Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Orah Needs Flat-Tire-Preparedness not just advanced-warning nor aptitude testing (Develop Inductively)

Flat-Tires Strike Cars

Parents Prepared Me.

Abba Prepares Orah or Abba Gives advanced warning.

Orah Chooses Inattentiveness

Orah Chooses Attentiveness.

This is where I will start to use the preaching idea: Going Rogue means preparing for what lies ahead by looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.

Orah Remains Calm

Everyone Wants Preparedness not just advanced-warning nor aptitude testing

Orson Wells books, The Time Machine (1895), was the first time we realized as a culture how widely fascinated we were with the idea of going back in time to correct the mistakes of our lives.

While hiding out in a parking garage, Reese also explains that Sarah is destined to give birth to the humans' future leader John Connor.

Reese goes on to say that a nuclear war will be initiated by a new, powerful computer system (referred to as "Skynet" in the first sequel) that is going to be tasked with controlling all defense systems.

Reese himself has not seen the ensuing nuclear holocaust but was born and grew up destitute and starving in the ruins.

He was enslaved and marked with a barcode and was forced to work loading bodies into incinerators.

The human race, he says, will be on the verge of extinction when Sarah's son, John, is able to organize the remaining humans into an effective resistance movement that, by the time Reese will be sent back to the present day by Connor himself, had actually defeated Skynet.

In desperation, Skynet has sent the Terminator to the present day to murder Sarah and eliminate John Connor's existence.

Reese also explains that the Terminator pursuing Sarah, is a new model, one that appears infinitely more human than its predecessors.

Reese tells her the android will bleed, sweat and even has bad breath to enhance the disguise.

Reese is uncertain that he can defeat the android without having the advanced weaponry of the future.

This was popularized in one of the 1980’s biggest blockbuster movies: Back to the Future.

It was also popularized in one of the funniest movies of the centuries, Napoleon Dynamite.

Rico, the uncle of Napoleon, wants to travel back in time to 1982 so he can play in the 4th quarter of his High School Football game.

He believes if he can do this it would change everything.

Let’s be honest, haven’t we all at one time or another thought, “If I could just go back and warn myself about X then life as I know it right now would be so much better.”

You wanted to go back and change the past by preparing yourself from what came next, not just warning.

Financial Blunder

Relationship Blunder

Career Blunder

Spiritual Blunder

in The Time Machine weren't going back in time just to correct mistakes that had been made in their own lives.

They went even further back, to eras that far predated their own time on earth.

They used the machine not for self-improvement, not to alter the narratives of their own lives, but for full-bore, totally otherworldly exploration

What if the future you told the present you must prepare to go through your worst nightmare but you cannot escape it?

What if the future you told the present you your worst nightmare is coming but so is your wildest dreams.

What if the future you told the present you that you will have to look past the nightmare you see and see what God sees to inherit your wildest dreams?

What would you do?

This is what is all about: Bing prepared for the nightmare of the tribulation and the promise of Israel’s resurrection.

Ha-Foke-Bah

Daniel 11:

Daniel 12:1

Bible

The Allegiant ones obtain the hope of the resurrection by being prepared for the tribulation.

What a wonderful study in Daniel.

When I finish a study on a topic or book I usually feel relieved and ready to move on.

When I was finishing out this last message on our study in Daniel, it felt a bit like the first time I left for Israel to come back to the United States.

I got a little sad as I looked on those beautiful shores, those mountains, those valleys, the vast stretches of desert.

When I think about finishing this series on Daniel, I feel the same way.

Like Israel, I will be back, Lord willing.

Starting in , one of the most powerful images that occurs again and again is water.

Raging seas of chaos that empires come of in and then there is river of fire coming from God’s throne, there is the river of where the last great vision of Daniel starts.

In that vision, Daniel meets Gabriel who tells him about the future history of the world and Israel and especially the False-Messiah and the Great Tribulation.

In , the prophet sees a couple of rivers in his vision.

