Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Until The End Comes”*

*Daniel 12:1-13*

* *

~*Intro – Well, we’ve come to the end of our study of the book of Daniel.

It has truly been an interesting one.

I have seen things this time around that I have not seen before.

It is often studied and taught in fragments and I had not really studied the book in its entirety before.

It is usually taught in children’s settings recounting fiery furnaces and the lion’s dens and statues of chocolate bunnies (at least in Veggie Tales!).

It also has been taught in theology classrooms as students try to ascertain the events of the end times.

I have found it to be most rewarding studied as a whole as I have seen afresh the importance of remaining faithful to God in the present, as well as remaining faithful to the very end of times.

We recall that the book of Daniel begins with a narrative portion describing the earlier events of Israelite captivity and the life and challenges that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah faced as they remained faithful to their God.

They were spiritual (as well as physical) exiles in a foreign land.

The book continues and recalls the favor God bestows on Daniel.

He is able to interpret dreams and visions of the rulers of Babylon and Medo-Persia.

We trace the rise and fall of many kings and kingdoms.

There were rulers who thought more highly of themselves than they ought.

The book prophesies the immediate future of the nation of Israel and the nations surrounding them.

We are able to look back into history and see the hand of God fulfilling these prophecies in great detail and recognize that He is in control of all people, nations, and circumstances.

And then finally, Daniel is given visions into the future.

Though he cannot and does not understand completely the visions he is given, God paints a picture of what the end of all things will look like.

So for us, as well as Daniel, this gives us great hope that we know that God controls all things beginning to end.

He has predetermined everything that happens.

We recall that much of what Daniel saw confused and sickened him.

But this was truly intended to comfort him and us.

Despite all the seeming randomness and chaos, trials and persecution, God is working everything to his determined end wherein all those who trust in Him anticipate an eternity with Him where there is no more sickness, death, war, sadness.

And so this is where our journey has led us this morning.

Chapter 12 of Daniel further explains the end of times that was begun in some of these later chapters.

And I would ask that you would open your Bibles this morning to Daniel chapter 12.   

~*~*Let’s pray as we begin our study of God’s Word.

Let’s begin reading in verse 1.~*~*

We recall from last week that chapter 11 included prophecies regarding Israel’s near future and then ultimate fulfillment in the end times.

This section picks up the events in last times when Daniel records the words “at that time”.

We will begin this morning by looking at the *Events Explained, *then the contrast between the *Wise and the Wicked, *and then conclude with *Exhortation and Encouragement *“until the end comes”.

First, we look* *at *Events Explained*.

We will deal with them only briefly.

Many often study this book closely with the Book of Revelation because they discuss many of the same events – with more light shed on them by the Apostle John.

So, because we will be studying Revelation in the Fall, we will look more closely at the details of the events when we get there.

Verse one tells us that the great archangel, Michael, will arise to assist Daniel’s people.

This is because it will be a time of trouble that has not been experienced before.

It is the time of the arrival of the Antichrist.

And we know that he will not operate on his own initiative or power, but by Satan himself. 2 Thessalonians tells us in chapter 2 verse 9 that the Antichrist or lawless one comes with the activity of Satan and with his power.

The time of great trouble refers to the tribulation period that is often referred to throughout Scripture.

Jesus also refers to this period in Matthew 24.

The text reads in verse 21, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

In fact, it will be so bad that our text reads in verse 7 that the Jews (or the “holy people”) will be utterly defeated in the latter half of the tribulation period.

However, all is not lost.

For those whose names are found written in the book will be delivered, or saved.

We know several other references to “the book” in Scripture.

Luke 10:20 reads, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are /written/ in heaven.”

And “the book” is also referenced several times when referring to the tribulation period.

Malachi 3:16-4:3 reads,

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another.

The Lord paid attention and heard them, and *a book of remembrance was written* before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.

17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. 1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.

The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

And you are probably familiar with the multiple references to the book of life mentioned in Revelation.

We recall in chapters 13 and 17 that it is only those whose names were written in the book of life of the Lamb would not worship the beast.

In chapter 20 it is those that are /not /written in the book of life were cast into the lake of fire.

In our context in Daniel, it appears to be the remnant of Israel that is spoken of.

Though some physical blessings remain to be fulfilled to the nation, it is only those who proclaim Jesus as the Messiah that will be spiritually saved.

We will talk more of the purpose of this Great Tribulation a little later.

Verse 2 is interesting because it is an Old Testament teaching on resurrection from the dead.

The text actually says that it is those who /sleep/ that will /awaken/.

And we know from other passages that this is a figurative way of speaking of death.

You remember Jesus’ friend Lazarus who was “asleep”.

Stephen, the martyred one in Acts 7  was also said to “fall asleep”.

And there are several other passages that refer to death as sleep.

Baldwin seems correct in stating: “The reason for using ‘sleep’ here as a metaphor for ‘die’ is that sleep is a temporary state from which we normally awake, and so the reader is prepared for the thought of resurrection.”

We recognize here that there are actually two resurrections.

There are some who awake to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt.

This is the distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous.

And a distinction between those that are wise and those that are wicked.

We will zero in on this for our second point.

This text seems to indicate that both resurrections occur at the same time.

But as we peruse other passages in Scripture it becomes apparent that these take place on different occasions.

Referring to the resurrection of the righteous, Revelation 20:4-6 says, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.

Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.

They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

*5* The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

This is the first resurrection.

*6* Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!

Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

The resurrection of the wicked seems to always be associated with judgment.

And so it would appear that the righteous will be raised to life at the inauguration of the millennial kingdom of Christ and reign with Him.

After that comes the judgment wherein those who had not placed faith in Christ will be raised, judged, and doomed to the lake of fire.

Daniel 12:2 tells us that they will be raised to shame and everlasting contempt.

Stephen Miller in his commentary writes that they “will be ashamed and disgraced as they stand before the Lord and realize the gravity of their sin, particularly the sin of rejecting God’s loving Messiah”.

Not only will they have to give an account of their sinful and unrepentant lives, but they will have to answer to their rejection of the Savior.

Jesus endured the physical and spiritual agony so that He might redeem mankind from their sin.

And they rejected Him.

And they will have to live with the consequences for all eternity.

People that have chosen to live for themselves in this lifetime will be forever separated from their Maker.

And for them it will be everlasting shame and contempt.

In verse 5, Daniel is back on the bank of the river with two angels, one of whom questions a man clothed in linen.

Now we recall that we have encountered this man before.

Do you remember?

It was in chapter 10 verses 5-6.

It reads, “I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.