you, glorious above all for all ages. And those who trust in you are truly blessed; you give them wealth and health – all wisdom comes from you. And though we may have but two copper coins, if we offer them to you, you will provide all we need in this world, and bring us to the riches of Heaven. O let us be raised up with you, dear God! Let us join you on high where you dwell in glory. To your Temple let us come and before your throne let us bow. If so humbly we worship you, you shall sit us beside you. Let us be in your service this day, our hearts set on doing your will alone, and we shall be blessed even before kings, even before the Son of Man. O LORD, help us to give all we have to you.
(Dn.1:1-6,8-20; Dn.3:52-56; Lk.21:1-4) “To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency in all literature and science, and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.” God is the giver of all good gifts; all is a gift from God. Whatever we give to Him can only seem paltry to Him “who look[s] into the depths from [His] throne upon the cherubim.” But He makes any gift we give, anything we do, great by His heavenly grace. All our offerings are as the widow's – but a couple of copper coins – even if we give vast wealth from our surplus. What is anything we offer in the sight of God, who owns the world and all that is in it, who sits “in the firmament of heaven”? So the size matters not. But when we give our paltry gift with a heart of faith, in answer to the love He gives us, how great our gift then becomes. For this He blesses. This He looks upon with favor. This He sees as He glances up; for it is the heart He looks upon and measures. It cannot but be that the widow gave her offering out of love, out of her deep faith in God. How could one become bereft of all riches if one did not believe in Him who surpasses all? And is it not Daniel and the young men's faith which God does bless with His gifts of wisdom and prudence? Because “Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the king's food or wine” sacrificed to his pagan gods, God first blesses him and his companions with exceptional health. Though they eat food that is poor as the widow's offering, yet “they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table” – again, because all gifts, including that of health, are in God's hands and not in the things themselves. And God's gift of knowledge and understanding is a reward for their faith in Him as well; they give themselves to Him in obedience and He who holds all such light of wisdom in “the temple of [His] holy glory,” who is “exalted above all forever” – which the young men readily recognize – grants them His favors by His grace. What gift have we to give? What paltry sum have we to offer? Let it be as the two fish the boy offered in faith and generosity to the Lord (Jn.6:9), and with it He will feed five thousand. Let it be as the two coins jangling in the widow's pocket, and with it He will build a home for you in heaven. Let it be given in the faith of the four young men and God will bless it and reveal Himself at work in you. ******* O LORD, you provide, you take care… let us not be afraid but give ourselves entirely to your service. YHWH, praiseworthy and exalted are you, glorious above all for all ages. And those who trust in you are truly blessed; you give them wealth and health – all wisdom comes from you. And though we may have but two copper coins, if we offer them to you, you will provide all we need in this world, and bring us to the riches of Heaven. O let us be raised up with you, dear God! Let us join you on high where you dwell in glory. To your Temple let us come and before your throne let us bow. If so humbly we worship you, you shall sit us beside you. Let us be in your service this day, our hearts set on doing your will alone, and we shall be blessed even before kings, even before the Son of Man. O LORD, help us to give all we have to you.
At around 83 years of age, Daniel is promoted to Prime Minister. But some people in the culture are not happy. Because Daniel has lived a life of integrity for the last 66 years, they can find no skeletons in his closet other than his worship of God...
Because Daniel was in Babylon he could make a difference for God. In the series on Daniel, Pastor Jonathan opens up the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel's need to interpret them. Daniel called on God to show him the dream.
BEFORE I EVEN STARTED the recording of this podcast, Daniel J. Lewis had given me a tip that will make every podcast I do from this point on better. And at the end, he gave me another. That’s what he does. He takes podcasts from average to amazing. Moving from average to amazing is not just about podcasting, it is about life. And, of course, there is a story behind this. Because Daniel didn’t start out being a podcaster, and along the way, he made some hard choices about what was right for him and his stress level. He learned how to say no to something to say yes to something better. We all could use this advice. So, let's listen to what Daniel has to say.
This week Lee and Daniel conclude the podcast's first serious look at noir, neo-noir, and crime films in general, with Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice", from 2014. Because Daniel is such a big fan of both director and author, the conversation gets in depth about PT Anderson and Thomas Pynchon. Lee and Daniel also converse about their different takes on the film and how it's held up for them with repeated viewings. Also discussed in some depth, in an effort to perv up the podcast's reputation a bit, the career of actress Michelle Sinclair, formerly known as the porn star Belladonna -- who had a minor role in the film -- is talked about. It's almost a mini bit of what the amazing Rialto Report does on a regular basis. Also covered: listener comments and what they've watched as of late. "Inherent Vice":http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1791528/combined The Rialto Report: http://www.therialtoreport.com/ Belladonna: http://www.enterbelladonna.com/ Featured Music: "Harvest" by Neil Young; "Never My Love" by The Association; and "Any Day Now" by Chuck Jackson.
Daniel is on the show today and the interesting part is that he's been selling on Amazon since 2012 first using retail arbitrage and then in 2013 shifting focus to private labeling. Because Daniel has been selling so long he has a unique perspective of what the business was like before and what it takes to succeed today. He also shares plenty of his mistakes along the way as well. You'll enjoy this episode especially if you want to get a sense of the direction that selling on Amazon is heading in the future. You can read the show notes and look at the resources mentioned in this episode by clicking here. Also, if you'd like to get more reviews for your products on Amazon check out Salesbacker.
The key to making God famous is living a holy life. Because Daniel set himself apart and lived with Diligence, Integrity, Devoted Relationship and Obedience, God was made famous throughout the known world.
