Daniel 12 • Not the End
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(This transcript was prepared using software tools and has not been reviewed for complete accuracy.)
This is a wonderful time of the year.
>>> And thank you so much, Noah, Hannah, and Jeremy, for helping us to find the gratitude in our heart coming off the thanksgiving season and also as we think of Christmas just a few weeks away.
>>> But this is the first Sunday in Advent.
The next four Sundays are considered Advent Sundays, and they're all about preparation, all about expectation.
And there's a song, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel."
So you really get the feel of the pulse and the beat.
>>> Go ahead, Tom Family.
>>> That really that there is this expectation, this longing that's desired, the hope of Israel, full deliverance coming in Jesus Christ.
And we are blessed this morning to have the Tom Family leading off in the very first of our Advent candles.
>>> Good morning.
My name is Kevin Tom, and I'd like to introduce those who are involved in lighting the Advent cal--, candle.
First, my immediate family: Sabrina, my wife, and our sons, Kendall, Kolby, and Kaleb.
Joining us to our right are the Reeves' Family: Roger Reeves, Sonya, his wife, who is also Sabrina's sister, and their daughter, Elizabeth and Isabel.
The first candle in the Advent Wreath is the called the Prophecy Candle.
We are reminded of the words spoken by the prophets who foretold of Christ's birth hundreds of years before He came.
We read now from Isaiah chapter 9 verse 2-3 and 6-7.
>>> "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For to us a child is born, to us a son was given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this."
7 Joy to the world 7
7 The Lord is come 7
7 Let earth receive her King 7
7 Let every heart 7
7 Prepare Him room 7
7 And heaven and nature sing 7
7 And heaven and nature sing 7
7 And heaven and heaven and nature sing 7
7 No more let sins and sorrows grow 7
7 Nor thorns infest the ground 7
7 He comes to make 7
7 His blessings flow 7
7 Far as the curse is found 7
7 Far as the curse is found 7
7 Far as far as the curse is found 7 7
>>> Please stand and sing with us.
He rules the world.
>>> And wonders of His love.
>>> As we're getting things arranged here, let me remind you we are looking at Daniel chapter 12 today, Daniel chapter 12.
So we come to the end of a vision in the book of Daniel that's gone all the way from chapter 10, 11, and through 12.
We come to the end of the vision and also to the end of the book of Daniel.
But you're about to see it's not really the end at all.
Daniel chapter 12.
Let's stand as we honor God's Word.
Daniel chapter 12.
I'll read verses 1 and 2 to remind us of where we are in the vision, and then we'll look at a further portion later in the chapter.
Daniel chapter 12, "'At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people.
And there shall come a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till 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.'"
Those who rise to life we are told will shine like the stars of the heaven.
Verse 9 continues as Daniel himself, verse 5 as Daniel himself responds now to the vision.
Verse 5 of chapter 12, "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, and 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, 'O 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.'"
Let's stop there for now and pray for God's blessing.
>>> Father, even the prophet within the scriptures heard these words from a man in white linen and said, "I do not understand."
And, yet, that same one blessed him and said, "Go your way, in the knowledge that you may rest in God's appointment for all time.
You are secure in Him."
Teach us this day of that security, which gives us hope in the immediate as well as a vision of the future.
For we need You every day.
And so we ask Your blessing.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
>>> Please be seated.
Paddle and pray: words famous in our household because at an event some years ago, my father used to host an annual family reunion in hearty Arkansas where one of the regular events is that we would be on a canoe trip down the Spring River.
We all remember the very first trip when we did not know what was ahead in the river.
I was in a canoe with my wife, Kathy, and our then 5-year-old daughter, and we were behind some other canoes in which other family members were progressing ahead of us into a set of rapids.
They got into the rapids, and then the boat in the lead disappeared.
I mean, it was gone.
And then the boat following them disappeared.
I mean, like, over the edge of the earth.
And suddenly we realized the rapids were not merely rapids: It was a waterfall, and we didn't know it was coming.
I immediately steered our canoe toward the shore and said to my crew, "Paddle, paddle!"
My wife, who is more spiritual, said, "Pray, pray!"
