Intro:

For those of you that are visiting with us this morning, we have been making our way through the book of Daniel for about the past year or so… and we have been focusing on God’s Sovereignty…

Throughout these chapters, God's sovereignty is evident as He orchestrates events, protects His faithful servants, and reveals His ultimate plan for human history.

Last week, we opened up the final chapter of Daniel and saw the angel Michael, the great prince who protects Israel, will arise during a time of unprecedented trouble… The Great Tribulation… and we saw that Despite the turmoil, God’s sovereignty is displayed as He delivers His people, whose names are written in the book of life.

We saw that There will be a resurrection: some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt. The wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

and that is where we pick up our study this morning…

The End - Pt.2

(Read Daniel 12:4-13)

Meat:

As we come to the close of this marvelous book, I am certain that many of us, including myself still have questions regarding the events of the Last Days… And that is ok… because Daniel himself had questions… If Daniel didn’t understand it all, we don’t need to feel embarrassed or incompetent that we don’t either.

In reality, we probably understand these prophecies even better than Daniel did, because for us, a lot of them are now historical events… and we also have more detailed Scriptures at our fingertips than what Daniel had.

Daniel didn’t have the teachings that Jesus gave to His followers regarding the Last Days… And Daniel didn’t have the book of Revelation to bounce back and forth with to help clarify what the Angel was talking about.

And yet, for us, even having those resources, we still don’t understand it all… So it is not surprising that Daniel had some questions as well.

Despite all the information provided in this book, much remains as a mystery. This revelation has sparked the curiosity of, not only Daniel, but also the interest of the other Angels that were listening to it as well, making them eager to learn more.

In the closing section that we just read, the Lord clarifies some final details. Yet, even with this clarification, a significant amount of mystery about the future remains.

The prophecies contained in the book of Daniel are over 2500 years old, yet as we look at our world today, they have never been more applicable or relevant.

Let’s look at these final details…

The first detail that we will notice, is in v.4…

1. The Sealing

Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end… ”

Daniel is told to “seal the book until the time of the end...”

We have looked at this phrase “the time of the end” before and have pointed out that this is talking about the last days, the final years on earth, the Great Tribulation Period.

The sealing does not mean the message is hidden and wouldn’t be found until the time of the end…

Rather, it ensures the message is…

1.1 Safely Preserved

… for future generations, particularly those in the great tribulation…

Daniel must have heeded those instructions because here we are, 2500+ years later and the words that he wrote down have been preserved, since then, so that we are able to read and study them today.

As I stated before we still have questions regarding the things that this Angel spoke to Daniel… which isn’t surprising, because they won’t be (Slide) Fully understood until the tribulation period…

1.2 Fully Understood During the Tribulation

Yes, we may have a better understanding today than what Daniel had when he recieved this revelation, because of the other Scriptures that have been given to us.

However, the fullest understanding of Daniel will not come until the great tribulation… look at the end of v.4…

“… many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

During the Tribulation period, Many will run through the Scriptures, mainly the prophetic passages, trying to gain an understanding of what is happening.

Amos speaks of a great drought concerning God’s Word…

Amos 8:11–12 NASB95

11 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the Lord. 12 “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, But they will not find it.

Dr. John Walvoord said “The Ability to to accurately understand inspired prophecy will require considerable effort.”… which isn’t surprising, given the fact that all Holy Spirit indwelt believers will have been Raptured prior to this time… and so finding someone who can accurately interpret Scripture will be very rare.

But as these people seek to know what God’s Word says and they “run to and fro” trying to gain understanding… Daniel is told that their “… knowledge shall increase.”

Remember, the Angel that is telling this to Daniel is mainly referring to Israel… and so, I believe that during the Tribulation, the wise people of Israel… remember we talked about them last week…

v.3 “ Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament…”

The wise are the ones who understood God’s Word and put their faith in Jesus Christ…

I believe these are the ones who will diligently study the book of Daniel, Revelation and the other prophetic passages and I believe these are the ones who will increase in knowledge during the time of tribulation and come to the full understanding of the words that Daniel is told to seal and preserve.

As we come to verse 5, a couple more Angels come into the scene… it would seem that they have been listening to this same proclamation that the Angel from chapter 10 has been giving to Daniel and they are intrigued by it… so much so, that one asks a question…

Daniel 12:5–6 “5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank.

