Thank you, Mark, for leading us again, and thank you for everyone for the great singing and time of worship. If you ever wonder if it matters if you come to church, it does matter that you come to church, and it's so wonderful to gather and to worship together and sing those good truths from the great hymns that we were singing this morning. 

Well, this morning we come to the end of our study of the Book of Daniel, and this has been really a rich study for me, I hope for all of us, and we've learned so much from the life and example of Daniel and all that God accomplished through his faithful servant. He had quite an incredible life. Daniel is a model for us of faithfulness and trust in God in the midst of adverse circumstances in this world. Remember, he was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, that pagan army, taken far away from home, and lived as a slave, basically, in Babylon, but God raised him up and put him in a great position and did tremendous things through him. 

So he's an example of what God can do through a faithful believer to accomplish his will and bring glory to himself. We can learn a lot from this great man of faith who lived so long ago in the land of Babylon, and perhaps more importantly in this book, in these historical accounts, we learn about our God. We learn that God is sovereign in the affairs of men, the central lesson of the Book of Daniel. We learn that God is accomplishing his will and salvation plan through time and history, and that he knows the end from the beginning and is bringing all things to pass. 

We learn in this great book that we do not know everything, that God does not tell us all of the details or give us perfect understanding of the things yet to come, but he does give us enough, enough to know that he is in control, that we can trust him, enough to have peace no matter what's going on in our world, and enough so that we can go our way, as we will see this morning, to be faithful one day at a time, abiding in our Lord, trusting and believing him, and living in steady faithfulness to what God has called us to. 

We can rest in him and the truth which he has revealed to us and the promises that he's given. This Book of Daniel, as much as it is filled with visions and prophecies and things sometimes challenging to sort out and understand, at the end of the day is a book of encouragement, encouragement to live one day at a time in trust and faithfulness to our perfect father who always does what is best for us in his will. 

Now, this morning, we're gonna wrap up our study in the 12th chapter and learn what I believe is the most important lesson in the book. The message that God leaves Daniel after all of this revelation is this. Don't fret, beloved Daniel. Don't worry about all the things you cannot understand or do not know. Take what I've revealed to you, study it, know it, believe it, and go your way and rest. 

In light of all that we've studied in this book, particularly this last vision in chapters 10 to 12 and all the details and history and foretelling of all that is to come, here's the message. Go your way and rest. Know that God is in control, that he's doing what is best for you and he will bring all things to pass. And you, believe him, trust him, know him more every day and go your way, do your thing, live in faithfulness like Daniel had all of his life. 

God is in control of the details. We need not fret about what we do not understand or become consumed with things we cannot know or control, but rather we must know that God is in control, that he has clearly called us to be faithful witnesses of his transforming grace, of his powerful gospel, of his great love and faithfulness, and we can rest in him. We can believe what he has revealed to us and leave the rest to him. 

This, my friends, is an important lesson for Daniel and for us as we live this life one day at a time in full trust and dependence on Jesus as a branch abiding in the vine. 

Let's look at our text, Daniel 12, one. 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 was since there was a nation even to that time, and at that time, your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. 

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. Then I, Daniel, looked, and there stood two others, one on this river bank and the other on that river bank. And one said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river, 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 to heaven and 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 been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. 

Although I heard, I did not understand. Then 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 white and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. 

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. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1,335 days, but you go your way till the end, for you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. 

I've given you five points on your outline. First, at that time. Second, seal the vision. Third, how long. Fourth, go your way. And fifth, rest.

Well, the first three verses of our text this morning wrap up the vision of chapters 10 and 11, and they are vital for our understanding of the timing of these things and how they will come to pass. We spent a great deal of time studying the details of chapter 11 and the battles between the kings of the north, the kings of the south, and we saw that those first 35 verses of that chapter were fulfilled perfectly to detail in history. We saw many foreshadowings in type, pattern, for the final fulfillment, which began to be revealed to us in verse 36, where we saw the third king, the willful king, enter the picture. 

