Angels and End Times Part 7 (Daniel 12:1-2)

Daniel 11:40–12:1 and the End-Time Distress

Welcome to Kootenai Community Church Adult Sunday School. If you guessed Daniel, you'd be right. Yeah, next week, I think I got two weeks left in me, yeah. Maybe three. It all depends on how carried away I get today.

Yeah, yeah.

Let's open in prayer. Father, you found us, you chose us, you made us the elect. We have no idea why, but we are grateful. Your word teaches that you make those kinds of decisions, and it is a comfort to us that what is in your hand can never be taken from it.

You taught these things to Daniel through the angel and through your Holy Spirit in other ways. And we are grateful that he was able to commit to words, to commit to parchment then or whatever it was so that we could have it on paper now, your words for the future.

Because we know that what you have said is what is to come. Completely and perfectly. We look forward to that. We thank you that you are always wonderful, and we are grateful for that as well. And thank you in Jesus' name for what we will learn this morning.

So we're gonna look at Daniel chapter 12, and I'd like to read through that entire chapter. It's one of the shorter chapters. I think it's the shortest chapter in the book, but. And it starts on page 1160, for those who have the real Bible.

Daniel chapter 12. Actually, because 12, the first five verses are actually a continuation of the thought that started in chapter 10. We're going to start at page, page. And I'm getting into the wrong character there.

We're gonna start at chapter 11, verse 40, and then read through the end of chapter 12. And at the end time, the king of the south will collide with him, and the king of the north will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, speaking of the Antichrist, and with many ships, and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through.

He will also enter the beautiful land, and many countries will fall, but these will be rescued out of his hand, Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. Then he will stretch out his hand against the other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape, but he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt, and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.

But rumors from the east and from the north will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many, and he will pitch tents of his royal pavilion between the holy seas, between the seas and the beautiful holy mountain, yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

Now at the time, at that time, Michael, the great prince, this is verse one of chapter 12, will stand, who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise, and there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.

And at that time, your people, everyone who was found written in the book, will be rescued, and many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, those to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time.

Many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase. Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river, and one said to the man dressed in linen who was above the waters of the river, how long will it be until the end of these wonders?

And I heard the man dressed in linen who was above the waters of the river as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time.

And as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. As for me, I heard but could not understand, so I said, my Lord, what will be the outcome of these events?

And he said, go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.

And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1 ,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1 ,335 days. But as for you, go your way to the end.

You will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion of the end of the age. There is so much hope in this chapter. I can't communicate to you that the hope it gave to me as I read it and studied it.

And I'm going to posit something today that's really revolutionary. So do we have seat belts? We don't have seat belts. I'm gonna posit that the word all means all, and that the word many means many.

Are you glad?

Many are on the path to perdition. Doesn't say all, it says many. And you know what it means? Many, because that way is wide. Few are on the path to heaven because that way is narrow. And expositors have struggled over some of the words in chapter 12 because I posit that they had a wrong theology or wrong overview theology of scripture.

And we'll be looking at that as we get, if we make it that far. Depends on how long my introduction is. One thing about last week, we talked about, I made the statement that at the end battle, it talks about an Ezekiel and in Revelation that there really would be horses.

I thought there would be horses because it said there would be horses. And Jim came up to me afterwards and he made an interesting statement. And I hadn't thought about it to this depth because I'm not as smart as most of the people in this room, if not all of them.

Horses, Modern Warfare, and End-Time Judgment

But what is one of the big worries about the sun right now doing to our modern way of living? If we have a massive solar flare and it took out all communications and most of your vehicles, fortunately I have an old one, most of your vehicles would stop running.

All of your computer items would stop working. Everything that controls the modern world would be plunged into the dark ages, if you will, of technology. It's very possible, if not likely, that these last battles will be fought with horses, swords, chariots, et cetera.

As I looked at some of the verses, Jim posited that to me last week.

And I looked, it says,.

The fourth angel in Revelation 16, eight, poured out his bowl upon the sun and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Revelation 6, 12, I looked when he broke the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as saff cloth, made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood.

If you would just do a quick search on the sun, I won't batter you with a whole bunch of sun verses,.

Even though it's Sunday.