sermon transcript I. Resurrection: Humanity’s Only Hope Those words were from Revelation chapter 21, you can read them when you get home. Every one of them true. Jesus Christ has defeated death, and His kingdom will live forever and ever. And He holds out for all of us who are alive today an invitation to be part of that kingdom, that we might have eternal life in His name. Now, in the Book of Daniel, as we've been studying it, we've seen a number of other kingdoms and we've seen them rise and we've seen them fall. There was a day when mighty King Nebuchadnezzar walked on the top of the roof of his palace and looked out and said, "Is this not the great Babylon that I have created for the glory and splendor of my majesty?" And so it was. But mighty Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom is gone. He died, he was put in a grave, and his kingdom has sunk into the dust of antiquity. Babylon is no more. After him, there was Cyrus the Great. And there was a time when his armies held sway all over that part of the world. Everything his eyes saw, it conquered and people trembled at his word. But Cyrus the Great is dead, his body is in the grave, and his kingdom, the mighty Persian Empire, has sunk also into the dust of antiquity and is no more. And after him arose Alexander the Great, king of the Greeks. Greatest military conqueror in history perhaps. And there was a time that he strolled the Earth with a majesty and a power that no one had ever seen before, and no one has seen since perhaps. His armies were never defeated in the field and his empire swelled to a size unheard of up to that time. But Alexander the Great is dead and his kingdom also has sunk into the dust of antiquity. And after him arose another, Caesar Augustus. And under Caesar Augustus' wise leadership and under the power of the Roman legions, the Roman Empire reached a height and a scope and a magnitude that had never been seen before and hasn't been seen since, the greatest human empire in the history of the world. But Caesar Augustus is dead, his body is in the grave, and the Roman Empire has sunk back into the dust of antiquity. And after Caesar Augustus and actually in the days of Caesar Augustus, came another and his name was Jesus Christ. And Jesus walked on the earth for 33 years, ministered for a brief time, was servant to everyone that came up to Him with a need, humble, lowly, never left His home area, did miracles, and mighty things, but was rejected by His own people, and He died just like the other four empire builders, He died. But that was the beginning and not the end of His empire. With Jesus' death on the cross, and with His resurrection victory, His empire began, not ended. And it has been growing now for 2,000 years, and it circles the Earth. There's not a place on this Earth that people do not know His name and worship Him as God. And Jesus Christ is building an eternal kingdom and it will never, never sink into the dust of antiquity. And because of His resurrection victory, and because of the power that He has over death, He invites all of you to join His kingdom today. To know that power that is above every other power, the power that He gives us over death. Jesus Christ is the eternal death conqueror, and we need it, don't we? As a matter of fact, the resurrection that Jesus Christ gives is humanity's only hope, there is no other. Because death stands over each one of our little empires too, doesn't it? Each one of the people sitting in this room is building a little kingdom, a little house, a little empire, through your deeds, through your efforts, through your relationships; and death stands over every one of you, just like over me, mocking what we do. Death mocks all of our accomplishments, and death mocks all of our relationships and if we have not the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, we have nothing. We have nothing. But we do have the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, and therefore, we have everything. Jesus Christ is the death conqueror. Humanity, the human race, if it's wise, asks one central question and Job put it into words for us, Job 14:14. "If a man dies, will he live again?" That's a question, isn't it? "If a man dies, will he live again?" Does Scripture answer that question? Yes, it does. The answer is yes. If a man dies, he will live again. Job himself gave us the answer later in Job 19:25-27, he said, "I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end, He will stand upon the Earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh will I see God. I, with my own eyes and not another, how my heart burns within me." That's what Job said. Jesus put it into these words. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" Said Jesus to Mary. Do you believe this? Jesus the Good Shepherd said that "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again…I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it back up again." Just like a cloak. He could lay down His life and like a cloak, take it back up again. Only man in history with total power over death, that's Jesus Christ. And as we've already quoted in John 14, this victory that He has won, which we celebrate today and not just today, but every Sunday, that's why we worship on Sunday, it's resurrection day every week and I celebrate it every day, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said, "Because I live, you also will live." No other conquerors, no other conqueror has ever been so generous with the spoils of his victory as Jesus Christ, He gives it to us, because I live, you also will live. Now, you may wonder, why are we preaching on Daniel chapter 12? What does that have to do with the empty tomb of Jesus Christ? May I say to you, everything. Isn't the providence of God wonderful that we just happen to be in Daniel 12 on Easter Sunday? Because Daniel 12, which testifies to a glorious resurrection is the culmination of the whole vision of the Book of Daniel. It really ties everything together and really you can't understand all that Daniel has been saying and what's been going on. You can't understand it, unless you understand resurrection. Look at verse 2 and 3, just so you know, we're in the right place. We're going to read through the whole chapter in a minute, but look at verse 2 and 3. It says, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the Earth will awake." What is that? Look down at the page. Some of you like to just listen to me, I'm not as good... If I don't read it, I don't get as much out of it. Look at the page, we have provided Bibles for those of you who don't have them, reach forward and bring them out, open up to Daniel and look at Daniel 12:2-3. It's printed on the page. "Multitudes of those who sleep in the dust will awake." and this is in the Old Testament. A clear testimony to resurrection. Multitudes of those who sleep in the dust 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 forever and ever. These words culminate the whole vision and promise of the Book of Daniel, of a kingdom that is being built, that will never end. What good is a kingdom in which the subjects can't enjoy it? And if we are mortal, if death still hangs over us like a cloud, how can we enjoy this eternal kingdom? But Jesus has given Himself that we might have eternal life. Let's read the whole chapter, and then try to understand it in this context, beginning at verse 1 of chapter 12. "At that time, Michael the great prince who protects your people will arise. There will be a time of distress, such 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 forever 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. And 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 the 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. 