Daniel 10 & 12 - Star Wars

As I may mention, in terms of the book of Daniel, today we're going to be going through chapter 10 and chapter 12. The reason again being the material is very similar in both chapters. If you like to put a title on a message, the title for this one would be Star Wars. Star Wars. We are going to see a glimpse into the angelic realm and the warfare that takes place. As we go through that, I certainly want you to be thinking about the fact that this same sort of thing may be taking place around your life. When you find yourself battling something or battling individuals or battling situations and it just seems bleak, there seems to be another mind behind what's happening. Maybe they're at work or in some issue in your life. We realize as we go through this section of Scripture that there is a spirit world. That spirit world does want to thwart what God would be doing in our lives. I thought going through those two chapters would be a good thing for us to do. In terms of background, Daniel 10, 11, and 12 are all set in the third year of King Cyrus. The date would be 536 B.C. This would be two years after the decree of the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. That's going to be an important point as we proceed through the material today. Also, the month, we believe, is the month of Nisan. I think you can appreciate what happens in the month of Nisan in terms of God's Holy Day calendar. Let's turn over to Daniel 10 and begin our discussion.

In the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia, here we're looking at that third year of him ruling over the area. A message was revealed to Daniel whose name was called Belteshazzar. Point of interest. Here the Persians are still using the Babylonian name for Daniel. The message was true, but the appointed time was long. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision. Now, this phrase here, the appointed time was long, can also be translated and is translated in the new international version. And of great conflict. It was a time of great conflict. Its message, the NIV says, its message was true and it concerned a great war.

Hence my title, Star Wars. And of course you understand what stars are. They're not just celestial bodies. They're also a reference to angels. And in this case we're going to see both holy righteous angels, or angels, and very unrighteous angels being spoken of here. The expositors Bible commentary states this regarding verse 1 of Daniel chapter 10. So we're not given any hint as to what symbols may have appeared in the vision, whether it be statues, beasts, trees, or whatever. We are simply told that we're related to a great war. Its message however, clearly portended times of testing and crisis for the people of God. It's clearly portended times of testing and crisis for the people of God. And we're going to see where that's true not only in what Daniel was saying. It's a vision for our day today, where we will be experiencing this Star Wars feature of Bible prophecy. Where we as the people of God, and not only spiritual people of God, but the physical people of God will also be experiencing a time of great tribulation. Verse 2, In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, nor meat or wine came into my mouth. Nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Now on the 24th day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is the Tigris, we'll pause there for a moment, something for us to understand and consider. It says that Daniel entered three weeks of mourning in this first month of Nisan. We're looking at a period that would encompass the Passover and the days of unleavened bread. Daniel was contemplating Israel's captivity in Egypt. He was also contemplating the Jews' captivity in Babylon and Persia. And again, going back to expositors, which is one of the better commentaries you can have, expositor says this, Daniel was so deeply impressed by this revelation that he resorted to three weeks of mourning, a word often used in connection with lamenting and a death of a loved one. So we see here in Daniel's mind, this is a very sobering thing that he's looking at. He's given himself over to what some call a semi-fast. It doesn't say he didn't drink water, but obviously foodstuffs, he was not eating wine, he was not eating and so forth. Maybe, maybe he was drinking water. We don't know. The Bible doesn't give us all that detail there. But he was giving himself over for three weeks to beseeching God, crying out to God, his consuming desire was to intercede for the people of God. So here we see, you know, one of the three most righteous men who ever lived and what he's trying to accomplish on behalf of the people of God. Now, it may well be, and it may be conceivable, that Daniel had heard, again, the people have been allowed, some of the Jews have been allowed to go back to the Holy Land. He may have heard of the halting on the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to make sure that those people who had gone back were going to be successful. He wanted to make sure by calling upon God and asking God for his intervention, for his help. So let's move on now with the book of Daniel, chapter 10, verse 5.

Whose waist was grated with gold, the gold of Eufaz. That's considered a very fine, a very, you know, a very pure form of gold. His body was like burl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words were like the voice of a multitude. Now, who is this, quote-unquote, man? Well, you and I look at those two verses and, you know, our default would be, this has to be the one you and I would call Jesus Christ. There's an argument to be made for that. The United Church of God Bible Commentary, the online Bible Commentary, believes that this is an angelic being, most probably Gabriel. Now, are angels ever described like this? Put a marker here, and let's go over to the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 10.

