Sunday, November 9

Amen. Amen. Amen.

All right. And so we are just so thankful for that. So let's begin with a word of prayer this morning. Father in heaven, we just thank you for all the good gifts that you have given us. We thank you this morning for the place in time that you have placed us. We thank you for the country that you have given to us, and we thank you for those who have chosen to stand up and to defend and to protect. We ask a blessing on their lives, and we ask encouragement and hope and strength in their lives this morning. Come to worship as we see the spiritual conflict in Daniel, and the promise of, oftentimes, of struggle and difficulty. But help us not lose sight of the hope of the resurrection we find as this book closes. So encourage us this morning. Give us strength. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

In a few moments we'll be in Daniel chapter 10, chapter 11, and chapter 12. We'll talk more about it when we get there. And what we'll do in this is that God is showing Daniel that he's at work, even when Daniel doesn't see what is happening. So we're going to begin this morning by reading from the 46th Psalm together, and then we are going to sing, "Blessed be your name." So if you would, we're going to start down, not with the superscript, which is, "To the choir master." We're going to start with, "God is our refuge." So if you would, read with me. And be standing. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling."

This psalm ends with this reminder to God's people that the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress, and in between this call to remember our refuge and our strength, and the end of this psalm that reminds us of our fortress, we find this command for our hearts: "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth." We're going to start by singing "Blessed be your name," and then we're going to follow that. "Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful, where the streams of abundance flow. Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful, where the streams of abundance flow. Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful, where the streams of abundance flow. Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful.

When the streams of abundance flow. Blessed be your name. Blessed be your name when I'm found in the desert place. Though I walk through the wilderness. Blessed be your name. Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glorious name. Blessed be your name. When the sun's shining down on me. When the world's all as it should be. Blessed be your name. Blessed be your name. When the sun's shining down on me. When the world's all as it should be. Blessed be your name. Blessed be your name. On the road marked with suffering. Though there's pain in the offering. Blessed be your name.

Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes. And Lord, still I will say. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glorious name. You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say. Lord, blessed be your name. You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say. Lord, blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glorious name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glorious name.

Let us pray. To Him belong. Who holds our days within His hand? What comes apart from His command? And what will keep us to the end? The love of Christ in which we stand. Oh, we'll sing hallelujah. Our hope is eternal. Oh, we'll sing hallelujah. Now and ever we confess. Christ our hope and love and love. The truth can cause a troubled soul. God is good. God is good. Where is His grace and goodness grown? In our great Redeemer's blood, who holds our faith when fears arise. Who stands above the stormy trial? Who sends the waves that bring us on? I know the rock of Christ. Oh, sing. Hallelujah. Our Lord is eternal. Oh, sing. Hallelujah. Yeah. Now and then we confess. Christ, I hope and I bring. If He will pray, what will we sing? Christ, He lives. Christ, He lives. And what reward will heaven bring?

Everlasting life within. There we will rise to meet the Lord. In sin and death will be the Lord. And we will feast in endless joy. When Christ is ours forevermore. Let's sing hallelujah. Our hope is eternal. Let's sing hallelujah. Now we never need you. Let's sing hallelujah. Our hope is eternal. Let's sing hallelujah. Now we never need you. Christ our holy heart of heaven. Now we never need you. Christ our holy heart of heaven. Now we never need you. Christ our holy heart of heaven. You may be seated. As we come in to this place in our service where we seek to confess our brokenness, and we seek to be assured of the grace of God, one of the remarkable things about the 42nd Psalm is that it gives us a pattern for those moments, I think, where our hearts

are weary, and where maybe our trust feels thin. It's a call to speak to ourselves in times of turmoil, and to preach the truth to our own souls. And so, David says this, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God." Father in heaven, there are times where we struggle with the waiting that you have called us to. We struggle when things maybe don't move as fast or when life feels delayed. There are times where we might even doubt that you are working for our good. We ask that you would forgive us for those places where we rely on what we can see rather than on you and your great power. Forgive us where we trust our own strength instead of resting in the hope that you have given us. Forgive us for where we have failed. Strengthen us for what lies ahead. Teach