This river is the river of history flowing into the future across many troubled waters.

It worries and overwhelms Daniel, because in his vision he sees the river swallow his people in swirls of war and pain.

In response, the Lord, envisioned as the man in white linen who has already revealed what will happen at the end of the world, appears again, as if to say, “Look at me.”

But I want you to notice

Daniel sees a couple of rivers in his vision.

One river is the river of history flowing into the future across many troubled waters.

It worries and overwhelms him, because in his vision he sees the river swallow his people in swirls of war and pain.

In response, the Lord, envisioned as the man in white linen who has already revealed what will happen at the end of the world, appears again, as if to say, “Look at me.”

But he does not stand in the water to show it is shallow.

Instead, he stands above the waters of the stream to show that he is great—his power and purposes cannot be swept away.

The Lord of history does not stand in the water; instead, he stands above the waters of the stream to show that he is great—his power and purposes cannot be swept away.

Then an angel on one side of the river of history asks an obvious question: “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” (v. 6).

The Lord raises both hands in a magnified sign of an oath (instead of the traditional raising of one hand) and swears by himself—because there is none greater by which to swear (cf.

).

The oath means that the truths revealed are sure, guaranteed by the integrity of God.

But what exactly is promised?

Then an angel on one side of the river of history asks an obvious question: “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” (v. 6).

The Lord raises both hands in a magnified sign of an oath (instead of the traditional raising of one hand) and swears by himself—because there is none greater by which to swear (cf.

).

The oath means that the truths revealed are sure, guaranteed by the integrity of God.

But what exactly is promised?

Advanced Warning for the Events to Come

Perhaps I can help a little in answering these questions.

In this book my intention has not been to unravel all the mysteries of the book of Daniel.

There are better exegetes than I who have attempted that task and, somehow, the matters still get debated.

My intention has not been to further debate but to reveal the indisputable gospel truths in Daniel that unite us and that enable our faithfulness through the events the prophet predicted.

Even Daniel did not understand all that the visions meant, and he knew that, in part, their mysteries would be explained only as world events unfolded (e.g., 8:27; 12:8).

The Lord is careful not to allow his people to abandon the duties of today by focusing on predictions of the future but rather to strengthen them for today by seeing his promises fulfilled as their trials are endured.

Prepared for the Events to Come

Perhaps I can help a little in identifying the advanced warnings given here in .

In this sermon series my intention has not been to unravel all the mysteries of the book of Daniel.

There are better exegetes than I who have attempted that task and, somehow, the matters still get debated.

My intention has not been to further debate but to reveal the indisputable gospel truths in Daniel that made him go rogue to this world and point to the restoration and salvation of Israel.

Even Daniel did not understand all that the visions meant, and he knew that, in part, their mysteries would be explained only as world events unfolded (e.g., 8:27; 12:8).

The Lord is careful not to allow his people to abandon the duties of today by focusing on predictions of the future but rather to strengthen them for today by seeing his promises fulfilled as their trials are endured.

Having explained my intention, let us address the questions.

How long will it be till the end of these wonders?

The question most naturally relates to what the Lord has just revealed: the time of resurrection, judgment, and everlasting life.

Since everlasting life is endless, the question does not relate to how long that period is but rather when it begins.

The Lord’s answer is “it would be for a time, times, and half a time.”

Most commentators agree this is probably a reference to one year, years, and half a year but what about those others days 1290 and 1335?

Having explained my intention, let us address the questions.

How long will it be till the end of these wonders?

The question most naturally relates to what the Lord has just revealed: the time of resurrection, judgment, and everlasting life.

Since everlasting life is endless, the question does not relate to how long that period is but rather when it begins.

The Lord’s answer is “it would be for a time, times, and half a time.”

Most commentators agree this is probably a reference to one year, years, and half a year (thus, probably three and half years, though there is some conjecture even in this).

Let’s review.

Last week we ended the great prayer of Daniel discussing the salvation of “we.”