Daniel - Go to Sleep

The title of the sermon is Daniel Go to Sleep. As you remember, this is the third part, final part of chapter 12 as we dive into Daniel in chapter 12. Let's take a little recap here. As we bring us up to date, for those who haven't been here, for those who are online that missed one of the other previous sermons, please go online. David does a great job of having him out and up on the Internet by the time I usually get home on Saturday night. Right? Zip right up there. Let's go! I'll read from the New King James Version. Daniel 12. Verse 1, at that time, Michael. What Michael was at? Jude 1, verse 9. Say, Michael. Michael's been around a little while, and he's very active and still hanging around today. But at the end time, 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. That's putting it mildly. Such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time, and at that time, your people. Who's he talking about? Better be talking about us, otherwise you're sitting in the wrong church, listening to the wrong man, reading the wrong Bible. Okay, at that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone who is found written in the, what? Book of Life. The Book of Life. And that's what we covered in one sermon when I was here earlier. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life. Talking about three types, if you remember, three types of resurrection. Not talking about time, per se, three types of resurrection. Some to everlasting life, some to shame, and some to everlasting contempt.

Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn away, those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up! Shut up the book, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end. Remember, you got that?

Seal it up. Don't be all worried. Don't be fretting. Okay.

Until the time of the end, many shall run to and fro, and we looked at that, and knowledge shall increase, and it definitely has. Then I, Daniel, looked, and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. So we have two angelic beings here on each side of a riverbank. And so that's where we start today's sermon. Because you have to realize that Daniel, at this time, he's an old man. Remember, he was in captivity for 70 years. He was one of the first that was taken out, and he didn't return when they returned. So if he was 16, 17, 18 years old, 70 years in there, you're talking 87, 88, close to 90 years old. He's pretty old at this time, but he's wanting to know. I want to know. And so let's look at verse 6, and it's interesting here. Commentaries will take this one. One wasn't in the original translation.

So was this Daniel that said this?

Because it doesn't sound like the angels. And one said, Or, and said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? Whoever this is, they wanted to know. You never see a time where the angels go. What? When? Come on, God! What's going on? No. So more than likely, you read this, it was Daniel who was asking this question. He already had told him up there, you know, shut up the book and don't worry. You know, it's going to happen. So what does he say again? As a matter of fact, I like it in the new living translation. It says, How long will it be till these shocking events take place? Sounds like Daniel. So 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, and swore by him who lives forever and ever. Well, wait a minute. I thought we weren't supposed to swear. Didn't Christ say that? Don't swear by this. Don't swear by this. Didn't He say that? What are they doing? They are sent by Him. Angels are malleable messengers.

So they are the ones. They're telling when they raise their hands, they're swearing by God, Lord, who lives forever and ever. This is true! What they're about to say is true. It's going to take place. Take it to the bank that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time. What are we talking about? You can read on any book. It's what? Three and a half years, right? Times, times, and half a time. Three and a half years is what? 42 months. How many days? 1260 days. Yes. All these are interchangeable, and you find all through the Bible whether it's Daniel or whether it's Revelation. They use these terms, and they're interchangeable. It's the same amount of time. So this is important to know because it's eternal. An eternal being said this or gave this, that for times, times, and half a time, and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. I heard one man get up one time and say, well, it means scattered because he was trying to relay it to all of us, but that's not the Hebrew. Shattered. Destroyed. Who's the holy people?

Better be those who follow God, right? A power. How are people who follow God? How is their power shattered? You ever thought about it?

It's beginning to be that way, yes, where it gets into the position where we're not even able to preach any gospel because what did Christ say in Matthew 28? What are we supposed to do? Make disciples of all and this gospel shall be preached in and then the end shall come. So this time here is telling us there's going to be a time that work of God will not be done. And we also have a time where the exact amount of time, the 42 months, the 1260 days, the three and a half years, two humans will come on the scene and tell the world to repent. Will they be preaching the gospel? Yes. Yes. Does it show that anybody else will be? Can't see it. I mean, they're going to be the entire world's going to see them. The entire world's going to hear them. It says, and all these things shall be finished. I'm sure here Daniel's, he had visions of what went on. He saw some of the visions and he saw this and he's trying to go, wow! When is all this going to take place? And how is this going to? He saw the Rams. He saw the Rams. He saw the four generals or the four kingdoms and he sees all this and he sees in chapter 11, he sees the king of the north and the king of the south. And it's like, oh! Now, what does he say then in verse 8? Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? What is he doing? He's saying it again. And you may say, well, Daniel, shut up. You're already asking, I told you, right? Last time he told him, shut up the book. This time you would think he would go, shut up. All these things are going to happen. But if we were in Daniel's shoes, wouldn't you want to know? We're not in Daniel's shoes now and we still want to know. And we can see how things have progressed. We see nuclear armaments. We see a time when the whole world can be blown up 50 times over. We see to and fro. We see jets. We see stealth jets that you can't see at times. We have so much stuff we can see.

