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Daniel 12:1-13

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The Time of the End 12 1 “At that time shall arise a Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And b 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, c everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who d sleep in e the dust of the earth shall e awake, f some to everlasting life, and f some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 g And those who are wise h shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; 1 and i those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, j shut up the words and k seal the book, until l the time of the end. m Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on n this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to o the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, 1 p “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard o the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; q he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and r swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a s time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of t the power of t the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, u but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, v “Go your way, Daniel, w for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 x Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but y the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, g but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that z the regular burnt offering is taken away and a the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 b Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 c But go your way till the end. d And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at e the end of the days.”

Daniel 12:1-13

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12 1 וּבָעֵ֣ת הַהִיא֩ יַעֲמֹ֨ד מִֽיכָאֵ֜ל הַשַּׂ֣ר הַגָּד֗וֹל הָעֹמֵד֮ עַל ־ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּךָ֒ וְהָיְתָה֙ עֵ֣ת צָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא ־ נִהְיְתָה֙ מִֽהְי֣וֹת גּ֔וֹי עַ֖ד הָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא וּבָעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט עַמְּךָ֔ כָּל ־ הַנִּמְצָ֖א כָּת֥וּב בַּסֵּֽפֶר ׃ 2 וְרַבִּ֕ים מִיְּשֵׁנֵ֥י אַדְמַת ־ עָפָ֖ר יָקִ֑יצוּ אֵ֚לֶּה לְחַיֵּ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם וְאֵ֥לֶּה לַחֲרָפ֖וֹת לְדִרְא֥וֹן עוֹלָֽם ׃ ס 3 וְהַ֨מַּשְׂכִּלִ֔ים יַזְהִ֖רוּ כְּזֹ֣הַר הָרָקִ֑יעַ וּמַצְדִּיקֵי֙ הָֽרַבִּ֔ים כַּכּוֹכָבִ֖ים לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד ׃ פ 4 וְאַתָּ֣ה דָֽנִיֵּ֗אל סְתֹ֧ם הַדְּבָרִ֛ים וַחֲתֹ֥ם הַסֵּ֖פֶר עַד ־ עֵ֣ת קֵ֑ץ יְשֹׁטְט֥וּ רַבִּ֖ים וְתִרְבֶּ֥ה הַדָּֽעַת ׃ 5 וְרָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֲנִ֣י דָנִיֵּ֔אל וְהִנֵּ֛ה שְׁנַ֥יִם אֲחֵרִ֖ים עֹמְדִ֑ים אֶחָ֥ד הֵ֙נָּה֙ לִשְׂפַ֣ת הַיְאֹ֔ר וְאֶחָ֥ד הֵ֖נָּה לִשְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר ׃ 6 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לָאִישׁ֙ לְב֣וּשׁ הַבַּדִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִמַּ֖עַל לְמֵימֵ֣י הַיְאֹ֑ר עַד ־ מָתַ֖י קֵ֥ץ הַפְּלָאֽוֹת ׃ 7 וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע אֶת ־ הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀ לְב֣וּשׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִמַּעַל֮ לְמֵימֵ֣י הַיְאֹר֒ וַיָּ֨רֶם יְמִינ֤וֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ אֶל ־ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע בְּחֵ֣י הָעוֹלָ֑ם כִּי֩ לְמוֹעֵ֨ד מֽוֹעֲדִ֜ים וָחֵ֗צִי וּכְכַלּ֛וֹת נַפֵּ֥ץ יַד ־ עַם ־ קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּכְלֶ֥ינָה כָל ־ אֵֽלֶּה ׃ 8 וַאֲנִ֥י שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אָבִ֑ין וָאֹ֣מְרָ֔ה אֲדֹנִ֕י מָ֥ה אַחֲרִ֖ית אֵֽלֶּה ׃ פ 9 וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֵ֣ךְ דָּנִיֵּ֑אל כִּֽי ־ סְתֻמִ֧ים וַחֲתֻמִ֛ים הַדְּבָרִ֖ים עַד ־ עֵ֥ת קֵֽץ ׃ 10 יִ֠תְבָּֽרֲרוּ וְיִֽתְלַבְּנ֤וּ וְיִצָּֽרְפוּ֙ רַבִּ֔ים וְהִרְשִׁ֣יעוּ רְשָׁעִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָבִ֖ינוּ כָּל ־ רְשָׁעִ֑ים וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִ֖ים יָבִֽינוּ ׃ 11 וּמֵעֵת֙ הוּסַ֣ר הַתָּמִ֔יד וְלָתֵ֖ת שִׁקּ֣וּץ שֹׁמֵ֑ם יָמִ֕ים אֶ֖לֶף מָאתַ֥יִם וְתִשְׁעִֽים ׃ 12 אַשְׁרֵ֥י הַֽמְחַכֶּ֖ה וְיַגִּ֑יעַ לְיָמִ֕ים אֶ֕לֶף שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה ׃ 13 וְאַתָּ֖ה לֵ֣ךְ לַקֵּ֑ץ וְתָנ֛וּחַ וְתַעֲמֹ֥ד לְגֹרָלְךָ֖ לְקֵ֥ץ הַיָּמִֽין ׃

