Text: Daniel 12:1-13, Title: In Light of All of This, Date/Place: NRBC, 6/6/10, AM
A. Opening illustration: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” -2 Peter 3:11. Give the background and thought about this text. “For God’s enemies, that future judgment will be an inescapable nightmare. But for God’s children, it will mean the fulfillment of the Christian’s hope, a dream come true, ushering in the dawn of Christ’s rule…followed by the creation of a new heavens/earth.” -JM
B. Background to passage: this is the final portion of the vision/prophecy that began in Dan 10. We saw the spiritual battle that went on in 10, then the outworking of God’s plan in 11, and now the conclusion in 12. It is also the conclusion of a book that has detailed Daniel’s life and ministry (as well as his companions), and God’s powerful work in his life. In addition to that, the book has dealt with visions of the future by Daniel and others giving light and hope and encouragement. The sovereignty of God has been a comforting theme to an oppressed and weary and spiritually dry group of God’s people in Babylon/Persia. So now having dealt with difficulty and persecution and suffering for the faith, as well as the suffering which is to come as God brings all things to their designed end, this closing is an appropriate end, reflecting back on all this.
C. Main thought: In light of the prophecies of the last chapter, and the book of Daniel as a whole, how then shall we live? 3 Difficult Reminders
A. Content with questions (v. 5-8)
1. So God tells Daniel (through the angel speaking) to shut up the words of the prophecy until the end when everyone is futility scurrying about looking for “knowledge.” The book is reopened in Revelation 22:10. Then Daniel notes that he is back on the riverbank with the angel beside and the Son of God dressed in linen above the waters, as in ch. 10. And the angel asks Jesus a question. There are things that angels don’t know. Jesus lifts up His hands, swearing by the One who lives forever, then gives the answer. Three and a half “times” or years. This is probably speaking for the last half of the tribulation, see v. 11. But Daniel says, “although I heard, I didn’t understand.” And so Daniel asks another way, and the angel gave him an answer, but not much of one, after a little instruction: “Go your way.” This is another way of saying, “don’t worry about it, I have it all under control.” Answers with no explanations is what Daniel must be content with.
2. Job 38:3-11, 42:1-6, Jer 32:17, Rom 11:33-36, Philip 4:11-13,
3. Illustration: like Job, as he was answered without an answer, “God has purposely hidden much of His will from us for good reason. It is beyond our understanding and it is that part of His nature which is unsearchable and we have no need to make investigation of. He has revealed what He wishes to reveal in His Word and that is sufficient for the day...God has given us all we need to know in His Son, Jesus Christ. We will always have questions that remain unanswered for God has not spoken to us of all things.” “It does not matter where He places me or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me. For the easiest positions, He must give grace; and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient. So, if God places me in great perplexity, must He not give me much guidance? In positions of great difficulty, much grace? In circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone. His resources are mine, for He is mine!” –Hudson Taylor, trying to teach Mack and Kait to be content,
4. We all deal with situations, circumstances, even people, by which our soul cries out for answers. Maybe it’s a tough bible verse, truth, or doctrine; maybe it’s a pain, sickness, or loss; maybe it’s global catastrophe or a personal one. We are not promised answers, nor explanations. We are called to live in the light of the fact that a good, wise, sovereign, loving Father is dealing with us bountifully. We are not exempt from pain and suffering. Note that Paul “learned” to be content. This is unnatural. For the most part we are never satisfied, not content with about anything in life. We have to bring into the submission of Christ entitlement and desire and bitterness and demands, and put in their place faith, trust, hope, and obedience. Suffer well, knowing that you can trust the heart of God even when He may not provide enough information to quell all your worries and inquiries.