us and encourage us to persevere in our faith. Help us to trust you more deeply. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you would, let's read together Hebrews 10 and verse 23. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. One of the ways in which we remember that faithful promise is by gathering together around the table. Before we do that, we're going to sing Man of Sorrows. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. To purchase and redeem. And reconcile the very ones who nailed Him to that tree. Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation, where your love poured out over me. Now my soul cries out, "Hallelujah!" Praise and honor run to Thee. Now my debt is paid, it is paid in full, by the precious blood that my Jesus spilled.

Now the curse of sin has no hold on me. The Son sets free, O is free indeed. Now my debt is paid, it is paid in full, by the precious blood that my Jesus spilled. Now the curse of sin has no hold on me. The Son sets free, O is free indeed. Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation, where your love poured out over me. Now my soul cries out, Hallelujah, praise and honor unto thee. See the stone is rolled away. Behold the empty tomb. Hallelujah, God be praised. He's risen from the grave. Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation, where your love poured out over me. Now my soul cries out, "Hallelujah." Praise and honor unto thee. Praise and honor unto thee. Praise and honor unto thee. - Amen. - At this time of year, or maybe a little earlier, because it's a little colder as you move north, when I was a kid, when on our way back from church on Sunday, especially during the fall, when the leaves would change, we would take the long way back from church.

And when I say the long way, like mountains, valleys, weird bridges, I don't know how long it actually took, but as a kid, it seemed like three to four hours. And the whole purpose of this was to take a look at the leaves, which, as a kid, I was like, "Great, there's leaves, it's trees, it's how it works." But now, as I'm slowly becoming older, and maybe becoming my father, I was thinking the other day, as I drove through a really pretty part of West Virginia, I was like, "Man, we should drive around and look at the leaves." And so what happens is, when we find something that is good to look at, we like to go and see that. So what I'd like to do this morning, as we come to the table, is just take you through just a couple of very short passages in the book of Hebrews,

taking a look at the beauty that we see in the closeness of Jesus, our great high priest, as we come to this table. And I just want to read these first to you, and then we'll sort of take a look at the next couple. Hebrews begins like this, "Long ago, and many times, in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days has spoken to us by His Son." Now listen to the identity of the Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. And I want us to keep that in mind this morning as we come to the table.

No matter where we come from or the situations that we have faced, we come as Christians to this table. We do not come alone. We come to see our Savior and to be reminded that He does not just stand where we stood during His life, but He stands with us now. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 11 says this remarkably wonderful thing: "He who sins and those who are sanctified all have one source." If you're a Christian, you're sanctified. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers. Think about those words for just a minute. Those words speak of the one that Hebrews begins by saying: "He is appointed heir of all things through whom He created the world, the exact imprint of His nature, the radiance of the glory of God, and upholds the world by the word of His power."

And He is not ashamed to call you brothers. He calls us brothers and sisters, the one who rules heaven and earth draws near to us in compassion. And He is not ashamed to stand beside us when we are weak. This is not just a promise for those times when we are doing well and seem to have it all together. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." You see, Jesus doesn't look on our struggle from a distance. He knows what it means to be weary, He knows what it means to wait, and He knows what it means to pray with tears. In fact, in Hebrews chapter 5, speaking of the qualities of a high priest, "For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in

relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, and he can deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward since he himself is beset with weaknesses." There's three qualities and qualifications for the high priest: one, he has to be from among the people; number two, his work is to offer sacrifices and gifts for sins; and third, he must be able to know and relate to the hurts and the brokenness of his people. As we partake of this bread in this cup, we are reminded that Christ walked the road of obedience, and he did so all the way to the cross. And he now stands as our great high priest. He is gentle, he is merciful, he is faithful, and he intercedes for us even now. And so as we take this bread in this cup, we remember

not only what he has done, we don't just look forward to the day where he is coming again, but we are reminded that he is with us, and that we are sustained by him in all of our struggles. Let's pray. Father, we look forward to the day when our faith will be sight. We know that in the joys and the sorrows of this world your hand is working always for our good. And we thank you this morning that we can come to this table knowing that your glory and your power no longer brings us to trembling fear and seeking to run and to hide, but through your son we are brought close. And so I ask that as we partake of this bread and this cup that you would remind us and strengthen us with your presence, that you would

encourage weary hearts, that you would humble our pride, that you would direct us to the hope that you have laid out for us, that you would equip us with your spirit for what you have called us to do. I ask that you bless this bread and this cup, and may we proclaim your son until he comes again. It's in his name we pray. Amen. Jesus took the bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and said, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also, he took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." So as we share in this moment, we remember that in the waiting and in the struggle, and around this table, we are not alone, that Christ is with us,

and that he is faithful. At this moment, our kids can be dismissed to Children's Church, and we're going to move into our time of prayer this morning. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For more information, visit www.fema.org. For more information, visit www.fema.org. For more information, visit www.fema.org. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

In just a minute, we're going to be in Daniel. Starting in chapter 10, before we get there, we're going to go ahead and sing "By the Grace of God." I rest my soul on Jesus, when the mountains shake. I put my trust in Jesus, the moment I awake. And when my soul is lost at sea, He will be my rock. My vision be in Christ alone. This grace is all we've got. His love is like the mighty ocean. His love for me will never stop. Oh, His arms are strong enough to carry me through it all by the grace of God. So I, upon His shoulders, safely brought this far. Helper of my helpless soul, the King of broken hearts. His love is like the mighty ocean. His love for me will never stop. Oh, His arms are strong enough to carry me through it all by the grace of God.

When breath grows still and night draws near, I will not be afraid. I know the plans He has for me. Don't finish at my grave. His love is like the mighty ocean. His love for me will never stop. Oh, His arms are strong enough to carry me through it all by the grace of God. One of the reasons we're singing that before we come to Daniel chapter 10, 11, and 12 is because as we come into these last three chapters of the book of Daniel, Daniel you'll find is struggling and mourning. And one of the remarkable things we'll see this morning is that God, in His grace, shows Him what is immediately happening in front of Him, He shows Him what will happen into the future, and then He shows Him in chapter 12 how it all will end.

And so we're going to wrap up 10, 11, and 12 this morning. Next Sunday we're going to come back into chapter 11 for a few minutes. There's a wonderful verse there in the middle that we'll reference maybe once this morning, but I want to spend some time with that about about the people who know their God. And then the following Sunday will be right around Thanksgiving, and so we want to spend some time in biblical Thanksgiving. And then we will move into our preparation to celebrate the arrival of Jesus, both as we look backward to the manger and forward to His second coming as Advent begins the last Sunday in November. I think that's where we're going, but where we are this morning is in Daniel chapter 10. I'm going to go ahead and pray, and then we'll dive right into it.

Father in heaven, I thank you so much for your people. I thank you for the blessings that they are, the hope they remind us of, the strength they demonstrate. And so I just ask that you would be with us this morning as we come to these three chapters that, as maybe we read through them, they seem difficult, they may seem overwhelming, they may seem full of things we struggle to understand. And so I ask that you would give us wisdom, that you would give us understanding, that you would help us to see this wonderful picture that is laid out in such a magnificent way that leads us to hope. And so we come, maybe with mourning hearts, maybe with longing for home, maybe we're struggling with our faithfulness. So I just ask that your hand would be with us and on us, your spirit would be at work within us. It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I've shared with you before, but I still remember the very first time I got glasses. Up until the moment where I finally put them on, I was pretty much in denial that I ever needed glasses. And I remember going through this process, because back when I was a kid, you generally, you know, until you stop being able to see stuff far away, it's always like, "Maybe we should take them to the eye doctor." You go to the eye doctor and they do that thing, which I hated so much, right? Better one or two, better two or three, better seven or eight, you know, all of these. And it's like, they all look the same to me after a while. And so I just started guessing. I mean, I guess pretty good. It turned out okay. But I remember that first time that it was this little plaza,

Pearl Vision went in, put on my glasses, and everything in the building was sharp. And then I walked outside, it's like, "Oh, trees have leaves," right? Birds still exist. Everything sort of sharpened into this remarkable amount of clarity. Now, here's the reality. The world had not changed. I was just seeing it as it really was. And once I could see, I realized how blurry things had been all along. And I think, spiritually, sometimes we live in the same way. Maybe we think that we're seeing clearly, just like I did, but I wasn't, and maybe we aren't. And so maybe we think we understand what's happening. Maybe we feel like we have things figured out in our world, our families, all the things that we face. The problem is that our perspective is limited, so often, to what we can see, and maybe sometimes

even what we can feel. And there are times in life that we experience where it seems as if God maybe is silent to us, or maybe He feels distant. Maybe we find our life blurring with doubt or discouragement or with weariness and tiredness. And when things begin to look blurry for us spiritually, it's often easy to find ourselves in a period of struggle. And oftentimes we'll begin by assuming that something is wrong with God and what He's doing, rather than, as is often the case, the problem is with how we are seeing. That's where we're going to find Daniel this morning in Daniel chapter 10 through chapter 12. God is going to help him see clearly what is happening. Daniel at this point is not the young man that we find at the beginning of the book, but an older man, and at the point we find him this

morning, it seems as if he's weary and he's burdened, he's frightened, he's weak, and he is mourning and he is longing to understand what God is doing. Now, Daniel in these things is not doing anything wrong. He's still righteous, he's still faithful, but he is struggling to see what God is doing. In fact, you see it in the midst of his discouragement, longing, and faithfulness in chapter 10, beginning in verse 2, "In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself for the full three weeks." Now, anointing in this time period in history in Daniel. It's sort of the equivalent of personal hygiene. It was how you sort of refresh yourself with oils that were perfumed. This would probably be the equivalent of a friend who's going

through a difficult point in life, and we go in and we're like, "Hey, buddy, when was the last time you went and got a shower?" Right? And so here's Daniel, and he is not eating, he's not drinking, he is simply mourning, and he has not anointed himself at all for three weeks, right? Daniel's not just simply skipping dessert here. And what he is doing is he's demonstrating outwardly with his actions what is happening in his heart, and his heart is filled with sorrow. I, Daniel, Daniel is speaking, was mourning for three weeks, right? This is not a short-lived moment where he has a bad moment or a bad day, but for three weeks, Daniel is saying, "My heart is heavy, and I'm waiting for God to act." So the question is, why is Daniel mourning? And I think there's three things that happen here as we begin Daniel

chapter 10. The first is that Daniel is discouraged at the progress of God's people in Jerusalem. So we find in Daniel chapter 10, this is where he is in terms of time and history. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel who was named Belteshazzar, and the word was true, and it was great conflict, and he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. So at this point, we find from the book of Ezra that God's people now, Daniel's in the third year, but they have gone back home in the first year, Cyrus, king of Persia. The word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. And the Lord steered up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and he put it in

writing. And so the very thing that Daniel prays for and repents of in Daniel chapter 9, the chapter before that, it's been a couple years that has come to fruition. Cyrus, moved by God, has sent God's people back home. And this should have been massively exciting. However, the reality is very different. Not very many people who were in captivity went home. And this small number of exiles that return, not only do they return, but they return to everything is in ruins. Progress is slow. The temple is unfinished. Only the foundations have been laid. And Jerusalem is still in ruins. And Daniel, having this picture and this prayer in Daniel chapter 9, seeing it fulfilled as God's people go home. And then he is a high official, and he's hearing reports and reading from Jerusalem. Right? Daniel prays for restoration, but the restoration has begun, and it is slow, and it is small.

