Sunday, May 22, 2022 AM

Good morning everyone. Welcome to Sunnyside Baptist this morning. We're glad that you're here to worship with us, to open the word together. As we get started this morning with a few announcements, excuse me, come back this evening for our evening service.

It's also when we're going to have our end of the year tag program, so I'll have a little bit more about that in just a second. Looking ahead to this Wednesday, kind of a regular schedule there, meal at 545 and prayer and tag for the kids at 630.

Looking ahead to next Sunday, we'll have the Lord's Supper in the morning, that morning, and then in the evening, in lieu of having service here at the church, we'll have flock group meetings. So get with your elder and see where you guys might be meeting together as groups.

And then we're about to hit the month of June here pretty quickly, so mugs and muffins on Saturday, June 4th for the ladies. And then looking ahead to Sunday, June 5th, that's when our summer Sunday school sessions will begin that Sunday.

I mentioned the tag end-of-year fellowship. Tonight, after the evening service, we will have a cookie fellowship and a brief presentation from our tag program, kind of presenting what they've been learning over the course of the year.

Feel free to invite family and friends to that. We would love to have them here. Also, if you weren't aware, Dennis and Marsha Leeper have moved to Tennessee to be closer to family there, kind of needing some help, particularly with Dennis.

So their address, if you would like to send them a card or well wishes, is there in the bulletin. Also, time's running out to sign up for the Dodgers baseball game. There's a sign-up sheet out in the foyer on the bulletin board for that.

And then another thing related to summer, we've been doing it for several years now, summer Bible reading plans. Those are available in printed form on the back table. So one for adults and then one for kids as well.

The kids one is just a little bit shorter. They don't have to read as much, but it does keep them kind of on the same schedule as the adults. So any other announcements before we get started? All right, our fighter verse for this week comes from Proverbs chapter 6 verses 20 and 21.

It says, my son, keep your father's commandment and forsake not your mother's teaching. Bind them on your heart always. Tie them around your neck. We're gonna open with a time of.

Prayer and then after we're done, Dwight will open us in prayer. Father, I thank.

You and I praise you for your great love and mercy. We have come together this morning to worship you. And oh, Father, how worthy you are of our worship and our adoration and love and praise and thanksgiving.

How you've done so much for us through your son, the Lord Jesus. Even while we were your enemies, ungodly, dead in trespasses and sins, you sent your son and he willingly came and gave his life that we might have life and that we might come to know your great love.

And that through your son, the Lord Jesus, we have access to your throne of grace and mercy. And that we can come and receive grace and mercy anytime. What a blessing. How worthy you are of our worship.

So, Father, I pray that you help us to give you all the praise and thanksgiving from our hearts this morning. That we might set our focus, our minds, our hearts on you. And that we might thank you for your son, the Lord Jesus, and the forgiveness that we have through your son, our Savior.

What a blessing to know your forgiveness. And what a blessing to know that you have plans for us throughout the coming ages, throughout eternity. That your love is from everlasting to everlasting. So, help us to praise you this morning.

And as we leave this place, may we be better witnesses for your son, the Lord Jesus. In his name I pray. Amen.

Call to Worship from Psalm 78 and Praise for God's Provision

Would you stand with me for our call to worship passage? Reading out of Psalms, chapter 78, verses 7 -20, that the children of Israel, when they were sinned there, but also how the Lord provided for them.

Let's read together. Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people? I'm going to sing in our Psalms for worship, page 78D, verses 8, 9, and 10. And as you know, the Lord most certainly can provide for his people.

For hymnals, praise my soul, the King of Heaven. From Isaiah 24, 14 -23, using the ESV, up their voices, they sing for joy. Over the majesty of the Lord, they shout from the West. Therefore, in the East, give up glory, give glory to the Lord.

In the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the Lord and the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth, we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. But I say, I waste away, I waste away, woe is me.

For the traitors have betrayed, with betrayal the traitors have betrayed. The snare and the pit and the snare are upon you. O inhabitant of the earth, he who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit.