[Laughter]
So the preach said, "Paddle and pray!"
Well, the person in the middle of our canoe, who was about 5 years old, did not paddle or pray.
She closed her eyes and screamed in terror, at which point her distress began to worry me more than the waterfall that was ahead.
And so to break into her consciousness and to her awareness, I said, "Cori, Cori, Cori, look at me!
Look at me!"
And she finally did open her eyes to look at me and stopped crying, because I had stepped out of the canoe and was holding it.
The water was only about a foot deep.
[Laughter]
And by standing in the water, I could see the waterfall was only about four feet high.
We were going to be just fine.
Even though we might get drenched, we weren't going to be destroyed.
And that knowledge gave us the peace and the strength we needed for the rest of the journey.
In this portion of the book of Daniel, there's a man in white linen who ultimately rises above a raging river where all the world can see.
And his purpose is to remind us that the distress that we may experience now is not the end of the journey.
It's not the end.
There is something better for God's people.
That thing that is better is explained here as the Lord's deliverance.
The opening verses that we touched on last week tell us again how great is the rescue that is before us.
It is number one a rescue from death that is being promised by the man in white linen.
Verses 1 and 2 of Daniel chapter 12, "'At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people.
And there shall come a time of trouble, such as has never been since there was a nation till that time.'"
A time of great distress.
The river of history taking you into great trouble.
But what will happen?
"'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 to contempt that is everlasting.'"
They are words that are significant in all the Bible.
There are those whose names are written in the book who shall be saved.
Even though they lie in the dust of the earth dead, they shall be resurrected.
It is the clearest passage in the Old Testament of the double resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
We are immortal beings, and the reality is we will all one day face a judgment.
And there are those who will be raised unto everlasting life, just as there are those who will be raised to everlasting contempt.
But those who know life are those whose names are written in the book.
It's actually key to the very last chapter of the Old Testament, not the last chapter, the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi 3:16, where we are told the host of heaven speak to one another and the Lord calls for the book whereupon are written the names of those who fear the Lord and will be saved.
And at the end of the New Testament, at the end of the book of Revelation, we are told again of the Lamb's Book of Life wherein are recorded the names of those who will be saved for everlasting days.
There is no greater cause for thanksgiving among God's people than the knowledge that there is a resurrection.
And even those who have died, who have died in the Lord, whose names have been written in the Book of Life forever will be raised to life with their Lord.
That includes us and even those who love Him who have gone before us.
I've been here long enough to look around and know that when I say that, there are those of you for whom that means almost everything.
That someone you love you will see again.
They shall be raised.
It's the holiday season, and for my family, there are all kinds of mixed emotions that occur.
My family is here today, our kids.
And for us, Thanksgiving just a few years ago was the diagnosis of Kathy's father with a very aggressive cancer.
He died on Christmas Day.
That fast, from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Because Kathy's family is musical, they gathered around the hospice bed that had been set up in the living room and Kathy and her sisters sang the songs of the season to their father as he was preparing for his heavenly home.
I think of the one that Pastor Kerry already mentioned today: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."
The words, "From depths of hell Thy people save and give them victory over the grave.
O come, Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe the way that leads on high and close the path to misery."
It's our blessing.
God has closed the path to cancer, to misery, to pain.
And instead, He has opened the door of heaven.
And those who have loved Him are made right beyond their ability, beyond their physical incapacity.
They are restored.
They are resurrected.
Life eternal begins.
And there is rescue from death itself.
And that is beautiful and wonderful cause for thanksgiving.
But not our only cause, because Daniel, as he records what the man in white has said, says, "Everyone who believes, whose name is written in the book shall not only be saved from death but they shall be given life everlasting."
The middle of verse 2, "Those who even awake from the dust of the earth will wake to everlasting life."
It's not just rescue from death: It is rescue from decay.
Often in the church when we hear the words about everlasting life, we only think about duration.
But what is being promised is the erasure, the annulling of corruption, that we recognize that when sin entered this world, all types of hurt and pain and shame and disability of body and mind came as well.
And what God is promising when He promises that everlasting life is that corruption itself will be annulled, that there is not just an end to death: There is restoration; there is renewal; things are made right again.
