November 24, 2024 Preaching | Ptr Ricky Sarthou
“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
Studying Biblical prophecy is important for several reasons:
- It validates who God is.
- It validates the Bible as God’s reliable word.
- It helps us grow in faith.
- It prepares us for eternity.
- It should inspire us to tell others about Jesus
The whole Bible, and everything about prophecy, eventually is all about Jesus—including end-time prophecies. Gen. Douglas McArthur, during World War 2, promised that “I shall return,” and his besieged troops held on to those words. If Gen. McArthur, being just a man with limited power, fulfilled his promise and delivered the Philippines from enemy forces, Jesus is certainly able and will fulfill His promise to return for His people! That will be the “day of our redemption”! With all that’s going on in the world, with the threat of escalating wars, moral decay, etc., and what we’re going through in our finances, relationships, health issues, this message is important for all of us. Jesus is our hope for tomorrow, so be faithful! We’ll learn how from the interesting and challenging Book of Daniel.
1) GOD’S KINGDOM will last forever.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a mysterious dream about a statue and he wanted Daniel to interpret it for him. After describing the statue in detail to the king, as well as the stone that will strike its feet (Daniel 2:31-35), Daniel explains what it all means in the following verses. The statue represents world kingdoms that will come and go in history:
Head: BABYLON (Daniel 2:36-38)
Chest & arms: MEDO-PERSIAN (Daniel 2:39)
Belly & thighs: GREECE (Daniel 2:39)
Legs: ROME (Daniel 2:40)
Feet/10 toes: REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE? (Daniel 2:41-43)
Only the Feet/10 toes (probably a revived Roman Empire) has not yet been fulfilled, but it will certainly come to pass. But just like the once-mighty Babylonian empire which was conquered by the Medo-Persian kingdom in Daniel’s lifetime (Daniel 5:30-31), this future kingdom will also be destroyed. Only God’s kingdom will remain forever! Where are you putting your confidence in for the future?
Daniel himself had dreams about the Medo-Persian empire (ram with two horns) that was conquered by the Greek Empire (Daniel 8:1-8). Alexander the Great fulfilled this part of the prophecy (male goat with a big horn). After his death, four generals took control of the empire. History tells us these generals fought and divided it among themselves: Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. All were eventually beaten by the Romans (as prophesied). Rome crushed their enemies and ruled over conquered nations with an iron fist. It was not like any other kingdom before it. Daniel saw four beasts (Daniel 7:1-8) that mirrored the vision of animals in Chapter 8.
The Roman Empire built a massive network of roads that enabled it to enforce Roman law everywhere. It was also corrupt with infighting within the government, and eventually, this empire also fell.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a “stone” that struck the feet of iron and clay crushed the statue. That “stone” is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11-12)! Is Jesus the Rock and the Foundation of your life today? Only God’s kingdom will last forever (Daniel 2:44). Our confidence and trust should only be in Jesus!
2) GOD’S PEOPLE will be tested.
In the narrative part of the Book of Daniel, we read about how God’s people were tested on different matters (Daniel 1:8, 3:18, 6:10). Even today, God’s people are tested and will be tested.
One of the generals who succeeded Alexander the Great “magnified himself” to be equal to God (Daniel 8:9-11). Antiochus Epiphanes (“god manifest”), in 175-164 BC, committed the “abomination of desolation” when he sacrificed a pig inside the temple in Jerusalem. This prophecy has “double fulfillment”, there is a future event where this will be fulfilled yet again. God’s people were tested then, and it is still true today. 365 million Christians are persecuted worldwide (Open Doors, 2024), there is a spread and imposition of liberal worldviews (legislation, social media). There’s threat of economic and social loss if Christians do not conform to these worldviews. We will also be tested from within to compromise our faith and disobey God. The love of self, money, and pleasure; division, unforgiveness; living a double life, DIY/fake Christianity are signs of the end times that Paul and even Jesus warned us about.
A future “Roman empire” (the fourth beast unlike the first three), which could be a revived Roman Empire will still arise (Daniel 7:7). This “beast” is also described as having ten horns in Revelation 13:1, it parallels the prophecy in Daniel 7 (vv. 7-8, 21).
3) GOD’S SON, Jesus will return!
70 weeks (490 years) from Daniel’s time was the timeline revealed for the fulfillment of endtime prophecy. This includes the 69 weeks (483 years) from Daniel’s time to the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (445 BC), and its restoration in 396 BC (followed by the “silent years” between OT & NT) (Daniel 9:24-26). Before the 70th week is a time gap that includes milestones such as Jesus entering Jerusalem, the crucifixion (32 AD), Jerusalem’s destruction (70 AD), and the “Church Age” which continues until today into an unknown number of years into the future until we come to the 70th “week” (7 years) in Daniel’s prophecy. In this last period of the end times, there will be a 7-year covenant between the Antichrist and Israel which he will break “mid-week” (3.5 years). The tribulation happens in this 7-year period and the second fulfillment of the “abomination of desolation” will also happen (Matthew 24:15-16). Finally, there will be the “complete destruction of the one who makes desolate” — the final and forever defeat of Satan! The Ancient of Days will come, and His people will possess the everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:14, 21-22). God’s people will be rescued in the “time of distress”; those who are in the Book of Life will “awake” to everlasting life…and those who lead people to Jesus will shine like stars forever (Daniel 12:1-3)!