Just prior to me leaving home to come to college here in Jackson, the Tankersley family witnessed somewhat of a crisis. My dad had worked for a company based in North Carolina and had done quite well. He had to travel a lot, but there was also a lot of financial reward. He had a lot of money based in the stock of the company, and the stock was doing well. In fact, things seemed to be going so well that the company was going to acquire another company through the trading of stock, and my dad’s part of the company was going to play a key role in overseeing this newly acquired company. You might say, as I was readying myself to come to Union, the Lord was really paving the way for this to happen with ease.
All of the sudden, however, my dad’s company released news on a Friday that their earnings for the quarter had been surprisingly low. I remember my dad anxiously sharing that news with us on Friday as the stock that he had invested much in had closed at forty-five dollars a share as the weekend began. As a family, we eagerly awaited the opening of the market on Monday morning to see what would happen.
As Dad had feared, when the market opened on Monday morning, the stock opened at thirteen dollars a share. This set in motion a series of challenging events. First, my dad was worth far less monetarily than he had been when the weekend began. Second, the acquisition was called off, since it had been based on the value of the stock, which was now significantly less. Third, my dad lost his job, since he positioned to do much in the acquired company, he was also positioned to be let go quite easily when that acquisition failed. Fourth, my dad had borrowed some money against the value of the stock that he had. And the bank would allow him to borrow up to eighty percent of the value of that stock. However, when the value of that stock plummeted, the bank called, wanting their money. This led my dad to have to sell off much land that had been the main material possession that had been passed down from him from his dad. And all of that with me getting ready to come to Union, which though it was much less expensive then, still cost quite a bit.
As I began to understand more and more of those details, the more I felt crushed. It was a time when it seemed I should stay home and do something, and I was about to leave. But even then, in the back of my mind, “I thought, but my dad is still bigger than life.” He seemed to know the answers when we had to make decisions. He could figure out his way around a city that he’d never been to within a matter of minutes. I thought, surely though I am distraught and anxious, he’s figuring out everything behind the closed door of his office.
That comfort was soon crushed, however, as I remember walking out to my dad’s office one afternoon. We had built the office just off the garage so that you had to walk out of the house, through the garage, and into another door just to get there. So, I did just that, when I noticed that dad’s office door was cracked open. This was a blessing. After all, many times Dad was busy, and this would give me an opportunity to peek in, see if he was busy, and head back into the house if indeed he was. So, I peeked into the office, but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. As I peeked inside, my dad had his elbows on his desk, his face in his hands, and he was crying. Despite all the letdowns you have in your childhood when everything is bigger in your eyes than it really was, nothing had been as painful to me as that moment was. I remember walking back into the house and crying with Dad, though separated from him by a number of rooms.
That took place about fifteen years ago. And if you asked me today, “What was one of the most beneficial things that ever happened in the life of your family as you were growing up?” I’d retell that story. Sure, I might emphasize a few other things and fill in some details, but that period would be my answer. It would be my answer because that set in motion one of the greatest periods of sanctification in my dad’s life that I’d ever witnessed. I saw him grow in his faith, his dependence on the Lord, and in prayer. In fact, after my first date with Lili, as I woke up saying to God, “Alright, Lord, is this the one,” in that very moment, my phone rang, and it was my dad saying, “I just wanted to call because I was praying that God would open your eyes to whom he had chosen for you as a wife, and I just wanted to share that with you. So, what going on with you.”
Simply put, there are moments in our lives that change how we live. Sometimes those are joyful moments; sometimes they’re terrible. But periodically something happens that just leads us to step back and consider how we’re living our lives. There are moments that force us to look at everything we’re doing from a different perspective. And, honestly, in some ways Daniel 10-12 has been a text that has challenged me like that over these last two weeks, and it’s my prayer that as we come to the table after considering this text, that we will find ourselves examining our lives and perhaps longing to live differently in light of this text.