And Daniel lives where many of us are, between the promise of what will happen and the reality of its achievement. And Daniel, in this moment of in painness, this already and this not yet, he's struggling as he looks at the promise of God and the progress that is being made. The second thing that's going on, Daniel's not only, I think, mourning the progress, but he's also longing for home. Daniel goes to Babylon as a teenager. He has not returned, and because of his age and position, he never will. We know when Daniel is mourning, Daniel 10:4 tells us the date, and what comes before this date. And included in Daniel's fasting and prayer would be Passover, including one week of fasting. And so Daniel isn't just fasting in mourning, but he fasts as he celebrates Passover far from home.

And so as we begin, progress has not been made. Daniel is longing for home. But here's the remarkable thing: he's still faithful. He's celebrating Passover far from the unfinished temple, far from his home of Jerusalem. Even in the midst of discouragement and longing for home, he is faithful. And the reality is, he doesn't have to do this. He doesn't have to take and fast to celebrate Passover. He's in Babylon, which then becomes Persia. Like, who's going to know, who's going to care that he's not celebrating this moment? Not only is Daniel faithful, but he is seeking God more closely. He said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for the first day that you set your heart to understand, as this first messenger comes." And he says, "Daniel, I know you're seeking to understand, and you humbled yourself before God. I have come before you with his words."

And so part of this opening to Daniel chapter 10, setting the context for chapter 10, chapter 11, and chapter 12, is this mourning, longing, and faithfulness to seek to understand what God is doing and to know it more deeply. And this may be how we feel. That we are struggling with sorrow. Things are not supposed to be like they are right now. Or longing for the way things used to be, or the way things should be. Maybe we feel weary throughout this chapter in chapter 10. One of the phrases that's repeated over and over again is Daniel saying, "I have no strength." But also three times you find Daniel being strengthened. And what's remarkable is this is where God meets Daniel in the lack of understanding, in the mourning, and in the disappointment, and the longing from home.

And these three chapters, what they're going to do for us is they're going to serve, I think, as a pair of glasses. And so there was a period of time a couple years ago where I would get up to preach, and I would open my Bible, and I would look at my notes, and I would go, "Man, that print is...I wonder if it's using a new font, because that print's really, really small." And so what I did is I got a Bible with a bigger print, I made my notes bigger, and then I started doing this, and finally, after a while, I said, "Well, let's go get my eyes checked." And they said, "Well, you know, when you get to a certain age..." And you know nothing's good when somebody starts saying, "When you get to a certain age," right? We always like to hear that. So now I have glasses that correct my vision.

They help me see stuff up close, they help me see stuff at sort of a middle distance, and they help me to see things far away. And if you want an outline of these three chapters, that's what's happening. Daniel chapter 10 is going to help Daniel see what's happening really close to him. Daniel chapter 11 is going to spread that out sort of the middle distance, stretching out into the future. And Daniel chapter 12 will show him sort of the glorious consummation where God's people will shine like stars. And so what's remarkable about what's happening, Daniel is mourning, longing from home, seeking to understand. And you know what God doesn't do? He doesn't change anything. All he does is come to Daniel and explain and help Daniel see it a little bit differently. And so here's what I want us to see this morning. There's an unseen battle, a sovereign plan, and a certain victory.

And this is where this begins to connect to us because our vision, like Daniel's, is limited. And so many times we only look at what we can see, forgetting that there is a greater unseen reality that shapes history and our lives. And so let's begin this morning, Daniel chapter 10, by taking a look at the unseen battle. Daniel's standing by a river. He's still fasting, still praying, and heaven breaks in. And it says this, "I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist." And one of the great sort of debates that's happening in Daniel chapter 10 is who is this first figure that we find, right? Is this Jesus? Because if you look at what happens next, and the description of this man, it is very similar to Jesus appearing in Revelation chapter 1.

