Hopeful

Introduction

Well, good evening!

If you have a Bible, and I hope that you do…open ‘em up with me to Daniel chapter 12…This is our last sermon in the Book of Daniel. I hope you’ve enjoyed walking through it this last year. I hope you’ve been encouraged…I hope your knowledge and your love for the Lord, I hope it’s increased.

Starting next week, we’re gonna begin a series in the Gospel of Mark which’ll take us probably about a year and half to get through on Wednesday nights.

But listen, as we come to a close on the Book of Daniel…here’s what I want us to take away…there’s a lot of things we’ve studied…there’s a lot of things we’ll see tonight that might not make a lot of sense…some of it seems scary…some of it seems uncertain, right? But listen, in light of everything we’ve seen throughout this book…in light of God’s sovereign control (He’s proved that, right)…in light of that, as God’s people, we have to ground ourselves in faithfulness and fruitfulness as we anticipate Jesus’s return. And listen, we’re able to do that because of things we’ve seen throughout Daniel…God’s proved His sovereign control…Daniel, it gives so much creditability to the Bible. Because we know most of the things Daniel prophesied has come true…we can have certainty that the rest of the stuff that hasn’t happened will absolutely come true.

John, in 1 John 3:2, he says:

1 John 3:2 ESV

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

And then in verse 3, John follows that statement up with a clear application, “And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.”

John’s point…its that our future destiny, it impacts our present discipleship. What we’ll be someday, it should mold and shape how we live today, right?

I think that’s the greatest point of Daniel’s book…the creditability we see throughout these chapters, it allows us to live uncompromisingly today.

Listen, we as we close this book out, Daniel, in this last chapter…that’s the exact message he’s giving us. The hope of my future resurrected body, it provides motivation for my discipleship…it provides motivation for how I live today, how I choose to impact the kingdom of God.

I think Daniel chapter 12, it teaches us or it reminds us how to live as faithful exiles in a world, a context, that isn’t our home. It’s helps us answer the question, “How can we live as kingdom citizens, as dedicated followers of Christ, in a land that’s strange and even hostile toward us at times?”

I think this chapter, its a fitting end…a fitting finale, for Daniel’s book.

And so, if you’re there with me, let’s stand and read this chapter together. It’s only 13 verses. It says this:

Daniel 12:1–13 ESV

“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.” 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.”

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

If you’re taking notes, I have 3 points for us this evening…number 1, Are you trusting in God’s protection?…number 2, Are you living with an eternal perspective?…and then number 3, Are you faithful with what you don’t understand?

And so, with that…let’s dive into this first point together.

I. Are You Trusting in God’s Protection? (v. 1)

Are you trusting in God’s protection?

Look at this first verse with me again. It says:

Daniel 12:1 ESV

“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.

Listen, there’s a lot of views on how the end times are gonna play out, right? I encourage you, if you’re interested in the different theologies revolving around eschatology…I would encourage you to go back and listen to my sermon series last year in Revelation. I covered a little bit more about what I believe is gonna happen in the end…but listen, we’re not gonna do much of that tonight. That’s not the purpose of Daniel’s prophecies here.

Listen, regardless of what you might believe about the end…we see, there’s gonna be a time of great distress, right? There’s gonna be a time where God’s people are persecuted. And listen, that’s no just in Daniel…we see that all over Scripture, especially Scripture concerning the end times.

Matthew 24:9 ESV

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

John 15:18–21 ESV

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

Revelation 12:17 ESV

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Revelation 2:10 ESV

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

It’s all over the Bible…and that’s just some of the examples.

Jesus talked about hell the most…and then He talked about our persecution, as believers, secondary the most. It’s a sure thing…you can take it to the bank…if you live long enough, in the end…you will be persecuted because of following Jesus.

But pay attention to this first verse in Daniel chapter 12…remember I told you when we were going through Revelation…we have to read things in context, right? We have to understand who the author is…the audience…We have remember the Bible can’t mean for us today what it never met for them 2,000 years ago, right? We have to read all of Scripture in the proper context. The Bible wasn’t written to us…it was written for people thousands of years ago, right? And through the sovereignty and power of God, He uses it in our lives today. But it was written to them, and for us to understand it today, we have to put ourselves in their shoes.

These people were already being persecuted…They were in bondage to the Babylonians and then the Persians. This prophesy, its promising even more persecution for God’s people. But don’t miss the point of this prophesy…God’s also promising protection, right?

We see in this first verse, Michael, the archangel, he protects the people of God. And he saves those whose names are written in the book of life. It’s a divine protection…and the point here, our confidence, its not in the physical, earthly things around us…its in Jesus’s rock solid promise of salvation. Its in the hope of eternity. God, through this prophesy…He’s attempting to encourage the people of Israel.

Guys, things in our world…they’ll eventually get worse…that’s just the nature of sin…that’s the progression of sin. No matter what we do, this world’s gonna become more and more corrupt. And I’m not trying to depress you…I’m just trying to be real with you. That’s what Scripture shows us…But listen, as a believer, do you trust in God’s protection? Do you trust in His promise to deliver you? This promise might’ve been written to the Jews in Babylon for their encouragement as they faced persecution and they expected further persecution…but it’s extended to you and me as people who’ve been mended or grafted into the Vine.

When life seems chaotic and when things seem uncertain…are you resting in the truth that God’s in control and that He will see you through all of it?

That’s the first point.

II. Are You Living with an Eternal Perspective? (vv. 2-3)

Point number 2…are you living with an eternal perspective?