Sermon Tone Analysis

At the end of Daniel’s vision (which happens to be the end of the book of Daniel), we find Daniel and a couple of others seeking some answers.

You see, this is what had just been revealed to Daniel; Daniel had just been told:

This was a lot to hear.

Think about it.

Daniel is given this vision of the future (Daniel Chapters 10-12), a vision which includes the rise and fall of kings and their kingdoms; a vision of great distress, great tribulation for everyone, including the people of God; a vision which makes clear some will awake to everlasting life, others to everlasting shame and contempt.

This was a lot to hear.

Daniel is given some instruction regarding what to do with all of this:

In those days, a document was sealed, not to hide it, but in order to preserve and authenticate it.

Daniel was instructed that this vision was to be kept until the time of the end.

It’s just as we sang: the future would be “Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.”

But it’s precisely this—the Word of the Lord—revealed to Daniel, preserved for us, that’s teaching us.

This—the Word of the Lord—has been preserved, kept safe for future generations of God’s people to read.

The wise know where to find wisdom and knowledge about such things: the wise look to God and His Word.

The foolish go here and there, running to and fro seeking knowledge from various sources, but won’t find what they’re looking for.

God’s Word is the only source of true spiritual insight: the wise read it and understand who God is and what He is doing in this world.

Daniel, for instance, is repeatedly told to be wise and to understand the things revealed to him by God, and to teach these things to others.

An understanding of these things will help both him and his hearers stand firm in the midst of the challenges and messiness of living in this broken world.

The fool searches here and there for wisdom and understanding, seeking experiences, trusting man, looking to temporary fads.

The wise know where to find true wisdom: in the objective standard of the revealed Word of God.

As the vision continues and concludes, there are a few questions asked by a few different people.

We here today might be asking these very questions: “How long?”, “What will the outcome of this be?”

>If you have your Bible and I hope you do, please turn with me to Daniel 12.

If you are able and willing, please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word.

Daniel 12, beginning with verse 5:

May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!

_________________________

At the end of this vision, here stands Daniel with two others.

These two others are likely two more angelic figures, one on each side of the River Tigris (10:4).

A third—the one described at the outset of the vision, the unnamed angelic being—stands above the waters of the river.

One of the two angels standing on either side of the river asks the question we might be asking ourselves: “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”

If you had just heard about the rise of an anti-god figure, about the great, unequaled distress that was to come, about the sorting out of people into two distinct and eternal groups, you’d probably be asking “How long until this happens?”,

too.

In verse 7, the unnamed angelic figure from Ch. 10 gives his answer.

His answer is sure and it is certain.

He raises both hands toward heaven—not just one hand, as one would raise when taking an oath.

He raises both hands, swearing by Him who lives forever, and gives the answer.

This angelic messenger gives us the definitive answer, though that doesn’t mean it’s clear.

“It will be for a time, times, and half a time.”

Any time I read this phrase, I want to read it in a menacing, Andre-the-Giant-as-the-Dread-Pirate-Roberts kind of way: “It will be for a time, times, and half a time.”

I’m weird, I know.

But you have to admit, it’s a pretty cryptic phrase.

Some have translated this as “a year, two years, and half a year”—in other words, 3 1/2 years.

And they take this very literally, as in “this is a three and a half year period, period.

No question.”

I don’t think we have to take it quite so far; I don’ think we have to pin it down so precisely.

“It will be for a time, times, and half a time” is a way of saying: a restricted and limited period of time.

It’s in this restricted and limited period of time, the people of God will stand under the final enemy who will oppress and persecute them.

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.”

Stuart Olyott summarizes the scenario:

“We will come to the point where it appears that darkness has really won the day.

It will seem as if the Antichrist is going to continue for ever.

it will seem as if the church has been entirely obliterated, for there will no longer be any sign of it.”

Does this surprise you or shock you?

To read that all these things will be completed when the power of the holy people has been finally broken kind of shocks me.

We expect the end to come when the power of the wicked people is finally broken, not the power of the holy people.

“They’re the one’s that have it coming!

They deserve persecution, they deserve to be shattered and broken, not us!”

God’s Word is clear: if the Lord tarries and we remain here until the very end, we—the holy people of God—will be shattered.

We will be refined and purified; we will be put through the refining, purifying fire of trials and testing.

The question, “How long?” is answered, maybe not how we’d prefer it to be, but it’s answered.

“How long?” “For a restricted period of time filled with suffering for the holy people.”

At this point, we are almost comforted to hear Daniel say:

Daniel is perplexed, confused.

And us right along with him.

Daniel was concerned, first and foremost, with the ultimate state of God’s people.

Would the people of God survive after their power was broken?

Daniel asks: “What will the outcome of all this be?”

The answer given to Daniel shows that there will be ongoing division.

There will be a clear distinction between the many and the wicked.

The many—those who are God’s faithful people—are purified, made spotless, and refined.

Mind you, they still suffer; to be purified and refined is a painful process.

God’s people, though they suffer for His namesake, still they belong to Him; and He’s working on them and in them to make them into what He wants them to be.

Have you experienced this?

Have you experienced the beautiful pain of being purified and refined by the Lord?

Some of the most painful years of my relatively young life were, I believe, when the Lord was working on me, refining me in His fire.

I needed to be knocked-down a peg or two or 50.

My pride, my extreme ego needed a good beating.

At the time, I blamed the people around me (Elvin, Dennis, Sean) for what I was experiencing, but I now realize that it was the Lord working in my life, conforming me to His image.

As I was writing this sermon, the lyrics of a 90’s classic popped into my head.

And I stopped and prayed these lyrics:

Lord, come with Your fire

burn my desires; refine me

Lord, my will has deceived me

Please come and free me

Come rescue this child

For I long to be reconciled to You

Refine me, refine me

Refine me, refine me

How I want to be numbered among the many!

I want to be purified, refined by the Lord however He sees fit—no matter how painful it might be.

There are the many and the wicked, the two parts of the separation, the two parts of the ongoing division.

The angel tells Daniel that the wicked will continue to be wicked.

If you’re wicked, you’re going to behave wickedly.

If you’re a scumbag, you think scummy thoughts.

It always strikes me as odd and a little bit funny whenever I hear people say, “I can’t believe he/she would do such a thing!”

Or when someone exclaims, “What kind of person does that?” or “I can’t believe the things people do”—I find it odd and funny because the answer seems so clear:

“Why would he/she do such a terrible thing?”

Because wicked people behave wickedly.

Don’t expect good behavior from fundamentally bad people.

Well, I guess you’re free to expect good behavior from bad people, but you’re going to be disappointed.