Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Amazingly wonderful! We know what this is, the second coming of our Savior!
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Delivered!
The prophetic unfolding of history, of that vision given here in Daniel, realized at last!
Now, Daniel desired to understand the visions given to Him and God sent an angel to help him understand, but the truth of the matter is, Daniel probably couldn't fully understand everything. However Daniel did understand the 'end result'. That end result was salvation! That end result was deliverance by God. Daniel lived hundreds of years before Christ was born, and yet He knew that there would be salvation through Him. He knew a Great Prince would save God's children. He knew that many who were sleeping in the dust of the earth (the dead) would awake- some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt. People who died in Christ, in God had hope of living on. Those who died without God, without Christ only had the hope of death. Daniel understood there would be an end to all history of mankind living without God. God would live on eternally and God's people would live on with Him. This amazing hope was Daniel's and in that He was given so very, very much from that angel- Daniel's prayer was answered.
Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Now the angel says- shut up the words, seal the book to the time of the end- many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased. We KNOW that this has happened only within the last couple hundred years- or less. Seriously! You find a person who was born in 1911 and ask them how much has changed in our world and they'd have great stories to tell. Prior to that a person born in the early 1800's would have been shocked completely to realize how greatly things would change. Horse and buggy- to all the various modes of transportation we have today. Out houses and washboards- to indoor plumbing and washing machines. Cruel, seemingly barbaric forms of medical treatment in operations- to our pain free life saving techniques of today. I could go on and on, but I won't. The point here is for thousands and thousands of years our world changed very gradually with the occasional advancement but then quite suddenly all over the world at the same time- knowledge was increasing by leaps and bounds and not only knowledge in secular things, but knowledge in things Biblical. That sealed book was unsealed, that shut book was opened- the things in Daniel could be understood because enough of the history had past for people to truly comprehend the wonder of the prophecy given. How blessed people are and most don't even realize it, don't even want to realize it, would rather believe in anything but the sure word of God's prophecy.
Dan 12:5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
Dan 12:6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
Dan 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Dan 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Dan 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Dan 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
Dan 12:13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
We are going to stop here, but we are far from finished with the prophecy of Daniel. Tomorrow God willing we will be begin studying the book of Revelation.
We need our eyes opened, we need our hearts made new, made clean, by God. We have to understand what times we live in and keep our eyes wide opened to our Savior's love. Only through Him do we have hope of understanding, of prevailing, only in Christ's righteousness!
By His grace!
By His amazing unending love and mercy!
Through His forgiveness, His righteousness!
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment