The Tribulation and Beyond – Daniel 12

Daniel 12 brings Daniel’s final vision to a conclusion. Its primary emphasis is on the coming Great Tribulation, the final 3 ½ years of Daniels 70th week (7-year period). The first 3 ½ years are the birth pangs (“beginning of sorrows” Matt. 24:8) and the final 3 ½ years are the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21). Like a woman in child birth, the final 7-year period grows in intensity and severity as it progresses.

Remember: Daniel 10-12 form one unit and are the fourth and final vision Daniel receives from the Lord. Note the word ‘Also’ in 11:1 and the word ‘And’ in 12:1.

We will study these end time events under four divisions

The Tribulation of the End Times (Vs. 1)

The Angel in the Tribulation (Vs. 1a)

1. Michael is a special angel in Scripture, the only one given the title archangel (Jude 1:9). He has a special relationship to the nation of Israel.
2. In the tribulation period, Michael will play a role in protecting the Jewish remnant (See Rev. 12:7-17)

The Adversity of the Tribulation (Vs. 1b)

1. It is described as “a time of trouble” that will be unparalleled in history. Pick the worst atrocity or disaster you can think of, the Great Tribulation will be much worse.
2. Jeremiah 30:7 describes it as “the time of Jacob’s trouble”. Christ described it as the “great tribulation” in Matt. 24:21.

The Aim of the Tribulation (Vs. 1c)

1. God’s dealing with the nation of Israel is the primary focus during the tribulation. It is described as the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7) Remember, the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 are “determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city”
2. Revelation 3:10 also reveals that the tribulation period is to “try them that dwell upon the earth.”
3. This verse predicts a saved Jewish remnant that will be ‘delivered’ out of this terrible time.

The Resurrection of the End Times (Vs. 2-3)

The Resurrection to Everlasting Life (Vs. 2a, 3)

1. ‘sleep’ = reference to physical death and speaks of the body, not the soul
2. There are two resurrections in this verse. They are described by our Lord Jesus in John 5:29 as “the resurrection of life” and the “resurrection of damnation”.
3. Revelation 20:4-5 describes the resurrection of life as “the first resurrection.” The second resurrection is described in Rev. 20:11- 15.
4. The first resurrection is in two main stages
   1. The resurrection of Church-age saints at the Rapture (1. Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16-18)
   2. The resurrection of Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints at Christ’s return (second coming) (Rev. 20:4-5)
5. The glory of the resurrected saints is described (Vs. 3)
   1. The saints are described as ‘wise’. The wisest thing a person can do is heed the message of salvation as found in God’s Word. The most foolish thing a person can do is reject God’s offer of salvation.
   2. The saint’s in their glorified state are described as the shining of the firmament and the stars.
   3. In particular, those “that turn many to righteousness” are mentioned. In the tribulation period this would include the 144,000 faithful, Jewish witnesses who win many souls to Christ. What a challenge for us in the area of soul-winning. How bright will you shine in that day? Will you receive the soul- winners crown? Those who shine brightly for the Gospel in this life will shine brightly with heavenly light in the next (See Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:15). There is no greater privilege on earth than helping a lost sinner find the Saviour.

The Resurrection to Shame and Everlasting Contempt (Vs. 2b)

1. This is the resurrection of unbelievers described in Rev. 20:11-15 where they are judged at the great white throne judgment
2. The unsaved will experience great ‘shame’ at the judgment. Shame for their sins and shame for their having rejected the offer of salvation.
3. The unsaved will be cast into everlasting torments described here as “everlasting contempt”. Webster (1828) defines contempt in this context as, “The state of being despised; whence in a Scriptural sense, shame, disgrace.”
4. Challenge: Which resurrection will you be a part of?

The Prediction about the End Times (Vs. 4)

The Seal upon the Book till the End (Vs. 4a)

1. Daniel is commanded to “shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end”. This verse along with Vs. 9 indicated that the prophetic message of Daniel would largely remain a mystery until the time of the end.
2. David Cloud writes, “In the 19th century, there was a great movement of literal interpretation of prophecy that spread widely among Brethren, Baptists, fundamentalist and evangelicals. It was promoted by the Scofield Bible, the Bible School movement, large prophecy conferences, and great numbers of books and magazines.”
3. The nearer we get to the end times, the clearer the prophecies of the end time become to us.