Others will say, "Well, it's an angel." And this is based on the fact that as you move past this first description, an angel will say, "I struggled against the prince of Persia in a spiritual sense." And the explanation would be, "Well, Jesus wouldn't have to struggle against anybody in this terms of his spiritual power." And so there's a debate, "Is this Jesus? Is it an angel?" But there is an interesting third solution, and I think both from this text are possible with a faithful reading in the text. And what you find is in Daniel chapter 10 through 9, I think we do get a glimpse of the pre-incarnate Christ. And then, in the rest of this vision, you find an angel beginning to explain and help Daniel understand what he sees. And what's remarkable about this, regardless of is this an angel, is this Jesus, is that God meets Daniel and begins to explain to him these wondrous things.

Right, focus on the fact, set aside the argument for a moment, and focus on the fact that there is a message from God for Daniel in the midst of his mourning and his longing and his faithfulness. And I want you to notice the timing of this message. In verse 12 it says this, "He said to me, 'Fear not, Daniel, from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come to you because of your words.'" Right, notice this, "From the first day." From the moment that Daniel begins to pray, his words have been heard, and an answer was dispatched. And what Daniel is beginning to learn as he looks at sort of what's happening close to him is that there is a spiritual battle that is raging.

His prayer has been heard, but there is more happening than Daniel understands. And in verse 13, the very next verse, "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia." Now, this is a heavenly battle. We're not talking about literal kings and literal princes. We're talking about spiritual forces, the power of Satan and his demons. We're not talking about political entities, but spiritually ones. And what we begin to see is delay does not mean that we are forgotten. We have to remember that God's work is not limited to simply what we can see. And in this case, he is moving angels and circumstances far beyond our view. And in our weakness, God strengthens us three times. Verse 10, verse 16, and verse 18, Daniel is touched.

This may be a bad pun, touched by an angel. In verse 10, 16, and 18, and in doing so, he is renewed in his strength. And listen to the message. "O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you, be strong and of good courage." And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened. And I said, "Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me." Before the prophecy even begins, God strengthens the prophet. He shows Daniel the future, yes, but he also reminds him of his love. He opens Daniel's eyes and our eyes to what is happening right in front of us. There is a spiritual battle. God's forces will always triumph. They can try to fight all they want, but it is inevitable. We are strengthened and we are loved. And we see that there is an unseen battle.

The second thing we see as we move into Daniel chapter 11 is that there is a sovereign plan. In this chapter, we see what's going to happen in the future, and the vision has moved from this immediate spiritual battle to the wider context of history. There are kings, and there's rising, and there's falling, there's empires, there's battles, there's alliances, there's seemingly unending war, and it's one of the most detailed and accurate and complex prophecies in all of Scripture. So I want us to take sort of this middle distance in our spiritual glasses prescription, the intermediate distance. And in this chapter we find three things happening. There is agreement, there is disagreement, and then there is a powerful message for us. And first I want us to see, in Daniel chapter 11 there is great agreement.

And what's interesting is I prepare, one of the ways in which I prepare is I'll read through a text over and over again and seek to understand and ask questions and find answers, and then from there I'll move to some commentaries and begin to read what others have said about the text. And in Daniel chapter 11 it's remarkable there is almost universal agreement between those who have studied deeply the Word of God in regards to this vision and interpretation, but only from verses 2 to 35. Almost everybody agrees that verse 2 through verse 35 traces the centuries with accuracy so precise that some have called into question when it was written between Persia and Christ. You see Persian kings ending with Xerxes. You see the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great. You see the kings of the north and the south.

The Seleucids and the Ptolemies locked in endless war, trampling Israel between them. And then Antiochus Epiphanes, this cruel ruler we talked about last week, the abomination that makes desolate. Almost everybody agrees these verses down to verse 35 picture the history essentially from Daniel to Christ. Now the disagreement in this chapter comes in verse 36 to 45. Some will say this continues to describe what is happening in terms of Antiochus. Some say it's a future Antichrist that we see in Revelation. And then others will say, "Well, you know, it's both." What we ultimately see as this chapter ends is this reoccurring pattern of human rebellion and pride and arrogance and violence in opposition to the greatness of God. And I tend to think, and this is just my opinion, but I tend to sort of think of the last one.