And for some of us, that means everything as well.
Not just no cancer, no autism, no Asperger's, no shame, no hurt, no tears: That too is ahead of us.
I think with my family gathered here of what it means to us.
I've told you before of my brother, Jeff, who's in prison.
Even though he's in his 50's now, he has the mind of an 8 year old.
With that mind, he did commit crimes for which he is in prison and will be a long time there.
What does it mean for my family to believe that there is not just resurrection but there is renewal?
I wrote what it meant to me to a friend some years ago: "Not only will my imprisoned brother know God's full forgiveness.
His body will be healthy.
His mind will be made clear.
His heart will be pure.
He will mentally and physically be whole for the first time in his existence, because he was damaged at birth.
His healing and his wholeness will be eternal, every day for ten thousand years times ten thousand.
He will walk about in glory with his head up and his eyes bright and his heart pure.
And for this, I say, 'Thank You, God, and praise You, Jesus.'"
He will make it right, for which we rejoice and give praise.
What a great blessing of the Lord, to let us look into the future and open heaven wide and say, "I will make things right for My people who trust in Me, not because they have done right.
But those who trust in Me have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life and I will hold them securely."
But if we just think about that in some future context, we have not understood all that God is saying to us.
If I end this moment, believe that there is a resurrection, then I believe in the One who is declared in the scriptures to be the resurrection and the life.
But at this time, I'm reminded as well: His name was Emmanuel.
The one who is the resurrection and the life is God with us.
And that means because I believe there is a transforming power in the future, I believe that same God is operative today.
All things are working together for good, because He is the one who is orchestrating the world according to His transforming power.
My mind, my heart, our interactions, our families, our loved ones, our coworkers: All is being under the control of a transforming power of the One who is able even to bring death into life.
That transforming power is not just a future promise: It is a present reality that changes what we are willing to see and live even now.
I think of the words of the author Clay Werner.
He wrote it this way: "Resurrection power is actually all around us, if God is with us.
When a father gives a eulogy at the funeral of his daughter who died in the womb and explains that that girl is already perfected in glory and is therefore with her heavenly Father already and forever, that is resurrection power.
Resurrection power is at work when a 97-year-old widow who held the hand of her husband every day 'til he died tells her family, 'Every time I looked in my dear one's eyes, I saw the Living Christ in him.'
That is resurrection power.
Resurrection power is at work when deacons bring hope to life by serving meals to the power in the name of Christ.
Resurrection power was there," he writes, "when I counseled a young couple who were getting a divorce without biblical warrant.
I asked them, 'Do you believe in the resurrection?'
'Of course,' they said.
I gently responded, 'So you believe Jesus, God can raise Jesus from the dead, but He cannot transform your marriage?'"
He said, "They left the office in anger.
But a year and a half later walked into the office in tears."
He wrote, "I expected a report of the divorce.
Instead, they say, 'It is amazing what God has done.
We are one.'"
That was the power of the resurrection.
God met them in their weakness and their humanity, in their sin, in their shame, and transformed, as they turned to Him, trusted in Him, believed in a resurrection power.
What we have to recognize is because we shall live, we can live fully, wholly, in trust, without bitterness, without beginning to say, "God hasn't picked up His part of the bargain.
God isn't doing what He should."
No, if I believe that the scales will be balanced, that things will be made right and done so eternally, then I begin to see this life through the lens of that life, and it transforms what I see and believe and the way that I live, even now.
What I'm being rescued is not just from death and decay but from the deceit of this world.
You must recognize that for Daniel, what paraded before him as reality was the captivity of his people for 70 years: was the reality that there would be Antiochus who would perform abominations and murder many of his people; that the antichrist was ahead who'd provide terrible, terrible hurt to God's people for decades to come.
And that parades as the reality.
Here it is.
It's evil.
It's unstoppable.
But when you believe in the resurrection, then you actually believe that the victory is the true vision that you should have; that death does not have the end; that evil is not the victor; that God has an answer; that there is ultimately a balancing of the scales; that those who live for the purposes of Christ, even in the brief time of affliction they may have, though it may be 50 years of a marriage, though it may be months and months of affliction through the disease that is now seeming to devastate you and your family; that God is saying, "I am still the resurrection and the life, and those who believe in Me, though they die, yet shall they live."