The Signs of the End (Vs. 4b)

1. 1. Many shall run to and fro – transportation did not change much during the first 6,000 years of man’s history on earth. Men walked, rode beasts or traveled on sailing ships. But since the 19th century there has been an explosion of transportation technology that has allowed man to have the ability to “run to and fro” (Cloud).
   2. Knowledge shall be increased
      1. “Up until the 1900s it was said that the accumulation of knowledge doubled every century. At the end of World War 2 every 25 years. Now information is doubling every 11 hours” (“Knowledge Doubling Curve and You,” MartinGover.com, Oct. 6, 2009)
      2. David Cloud writes,
         Those who were born near the turn of the 20th century, such as my parents, witnessed an explosion of knowledge such as the world has never seen. In one lifetime the world moved from the horse and buggy age to the space age. When my mom was born in rural central Florida, they had no electricity or indoor plumbing. The airplane had only recently been invented and even telephone was still relatively new. Those who had telephones were on “partly lines” and could hear other people’s conversations, but in her lifetime, the ultra-modern Kennedy Space Center was built not far from where she was born as a prominent symbol of the rocket age. The increase of knowledge has brought us into the computer age. The first general purpose computer, UNIVAC, was built in 1951. It weighed 29,000 pounds, took up 350 feet of floor space and stood 8.5 feet high. In the 1960s the integrated circuit was invented, and today’s tiny laptops are millions of times more powerful than the UNIVAC. The increase of knowledge has allowed man to walk on the moon and to send robot craft on the 154- million-mile journey to explore the surface of Mars. The increase of knowledge has allowed scientists to discover the fundamental elements of the universe and map the DNA of the living cell. The increase of knowledge has brought us into the global communications age, with its satellites, Internet and smart phones. In 2012, there were nearly six billion connected mobile devices and two billion people on the internet (“No Borders Mean Flatter World,” BBC News, June 29, 2012).
      3. A report by a US market research company suggests that there are now more mobile devices on the planet than people – 8.6 billion devices vs. 7.3 billion people (https://www.connected- uk.com/more-mobile-devices-in-the-world-than-people-how- many-do-you-have/)

The Duration of the End Times (Vs. 5-13)

The Angel’s Question concerning the timing (Vs. 5-7)

1. The place described (Vs. 5)
   1. Two angelic beings stand on either side of the river (Tigris)
   2. A Heavenly Messenger stands upon the river
2. The Person asked (Vs. 6)
   1. Described as “the man clothed in linen” (Vs. 6 & 7)
   2. This identifies the Messenger as the One described in Daniel 10:4-6. This is clearly the preincarnate Christ (the Christophany). Daniel uses the title ‘Lord’ to address Him in Vs. 8.
   3. Note: These verses reveal that angels have an interest in God’s prophetic program (See 1. Peter 1:12). It also reveals that though angels are glorious and intelligent beings, their knowledge is still limited. They are not Omniscient and still need to learn from their Creator, God Almighty.
3. The point explained (Vs. 7a)
   1. Both hands are raised by the shining one (Jesus) as the solemn oath is given concerning when would be “the end of these wonders” (Vs. 6). “The hands raised is a double swearing as to the certainty of these prophecies.” (Sargent)
   2. The time frame would be “a time, times, and a half”. We know this is 3 ½ years (Refer Dan. 4:25), or 1260 days (Rev. 12:6, 13:5-7). This is based on a 30-day lunar month (42 months x 30 days = 1260 days).
4. The purpose identified (Vs. 7b)
   1. “to scatter the power of the holy people” = God’s chastisement of Israel during this time again highlighted
      1. This terrible time will be ‘finished’ once God’s purposes have been completed for the Jewish nation.

Daniel’s Question concerning the timing (Vs. 8-13)

The Lord’s answer to Daniel involved:

1. An instruction (Vs. 9) Daniel is reminded that the meaning of words would remain a mystery to him.
2. An explanation (Vs. 10-12)
   1. The righteous and wicked of the tribulation are described (Vs. 10)
   2. The time frame reiterated and enlarged upon (Vs. 11-12) The Lord specifies the time frame from the abomination of desolation to the end of the second half of the tribulation.
      1. The 1,290 days (Vs. 11)
      2. The 1, 335 days (Vs. 12)
      3. M.A. Butler: “The 75 days after Christ returns provides time for the judgment of the living nations (sheep and goats – Matt. 25:32), the resurrection of Tribulation martyrs to everlasting life (Rev. 20:4), and the banishment of Antichrist and his followers “to shame and everlasting contempt” (Rev. 19:20-21)
3. A conclusion (Vs. 13) The Book of Daniel ends here but the story of Daniel isn’t finished yet! He will be standing in his lot (portion, inheritance) at the end of days.

Conclusion

In summary, there are some challenges we can take to heart from our series in the Book of Daniel

1. Be challenged by Daniel’s godly life. Like Daniel we need to have…
   1. Courage to stand for truth and right
   2. Commitment to prayer irrespective of the cost
   3. Consistency in godly living. We first meet Daniel as a young man in chapter 1, purposing in his heart not to be defiled. Now as an old man, he hasn’t changed his convictions. He stands unwavering for the Lord.
2. Be encouraged in Daniel’s God
   1. God is on the throne in relation to your life. Daniel’s life a testimony of this truth.
   2. God is on the throne in relation to the course of this age and beyond. The future is in His hands.
   3. Dan. 4:17 “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”

Sermon 23 of 23 in Daniel Series

Sermon Audio Id: 10201966108164