Wouldn't that be enough? No, it's not, is it? We want to know! Right? I mean, I get these phone calls. I get emails from, well, what does this mean? And and already does, oh, wait a minute, this happened in Washington, D.C. Does that mean that we are at this? It's easy for me because it's the same answer all the time. I don't know. I don't know. Is it the time of the end yet? Because he said we'll know. Wait a minute. We see a lot clearer than Daniel did. But is it the very end? Are we going to know all these? Let's go down. In verse 9, and he said, Go your way, Daniel. For the words are closed up and sealed till the what?

Is this the time of the end? When is the time of the end? When is the end of the days? When there's all these phrases and and you can look at me and say, well, you don't know. I don't. And I say, I don't know. But you know what's interesting? You can go online and you can find out all the answers. You can Google these very questions, which I did. And I can have my choice of the answers. Because it's all over the place. This happens. A lot of them said it's already happened. Yeah, Jeff, you and I knew a guy that or know of a guy that it was already over at one time on and he set certain dates four times. Yeah, it was over four different times by this individual. But he's still going and people are still following him. Because they want to know. I want to know. But here's interesting. When we go back up to eight and it says, although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? That's the last words. That's the last words Daniel ever says in Scripture. That's it. He doesn't. We've got other verses down here and it's not Daniel. So that's all he got. His last word was a question, which was a repeat of a previous question. Was a repeat of a previous question. Shouldn't God, our Lord, the Word, shouldn't He have told Daniel everything?

Everybody shaking their head? No. Why not? That's not fair. That's not a fair God, is it? That one was on one of the questions I got. And shouldn't we in United know? If we're the church of God, we should know all these things because it's the last days.

Just wanted you to know what I get to deal with every week. But let's go and look what it says when He says, go your way after verse nine. But then the angels are talking here. Okay? They're revealing this. So they get the last word. So this isn't Daniel speculating. This isn't some evangelical preacher saying the last words. Here we get the last words of Daniel from those one or those same beings who just put their right hand and their left hand up. So I'm going to take what they say very seriously. I'm not going to say, I'm going to take that with the grain of salt. No. I'm going to take it and say, hmm, these last verses, 10, 11, 12, and 13, 13. I might want to dig down a little bit here. I may want to put my ears up like that fox or something you put up here on your sermon. I can't get that visual out of my mind, which is good. That's why we use visuals. But in verse 10 it says, many shall be purified, made white, and refined. You've heard that before? It's in the scriptures quite a bit. Who's he talking about? The saints. It's clear so many times. The saints. Many shall be purified, made white, refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly.

You ever see wickedness today? And if we have five years, ten years, two years ahead, do you think wickedness is going to get any better? It's going to be cleared up? I don't watch that much TV, but I look at my Google News every morning and I go on there and see what it says. I get story after story after story of extreme wickedness. And it boggles your mind because you read these stories and go, how much worse can it get? And then you read the next week, well, it can get worse. What do you think it's going to be?

When Christ said it's going to be worse than it's ever been. And even this one, such as never was since there was a nation. Are these some of the things we should be watching? The deterioration of the world? I think so. Do we need to sit by a TV and go, here it comes. This is bad. No. But should we, anybody who's been alive for 50 years can see the difference of what it was like just in the United States 50 years ago and what it's like today. If you pick somebody up from 50 years ago that was 30 years old and brought them forward and they didn't see anything else and they jumped in there and go, what's happened to this country? Because it's not alike. It's not like it was. It's almost, it's not totally reversed, but it's like this. It's going there. The wickedness has because people generally, over the past, was never righteous character all through, but people knew how to treat other people. They respected other people's property. They respected life itself. And where are we now? We're not there yet. When it gets there, where it's been turned completely, the end. Christ even said that unless he comes back, at the time he comes back, there would be no flesh what saved left alive. That's how bad it's going to be.