The text begins with Daniel giving us a date in which the events he’s writing about occurred. It was the third year of the reign of Cyrus. That puts us about 537/536 BC, and the first group of exiles would have already been allowed to return to Jerusalem and would have begun rebuilding the city. But excitement was not necessarily in the air. After all, it wasn’t as if a number of Jews had fled back to Jerusalem. Many were quite content where they were. Additionally, those who had returned and begun to rebuild the temple faced great opposition, even physical attack from some. And, finally, Daniel himself was still in the land of exile. We’re not sure why? Perhaps he simply thought it was too long of a trip for a man who was now well aged. No doubt, whatever his reason, he had followed the Lord’s leading in staying. But that doesn’t mean it was easy. Therefore, when we find Daniel in chapter 10, he had been mourning for three weeks, had fasted from delicacies like meat and wine, and hadn’t even used lotions to comfort his skin in the dry conditions.
But after these twenty-one days of mourning, Daniel has a heavenly visitor come to him. It seems to be an angel, but we are not told much more. We are told that he was glorious to the point that three times in the conversation with him, Daniel is in need of being revived, as he was overwhelmed, and the heavenly messenger was able to revive him.
The focus, though, is on what the heavenly messenger tells him. He first tells Daniel that he is greatly loved (10:11), that which had been told to Daniel previously. Then, he tells him that he had been sent from the first day that Daniel had begun praying, but that another heavenly being called “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” had withstood him until Michael came to fight alongside of him. And that had caused the three-week delay. Then, the heavenly messenger informs Daniel in verse 20 that he will leave again because he must return to fight against the prince of Persia and that the prince of Greece will soon follow. And so ends our first chapter.
What then do we make of this cosmic, heavenly battle to which Daniel is exposed? Well, first we might simply note the fact of what Daniel was shown here, namely, that there is a cosmic battle going on that somewhat (at least on occasion) parallels some of the issues taking place on the earth. For example, Persia was now in power, and this heavenly messenger and Michael were fighting with him. Then, later we know that Greece would come to power, and the heavenly messenger anticipates fighting with him as well.
Second, we shouldn’t get carried away with this scene and mistakenly think that somehow God is not in control of the world. Earlier in Daniel, specifically in Daniel 4:35 we read, “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” Therefore, just as wars on the earth should not lead us to think that God is somehow not in control of the world, so wars in the heavens should not lead us to doubt God’s control either.
But what this does show us is that we dwell in a place where there is a war going on. That is, we live in the midst of war. So, is there any doubt that there would be opposition to the Jews going back, any doubt that Cyrus’s son would eventually issue an edict forbidding the rebuilding of the temple, any doubt that the Israelites would face physical battle as they attempted to obey the Lord. No. This is one thing that Daniel was able to see. The curtains were lifted a bit as if to show Daniel, “Hey, the battles you see going on are only a portion of the picture.” We are in the midst of a war that extends throughout all the cosmos. And here’s what I want us to take note of in light of this reality. We should not expect our lives to flow along nice and easy.
One night on the history channel I was watching a documentary, and I can’t remember if it was on war or on Christmas – as odd as that sounds. The reason is because the part I remember was when it spoke of how Christmas had one time been celebrated on a battlefield. I believe it was when the American colonies were fighting the British (I am perhaps mistaken here), and finally one side or the other said, “Hey, it’s Christmas. Let’s stop fighting today.” Then, they came out to the middle of the field, greeted one another, chatted, shared some drinks together, and the one side invited the other over to their area were they were bunkered down to spend much of the evening in conversation. Then, in the early hours of the next morning, one side sneaked over, caught their enemy unaware and ill-prepared, and killed them. And I remember saying as this detail came out, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” There’s no reason for them to be caught unaware. They’re in the middle of a war.
Perhaps, though, we’ve forgotten that ourselves. We are oftentimes caught by suffering as if we were in no way knowledgeable of the fact that it might come. When we find ourselves in a hard position in life, we think that somehow we simply must have done something wrong or perhaps someone else has, and that has disrupted the nice, peaceful existence that we’re supposed to be having. But that is not real life.
