Daniel's Final Vision - Part 2 (July 5, 2020, AM)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we looked at the
Rise of Greece
The division of Alexander the Great’s empire into four parts.
The Rise of the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV
His persecution of the Jews.
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Then we transitioned to his greater and later counterpart, the end times antichrist.
He will win many great military victories
Set up camp in Israel
and be defeated in Israel, in the valley of Meggido.
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In ch. 12, verse 1 we see this time of the great tribulation from the spiritual perspective.
And in the middle of all of this amazing end of the world stuff, we see again the priority of evangelism and disciple-making.
I really want you to see that the most important thing that we are to do, even in light of the antichrist, the great tribulation, and the end of the world as we know it is to carry out the great commission.
Take this, along with the fact that the Great Commission was the last command that Jesus gave on earth, and I think we can see its supreme importance.
Why does the preacher keep harping on this?
Because the Bible keeps harping on this!
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.
Do you want to hear, “well done, good and faithful servant”?
then let your life’s work be to “turn many to righteousness”
You may say that it is too late.
It is not too late to use however much time you have left in the effort to “turn many to righteousness”
Another way to say that is
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We have seen some pretty amazing visions of Jesus in this study.
so hopefully we can better appreciate it when Jesus says
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Turning people to righteousness, or evangelism and discipleship, is your main calling regardless of how you make your income.
I really wish I could make Christians believe that.
Why?
It is the only thing that will matter in a 100 years.
Do you think you will have a lasting legacy in this world?
You won’t.
The best you can hope for in this world is that a few people will show you appreciation a few times.
Then you will die.
You will be replaced.
and life will go on.
Your kids and maybe grand-kids will miss you, but I don’t even know the name of any of my great-grandparents.
If you want a lasting legacy there is one way to have it.
Evangelism and discipleship.
You might think that if you do something colossal like found the freest and most prosperous nation in the history of the world that you would be fondly remembered.
But nope.
People are dragging down and defacing statues of George Washington.
People are fickle and stupid.
There is only one way to have a meaningful and lasting legacy.
We need to read Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes lets us know, more eloquently than I can, that every earthly pursuit is vanity!
And this was coming from King Solomon who had a far greater earthly legacy than you or I will.
That is what I mean when I say that we must focus our time, energy, effort, and money on the eternal kingdom rather than the earthly kingdom.
That is kind of radical isn’t it?
Yep.
Have the courage to embrace it!
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I have two questions for you.
Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
because
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.
What are you doing to get other people’s names in that book?
What are you doing to get other people’s names in that book?
We are all given different talents and gifts.
We are all at different levels of spiritual maturity.
I get that.
What we are doing does not have to all look exactly the same.
The only absolutely unacceptable answer is “nothing”.
There are other answers that mean the same thing - I hope you won’t substitute them.
((Jeffrey’s answer to evangelism.))
Some good answers...
I am praying for specific lost people. (then go witness to them or take me with you and I will) (borrowing your credibility)
I am sacrificially supporting the work of the church. (where your $ is your heart will be also) (invite people)
I am witnessing to lost people.
I am discipling a fellow believer.
I am discipling my children/grandchildren.
Other good works are not evangelism...
((Do not just groom the dead, give them life))
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God will humble Israel in order to save many.
God will humble Israel in order to save many.
When you read the gospels you will see that Jesus had a very different reaction to people.
Those who came to him in humility were shown grace.
Those who came to him in pride and with self-justification were turned away.
Let’s see how God will humble Israel for their own sake.
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 the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.
…the shattering of the power of the holy people.
For Israel to come to Christ they will first need to be broken.
For us to come to Christ we need to first be broken.
The law will do that for us.
The law of God is a revelation of the character of God.
When we see how miserably we fail to keep the law, that should produce humility and brokenness rather than prideful self-justification.
That is why many times when I witness, I use the Law of God to show people their sinfulness.
Have you taken a good and honest look at yourself in the light of God’s law?
If so, have you realized your sin and your need for a savior?
If you have, then you can show this same thing to others.
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This is Independence Day weekend.
Unfortunately, we as a country have declared our independence from God.
The SCOTUS can declare that abortion is legal.
God does not agree.
The SCOTUS can declare that same sex marriage is legal.
The Supreme Judge of the universe will not be swayed.
Our culture can decide that sex before marriage is totally normal and moral if it is consensual.