Revelation chapter 10.

Revelation chapter 10 and verse 1. I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. Now, explicitly, this is talking about an angel. Now, we go back to, or let me just add other things here. In your notes, I'm not going to turn to these, but in your notes, you might want to jot down Judges chapter 13 and verse 6.

Judges 13 verse 6. Here we see Samson's mother reporting on an angel, and she said the angel was very awesome in appearance.

In Luke chapter 24 and verse 4, the angels at Christ's tomb were dressed in clothes that were shining. One translation says that they were gleaming like lightning.

So, yes. And as we go through the book, in the context of Daniel chapter 10, I think you're going to see where it's obvious that the being we're seeing in verse 5 and 6 is an angel. And angels can appear as we see in verses 5 and 6. Verse 7, Daniel chapter 10 verse 7. And I, Daniel, alone, saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great terror fell upon them, so they all fled to hide themselves. So God was allowing him to see something that his companions weren't seeing. And again, for your notes, you might want to jot down 2 Kings chapter 6. In 2 Kings chapter 6, this is the account of where Elisha, where the king had sent an army against Elisha.

Elisha's servant woke up, saw all this army surrounding the camp, asked Elisha to come see. And of course, it was at that point where Elisha asked God to let his assistant see the angels that were there to protect them. And of course, that is the famous section where it talks about the horses and chariots of fire all around. So again, we can see where the angels can have a very awesome, gleaming appearance. And of course, we also can put in our notes, if you'd like, Acts chapter 9. This is where God knocked Saul of Tarsus down. Those around him, they saw light, they saw some things, but they weren't seeing everything that Saul or the one we call Paul came to see. So much the same kind of thing happening here in Daniel chapter 10 verse 7. Verse 8, Now, remember, here's a man that is at least on a semi-fast, if not a full-fast. He may have been going without water as well. The Bible doesn't say that, but perhaps. So physically, he's weak. And then he has the experience of seeing what he's seeing here. That also helped to weaken him as he was, you know, under a great deal of stress. You know, what's going on. Remember, this is a man also in his eighties. He's well into his eighties.

Verse 9, Yet I heard the sound of his words, and while I heard the sound of the words, I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Suddenly a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright. For I have now been sent to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. So here's a man, Daniel, emotionally overwhelmed. Again, physically weakened because of the fast, but spiritually strengthened because of the fast. But we notice something else.

When he was weak, God reached out and touched him. I believe, the Bible reading program believes, through this angel. You think, well, wait a minute. Can an angel touch and heal? Well, no, God does the healing. Just like those three of us in the room who are elders, you come to be anointed.

We touch you. But it's God who heals you. We're just an interface between God and you. We are those that God uses to do the anointing process. There have been plenty of people in my life, I'm sure, in our two elders' lives, where they've come into the anointing area. We have touched people. People have been healed. That's happened on any number of occasions in my life, and I'm sure in our two elders as well.

Now, in balance, there have been a number of times where I've anointed people and they've not been healed. Much like the Apostle Paul, you know, when he asked God three times to heal him, God didn't heal him. It wasn't a matter that there wasn't faith present. God had other things in mind. God wanted the person who, in Paul's case, who had his issue, to live with what he was going through.

Herbert Armstrong, a man of tremendous faith. You read his autobiography, and you see chapter by chapter and page by page, the tremendous faith that man had. And yet, at the end of his life, faithful as he was, I'm sure anointed him, many times he probably was, all the prayers he sent up, he was still, at the end, almost blind, almost deaf.

Because God had something else in mind for him. And God had something else in mind as we watched God work through that map. So it's not a stretch here to think that an angel touches, but God is doing the healing here. God is reaching out to this man, Daniel, here. And as we stand for God, God stands for us. We heard that today in this sermonette message, didn't we?

The remarkable greeting that we see here in verse 11 of Daniel reassured Daniel of God's personal love for him. And why was it that God loved this man so? Again, harkening back to our sermonette today. Mr. Ephemov's sermonette. Daniel was a man who gave himself over to following God, to listening to the words of God, as he saw in the Scripture, and doing the things of God.