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Sermon notes

Daniel is assured that God will fulfil all his plans and put all things right Introduction This is the conclusion to the book, and the last word to Daniel is one of profound assurance Overall question, will the people of God endure to the end? 12.1-4 At the end of history there will be resurrection and judgement for all v1 at that time - recap end of last week. [Mountain range again] v1 Michael. What else we know of him. Daniel 10, Jude 9, Revelation 12.7. What should we think about 'guardian angels'? v1 Time of terrible trouble, cf Mark 13.19. AD70, etc, are foretastes. As was Antiochus IV. But also here is the assurance of deliverance. v1 But deliverance comes - for everyone whose name is written in the book. I.e., 'your people' are all those in Christ, the true Israel. Everyone written in the book; i.e. the true Israel. Citizen list of the Kingdom. cf Exodus 32.32-33 ; Psalm 69.28 . Despite our shameful treatment, we are citizens of heaven. v2 Resurrection of all - to life and to judgement. Dust of the earth will be made alive again. v3 the reward of the righteous. The resurrection will be the vindication and the deliverance. v4 This is secure, complete. Not 'secret'. To 'seal' (v4) - not to hide, but to preserve it. Roam to and fro; verb has sense of thoroughness; deep and extensive scrutiny. Sense therefore here may be that, especially towards the end, as God's people study and search the Scripture, they will have a clearer grasp of its meaning. E.g., this will certainly have been the case in the centuries which followed Daniel's life. 'It is immersion which brings insight'. Forewarned, fore-armed. 12.5-13 God holds history, and the inheritance of his people, completely secure v6 How long? I.e., when?! Even the angels long to know this [and cf 1 Peter 1.12] v7 Man in linen, a unique double-armed oath i.e., utterly, utterly, utterly telling the truth v7 Time, times, half a time. cf chapter 7, or chapter 8, or chapter 9. Original roots in the time of Elijah. Evil power increasing and then suddenly cut short. v7 And the end comes when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end v8 What will be the after-part/end/outcome/conclusion? I.e., how can all this possibly be resolved? An honest reader of Daniel has to wonder this too. Compare all the talk of victory of God's kingdom, chs 1-6, and especially ch 7. With the suffering foretold in 8-12. v9 The answer: it's all secure. You get on with faithful life. v10 The suffering will divide; to refine the righteous and harden/confirm the wicked [dishwasher]. 'Wicked' is not calling names, it's a covenantal term. The wise shall understand; or 'shall come to understand'. They will discern the times, and what they are called to do, and what it will cost them. [cf my experience of reading the early church fathers. So often about martyrdom; so often they themselves died shortly] v11-12 and elaboration of 'time, times, and half a time'. v11 repression of true worship and imposition of false worship. The abomination of desolation - cf Jesus in Mark 13.14 ; abomination a neuter noun, but 'standing where HE ought not'. I.e., a person who will come future to Jesus' earthly ministry. Endure through the 1,290 to get to the blessed 1,335. v13 two ends seem to be in mind. The near end of Daniel's own life (go back to your desk and keep going), and the future time of the end of days. Again, keep on with faithful life in the here and how. Your [you singular] inheritance [same word as from Joshua 14-21] is secure [cf 2 Timothy 1; 1 Peter 1] Gather up earlier threads: -Should we be pessimistic or optimistic about the future? -What about culture? Polishing brass on the Titanic? If not, what? -Amil system rather than post-mil or pre-mil. Since with an amil system, we can: insist that Jesus already is enthroned now, as the NT teaches; hold to a present evil age and and age to come, as the NT teaches (ie not a third age); see the glory age prophecies as truly yet not fully realised already now, as the NT (for instance, the book of Acts) does; be utterly optimistic about the progress and success of the gospel of the kingdom in the nations, as the NT is; be realistic or pessimistic about the evil of the world all the time, as the NT is; have categories for both general trial and tribulation punctuated by intense trial from types of the little horn; be fore-warned about a future climactic little horn/antichrist. -What is the kingdom and how does it come? See the NT; through the proclaiming of the gospel/announcement, and people putting faith in Jesus. There are then kingdom effects in individual, family, economic, environmental, life etc. -E.g., tensions within the book itself; 'all dominions shall serve and obey him/them' (the Son of Man), along with the suffering until the very end of chapter 11, and time, times, half a time. Glory of God: He delivers his people; he raises the dead; he judges and puts things right; he tells the truth ahead of time - he has allotted the amount of time. On a leash. FCF: Lose heart, and stop enduring. Give up; lose faith. History seems too out of control. Person of Jesus: He is the actual point of division; those who will purify themselves come to him; the wicked reject him. It's not 'do you believe in God'? But, 'do you bow to God's King?' He is the true righteous one, the true living one, the truly pure one. The firstfruits of the resurrection. His people's guarantor. Work of Jesus: He is made impure and treated as the filthy unclean one. In order to purify his people. All his power was 'shattered' and utterly defeated. But God raised him, as the guarantee of victory through weakness and death. The cross and resurrection are the fulcrum, the key, which makes sense of all the tensions within the book of Daniel, and the OT as a whole. Since in Jesus, God's people's sins have been finally dealt with; everlasting righteousness has been secured; the pledge and firstfruit of kingdom-life for God's Israel beyond death; and the pledge of final just judgement on evil. Life in Christ: in Christ I can keep going. Since he holds my life, I can hold this life lightly. I can endure since I know what lies beyond the grave; resurrection and eternal life. I know Him who holds life itself. In Him are the treasures of knowledge and wisdom; as I search the Scriptures with the gospel centre as the 'key', I can make sense of life and history, and live wisely today. Conclusion 'the book of Daniel functions as a manual for the suffering church, as does its NT counterpart, the book of Revelation' Overall question, will the people of God endure to the end?

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