Throughout all of history and even right now, we have brothers and sisters who are being forced out of their houses, their possessions are being taken, and they are being killed. And that, historically-speaking, is more of the norm than the exception. The church in the United States in 2009 is such an anomaly in the history of the church that it’s staggering. And the effect of it is that we’re spoiled. All of us are spoiled. We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that life is easy so that it surprises us when we are encountered by various trials as though something strange were happening to us (1 Peter 4:12). But life is not meant to be easy, and nice, and smooth.
And I think this can be a freeing message for us. What I’m telling you is that there’s nothing necessarily wrong because you’re going through the difficult time you’re facing. When there is strain in family relationships, we lose our jobs, we lose our spouses or don’t have spouses, when our kids rebel, we are abused by others – it’s not necessarily because we’ve done anything wrong. Peter tells us that we will suffer for righteousness sake, meaning, even if you do everything perfect in life, you will suffer, for we are in war.
So, the first thing I want you to realize from Daniel 10-12 is that in light of what’s going on all over the cosmos, be reminded that our lives were never meant to be easy and probably never will be characterized by ease. So, don’t look around at your circumstances and immediately let your heart condemn you as if you must have done wrong. No, we will face great tragedy and untold suffering because we are living in the midst of a war.
But the heavenly messenger goes on to tell Daniel more specifics. That is, he comes to Daniel not simply to tell him what has delayed him in coming (though that is important). He comes to him to tell him what is going to happen.
From 11:2 to the end of the chapter, the heavenly messenger relays to Daniel many things that were going to take place in world history. From 11:2-35, he tells him much that he has already told him in Daniel 8. He tells him, for example, that there will be other Persian kings arise after Cyrus, then one from Greece will arise (whom we know as Alexander the Great), then his kingdom will be divided, until ultimately there will be great battle between the kings to the north of the Israelites and the kings to the south of them. In essence, Israel will be caught in a crossfire for a great number of years. These two kingdoms will be that of the Seleucids in the north and the Ptolemies in the south. And it is amazing with what precision the heavenly messenger prophesies as to what is to come.
For example, starting in 11:21, the messenger begins telling what will happen under the reign of Antiochus IV, and it is amazing how perfectly he prophesies the details of his reign. Just take verses 25-31. Then, listen to the details as history tell us that Antiochus waged an attack on Egypt, during which time he overcome Ptolemy Philometer. But history also tells us that Ptolemy had been undone by the counsel of his own people who ate with him even as we read in verses 25-26, “And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.” Then, history tells us that Antiochus entered into an alliance of sorts with Ptolemy but that even when they sat and the table to draw it up, each man was lying to the other, even as we read in verse 27, “And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.” After this time, Antiochus turned his aggression toward the temple, looting it and taking many of its treasures for himself (even as verse 28 tells us that he shall return to his land “but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land”).
Then, as he decided to attack Egypt again, things played out much differently than before. This time, Rome got in on the mix and put a stop to Antiochus’s attack. In fact, we are told that the Roman consul draw a circle in the sand around Antiochus and told him that he better make up his mind not to attack again before leaving that circle. Antiochus went home humiliated. Therefore, when he came home he attacked Jersualem and the temple as never before. He let out his rage on them, killing many Jews, stopped the sacrifices, defiled the temple, and set up an altar to Zeus on the holy altar. It was a terrible scene, and yet we read these details precisely predicted in verses 29-31.
Now, there is a comfort that God indeed knows what’s coming, as he holds the future. And that point could be elaborated on much. However, Chad has made that point well repeatedly throughout this series, so I want to point out something else, something in verses 32-35. But before turning there, let’s finish out this vision by looking at verses 36-45.
Interestingly, numerous scholars, including D. A. Carson and Sinclair Ferguson agree that there is a shift in these verses where the description here can no longer apply merely to Antiochus IV. And these scholars argue that this text functions somewhat like the kind of thing we read in 2 Samuel 7, where David is promised a son who will sit on the throne, but ultimately things are said of Solomon that cannot be true of Solomon so that the reader eventually realizes that Solomon is merely a type of one to come and that this coming one is eventually the one who will fulfill this promise. In a similar way, these aforementioned scholars agree that Antiochus eventually must be scene merely as a type of another who will come – a final antichrist figure who will attempt to bring great attack and persecution to the people of God. Verses 36-45 provide a terrible scene of a leader with great fury, focused against God’s people who will eventually be brought to an end.