B. Embrace the anguish (v. 10-12)
1. Daniel is told a couple of things that don’t sound fun. First is that many will be purified, made holy, and refined. This brings forth the image of a refiner of gold putting the impure ore into a crucible, heating it to over 1900 degrees, and scraping off the impurities. Now imagine yourself the gold, and God the refiner. Daniel gets word that the wicked would receive their reward, which we already knew. Then Jesus says that you are blessed if you wait patiently, enduring suffering.
2. James 1:2-3, Heb 13:13-14, Acts 5:41, Rom 5:3, 8:18, 2 Cor 12:10, 1 Pet 4:14
3. Illustration: C.H. Spurgeon Said: "The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction" “Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted, I know, by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery there is a crown.” –Corrie Ten Boom, The Good of the Thorn –ill file
4. As believers we must retrain our brains (Rom 12:2) to realize that suffering in our lives will come. And God permits and ordains it for a purpose. Our natural bent is to always pray for deliverance, avoidance, mitigation of pain, loss, etc. But we are called to count it all a joy. This is not masochistic, just biblical. And it is something that you will have to continue to preach to yourself, and have your spouse preach it to you, and your neighbors and SS teacher and friends, because you will forget. Don’t be a victim of circumstances beyond your control, be a victor in Christ overcoming things given to you as gifts of suffering. Realize that anger is a sin, pride is a sin, greed, self-centeredness, materialism, these are all sins that can be exposed well through a lens of pain. God will purify us, pierce us, break us; and in hindsight we will know the hand of God was upon us, even though at the time our tears may blind us from such truth. So when suffering comes, begin to thank God for the thorns that His glory may be displayed. Hate the sin that dwells within, and know that your separation from it might be painful, but it is worth it.
C. Remember the resurrection (v. 13, 1-3)
1. In the first part of this chapter, Daniel is given prophecy on the double resurrection (clearest in the OT). Now here, Jesus uses this doctrinal truth as a motivation. He says to Daniel v. 13, emphasis on the end, the rest, then on the “arising.” Daniel, you will arise again, after death, and receive a great inheritance!
2. Heb 11:24-27, 35, 10:32-34, 12:2, Matt 5:11-12, 1 Pet 1:6-7, 4:13, Acts 20:24, 2 Cor 4:17,
3. Illustration: “Rather than fearing the world’s impending demise, Christians long for it, knowing they have everything to hope for, and nothing to fear from the Father who loves them.” –JM, “Our office is a ministry of grace and salvation. It subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be our reward if we labor faithfully.” –Luther, “job as pastors, “present sacrifice is sustained by the hope of future reward.”
4. Doctrine is profitable. Our hope is not in things of this world. Our inheritance is in the next. That is why we can thank God for the thorns. Had a hard time distinguishing cross-references. The thorns purify our hearts, so that we will be more like Him, have more rewards from Him, be more intimate with Him. This is why martyrs can lay down their lives—they have a better hope! This is why husbands and wives can lay down their lives for each other—they have a better hope! Know that joy and pleasure in this life is not even worthy to be compared with the coming joy! You will have rewards unspeakable and joy full of glory if you have sacrificed your life and goods to further the kingdom and suffered well. In that resurrection you will receive a glorified body just to be able to withstand the immeasurable joy you will experience every moment in His presence. Not just the absence of pain, but the presence of pure bliss and ecstasy being with Him! And the world is looking for this example. They will want to know why you are rejoicing when bad things happen! The answer is that this world is not our home, nor its riches our goal, nor the praise of men our satisfaction, but in His presence at the resurrection, we will find everlasting reward, peace, hope, joy, and that is worth any sacrifice, suffering, or loss that we face! This is why we avoid all the common gossip, politicking, infighting, and life-wasting material pursuits. This is why we can go across the ocean, give away our coat and shirt, forgive those who have wronged us, love those who treat us spitefully, pray that God sends our children overseas, change our lifestyles to better advance the kingdom…because we have considered the reward, AND IT IS WORTH IT ALL!
A. Closing illustration: Piper audio clip, words to I Will Rise Chris Tomlin,