And he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart. The earth is violently shaken, the earth staggers like a drunken man, it sways like a hut.

Its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and it will not rise again. And on that day, the Lord will punish the hosts in heaven and the kings of the earth on the earth. They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit.

They will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be confounded and the sun will be ashamed. For the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.

Please join me in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the grace that you've shown us here, Lord, and the giving of your word, Lord, and revealing yourself to us. I pray that you will bless the teaching of your word today and the reading of your word, Lord.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. You may be seated. Our next song is on page 503. We'll sing, Jesus, I am resting, resting.

We thank you for gathering us here together on this day. Our past week has been filled with your kindnesses. Time and again you have heard our prayers and answered them. You have shown us more than once your grace, your unmerited favor, your love.

You have provided for us in ways that even now we are not aware, but we know that you are our Heavenly Father. By the merits and the ministry of Christ, we know that you are our Father. By the indwelling and enlivening of the Holy Spirit, we cry out to you and say thank you.

And your multitude of mercies and your established faithfulness give us confidence here this morning to look to you again and ask. And may our requests fall by the merits of Christ and the ministry of his Spirit to your untiring ear.

We ask that you would feed us from your word. That you would nourish our faith. That you would encourage our hearts. That you would equip us for all the good works that you have prepared for us to do.

We thank you for hearing us. For the sake of your Son, Jesus, it is in his name that we pray, Amen. I invite you to open your Bibles and turn with me to Daniel chapter 12. Daniel 12. And we'll be reading verses 5 through 13 this morning.

Daniel chapter 12. We'll be reading verses 5 through 13. This is the final vision in the book of Daniel spanning from chapters 10 to 12. And Christ speaks with Daniel in chapter 10 and tells him that this is about the latter days.

Now Daniel has just been told that there's a calendar. Seventy weeks of years that will be concluded with the final week. The week of Messiah. The week of Christ. So when Daniel hears the latter days, he knows what calendar is being talked about.

He knows what days these are. The very important days. The days of Messiah. Three and a half year ministry of Christ. Messiah is cut off for the transgressions of others. And then three and a half years that follow of judgment.

Which does away with the covenant breakers. These are the concerns of Daniel. Daniel is praying burdened as we see at the beginning of this vision. At the beginning of chapter 10. He is burdened because it is the third year of King Cyrus.

No doubt Daniel was elated the first year of King Cyrus and the second year of King Cyrus. Because his fellow Jews had been instructed, equipped, funded, protected. In returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

But now it's the third year of King Cyrus and things are not going well. You can read about the complications in the book of Ezra. That suddenly the work has stopped. Political opponents have threatened lawsuits.

And the work has floundered. Daniel's burden from chapter 9 as we've seen has been. What about the holy mountain? What about the holy city? Lord, when will you restore your holy sanctuary? What about these important parts of the old covenant.

Wherein you have revealed time and again. Your mercy, your grace, your redemption. And foreshadowed to us the one who is to come. Lord, when will you restore these? That has been Daniel's burden in these latter chapters.

In these visions of his book. And the Lord does speak with him about these matters. But he also tells him a timeline. When these things will be done away with and Messiah himself shall come. And this is the hope that he wants Daniel to have.

The hope that he wants the following 12 generations to have. Yes, of course, gather in Jerusalem the holy city. Yes, of course, assemble there at Zion on the holy mountain. Yes, rebuild that holy sanctuary, the temple.

And reestablish the worship of the Lord. But do it all in anticipation of Messiah who is to come. For that is where your hope should lie. And now we come to Daniel chapter 12. In Daniel chapter 10, Christ and Daniel have an encounter.

Then Christ relays to Daniel all that is to occur in world history. Until the time of the arrival of Messiah in the new covenant. And we discover that all of that history. Though it is filled with intrigues and back and forth power struggles.

It is all about the glory of Jesus. And now we come to Daniel chapter 12. Which we've entitled The End. The End. And in Daniel chapter 12 we hear about the end of Daniel's life on earth. That he's going to die and he's going to enter into his rest.