Part of the reason for that is because in this section as we move from 35 to 36, the language shifts, the focus shifts, the timing shifts. And this is a story in chapter 12 where we begin to see this picture of resurrection, the clearest picture of resurrection from the dead that you have in all of the Old Testament. And it seems to me as if in these verses here, beginning in verse 36, we've moved from sort of that intermediate to this long picture going into chapter 12 of the fact that there will be continual upheaval and chaos and empires and violence and rulers who stand up and deny and persecute and attack God's people until the very end. Almost as if the first 35 verses are a picture, and then those last verses are saying, "And this is going to keep happening, and happening, and happening." And so there is agreement and there is disagreement, but then there is this moment that happens.

Verse 11, verse 45. Here is the message of Daniel 11. "He shall come to his end with none to help him." Every interpretation of Daniel 11 ends the same way. Everybody agrees. Regardless of who these last few verses refer to, he will be defeated by the power of God. Every human, hence God, meets the same fate, whether that's Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Antiochus, Epiphanes. Ultimately, every kingdom will bow before the king of kings. And when you look at our world today, and we see instability and corruption and wars and fear, and it's easy to panic. And Daniel chapter 11 reminds us that God is in control. And he knows what is going to happen, and that empires rise and fall, but the throne of heaven doesn't even begin to shake. And so we put on our glasses here in the middle, and we look out to the middle distance in this picture of political chaos and upheaval and violence, and ultimately we see the victory of God.

Which brings us to chapter 12, which is this: "There is a certain victory." Now the purpose of this chapter is to show us what happens in the long view to come to the chaos of the world of 11, both physically and spiritually, and we begin to see this movement from darkness to hope. Listen, "At that time shall arise, Michael, the great prince, or the archangel, who has charge of your people." Listen to this: "There shall be a time of trouble such as never has been seen since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, and everyone whose name shall be found written in the book." The first thing you find is trouble, and it moves from that trouble almost immediately into deliverance. And I want you to see, as God shows Daniel, that deliverance doesn't come because of our strength.

It doesn't come because of us compromising our values or diplomacy, making peace with the world, but rather, ultimately, the deliverance comes from the power of God. And notice this very specifically: "Everyone whose name shall be found written in the book." And I want you to compare this to Revelation chapter 21, where there is this remarkable and beautiful picture of heaven that begins with those wonderful verses we've heard before about no darkness and no sickness. But just listen to how this compares to Daniel chapter 12, especially at the end. "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. And by its light will the nations walk,

and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day, and there is no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of nations, but nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false." Now here's where you see the comparison to Daniel chapter 12, "But only those written in the Lamb's book of life." So for God's people, there is deliverance. And secondly, in verses 2 and 3, we see there is resurrection for God's people in Daniel chapter 12. Once again, an echo in revelation of what we see. "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above,

and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever." Those who have put their hope in God shine like stars forever. This is the clearest picture of resurrection promise in all the Old Testament, that death does not have the final word. Our ultimate hope is not escape, but renewal and resurrection. Faithfulness now, even in obscurity and suffering, shines eternally. And there is then, in Daniel chapter 12, an assurance for all of God's people. What's remarkable is Daniel has some questions, probably like many of us do. Verse 6, he goes, "How long?" Answer unclear. Verse 8, "I don't understand." Again in verse 8, "How does this turn out?" And then there's math and numbers, and this promise that wickedness will continue. Do you know how Daniel's questions ultimately are answered? Verse 9, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end."

He says, Daniel goes, "Well, what does it mean? How long? I don't understand. How does it turn out?" He says, "Daniel, go your way." These words are in the book. The book is written. The book is shut. Go your way. Very end. "But go your way till the end, and you shall rest and stand in your allotted place at the end of days." The answer simply is this, "Continue in faithfulness." Notice that Daniel doesn't get every answer. He doesn't understand all of the details, but is called to faithful trust in the one who does not only understand the details, but rules over them all. God's final word to Daniel and to us is not necessarily explanation, but it is assurance. Not in can we figure out the timeline, but who do we trust in? We don't always know when everything will happen, but we do know the one who holds it all.