6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?””

A paraphrased version of Scripture words their question like this… “How long will it be until these shocking events are over?”

This is a legitimate question and it is one that I am sure Daniel had… The Angel just beat him to the punch…

The Angel’s were just as curious as Daniel… They’re just as fascinated by the prophecies as we are… and they wanted to know more…

This leads to the next detail…

2. The Duration

The Angel asks “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”

v.7 gives the answer…

Daniel 12:7 “7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time…”

“It shall be for a time” – that’s one… a time – … .. “times,” – that’s two, plural – times … … “and half a time” – that’s one, plus two, plus a half…

2.1 3.5 Years

Once the treaty is signed between the Antichrist and Israel, the clock starts ticking off 7 years. Half way through the Antichrist sets himself up as god in the temple and the final 3.5 years begin.

The raising of the right and the left hands indicates a solemn oath is being made. Just like today when placing one hand on the Bible and raising the other, it symbolizes the seriousness and binding nature of the promise being made.

The latter half of v. 7 gives us the reason…

and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.”

So this period of time will last…

2.2 Until Israel is Powerless

This is the purpose for everything that Israel has gone through in the past, this is the purpose for everything that Israel is going through right now and this will be the purpose for what Israel goes through in the future…

Just as Daniel 11:35 says… “… to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.”

We pray for the nation of Israel on a regular basis, we pray that more Jews will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we pray for their safety as they come against the terrorist monsters on a daily basis.

However, for those who do not put their faith in Christ, it will get a lot worse… There is coming a future ruler who they’ll trust instead. As we have seen throughout our study, They will enter into a seven-year agreement with him.

And then, halfway through this period, at the start of the final three and a half years, he will betray them, bringing devastation and shattering their strength completely. He will subject them to unprecedented persecution, creating a time of trouble unlike anything ever seen before, just as it says in verse 1 of this chapter…

Daniel 12:1 “… And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time… ”

However, this will not Great Tribulation will not accomplish the will of Satan and his man puppet, the Antichrist… because who is Sovereign? Who is in control?… God is!

Instead of annihilating the people of God, the Antichrist will oppress them to the point of utter brokenness, leaving them so lost and powerless that they will turn to their Messiah.

They will be so crushed, they’ll have nowhere to go but to Christ. How unfortunate that it will take 3.5 years of being slaughtered by the Antichrist before they come to that realization.

John MacArthur describes it like this:

“The ending of history is going to be the Antichrist crushing the holy people. And then, they will become genuinely holy. Their sin will be so deep, their destruction so utter that they will look to their covenant-keeping God who will be faithful to redeem them through the Messiah.”

Moving on through our passage… we see…

3. Daniel’s Confusion

Daniel 12:8 Daniel said… “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

Although Daniel witnessed the scene, he did not understand what he saw and heard. Because of his confusion and lack of understanding, Daniel wanted to know how all these things he had just witnessed would unfold.

I believe this is a testament to the type of man Daniel was, even in his old age - Daniel was curious, diligent, and deeply committed to understanding God's revelations fully.

There are many people today who know what the Bible says, and love to flaunt it around by saying “well my Bible says this… ” or they take a verse, or several verses out of context to try and justify the choices they make.

But they don't know and don’t want to take the time to find out what it means. They don’t want to fully understand the context of the verses they are using because they might find out that they are using Scripture contrary to what God intended…

Unfortunately for them, this lack of deeper understanding can (and most likely will) lead to misconceptions and a shallow faith. And if they are sharing these misconceptions with others, it will lead them down the wrong path as well.

Daniel didn’t want that to happen… And so he admits that he doesn’t fully understand what was being revealed and he asks for a little more clarification.

To which he receives the response in v.9…

Daniel 12:9 “And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

There are some who say that this is a form of rebuke towards Daniel for asking such a question, but I don’t think that it is. I don’t believe God would rebuke anyone for having a desire to gain more knowledge about His Word…

What I see here is a subtle, reiteration of the fact that a full understanding of these things won’t come until the appointed time.

v.10 gives us details about…

4. Israel’s Cleansing

Daniel 12:10 “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.”

