In this insightful episode, we guide you through the complexities of awaiting tribulations and the profound promises that the scriptures hold. By drawing parallels between historical prophecies and contemporary times, we find comfort in knowing that the enduring hope of prophecy remains steadfast. Journey with us as we navigate the intricate tapestry of purification, judgment, and the establishment of the Messianic Reign, fostering a sense of shared hope and anticipation for the divine plan to unfold.
What God has for us is beyond our imagination. We’re talking glory, friends. Down here, we’re talking crummy. Up there, we’re talking glory. And we’re going to be rewarded. And so the passage is saying to God’s people, I love you and you will never suffer. There’ll be a day when you’ll be so delivered that I’m going to glorify you. I’m going to give you so much glory, you won’t believe what I’m going to do for you. It reminds me of Romans 8 that says, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed.
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We’ll be right back. What it is, is a final warning. A time of trouble unlike any the world has ever seen, followed by resurrection, judgment, and a dividing line that lasts forever. Some will shine like the stars, and others will fall into shame. So the question is, where will you, where will I stand? Open your Bible to Daniel chapter 12. This is day two of the time of the end. And this is something we all need to hear. First, though, we have a letter today, Matt, from Essence. And what does she have to say? It says, David is my favorite dude to listen to. Dude? Yeah, dude. The Bible teaching… I love that. I love that. I love it. As he explains it so well. I’ve learned so much through his teaching. I have just one question for him. Yeah. Why does he always start yelling? He gets louder as he speaks. You know, we don’t need a microphone for David to amplify. It’s just to record. He’s that passionate about the word that he just gets louder and louder until it gets into our heads, right? The Bible, the whole Bible. Nothing but the Bible.
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Amen.
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Well, folks, thanks for letting us have a little bit of levity there. But if you love God’s Word as much as we do, as much as David does, get in touch with us, let us know, and we’ll tell you just a bit later how you can get in touch. Right now, turn to Daniel chapter 12, and here’s David with day two of his message, The Time of the End.
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Number three, the third thing about the time of the end is the revelation of these events is to be sealed. Kind of a strange statement here. The revelation of all these events, which we’ve been studying throughout our series in Daniel, is to be sealed. That’s the whole point of verses 4 to 9. Now, I’d like you to notice just three things about that section. The extent of the sealing… How long is it going to go on? Is until the time of the end. Verse 4. Seal the book until the time of the end. Verse 9. Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end. Now, wait a minute. Before I answer that, let me tell you a second thing about this section, and that is that certain events will occur that might help to explain this. The end of verse 4.
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1.
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Many shall run to and fro. Turn to Amos, just a little bit to the right. Many shall run to and fro. Amos chapter 8, verse 12. Verse 11 says, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, from north to east. They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. There’s our statement, running to and fro, in a context we can understand. Now go back to Daniel 12 and take a look at that again. It says, seal the book till the time of the end. Many will run to and fro. They’ll be trying to find answers. When the time comes that many run to and fro because of a lack of the Word of God, the knowledge of what this prophecy is all about will all of a sudden become more clear to people. Now I want to ask you, Boy, you bet. There’s been an explosion of understanding. It’ll be sealed. Until when? When people are running around a famine for the word of God and knowledge will increase of what? This prophecy, these events. Daniel says, watch this carefully, in verse 8, although I heard, I did not understand. The point is, the understanding of this message will not become clear until you get close to the events. Which leads me to say this, the folks in the tribulation period are going to understand a lot better than we understand it right now. Everybody following me now? Because the actual unveiling of all of this and making it really clear to God’s people how it’s all going to work together, exactly like God said, is going to hit the tribulation period, be a lot more clear than it even is now. Some things have already been set in cement, so to speak, and we see some things and we get excited. But can you imagine what it’ll be like in the actual tribulation period? It’ll become very clear. In fact, Jesus said people living at that time will know the day and the hour because they can count. They can exactly count. 