But it says here, the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand. Understand what? Because he just said that the wise will understand right? Okay, but many shall be purified, may white, refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. What? What does the wise understand? Yes. Yes. We don't know all the details, but we know the outline. Don't we? You should. Yes, because why? We wouldn't understand if we didn't read the book, would we? It's only because of the book, from Daniel to Matthew to Mark to Luke to Revelation to even the minor prophets. That's how we know things are going to happen. We know what's going to happen. We don't know the players and we don't know the time, but we do know. And I would be like Daniel. I wish I knew. But it said the wicked, none of them will understand, which is fine with them. You have to understand. They don't care. You're the freaks for reading the Bible. You're the simple-minded human beings who need a make-believe being in heaven telling you what to do.

So can you see that even when we talk about what's going to happen at the end and when when the plagues are actually poured out, when these various things are done, they still don't repent. All this is done. God does these incredible things in the way He does them in the book of Revelation, trying to warn people. All He's ever wanted is repentance. Every nation He worked with. He even a Syria. He even, because they repented and they were as vicious as anybody, skin you alive and put your skin on the walls and the columns.

And even His prophets said, no, I don't want them to repent. And then when they did repent, the prophet got mad and he pouted, which is kill me. Mind-boggling.

So you see, we have to keep our eyes on the prize. It's the kingdom of God. We know how to get there, don't we? The wise know how to get there because you're going to read this book. The wicked know such thing as murder. Not when it's a mother's choice. It's a choice. It's not murder.

I'm a guy today. I'm a girl tomorrow.

Then I can be a guy the next day. Look at what is happening in this country.

Laws don't mean anything.

And if we can't obey even civil laws or we fight in it, what is so much of this book composed of? A loss. The laws of God. Because of the laws of God, they're the laws of love. It's how we treat everybody. Christ made it so simple, didn't He? Two. Two. I'd love to have that today. Just two. Just obey two. Love your God and love your neighbor. Love each other.

But our world is being flipped. Let's go back to 10. Many shall be purified, made white. Do you want to be that? Are you being refined now? But the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand. I can almost see a picture of the wicked going, oh yes! Can't you see this? You can get away with so much crime today.

Can't you? I'm figuring new ways to break laws and get away with stuff. New ways to cheat people. New ways to steal. New ways to do all this. And the criminals have to be going, huh, this is my world, and they are so right. And why is this important? It's because of the Scripture. They're not going to understand, and they don't care to understand. You can beat your head on that wall. It'd be easier in convincing some people that the truth is here. So don't be upset just because somebody acts like they want to come to you for answers, and you may be able to help them, and you tell them, and they go and do the exact opposite. Should that surprise you? Not really. Not really. God's been doing that for 6,000 years since he said Cain and Abel.

And he actually told, Cain knew! Cain knew what to do, and he didn't do it. Abel knew what to do, and he did it. You have the wicked, and you have those that are purified. Which do you want to line up with? And that's what the kingdom is going to be looking forward to. So let's go! In verse 11, as the angel is bringing it on, and from that time, what time?

When the world is wicked. It's wicked, and you have those who are purified. It's a time. And from that time, and from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. All right, we just threw a big cog into things here, didn't we? Well, wait a minute. We already knew about 1,260. Then we have 1,290. That's what he's saying. And then you have this abomination of desolation to Antiochus of Epiphanes, what, 167, 168. Whether you want to, whose book you want to read. When that happened, we saw the example, but he's not talking about that. He's talking about at the end time. But then, yeah, so a sacrifice that sacrifice is taken away. Well, we'll look at that in just a minute, because it's part of how we're going to be wise. Because we're going to understand. We're going to understand these things. But let's go on. Okay, let's go back to verse 12. Bless as he awaits, okay, bless as he who waits and comes to the 1,335 dates. So, wait a minute. We've got 1,260. We've got 1,290. We've got 1,335. And we've got a bunch of question marks. Right? Now, I went online a week ago, and I went to the churches of God. I went to about six different churches of God. That all came from the mothership. Okay? And you know what I got? I got all this. And they were all varied in what those days mean, what the count means. Now, we know what this 1,260 means, don't we? We know that's the time of the tribulation. We know that's the time of the two witnesses. Right? Has anybody got a better explanation than that? Anybody got a differing opinion? Good! We're all on the same page. One out of three ain't bad so far. Okay? So we got 1,260. But where is this 1,290? Is it before? Is it 30 days before the 1,260? And is 1,335 those days before this 1,260? And all this is going to happen before the tribulation? There's churches that publish that. Okay? And they believe they have certain things that are going to take place here, here, and here. You've got other churches that go, well, there's a 1,260. That's the first that this tribulation. And then 30 days after the tribulation, something else is going to happen. And then 45 days after that, something else is going to happen.