It says, then. It says, in the future, at that time, the time of the end. All these terms explain to us that we are moving in this revelation of 1136 to 1232, a far future time. And we see this character, the one we call Antichrist, Daniel's little horn, the willful king, the one who speaks blasphemous words, rises to ultimate power and commits the abomination of desolation. We looked at several texts that I believe paint a beautiful understanding of these revelations to Daniel and also to Ezekiel and John. 

We looked last time at Ezekiel 38, Revelation 13, which gave us understanding of how the king of the north, Gog of Magog, and his coalition of nations would come against the Antichrist in Israel in the Holy Land, how he would mortally wound the Antichrist and then go south and west to Egypt and conquer his ally, betraying him and becoming the premier ruler of the world. But at that time, rumors and news from the north and the east back in Jerusalem would greatly disturb him and cast him into a fit of rage. The Antichrist, who was and then was not, now is. He is alive. 

And we saw in Ezekiel 38 that the final king of the north will set his troops between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountain outside of Jerusalem and intend to go in and wipe out Israel and the Antichrist. But at that time, God will supernaturally intervene and wipe out the king of the north with fire and hail and brimstone earthquake and total annihilation. But the world will marvel at the beast. They will see this as a victory of the Antichrist who was mortally wounded and rose again and called down fire from heaven to destroy his great enemy. 

Remember, up to this point, it is a time of peace in the world, particularly in Jerusalem. The Antichrist is posing as a man of peace and there are unwalled villages, no fortresses, military power or protection. And the king of the north has a mighty army, but the beast appears to supernaturally take him out, at least from the world's perspective. And this exalts him to power, total power. 

My brothers and sisters, I believe this understanding makes the most sense of all the scriptures and details and revelation that we are given from the prophets, from Jesus in Matthew 24, from the book of the revelation and from Daniel. I'm not certain of all the details. I don't have understanding like Daniel says. It's not all crystal clear to me to say a passage like Romans 6. But I believe this understanding does deal with all the details we are given and puts them together in a rational, reasonable way as best we can. 

And again, in the sphere of discernment, we don't always have to know exactly and precisely what is right in order to see what is wrong, what does not fit. And we can set those things aside. So this is the context that brings us to 12.1, where it says, at that time, Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. And then we have this phrase that Jesus spoke in Matthew 24 as well, a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. 

And at that time, he says, your people shall be delivered. At that time, this is the paramount phrase and sets us in a specific future time, which is described in these verses. Notice what's here, the deliverance of Israel, the resurrection of the dead, bodily resurrection, judging of the wicked, rewarding the righteous. This is a clarifying statement. So many scriptures speak of this time. Jeremiah 37 says, alas, for that day is great so that none is like it. And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. 

Zechariah 11 speaks of this time. Jesus speaks so clearly of this time. In Matthew 24, placing us in the book of Daniel, mentioning him by name in the abomination of desolation and says these same words, a time of trouble as never has been or ever will be again. Second Thess 3 to 4 says, I'm sorry, Second Thess 2, 3 to 4 says, let no one deceive you by any means for that day, speaking of the day of the Lord, will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped so that he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. 

All of these scriptures point us to a future time. Jesus is saying it's a future time, not even the time of the disciples. He says, let him who reads understand. Paul says, that day won't come. It's not here yet. The Thessalonians were experiencing persecution. They were worried that they were in the day of the Lord. No, that day won't come until these things happen. And what will happen in that day? The abomination of desolation. 

Revelation 13 gives us even more details about the beasts and the events of this time. But notice what it says in Daniel 12, 1. At that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone who's found written in the book. Your people could only mean Israel to Daniel. And the context demands this understanding. And who is it that will deliver Israel? Who is it that resurrects the dead? Who is it that rewards the righteous? It is Jesus. 

