Our scripture reading today is taken from Daniel chapter 12. Which, if you're using the black Bibles that are provided for you, is on page 890. So we began looking at the book of Daniel several, maybe several weeks ago, I guess several, at least 12 weeks, 13 weeks ago, with a few breaks in between, and decided that the visions in Daniel actually made for a good Advent series, and so we didn't stop and go to anything more traditional, but so today we come to Interestingly, the end of Daniel, the end of Advent, the end of the year, the end of the fourth vision, and as we'll see, the end. So let's stand for the reading of God's word, Daniel chapter 12. So if you've been here for three weeks, you've been warned that Daniel chapter 10 was a confusing chapter. Daniel chapter 11 was a long, confusing chapter. And now we finally come to Daniel chapter 12, a short, confusing chapter. This is the word of God. At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation until that time. But at that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life. and 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 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 behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. And someone said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the stream, how long shall it be till the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the stream. He raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by Him who lives forever, that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be finished. I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, oh, my Lord, what shall be the outcome of these things? He said, go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined. But the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1290 days. Blessed is he who waits and arrives at 1,335 days, but go your way till the end, and you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days. The grass withers and the flowers fade, and yet the word of the Lord remains forever. You may be seated. So just by way of reminder, and also you can go back and read, chapters 10, 11, and 12 are all one final vision for Daniel. Chapter 10 is sort of the introductory, introduction to the vision. Chapter 11 is most of the vision, and then chapter 12 is just sort of the conclusion of the vision, and then some footnotes, or question and answer period. So really the whole vision of this ends in the first three verses. And then, or excuse me, the first four verses. And then come the questions, some questions from an angel, and then a question from Daniel. But first, the vision itself. And we have to admit, as we read this, or as you hear it, it doesn't sound all that encouraging. It sounds like an end that's going to be pretty difficult. It sounds like an end that's going to be hard and hard on God's people. And yet in this, in this hardness, in this darkness, there is help for God's people who seem helpless. There is light even shining in this dark vision. But as we'll see, not everyone on whom light shines is comforted by that light. So let's look at this first section, just the main part of the vision. Help for the helpless and light for the darkness. Michael is mentioned again. He's just an angel. He had shown up in chapter 9, I believe, chapters 9 and 10. We see that there is more going on in this world than what meets the eye. There are battles over hearts and over our very decisions and what would encourage and what would discourage that go on behind the scenes. Michael seems to have a very special interest, specific interest in guarding God's people. And we saw him in chapter nine and 10, that he waged war against fallen principalities. We're told here at the very beginning, at the end of the vision, the beginning of our section here, that there will be a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation of God's people. You know, we often think that dark and difficult times are more endurable if we just know when the end is coming. If we can just be given a glimpse of how long this is going to be. The Psalms are full of laments. in which the psalmist expresses the very idea of how long, how long is this going to be? How long do I have to face this? This week I counted no fewer than at least a dozen, at least 12 psalms that somewhere in the psalm, even if the psalm isn't a psalm of lament, somewhere in it is this cry of how long will this be? How long will I face this? How long will I deal with this sin? How long must I feel alone and abandoned and helpless and hopeless? And the answer in Daniel chapter 12 is not as encouraging as you might think, or at least as what you might be looking for. The answer is essentially it is bad, it will be bad, it will get worse, and when it is at its worst, your people will be delivered. So when the trial, the tribulation, the difficulty, the struggle is at its worst, that is when your people will be delivered. And as if The angel anticipates the question, well, who are Daniel's people? Like, we think we know, but then he gives the answer right there. Who? Those whose names are written in the book. They will be delivered once and for all. In fact, they will receive resurrection from the dead. In Revelation, we're told that all of God's children, all of the elect, all of those who have been chosen and forgiven and have come to God in repentance and faith, their names are written in the book of life. And here in Daniel, in the Old Testament even, is this reminder of this book that has the names of God's people written in it. And their deliverance is so sure that even