So, if that is the case, and I think that’s probably how we should understand this text. How does this affect us? Well, it seems that when Jesus speaks of the end and great persecution to come that he directs us to two things: 1) don’t be deceived by what others say, but simply remember his words, and 2) stand firm and endure in the faith. And it seems that these are the same things that Daniel is shown with relation to Antiochus. And it makes sense that this would be the case if indeed he serves as a type of many to come and ultimately one great antichrist figure to come.
Specifically, Daniel is told in verses 32-35 that Antiochus will seek to flatter many, and many will violate the covenant – i.e., walk away from the Lord. Yet many will hold fast to the gospel, and it will cost them. Many will die “by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder” (11:33). And when they die in this way, they will receive little help (11:34). But as they are persecuted and even die, they will be “refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end” (11:35).
Similarly, Jesus tells us that the love of many will grow cold in the last days. That many will be led away, and that many will face persecution and even death. But he tells us to endure to the end. Therefore, what I want us to recognize from chapter 11 of Daniel is that the call comes to each one of us to stand firm and hold fast to the gospel in the face of everything that might come to us.
That is the call that comes to each of us. Part of life not being easy here means that some of us might face the call to suffer and die for the faith. And we must hold fast to that hope of the gospel and even be willing to die.
Now, when I was growing up, some of the things that were talked about in my church about the end times were less than helpful. There was all kinds of speculation about Satan’s followers being marked by getting a credit card number tattooed on their hands by which they made purchases or succumbing to some kind of retinal scanner that marked you as a follower of Satan.
So, in order to save an entire generation of people from the anxiety I faced that somehow I might accidentally sign up for the wrong credit card and end up in hell, listen to me: that stuff is nonsense. You’re not going to end up in hell because though you loved the Lord you accidentally signed up for a credit card that they insert into your hand or because you pass through a retinal scanner as you go to deposit your checks at the bank. That is nonsense. And getting a group of people afraid of some evil credit card out there is nothing less than a scheme of Satan.
Don’t fight to make sure that you don’t get some bad credit card; fight to make sure you hold fast to the gospel. Don’t be afraid that you might get some kind of evil eye scanner installed in your home. Be afraid of pornography and becoming desensitized to pornographic images. Be afraid of adultery and of that good feeling you get when that girl or guy tells you how great you are. Be afraid of liking and wanting people to think you’re great. Be afraid of coveting what your neighbor has. Be afraid of always wanting more money or more things. This is what you should be afraid of. These are the things that will lead many to walk away from the gospel. These are the things that will lead the love of many to grow cold.
And one of the ways to fight these things is to make sacrificial choices in following Christ right now. One of the things you can do to tighten your hold to the reality of the gospel is to make choices right now that cost you. Give your money for the cause of Christ and you’ll be dealing a great blow to the temptation to covet worldly things. Wake up in the morning and pray that God will aid you in seeking no glory at all but his simple, “What I see in secret, I will reward openly.” Make choices to live in such a way that it costs you. This is what Paul did. It’s the only explanation for why he can say in 1 Corinthians 15:19 that if there is no resurrection, then he is to be of all men most pitied. He made choices that cost him, but they only cost him in this life. Which leads us to our next point in the text.
After the heavenly messenger tells Daniel that many will be persecuted and even killed, he tells him in 12:1-3, “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 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. 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.”
The messenger reminds Daniel that the end of Antiochus nor the end of the antichrist is the end. That is, our ultimate hope is not simply in our enemies being destroyed. Ultimately, there will be resurrection. Some will be raised to judgment, but those whose faith is in Christ will be raised to eternal life. This, in fact, is the clearest Old Testament teaching on the resurrection, and it is glorious. Those who are raised to life will shine as stars in the heaven. We will know joy untold. So, this leads us to another realization we need to settle into our minds this morning. As we make sacrificial choices, strengthen yourself with the reminder that we will one day be raised to eternal life.