And knowing that now enables me to live without bitterness, without anger, with true love for God and His people, to make my life and my witness a reality to the true things that are forever and not be overwhelmed by what is in the foreground of my experience.
Instead, I have the Word of God that is saying, "This is the reality: An eternity with God is yours."
And so sure is that word that God makes sure through Daniel to secure it.
It's verse 4.
He says to Daniel, "'For you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book.'"
Listen, don't add, don't subtract.
This is what I have told you.
"'Shut that up and seal it.'"
It's not the sealing as in sealing an envelope but the notion of putting upon it the mark of God's own certification.
This is what I have told you.
This is what is real.
You shut these words up.
You make sure this is what is said to God's people.
And make sure they know it has the seal of God's own authority upon it.
When you know that, you can face whatever life holds with the surety and the certainty of God's Word, that what He has said is true.
And the momentary realities are not the eternal realities.
Now, if you were hearing all of that, even from the man in white linen, you might have a few questions.
Is that the true reality?
Is that what I can bank on, even though you have told me there will be some hard things in the path?
If the journey is hard, how do I know that the end is not also hard?
If you heard these visions, you would have some questions.
Daniel has "I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on the bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream."
Now, we don't know for sure who these people are, if they're people.
One on this bank of the stream, one on that bank of the stream.
There's only been two visionaries that have appeared in these latter chapters of the book of Daniel: Gabriel in chapter 9.
He was the one who came as the messenger to God's people.
And when he came, he stood on the banks of the Ulai, which was a tributary into the Tigris.
Later do you remember chapter 10, Michael.
He stands on the bank of the Tigris.
Here are the two angels of God: the one who gives understanding to God's people, Gabriel, and the one who wars for God's people, is their power; that is Michael.
Now these two probable angelic beings, they stand on the banks of the river.
And the vision is still going of the man in white linen.
And what happens now?
One of these persons on the banks asks a question.
"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?'"
Now, that's a legitimate question.
You have told me that there's Antiochus Epiphanes coming, and he is going to do terrible things to God's people and God's temple.
And then you have looked forward even further into history, and you have said, "There is an antichrist who is coming, one who will war against God's anointed one, who will be against the purposes of the Messiah."
But now you are saying that there's going to be resurrection and things will be made right and they will be made whole.
Alright, I've got a question: When's this going to happen?
It's even asked by one of the men, or beings, that is standing by the river.
Think of what happens next.
There's not an answer immediately.
Instead, there is the certification of the one who's going to answer.
I'm going to take you back to verse 6.
"Someone said to the man clothed in linen."
Now let's just stop there.
We've wondered from the beginning who this is.
In chapter 10, do you remember, he was one who appeared in white linen.
And we know from the prophecies surrounding that time, he had already declared that he had the help of Michael, or even wanted the help of Michael, fighting against the Persian princes to let God's people go and raise Daniel out of depression.
Well, that doesn't necessarily sound like the Lord Jesus who would need the help of an angel.
But by the time you get to chapter 10, you begin to learn, no, no, listen: This man in white linen actually gives strength to the angel who comes to help him.
And he's in white linen.
He is pure.
He's untainted by earth's stain.
And now, amazingly, he rises above the water of the Tigris, a raging river into which the Assyrians, when they had battle victories, threw the dead bodies of their enemies.
This one in white linen rises above humanity, rises above the angels.
He is pure, and he rises above the river of death.
Who do you think this is?
We cannot say with certainty that this is the Lord Jesus, but so many things echo that this would be the Lord Jesus appearing before His people, even in ancient time, to say, "I got this.
You can trust Me.
What I'm about to say is certified by the reality of who I am."
And that reality is certified even more with the verd--, words of verse 7.
Daniel writes, "I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand."
Now, if you're going to swear as a Jew, you would raise your right hand.
If you're going to say, "This is true," in a court of Jewish law, you would raise your right hand.
But, "He raised his right hand and his left hand," not now in the attitude of one who is swearing in as a witness but a priest who is about to bless.
And with both hands raised, what then?