Again, sounds a lot like v.35 of chapter 11…

But Daniel is told once again that many people will go through some spiritual cleansing during this time of Tribulation… It doesn’t say they will ALL be purified, but it does say that many will be purified.

I mentioned this last week or the week before, but here is the Scripture to back it up…

Zechariah 13:8–9 NKJV

8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”

So yes, even through this time of great tribulation, souls will be saved… however, Daniel is also told…

Daniel 12:10 (NKJV)

10 … but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand…

The most wicked time in the history of the world will be the tribulation. Currently, the Holy Spirit is carrying out His restraining ministry. However, when He ceases to hold back the forces of evil, all of Hell’s fury will be unleashed without restraint.

And those that are controlled by this evil, won’t know what is going on… “none of the wicked will understand”…

(Slide - Copy of #4)

I believe this can be illustrated by using the analogy of people controlled by drugs or alcohol. Just as those under the influence of substances often lose clarity and the ability to perceive reality accurately, the wicked, consumed by their sinful ways, are blinded and unable to grasp the truth.

Their judgment and understanding are clouded, preventing them from comprehending spiritual truths, much like how addiction distorts the mind and hinders clear thinking… during the Tribulation there will be people addicted to doing evil things and not even realize it.

But even in the midst of that, cleansing will come as “many will be purified and… the wise shall understand.”

Daniel could find comfort in knowing that even through this horrific time, God is still Sovereign, He is still working, and still granting salvation to those who seek it.

vv.11-12 are ones that won’t be fully understood until the appointed time. There are some who try to speculate as to what will happen, but I will accept that their interpretation is sealed until the time of the end…

Daniel 12:11–12 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.”

Verse 11 tells us that the Great Tribulation will be launched when the Antichrist breaks his covenant or treaty with the Jews. We know that the end will come 3.5 years after that, 1260 days when using the jewish calendar of 30 day months.

Note that 30 more days are added to the length of the Great Tribulation, making the time 1290 days. What is the purpose for the extra 30 days? Scripture does not say…

And to make it even more interesting… 45 more days were added, which indicates that the Great Tribulation will last for a total of 1,335 days. Again, scripture does not explain the purpose for the extra 45 days… However, we can trust that God in His Sovereignty has it planned out exactly how it needs to go for Christ to fully establish His kingdom on earth.

And lastly as we close out this amazing book… we see…

5. Daniel’s Hope

Daniel 12:13 “13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

As the Great Book of Daniel closes, the Angel gives this faithful servant a great hope and an astonishing promise. If Daniel will go on and live his life faithfully to the end (just as he has been, committed to prayer and the study of God’s Word), he will rise from the dead and receive the wonderful inheritance that has been set aside for him by God himself. What a glorious hope!

This same hope is ours to claim as long as we believe in Christ as our Savior.

Closing:

Dr. Walvoord concluded his study through this amazing book with this statement:

“In the light of conditions today, which would seem to anticipate the fulfillment of Daniel’s time of the end, it is possible to understand Daniel today as never before in history. The hour may not be far distant when the faithful saints, in the midst of trial, during the Great Tribulation, will turn to these pages of Scripture and find in them the strength and courage to remain true even though it means a martyr’s death. For Christians living in the age of grace… the book of Daniel, as never before, casts a broad light, upon contemporary events, foreshadowing the consummation, which may not be far distant.”

As we conclude our study of the book of Daniel, we are struck by the undeniable sovereignty of God, who rules over all nations and history without fail. Daniel’s visions and experiences remind us that even in the midst of uncertainty and turmoil, God’s ultimate plan prevails.

For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ, may this truth deepen our faith and strengthen our commitment to living boldly for God’s kingdom, regardless of the challenges we face. May we imitate Daniel’s courage and unwavering trust in God’s promises.

For those that are here or may be listening online that have never put their faith in Christ, I hope that you will consider the prophecies and truths revealed in Daniel. Reflect on the evidence of God’s sovereignty in history and the world today. Let this challenge you to seek understanding and to earnestly explore the claims of God's Word.

I pray that you will embrace the invitation to trust in God’s sovereignty and find hope in His free gift of Salvation, which comes only through Jesus Christ. He alone offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life, providing a path to an everlasting relationship with God.

Prayer: