The Pathway To Resurrection — Keith Malcomson

Praise the Lord, welcome to our Bible study here tonight. Please turn with me to Daniel chapter 12, and we're coming to our last Bible study on the book of Daniel. It's been a very precious time, very important time.

I've been so blessed myself, encouraged and helped with what we have dealt with in the book of Daniel, but we come down to the very last message here, but I will be coming back and doing three more messages dealing with three controversial issues in connection with the book of Daniel.

So although we finish here tonight on this series, I will come back and just add three more that I feel we have to deal with. I didn't have room to put all the information in the messages, but we wanted to give you a full overview of the book of Daniel.

I know I haven't dealt with every single verse. I haven't taught all that I desire to teach on the book of Daniel, but what I've done is given you a thorough overview of every single chapter and in fact, the entire book of Daniel.

And that's what I want you to leave this series with. This isn't mere teaching, this isn't speculation, but this is a real word for this hour. I believe for what's happening in our world, we've never been here before and it's gonna get deeper, it's gonna get further.

Saints, get into the word of God as we finish Daniel. We aren't setting Daniel aside, but this has only been a foundation because I believe this book of Daniel is gonna take on a profound place in each one of our lives and in this church and in the church worldwide.

The Heavens Rule in Daniel 12

Well, we finish our series, the heavens rule. Every single chapter we've looked at, we've been left with the message, the heavens do rule that we read of in Daniel chapter four and 26. But here we come to the very last chapter, Daniel 12.

Please follow with me as we read here tonight. Verse one, 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. Everyone that shall be found written in the book 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.

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. 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. Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, there stood other two, the one on the one side of the bank and of the other bank, on the other side of the bank of the river.

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? 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 on the heaven and swear by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times and a half. And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified and many white, made white and tried, 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 shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1 ,290 days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1 ,335 days, but go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of days.

My message here on this last message from Daniel chapter 12, listen to the title tonight, The Pathway to Resurrection. Let's pray together. Father, I do thank you for the word of God. I thank you for the encouragement, the blessing that these chapters in Daniel have been to us.

I thank you, God, that you've been opening our eyes, opening our hearts, establishing us, making us keep a clear vision that heaven does rule upon the earth. You've been setting our eyes upon the man of your right hand.

You've been making us to hide ourself in the truth of the written scriptures. And Lord God, surely this book is for this hour. Surely this book has been preserved for us at the end of time, in the last generation, in the end times.

Lord God, in the time appointed, in the time that's spoken of in the books of prophecy. Lord God, I pray tonight that you'd give us a sense of awe, of an awareness of the hour that we are living in. My God, that this book of Daniel and the entirety of scripture would become very precious tonight.

And Lord God, that we might see Jesus Christ coming in the clouds of heaven, that we might see him, that we might be caught up to meet him. Lord God, some will go down into the grave, some will come through the fire, but Lord God, we long to be caught up to meet him in the clouds of heaven, to meet him face-to-face, to see him, oh God, to bring an end to trials, to burdens, to suffering, to pain, to temptation, oh God.

Lord God, we thank you that we have a glorious hope as the church of Jesus Christ tonight. Even so, come Lord Jesus, Maranatha in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Daniel chapter 12, the pathway to resurrection.

The Pathway to Resurrection and the End of the Age

The past couple of weeks, we've had a deal with the Antichrist because the Bible teaches about Antichrist. But thank God, as we come to this last message, I was gonna call it the resurrection, but I've called it the pathway to resurrection.

Maybe I should say it is the last journey or the last few steps prior to resurrection. There is darkness before daylight. There is death before there's resurrection. I assure you, Antichrist will stand with power on the earth on the very eve that Jesus Christ is gonna reveal himself in power and in great glory coming on the clouds of heaven.

We are at a momentous stage in world history since we have come right to the end of all things. We are at the end of world history, of church history and of Bible prophecy. We are approaching the eve of one of the most dramatic hours in all of history.

It is a remarkable thing. Here tonight, we are dealing with the last journey to resurrection or the pathway to resurrection or the last few steps before the resurrection takes place universally. What a remarkable thing tonight.

Jesus Christ in the gospels mentions Daniel the prophet and calls him that prophet. In Matthew 24, in Mark 13 and in Luke 21, Jesus Christ gives his most profound and fullest teaching about the last generation, the last days of time and the last fulfilling of Bible prophecy.

In those three chapters in the gospel, he gives a comprehensive teaching, a remarkable teaching. He doesn't teach more anywhere else, neither do the other disciples or apostles that walk with him. All three writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke, all dedicate an entire chapter and then other parables on top of that to the exact teaching concerning end times, time sequence, what is gonna happen and when it will happen.