And these words must refer to the climax of history, the terror of Antichrist, yes, but also the pouring out of the wrath of God on this world that we read about in Revelation, culminating in chapter 17 to 20, and the second coming and judgment of the world. In this time, at that time, Jesus will deliver Israel, will resurrect the dead, will reward the righteous. It is the end time. We see that he will use the two witnesses whom Antichrist kills and are resurrected and visibly ascend into heaven, Revelation 11, 11 to 12. He will use the 144,000 witnesses whom he seals, Revelation 7, 3 to 8.

He will secure a bulk of the nation of Israel from the beast and his wrath for 1,260 days, Revelation 12, 6. As he swallows up Satan's pursuing army, Revelation 12, 15 and 16, those believers who survive to the end will be rewarded and go into the kingdom, Matthew 25. And those who are beheaded by the beast will be resurrected and come and rule and reign with Christ in the kingdom, Revelation 20, verse four. Jesus is the deliverer and the judge and the one who rewards the righteous. 

Now notice with me verse two, Daniel 12, two. It says, and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. These words clearly speak of a bodily resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15, 22, Paul says this, for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, raised, but each one in his own order. Christ, the first fruits, afterward, those who are Christ's at his coming, then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 

Revelation 25-6 also gives us insight, but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection, over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. All will not be physically resurrected at the same time. Christ was the first fruits, and that some 2,000 years now, and we are still looking up for the fulfillment, those who are Christ's at his coming. And then finally, those who are raised at the second resurrection to judgment. 

John Witt comparaphrases the verse before us, verse 2, in this way. He says, And many from among the sleepers of the dust of the earth shall awake. These shall be under everlasting life, but those, the rest of the sleepers, those who do not awake at this time shall be unto shame and everlasting contempt. 

Now let's look at verse 3. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. These are the same words that Jesus uses to describe those going into the kingdom after the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13, 43. He says, Then, after the judgment, when Jesus comes and separates the wheat from the tares, then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 

And so we see that the vision of chapters 10 to 12 ends with the kingdom on earth, where Jesus will reign, just like all of other Daniel's visions. We saw in chapter 2 it started in simplicity, there's going to be the four kingdoms of men, then the rock is going to be cut out without hands and destroy them and wipe them all away and fill the whole earth. Jesus' kingdom on earth, that's all the revelation we got in chapter 2. But progressively through Daniel we've seen more and more revelation. He's going to bring the kingdom on earth, Jesus will reign and fulfill the promises to Israel, and God will be glorified among the nations as we've seen consistently in all these visions and revelation in all the prophets of the Old Testament. All these things we see at that time. 

And now Daniel is instructed to seal this vision up, verse 4. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase. Seal the book until the time of the end. This word seal means to guard, protect, preserve until the time of the end, this very time he's talking about. 

And then he says, many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase. Now people have done all kinds of things with this verse, but I think it's clear in the context that it's speaking of the time of the end time of the end and the vision of Daniel. This book will be preserved to the end, and those who find themselves in this tribulation time will be desperately seeking wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the events of those days. Where will they find it? In this book of Daniel. Jesus said this in Matthew 24, look to Daniel, his revelation, he who reads, let him understand. That speaks to the people at the time of the end, and their knowledge will come from this book, sealed, preserved to the end, as well as the book of Revelation and Jesus' words in Matthew 24 and 25. 

So he says to Daniel, it's complete, the revelation is full, shut up the books and keep them until the end. Verse 5, then I, Daniel, looked and there stood two others, one on the riverbank and one on the other side of the riverbank. And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, this man in linen we've seen before, remember a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, and notice he stands above the waters, he holds up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and he swears by him who lives forever. 

And you raise your hand to swear, right? I swear that I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This is true in biblical history, and Jesus raises both hands to heaven and swears by God. What does he swear? The length of this tribulation time. The angel asks, how long will it be? It shall be for a time, times, and half a time. And when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. 

Daniel says, I heard, but I didn't understand. Then I said to my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? What's it going to be like? And he said, Daniel, go your way. So the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. All this revelation, all this study and searching and pondering, yet we see Daniel saying again and again, I don't fully understand. Even the angel here says, how long? And the answer is familiar, 1260 days, three and a half years, a time, and times, and half a time. 