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 and 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.'" II. Context: The Final Triumph of God’s Eternal Kingdom Now, the context of chapter 12 is chapters 1-11. And you can't understand chapter 12 without the first 11 chapters, and I don't think you can understand the first 11 chapters without this final promise of resurrection. But what have we been seeing, what themes have been interweaving in the first 11 chapters? Well, we see a constant struggle between a Heavenly kingdom and a series of Earthly empires, don't we? We see a struggle between one empire after another and this eternal kingdom that God is building. In Daniel chapter 2, we saw Nebuchadnezzar's dream, remember, a statue with a head of gold and chest and arms of silver and a belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron, and feet, partly iron, partly clay. And then we saw a stone cut out but not by human hands flying in and striking that statue and destroying it. And then the stone itself becoming larger and larger and larger until it filled the whole earth. Nebuchadnezzar couldn't understand the dream, but Daniel interpreted it. Daniel 2:44, I believe, sums up the whole book. In one verse, it sums up the whole book, Daniel 2:44. In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms, and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain but not by human hands, a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. An eternal kingdom set up by God, not by human hands which is growing and building and filling the whole earth. But not in a vacuum, in the times of those kings, in direct controversy with those kings, in contradiction to the leading of those kings, in an immense power struggle against the kings of the Earth, that kingdom advances. And so Nebuchadnezzar himself embodies a tyrant, who wants to fight against that kingdom. In chapter 3, he sets up an image of gold that everybody is supposed to worship, and the Jews won't do it. God's holy servants will not bow down to that statue, they're not part of that worldly kingdom. And so they refused to bow down and Nebuchadnezzar playing the role of the tyrant says, "If you don't bow down, I'm going to throw you in the fiery furnace." And they are thrown in the fiery furnace, but God delivers them, God steps in and delivers them. His power is far greater than any earthly potentate, any greater... Any tyrant at all. Daniel chapter 4, God humbles Nebuchadnezzar, and as I believe brings him into the kingdom. Praise God for Nebuchadnezzar, that he was wise enough. He humbles him, He changes his mind into that of an animal, and then he learns this simple lesson. Daniel 4:34-35: "His [God's] dominion is an eternal dominion. His kingdom endures from generation to generation, all the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him, What are you doing? And those who walk in pride, He is able to humble." Simple lesson. God's kingdom lasts forever. But human kingdoms will sink back down into the dust from which they came. Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, Belshazzar refuses to learn this lesson, he drinks a toast to the gods of wood and iron and stone and that very night, his soul is required from him, and that very night, Babylon falls and is no more. Daniel chapter 6, the next king comes along, and foolishly, makes a law that everyone should only pray to him. Do you see the contest all the time? Human kingdoms, God's kingdom, the struggle back and forth, they just won't learn because human kings want to be worshipped, they want to be God. And so, even Darius, no one can pray to any god except to me. So goes the rule. Well, Daniel refuses to do it and is thrown into the lions' den, suffering. And yet God reaches down with His power and rescues him out of that tribulation. And then in Daniel chapter 7, the central vision of the book, the vision of the son of man, the antichrist, one of those Greek kings and then ultimately the final antichrist, wages war against the kingdom of God, an open war declared, and God intervenes supernaturally, the Son of Man comes with power and great glory, on the clouds of heaven with the armies of Heaven, and He comes and interferes and ends that final Gentile reign. And so it says in Daniel 7:14, "The Son of Man was given authority and glory, and sovereign power. All peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." The Son of Man's kingdom will never be destroyed, this is Jesus Christ. And He comes right in the middle of this Gentile kingdom that's attacking the people of God. You see the struggle from one kingdom, and the other back and forth the human kingdoms, like a relay race, they fight against God and God always triumphs and His kingdom keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger until the end. Daniel chapter 8 speaks about Alexander the Great and this man Antiochus Epiphanes, who opposed him, the same thing. Fighting against God. Daniel chapter 9, a vision of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The cross of Jesus Christ, which makes it possible for us to enter eternal life, all of us are sinners, every last one of us has done evil things in God's sight, and we cannot enter the kingdom except that we be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood that was shed on the cross, and that very thing is prophesied in Daniel chapter 9. A cleansing and atoning for sin. In Daniel 10 and 11, we have the final visions of kingdoms, fighting one another, wrestling and struggling for supremacy, not realizing that the real Kingdom is the kingdom of God and that these little squabbles don't mean a thing. They wrestle over things that are going to disappear on that final day. And so we come to chapter 12, we've seen an irresistible advance of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. He's building His kingdom. It's spreading from nation to nation and human empires and human emperors, kings, can either be wise or foolish. In the words of Psalm 2, you can either take your stand against the Lord and against His anointed one and fight against Him and be destroyed. Or at the end of Psalm 2 you can be wise and kiss the Son, embrace Him and worship Him. Nebuchadnezzar, I believe, was wise, he learned, but others do not, and so we have that final arrogant human king, the antichrist, who seeks to dominate the whole world by his power. At the end of chapter 11, he's discussed and he attacks the people of God. That's what they always do. The persecution rains down, the attack comes, and it's a powerful attack, and in the midst of that comes the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final showdown. And so, we have in this focus, in this chapter, we have a focus on God's people and I think specifically on the Jews. The ultimate fate of Daniel's people. Now, we remember that Daniel in chapter 6, knelt down and prayed toward Jerusalem. He just prayed toward Jerusalem three times a day, he's praying for the Holy City, and he's praying for the Jewish people. That they would return to God, that they would repent of their sins. Daniel 9 gave a vision of 70 weeks before that whole process would be finished, and at the end of the world at last, the Jews would return to God and that they would understand that God is triune. He's Father, Son and Spirit, and that Jesus the Son of Man really is the Son of God, and that they will embrace him nationally and that they will kiss Him and recognize Him as their Messiah. Well, how do you know this? Well, it says so in the Scripture. It says so in Romans 11:25-27. It says, "I do not want you to be ignorant to this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited." It's printed in your bulletin. "Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The deliverer will come from Zion, he will turn godlessness away from Jacob and this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.'" In no way can the Jewish people be said to have their sins taken away until they turn to Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, and recognized that He is their Messiah. And they will, so says Romans 11. But just because the nation as a whole turns to Christ and embraces Him, does not mean that individual Jews will not reject and be lost, as has been happening for 2000 years. III. Chapter 12: Eternal Destiny, National and Individual And so we have an eternal destiny laid out in Daniel chapter 12, both nationally and individually. Antichrist Attacks (vs. 1, 5-7, 11-12) Look at verse 1, the antichrist's attack, described very plainly there, "At that time... " At what time? Well the time of the antichrist. "Michael, the great prince who protects your people," your people is the Jews, "will arise, there will be a time of distress as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then, but at that time, your people," that is the Jews, "everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered." So here comes the final attack the greatest attack. And you know, it just brings goosebumps to me. At that time, a time yet in the future of the antichrist, there will be an attack on the Jewish people, such has never been seen up to that point. Have you ever read what the Jews went through in World War II? Have you ever heard about Kristallnacht, the night that the Nazis began an open attack on the Jews in Germany, shattering glass and looting from Jewish stores? And from that time on, the Jews lived in terror of the sound of hobnail boots on cobblestones in the middle of the night, taking loved ones or whole families out of tenement dwellings, setting up a whole system of carnage that can barely be described. And it's saying that the time yet in the future, will so dwarf that suffering as that you can't even compare them such has never been seen, up to that time. That is the nature of the attack of antichrist. But the theme of Daniel is that every time antichrist, the spirit of antichrist, attacks God's people, what does God do? He reaches in and rescues, He reaches in and delivers, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego or Daniel in the lions' den. Heaven Defends and Conquers (vs. 1) God will not permit it for long. He's going to reach in and He's going to rescue. And so He defends. He defends and conquers, and He does that in three ways, the sovereign decree, He lays out specifically how long this attack is going to go. The duration of the oppression is carefully measured out. Not a day too long or too short. Look at Verses 5-7. "Then I Daniel looked, and there before me stood two others." That's two other angels, "One on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank, and 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 finally been broken, all these things will be completed.'" And then look down at verses 11 and 12, "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days." Now, was that precise? 