You can do the cross-references and see what I'm talking about. There's quite a bit about the uprooting of the normal sun's activities in the end times. And it's a very likely possibility that part of that will include the destruction of our modern technology, such that battle and warfare will be plunged into ancient times.

It's just a thought to think about.

And that would go,.

Actually, that would actually go along more appropriately with those of us who believe the Bible means what it says. And we don't try to spiritualize verses. Just a thought before we get into chapter 12.

So here, in chapter 12, more than many places in the scriptures is an unfortunate chapter break. The narrative that began with the angel speaking to Daniel in chapter 10, verse 20, continues through chapter 12, verse four, actually verse four, with essentially no break.

The angel will continue to speak of the time when the Antichrist will come and will rule. This creates a major dilemma for liberals who believe that this is a history written in the second century BC, rather than a prophecy of the sixth century BC,.

Which is what it is.

The first verse of this chapter connects chapters 11 and 12, and we'll get to that in a moment here, and much of chapter 10 with the end times. It connects much of 10 and 11 and 12 with the end times.

All are in agreement, if you look over the expositors over the centuries, that this is speaking of the time, I gotta get this book closer to me, that this is speaking of the time of tribulation, and the opening verse connects all of that prophecy.

There were three great distresses that came to the Jews under many different kings, including the wicked Antiochus Epiphanes. And indeed, much of this last chapter was given over to describing some of the depredations and destructions of that king.

But this, this refers to the end and the Antichrist, and it is clearly the future. There are seven, if you will, major issues that we will deal with in Daniel chapter, that we have dealt with in chapter 11 -36 through 12 -3.

And John Walvoord outlined them in his commentary. One, a world ruler. Two, a world religion. Three, a world war. Four, a time of great tribulation for Israel. Five, deliverance for the people of God at the end of the tribulation.

Six, resurrection and judgment. Mark that, resurrection and judgment. And seven, the reward of the righteous. Other scriptures add the facts that this time of the end begins with the breaking of the covenant by the prince who is to come, quote unquote, from Daniel chapter nine.

And that the time of the end will last for three and one half years. Daniel 7, 12, and Revelation 13, among others. That the time of the end is the same as the time of Jacob's trouble with the great tribulation spoken of in Jeremiah 30, verse seven, and by Jesus our Lord in Matthew 24.

Many additional details are supplied in Revelation six through 19, chapters six through 19. During this time of the end, great distresses will happen. And indeed, entire, to Israel especially, but indeed to the entire earth.

In the middle of the 70th seven, halfway through the agreement to protect Israel, the Antichrist will violate his agreement and begin his persecution of Israel. Energized by Satan, he will do everything he can to destroy the nation of Israel, the people, the nation of Israel.

This will be a time of unprecedented distress and it is spoken of in many places in scripture. In no particular order, here are some of the places where this is spoken of, Revelation 12, 13 through 17.

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth he persecuted the woman, Israel, who had given birth to the male child, but the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent.

And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.

So the dragon was enraged with the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her children who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. This is after Israel has turned to Christ.

They hold to the testimony of Jesus. Deuteronomy 4 .30, when you are in distress and all these things have come upon you in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to his voice.

Jeremiah 37 .30 verse seven. Alas, for that day is great, there is none like it and it is the time of Jacob's distress but he will be saved from it. And Matthew 24, our Lord speaking 15 through 22. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let the reader understand then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak but woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days but pray that your flight will not be in the winter or on a Sabbath for then there will be great tribulation such as not occurred since the beginning of the world until now or ever will.

Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. And finally, and this is not all of them, this was some I selected. Zechariah 13, eight.

It will come about in all the land declares the Lord that two parts of it in it will be cut off and perish but the third will be left in it. Two thirds of the Jews will be murdered, will be killed, will be destroyed in this time.

The purpose of the tribulation is to refine Israel to bring her only with, to leaving her only with those who believe in Jesus as Messiah. It is certainly unfortunate in human life that the need to recognize one's need to trust Christ is often accompanied by such great distress to get people to turn to him, to help them recognize their need for Christ.

It is a great comfort understanding the sovereignty of God in salvation to know that he will use even this to call his sheep to him. His sheep will hear his voice through the distresses, through the tribulations, they will hear his voice and they will turn to him.