But that he has hope of the end of everything. Wherein there is a resurrection from the dead. And there's also an end of the latter days. An end to that final week of the 70 weeks. The end of the latter days of Messiah.

And this too is in view in Daniel chapter 12. So let's read together. Daniel chapter 12 beginning in verse 5. I invite you to stand with me. As we read God's holy word. Then I, Daniel, looked and there stood two others.

One on this river bank and the other on that river bank. And one said to the man clothed in linen. Who was above the waters of the river. How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? Then I heard the man clothed in linen.

Who was above the waters of the river. When he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven. And swore by him who lives forever. That it shall be for a time, times and half a time. And when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered.

All these things shall be finished. Although I heard, I did not understand. I said, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, go your way, Daniel. For the words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end.

Many shall be purified, made white and refined. But the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand. But the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away.

And the abomination of desolation is set up. There shall be 1290 days. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1335 days. But you, go your way to the end. For you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance.

At the end of the days. This is the word of the Lord. Praise be to God. You may be seated. Sometimes you're watching a very exciting movie. And things have gotten complicated. And you're pretty invested in those who are still trying to resolve all of the problems.

And you're checking the time because you realize this thing has been going on for a while. And I don't see how they're going to wrap all this up. And part of you is concerned that they're going to try to wrap up way too much in too short of a time.

And it's going to be a horrible ending. But also part of you doesn't want to have to wait for a sequel. And inevitably, there's a sequel. And the ending is okay. You know it's going to turn out all right.

But still, there are big questions left to be answered. Big details to fill in. And whether it's a movie or a series or a novel. When it ends that way, you're looking forward to see how it all works out and resolves.

We like that kind of storytelling because it imitates the best storytelling of all time that we find in the scriptures. And we have this kind of an ending in the book of Daniel. The prophecy of Daniel.

We're assured time and again that Daniel, it's going to work out. It's all going to be completed. Go your way. It's going to be all right. But we want to know the details. We're like the angels. When?

We're like Daniel. How's it all going to work out? And then we're given details that are, while interesting, we say, huh? Such is the end of the book of Daniel. But as we have spoken about, when God reveals information about the end, whatever that end may be.

The end of a believer's life on earth. The end of an age. The end of the world and the resurrection of the dead. Whatever God is sharing with us in his word, revealing to us in his word about the end.

It is meant for our edification. It is meant for our encouragement. It is meant to more thoroughly ground us in the hope of what lies ahead. It is not meant to confuse or to worry, to cause extra difficulty, to spark speculation and hopeless mystery.

As we look at Daniel, as the end has been examined from one angle, then another. We discern that the understanding of the text is brought to us most ably by the glory of Christ. In that the glory of Christ is like light which illuminates that which is dark and hard to see.

The glory of Christ being weighty in that it anchors us and doesn't let us stray too far. And the glory of Christ brings verity for our faith and our hope and our love. And sets the values of these Christian virtues.

That what we believe is entirely tied to Christ. And what we hope for what is to come is entirely tied to Christ. And how we live in the here and now and how we love one another is entirely tied to the glory of Jesus Christ.

And this is really the value of looking at the end. The end of one's life. The end of an age. The end of the world. That we would see the glory of Christ and thereby know the truth. And know what is valuable.

We have noted that as Daniel is concerned about the history of the Jews. God didn't you promise that after this many years of exile you were going to do X, Y and Z. God says yes of course Daniel we're going to do that.

But there's more. There's far more. There's something even greater ahead of you. And after this other calendar not just 70 years but 70 weeks of years. There's even greater things ahead of you. And so we see that all of this history.

Jewish history. Indeed world history. Is really Jesus' glory. Everything is in orbit around him. In all things he must have the preeminence. So we've been talking about the end in chapter 12. We've looked at the deliverance that is brought to Daniel's people.

In contrast to the holy people who are shattered. But Daniel's people. The people of faith. The people who are the faith of Abraham and so on. They are going to be delivered and saved. All those whose names are written in the book.

