The Plowman

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Daniel #13: an exposition of Daniel 12:1-13. This message by pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 21, 2013.

Intro:

It is the most important question when “doing” theology.  It is the question that must be answered whenever you study the Scripture.  Until you answer this question you’ve not concluded your study.  “So what?”  What difference does this truth make?  What am I to do with this truth?  What action am I to take?  What am I to believe?  Truth that does not act is of little value.  Faith that does not work is dead according the James.  God is sovereign over men and nations.  That’s nice but, “So what?”  Jesus is coming again.  “And?”  There is coming a time of intense persecution and heartache to the world but specifically to the church.  “So what?”  As we’ve walked through the book of Daniel we’ve been reminded again and again of God’s sovereign, providential work among men and nations.  We’ve seen that history is His story.  We’ve noted that though this world often seems random, chaotic and out of control God’s sovereign hand is guiding history to a specific end.  So what?  What difference does that make in my ordinary, daily life?  How does that affect the choices I make and the path I walk?  This morning we come to the conclusion of our study and we’ll deal with the “so what.”  Our text this morning is found in Daniel chapter 12.

Text: Daniel 12:1-13

• Daniel has faithfully served God, singing His song in a foreign land for 7 decades.
• For 70 years he served pagan kings.
• He has remained faithful to his task and more importantly to his God.
• Now in his 90s he is given a final vision.
• A vision that is to prepare and encourage the people of God in the face of trouble.
• The visions keep covering the same ground.
• Demonstrating God’s sovereignty over men and nations.
• This final vision is the longest and most detailed.
• It begins in chapter 10 and concludes in our text.
• Chapter 10 serves as a prologue – emphasizing the importance of a biblical perspective.
• Chapter 11 gives the vision of history’s unfolding drama.
• Focus is on God’s people and covers the time period of 530 bc – return of Christ.
• It is important to note that this vision deals with 2 crises the people of God will face.
• The first has to do with the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes 175-168 bc.
• The second with the reign of Antichrist just prior to the return of Christ.
• Both in Daniel’s future.
• The first in our ancient past the second yet to come.

As we walk through chapter 12 I want you to note…

Thesis: In the face of great uncertainty believers live confident of future glory; certain of God’s sovereign control of all things; and committed to faithfulness.

Chapter 11 ends with the reign of Antichrist speaking astonishing things against the God of gods.  Magnifying himself to the place of God; turning his attention to the “glorious land” (Israel) where tens of thousands will fall.  Yet he shall come to his end (11:45).

Chapter 12 opens with a reminder of how difficult and tragic that time will be but also giving great hope.

1. You can be confident of your ultimate destiny.  (12:1-3)
2. You can rest assured of God’s sovereign hand guiding history to its predetermined end.  (12:4-12)
3. Our primary task is to remain faithful no matter what comes.  (12:13)

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Daniel #12: an exposition of Daniel 11:2-45. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 14, 2013.

Intro:

Speculation is rampant.  Prophecy teachers are giddy with excitement.  It seems daily there are signs that the end is near.  “Pastor do you think we are in the last days?”  Absolutely.  We have been ever sense Jesus ascended into glory!  If you mean will Jesus return in our lifetime, my answer is I don’t know but I certainly hope so.  As I survey the landscape I think we are in for some troubled, turbulent times.  Unlike my Dispensational friends, I think we’ll go through the great tribulation.  I find no assurance that we get to escape the “really bad stuff.”  Christian martyrs through the centuries would probably agree with me.  By the way I checked the Rapture Index this week and it is holding steady at 186 just 2 points off its record high.  Well what are we to do?  How are we to live?  The psalmist asked, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  What are we, the righteous, the people of God, to do when all hell breaks loose?  When society crumbles.  When wickedness and ungodliness are enthroned?  The next line in the Psalm says, “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven” (Psalm 11:3-4).  In other words what are the righteous to do?  Live righteously.  Nothing has changed.  God is still in his place and he is still in charge.  Daniel 11:32 says of a day when wickedness prevails, “…the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.”  I understand there is a degree of fear and some dread about what lies ahead.  I do believe there is coming one empowered of Satan who will wreak havoc on the earth.  I believe in a real, literal antichrist.  But we are not to loose hope.  We are not to faint with fear for our God reigns.  Daniel, 6 centuries before Christ, was given a series of visions.  Each reminding him and us that God is sovereign over all things.  He rules over men and nations.  Our text this morning is found in the 11^th chapter of Daniel.

Text: Daniel 11:2-45

• Daniel 10-12 is a unit.
• This is a single vision with a prologue (10) and a postscript (12).
• It is in keeping with previous visions.
• God is controlling history – it is His story.
• While it appears, at times, things are out of control – God’s firm hand is guiding this ship.
• Chapter 10 reminds us of the importance of a biblical perspective or worldview.
• Now we come to focus on the vision of chapter 11.

Let me begin by saying, “Chapter 11 is a difficult text.”

By difficult I mean it covers a lot of ground.