1260 days they’ll know. But a lot of us, we don’t know. We don’t know the day or the hour when the Lord comes. But those who live in the time of the tribulation are going to know. They’re going to be able to count very specifically from the moment the abomination of desolation hits with that Antichrist standing in the temple that will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. And all of a sudden, they’ll begin to understand as they have never understood before. A little explanation by the man clothed in linen happens in verses 5 to 9. Simply point out his position is above the waters. He’s the same one mentioned back in chapter 10, verse 5 and 6. None other than our Lord Jesus Christ. A couple others with him, no doubt, are angels, but he’s clothed with linen. And his proclamation is mentioned very clearly in verse 7 when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time. What shall be? Back to verse 1. There shall be a time of trouble. The Lord Jesus Christ says it won’t last long. It won’t last long. Just three and a half years. Be faithful, weary pilgrim. The Lord will deliver his people. The Bible says when all the nations of the world are gathered against Jerusalem to wipe her off the face of the earth, the Lord himself will go out and fight for his people and destroy all those nations that came against Israel. Zechariah chapter 12. It’s so wonderful to see the presence of the Son of Man himself and giving this firm statement. It won’t be for long. When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered. You think it’s been shattered? Are you kidding? I don’t want to tell the nation of Israel that, but we have to be faithful to the word of God. And I’ve told them that many, many times. The Bible teaches that your confidence should be in the Lord. That the Lord delivers not by the might of human ability. It’s not by might nor by power, but by spirit, says the Lord. The Lord will fight for his people. And they make statements, even in the Jerusalem Post, over and over again, quoting those things from the Bible and say, well, what it really means is we have to do it for the Lord. No, no. No, no, no. The Lord is going to fight for his people. Deliverance is coming from the Lord. God said, don’t trust in horses, and don’t trust in military power, and don’t trust in all the nations of the world. You trust in me. And the Son of God himself says, I’ll tell you how long it’s going to last. It’s going to last until the confidence and the power of the holy people of God is completely shattered. And when it is, they’ll have only one way to look, and that will be up. For the Bible says, the Lord God, the spirit of grace and supplication will be poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the household of David, and they shall look on him who is pierced as one mourns for an only son. They’ll be broken and they’ll repent. And the Bible says so. And may that day come soon. Amen. The fourth and final thing I want to bring to your attention are the results that will happen quickly. We looked at the rescue of God’s people that will take place and the resurrection that will take place in two phases, one for believers, one for unbelievers. The revelation of these events that’s sealed up in the sense of understanding until those events occur. And now the results that will happen quickly, I’ll simply put into four categories. One, according to verse 10, the purifying of the righteous will take place. The purifying of the righteous will take place. It says, many shall be purified, made white and refined. Turn please to Zechariah, a few books to the right. Go to Zechariah chapter 13 and look at verse 8 and 9. The purifying of the righteous will take place. People often ask me, are the Messianic Jews in the world a part of the final remnant? Well, it’s very possible that God’s preparing the way. I think that’s a very real factor. In Zechariah 13, 8 and 9, it’s very fascinating. It says, “…it shall come to pass in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die.” Now, people argue over whether it’s the residents in Israel at the time of these events or whether it’s all the Jewish people on the planet. If it’s all the Jewish people on the planet, we’re still confused about who’s a Jew and who isn’t. God knows. But if the Israeli law is right that you have to have a Jewish mother, the actual number of people who have a Jewish mother on the planet now is about 18 million. And let’s suppose they all come, all 18 million Jews. What this means is that we’re going to see 12 million Jews killed. That’s double Hitler’s Holocaust. But it says one-third shall be left in it, and I will bring the one-third through the fire. It will look like they’re going to be wiped out. I’ll refine them as silver is refined, test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them, and I will say, this is my people. And each one will say, the Lord is my God. What a wonderful thing that is. Back to Daniel 12 again. The first result, the purifying of the righteous. The second result is the purging of the rebels. The purging of the rebels. It says the wicked will do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Ezekiel, just before Daniel, in chapter 20, records in some detail this purging of the rebels. Ezekiel chapter 20. There’ll be many in Israel that are not going to buy into the confidence in the Lord, but are going to continue to trust their own political and military skills. And the rebels are going to be purged in Israel. In Ezekiel chapter 20, verse 33… It says, “…as I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead my case with you face to face.” just as I pleaded my case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt. So I’ll plead my case with you, says the Lord God. I will make you pass under the rod. I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge the rebels from among you and those who transgress against me. I’ll bring them out of the country where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. God is going to not only purify the righteous, the remnant, the godly remnant, but going to be purified by persecution so that their hearts will only trust God. For in that day they’ll all scream out, the Lord alone is our God. But he’s also going to purge out all the rebels. The third result that we bring to your attention from Daniel 12 is a wonderful point, and that’s that the persecution will be limited. Verse 11 says, “…from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away.” That’s at the middle of the tribulation. “…and the abomination of desolation is set up.” That’s the Antichrist going