Praying, having a relationship. I thought it was a very important thing that was said in the sermonette. You don't have faith in a person or a being, you don't have a relationship with. Very important point in today's sermonette. Daniel had this tremendous relationship with the great God, a man of tremendous and devout prayer, and God is reaching out to him. Verse 12. Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand.

I don't know how many times in this church I've gone through this, I know when I was in Ann Arbor, in Detroit, any number of times, because this has always been a very inspiring Scripture to me, that from the first day, and God knows fool's gold, God knows when we really need it, but when we really mean it, from the first day we truly give ourselves over to the great God. Yes, we're weak people. Yes, we're just so much clay. Yes, we have need of a Savior. We have need of forgiveness. But God also sees the heart.

He sees the intent. And from the first day that Daniel, a physical human being who had his share of faults and weaknesses, from the first day he set his heart to understand and to humble himself to be teachable, to be more like what John the Baptist was saying, John 3, verse 30, I think it is, talking about Christ. He must increase, I must decrease. To me, that's always been a tremendous motto.

You know, I would like to think, would like to think, if they were to carve something on my tombstone, which would be impossible because I don't want to be buried, I want to be cremated, maybe on my urn, to put, He must increase, I must decrease. Very simple phrase, but doesn't that get to the essence of what we need to be as Christians? Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God.

Your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. I have come because of your words. But the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days. Now, this is part of the context as to why I believe verses 5 and 6 is talking about an angel. Jesus Christ would have blown through any demons that were standing in His way. So here we have Star Wars. Here, I believe, what we have is Gabriel being set upon by this Prince of the Kingdom of Persia.

Most probably, not a positive, not a human being, a demonic being that Satan was allowing to rule over the Kingdom of Persia. Satan is the God of this world. Tremendously powerful. Broadcast goes all around the world. But brethren, we must not think of Satan as being omnipresent. Satan is not, he may be the God of this world, but he's not God, our Father God.

And so Satan has to divide his realm up into various parcels. He's got an individual, apparently, here who is over the Kingdom of Persia. And isn't it interesting, here in verse 13, that we see that this Prince, this demon, is withstanding the individual I believe is Gabriel. We believe is Gabriel. 21 days. 21 days. Go back to verse 2. In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. Three full weeks.

Is that a coincidence? One of the great beloved men of God was fasting and praying for 21 days. And these demons are wanting to get at him for 21 days. Is that just a coincidence? Is that just a coincidence? Question. What if Daniel would have stopped praying after 17 days or 18 days? Question for us. Are you going through something and you feel that maybe you've prayed long enough about it? Maybe it's more than 21 days. Maybe it's 21 months.

Maybe it's been a number of years. We see here, we appreciate that there's a lot of Christian living in the book of Daniel. We take a look at this verse and we see that the idea here is to be persistent in our prayers. To be faithful and persistent. We have a relationship with God the Father. We have a relationship with Jesus Christ. And because we have that relationship again, as we heard in the sermon, we have faith in our Father and our elder brother.

Verse 13, But the prince of the kingdom of Persia wasstood me twenty-one days, and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. For I have been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Couple of items. Michael, as made mention of. Turn over just briefly to chapter 12. We'll get to this in a couple of minutes.

Daniel 12 and verse 1. At that time, Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never seen since there was a nation, even to that time. It appears from what we understand that Michael, a tremendous angelic being, an archangel, was a fighter for the people of God. He was a warrior. Yes, Gabriel was one who brought messages. Michael was one who was a warrior on God's behalf.

So let's put a marker here. Well, let me finish the thought here in verse 13. Michael came to help, for I have been left... this is another angelic being, perhaps Gabriel, within Gabriel. For I have been left alone there with the kings of Persia. So it looks like there's one angelic being who's in charge of the whole land, Persia. But even Persia was broken down into different geographical portions, and there was a demon over each of those portions.

You know, brethren, our American Indians would often talk about how they would not go this place or that place, because evil spirits lived there. I don't discount that. I don't discount that. That evil spirits can live in a certain place. I have been to a home where I felt I had to cast demons out of the house itself.