The greatest weapon we have against the temptations of this world is the reminder that awaits us. If a believer makes a decision in obedience to Christ and it costs him his life, it doesn’t matter; he will be raised. As Daniel hears, some died by the flame and sword, by captivity and plunder. Some decided to forego ease and risk and sacrifice much for Christ, but they will shine like stars. There really is eternal treasure that you can store up for yourself in heaven that will not fade away. Remember that as you give of your money. God really will reward openly what he sees in secret. Remember that as you give of your time and service in prayer and sacrifice. It is coming, and it is sure. Don’t let the enemy convince you that this life is all there is. If that’s it, you’ll simply live for this world.
John Lennon wrote a song, “Imagine” in which he wrote, “Imagine there’s no heaven; it’s easy if you try. No hell below us; above us only sky. Imagine all the people, living for today.” Lennon was right. If you can remove the resurrection from your mind, you will live for this day, for this life only. But if you truly believe that we will be raised and live for eternally and that what we do here affects our eternal existence there, it will free you up not to live for here and today but to live for there and that day.
I’m not saying it’s not hard to devote yourself wholeheartedly to the gospel instead of obsessing over when or if you’ll get a spouse. I’m not telling you that it’s easy to give of money that you’ve worked hard for. I’m not telling you that it’s easy to simply trust in Christ’s open reward when everyone around you is being recognized and praised now. I know it’s hard. I’m simply telling you that you won’t regret it on the day of resurrection.
And this brings us to the final point I want us to see from the text. Daniel and another heavenly being follow up this explanation or vision by the heavenly messenger with questions, namely, namely “How long will this last?” and “What will be the outcome of these things?”
The messenger answers the first question by saying that the time of suffering will last three and a half years (time, times, and half a time – 12:7), 1,290 days (12:11) and 1,335 days (12:12). Now, let me attempt to make sense of this for us. Three and a half years and 1,290 days are roughly the same figure. And they are half of seven years. So, if seven if a number symbolizing completeness, I think three and a half symbolizes not some exact time but simply signifies that the suffering will not be complete. That is, however long the suffering at the hands of God’s enemies is, God will cut it short. This is emphasized again and again in the Scripture, even by Jesus in Matthew 24:22. From the difference in the days (i.e., 1,290 days vs. 1,335 days), I think we can simply determine that though the Lord will mark the exact number of days until the end, we simply cannot know that number.
But the other question is answered quite interestingly. Daniel asks, “What shall be the outcome of these things?” (12:8). And he is told two things. First, he is told that he is to get on his way. He is told that in verse 9 and in verse 13. That is, we do not profit ourselves from dedicating our lives to mysteries that the Lord hasn’t revealed. We simply need to focus on walking in obedience. But, second, he is told that it will last until God’s people have suffered enough. First, see this in verse 7 as the messenger says, “that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.” Then, in verse 10 he says, “Many shall purify themselves white and be refined, but the wicked will act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.”
That is, yes, this life will involve great suffering. And it won’t end until God has purified his people to the point he desires. God will not let it end until his people have fulfilled the number of martyrs he desires, even as we are told in Revelation 6:10. So, that should lead us to realize and remember that God is most interested in refining and purifying us as we live our lives.
As you walk through this challenging life, make sacrificial choices in holding fast to the gospel whatever comes, and live in light of the resurrection, you can also know at each point, “God is refining me. God is purifying me. God is equipping and preparing me for eternity.” After all, if the resurrection is real (and it is) and if eternity really is eternal (and it is), then what would a God who loves you and is committed to your good do? The answer is that he wouldn’t let you simply waste your life as if this world and today was all there is. He would shape you and mold you and refine you so that he might pour out blessings on you in eternity. The Lord will one day say, “Enough.” But he won’t stop short of what he wants to do in your life and mine. And with a God like that, how can we not offer our lives to him as a living sacrifice? That that indeed be our proclamation as we proclaim the Lord’s death in coming to the table. Amen.