These three chapters in the gospels, Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, lay out an exact time sequence. In fact, if you compare these three chapters for your own Bible study, if you lay out all of the events in those three chapters, you're gonna find there are six exact events or distinct separate events.

Two of these, Matthew and Mark, use the exact same words and then Luke actually adds other information and uses other words, but yet it is the exact same time sequence. So we see that Jesus taught his apostles and the apostles taught the early church when things were gonna happen.

In fact, in those chapters, especially Matthew 24, if you read it, it says when. It then goes on to say then and then it's followed up by immediately after. All of these give you a timeframe. Now listen carefully, in this last chapter of Daniel, why am I saying that?

I'm saying that because in Matthew 24, Jesus refers directly to Daniel and instructs the early church concerning his teaching and prophecy to go back and to read Daniel. In fact, in Matthew 24, he references exact verses in Daniel at least three times.

He talks in Matthew 24 about the abomination of desolation spoken about by Daniel. And we know it's referred to in Daniel 8, Daniel 9, Daniel 11, and Daniel 12. Jesus also refers to the great tribulation quoting from Daniel chapter 12, where we have just read tonight.

And again, Jesus refers to himself, the son of man coming upon the clouds, a direct quote from Daniel chapter seven. In other words, when you read Jesus teaching on Bible prophecy, he constantly directs you to Daniel.

If you don't understand Daniel, how are you going to go to Matthew 24 and understand what Jesus teaches? Or Matthew proclaims of what Jesus teaches. Many Christians in our day, they jump to the book of Revelation and they get confused.

It's like a man jumping into a swamp. You then go and listen to different Bible teachers. And the more you listen, the more you become confused. Can I just exhort you? Spend some time in the book of Daniel.

Jesus told us to go back to Daniel, to study it, listen it, to refer to it. And that's what we have been doing here. I want you, before we ever teach fully on the book of Revelation, or teach all of the prophecies in the New Testament, I want Daniel to be in its place.

And you know what? I'd hate to teach you Revelation if we hadn't have taught Daniel like this. I don't know what I'm going to teach Revelation, but I am ready to, from a year ago, I was very ready to teach the book of Revelation.

I still don't think it's time, but I believe as a church, God is going to give us an hour and a time where he speaks very directly to us from the book of Revelation. Jesus refers to Daniel. And so we ought to study it.

When we look at the book of Daniel, I assure you it's a book about the Lord Jesus Christ. It's about the resurrection. It's about the coming of Jesus again, his second coming and the resurrection of the saints.

When we go to Daniel chapter two, the entire vision of kings and kingdoms, of great kings and great leaders, it finishes with a stone cut out of a mountain that comes and smites that image on the very feet and the entire thing disintegrates.

I want to show you Daniel reveals in Daniel chapter seven, the Lord Jesus Christ coming on the clouds of heaven. It's a remarkable book. He teaches about kings and kingdoms. He teaches about antichrist, but it's to bring you down to this last message of resurrection, of the coming of the Lord, of the end of all things, when you and I shall enter into our reward.

I've got six points for you from Daniel chapter 12 as we close here tonight, six clear points. And I'm not going to take the verses in order. You're going to see why I rearranged this, but I want to give you six clear points as we close this entire Bible study on Daniel.

The Time of the End and Michael's Intervention

My first point, the time of the end, the time of the end, chapter 12 and verse one. And it says, and at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince, which standeth for the children of thy people.

At that time, what time is he talking about? Remember the chapter 10, 11 and 12 is one entire prophecy given by the angel. When the angel begins speaking to Daniel, it carries on straight to the end of chapter 12.

When he speaks about that time in chapter 12 and verse one, what time, he's referring to the previous chapter. In the previous verses in chapter 11, verse 40, it says, and at the time of the end, you remember we dealt with last week concerning antichrist.

His rise as a political leader, a military leader and a religious leader. We see that that era is called the time of the end. And we're actually told about this time of the end of last days here in chapter 12 and verse one, that Michael at that time shall stand up.

In other words, during that period, I believe it's at the beginning of that period that Michael stands up. He begins to arise. He begins to move into action. You see, Michael is one of the great angels of the Lord, but hear this term, the time of the end.

The time of the end is used five times in the Old Testament and all five times are found in the book of Daniel. They're found in Daniel chapter eight, Daniel 11, and here in Daniel 12, when it begins to talk about the time of the end, it's talking about a very specific time.

Two of these times refer to the days of Antiochus Epiphanes who set up the abomination of desolation in the temple in his day and generation. And we dealt with that before. Two of the times are talking about a time when the prophecies would be fulfilled, when that would happen.

The other three times refer to the Antichrist and the era when he comes, that it is the time of the end. In other words, it's that era that all the Bible prophecy speaks about. We also read the term concerning the appointed time of the end in Daniel chapter eight, we read of it twice, of an appointed time that God has actually sent times.

So this is my first point, the time of the end. I want you to see this prophecy is concerning a very specific time when specific things are going to happen. Certain unique events are gonna happen. It was parallel in the time of the Maccabees when Antiochus arose.

But here again, we have this utterly unique period of time that all a Bible prophecy looks forward to. It's called the end. There is gonna be an end, saints. Kings and kingdoms are not gonna continue forever.

Nations, as they are under the rule of men, are not gonna continue forever. Sin and iniquity and unrighteousness prospering is not going to continue. There is an end to man's day. There is an end to the reign of man on the earth.

There is gonna be a putting down of kings and kingdoms of politics. Aren't you glad here tonight that God has talked about a time that is called the end? I'm longing for that. Oh, I desire for that time when the end has come.

It is the end of all things. The end of man having his way in this world of ours. The end of man having his way in Ireland, England, Germany, America, and out across the nations of the world. There is a specific, unique period of time.

And when we come to the time of the end, it's gonna get very, very dark. It's gonna be one of the worst eras in history. And yet, do you know what? It actually alerts the world. It's all over. It's not over for righteousness and holiness.

Oh no, it may seem like it. But I assure you, there is an end where God is gonna say, enough is enough. Michael the archangel stands up at that time. It is gonna be an utterly unique time. At that time, at the beginning of this last period of time, Michael the angel will stand up.

In other words, he's gonna move into action. Michael is mentioned three times in the book of Daniel. In chapter 10, he's mentioned twice. And then here in Daniel chapter 12. Do you know, I believe this prophecy, this first Daniel 12, verse one, fits in with Revelation chapter 12 that we preach three messages on.

When Michael and his angels war in heaven against Satan or the serpent and his fallen angels, and they get cast out of heaven onto the earth. I believe this verse, when Michael stands up, it means he is going into active war.

You know, in Revelation 12, immediately after the serpent, Satan is cast on the earth. When Michael triumphs with his angels, immediately the great tribulation starts. And we see there in Revelation 12, there's gonna be 1 ,260 days or three and a half years of tribulation of the serpent, the dragon, coming against the woman in the wilderness.

I believe this is where it fits in. Here in Daniel chapter 12 and one, Michael is going to stand up. You know what that means? He's standing up on behalf of Israel. It says there, the great prince would stand us for the children of thy people.

Michael is attached to the nation of Israel, the physical nation of Israel, the seed of Abraham. He fights for their behalf. You know what it means? He is going to be affecting, impacting, things that happen on the world during that last era.

All nations are gonna gather against Israel. The antichrist with all of his power, Satan, the wrath of hell, is gonna come against the small nation of Israel. But you know what God does? He gets Michael, the archangel, to stand up.

This is the hour of Michael going forth to fight. You know, in Daniel's day, there were times where Michael intervened on behalf of Israel to make sure the prophecies were fulfilled. One last time, Michael is gonna stand up again on behalf of Israel.

He's gonna stand up with all of his angels. And we are gonna see the climax of world history, the end of the era, since we are fast coming to the end. And the end of time is gonna be a very dramatic time of the fulfilling of Bible prophecy.

That's my first point, the time of the end. Daniel 12 talks about the time of the end. It's never happened, never been fulfilled as yet. And it is just ahead. Michael is gonna stand up to rescue, to deliver, to help, to save the little nation of Israel as all of the nations of the world come down to the Valley of Megiddo, and there the Lord is gonna meet them.

The Abomination of Desolation

Secondly, here in Daniel 12, we not only see the time of the end, we see the abomination of desolation. Look with me in verse 11. And from the time, again, it's talking about a certain period, and from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up.

This is my second point, the abomination of desolation. What is the abomination of desolation? Four times in Daniel, we've read about the abomination of desolation. We read about it in Daniel chapter eight, verse 11 through until verse 14.

We read again in Daniel chapter nine, verse 27. We read a third time in Daniel 11, verse 31. And here a fourth time, we read about it in Daniel chapter 12 and verse 11. Now, two of those times, when it talks about this abomination, it refers to Antiochus when he set up an abomination in the temple of Jerusalem.

He shed the blood of a pig and scattered it about the holy place. He set up a statue, an image with his face, with his image upon the actual statue. And he brought this in as the new worship, and that initiated the persecution in Israel in that hour.