So no matter the horror of what someone is going through, God will use even that to drive them to repentance and salvation. This is truly a demonstration of what Romans 8, 28 is speaking of. The end times will be set up by a rise of anti-God sentiment but of a kind not ever seen in previous generations or millennia.

We're seeing a rise of anti-God, great anti-God sentiment today. Now I'm not going to posit, I'm not gonna give you a date because we are commanded not to do that. But beloved, we could be in the end times.

We need to be spreading the gospel to as many as we can because some of them are the elect and how will they hear if they have not a preacher? So preach it. So there does seem to be such a spirit rising in the world today but to be sure anti-God sentiment and aspirations have arisen throughout time and history and prompted horrific attacks on God's people whether they were Jews or Christians or both.

The anti-God sentiment that will arise to accompany the beginning of the work of the Antichrist will truly be unprecedented. God will use this to purify Israel and to purify his church. There does seem to be such a spirit rising today whether it's portending the end or just another demonstration of the wickedness of man and the demonic oppression of this world, especially when energized by demonic forces remains to be seen.

Michael, Israel, and the Great Tribulation

So with that introduction, I'd like to start with Daniel chapter 12 verse one, which remember is connected all the way back to 20 chapter 10 verse 20. This great prediction of the kings and Antiochus Epiphanes and the Antichrist that so many seem to struggle with but it's so clear in God's word.

Now, verse one says, now at that time, Michael the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise and there will be a time of distress as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.

And at that time, your people, everyone who was found written in the book will be rescued. So at that time refers to the end time, the same end time from chapter 11 verse 40. This is the time known as the great tribulation period in which the Antichrist spoken of in the last chapter verse chapter 11 inaugurates his demonic vendetta against Israel.

This is clear from the connection with the last chapter and as mentioned earlier, the unfortunate break at verse 45 of chapter 11. It seems to indicate it, even though it seems to indicate a new thought, it isn't a new thought.

It's a continuation of chapter 11. Where the first four verses of this chapter are a continuation of thought from chapter 10, verse 20 with chapter 11, primarily concerned with the political and religious aspects of the end time.

Chapter 12 addresses the effects on the people of Israel. And we see this often, we see it in Genesis where God describes creation and then he goes back and talks about how the creation worked out in chapter three.

And fleshes out some details. This is what Daniel does here. He'll talk about and then go back and flesh some details out. The Michael referred to here is the same as the angel referred to in chapter 10, verse 13.

The messenger angel here, messenger angel, Jim, I'm feeling for you. The messenger angel here describes his responsibility over Israel. This refers to Israel, not the church by the way. Another clear indication that this is referring to that time is that the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of it in the gospel of Matthew.

We're in chapter 24, verses 21 through 22. He says, for then there will be a great tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved.

But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. It is important to remember that this period will not follow the death of the Antichrist mentioned in verse 45, but will be the time in which he operates.

So here Daniel talks about the death of the Antichrist in verse 45 of 11, but now the angel jumps back to give some specifics when the Antichrist is still around. In keeping with the uniform message of the book of Daniel, the open quote, your people close quote refers to Israel to assume anything else is to ignore the continuity provided to us in the book of Daniel.

The distress mentioned here is one such as has never occurred. Now that's not to say there haven't been great horrific distresses on planet earth and are even some now. That's not at all implied here.

It's just that this one will be, it will be where people will go. It's spoken of as mentioned earlier by many of the prophets and by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. We find reference to it among other places in Jeremiah 30, Joel 2 and Matthew 24.

This section is most difficult to reconcile as a part of Antiochus Epiphany's reign. And it is related to verses 36 through 45 of chapter 11. So those who try to spiritualize this section of Daniel and make it be related to Antiochus Epiphany's reign have a lot of difficulty doing that because of the specificity of the scripture.

The horror, the horror and difficulty of this time cannot be overstated. Zechariah 13, eight indicates that only one third of the Jews will survive. Using December 22, 19 or 2022 population statistics, that means were this to happen today with that population holding steady, 4 ,737 ,333 Jews would be annihilated.

For almost 5 million people, if it was today would be annihilated. Since Israel would become a massive battleground, it is assumed that there would be many other casualties as well among other nations.