The person who had asked me to come over was having issues with the spirit world. They asked me to do that, and I said, I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if that's something we do. So I called the home office and said, is this something we do? Now, to my experience, to do this. I've never heard of it before. And they said, oh yeah, those who are above me in the ministry. We've done that. So I went over. I asked the woman, where do you have these feelings? Well, right here where I study my Bible. Right here at the crib of my baby. Over here, over here. And I went to each of those locations, got down on my hands and knees, put my hands there, asked that the demon would not bother this woman. And to my knowledge, she has never been bothered since. So yes, there are all these spirit beings out there. We want to be very careful to understand what they do. Put a marker here. Let's go over to Ephesians 6.

You know the Scripture I'm about to quote to you very well. Ephesians 6. And in verse 12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. This is exactly what Daniel was going through. Exactly what he was going through. Go to 1 Thessalonians 2.

1 Thessalonians 2. In verse 18. Paul writing, Therefore we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us. Satan hindered us. Satan was wanting to hinder Daniel. Gabriel came to the rescue, and then Michael came to the rescue. So while it's certainly true that God can take care of all these demons with no problem at all, God also, I think, is working with the righteous angels to allow them to learn and experience things. We see in Job chapter 1 and in chapter 2 where Satan is on a leash. In Job's life, he wasn't allowed to do just whatever he wanted to do. Satan had to get permission from God to do whatever it was he was going to do. God had to give him that permission. Same thing is true today. The demons just can't do whatever they want to do. One other thing we want to take a look at is over here in Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18 and verse 1.

Then he spoke a parable to them. This is Luke chapter 18 verse 1. Then he spoke a parable to them that men ought always to pray and not lose heart. Daniel was praying and fasting for those 21 days. He may not have known there was this tremendous Star Wars that was going on all around him. Maybe he did know. Maybe he was wondering, well, are my prayers really hitting their target? There was some resistance there, and that had to be broken up. So, a lesson for us. Let's allow, let's fulfill what it says here in Luke chapter 18 and verse 1. That men ought always to pray and not lose heart. Go back now to Daniel chapter 10.

Daniel chapter 10 and verse 14. Now, I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision refers to many days yet to come. So, here we've got a date stamp. It's a date for the time of the end. Verse 15. When you have spoken such words, may I turn my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him, who stood before me, my Lord, because of the vision of my sorrows have overwhelmed me and I have retained no strength. Verse 17. For how can this servant of my Lord talk with you, my Lord? Ask for me, no strength remains in me, nor is any breath left in me. Again, Daniel here is being overloaded with all that's happening. Then again, one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, O man, greatly beloved, fear not, peace be to you, be strong. Yes, be strong.

So when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened, and he said, Let my Lord speak for you, have strengthened me. Then he said, Do you know why I have come to you? Now I must return to fight with the Prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, indeed the Prince of Greece will come. Again, verse 20 is talking about these angelic beings. I'd like to quote a section from our United Church of God online commentary. And I quote, Perhaps the demonic forces behind Persia were dominant at this time, and those behind Greece would gain dominance later, all within God's ultimate allowance to fulfill prophecy. End quote. End quote. Quoting from Expositor's Bible commentary, regarding this section of Scripture, this is actually in Expositor's chapter 11, verse 1. And I quote from Expositor's.

Remember, two years earlier, some of the Jews are going back to the Holy Land. Satan didn't want that. He knows what that portends. He wants to wipe out the nation of Israel, the nation of Judah, altogether. The occasion for the spiritual warfare at the time of the Persian dominance was the restoration of the believing remnant of Israel to the Holy Land. And their survival as a commonwealth of the faithful, living in obedience to the Holy Scripture. Knowing that such a development could lead to the ultimate appearance of the Son of God as the Messiah for God's redeemed, Satan and all his hosts were determined to thwart the renewal of Israel and the deliverance of our people from destruction.

So even people of the world see that there's something more in play here going on with Expositor's. As the supreme effort to exterminate them altogether was to take place some 55 years later in the reign of Xerxes as a reiress when Haman secured his consent to obliterate the entire Jewish race.