They'll be delivered from this coming tribulation. Verse 1. Not only that. But there's a resurrection coming. Where even death itself will be defeated. And we will be delivered from death as well. Now after this encouragement of deliverance.

We're going to look at encouragements by Christ. An oath given by Christ. A blessing issued from Christ. And an inheritance in Christ. So often when we think about the end. Or in other words what is yet to come.

Our thoughts tend towards the anxious and the fearful. That so much speculation rolls around in our heads. That we don't feel like we have a solid footing. For what lies ahead. But look at this. Christ is speaking with Daniel about the end and the end and the end.

But how is he talking about it? Here's a promise of deliverance. Here's an oath that God's will will be done. Here's a blessing for those who endure. And here's a promise of inheritance for those after all is said and done.

How encouraging is that? That is a Christian way to think about the end. The end of your life. The end of the world. The Christian way of thinking about the end is one that is filled with encouragement and hope in Christ.

It is an entirely pagan way of thinking to despair when considering the end. To have fear and anxiety and concern and tremblings. We have no need for that. For Christ is risen from the dead. For Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father.

And Christ will return. So we have no need to fear when we consider the end. Whatever end that may be. Let's turn our attention to verses 5 through 7 of Daniel chapter 12. And see here an oath made by Christ.

He is described as the man clothed in linen. In Daniel chapter 10 we saw a more full description of Christ. One that accords with Revelation chapter 1. So we know who we are looking at. Verse 5. Then I, Daniel, looked and there stood two others.

One on this river bank and the other on that river bank. The river was the river Tigris which we see from chapter 10 verse 4. And one said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river.

How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? Then I heard the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river. When he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven. And swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time.

Times and half a time. And when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered. All these things shall be finished. So two angels attending their Lord. Hearing what he has to say to Daniel.

Daniel, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, at some point writes all of this down. And we see that Daniel, of course, is going to have some questions. About what is being said. But do you notice that the angels themselves have questions for Christ?

When will the fulfillment of these wonders, these great judgments take place? A tribulation which is unlike anything before or after we just heard about in verse 1. They're saying when shall these great wonders or these great judgments, these cataclysms take place?

They're asking Christ for the answer. They want to know. This reminds us of a passage in 1 Peter chapter 1. Speaking about salvation. Which, of course, we looked at in verse 1 and verse 2. Salvation for all those whose names are written in the book and resurrection from the dead.

The great salvation that we have in Christ. And in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 10. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully. Who prophesied of the grace that would come to you. Searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating.

When he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. So if you're following, Christ by the Holy Spirit through the prophets in the Old Testament. Christ himself spoke about what would happen through him and to him in days to come.

And the prophets wrote it all down and then said, wow, what does it all mean? Verse 12. To them it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they were ministering the things which have now been reported to you.

In other words, Daniel, seal up the words of the book until the time of the end. You go your way, Daniel. This is for a generation to come. Things which have now been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel.

The good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Things which angels desire to look into. Didn't that happen in Daniel?

Angels were like, could you tell us the time frame? I mean this is big important stuff. No doubt the angels will be involved. No doubt they as always will be sent as ministering spirits to accomplish the will of their Lord.

And they want to know, when is this going to happen? So one of the angels says to Christ, when will these things be? Now I don't know if you've noticed this or not. But in the scriptures, when creatures ask the Creator, when believers ask their Lord for specific time frames, the answer always comes back somewhat oblique.

Have you ever noticed that? Could you give us the exact date on the calendar, please? We want to be able to calculate this down to the exact minute. And as I read through the scriptures, time and again, the Lord says, well here's what I will tell you.

But we're going to leave a good portion of this obscured in mystery. After all, we walk by faith. We're people of faith. And the Lord wants us to remain a people of faith, trusting in Him. And so let's look at how He answers this.

Many people find this so dissatisfactory. He says that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time. This is the second half of verse 7. It shall be for a time, times, and half a time. And when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

We've already talked about the contrast between Daniel's people, who are saved from this unprecedented tribulation in verse 1. Daniel's people are saved, but the power of the holy people are shattered.