Daniel chapter eight talks about this. And again, Daniel chapter 11, that we looked at last week or the last two weeks. But since there's two other references to this abomination, and they're not past, they are still future.

You remember Jesus in Matthew 24, he spoke about when you see the abomination of desolation. In other words, it's still future. The abomination of desolation, that exact term, the abomination of desolation, it's not used in Daniel eight.

It's not used in Daniel nine or in Daniel 11. It is the exact term of Daniel chapter 12. In other words, it's gonna be exactly at the end, just before the resurrection. You see the time of the end is just before resurrection.

Also the abomination of desolation is just before the resurrection. This is the last hour before resurrection. The abomination of desolation prophesied by Daniel is going to come just before the resurrection.

In other words, it's gonna be the last leading in, one of the darkest hours in world history, but yet unknown to the nations of the world. It's gonna usher in or notify those that know the Bible that the greatest hour is just ahead.

Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 24, 15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth let him understand. Jesus refers back to Daniel chapter 12 when he's teaching on the abomination of desolation.

He said, it's going to be a sign concerning the beginning of the end. We know about the beginning of sorrows or the birth pangs. And Jesus said, that isn't the end yet. But he says, when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel, then you know this is the end.

This is the end. This has come right down to the end. And he talks about that abomination of desolation. The word abomination is a despicable thing. It's talking about idolatry, something that's an image that's used in worship.

That's what an abomination is. It's used all through our New Testament. And Jesus was using that. And he said, this abomination, this image, this statue, this likeness, just like Antiochus put an image in the temple and ushered in a new worship and tried to annihilate the Jews.

So in the very last hour, the little horn is also going to set an abomination of desolation. Where is he going to set it? Well, Jesus said in Matthew 24, that it's going to stand in the holy place. That term holy place was only ever used of the temple in Jerusalem.

That is the holy of holies. That is the inner sanctuary of the temple in the city of Jerusalem. Now you and I know there's no temple there. Solomon's temple is come and gone. We know that Herod's temple is also come and gone.

It was destroyed in AD 70. And since then, there's been no temple in the city of Jerusalem. And yet Jesus refers back to Daniel. You see, Jesus took Bible prophecy literally. He didn't try to symbolize the abomination.

He believed it as it was written. And he said, when you see the abomination of desolation, a statue, an image, just like Antiochus did, the exact same thing happening again in the last day. He says, when you see it standing in the holy place.

In other words, the temple is going to be rebuilt again. I am fully persuaded of it. I don't even have a question or doubt. The temple in Jerusalem, the third temple is going to be built. Do you know the Jews are preparing now?

Do you know they're organizing the new priesthood? Do you know they're getting all the vessels for that holy place ready? Do you know they've got all the plans written out in Jerusalem? And only since President Trump come in, the Jews suddenly become very vocal.

Those religious Jews in Jerusalem began speaking openly for the first time. And since they were birthed as a nation again, they were speaking openly. We're going to build the temple. Do you know how close we are?

Do you realize everything is being set in place? There's got to be a temple there for the abomination of desolation to be set there by the little horn. Everything is being put in place. Over in Mark 13 and 14, again, Jesus speaking.

But when you shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, let him that readeth understand. Then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains.

Do you know for those Jews and believers in the city of Jerusalem and in the area of Judea, as soon as they see that, they've got to run for their life. Do you know why? There's going to be one of the darkest hours in history begins since Jesus himself gave this.

Why do you think this abomination of desolation is mentioned four times in Daniel? Why is it it takes center place here in Daniel 12 as we close, as we begin to approach the resurrection when all those that died in Christ in faith are going to rise from the grave?

Why is it that this is so, Mark? It's because it's the greatest sign of the last days. It means the end is here. This is the end. And for the Jewish nation, they are going to have to flee. Don't even go in to pack your bags.

Don't go up to your roof. You mothers that are swaddling children, you better pray that it's not in the winter time. He said also pray that it's not on the Sabbath day. This is the second thing we find in this chapter concerning the abomination of desolation.

Now, what do we find here in this chapter concerning the abomination of desolation? It says in verse 11, and from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, it's talking about an exact event.

When the abomination gets set up, the daily sacrifice is gonna stop. We know according to Daniel chapter nine, that that is gonna be when the little horn, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel.

For three and a half years, they are going to kill lambs. I believe they'll have their temple. I believe they'll have their religion back. I believe it's gonna be operating for three and a half years and Antichrist is gonna usher all of that in.