death itself will not stop God from delivering them. They will even be resurrected from the dead. There's many who claim that, you know, you don't find any language about resurrection from the dead in the Old Testament. That's kind of a New Testament idea. And that's a strange thing to claim. If you've read Daniel 12, smack in the middle of the Old Testament. Promising God's people there will be a resurrection from the dead, you will be delivered even from the dust itself. And maybe that doesn't sound much like the hope that you were hoping for. Maybe that doesn't sound quite like the deliverance from trial and struggle and pain and sorrow that you had hoped would come from following God or following Jesus. It could be that you have been deceived. Sadly, even by things that the church might promote that. That if you follow God or Jesus, if you commit your life to Jesus. Your trials will end. Your struggles will be over. Pain and sorrow. That'll be a thing in the past. You'll have such a wonderful testimony to give to others of oh, once I had a hard life. But then I came to Jesus and. and I got a straighter back, and I got straighter teeth, and whiter teeth, and nothing bad ever happened to me ever again. The trouble is, Scripture doesn't indicate that nothing bad is ever going to happen to you again if you come to Christ, if you follow God. And maybe it's that we don't find much comfort in Daniel 12 because we don't think often enough about that final resurrection. It just seems so far away. And it's hard to get our heads around just how good it's going to be. Because we don't have any experience here on earth of it. And we have little tastes, we have little moments, but the reality is every taste of glory, every taste of joy, every taste of goodness is stained, is shadowed, is tarnished by the effects of sin. By the impact of sin of death and of loss and of trial, but. But the Bible holds out. That the resurrection from the dead, the end of these things is. Is so good. It's such a good thing that Paul will even say that. Like when you compare. The glory of what's coming. to the pain of what's now, he says, these are light and momentary trials. He says, it's not even worth comparing to the good that's coming. And for many of you, that needs to be a hope that you cling to. Because for many of us, the trial, the pain, the sorrow of the now is pretty overwhelming. It's pretty daunting. It's hard to see beyond. The shadow. That's why the passage we used for our meditation from from Revelation, I saw a new heaven, a new earth. It's in your I think it's in your bulletin, but it's Revelation 21. And I'll just read all the way through verse 7. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death will be no more. Neither shall there be mourning or crying or pain for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. And he said, write this down for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me, it is done. I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end to the thirsty. I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God. and He will be my Son. Verse two in Daniel here tells us that there will be a multitude of those who are asleep in the dust. A multitude of those who sleep in the dust shall awake, and the wise will shine like the brightness of the skies. And those who turn others toward righteousness will shine like the stars in the sky. And Revelation is full of this language of how bright the new heavens and the new earth will be. And there won't even be a need for a sun anymore because the brightness of the Son of God will shine. And here Daniel is being told and we are being told that we ourselves Those who were wise in following and submitting to God, those who have turned others toward righteousness will shine like the stars in the universe. But there's a warning in this verse, isn't there? And we would be foolish to just skip over it and try to only focus on what little light we can even find in this chapter. The resurrection is sure, the resurrection is true, the resurrection is absolute for everyone. All of humanity has an eternal soul, but not everyone will be resurrected unto life. There are those who will be resurrected unto shame and contempt and misery. As Revelation puts it, they will be resurrected unto death. They will experience the second death. In fact, that's what verse 8 of Revelation 21 says. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, the murderers, the sorcerers, the idolaters, all of the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is a second death. And I know that this is a weird way to end Advent and a weird way to end the year. And I know that preachers get a reputation of what we even call them. They're fire and brimstone preachers, talking about hell and fire and sulfur and all of these things. But brothers and sisters, the warning is real. Is your name written in the book? Wow, how do you get your name written in the book? How do you get your name on that list? You repent. You trust God and his faithful and true word. And you come to the waters and drink. Without purchasing. You receive the passage from Isaiah that we've read. Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. He who has no money, come, buy, eat. Buy wine, buy milk without money, without price. Why would you spend your money on things that are not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen to me, eat what is good, delight yourself in the rich food, incline your ear and come to me. Hear that your soul may live. And I will make with you an everlasting covenant." It is truly good news. It is the only good news that helps with the pain and the sorrow and the struggle and the guilt and the shame. It is all going to come to an end. And maybe it doesn't feel like it's much good news to say, but the struggle will last as long as you live. As long as you are here on this earth, it will be hard. Some days will be harder, some days won't be. But the struggle will remain as long as we live. On Wednesday morning, my wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table in a far too quiet house. And I was weeping. And And through sobs, between sobs, I said to Amy, this is the rest of our lives. And while maybe Three Christmases is too few to judge what the rest of the Christmases will feel like. The reality is that it is the rest of our lives. And it is okay to weep over the brokenness of this world. The brokenness of your life. It is OK to ask. How long? How long? Because even the angels who are looking on wondered that very question, didn't they? How long? You know, two other angels show up. And they want to know how long is this trial going to be? How long is this darkness? How long will these wonders, how long till it's the end of these wonders? And the angel, the one clothed in linen, who's been giving the whole vision the whole time, this one who's just this glorious picture of a warrior, And he says that that he raises his right hand as if to swear. By the God of heaven. And then realizes that that's not that's not quite enough. And so he raises his left hand. As if to say, let me, I swear to you by both hands, raised to the God who reigns forever, to the God in chapter 7, the Ancient of Days who sits on His throne. I swear to you by that God, by the name of the God Most High, This will all be for a time and times and half a time. And then everyone thinks, oh, thank you. Very helpful. How long will it be? For a time, and two times, and a half a time. Oh. Do I, does anyone have a calendar divided into time, times, and half a time? I don't, what, what in the world? In one sense, he's saying it's for three and a half times. So it's half of seven, so it's not six times, it's not even close to seven, it's for half of seven, it's for a limited time. It's not going to be forever. Will this be? My wife and my life for the rest of our lives on earth, yes. But that is such a short amount of time compared to how much time after the restoration, after the tears are wiped out of our eyes, after there's no more death and no more sorrow and no more sin, That's such a short time. That's such a short time. There's a limit. There's an end. But he even says again, it's not going to get better without the coming of the conqueror. He says, when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, these things will be finished. When the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, That's when you know it's finished. There is a strange, it's not that strange, but there's a common view, maybe it's just optimistic, among Christians that the church is getting better and better. And we're doing better and better at dealing with sin, and we're getting a little bit holier and a little bit holier, and that is what's going to be the sign that Christ returns as the church gets better and better and better, and then finally Christ will come back. And you can't get that at all out of Daniel 12. He says, do you know what the sign of the returning conqueror will be? The power of God's people will be shattered. That's not getting better and better. That's a very dark time. The promise of deliverance seems to be accompanied by a promise of pain and trial and darkness and shattering. And if we focus on the pain and darkness and shattering, the promise of deliverance barely sounds encouraging. In fact, that's Daniel's struggle, isn't it? Even after hearing the very weird answer, Daniel himself says, okay, but no, really though, how long? And to hear of how bad and how dark it's going to be, Daniel asks, well, how will it end? What will be the end of these things? What is the outcome of these things going to be if the holy people of God will struggle and be shattered and only then find deliverance? Will there be any of God's people left to deliver? And lest you think that this is Daniel being kind of weak and sinful in his wondering of this. Do you know Jesus voiced a similar question? In Luke chapter 8. He's talking about wickedness and and evil judges and and just how how we can cry to God for justice and know that he listens and that he hears and that he delivers. And he says in Luke 8, he says, wouldn't God give justice to His elect who cry to Him day and night? Would He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily. And then listen to this. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth? I think for too many of us, we're not ready for the trial to last as long as it's going to last. And again, as long as I can know there's an end, as long as I can know that there will be a change, then maybe I can endure. But if it doesn't change, what is the point? Daniel hears all this, he hears the very negative answers. And he says, what's going to be the end of this? What's the outcome? And here's the angel's answer to Daniel. He says, Daniel, go your way. Daniel. Continue living. Continue serving. Continue working. Continue doing what you know God has called you to do. The words are sealed. It's certain. It is going to happen. I have raised both hands. I have sworn by the God who reigns forever. The end will come and with it will be deliverance and resurrection from the dead. Yes, and in the meantime, many will purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined. Yes, there will be many who will die in the service of God. And even their death will not be the enemy's victory, but they will be purified. They will be made white. They will be refined. There's that beautiful run-on sentence in 1 Peter, where Peter is praising God for the salvation that he has worked. In 1 Peter 1, 3 to 9, he says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again. to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold, which perishes though it is refined by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. I used to think that all that meant was that Peter was really impressed that people who never met Jesus were believing in Jesus. Though you didn't see Him, you believe in Him. And that makes sense. That's true, I think, still. I still believe that. But then the second sentence doesn't make much sense, does it? And though you do not now see him, you still trust him. And he can't just be saying, well, you didn't see him then, and you don't see him now. I mean, that would be like me saying to you, now listen, I know that you all don't see Justin now, but he is real. I was like, yeah, okay. I mean, just because you don't see him doesn't mean he's not real. I was like, yeah, I know how that works. Is it possible that even as he's talking to them about, though some of you, your faith is being tested, being refined in the fire, and maybe it's a reminder that, listen, there's going to be times that you can't see Jesus. That the refining, that the fire, that the darkness, that the smoke, that the clouds, that the pain, the sorrow, the struggle with sin, the struggle with loss, the struggle with trauma, like all of these things are so overshadowing that you just can't see Jesus. But you can still trust Him. You can believe. And you can rejoice with a joy that is sometimes inexpressible. And he says, look, the angel says, look, the wicked are going to act wickedly. Don't be so shocked by that. The wise will understand. And then it's almost as if he just repeats the answer. He just breaks it down a little more. He says, for 1,290 days. And so we're leaving the book of Daniel. So this is the last time I'm going to tell you this. So get your pens ready. I'm going to explain the 1,290 days. Ready? Write it down. This is the most important thing you can remember. I don't know. You don't know. It is weirdly three and a half years. If you count a standard Jewish calendar with like 30 days and like you add it all up and divide it all out, suddenly you get to an odd three and a half years. So what is he saying? He says it's going to last as long as it lasts. It's going to be awful. But you know what? Blessed are those who endure even beyond. This is how long it's going to last. Can you make it to that and just a little farther? Just 45 more days. Just get beyond that. Just realize it'll go past the worst. The sun comes up tomorrow. Don't give up. Don't lose hope. It's interesting, he repeats, go your way, Daniel, go your way till the end. Just continue your faithful living. Just live. Living your life will show that you are trusting your God. And what a beautiful promise. And listen, Daniel, you will find rest. You will find rest. It could be that he's simply telling him, Daniel, you're going to die one day and your body will be laid to rest. Or it could be that he's encouraging him to realize, Daniel. You can trust the God who reigns forever. You can rest. In him. Because you will stand in your allotted place one day. It is sure. Your name is in the book. Nothing can blot it out. Go your way. You will rest. You will stand in your allotted place. It's interesting, you know, Matthew 11. When John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus. Because the darkness is only getting darker for John. He's now in prison. He's going to be beheaded. Not that he knows this yet. But he sees no deliverance and he thought he was doing the work that God called him to do. He was preparing the way. He was preparing God's people to hear about the Lord and to hear about the Messiah and this is not the life he thought he was going to receive for being obedient to the call of God. He thought maybe there was a little quid pro quo. I do the hard things that you call me to do and you make my life really nice and easy. Or maybe just not too hard. And here he is in prison and he sends his disciples, are you the one or should we look for another? And Jesus gives him an answer, and he explains through scripture. He says, listen, go and tell them what you see. Tell them the deaf are receiving their hearing. The blind are receiving their sight. The poor are having the good news preached to them. And then, do you remember what he says to the disciples of John? He says, blessed is the one who does not fall away because of me. Blessed is the one who does not misunderstand what this life is about and what I came to do for you. When the end comes, it will come with the resurrected Jesus announcing, it is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega. There will be no more weeping, no more death, no more sorrow, no more sin. He comes to make his blessings flow as far as the curse is found. And so you go your way, rest, and be assured that you have a reserved spot. Let's pray. Father, we thank you. We do not need to know How it all will end, to know that it all will end. We praise you and thank you that you are never not sovereign. And while there are times that We cannot see you, Jesus. Help us to believe in you, to trust you, to endure to the end and beyond. In Jesus' name, amen.