So these are obviously not the same group. Now, the holy people are those who have been set aside unto the Lord for His holy purposes. That He has carved them out for special use. And we don't have to search very far in the scriptures to know who that is.

For when we read the way in which God speaks to Israel, in the book of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, time and again He says that He has set them apart unto holiness, and give them a code to follow unto holiness, and a purpose which is in accord with holiness.

And here is a promise that the timing has to do, and will be wrapped up concerning these judgments that we read about in verse 1, will be wrapped up when the power of the holy people are shattered. Now, this word shattered has the idea of something being beat to pieces, with such force that the pieces scatter all over the place.

And it is the exact word that is used in Psalm chapter 2 verse 9, how Christ takes a rod of iron to pots of clay, rebellious nations. The power of the holy people shattered, scattered. When that happens, that's the wrapping up of the time, times, and half a time.

That's what verse 7 says in the second half. It should be for a time, times, and half a time, and when will that be wrapped up? When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

What does it mean, time, times, and half a time? Let's anchor it within the text of Daniel, shall we? The next notation about timing, 1290 days, pardon me, 1290 days, puts us just a tad bit over three and a half years.

When we back up in Daniel, the next time frame that we see is an expression about three and a half years, as in the second half of the week of Messiah in Daniel chapter 9. So we're looking at the end of the latter days.

When does the 70 weeks of years wrap up? With the second half of the week of Messiah, three and a half years. What's the next time frame given to us at the end of Daniel 12? About three and a half years.

So how would we understand time, times, and half a time? It has been interpreted historically many times over as three and a half years. As a year, two years, and half a year, three and a half years. Why would we say time, times, and half a time equal three and a half years?

Because of the end of Daniel chapter 9 and the end of Daniel chapter 12. Just trying to anchor our interpretation in the context itself. By the way, the war, the Jewish-Roman war, from the time that Cestius surrounded Jerusalem with armies to the time that Titus succeeded in destroying Jerusalem, was three and a half years.

And the destruction of the Old Covenant was complete. So we're given a time frame, a timing. But do you know that that is not the main point of the text? Trying to discern the dates on the calendar. Look at the main point of the text.

The angels want to know something about God's revelation. Who do they turn to? Who do they ask? They don't ask Daniel. They don't ask one another. They ask Christ. It's like, if we're going to be allowed to know, if we're going to be able to understand, who do the angels turn to when they have a question about God's word?

They turn to Christ. Do you see it? And look how Christ responds. For this is the main point of these verses. For where does he stand? Above the river, in between the banks of the river, suspended between heaven and earth.

Notice the position of Christ as the one mediator between God and man. Notice his position as Jacob's ladder. As he told Nathaniel, you will see the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

Look at his position as the one mediator, and his hands are outstretched to heaven, right and left hands. This is the posture of prayer. Here is the intercessor. Do you see Christ? And how does he answer?

He does not simply say, well, here's the mathematical equation to put your mind to rest. He swears by him who lives forever. He gives a promise based upon the glory of God that it shall be thus. That's what we need to pay attention to.

Consider Daniel's concern. Consider how he is upset. Consider how he is grieved. How he's been hearing reports that it's not going well in Jerusalem with the rebuilding of the temple. Things are falling apart.

How is this ever going to come to pass? This is what has been the background of his whole praying and fasting and going to the Lord and getting this answer from the Lord. He doesn't know how it's going to work out.

How is this going to work? This does not look good. But look how Christ handles a question about the end. He offers an oath. Remember in Hebrews where it says that to make the promise even more solid, even more secure, all the more edifying, that God swore by himself that thus it shall be.

And here is God the Son swearing by the name of his Father. Thus it shall be. What is happening here? He's giving assurance to Daniel who is watching this happen and listening to what is going on. It doesn't matter how it looks in the present day.