And what is the purpose of the tribulation time? This is really important to see here. What does he say? We see the details over and over in all the revelation of God's Word. It is for your people, your holy city, chapter 9. What does it say here?

When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things will be accomplished. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. The purpose of the Antichrist, the purpose of the tribulation, the gathering of Israel back to the land, so forth and so on, is to completely shatter them, to refine them, to make them pure, to rescue and save them. As God has promised so consistently throughout His Word, and for His namesake, and His will, and intent, and His glory. 

In verse 8, Daniel says, I still have questions, I don't fully understand what it'll be like. But God just says, Daniel, go your way, it's enough. You have enough. Go your way. This is such an important lesson for Daniel and for us. Deuteronomy 29.29 says, the secret things belong to the Lord, but that which He has revealed to us belong to us and our children forever. 

Now there are two very important lessons here. One is that we do not know and understand all that God does. He has not revealed everything to us. We cannot know like He knows, for He is God, and we are not. But we can trust Him with all the things we do not know, or understand. We need not fret, we need not worry. The secret things belong to the Lord. And we'll see in the last verse of Daniel, we can go our way, we can rest, rest in life in every circumstance because His grace is sufficient, His love is true, His faithfulness is unfailing, and even rest in death, as I think the reference is here for Daniel. Rest in death, knowing that we will be with the Lord forever. 

But I want you to think about these words, go your way. Now Daniel, go your way. He's been given all this revelation, and we've been given even more. And we don't understand all things. We still have questions, we don't know everything, so what do we do? Become consumed with the timing of the rapture? Fret about every world event? Fear the daily news and the wickedness of our world? God says here in Daniel 10, the wicked will do wickedly. You can depend on that. No, do not fret. It only causes harm. Trust in the Lord and feed on His faithfulness. Go your way. 

In light of all these things, what are we to do? Go our way. I love this for Daniel, because what did this mean for him? It meant keep on doing what you've been doing all of your days, Daniel. Be faithful today and tomorrow. Trust the Lord as you have all your life these 80-some years. Just rest. And know that God is in control. We do not have to know all the details and have perfect understanding. I think the text indicates that no believer of any time will truly understand these things until the time of the end. Those who live through this tribulation time will understand these things as they read Daniel and Revelation and live through those events. 

Go your way. I like, do your thing. God said, just do your thing. Be a witness. Live a holy life. Love your wife. Teach your children. Tell people about Jesus and proclaim His greatness. The secret things belong to the Lord. But please, my friends, don't forget the second part of that verse, that which He has revealed to us belong to us and our children forever. 

He's given us a massive amount of Revelation, even details about things that will take place. And we are to study the Word of God, all of the Word of God, and we are to agonize and strive and seek with passion to know that which God has revealed to us in His Word. It's a lifelong, everyday endeavor. Pastor Krenz used to say it's like going to the Pacific Ocean with a tin cup. We are to cut the pieces straight, fit every detail together as best we can, dealing with every scripture, because God wants us to know that which He has given us and to believe Him and to understand. 

And we are to teach this Word, this Revelation, who God is to our children. These truths are ours forever. But the secret things, that which we cannot quite understand, the questions we cannot answer, let God worry about those things. And go your way. Do your thing. Be faithful. Rest. Rest in Jesus Christ. Walk by faith, one day at a time, knowing it is enough. The Revelation is enough for us to have rest. His grace is sufficient. My brothers and sisters, He is enough. 

Now we have just a couple details that we need to wrap up here. Verse 11. 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. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1,335 days. But you, go your way till the end, for you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. 

We have seen consistent Revelation in Daniel and Revelation that the time of the Great Tribulation is 1,260 days. Time and times and half a time, 42 months. Now this begins with the abomination of desolation, continues through the reign of Antichrist. That specifically designates the time that he's given power, culminating in the second coming of Jesus. So the 1,260 day time is defined as the time that Antichrist is given to rule on the earth. 

