Preparing for His Coming

What is the strangest example of an end times prediction you’ve heard?

How do you generally react to end times predictions?

There are many people who will try and predict when Christ will return. They want to put a date and a time to when He is coming back. God warns about such things. We shouldn’t worry about when He is going to return as much as we should about our preparedness of those around us.

In the first half of chapter 9, Daniel is offering a prayer to God interceding on behalf of Israel. Daniel understood the sins of the people and knew God had promised He would judge His people if they sinned against Him. He know the time they were in exile they were paying the price for the actions they had committed. He was asking God to forgive His people, to have favor on them. He was asking God to allow His light to shine once again on His people. He was recognizing the fact Israel had been in exile so long, the peoples of the earth had forgotten who they were. The great nation was a shadow of a memory.

Daniel recognized as well the time of exile, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, the time of exile would be coming to an end. With His prayer, he was preparing for the time God would make it possible for His people to return to their land.

Daniel 9:20–23 ESV

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

Daniel prayed for further understanding; God answered by sending Gabriel to him for the second time (see also Dan. 8:16).

Daniel 8:16 ESV

16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

We aren’t necessarily going to dive into these next two questions, but I think they are important to ask and have you think about them. As we continue to live in the world we do, and we see so many of end time prophecies coming true, I think they are definitely worth asking, but we aren’t doing a study on End Time events themselves. That would be a whole other study in itself which could last a very long time with a lot of different interpretations and opinions.

So, when I ask these, they are more for you to ponder right now to yourself. We will move on in the part of the study we are focusing on this evening.

What are your biggest questions concerning end time events as you read the Scriptures?

Where do you desire understanding of these things from God?

In these verses, we see Gabriel telling Daniel he is loved. God has had his eye on Daniel throughout his life and seen the way he had conducted himself in many different situations. Daniel had lived a life in which he was trying to please God due to the love he had for Him and trying to live according to the Mosaic law which was established for them.

Why is it important to approach studies of the end times and personal times of suffering with humility?

There are so many times we go through struggles/trials in life. We may not understand what God is doing, or we may have just a partial understanding. That is okay. We need to trust God knows what He is doing. We need to trust in His sovereignty as He works through His plan and purpose for our lives. Daniel didn’t understand the entirety of the prophecy of Jeremiah, but he did know the people of Israel needed to repent of their sign before God would restore them to the land He had promised them and to bring them back as a nation.

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What role does prayer play in keeping us humble?

When we pray to God, it helps us to recognize our place. God is in control. It is He we need to go to in times of distress and when we need to rely on Him and His power.

Daniel 9:24–27 ESV

24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

These verses aren’t very hopeful. They talk about a lot of desolation and destruction. There are many interpretations of these verses, but we don’t want to get sidetracked by that. Once again, we could be here for a very long time if we did that. We are here tonight to talk about being prepared for end times and not focus on the interpretation of end times.

How does Jesus help us find hope in the midst of suffering?

In verse 25, we see the temple is going to be restored for a time and a prince is going to come for a short time.

Daniel 9:25 ESV

25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

We read on in verse 26 to see the prince is only going to be here for a short time. This is Jesus coming to earth.

Why are these significant for us to reflect on this verse today?

If you notice, it says He will come, but times won’t be perfect for the Jewish people. They are under the control of Rome at this point. Times are troubled for them.

How would you describe the times we are in today?

So, how might reflecting on the verse today help us sustain our faith in the midst of difficulty?

Verses 26 & 27 talk about the coming of the Anti-Christ and what all is going to happen under his time in power. They aren’t fun verses to take a look at. But once again, we know God is going to vanquish all the evil in the world, and we will now longer have to worry about these things.

How does hope give strength for today?

How does it make you feel that God will one day put an end to suffering and tribulation?

Once again, I think these next two questions are for you to spend some time on personally. We all struggle with our faith at times. We all would like to say we have no worries about our future and how things are going to play out, but we are human.

One of my favorite scriptures is when Jesus is speaking with the father of the boy who was possessed by a demon. The disciples have tried to cast the demon out of the boy, but were unable to. The father is wanting Jesus to cast the demon and Jesus said to the father.

Mark 9:23–24 ESV

23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

How many times have you felt like this? You want to say you believe, but you need help with your unbelief. I think this may be how we are with our fears about end times. We know exactly how things are going to finish out. We just have fear in not knowing exactly how they are going to finish out.

With that being said, once again, think about the next two questions and how the play out in your head.

What fears do you still have for the future, even though you know Jesus will be victorious?

Does the knowledge that God will destroy evil absolve us from opposing it now?

Daniel 12:9–13 ESV

9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 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. 11 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. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

Why did God tell Daniel to “go,” rather than stop and dwell on the specific events related to the return of Christ?

How is the fate of the wicked contrasted with the fate of the righteous in verse 10?

Daniel 12:10 ESV

10 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.

Through all of this, the advice given to Daniel in verse 13 should be what we take and how we should live.

Daniel 12:13 ESV

13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

He is basically told to go live his life. Go and live the way you have been. You will be put to rest and will rise with the saints when Christ returns at the end of time.

We need to live our lives accordingly and if Christ returns while we are here, He does. If He doesn’t, as Christians, we will be called up with the others who have gone before us. We don’t need to worry about the interpretation as much as we need to worry about being prepared and once again, trying to make sure as many people as we can are prepared to the second coming of Jesus.

Questions to think about:

What are some ways we can keep our minds focused on Jesus’ victory when we are facing discouraging situations that challenge our faith?

How do you see tribulation, both now and at the end times, as an aspect of God’s ultimate plan of redemption? How are you prepared to handle tribulation that you might face for the sake of Christ?

Do you live out the implications of Jesus’ second coming?

Do you urgently share Christ with your friends and family and shine for Him in all you do? How might you pursue this further?