Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Opening Illustration: The Destruction of the Temple

In Matthew 24 Jesus gives a sermon that today we call the Olivet Discourse, because he gave the sermon while standing on the Mount of Olives which overlooks Jerusalem from the East.

In that sermon, Jesus speaks of a day that would be in his future that would be a day of devastation for Israel.

Jesus in that sermon uses a common form of preaching and writing from his day called Apocolyptic Literature.

It begins with the Disciples

Matthew 24:1-3 “1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not?

Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?””

Jesus then goes on in that sermon to describe wars and famines and earthquakes.

All symbols that very often Christians associate with the very end of the world, those final moments before Jesus returns.

Then in verses 15-16 he says

Matthew 24:15-16 “15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

What is that ‘Abomination of Desolation’ that comes before the end of the age?

Today we’re going to discuss that because it is actually a reference to the book of Daniel, chapter 12.

One clue from Jesus’ sermon however is when he says:

Matthew 24:34 “34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

Commentators have debated what Jesus meant when he said that.

One generation could be about 40 years.

It seems like all that apocalyptic language did not happen in 40 years in the way many feel like it ought have.

Unless, there was something that did happen, something cataclysimic that Jesus was speaking about, that was the end of something, but not the end of the world.

Personal

We have studied the book of Daniel for a few months now.

How has this book changed you?

Today we draw our study of Daniel to a close, having gone verse by verse.

My question as we begin this final sermon is, ‘Are you changed by it?’

Have these words of God, recorded for the blessing and benefit of His Church, made you a different follower of Christ?

I pray that if they haven’t yet, today they might.

Themes of Daniel

Let’s take a bit of time and review a bit of what we have seen in Daniel.

If we tried to condense all of the sermons we have heard as we’ve studied Daniel, I think three key themes rise to the top as repeated and important themes we should remember.

Life as an Exile in Babylon

The first key theme is Life as an Exile in Babylon.

This theme was particularly central to the first seven chapters of Daniel as we traced Daniel’s life.

You will recall that Daniel was from Jerusalem.

He was a follower of the God of the Bible, but his people were taken captive by Babylon, and he lived as an exile in a foreign land.

As we traced the Adventures of Daniel in Babylon we witnessed a young man living in a pagan society, determined to follow His God and the ways of His God no matter the cost.

Regularly we have equated that theme to us living in the 21 century.

The Apostle Peter writing to the New Testament Church picks up on this theme and says:

1 Peter 2:11 “11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

Christian — so long as you are alive, on this Earth, you are a sojourner and an exile.

Yes, you live here.

Yes, you raise your kids.

Yes, you work.

Just like Daniel and his friends.

But you do not take your ethic and your value system and your hope from this world.

All of that flows through your life from your God.

We are called to live like Daniel, bold exiles, eagerly anticipating our return to home, yet confidently living among a fallen world.

God’s Control Over History

The second major theme we have traced is God’s control over History.

This theme rose to the top as we began to dig into the prophetic sections of Daniel.

You’ll recall two major visions that were in alignment with each other.

One, the King of Babylon had, of a statue with four parts, and ten toes.

And then another a vision Daniel had, of four beasts, the fourth with ten horns.

What both of these visions, and frankly all of the prophetic sections of Daniel were getting at, was that God controls history.

The rise and fall of empires is God’s to write.

This reality provides incredible grounding for us as modern day Christians.

And as Daniel has showed us, an awareness of God’s sovereignty over world history, does not mean that we simply cease to care about world events.

It does not mean that we just say, “Well God is in control, so frankly it doesn’t matter what I do.”

Rather, understanding God is in control does two things to the follower of Christ.

First, it grounds you, and provides stable footing to navigate whatever comes your way.

Because you know, history is going somewhere that God decrees.

But secondly, it profoundly impacts the way we minister and behave, because God has invited us into the story, like he did Daniel, to in a sense become history-makers.

As you live, as you love, as you pray, God is using your effort and impact to shape history according to His purpose.

What an awesome responsibility.

The Inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom

The third major theme we saw, was God’s plan to usher the final age of the history of the world, what we call the messianic age.

We saw repeatedly that as God controlled world history, he was planning to do something in the midst of the Roman Empire, that would forever change the world, and usher in an entirely new age.

Daniel 2:44 “44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people.

It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,”

What we have repeatedly seen in Daniel, is that we as Christians are living in the fulfillment of what Daniel spoke would happen.

That Kingdom has been established on this Earth by Jesus Christ.

And you as a follower of Christ are a part of it.

And if you’re in this room and you’re wondering what is my purpose, why does God have me here?

The answer that we have repeatedly seen in Daniel, is that God’s purpose for every Christian continue building the great Messianic Kingdom that was established at the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of his Holy Spirit, until that great day when Christ himself returns.

The Text

Now, let’s read the final chapter of Daniel.

This chapter is the last prophetic section, final words that flow directly out of last week’s message in chapter 11.

So chapter 11 and 12 are actually one longer prophetic section.

We read:

Daniel 12 “1 “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. 2 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.

3 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.

4 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.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream.

6 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?” 7 And I heard …”

Question 1: What is the Time of Trouble in Verse 1

The first major question from this text is, “What is the time of trouble in verse 1?” If you have been following our sermon series you will recall that there is a debate about how to interpret many of the Daniel prophetic passages.

Everyone agrees, that they were recroded by Daniel and were about events that would happen in Daniel’s future.

The debate is whether these events described in this chapter have already happened in our past (the Preterist View) or whether they are still yet to happen in our future (the futurist view).

Again, I have strong leaning towards the Preterist View, which I will show you today.

But I also, along with Kensen, want to humbly suggest that if I’m wrong, and if this is all about the future, so be it.

There are similar takeaways with both positions.

So what is this time of trouble.

Well what do we see from the text.

Verse 1 suggests that it will incredible terrible for the Jews, “a time of trouble such as never has been seen.”

Verse 2 suggests that God will deliver Daniel’s people through it.

Specifically he will deliver those whos name is written in the book.