Reylourd P. Reyes
2nd Sermon on the Book of Daniel
Title: Tough Times. Tough Men. Tough God.
Keytext: Daniel 12:1-3
Introduction:
In our class last week, we have learned that the chapters 10-12 of the Book of Daniel form a unit with three element. Other scholars would treat this last unit as the epilogue of the whole Book. So this morning let me speak about the epilogue within the epilogue of Daniel. I think my term “epilogue within the epilogue” just fits the whole theme of this message, the time of the end. Just before moving on, let me share this quotation from the pen of inspiration with you.
Quote:
Every day that passes brings us nearer the end. Does it bring us also near to God? Are we watching unto prayer? Those with whom we associate day by day need our help, our guidance. They may be in such a condition of mind that a word in season will be sent home by the Holy Spirit as a nail in a sure place. Tomorrow some of these souls may be where we can never reach them again. What is our influence over these fellow travelers? What effort do we make to win them to Christ? – {9T 27.1}
This hit me so hard in the heart and shook my mind. I think it’s a big challenge for us all to think not only the nearness of His coming, but also dwell on how we can build up a closer relationship with Him.
Illustration:
The end of the world has been a never-ending trend both in the Christian and non-Christian realms. Many tried to set dates and alarmed believers and non-believers alike. Take for example these:
Predictions on the Coming of Jesus Christ
1843-1844 William Miller
1914,1918 Jehovah’s Witnesses
1925,1994
1986 Davidian
1994,2011 Harold Camping
2000 Millennium
2012 Mayan Calendar
As we have all always believe, our Saviour’s return will certainly happen, regardless of how long that will be, He will surely come.
Daniel chapter 12 brings us in the latter part of the climactic story of the end time. As the end-time draws near history will move in a series of dramatic events according to a pattern known in advance of the Creator God. Everything that is old and evil will finally pass away. From this dramatic last chapter of Daniel I would like to share three emphases that hopefully will not only leave us hope but also empower us to face the future.
Tough Times Will Continue.
If you remember from last week, the dream suddenly fast forwards from a description of ancient kings to a description of “the end”. Verse 1 -- "At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence...”
Remember, the Jewish people were in exile in Babylon and they were on the verge of returning to their homeland. They could see it coming. They could feel it. They could taste it. And they were thinking – Wow, once we get back to Jerusalem, everything is going to be A-OKAY. But all of these lists of terrible kings and conquerors and periods of persecution was probably taking a lot of the wind out of their sails. And then to top it all off the messenger says: “Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence...” You can imagine how Daniel’s heart sank.
Aren’t things suppose to get progressively better? I’ve been thinking about this during the whole time that we’ve been studying the Book of Daniel.
Growing up I was taught to be an optimistic positive thinker. I learned to always think that there’s always a brighter tomorrow. Lately I realized, life becomes tougher and tougher. Problems pile up, disasters surprise us, and conflicts become norm. And we are yet to experience a kind of trouble we haven’t experienced before.
But what really comforts me, despite this inevitable, is knowing that no matter how tough life can be, Michael, our Saviour will always be there for us.
Tough Men Will Overcome.
Verse 1b continues to give us hope. It brings us the wonderful message that “at that time your people (us)—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.” Isn’t it wonderful to know that if we are on God’s side we can overcome and we will be delivered? Tough men, God’s saved people will surpass all tribulations in the end times. And in verse 2 (“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt”) the promise of resurrection sheds light to the hope that we are expecting.
C.Mervyn Maxwell states in his book God Cares, that the “multitudes” in this verse also include some of the unsaved but surely their destiny will be in direct opposite to those who have chosen God in their lives. These things assure us that someday God will put evil power to an end. Remember there are two kinds of people in the world – those who find their lives are improved because of the ordeal – and those who are so caught up in the evilness of the era that they will remain clueless for eternity.
These are the people who are so distracted by the wickedness that they never see the train coming while they’re stopped across the track. You know how some people are in their cars – lost in their own worlds –“They don’t understand.” But the good news is that the tough times – the opposition, the persecution, the marital strains, the addictions -- the trouble in the world will bring out the best in many of us.
Not that we’re looking for trouble as a means of self-improvement but we grow smarter and wiser through tough times than we do through the easy times.
“Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials.” Brethren, as Robert Schuller said, tough times never last, but tough people do. Tough men will overcome because they were purified by tribulations and were cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.
Another point I want to stress out is verse 3, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
SDA Bible Commentary states that the “wise” in this verse,
Quote:“Heb. hammaśkilim, from the verb śakal, “to be prudent.” The form may be understood either in a simple sense, as “those who are prudent,” “those who have insight,” or in a causative sense, “those who cause to have insight,” that is, “those who teach.” The man who truly has insight into the things of God realizes that, by virtue of that very fact, these things must be shared with others. Divine wisdom leads him to be a teacher of that wisdom to others. Maśkilim appears in ch. 11:33, where it is translated, “they that understand.” There they are shown as persecuted for their faithful endeavors; here they are rewarded with eternal glory.”
This reminds me that we, who have been given an important message should not forget to share it to others. This calls for our involvement not only in maintaining our identity as God’s remnant, but to fulfill the Great commission. Tough men are wise, tough men will overcome. Tough men will deliver.
Our Tough God is In-Charge.
This last chapter clearly states how an ultimate most sovereign God “Michael” rules over the affairs and the events of the last days. In our journey in the two-week study on the Book of Daniel I realized that the ultimate objective of the prophetic writings is not only to foretell the future but most importantly to reveal that God’s hands have been there all through out the world’s history and His definitely in-charge of all the affairs of men. What a great message for us to understand that our Tough God is the one in-charge in our everyday lives, why do we have to worry then? Daniel’s prophetic writings was not only about the earth’s history but God’s story. He is indeed the Alpha and the Omega.
Conclusion:
Daniel’s visions have not brought easy answers. He was told, “The wicked will continue to be wicked” (10) and distress continues to be the lot of the God’s people. The previous visions looked forward in hope to the Lord’s ultimate victory over evil but at the moment it seemed a long way into the future. We might be tempted to ask, as Daniel did of the angel, ”How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” (6). The workings of the hand of God remain mysterious until the time when we no longer “see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor 13:12).
But until then, let us continue on fighting the good fight, and overcome tough times, be God’s chose servants (tough men) to bring the Good news to the world and remain in the hands of our tough and yet loving God, today and forever, in Jesus name I pray, and everyone says, AMEN!