into the temple, desecrating it, asking them to worship him as God. There will be from that time 1,290 days. Now in Revelation, the last part of the tribulation is described in chapter 11 as 1,260 days. How do we explain the final 30 days? I have a lot of things that I could add here. One, the judgment of Israel itself will take place. The purging out of the rebels, all of that, the purifying of the righteous, that’s going to take place by the Lord coming and defeating the nations of the world. Because you see, the 1260 days, exactly three and a half years on prophetic time, 360 days a year, those 1260 days start the moment the Antichrist enters the temple and end with the Lord’s coming. Now from that moment, for 30 days, you’re going to have worldwide cleanup time as the Lord destroys the nations of the world and brings His judgment. It’s also very possible that the judgment of the living nations occurs at that time, which is mentioned in Matthew chapter 25. So persecution will be limited. It will only last for that period of time. The final thing I see in verses 12 and 13 is that the promise of blessing will come to the believer who waits to the 1,335 days. Now here we’ve got 45 more days, and then the promise is going to come. The blessing is going to come. What blessing is that? The following possibilities. Number one, the setting up of the Messianic kingdom. Jesus Christ ruling and reigning in Jerusalem. Remember, there are many topographical changes. A millennial temple will be established. Granted, it won’t take the Lord any time to build it at all. He’ll just be standing there saying, I think we ought to have a temple exactly the way Ezekiel 40 to 48 says, so let’s have it. Next project, I think we ought to redesign the Dead Sea. We’re going to make it living so you guys can fish there. Zoom! Fish. Next thing, I think we want, you know, how long does it take the Lord to do that? He who flung the worlds into existence in six days created everything there is. No sweat. In a few days, we’ll just straighten everything out. Everybody with me? You say, how do you know? I don’t. Neither do you. I just know one thing. It’s no problem to my Lord. Amen? No problem at all. So will some say the blessing, blessed is he who waits until the 1,035, that the 45 days are all the processes of setting up the kingdom and organizing it? I hope you’re paying attention, not stacking out right now, because the Lord may be using me to tell you about this. Amen? You’re going to have responsibilities if you’re a believer. You’re not going to sit on a cloud playing a harp and whistling all day or whatever. You’re going to be working. A lot of us have a wrong view of what’s going to happen. We’re going to be ruling and reigning with Jesus Christ. People say, wait, wait, wait, wait. Now, for all believers, who are we going to rule and reign over? Well, first of all, the assumption that they’re only believers is a mistake, right? When God destroys the nations of the world, it’s the armies that come against Jerusalem. It’s not all the peoples of the world. And there’ll be lots of people, millions of them, who will be going into the tribulation period who are still unbelievers. And we will be ruling and reigning over them. By the way, they’re also going to have children. Children are going to be born during the thousand-year reign of Christ. According to Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 64, they’ll have at least 100 years to make a commitment to the Messiah or they will be cut off. One other possibility about the promise of blessing. Blessed is he who waits. Some say what it means is who waits till the coming of the kingdom, and I indicated that maybe those 45 days could be the marriage supper of the Lamb. The other issue is that the resurrection doesn’t take place until 1,335 days. Now why do I say that? Read those verses again, verse 12 and 13. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1,335 days, but you, Daniel, you go your way till the end, for you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. Now, if I’m reading that literally, the end of the days is 1,335 days from the middle of the tribulation when the Antichrist sets up himself in the temple of God in Jerusalem. So it may be that what we’re talking about here is the resurrection of the Old Testament saint comes after the Lord has already done his number on the nations of the world. I would expect that. If the Lord comes, he’s coming to Basra, says Isaiah chapter 63, and that’s where all the nations will be assembled. The Basra not in Iraq, but the Basra in Jordan. On the plains of Jordan, all the armies will be assembled. The Middle East is probably the only place on the face of the globe where that could take place. And here we have millions of armaments and all nations of the world gathered to wipe out Israel. And just at the moment it looks like they’re going to do it, the Lord returns at Basra and his work of stomping out in the winepress, so to speak, his vengeance against all the nations who came against Israel. I think the Lord cleans it up and then he has his victory ascent to the Mount of Olives. His feet stands on the Mount of Olives as all ancient monarchs did who conquered the land and the glory will be given to him who has conquered the land and his details of judging the nations will occur because the nations will be in the valley of Jehoshaphat, which is between Mount Olives and Mount Zion. And that’s going to take place as they’ll all line up and he’ll tell them exactly what’s going to happen to them. All this is going to take a number of days. And at the end of the whole time when he’s done and finished and has got everybody straightened out, at that moment the glorious resurrection of all the Old Testament saints will occur. And all the tribulation martyrs who have suffered at the hands of all these nations will be resurrected. And Daniel will arise and arise to a wonderful messianic kingdom. Amen?