The second effort of Satan was to take place under the Greek rule of Antiochus Epiphanes, who sought to obliterate the Jewish faith by forbidding his practice on pain of death. And there we're talking about one of the abominations of desolation. Okay, let's go back now to Daniel chapter 10, verse 21. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of truth. No one upholds me against these except Michael your prince. The Scripture of truth. Obviously we could be talking about God's Word, the Bible there. But could we be talking about something else there? And again, quoting from the online UCG Bible commentary, it says, So interesting thought. Okay, let's now move on to chapter 12 of the book of Daniel. Again, the background is the same as chapter 10 there. We're looking at 536 B.C. And we're going to be taking a look at a period of time the Bible calls the Great Tribulation, chapter 12, verse 1. At that time, Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. There shall be a time of trouble, time of trouble, Jacob's trouble. Such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. What time? The end time. At that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.

Now, put a marker here. Let's go over to Jeremiah chapter 30.

Jeremiah chapter 30, verse 7.

Elast for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. It is the time of Jacob's trouble. Now, it's referring to Israel as a nation. And all of the nations that comprise Israel, and not just the Israel of the Middle East, our nation today. But it's also referring to God's people spiritually, the church of God. We're talking about a national captivity that will be coming during the Great Tribulation. We're also talking about a persecution of saints. Matthew chapter 24. Let's turn there. Matthew 24. Matthew 24 and verse 21. For then there shall be great tribulation, such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. So there can't be a number of these things taking place. There is only one great tribulation. And this is what we're taking a look at right here. Revelation chapter 12.

Revelation chapter 12.

And verse 14.

As you know from Mr. Armstrong's writings, he was talking about chapter 12 of Revelation being a inset chapter, talking about the history of God's true church. And it's shown here as a woman. Revelation chapter 12 verse 14.

Now that same language was used about ancient Israel, about them leaving Egypt. So it doesn't necessarily mean that we are going to board airplanes and fly someplace to a place of safety. Could mean that, but doesn't have to because the exact same terminology was used when there were no airplanes. And the exception of Scripture is one that can be used about there possibly being a place of safety. Now, we don't believe there's enough dogmatic Scripture to be dogmatic about that subject. There's a possibility. There's a possibility of a place of safety. I'm open-minded on the subject. But I think this is one of those things that we're going to see in the rearview mirror. And there's any number of ways God can protect His people. We saw that with the Passover. Any number of ways God can do this. So some of these things we just have to wait and see how God's going to work them out. But anyhow, the woman was given an opportunity to leave, to flee, where she is nourished for a time and a half a time from the presence of the serpent. So there is a group of people at the end of the age who will be protected by the great God. And it's talking about here a time. A time is a biblical year. Times is two biblical years, and a half a time is a half year. So we're looking at a three and a half year period. A three and a half year period. Now that period can be discussed a number of times. We're going to take a look at a couple of moments about a 42-month period. If you take 42 months times a 30-day month, 42 times 30 equals 1260. And so we're going to see a number of 1260s here. Let's go over to chapter 12 of Revelation.

Revelation chapter 11. Revelation chapter 11, verse 2. Believe out of the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city under foot for 42 months. Again, 42 times 30 is 1260. We're going to see this number 1260. Here we see the times of the Gentiles, led by the end-time beast, treading the holy city under foot. Verse 3. And I'll give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophecy 1260 days. Same period of time. 1260 days. Literal days. Three and a half years on God's calendar. Chapter 13 of Revelation, verse 5.

And he was given a mouth-speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue 42 months. Again, the same period of time. The beast power. The power of the kingdom of God. Dominating world politics here. Religion, economics, for three and a half years. The time we call the time of the Gentiles. Last three and a half years before Christ returns. Now, that very last day... Let's go to Malachi chapter 4.

These all intertwine.

Malachi chapter 4.

We see another period of time spoken of here, Malachi 4 and verse 5. Behold, I'll send you, Elijah the prophet, before the coming and a great and dreadful day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is God's wrath upon mankind. It is that last year before the return of Jesus Christ. So as we understand prophecy, three and a half years before Christ returns, Satan starts the great tribulation. At the same time that's going on, the last year of that three and a half year period is also the day of the Lord. Let's look at Isaiah chapter 34.

Isaiah chapter 34 and verse 8.

Isaiah 34 and verse 8. For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance... Notice, the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion. And prophecy, a day represents one year. Of course, we've gone through this in the past. Numbers chapter 14 and Ezekiel chapter 4, a day-per-year principle. So, now let's go back to the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter 12.

We've already read verse 1, talking about a time of tremendous trouble in the world. We've gone through the scriptures. We've documented those. Daniel chapter 12 verse 2.