Other nationalities would die and there would be a great many more wounded. The great prince of Israel, Michael, because of his influence and guard will deliver many as that's what this verse says. Now at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise and there will be a time of distress such as never occurred.

But since there was a nation until that time and at that time, your people, everyone who is found written in the book will be rescued. Michael will oversee that. That's spoken of in Jeremiah 37 and 11, 30 colon seven and 11 and Revelation 12, six through 17.

We're gonna read those. Alas, and by the way, all of this, if you go online is in the PowerPoint there, the full PowerPoint, if you wanna look them up.

It's also in the Bible,.

Which is a better place to look them up. Jeremiah 30, verse seven and 11. Alas, for that day is great. There is none like it. And it is the time of Jacob's distress, but he will be saved from it. For I am with you, declares the Lord, verse 11, to save you.

For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you. Only I will not destroy you completely, but I will chase in you justly and will by no means leave you unpunished. And then Revelation 12, six through 17.

We read that.

So I won't read it again,.

But it speaks of Israel being chased into the desert and being sustained. And so the dragon was enraged with the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her children. Verse 17 says, who keep the commandments of God and to hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Faithful, faithful Israel. The reference here to those who are written in the book being rescued refers to one of the books which God keeps, likely the book of life. There are several mentions of the book of God in the Old Testament, but none of them are commensurate with the book of life spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation.

Here, Daniel is referring to those whose names have been recorded by God in the list of the saved. One commentator suggests that this is not spiritual regeneration, but rather a promise of national deliverance from human enemies.

But I believe Leon Wood gets this in his commentary. He says this. This identifies the kind of people who will make up this one third of the nation delivered. The book here in reference is best taken to be the book of life, God's record of those who are justified in his sight.

Other books are in view in a prior reference to books in Daniel 7, 10, in view of two witnesses having proclaimed God's message in Jerusalem for 42 months during the tribulation week. And also the fact that 144 ,000 will have been sealed by God during this time.

It is clear by the close of the seven year period, many Jews will have become true believers in God. Besides this, the rest who are spared from antichrist oppression will give their full allegiance at the time of Christ's second coming in power to destroy the great army of the antichrist, effecting the final deliverance of Israel.

The names of those in both groups will be found written down in God's book of life, Matthew 24, verse 22. The fact remains that only those Israelites who have trusted Christ for their salvation and repented will be among the names in the book mentioned in this verse.

The 144 ,000 that will be sealed and the one third that remained will be those Israelites. The rescue spoken of in this verse is fleshed out in Revelation 12, 16 through 17.

We saw that.

Actually, but the earth helped the woman and the earth opened up its mouth and drank the river, which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her children who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Satan is cast from heaven where he begins to persecute the woman, which is Israel. He does this for 1 ,260 days or three and a half years, identified with the last half of the tribulation week. And he does it through the antichrist, fully committed to destroying Israel.

God causes the earth to swallow much of the destruction Satan sends toward Israel. And yet only one third of the Israelites remain. It's a great time of purging. And the remnant much spoken of in the old and even in the New Testament is going to be that one third of Israel who hold fast to Jesus as their Messiah.

It will be a terrible time. And I wouldn't wish it on anybody except for the fact that the sovereignty of God has declared it so. And the Bible will be true. Any comments or questions about verse one?

I think we're only gonna make it through verse two. So we'll see what happens here. Many of those, many, what is, if I said, all in this room will eat lunch today. I'm not sovereign, so I can't force that.

But what would you assume I meant by that? Everybody in here will eat lunch today. If I said, many in this room will not eat lunch today, what would you assume by that? Some of you aren't gonna eat lunch.

Because you were bad people? No, that's not. Verse two, many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgraced and everlasting contempt. Some take this reference to those who will awake to mean an awakening from spiritual death.

But this is a dividing time with some being consigned to everlasting life, as it says, and some to everlasting contempt or death, as it says. The words and the intent here are of a physical resurrection, a bodily resurrection.

You will be resurrected bodily. Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily. The Israelites who are faithful to Christ will be resurrected bodily. The Israelites who are not faithful to Christ and the people who are not faithful to Christ will be resurrected bodily.

Some will be consigned to everlasting life and some to everlasting death. The words and the intent here are of a physical resurrection, one that comes literally from the Hebrew as translated as ground of dust.