And then you have this other one. That 30 days before the great tribulation, something's going to happen. Many say it's Jesus Christ's warning in Matthew about to get out of the city.

Heard that? And that after the tribulation, you have 45 days. Others have said that's when the marriage supper takes place. Hmm. And then after 45 days, that's when Jesus Christ returns with His army. Now we read about in Revelation 19. So do you want to know the truth? Do you want to know what it really means? I don't know. I don't know. But I do know the numbers are correct, right? Because this is this is His word, and they were given by the angels who said, these are your words.

Because people are all over the place on this. I just know this is correct. And I know what this 1260. I don't know what can happen. And I don't know when that can happen. And neither does anyone else. They preach it. They teach it. I listened to videos this week. They just spoke. It's like this. But it's not in here. Just like it wasn't given to Daniel.

Was it? Wasn't given to him. But one commentator in the Bible goes, oh, yes, well, he asked one last time. So now they told him everything. They told him everything in the next few verses. No, he did. They did. Because you can see. So what does all this mean? It means some big things are going to happen. It means that we should keep our eyes and ears open. Should we be worried about all this?

No. Can we change any of this? No. Whether it's here, here, here, here, or here, we can't change any of that. The only thing we have the power to change is us. We have the power to change whether we do wickedly or whether we are purified and refined. That's what's important. So you may, if you want to find a pastor, you want to find a minister, they'll tell you exactly which one of these is correct. You've got a lot of choices out there. You can find one who will tell you they know exactly.

Now, what's going to happen when things don't line up like they say, I don't know. I can just say, I don't know. I don't have a problem with that. But let's go to one of the missing things here because I wanted to do this, but I realized I didn't have time. In fact, I even sent Jeff this thing. He said, I can't explain what I need to explain in two sermons, much less one about the abomination of desolation.

That's a sermon itself. The 70 weeks prophecy, that's a sermon itself. And what my job has been during this last three sermons I've given here is for us to understand Daniel chapter 12. It's taken three sermons, and I hope you will understand what is said, what we can look for, and then what's not said. Because a lot of people use this to get a following. Oh, well, man, I want somebody. Right, Jeff? They and it works for a while until they move dates and they move things, and then people are going, huh, I really thought he knew.

So let's go to Matthew 24. That incredible, all of it, prophecy, sees. Matthew 24. Jesus telling there, and you can see what's going to happen. He tells the wars and rumors of wars, and you know chapter 24, they'll deliver you up.

And because the love of many will wax grow cold, he who endures to the end. And then it says the gospel of the kingdom will be preached as a witness to all the nations in 14. And then it says in verse 15, therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand.

Do you understand what that was? Does everybody here understand what the abomination and desolation was? Okay. Was Daniel talking just about Antiochus of Epiphanes? No, because he's talking about the last days, isn't he? So is the abomination of desolation going to take place again? Yes, everybody's pretty much onto that. But when? When? How about this feast? This feast of Tabernacles? Does that sound good to you?

Is that a good guess? It's as good a guess as anybody else's, Anne. Right? Because that's the only thing we got is a guess.

Now, is there going to be a temple rebuilt? Perhaps. Okay. When they left Babylon and they went and started rebuilding the wall, so forth. Jeff, you got a book on it? Yes? Ah, they didn't build the temple. As a matter of fact, they got chastised for not building God's house. They all went and built their other houses, right? But they had to sacrifice to God. So they built the altar first. So is it possible because it didn't say, yeah, is it going to be the temple or is it going to be an altar? And can the sacrifices be taken away? And then how much time? Is it a seven-year period and then three and a half will be cut out? We're going to go through that when I do the 70 weeks prophecy because that's in the story. I don't want you to be confused because I remember sitting in church 20, 30 years ago and they would just cover so much stuff and I walked out going, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, I mean, this happens and this happens and this happens. No, we need to have a keen eye using God's Spirit to discern world events, to discern our place in the world, to look at the church. Are we doing our job and is the world becoming more worldly and less godly? Those are some of the things that we need to look at.

And verse 16, because, okay, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel, and see, one of the parts here, whoever reads this to let him understand, because when Christ said this, they were saying, well, that had to be Antiochus of Epiphany. Huh? But Christ is saying, no, at the end time, that's why I just covered all these things in the previous verses. That's why I said what I said. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the comes and then he goes on. Is it one of those? Is that part of the 1290? I don't know.