And God calls Daniel to live faithfully and rest securely and wait for the resurrection to come. When you put it all together, Daniel chapter 10 through 12 is one sweeping vision that brings us from this close-in place of spiritual battle through the brokenness of history to ultimately the hope of resurrection. The world Daniel saw looked hopeless, but God helped him see it differently. And that's what faith does. It helps us to see, not necessarily from our perspective, but from God's. Because you and I, too, live between the promise and the fulfillment. And we see the conflict, and we see the delay, and sometimes disappointment. But through Christ, the ultimate revelation, we see the end of the story. And in Daniel, we see Michael, the defender of his people, and we see Jesus, the one who faced the ultimate battle, not with Persia or Greece,

or even the spiritual powers that ruled over them, but with sin and death. And Jesus rises victorious, guaranteeing that one day, those who belong to him will shine like stars forever. And so I would remind you this morning that your prayers are heard, your king reigns, and your name is written, your resurrection is certain, and your hope is secure. And so we go our way like Daniel does, trusting in the one who sees all things. So hear these words from God to Daniel: "O man greatly loved, fear not. Peace be with you, be strong, and be of good courage." Father, may the same be true for us. May we know your love. May you take away our fear. May your peace be with us. Give us strength in your Son's name we pray. Amen. We're going to stand and sing a song that looks ahead to that promise that Daniel chapter 12 ends on. We're going to sing "On That Day."

"On That Day," he now reigns victorious. His kingdom knows no end. Through his resurrection, death has lost its hope. I know on that final day, our eyes as Jesus grows. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will love you as we lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. We will keep on singing on that glorious day.

What a blessed home, though now tired and warm. We will spend eternity around our Savior's throne. Though we grieve our losses, we grieve not in vain. Though we show our crown of glory, we will be young on that day. We will see you shining brighter than the sun on that day. We will know you as we lift our voices once in that day. We will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. Hallelujah on a day it will be. For at home with you my joy is going to be. As I move into your arms open wide, I will be able to hear you as you say. As I move into your arms open wide, I will see you. My Father who is waiting for me. Hallelujah on a day it will be. For at home with you my joy is going to be. As I move into your arms open wide, I will be able to hear you as you say.

As I move into your arms open wide, I will see you. My Father who is waiting for me. My Father who is waiting for me. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you. As we lift our voices as one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you. As we lift our voices as one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day.

We are thankful that you are here with us this morning. We will be back Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. Next Sunday, we'll be taking a look at a verse in Daniel chapter 11 about knowing God. After that, we're going to have a fellowship meal. We're taking care of the main dish. So if you'd like to bring a side, you're welcome to do that. Maybe stay for some fellowship and some food together to be encouraged. It seems like, as a church, we need some encouragement, and so this is a good opportunity to share a meal together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm going to go ahead and read from 2 Corinthians chapter 4. I'm going to pray, and then I'm going to read from 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and then we'll sing the doxology.

Father in heaven, thank you for your goodness and your grace. May you encourage us deeply. May you strengthen us with the strength that goes beyond our understanding. May you give us patience, may you give us help, and may you give us joy. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So Paul writes this in 2 Corinthians, the fourth chapter. "So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day, for this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. As we look to the things, not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." This is God's Word.

So as we go, I want to remind you of this, that God hears your prayers, that He reigns, and your hope is secure. And though outwardly sometimes we grow weary, that God is daily raising His people by His grace, and His mercies are new every morning. That He strengthens your faith, He revives your courage, and He is shaping you for glory. And so I would encourage you to fix your eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For the things that are seen, as Paul says, are temporary, but the unseen things are eternal. And so we go in peace, as Daniel was reminded, O people who are greatly loved. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen. Amen.