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Amen. And what a glorious day. What a glorious day that will be. Just imagine. Wow. Well, you’re listening to Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. And we’ll have more from David in just a moment to complete today’s study and our series in the book of Daniel. Some more teachings coming up, so do stay tuned. First though, Matt Hawking is with me now, and we’re going to share a resource that will give you a head start on our next series that starts the day after tomorrow in the book of Revelation. Matt? Is it possible to understand the book of Revelation? Which view of the end times is correct? When will Jesus come again? These are just a few of the questions tackled in Revelation, understanding the future. Matt, this is a hardbound book by your dad, David Hawking, and it’s excellent and so very helpful to have on hand as we begin a series in the book of Revelation. Later this month. You know, Jim, you can open the book. You can easily locate any particular passage in Revelation that you might want to study in the easy to follow table of contents, which lists the chapter and verses covered in each section, along with a perfect descriptive title. If there’s a section that’s baffling to you or a bit complex. Or simply something you’d like to study more in depth. Yeah. Perhaps to each other’s. Yeah, exactly. Well, go to the table of contents, locate the section, head over to it, and you’ll see the text of that passage, along with cross-references, outlines, David’s insights, explanations, and applications. All designed to help you understand the book of Revelation. That’s it. This is exciting. It’s a marvelous study that gives us hope for the future. Revelation, Understanding the Future is normally $25, but this month… We have it for you at just 20 bucks. And Matt, we also have your dad’s sermon notes and outlines for the upcoming Revelation series. Order them now and you’ll be ready to go for the start of the series. You can download them or purchase a PDF CD either way. Either way. Just $10. And what a wonderful tool they’ll be helping you to get the very most of our daily study time in Revelation. Call us to order 1-800-75-BIBLE. Bible by the numbers is 24253. In Canada, call 1-888-75BIBLE or at davidhawking.org. Well, Matt, before we wrap up, let me ask folks this question. If you could sit down and study through the book of Daniel step by step with someone who spent a lifetime studying the book, what would that do for your confidence in God’s plan? How might it shape the way you face the future? Well, Well, David’s complete audio series through the book of Daniel, again, what we’re completing today, is available as a full MP3 collection, just $30. And it’s a journey through one of the most detailed, astonishing, and relevant prophetic books in Scripture. This series will help you see the big picture, ground your hope in truth, and give you the tools to stand firm when everything around you feels like it’s falling apart. And that’s kind of our world today, isn’t it? Again, the Daniel series on MP3, $30. To order, just call 800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. Or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. Or you can make the purchase and get it online at davidhawking.org. And when you order online, you can also download from the website and get it within minutes. Again, that’s davidhawking.org. If you’d like to send a special donation our way, or tell us how God is using this ministry of Hope for Today in your life, well, write to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO7OAKS, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. And of course, you can donate online at davidhawking.org. Let’s get back to our study.
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Well, we’re coming down to the end of our study of this great prophecy of Daniel. I’m even kind of sad. I really want to start back over and do it again, get into Revelation or something. This is unbelievable. By the way, if you don’t have Dare to Be a Daniel, a two-volume set, Folks, this series is so important because we’re on the threshold of these events. God has been warning us through the existence of Israel in the land and all the prophecy that’s being fulfilled that the prophet said would exist in Israel before the coming of the Messiah. We’re there, folks. The tribulation is soon to occur. The awful judgments of God are coming. We say to all of you, flee the wrath of God to come. Turn to the Lord before it’s too late. Put your faith and trust in the One who was here before over 1,900 years ago, and He died on the cross for you. And death had no power over Him. He arose from the dead exactly like you said on the third day. He was seen of many people for 40 days. Then He ascended to heaven in the presence of His disciples. And two men in white apparel said to them, this same Jesus who has taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you’ve seen him go. I simply say to you from my heart, are you ready for the coming of the Lord? If you’re not sure about your relationship to God, give us a call and ask for a free booklet on what is Christianity and a free Bible study for those that are new to the Christian faith. God bless you.
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Thank you, David. And again, you can call us at 875-BIBLE in the U.S. to get those free resources, or in Canada, 888-75-BIBLE. Bible, again, is 242-53. Next time on Hope for Today, we bring you our monthly question and answer program. where we’re going to reach into our program archive and bring you some of the most perplexing questions we’ve ever received from you, our listeners. The entire broadcast, we will have a special emphasis on listener questions on Israel and God’s chosen people, the Jews. So be sure to invite a Jewish friend to listen along with you as David gives you a straight-up biblical perspective on this fascinating topic. We’ll see you then, right here on Hope for Today.