But we need to know that sacrifices are going to be held again in Jerusalem. I can give you multiple scriptures, right, Aaron? There's multiple scriptures all through this thing about and the sacrifices. Oh, that's what everybody's waiting for. Then the Messiah can return. That's what they're thinking. But then they're going to be stopped. And Jesus Christ said, uh-oh, that's where it's going to be. So let's go back to Daniel.

Let's go back to Daniel 9. Look at my watch. Daniel 9. Now, I want to cover this, but I want to do it in detail, or you can do it when you're here sometime. But I want to do this because it's very interesting. It's one of the most interesting parts to me. Daniel 9, the 70 weeks prophecy, because some people are all over the place. Mary just was listening some the other day from one of our minister, wasn't it? He got it wrong. I mean, he's just like, I'm going. She said, I can't believe you missed that. Well, he's putting his own interpretation on it, and it was not right. So I'm not saying I don't make mistakes because I can make a mistake. I just, I don't, I wade out into the water. I don't dive headfirst. Okay, when it comes to prophecy, you need to wade in it because otherwise you're going to end up with egg on your face, as many people have done over the years. And some are not embarrassed about it. At all. Sorry, I don't want that. So let's go there. Last week said, now in verse 27, I know I'm taking this jumping right in, but he said, then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. He is not Christ. Get that. He is not Christ.

Can I say it again? Because people have this wrong. People who preach this, teach this. Thought I had a thief coming in through the back door. He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. Seven years, seven days, a period of time. We'll look at that. But in the middle of the week, whatever this week stands for, whether it's seven years, seven days, or a certain amount of time, in the middle of the he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offerings. And on the wings of abomination shall be one who may be the one who may be the one who may be the one who makes desolate, even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate, complete desolation.

So why did I bring that up? Because it's part of Daniel. It's part of the end time. It's part of what's going to happen. It's part of what we need to look for. It's part of the 1290. It's part of the 1335. It's part of the 1260. Christ said, when will we know when the tribulation starts? Only one sign. Absolute, positively sign. The abomination of desolation. When that happens, guess what? Game on. Game on. So we need to know. We need to keep our eyes open. Now, do we need to spend every week here talking prophecy? Well, you'll find you another pastor for that because I don't do that. I think we should know. I think it's good to stay up on it. But we need to.

Practical Christianity is what is going to get us into the kingdom, living by God's law, understanding it, practicing it, and helping each other by living it. And being that example is the key to the kingdom of God. And we won't have to worry because what did it say? What did it say in verse 1? And at that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone found written in the book. My job to you, if anything else, my job is to get you, make sure your name is written in the book, and it stays in the book because then you'll be delivered.

So let's go now to Daniel 12, last verse, because here they talked about the 1335. But it says, but you, Daniel, but you, Maria, but you, Victor, go your way till the end. That's what we're supposed to do, isn't it? We can't be all worried about this. We can't just be sitting in a house, oh no, let's see how much food we can store up. Let's see how much toilet paper we can get in our closets.

I'm sorry, Aaron's closet right now. But go your way till the end, for you shall rest. What? He's going to die. He's going to go to sleep. That's it, okay? And will arise, I think most people miss this, arise to your inheritance. When? At the end of the days. When will he rise? Ah, so we now have a determining period of time of when the end of the days can be calculated, can't we? Because it says right here, and will arise at your inheritance at the end of the days. When? So what does, when will he be taken out of his grave? Yes, we do. At the seventh trumpet? We know at the seventh trumpet. Right? We don't know when that's going to be, but that, but is that the end of the days, though? Think about it. Well, wait a minute. At the seventh trumpet, the dead in Christ will rise, and we will be changed in a moment in a twinkle in the eye. The quickening, we're going to be changed. But is, so that, according to this verse, is the end of the days. But what about the seven last trumpet plagues that are poured out after the seventh trumpet?

If you read this, that is not part of the end of the days.

So what we need to be concerned with is being there when that seventh trumpet is sound, like Daniel, because then we can go our way, whether we're alive or whether we pass. My friend Bruce Williver, you'll hear that trumpet call.

My other friends who have passed, they'll hear the trumpet call, and they'll rise with Daniel. May be part of us, but it won't matter then, will it? Because that's the, that is what all this stuff for us is about. The stuff after the seventh trumpet is blown is not about us. It's about whom? The wicked. The wicked.

So go your way. Daniel, go rest. Daniel, go sleep. Brethren, we have been blessed with this book, with this understanding, and there's enough in it. There's enough in it for us to live. There's enough in it for us to be an example, to be a light. There's enough in here to get us into the kingdom of God. Let's not worry about the stuff. Let's not.