So what's the deal with this 1,290 days? 30 extra days. And what about this 1,335 days? What are these new numbers we get in the last verses of Daniel? Well these things are a little difficult to nail down, but I think we can make sense of it with help from some other scriptures. The context here, remember, is the abomination of desolation, the defiling of the temple. And we know that from that event to the second coming is 1,260 days, but then there are 30 more days mentioned here. 

And what we see in the Old Testament is examples of times of cleansing, particularly the temple, and these time periods are 30 days. In 2 Chronicles 30 verse 2, it says, For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month, for they could not keep it at the regular time, because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem and the matter pleased the king and all the assemblies. Hezekiah, they were going to celebrate the Passover, but he postponed it for 30 days of cleansing, consecration. 

Think about the case of Antiochus Epiphanes and the type that he portrayed in desecrating the temple, setting up the image of Zeus, that time that is covered in Daniel 11, 1 to 35. What happened?

We see that the Maccabees spent a similar time after the revolt and victory cleansing the temple from that event. You can read about that in 1 Maccabees. So I think it's best to see this extra 30 days as a cleansing time of the temple after Jesus returns from all that the Antichrist does there to defile it. So we see here judgment and cleansing. 

Now what about the additional 45 days? Well, there's consistent revelation throughout the Old Testament prophets concerning the judgment of the nations after the second coming. Joel spends a good deal of time on this. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Ezekiel, and Amos all speak of this gathering of the nations for judgment after the second coming. And we have a whole chapter on this in the New Testament. Jesus speaks of his second coming in Matthew 24, as we've seen, and then he gives a specific revelation about what comes after this in chapter 25, beginning at verse 31. 

Let's look at that in Matthew 25, 31. Jesus says, when the Son of Man comes in his glory, that's the second coming, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Then the king will say to those on his right hand, come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me. 

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger, and take you... been, or naked, and clothed thee, or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' And the king will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, And as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. 

And they will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry, and you gave me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and you did not take me in, naked, and you did not clothe me, sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.' 

Then they also will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, Assuredly, I say to you, And as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. 

Now please notice the context of Jesus' words. This is what we call the judgment of the nations, as foretold in all those Old Testament prophets, and Jesus is dealing with Israel in this time, bringing the kingdom promised to Israel, the earthly kingdom Daniel spoke of so often, and so we're looking in this judgment at a national context, dealing with nations and Israel, so I think it's most reasonable to see these events taking place in those last 45 days, and then the kingdom begins. 

If the 1260 goes to the second coming, and there's going to be judgment, and there's going to be cleansing, and there's going to be rewarding of the righteous, and all these things, it's going to take some time. My brothers and sisters, I'm not going to lose sleep over the 1290 and 1335 days. I think this understanding makes sense, but my plan is to listen to the words given to Daniel. 

Go your way and rest. Do what God has called you to do so clearly in His word. Abide in Him. Trust Him. Study to show yourself a workman that need not be ashamed. Know your need for Him and His word every day. And rest. Rest in Jesus, knowing that He has it all under control. Rest in life, rest in death, and know that we will experience bodily resurrection and release from the very presence of sin and reward, as Paul even speaks of in the New Testament. 

This was true for Daniel, it's true for us as well. My friends, these are the things we've learned from this great book of Daniel. He didn't understand everything. We don't understand everything. We should study that which He's given us, continually growing in our understanding. But we also should focus on what matters and what we know He has given to us to do today. Glory to God for all these truths. 

Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank you. Thank you for the time of study that we've had in the book of Daniel all these months, and thank you for the encouragement, the lessons that we've learned from his life, and also the insight we've gained into the things that will come. Thank you that Daniel was a faithful, faithful servant. Thank you for all that you did through his life and for recording it that we might be encouraged by it, and know that you desire to work in our life as well. 

Help us to be faithful today. That is our calling, to trust you, believe you, to know you, and to tell the world about Jesus. It's in His name we pray. Amen.