The truth is not affected by popular opinion.
We who know our God must tell the truth about sin even if it gets us in trouble.
In spite of the world telling people that sin is not sin, God’s law can still cause a person to be broken over their sin.
When God does that we need to show them the good news of the gospel.
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So, I said that God will humble Israel to save many.
That humbling will be unimaginably painful.
v.1 told us that it will be a time of trouble like none ever seen before.
It makes you wonder
If God will do that to Israel for their own good - what is America headed for?
When we offered our prayers of national repentance a few weeks ago I did that to be instructive for us - not for it to be a one time thing.
Keep praying for our country.
Keep standing in the gap.
and Keep repenting on behalf of our nation.
Pray nationally and globally, but work locally in and through your church and with your friends and neighbors to make disciples.
Now if you want to go on a mission trip and work nationally and internationally - great!
But don’t neglect the mission field you already have.
I know that being a witness and a disciple maker is extremely challenging right now in the middle of the pandemic, but this too shall pass.
Be ready when it does.
Even now don’t limit God.
Pray for and take opportunities that come your way.
The details of prophecies can only be seen in hindsight.
The details of prophecies can only be seen in hindsight.
We have seen the specific ways that many of the prophecies of Daniel have played out.
We can go back and put names and dates with them.
I may have done too much of that and bored some of you.
But look with me in v. 8-10
8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?”
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.
Daniel is told basically that he has gotten all the details that he is going to get.
These prophecies are for the time of the end.
The wicked will not get it - they will not know or care about these prophecies, but the wise will.
Read your bibles!
systematically read the whole thing
obey what you understand
read it again
study it
obey it
I am here to help you understand it - that is part of my job.
I would be delighted for you to ask me questions - if I don’t know I will try to find out.
Let’s be ready to live faithfully in these last days because we know the Word of God.
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It will be worth it all.
It will be worth it all.
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.”
Three and one half years is 1260 days.
What is the extra month?
What is with the extra 45 days added onto the 1,290 days?
I have no idea.
No commentator that I read does either.
They basically suggest that will be a time of transition as the new righteous kingdom of God is being set up and inaugurated.
I don’t know, but I do know what you have to look forward to if you are in Christ.
After this life there is rest, and then resurrection and reigning with our Lord Jesus.
When a Christian dies he does not get wings.
He does not even get a body.
But
He is at rest in the presence of God.
After Christ returns there will be the resurrection and we will have glorified bodies built for eternity.
as we read earlier - some will rise to everlasting life and others to everlasting shame and contempt.
BOTH are everlasting.
Not everyone is going to heaven.
God will display both his mercy and his justice by showing grace to some and by giving perfect justice to others.
The elect will be saved.
Does that bother you?
I hope not because the bible teaches it.
If we are going to study the Bible we cannot be afraid of that word or that teaching.
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
The question for you is
Are you among the elect?
Are you among the elect?
I have a foolproof test for you.
If you have repented of your sins and are now trusting in Christ as your only hope of heaven then you are, indeed, among the elect.
If you have not, then I don’t know whether you are among the elect or not.
We have to wait and see if you repent and trust Christ.
What if...
You repent of your sins and trust Jesus, but you are not among the elect?
Can’t happen
That’s like saying what if a bachelor is married.
That is nonsense language.
If you want to be saved, you can be saved.
Are your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers, and others with whom you have a relationship elect?
Are your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers, and others with whom you have a relationship elect?
I don’t know.
You don’t know.
How do we find out?
You share the gospel with them and see what happens.
If they repent and place their faith in Jesus then they are elect.
If they do not, then we still do not know so pray for them and try again.
You will never regret trying to make disciples.
You will certainly regret not doing so.
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What are some of the things we have learned from Daniel?
Sometimes God will put us in uncomfortable places and situations to do his work.
When you are seeking God’s will - Pray, Ponder, Pursue wise counsel, Praise, Proceed in faith.
Never compromise or bow down to the idols of this world.
God is completely sovereign over absolutely everything in the universe at every second.
God will punish a nation whose sins demand it, even using another evil nation to accomplish his will.
We can, and must, repent on behalf of our nation.
We must focus our time, talent, and treasure on the everlasting kingdom of God.
God uses the prayers of his people to accomplish his will. We often have not because we ask not.
The bottom line is that we need to turn many to righteousness, or, in other words, obey the Great Commission.