Sermon Tone Analysis

It’s been said: “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”

And this is true.

Time flies.

History rolls on.

This, we find in the book of Daniel, chapters 10-12.

Daniel receives a vision of the future, and as we saw last week, a brief history of the world from the 5th Century before Christ until the end of time.

Time flies.

Anyone who has lived any length of time knows this.

It just seems like yesterday that I was in grade school.

Meghann’s thinking just yesterday I was acting like I was in grade school.

I don’t feel my age.

I can hardly believe that I’m as old as I am; it doesn’t seem possible.

Don Swope and I have had this conversation—he’s decades older than he feels, decades and decades and decades.

Don’t even get me started on John Hough...

Time flies.

But not without a purpose, not without an appointed end.

Several times in the vision Daniel receives, the angelic messenger speaking to him refers to the appointed time.

Time flies like an arrow.

Time is moving toward its appointed end, and quick.

“The end is near,” so say the street-corner preachers.

“The end is near,” so says me. “The end is near,” so says the Bible.

>Whenever the end comes (we don’t know when that will be, be cautious of anyone who claims to know), whenever the end comes (pray for that day to come quickly—Maranatha!

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!)—whenever the end comes, Daniel tells us, there will be great distress, a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.

That’s saying something, considering the persecution of and hatred toward God’s people throughout the centuries.

We—the people of God who belong to Him by faith in His Son—must brace ourselves for what is to come.

Time flies and it’s flying toward this, what Daniel chapter 12 refers to as great distress.

>If you have your Bible (and I hope you do) please turn with me to Daniel 12.

And if you’re able and willing, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Holy, inspired Word.

Daniel 12, beginning with verse 1:

May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!

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We’re going to take this in two parts, but I wanted us to have read Daniel 12 in its entirety this morning, so that we get a full picture and see it all together.

Daniel 12 is the concluding part of the vision Daniel has received, and it’s connected to what came before.

The opening phrase of Daniel 12 looks back to the last 10 verses of Daniel 11.

At that time—the opening words of Daniel 12:1—refers to the time of the king who does as he pleases ( introduced to us in 11:36).

At that time refers to the time of the final antichrist.

At the time of the antichrist, Daniel’s people will find themselves in great distress, but they won’t be alone.

Michael, the great prince who protects Daniel’s people, will arise and be with them to protect them.

“God’s people will not be left alone in the fiery trials in the times ahead.

Their angelic representative, Michael, will rise up to deliver them.”-

ESV Study Bible

Dale Ralph Davis paints a beautiful picture saying, “There are unseen legions standing behind the wobbly people of God in their darkest trouble.”

The angelic messenger speaking to Daniel uses the phrase “your people” twice in verse 1.

Who are Daniel’s people here?

Does your people refer to Daniel’s friends and countrymen who are with him in exile?

Does your people refer the Jewish people in general, the nation of Israel?

Who are your people here?

This is significant; this is important.

This matters for what follows.

Look at the end of verse 1; we’re told to whom your people refers:

But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

This book is the Lamb’s Book of Life—the book of the Lamb who was slain, the book which records the names of those guaranteed salvation because they belong to Christ.

Everyone whose name is found written in the book are protected; they will find help from God and His angels.

Everyone whose name is found written in the book are protected, and they will be delivered/rescued by God.

Everyone whose name is found written in the book will experience everlasting life (v.

2).

This begs the question: is your name written in that book?

No one’s name is written in that book because they deserve it to be.

No one’s name is written in that book because they’ve earned a spot courtesy of their good works, good deeds, good behavior.

No one’s name is written there because of their place of birth or because of who their family is.

No one’s name is written there because their church attendance or religious service.

Every name found written in that book is there for one reason: they’ve placed their faith in the One who is able to save them.

Is your name written in that book?

Have you put your faith in the Lord, the One who rescues people from the dominion of darkness?

Have you put your faith in the One who brings people into the Kingdom of the Son He loves?

Have you given your life to Jesus, the One who brings redemption, the One who forgives sins?

I pray your name is written in that book.

I pray for you, Christian, you who belong to Christ, that you have the steadfast assurance of knowing that your name is written there with the precious, permanent, indelible blood of Christ.

>Daniel and “his people”—all whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life—are headed somewhere.

Life is not without purpose, nor is it random.

History is moving somewhere; people are headed toward something.

This is the message of Daniel 12.

The future is headed somewhere

The future is headed toward a time of great distress (v. 1)

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.

This unparalleled time of trouble is sometimes identified with the “great tribulation” foretold by Jesus:

The Bible promises us that the last days (that is, the period between Pentecost—the beginning of the Church, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the people of God—and the return of Christ) this time—from Pentecost to the Return of Jesus—will be filled with times of special stress and danger.

This turbulent time will reach its apex, this will reach fever pitch at the time of the end, the time of the antichrist.

The message of Christ to His Church: “It’s going to get really tough; it’s going to be really bad…and then, it’s going to get really, really bad.”

We can debate the ins and outs of this.

We can disagree on the interpretation of the details (and I’m guessing we probably will).

There is a lot of discussion about whether God’s people will suffer this, the worst of this distress, or if we’ll be spared it.

We know, because the Bible tells us, that history is headed toward this time of great, untold distress/trouble/anguish.

But, will we be spared the worst of it?

I don’t think so.

We are in the last days, this we know.

I’m afraid to tell you, though, I don’t believe that we’ll escape the worst of it.

I believe we will go through it along with everyone else.

I see where the theology that teaches we escape the worst of it comes from.

They read the end of verse 1: But at that time your people…will be delivered and they think, “Whew!

Good deal!

We’re going to be delivered from all that!”

But Jesus never speaks of removing or “rapturing” believers from the events of the world.

A normal reading of Matthew 24-25 gives no impression of a departure from the tribulation.

Rather, Jesus speaks to His followers (both then and now) as if they would/could experience the time of great distress.

As we read the end of verse 1, we can come to a different conclusion than that we’re delivered from experiencing the tribulation.

We’re delivered even though there’s great distress (this is no less good news).

The Lord is with us.

His angels are protecting us.

We are not alone.

We will be delivered, no matter what this world, the antichrist, Satan, or his demons do to us.

We will be delivered.