1,290 days. And then it says in verse 12, mysteriously I think, "Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days." And so this attack on the Jews by the antichrist is defended or protected... The Jews are protected in the middle of it by a sovereign decree, it's not going to last any longer than a certain amount. 1,290 days and then it will end or a time times and half a time, approximately three and a half years. Now, what is this 1,335 days? I'm asking because I don't know, maybe one of you can tell me. I've looked, I've searched, I've looked through the commentaries, I'm not quite sure what that is compared to 1,290 days except 45 more days, some say that that's the time that Jesus will take to set up His Earthly kingdom. I'm not so sure and I'm not sure that anybody knows, but I do know this, either way, the thing has been measured out carefully. And it will not go one day beyond what God intends. And so He protects His people by being in charge of how long the tribulation will last. And then we also see the spiritual defense, look again at Verse 1, "At that time, Michael, the great prince who protects your people will arise." Now, who is this Michael? Well, he's an archangel, he's a ruler angel, he's a commander angel, he is in charge of the armies of heaven and he is fighting in the spiritual realms. Remember we talked about in chapter 10. There's an invisible spiritual realm and warfare going on, and so, Michael, who defends the Jews is at war during that time. There's spiritual warfare going on. And he arises to protect the Jews and fight for them spiritually. And we also see the Savior's descent. Now, where do you see that in Daniel chapter 12? Well, actually I don't, but I couldn't miss the chance to tell you about it. And I know it's in Daniel chapter 7, the second coming of Christ, into the middle of this time of suffering, Jesus Christ returns, bodily, physically, just as He rose from the dead body bodily and physically, so will He also return bodily and physically. Revelation 19:11 and following, it says, "I saw heaven open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He, Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. This is Jesus Christ. And it says the armies of heaven were following Him riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations." That's the second coming of Christ, and it's going to be breathtaking. The amazing thing is you won't need any faith to see it, you needed faith to see the first coming, but you don't need any faith to see the second coming. The righteous and the unrighteous alike will see it. And it will end history. He will also end the reign of the antichrist. Look at Daniel 11:45. It says the antichrist, it says he will come to his end, with no one to help him. So Jesus Christ returns, and ends the antichrist's reign, the antichrist who is the sum total, the summing up of all these human kingdoms, all this rebellion against God and against His kingdom, embodied in this one man, and Jesus Christ Himself will destroy him, it says, with the breath of his mouth. 2 Thessalonians 2:8, "Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of his mouth, and with the splendor of his coming." You can't handle Me. You can't handle the glory and all I need to do is say it's finished and it's over. The General Resurrection (vs. 2) And at that time, there will be a general resurrection. Look at verse 2 and 3, multitudes of those who sleep in the dust of death will awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Sleeping in the dust. Many of you have loved ones who are sleeping in the dust. Do you remember your tears when you committed them to the Earth? Do you remember the sorrow? Have you felt the sadness, a separation? You know what I mean when I talk about death mocking all human relationships? Life is fragile, isn't it? But the promise of God is unbreakable, multitudes of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake and they will awake either to everlasting life or to everlasting shame and contempt. Everybody will come out and Jesus said this too, didn't He? In John 5:28-29, Jesus said, "Do not be amazed at this... " This is printed in your bulletin as well. The important ones I print in there, so you don't have to look them up. Jesus said, "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out" And come out. What does that mean? They'll be alive again. They'll come out. Judgment Day and The Eternal State (vs. 3) Everyone that will hear whose voice? Jesus' voice. He's going to speak and like Lazarus, we're all going to get up and out of that grave, and we're going to come to Judgment Day. What does He say? They will come out. "Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." And so we come to Judgment Day. Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed for men to die once and then to face judgment." Daniel 7:10, "The court was seated and the books were opened." Revelation 20, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it, Earth and sky fled from His presence and there was no place for them, and I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened." Well, what's in those books? I've told you many times, the record of everything you've ever said and done, it's all there. God's an accurate historian. Keeps a record of it all. You may not care about history, but God cares a lot about history. He cares a lot about what you say and what you do, and everything you've ever said or done is recorded in those books, but praise God, there's another book, isn't there? Another book was open it says in Revelation, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the book. Now look at verse 1 of our text today, Daniel 12:1, "But at that time, your people, everyone whose name is found written in the book, will be delivered." You see that? Do you see the consistency of Scripture? It's the same message. Two books, two kinds of books. We've got the books of all the records of all our sin, O that we may not be judged by that. And then another book, The Book of Life, and if our name is written in that book of life, we will be delivered, Jew and Gentile alike, delivered by being written in the Book of Life. Revelation 20:12, "Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life," and anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, their name will be written in indelible ink in the Lamb's Book of Life. And what are we raised to? Well, some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt. Look at verse 3, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever." Some day, if you love Jesus Christ, and you know Him, you are going to shine like the stars. You're gonna shine with a brightness and a glory that can't be described. Jesus said it. He said, that you will shine like the stars in the heavens, and it says it here, in Daniel 12:3. But others will be raised to everlasting contempt and judged eternally. Listen to Revelation 20:15, "If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Now, this is hell and it's a reality. And Jesus came to die on this cross to suffer in our place that we might not have to suffer the condemnation and everlasting shame and contempt of hell, that He would pay our death penalty in our place. And at that time on that Judgment Day, earthly power, prestige, honors and accomplishments will mean nothing. At that time, the size of your earthly conquest and your earthly empire and your earthly kingdom will mean nothing. At that time, the only thing that will save is simple faith in Jesus Christ alone. The Sealed Prophecy Well then comes a command to seal this prophecy. Verse 4, "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. " And then in verses 8 and 9, "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.'" There's a mystery about the future, it is God's glorious king of the universe to conceal some things and hide them from us. He's not told us everything, just told us what we need to know. Some of those things are held back, and you know something, He hasn't told the angels either. Notice how one of the angels, one of the shining ones standing there by the river says, "How long until all these marvelous things are completed?" They didn't know either. Well, one of the angels knew more than the other, he said, Well, it'll be for... He raised his hands and said, For a time, times, and