"He raised his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever."
Well, no good Jew would do that.
You could not even mention that name of Yahweh.
And now there is one who rises above the raging rivers as the Spirit of God did upon the waters at creation, as Jesus Himdelf--, self did on the storm at Galilee.
One rises above the water, raises his hands and swears by the name of the one who endures forever.
The only other significant time in the Bible in which one swears by the name of God is when God Himself does it in Genesis 22.
Do you remember what happened there?
There is when Abraham was getting ready to sacrifice Isaac.
He lifted his hand to strike, and what does the Lord say to him?
"I will provide the sacrifice, and I will provide for you, Abraham, a covenant whereby I will provide people as many as the stars of the heavens."
Now we are told that those who trust in the Lord and whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be as the stars of heaven.
And the one who declares it, raises his hands in order to bless his people and cites in the swearing the ancient prophecy and account where God said, "I will provide."
I cannot tell you with certainty this is the Lord Jesus, but I love to think that half a millennia before Jesus walked this earth in the person of Jesus of Ma--, Nazareth that He is already coming to say to His people, "Watch Me.
I rise above the troubles, even above the river of death, and I will provide for you."
Isn't that beautiful?
If you begin to see that message unfolding, you begin to recognize now the one who is certified to answer has an answer.
It's right at the end of verse 7.
"How long will these things be?
It will be for a time, and times, and half a time."
A time and times and half a time.
Now, what does that mean?
Three, two and half periods of time.
Well, we don't really have to guess about that.
If you'll look at the end of verse 11, "From the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolant set up--, makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days."
The time, times, and half a time, three and a half years: 1,290 days.
Now, for all of you who love biblical prophecy, right here is where the big debate is.
What three and a half year period are we talking about?
There are those who will say, particularly if they were trained in kind of old school dispensational circles, that this is the three and half years that are at the end of the 70 weeks of Daniel.
The 70 weeks of Daniel were mentioned in Daniel chapter 9.
And for people who sometimes were trained in, we talked about it in our prophecy seminar.
You can go look it up if you went online.
Y--, there are people who think this only applies to the end of all times.
Certainly is a legitimate interpretation.
But there's another way of thinking about it.
The 70 weeks of Daniel, if you count them from the time that Nehemiah went back to the Promised Land to erect the city of Jerusalem and its walls and you count the 70 weeks as years, which everyone does, if they count the 70 yee--, 70 weeks according to the timetable that Daniel's done, then from the time of Nehemiah to the time of Jesus would have been the 70 weeks with one week left over, that final week of Daniel, which would have been in 70 A.D., the destruction of Jerusalem.
Now, which is it?
Is it, is this three and half years in the time of Christ, or is it in the Second Advent time yet to come?
I'll tell you what I think.
I think at least a key to what's going on, and again, those of you who love biblical prophecy, you'll love this.
Everyone else: you can tune out for three minutes.
[Laughter]
Verse 12, "Blessed is he who wants--, who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days."
Okay.
Three and a half years.
But blessed is the one who waits another 45 days.
What could that be referring to?
If the 70 weeks are culminating in the life of Jesus Christ, then the three and half years are the public ministry of Jesus from His baptism 'til His resurrection.
And the 45 days are resurrection to ascension, in which He assumes His place in heavenly glory, the place at which He is established as Lord over all.
And what happens after the ascension?
The Holy Spirit comes upon God's people at Pentecost to carry out God's will on earth.
Now, that's the interpretation I hold with humility.
[Laughter]
Why do I have to hold it with humility?
Because of what Daniel himself says in verse 8.
Do you remember how verse 8 occurs?
The man in white linen has just said, "Now, listen.
When is this all going to happen?
Well, it's going to happen after a time, and times, and half a time."
And what does Daniel the prophet who's actually hearing the vision say?
Verse 8, "I heard, but I did not understand."
Now, listen.
If Daniel doesn't understand, it's okay if you don't.
[Laughter]
And I'm happy to tell you why I've come to my conclusion, but it's not really what I want to debate with you.
I want you to ask the next question.
What is the ultimate question Daniel asks after he says, "Well, how long is it going to be 'til these things occur?