It doesn't matter how frail the people of God look in what they're trying to do. How large the opposition is against the obvious will of God. No, no. God has sworn by himself it shall be so. So when we have need of assurance, we look to the one mediator who always brings about his Father's will.

When we desire answers to the riddles that we find in the Scriptures, where do we go? If the angels look to Jesus, we should look to Jesus. He's the light of the world. And God has given us his word in this world.

Therefore, Christ is the light of the word as well. How are you going to understand what's in here unless you see it in the light of Christ? Very specifically, look at 2 Corinthians 1, beginning in verse 19.

2 Corinthians 1, beginning in verse 19. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him was yes. For all the promises of God in him, in the Son of God, in Jesus Christ, are yes.

And in him, amen, verily, truly, to the glory of God through us. Now, he who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

So as we look at the promises of God, how are we to understand their yes, their amen, their truly, their verily? How do we see them in their full glory? We turn to Christ, as the angels do here in Daniel 12.

We often have concerns about the end. We often have questions about the end. Who do we turn to? There's only one mediator between God and man. There's only one prophet who mediates God's truth. One king who mediates God's authority.

One priest who mediates God's holiness. One counselor who mediates God's wisdom, and he does so from the right hand. Secondly, we see the blessing from Christ in verses 8 through 12. Now, Daniel says, Although I heard, I did not understand.

Then I said, My Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go your way, Daniel. For the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white and refined.

But the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, it shall be 1 ,290 days.

Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1 ,335 days. But you, go your way till the end. For you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. So we hear about a blessing. We hear about a blessing.

First, concerns about the end. We receive an oath, a promise that we can depend on. Secondly, more concerns about the end. How's it all going to work out? What do we receive? An assurance of blessing for those who endure.

Daniel does not understand. And as we read the text, we say, Daniel, I feel you. Right? Like, my, that is thick. But we understand why Daniel asks the question. He wants to know how it turns out. Don't we all?

How's this going to work out, he asks. What is the end of these things? How will it turn out? Can you show me the sequel? And Christ simply says to him, go about your business. This in particular, Daniel, is not your business in the details.

I've given you assurance that it shall come to pass. And I'll even throw you a couple of bones about some of how it's going to work out. But go your way, Daniel. This is for another time. In the meantime, be about what you're supposed to be about.

Now, he's already said this in verse 4. He says it again here in verse 9. And notice where the emphasis is placed on what is yet to come. As we saw back in chapter 12, verse 4, that regarding the time of the end, when the book will be unsealed.

And Jesus does that in Matthew and Mark and Luke. Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase. Well, yes, absolutely. Within that week, Christ had died on the cross and rose from the dead and appeared to his apostles and said to them, go to all the world and spread this knowledge.

What knowledge? That Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Now, what has Jesus said about gospel preaching? He said it's like sowing seed on soils. The sower goes out to sow and he casts the seed all over this ground.

And a bunch of it falls on good ground, but it also falls on what? Hard packed ground, shallow soil, soil that's filled with thorns. And what's the outcome? The preaching of the gospel, the preaching of the word of Christ, sifts and who's who is made evident.

And so we read that many shall be purified, made white and refined. But the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand. But the wise shall understand. There's a sifting in the going to and fro in the preaching of the good news of Jesus Christ.

And then there is a mention of 1290 days and 1335 days. I got to tell you, the more obscure a verse is in the Bible, the more you hear about it on TBN. Have you noticed that? Oh, now it's playtime. And this verse has been abused, not just in our generation, but in every generation.

But let's do our best, shall we? We've been given the anchor understanding of three and a half years. 1290 is more specific than the general three and a half. It's just a little bit longer than three and a half, but it's within the same idea.

So 1290 days and then 1335 days. What does Jesus say? He's already talked about a great tribulation in Daniel 12 verse 1. He talks about it later on in Matthew 24. Both those contexts point to something that's three and a half years long.

And the word that is given to us time and again from Christ to believers who are going to go through that tribulation was what? Endurance. Perseverance. Overcoming in Christ. About sticking with Him no matter what happens.