What did God create man from? Probably the dust that came off of your Swiffer. Them things work, don't they?

Okay.

A parallel here is Revelation 20, verses four through six. Then I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God and those who...

Did you hear that?

Beheaded because of the word of God. I take that twofold. I mean, the word of God has said it's gonna happen, so that's true. But because they held to the word of God, they're beheaded. Okay, back to Revelation.

And those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

So this is the very first use of the word everlasting life in the Old Testament. I didn't know that. Some attempts to conflate that to mean that this is the first reverence to resurrection in the Old Testament, but that is not true.

That is not true. The Old Testament taught resurrection from the earliest days of writing, starting with the book of Job. Job 14, 11 through 14, as water evaporates from the sea and a river becomes parched and dried up, so man lies down and does not rise until the heavens are no longer.

He will not awake nor be roused out of his sleep. Oh, that you would hide me in Sheol and that you would conceal me until your wrath returns to you. You would set a limit for me and remember me. If a man dies, will he live again?

All the days of my struggle, I will wait until my change comes. Job knew. Psalm, and then in Job 19, 25 and 20 through 27, as for me, I know, this is a favorite verse in the Old Testament, but what it portends.

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives and at the last, he will take his stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh, from my flesh, I shall see God. Whom I myself shall behold and whom my eyes will see.

And not another.

My heart faints within me. It should cause our heart to faint within us. What a blessed remembrance that Job has here. Psalm 16, verse 10, for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will you allow your Holy One to undergo decay.

How many days was Jesus in the tomb?

Three.

Didn't consume him. Psalm 49, 15, but God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me, Sila. Isaiah 25, eight, he will swallow up death for all time and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces and he will remove the reproach of his people from all the earth for the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 26, 19, your dead will live. Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy for your due is as the due of the dawn and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

Hebrews 13, 14, shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from my sight. And then in verse chapter, oh, that was Hosea, excuse me.

Hosea 13. It had an H on the front. Now, Hebrews 11, 17 and 18, by faith Abraham, when he was dead, offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son. It was he to whom it was said, in Isaac, your descendants shall be called.

Abraham knew, Abraham knew.

God's people have always believed in immortality and resurrection. And these Israelites as well as faithful Gentiles, but in context, Israelites will be raised up to enjoy millennial blessing and eternal blessing with Christ.

This resurrection of the righteous immediately follows the tribulation week. The resurrection of the damned follows the thousand year millennium. The grammar of this verse is such that many of those refer to those raised immediately after the tribulation week and the others refers to those who will be raised after the millennium to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

The main concern of this verse in context is everyone who is found written in the book, quote unquote, who will be raised to everlasting life. In his commentary and several places that I looked at, rephrase it this way.

Not that the new American standard or the King James doesn't have it well, it's just a better understanding as you look at the grammatics, the grammar of the Hebrew. And many that sleep in the dusty ground shall awake, and then in parentheses, to have part with the living righteous in millennial benefits, right parent.

These indeed shall be to everlasting life, but others, left parent, of the sleepers who do not awake at this time, but only after the millennium, right parent, shall be to everlasting shame and contempt.

So many at one time will be raised to righteousness and later many will be raised to contempt, to final death. The Old Testament, because of the way the Oriental mind works, the Hebrew mind works, has no problem with speaking of two different time periods in the same verse, Isaiah 61, one and two, Daniel chapter nine, several places, and 10, among other places in the Old Testament.

And so this is not an uncommon thing. In light of Revelation chapter 20, which falls later in the history of revealed truth, and which is much more detailed, not more correct, just more detailed, we should look at this verse in Daniel in light of that section of scripture.

Further, Daniel uses the qualifier many, rather than all, to designate those resurrected. And finally, in verse three, the word many is used again, which clearly refers to only those so affected by that resurrection, namely the righteous.

This group will include righteous Gentiles, who are generally called tribulation saints, those killed by the Antichrist during this time in history. This will include all of the Old Testament saints. And the last verse of Daniel chapter 12 buttresses this.

If you look at the last verse of Daniel 12, verse 13, but as for you, Daniel, go your way to the end, then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion of the end of the age. Daniel's allotted portion is with the righteous, and he will rise again.