half a time. So some of the angels know more than others, they're all waiting, they're looking in trying to figure out what's going to happen. God hasn't told it all yet. But as time goes on, we know more, we see more prophecies fulfilled. And if we are righteous, if we are righteous, and if we know, we will understand more. Look what it says, verse 10, "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." If you are righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, you accept the words of Scripture as what they really are, the words of God. And so, as these things start to unfold in history, you'll say, It was prophesied. It's here in the book. I understand what's happening. But those who do not love God, they will not read the Scriptures and it's not important. Well, Daniel himself made an inquiry, in verse 8 and 9, he said, "I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, 'My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?' And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel. Because the words are closed up and they are sealed until the time of the end.'" So, Daniel didn't know it all, he sealed up the scroll and now we're opening it up and we're reading it and we understand more than Daniel. Don't we? Is that because we're wiser than Daniel? No, just because history's moved on from that point, and we can look back at the four empires and we can look back at what Jesus has done, and at 2000 years of kingdom building by Jesus Christ. We understand what's happening and we see it coming to its glorious end. IV. Daniel’s Inheritance... and Yours? The final issue is Daniel's inheritance and yours. Look how the book ends, verse 13, "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." Inheritance. Your allotted inheritance, the amount measured out for you. This is that Jewish language. Remember when they entered into the promised land, each tribe had its amount as cast by lot and then a division within that? There was an inheritance of the promised land. Daniel, you have a share in the eternal kingdom. What better thing could there be? Daniel that righteous one, Daniel chapter 1, who resolved not to defile himself with the world's things. Who is a man of prayer, praying 21 days, fasting and seeking God, a man of courage, a man of integrity, a man who loved God. Daniel, don't worry about it, go your way. And you will sleep, you will die, Daniel. You will go into the grave, and then I will raise you up to your eternal inheritance. Now, what is that inheritance? Well, let me read some Scripture, Matthew 24:34: "Then the King will say to the sheep on His right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father. Take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" The sheep, Jesus' followers, Jew and Gentile, get the same inheritance. And you know what they get? They get the Kingdom, the Kingdom we've been talking about now for 12 chapters, the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ. That's the inheritance that Daniel gets. Colossians 1:12-14, "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints." Are you qualified? Have you been qualified to get your inheritance through faith in Jesus Christ? Are you qualified? Giving thanks for the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, for He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, the empire of darkness, and brought us into the empire of the Son He loves. The inheritance is the kingdom, and it's an everlasting inheritance. No one can take it from you. Daniel had it. The angel told him so, do you have it? Do you know for sure that you have a share in that kingdom? Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters, except that you have a share in the eternal inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, the kingdom of Jesus Christ. I'm going to close now with a prayer, and I'm going to ask that you consider your status with God, and if you don't know for certain that you have a share in the eternal inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, will you come and talk to me today? Don't worry what your neighbors think, who cares, they're not going to be standing with you on Judgment Day. You'll have to stand alone. Come forward and talk to me, that you may know and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Today, we celebrate the conquest of Jesus over death. May He be Lord over your death and give you eternal life. Won't you close with me in prayer?
sermon transcript I. Resurrection: Humanity’s Only Hope Those words were from Revelation chapter 21, you can read them when you get home. Every one of them true. Jesus Christ has defeated death, and His kingdom will live forever and ever. And He holds out for all of us who are alive today an invitation to be part of that kingdom, that we might have eternal life in His name. Now, in the Book of Daniel, as we've been studying it, we've seen a number of other kingdoms and we've seen them rise and we've seen them fall. There was a day when mighty King Nebuchadnezzar walked on the top of the roof of his palace and looked out and said, "Is this not the great Babylon that I have created for the glory and splendor of my majesty?" And so it was. But mighty Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom is gone. He died, he was put in a grave, and his kingdom has sunk into the dust of antiquity. Babylon is no more. After him, there was Cyrus the Great. And there was a time when his armies held sway all over that part of the world. Everything his eyes saw, it conquered and people trembled at his word. But Cyrus the Great is dead, his body is in the grave, and his kingdom, the mighty Persian Empire, has sunk also into the dust of antiquity and is no more. And after him arose Alexander the Great, king of the Greeks. Greatest military conqueror in history perhaps. And there was a time that he strolled the Earth with a majesty and a power that no one had ever seen before, and no one has seen since perhaps. His armies were never defeated in the field and his empire swelled to a size unheard of up to that time. But Alexander the Great is dead and his kingdom also has sunk into the dust of antiquity. And after him arose another, Caesar Augustus. And under Caesar Augustus' wise leadership and under the power of the Roman legions, the Roman Empire reached a height and a scope and a magnitude that had never been seen before and hasn't been seen since, the greatest human empire in the history of the world. But Caesar Augustus is dead, his body is in the grave, and the Roman Empire has sunk back into the dust of antiquity. And after Caesar Augustus and actually in the days of Caesar Augustus, came another and his name was Jesus Christ. And Jesus walked on the earth for 33 years, ministered for a brief time, was servant to everyone that came up to Him with a need, humble, lowly, never left His home area, did miracles, and mighty things, but was rejected by His own people, and He died just like the other four empire builders, He died. But that was the beginning and not the end of His empire. With Jesus' death on the cross, and with His resurrection victory, His empire began, not ended. And it has been growing now for 2,000 years, and it circles the Earth. There's not a place on this Earth that people do not know His name and worship Him as God. And Jesus Christ is building an eternal kingdom and it will never, never sink into the dust of antiquity. And because of His resurrection victory, and because of the power that He has over death, He invites all of you to join His kingdom today. To know that power that is above every other power, the power that He gives us over death. Jesus Christ is the eternal death conqueror, and we need it, don't we? As a matter of fact, the resurrection that Jesus Christ gives is humanity's only hope, there is no other. Because death stands over each one of our little empires too, doesn't it? Each one of the people sitting in this room is building a little kingdom, a little house, a little empire, through your deeds, through your efforts, through your relationships; and death stands over every one of you, just like over me, mocking what we do. Death mocks all of our accomplishments, and death mocks all of our relationships and if we have not the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, we have nothing. We have nothing. But we do have the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, and therefore, we have everything. Jesus Christ is the death conqueror. Humanity, the human race, if it's wise, asks one central question and Job put it into words for us, Job 14:14. "If a man dies, will he live again?" That's a question, isn't it? "If a man dies, will he live again?" Does Scripture answer that question? Yes, it does. The answer is yes. If a man dies, he will live again. Job himself gave us the answer later in Job 19:25-27, he said, "I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end, He will stand upon the Earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh will I see God. I, with my own eyes and not another, how my heart burns within me." That's what Job said. Jesus put it into these words. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" Said Jesus to Mary. Do you believe this? Jesus the Good Shepherd said that "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again…I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it back up again." Just like a cloak. He could lay down His life and like a cloak, take it back up again. Only man in history with total power over death, that's Jesus Christ. And as we've already quoted in John 14, this victory that He has won, which we celebrate today and not just today, but every Sunday, that's why we worship on Sunday, it's resurrection day every week and I celebrate it every day, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said, "Because I live, you also will live." No other conquerors, no other conqueror has ever been so generous with the spoils of his victory as Jesus Christ, He gives it to us, because I live, you also will live. Now, you may wonder, why are we preaching on Daniel chapter 12? What does that have to do with the empty tomb of Jesus Christ? May I say to you, everything. Isn't the providence of God wonderful that we just happen to be in Daniel 12 on Easter Sunday? Because Daniel 12, which testifies to a glorious resurrection is the culmination of the whole vision of the Book of Daniel. It really ties everything together and really you can't understand all that Daniel has been saying and what's been going on. You can't understand it, unless you understand resurrection. Look at verse 2 and 3, just so you know, we're in the right place. We're going to read through the whole chapter in a minute, but look at verse 2 and 3. It says, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the Earth will awake." What is that? Look down at the page. Some of you like to just listen to me, I'm not as good... If I don't read it, I don't get as much out of it. Look at the page, we have provided Bibles for those of you who don't have them, reach forward and bring them out, open up to Daniel and look at Daniel 12:2-3. It's printed on the page. "Multitudes of those who sleep in the dust will awake." and this is in the Old Testament. A clear testimony to resurrection. Multitudes of those who sleep in the dust 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 forever and ever. These words culminate the whole vision and promise of the Book of Daniel, of a kingdom that is being built, that will never end. What good is a kingdom in which the subjects can't enjoy it? And if we are mortal, if death still hangs over us like a cloud, how can we enjoy this eternal kingdom? But Jesus has given Himself that we might have eternal life. Let's read the whole chapter, and then try to understand it in this context, beginning at verse 1 of chapter 12. "At that time, Michael the great prince who protects your people will arise. There will be a time of distress, such 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 forever 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. And 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 the 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. 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 and 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.'" II. Context: The Final Triumph of God’s Eternal Kingdom Now, the context of chapter 12 is chapters 1-11. And you can't understand chapter 12 without the first 11 chapters, and I don't think you can understand the first 11 chapters without this final promise of resurrection. But what have we been seeing, what themes have been interweaving in the first 11 chapters? Well, we see a constant struggle between a Heavenly kingdom and a series of Earthly empires, don't we? We see a struggle between one empire after another and this eternal kingdom that God is building. In Daniel chapter 2, we saw Nebuchadnezzar's dream, remember, a statue with a head of gold and chest and arms of silver and a belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron, and feet, partly iron, partly clay. And then we saw a stone cut out but not by human hands flying in and striking that statue and destroying it. And then the stone itself becoming larger and larger and larger until it filled the whole earth. Nebuchadnezzar couldn't understand the dream, but Daniel interpreted it. Daniel 2:44, I believe, sums up the whole book. In one verse, it sums up the whole book, Daniel 2:44. In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms, and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain but not by human hands, a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. An eternal kingdom set up by God, not by human hands which is growing and building and filling the whole earth. But not in a vacuum, in the times of those kings, in direct controversy with those kings, in contradiction to the leading of those kings, in an immense power struggle against the kings of the Earth, that kingdom advances. And so Nebuchadnezzar himself embodies a tyrant, who wants to fight against that kingdom. In chapter 3, he sets up an image of gold that everybody is supposed to worship, and the Jews won't do it. God's holy servants will not bow down to that statue, they're not part of that worldly kingdom. And so they refused to bow down and Nebuchadnezzar playing the role of the tyrant says, "If you don't bow down, I'm going to throw you in the fiery furnace." And they are thrown in the fiery furnace, but God delivers them, God steps in and delivers them. His power is far greater than any earthly potentate, any greater... Any tyrant at all. Daniel chapter 4, God humbles Nebuchadnezzar, and as I believe brings him into the kingdom. Praise God for Nebuchadnezzar, that he was wise enough. He humbles him, He changes his mind into that of an animal, and then he learns this simple lesson. Daniel 4:34-35: "His [God's] dominion is an eternal dominion. His kingdom endures from generation to generation, all the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him, What are you doing? And those who walk in pride, He is able to humble." Simple lesson. God's kingdom lasts forever. But human kingdoms will sink back down into the dust from which they came. Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, Belshazzar refuses to learn this lesson, he drinks a toast to the gods of wood and iron and stone and that very night, his soul is required from him, and that very night, Babylon falls and is no more. Daniel chapter 6, the next king comes along, and foolishly, makes a law that everyone should only pray to him. Do you see the contest all the time? Human kingdoms, God's kingdom, the struggle back and forth, they just won't learn because human kings want to be worshipped, they want to be God. And so, even Darius, no one can pray to any god except to me. So goes the rule. Well, Daniel refuses to do it and is thrown into the lions' den, suffering. And yet God reaches down with His power and rescues him out of that tribulation. And then in Daniel chapter 7, the central vision of the book, the vision of the son of man, the antichrist, one of those Greek kings and then ultimately the final antichrist, wages war against the kingdom of God, an open war declared, and God intervenes supernaturally, the Son of Man comes with power and great glory, on the clouds of heaven with the armies of Heaven, and He comes and interferes and ends that final Gentile reign. And so it says in Daniel 7:14, "The Son of Man was given authority and glory, and sovereign power. All peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." The Son of Man's kingdom will never be destroyed, this is Jesus Christ. And He comes right in the middle of this Gentile kingdom that's attacking the people of God. You see the struggle from one kingdom, and the other back and forth the human kingdoms, like a relay race, they fight against God and God always triumphs and His kingdom keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger until the end. Daniel chapter 8 speaks about Alexander the Great and this man Antiochus Epiphanes, who opposed him, the same thing. Fighting against God. Daniel chapter 9, a vision of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The cross of Jesus Christ, which makes it possible for us to enter eternal life, all of us are sinners, every last one of us has done evil things in God's sight, and we cannot enter the kingdom except that we be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood that was shed on the cross, and that very thing is prophesied in Daniel chapter 9. A cleansing and atoning for sin. In Daniel 10 and 11, we have the final visions of kingdoms, fighting one another, wrestling and struggling for supremacy, not realizing that the real Kingdom is the kingdom of God and that these little squabbles don't mean a thing. They wrestle over things that are going to disappear on that final day. And so we come to chapter 