How long are they going to last?"
Then the rest of verse 8.
"Then I said, 'O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?'"
Lord, what's the purpose of this?
Where's all this going?
Why is all of this happening as it is?
Wouldn't you ask that question?
Alright, Lord, how long?
But why?
And the answer to that is very, very special.
Verse 9, right at the beginning.
"He," that is the man in linen, "said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.'"
Daniel.
[Chuckles]
Just go your way.
I've written down what I meant to write down.
And it'll come out in the wash.
[Chuckles]
You'll understand at the time of the end.
But for now, go your way.
And be comforted by these things.
Verse 10, "'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.'"
But, Lord, what's the purpose of all these hard things that are still going to happen until the end in which you make everything right?
Listen, Daniel, here's what's going to happen: Those who are righteous will be refined.
The troubles themselves will turn them to dependence upon their God.
They will learn that it's not what they provide for themselves but what I provide for them.
The trials themselves will perform their purpose.
It's what we sing: "I will sanctify to you your deepest distress."
That's what we sing in "O Come, All Ye Faithful."
God says He will sanctify to us our deepest distress.
We will be refined by the trial and the trouble.
I will learn it's not my accomplishment; it's not my failure.
It's not the difficulties of the moment that make or break me.
I have to depend upon my knowledge of the Most High God.
I depend upon Him.
But the wicked, those who turned away from God, will just keep going into more wickedness.
In essence, the wise will be refined, but the judgment will be justified.
God will say, "I will be just when I judge.
And those who have not sought Me and turned from Me, they will even go into more wickedness.
For them, My judgment will be shown to be just, even as My mercy will be plain to those who by the trials of this life learn they must trust in Me, and they are refined by their distresses as they turn to Me and made white, not by their work but by the God in whom they trust who gives them His own robes of white linen and righteousness."
It is our ultimate cause for thanksgiving that with this balancing of the scales is God promising that He will make everything right.
And he says not only in verse 9, "Daniel, go your way," but it's actually the conclusion.
Verse 13, "'Daniel, go your way till the end.
And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of days.'"
Oh, I know the words go by fast, but I want you to recognize what God has said to Daniel.
"Daniel, you don't understand.
Not all the timing.
You don't know what all that means.
But this you know: I will rescue you from death.
I will rescue you from decay.
And you shall not be deceived.
I've got this.
You will be maintained until you rest with Me.
And you will have your place that is allotted to stand with the King of glory for all time.
Now you rest on that."
Is it enough for you?
As we go through the difficulties of the moment, as we go through the questions we have, to have God said to you, "Listen, I'm still in charge.
Though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet."
And He will bring an end to the things that trouble us and beyond them will be ten thousand years times ten thousand of resting in the beauty and the glory of God.
And when I know that, I can face the trouble of now knowing that God is with me through whatever I have to face today.
In my office, now I'm going to give a secret to those who were in my office and some haven't seen: I keep a calligraphy that's in a gap behind some books so that I alone can kind of see it from my chair.
So that when the meetings get a little rough and the questions get a little large and I get worried, I can kind of look between the books and see some calligraphy that a student did for me years ago.
These words: "Bryan, trust Me.
I have everything under control.
Signed, Jesus."
[Laughter]
What did Daniel just say to you?
Steve and Bill and Hannah and Mike, trust Me.
I've got this.
Everything's under control.
And at the end of time, it will all be balanced, and your blessings far beyond your imaging.
So trust Him today.
Turn to Him.
He's got you.
>>> Father, I pray for these people who love You but have questions.
How long, O Lord, 'til you make it all right?
Already You have sent Your Son, and You have declared Him by His ascension to be Lord over death and Lord over all of life for all eternity.
And You have sent Your Spirit to indwell our hearts, so that we might receive Your Word and know its truth and be ready and able to face the hard things now.
Grant, Father, that we might know through a man who faced great distress that we can still trust in a God who said, "You can rest in Me.
I've appointed a place for you.
Death shall not conquer you.
Decay shall not characterize you.
And no one shall deceive you anymore.
Your God has you."
Teach us this truth that we might truly celebrate this season the one who came to redeem.
This we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.