So, again, more of a date stamp. We see here the time of the resurrections being spoken of.

Now, it's important to note here, brethren, in verses 2 and 3, that this is not saying that these resurrections happen at the same time. We know that's not the case. We've got the first resurrection when Jesus Christ returns. After the millennium, a thousand years later, we've got the general resurrection, the second resurrection. It doesn't say here that those are all at the same time. It's just giving a general frame of time that there's going to be resurrections taking place. Verse 4.

Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. Of course, that's certainly true for today, isn't it? Then I, Daniel, looked, and there were two others. One on this riverbank and the other on the other riverbank. And the one said to the man, Cloth and Linen, who was above the waters of the river, how long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? So here we've got two other angels. They're concerned. They're wondering what in the world is going on. How can we understand all of this? Verse 7. Then I heard the man Cloth and Linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, 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 become completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

So there's coming a time, brethren, when our power is, as it says here in the New King James, completely shattered. There's coming a time of persecution. We saw that in Revelation 6, a time of martyrdom of saints. If we have a place of safety, not everybody goes there. Not everybody will be protected in their home. That's the way God wants it. Whatever way God wants to do it, there'll be some people who will be persecuted.

Maybe all of us will be persecuted, but some people are going to be martyred and give their lives. And it happens during this period of time, these last three and a half years, what we call the Great Tribulation. Now, duality, also being a part of things here, there was a period in human history, 1,260 years, when the Catholic Church had dominion over Europe.

We know that as a matter of history. So let's move forward now and complete this chapter, verse 8, Daniel 12-8. Although I heard, I did not understand, and 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 until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made wise, and refined, that the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

There, in your notes, you might want to jot down Amos chapter 3 and verse 7. Amos 3 verse 7. God will let his people know what they need to know when the time is right for them to know it. And basically what Amos chapter 3 verse 7 is saying. Verse 11, And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, now for it to be taken away, it's got to be reinstituted, correct?

From the time that the daily sacrifice, at the end of the age, from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, that should be 1,290 days. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1,335 days. So here are a couple of numbers we've not seen in the past. 1,290 and 1,335.

But you go your way till the end, for you shall rest, and will rise to your inheritance at the end of the days. Verse 13 is important for us to understand something. It's important for us to understand that all these time periods come to a conclusion at one point.

Now, the point they come to a conclusion is the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints. So the 1,335, the 1,290, the 1,260, all that stops, comes to an end at the return of Jesus Christ. Now, what do those numbers signify? Here, we will speculate. I want to make sure that clearly we will give a possible scenario because the Bible doesn't tell us what those numbers explicitly mean. So I want to make sure that's clear. I want to quote again from our UCG online Bible commentary. 1,335. I'm quoting, A possible scenario is that the breaking of the power of the saints, the cutting off of their public preaching will come 1,335 days before Christ's return.

Our word comes to an end. 1,335 days before the return of Jesus Christ. Continuing to quote from our UCG online Bible commentary in the book of Daniel. 1,290 marker. 45 days after that point, at the 1,290-day marker before Christ returns, the abomination of desolation will be set up. Now, you know there's already been two of those. Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 B.C. and the Roman general Titus in 70 A.D. In both cases, sacrifices were stopped. In both cases, people were brutalized, persecuted, martyred. In both cases, an idol was set up in the temple, on the temple altar. So we think that this third abomination of desolation will be along similar lines.

Sacrifices coming to an end. Martyrdom of the saints. Persecution of the saints. And we know from 2 Thessalonians 2.4, somebody's going to be sitting there in a holy place saying, He's God, which is obviously an abomination. So at the 1,290 marker, again, we're speculating that that abomination of desolation will be set up. 30 days later, again, quoting the UCG's commentary at the 1,260 marker, the great tribulation will begin. We'll continue for 1,260 days. At the end of all of that, Jesus Christ returns. You are resurrected. You are glorified. And we have a whole different world that we will help Jesus Christ usher in.

So that is Star Wars, Daniel chapter 10, chapter 12. Next time I go through the book of Daniel here, we'll go through chapter 11. An awful lot there. I'm not going to try to go through each verse, but we'll hit the meat of it. And then, as I said, I'd like to get your input about where we go from there in terms of another book to be studying.