12, we've seen an irresistible advance of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. He's building His kingdom. It's spreading from nation to nation and human empires and human emperors, kings, can either be wise or foolish. In the words of Psalm 2, you can either take your stand against the Lord and against His anointed one and fight against Him and be destroyed. Or at the end of Psalm 2 you can be wise and kiss the Son, embrace Him and worship Him. Nebuchadnezzar, I believe, was wise, he learned, but others do not, and so we have that final arrogant human king, the antichrist, who seeks to dominate the whole world by his power. At the end of chapter 11, he's discussed and he attacks the people of God. That's what they always do. The persecution rains down, the attack comes, and it's a powerful attack, and in the midst of that comes the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final showdown. And so, we have in this focus, in this chapter, we have a focus on God's people and I think specifically on the Jews. The ultimate fate of Daniel's people. Now, we remember that Daniel in chapter 6, knelt down and prayed toward Jerusalem. He just prayed toward Jerusalem three times a day, he's praying for the Holy City, and he's praying for the Jewish people. That they would return to God, that they would repent of their sins. Daniel 9 gave a vision of 70 weeks before that whole process would be finished, and at the end of the world at last, the Jews would return to God and that they would understand that God is triune. He's Father, Son and Spirit, and that Jesus the Son of Man really is the Son of God, and that they will embrace him nationally and that they will kiss Him and recognize Him as their Messiah. Well, how do you know this? Well, it says so in the Scripture. It says so in Romans 11:25-27. It says, "I do not want you to be ignorant to this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited." It's printed in your bulletin. "Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The deliverer will come from Zion, he will turn godlessness away from Jacob and this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.'" In no way can the Jewish people be said to have their sins taken away until they turn to Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, and recognized that He is their Messiah. And they will, so says Romans 11. But just because the nation as a whole turns to Christ and embraces Him, does not mean that individual Jews will not reject and be lost, as has been happening for 2000 years. III. Chapter 12: Eternal Destiny, National and Individual And so we have an eternal destiny laid out in Daniel chapter 12, both nationally and individually. Antichrist Attacks (vs. 1, 5-7, 11-12) Look at verse 1, the antichrist's attack, described very plainly there, "At that time... " At what time? Well the time of the antichrist. "Michael, the great prince who protects your people," your people is the Jews, "will arise, there will be a time of distress as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then, but at that time, your people," that is the Jews, "everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered." So here comes the final attack the greatest attack. And you know, it just brings goosebumps to me. At that time, a time yet in the future of the antichrist, there will be an attack on the Jewish people, such has never been seen up to that point. Have you ever read what the Jews went through in World War II? Have you ever heard about Kristallnacht, the night that the Nazis began an open attack on the Jews in Germany, shattering glass and looting from Jewish stores? And from that time on, the Jews lived in terror of the sound of hobnail boots on cobblestones in the middle of the night, taking loved ones or whole families out of tenement dwellings, setting up a whole system of carnage that can barely be described. And it's saying that the time yet in the future, will so dwarf that suffering as that you can't even compare them such has never been seen, up to that time. That is the nature of the attack of antichrist. But the theme of Daniel is that every time antichrist, the spirit of antichrist, attacks God's people, what does God do? He reaches in and rescues, He reaches in and delivers, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego or Daniel in the lions' den. Heaven Defends and Conquers (vs. 1) God will not permit it for long. He's going to reach in and He's going to rescue. And so He defends. He defends and conquers, and He does that in three ways, the sovereign decree, He lays out specifically how long this attack is going to go. The duration of the oppression is carefully measured out. Not a day too long or too short. Look at Verses 5-7. "Then I Daniel looked, and there before me stood two others." That's two other angels, "One on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank, and 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 finally been broken, all these things will be completed.'" And then look down at verses 11 and 12, "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days." Now, was that precise? 1,290 days. And then it says in verse 12, mysteriously I think, "Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days." And so this attack on the Jews by the antichrist is defended or protected... The Jews are protected in the middle of it by a sovereign decree, it's not going to last any longer than a certain amount. 1,290 days and then it will end or a time times and half a time, approximately three and a half years. Now, what is this 1,335 days? I'm asking because I don't know, maybe one of you can tell me. I've looked, I've searched, I've looked through the commentaries, I'm not quite sure what that is compared to 1,290 days except 45 more days, some say that that's the time that Jesus will take to set up His Earthly kingdom. I'm not so sure and I'm not sure that anybody knows, but I do know this, either way, the thing has been measured out carefully. And it will not go one day beyond what God intends. And so He protects His people by being in charge of how long the tribulation will last. And then we also see the spiritual defense, look again at Verse 1, "At that time, Michael, the great prince who protects your people will arise." Now, who is this Michael? Well, he's an archangel, he's a ruler angel, he's a commander angel, he is in charge of the armies of heaven and he is fighting in the spiritual realms. Remember we talked about in chapter 10. There's an invisible spiritual realm and warfare going on, and so, Michael, who defends the Jews is at war during that time. There's spiritual warfare going on. And he arises to protect the Jews and fight for them spiritually. And we also see the Savior's descent. Now, where do you see that in Daniel chapter 12? Well, actually I don't, but I couldn't miss the chance to tell you about it. And I know it's in Daniel chapter 7, the second coming of Christ, into the middle of this time of suffering, Jesus Christ returns, bodily, physically, just as He rose from the dead body bodily and physically, so will He also return bodily and physically. Revelation 19:11 and following, it says, "I saw heaven open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He, Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. This is Jesus Christ. And it says the armies of heaven were following Him riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations." That's the second coming of Christ, and it's going to be breathtaking. The amazing thing is you won't need any faith to see it, you needed faith to see the first coming, but you don't need any faith to see the second coming. The righteous and the unrighteous alike will see it. And it will end history. He will also end the reign of the antichrist. Look at Daniel 11:45. It says the antichrist, it says he will come to his end, with no one to help him. So Jesus Christ returns, and ends the antichrist's reign, the antichrist who is the sum total, the summing up of all these human kingdoms, all this rebellion against God and against His kingdom, embodied in this one man, and Jesus Christ Himself will destroy him, it says, with the breath of his mouth. 