He is gonna be the hero in the midst of that. But halfway through the last week, he's gonna break the covenant with Israel. He is gonna stop the sacrifices and he is gonna set up the abomination of desolation in that holy place.

You see, the devil gives you things, but it's him that wants to bring something in. Anything the devil offers you, I assure you there's a price tag and all he's doing is preparing the way for himself.

The Great Tribulation and Israel's Deliverance

Anything the devil offers you in this world, there's gonna come hell on the back of it, be assured. Third of all, we have the great tribulation. Back to verse one again. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.

He's talking about the Jewish nation, the nation of Israel, the seed of Abraham. Michael is going to stand up in that very hour for the people of Israel. And there shall be a time, at that time when Michael stands up, there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.

You know, as well as me, how many wars Israel's had, how many times she's been led into captivity, the terrible atrocities that have been done against the Jewish people down over millennia. It is remarkable.

It is a terrible story. And yet here is the angel telling Daniel of a time at the end time when the abomination of desolation is set up in the temple. Look what he says. There is going to be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.

I assure you, anything Israel has faced in all of its history from its very beginning, not the days of Antiochus or Hitler or any other of these Herods, not Naaman or anyone else, there'll never be a day of trouble like this.

No other era in Israel's history will compare with this. This is going to be their greatest time of trouble. How does it begin? When the abomination of desolation is put where it ought not to be, in the holy place, in the temple in Jerusalem.

You see, Israel is a target of hell. Hell always targets Israel. And do you know what? Even before they had their nation in 1948, they were a target for hell. The nations turned on them. Don't let anyone say that the nations are against Israel because they have a bit of land.

That's triple land. When they were scattered across the nations, they were an instrument of ridicule, of slaughter, of terrible persecution. This can only be explained because the devil is behind it. They're a small people with a small land, and yet all nations will turn on them with vengeance.

There's coming a time of trouble the like of which they've never had. The Holocaust will not compare with this hour. When the abomination is set up, it's gonna initiate this time of trouble. Israel is a target because she is so caught up in Bible prophecies.

So many wars, but they won't compare with this. Jesus had this verse in Daniel chapter 12 in mind. Again, when he was teaching in Matthew 20, he says in verse 21, and then, when is then? When you see the abomination of desolation, standeth where it ought not to, in the holy place.

He then goes on in verse 21, for then at that time shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world. To this time, no, nor ever shall be. He is quoting from Daniel chapter 12.

Do you see how it's impossible for me not to refer to Matthew 24 when we look at this last chapter of Daniel? This is the third we're looking at, the third point we're looking at. The end of the time, we then see the abomination of desolation.

We're also seeing the great tribulation here spoken of. You see, Daniel is being told about the worst time in history for the nation of Israel. He is getting an insight into one of the worst eras that's ever gonna come, but it's just before the end.

It's right at the end times. That's when it actually begins. Over in Luke 21 and 20, the parallel verse. You see, Matthew and Mark talk about it quite clearly that when the abomination is set up, then there's gonna be the beginning of great tribulation.

But listen to what it says in Luke 21 and 20. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies. He doesn't mention the abomination of desolation there. Instead, he talks about Jerusalem being surrounded by armies.

Do you know when the abomination is set up in the temple in Jerusalem, Jerusalem is going to be surrounded by armies and it will continue to be surrounded by armies for three and a half years. They're gonna be besieged for three and a half years.

It'll begin with the abomination of desolation. That will start the great tribulation and it will continue through until the Lord Jesus Christ comes from heaven. It says, when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

Then let them, which are in Judea, flee to the mountains. When you see Jerusalem compassed, you better run for the hills. When you see the abomination of desolation, stand in the holy place. There are indicators Jesus gives to the Jewish nation a warning.

Why does he mention Judea? We know the tribulation will spread across the world, but why does he mention Judea? Because that's where it's gonna begin. That's where the sign is gonna be. That's where it's gonna begin to be unleashed on those that do not bow the knee.

The word tribulation means pressure, anguish, or trouble. In Mark 13, it talks of a time of great affliction. In Luke 21, a time of great distress when Jerusalem is going to be trodden down. This is the great tribulation.

In other words, the biggest or the greatest yet, and it's gonna be initiated with this abomination of desolation. There is gonna be great tribulation, great distress, and it'll continue for three and a half years.

It's gonna lead to the desolation of Jerusalem. It's gonna be laid waste. It's gonna be ruined. We must look back to Daniel to read the full prophecy of what is gonna happen. You'll never understand these things without reading Daniel, but also notice in chapter 12, at the end of verse one, it says, and at that time, thy people shall be delivered.