It is a prophecy of future events (from Daniel’s perspective) and covers a time period of 530 bc to the end of the world at the return of Christ!  One scholar said, “I don’t know how you preach a sermon or sermons on this text.”  I understand that perspective.  It is hard to deal with this passage without giving a history lesson.  A lesson that you would not find particularly interesting unless you are a history buff excited about the ancient Near East.

The chapter is not particularly controversial in that most all scholars (conservatives anyway) are in agreement about the subject and interpretation of the text.

The controversy comes from those who believe the prophecies are too accurate to have been written by Daniel.  They say this is, “prophecy after the fact” and written not by Daniel in the 6^th century b.c. but in the 2^nd century as a tract for troublesome times.  Encouraging the faithful to trust God and bear up under the attacks of Antiochus Epiphanes.

There are 45 verses in this chapter and a lot of history to cover so I hope to wrap this up in time for the evening service.

There is one great truth ringing loud and clear from this vision…

Thesis: The vision from Daniel 11 vividly reminds us that our God is sovereign over men and nations.

When it comes to biblical prophecy I don’t think there is anything more important or more helpful than to grasp this truth and order our lives accordingly.

I understand the command of Scripture to be aware of the times.  I know we are to watch and pray.  It is good and right to study Bible prophecy and seek to understand world events in light of the teaching of God’s Word.  But as to predicting when and how and who?  It’s not our job.  Rather we are to know the truth so that when things begin to fall in place we know this is it and we look up for our redemption draws nigh.

As we work through this chapter I want to note the astonishingly accurate prophecies of future events; the reassuring presence of God’s sovereign hand and then consider some timeless truths that must inform our our daily lives.

1. The Astonishingly accurate and detailed prophecies of world events.  (11:2-45)
2. You must not miss the reassuring presence of God’s sovereign hand through all of this.
3. Some timeless truths to guide our days.

• The kingdoms of this world are inherently unstable.
• Worldly kingdoms devise their schemes and make their plans but they cannot override the will of God.
• God is working out His purpose for His people in all the circumstances of their lives.

Gaining Biblical Perspective [ 40:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (78)

Daniel #11: an exposition of Daniel 10:1-21. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 7, 2013.

Intro:

It is a time of great political unrest.  World leaders are jockeying for position.  There are wars and rumors of wars.  It seems the power of darkness is ever increasing while the people of God are oppressed and persecuted.  When will it end?  Even among the people of God there is unrest and theological debate.  Scholars disagree over how to interpret what God is saying and the meaning of world events.  The world is in a mess.  Society is crumbling.  Where is God?  Why isn’t God doing something about this?  That’s how people were thinking in 537 B.C.!  The mighty Babylonian Empire had fallen.  The Medes and Persians were advancing.  Cyrus, king of Persia, had decreed that God’s people could return to their land and the temple could be rebuilt.  Few had returned and the work was slow.  In fact just a few months into the project it all came to a grinding halt.  Daniel, and old man, was burdened and in earnest prayer when he received his final vision.  The vision is contained in Daniel chapters ten, eleven and twelve.  It, once again, reminds Daniel and us of God’s sovereign rule over all the earth.  Our text this morning is found in the tenth chapter of Daniel.

Text: Daniel 10:1-21

The context is the 3^rd year since Cyrus had conquered Babylon (537-536).

Daniel is given a great vision.

There are some things to keep in mind about Daniel’s visions:

• First there is a vision of the grand scheme.
• Second zeros in on a certain aspect or truth.

We’ve also noted that the visions of Daniel cover the same ground.

We keep getting different perspectives of the same time period.

Of course we also note this is prophecy and not history.

It is the telling of present and/or future events from God’s perspective.

As such events tend to overlap, at times they telescope.

This distant events blends in with an event from even greater distance.

The overall point is one of encouragement – our God is in charge.

Regardless of how “out of control” things may seem, God controls all things.

Chapter 10 serves as a prologue for this last, great vision.

From this chapter we learn the importance of perspective.

We must see things in their proper relation.

This chapter (and the vision following) deals with things in Daniel’s future and our ancient past – yet there are important principles for us to learn.  Principles that relate directly to how we are to live today.  In fact from this text we learn…

Thesis: If we are to live as God intends we must understand and engage the world from a biblical perspective.

Perspective is everything.  The grid through which I view the world, understand and interpret world events determines how I live.  Our faith is to be an active faith.  I believe certain things because the Word of God informs me.  Those beliefs then are used to interpret and understand what’s going on around me and my response to those events.  You are not to “trust Jesus” and then live out your days doing your thing until you die and go to heaven.  You are to think biblically.  You are to act righteously.  You are to engage the world as a follower of Christ.  This passage gives us some insight into how we are to do just that.

Let me point to 3 things from our text.

1. Believers are rightly burdened by the surrounding wickedness and the lack of progress in godliness.  (10:1-3)
2. Believers must view everything from the perspective of God’s sovereignty and sufficiency.  (10:4-9)
3. Believers must understand the great reality behind what they see.  (10:10-21)