2 Thessalonians 2:8, "Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of his mouth, and with the splendor of his coming." You can't handle Me. You can't handle the glory and all I need to do is say it's finished and it's over. The General Resurrection (vs. 2) And at that time, there will be a general resurrection. Look at verse 2 and 3, multitudes of those who sleep in the dust of death will awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Sleeping in the dust. Many of you have loved ones who are sleeping in the dust. Do you remember your tears when you committed them to the Earth? Do you remember the sorrow? Have you felt the sadness, a separation? You know what I mean when I talk about death mocking all human relationships? Life is fragile, isn't it? But the promise of God is unbreakable, multitudes of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake and they will awake either to everlasting life or to everlasting shame and contempt. Everybody will come out and Jesus said this too, didn't He? In John 5:28-29, Jesus said, "Do not be amazed at this... " This is printed in your bulletin as well. The important ones I print in there, so you don't have to look them up. Jesus said, "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out" And come out. What does that mean? They'll be alive again. They'll come out. Judgment Day and The Eternal State (vs. 3) Everyone that will hear whose voice? Jesus' voice. He's going to speak and like Lazarus, we're all going to get up and out of that grave, and we're going to come to Judgment Day. What does He say? They will come out. "Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." And so we come to Judgment Day. Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed for men to die once and then to face judgment." Daniel 7:10, "The court was seated and the books were opened." Revelation 20, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it, Earth and sky fled from His presence and there was no place for them, and I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened." Well, what's in those books? I've told you many times, the record of everything you've ever said and done, it's all there. God's an accurate historian. Keeps a record of it all. You may not care about history, but God cares a lot about history. He cares a lot about what you say and what you do, and everything you've ever said or done is recorded in those books, but praise God, there's another book, isn't there? Another book was open it says in Revelation, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the book. Now look at verse 1 of our text today, Daniel 12:1, "But at that time, your people, everyone whose name is found written in the book, will be delivered." You see that? Do you see the consistency of Scripture? It's the same message. Two books, two kinds of books. We've got the books of all the records of all our sin, O that we may not be judged by that. And then another book, The Book of Life, and if our name is written in that book of life, we will be delivered, Jew and Gentile alike, delivered by being written in the Book of Life. Revelation 20:12, "Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life," and anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, their name will be written in indelible ink in the Lamb's Book of Life. And what are we raised to? Well, some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt. Look at verse 3, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever." Some day, if you love Jesus Christ, and you know Him, you are going to shine like the stars. You're gonna shine with a brightness and a glory that can't be described. Jesus said it. He said, that you will shine like the stars in the heavens, and it says it here, in Daniel 12:3. But others will be raised to everlasting contempt and judged eternally. Listen to Revelation 20:15, "If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Now, this is hell and it's a reality. And Jesus came to die on this cross to suffer in our place that we might not have to suffer the condemnation and everlasting shame and contempt of hell, that He would pay our death penalty in our place. And at that time on that Judgment Day, earthly power, prestige, honors and accomplishments will mean nothing. At that time, the size of your earthly conquest and your earthly empire and your earthly kingdom will mean nothing. At that time, the only thing that will save is simple faith in Jesus Christ alone. The Sealed Prophecy Well then comes a command to seal this prophecy. Verse 4, "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. " And then in verses 8 and 9, "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.'" There's a mystery about the future, it is God's glorious king of the universe to conceal some things and hide them from us. He's not told us everything, just told us what we need to know. Some of those things are held back, and you know something, He hasn't told the angels either. Notice how one of the angels, one of the shining ones standing there by the river says, "How long until all these marvelous things are completed?" They didn't know either. Well, one of the angels knew more than the other, he said, Well, it'll be for... He raised his hands and said, For a time, times, and half a time. So some of the angels know more than others, they're all waiting, they're looking in trying to figure out what's going to happen. God hasn't told it all yet. But as time goes on, we know more, we see more prophecies fulfilled. And if we are righteous, if we are righteous, and if we know, we will understand more. Look what it says, verse 10, "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." If you are righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, you accept the words of Scripture as what they really are, the words of God. And so, as these things start to unfold in history, you'll say, It was prophesied. It's here in the book. I understand what's happening. But those who do not love God, they will not read the Scriptures and it's not important. Well, Daniel himself made an inquiry, in verse 8 and 9, he said, "I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, 'My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?' And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel. Because the words are closed up and they are sealed until the time of the end.'" So, Daniel didn't know it all, he sealed up the scroll and now we're opening it up and we're reading it and we understand more than Daniel. Don't we? Is that because we're wiser than Daniel? No, just because history's moved on from that point, and we can look back at the four empires and we can look back at what Jesus has done, and at 2000 years of kingdom building by Jesus Christ. We understand what's happening and we see it coming to its glorious end. IV. Daniel’s Inheritance... and Yours? The final issue is Daniel's inheritance and yours. Look how the book ends, verse 13, "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." Inheritance. Your allotted inheritance, the amount measured out for you. This is that Jewish language. Remember when they entered into the promised land, each tribe had its amount as cast by lot and then a division within that? There was an inheritance of the promised land. Daniel, you have a share in the eternal kingdom. What better thing could there be? Daniel that righteous one, Daniel chapter 1, who resolved not to defile himself with the world's things. Who is a man of prayer, praying 21 days, fasting and seeking God, a man of courage, a man of integrity, a man who loved God. Daniel, don't worry about it, go your way. And you will sleep, you will die, Daniel. You will go into the grave, and then I will raise you up to your eternal inheritance. Now, what is that inheritance? Well, let me read some Scripture, Matthew 24:34: "Then the King will say to the sheep on His right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father. Take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" The sheep, Jesus' followers, Jew and Gentile, get the same inheritance. And you know what they get? They get the Kingdom, the Kingdom we've been talking about now for 12 chapters, the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ. That's the inheritance that Daniel gets. Colossians 1:12-14, "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints." Are you qualified? Have you been qualified to get your inheritance through faith in Jesus Christ? Are you qualified? Giving thanks for the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, for He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, the empire of darkness, and brought us into the empire of the Son He loves. The inheritance is the kingdom, and it's an everlasting inheritance. No one can take it from you. Daniel had it. The angel told him so, do you have it? Do you know for sure that you have a share in that kingdom? Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters, except that you have a share in the eternal inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, the kingdom of Jesus Christ. I'm going to close now with a prayer, and I'm going to ask that you consider your status with God, and if you don't know for certain that you have a share in the eternal inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, will you come and talk to me today? Don't worry what your neighbors think, who cares, they're not going to be standing with you on Judgment Day. You'll have to stand alone. Come forward and talk to me, that you may know and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Today, we celebrate the conquest of Jesus over death. May He be Lord over your death and give you eternal life. Won't you close with me in prayer?
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