Open your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Daniel, chapter 12. The name of the message is a promise to every believer, a promise to every believer. Daniel, chapter 12, and we'll look at a promise given to every born-again, blood-washed believer, trusting and resting in Christ Jesus alone for their salvation. This is a promise from the Old Testament, and we know that all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ for every believer.

I'm gonna read the verse first, and then I'm going to read two verses from Daniel chapter one. So Daniel chapter 12, we're gonna read verse 13, and here's a wonderful promise given to Daniel in his old age. Scripture declares in verse 13 of Daniel chapter 12, but go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shall rest. and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Let's read that again. But go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest. There's a shalt again, eh, like we see all the time. And stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Now Daniel was taken captive at a very young age, and carried away into Babylon. We see that over in Daniel chapter one. There's two verses here we'll read. Daniel chapter one, verses three and four, but keep your finger in Daniel 12, 13, because I'll be referencing that. Daniel 1, verses 3 and 4, it says this, and the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs, and he said, bring a certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes, children in whom was no blemish, but well favored and skillful in all wisdom and cunning, in knowledge and understanding science, and in such had ability, and them to stand in the king's palace, in whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans. So all this came to pass according to God's sovereignty.

And while in Babylon Daniel served God faithfully, remember he wouldn't bow to the idols, and neither would Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They wouldn't bow to the idols of that land. They faithfully served God. So Daniel here, though, in our text here, in verse 13 of chapter 12, he served God for over 70 years in captivity. In all that Daniel had put to his hand, the Lord had prospered. And now in our text, Daniel now faces the prospect and reality of dying. And it says here again, in Daniel chapter 12, verse 13, but go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shall rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Now look at this wonderful promise. that God has made to his people. Daniel's facing dying and every one of us who are the Lord's people are going to one day face the prospect and the reality of dying. But even at this point in Daniel's life, God made him to realize that his death wouldn't be a penalty, but that his death would be a blessing. A blessing. Let's read this verse again and look at the first part here. But go thou thy way till the end be.

Let we who are the redeemed of the Lord Consider several comforting and calming thoughts that are found in this verse alone for believers. Let's read the whole verse again. But go thou thy way, Daniel 12, verse 13, but go thou thy way till the end be. For thou shall rest and stand in thy lot at the end of days.

Now, first we see in this verse that the time of our life on this earth is determined of God. We don't determine when we come into this life, do we? We're born. And we don't determine when we leave this life. It's all appointed by God. Look at the comforting thing for we believers here. Look at this. Go thou thy way till the end be. So for us, continue looking to Christ, continue living in this world with the knowledge that our end shall be and that we will be in glory when that end comes. all because of the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, all because He came to save sinners such as we. When He became a man, when the Word of God became a man, God Himself has redeemed us. Praise His mighty name. He saved us from our sins.

So look at this. Our days are determined. This verse brings forth that our days, and also the days of the unsaved, saved and lost, are determined by God. Are determined by God. We shall definitely leave this place. There's no doubt. But, not until our work is finished. Look at this. Go thou thy way till the end be. Continue. Believer, continue serving the Lord. Continue rejoicing in your salvation. Continue going through this world knowing that this world is not our home. Knowing that we're saved by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Continue going forth amidst trials and understand that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Never. Oh, my. Until God is pleased to take us home, we will be upon this earth. And know that when a saint dies, when a born-again, blood-washed child of God, called a saint in the scriptures, not made by some man or religion in Italy, but made that by God, When it's their end, they're gone. They're gone home to be with the Lord. And just as sure as a believer goes to heaven, be sure that those who die in Christ go to hell. My, oh my.

Here's another comfort for the believer in this verse. Look at this. I don't know about you, but I like to rest here and there, do you? I like to rest. And the scripture talks about us ceasing from our labors to try to save ourselves, which is impossible, and resting in the finished, complete, perfect, sinatonic work of the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished at Calvary's cross to save his people from their sins.

Look at this. That what a promise here. Oh, what a promise here. Oh, when we come to our end, what are we going to find after that? Rest. Oh, this is wonderful. Look at this. Daniel chapter 12, verse 13. But go thy way till the end. Be until the end of our life. Continue to serve the Lord. Continue to look to Christ by the grace and mercy of God. For thou shall rest. What a promise, beloved. What a promise for the believer. Rest. Rest from the toil and labor of this world. Rest from the weariness of the sinful flesh. Rest from sin. We'll never sin again when we go into glory.

And remember, our Lord Jesus Christ told that thief, told that dying thief who he saved, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. And why? Well, to enjoy the eternal rest for his soul that Christ has accomplished. Because he's one of God's sheep. He's one of God's elect. And when Christ cried, it is finished, that dying thief was included in that number because he was chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world. Not because of anything he'd done. Could he do any work hanging on that cross? No, when they first hung him on that cross, he's railing with the other thief and throwing accusations at Christ. And you know what happened? The Holy Spirit started to move. Remember, because you are sons, God sends forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, whereby you now cry, I have a father. Oh my, that's one of the lost sheep on a cross beside him. That's one of his lost sheep, given to him by the father. And in his very weakest point, he saved them from his sins. Isn't that amazing? Our God is mighty to save. And this is wonderful. This is wonderful. We shall have rest. For thou shall rest. It's not might. It's not maybe. We shall rest. You know why? Because Christ saved us perfectly from our sins.

And I stand before you a safe sinner still. A sinner saved by grace, proclaiming to you and anyone who will hear that Christ saves sinners. And that's his whole reason he came to this world, was to save sinners. My, and he's able to save to the uttermost all those who come to God through him. And every believer, I understand more and more now why Paul said this. I'm in a straight betwixt two, having a desire to depart, having a desire to go to our heavenly rest, having a desire to see Christ, right? And to be with Christ, which is far better. But we are two. We are two. We are to wait and rest and trust in Christ.

And then third, we see in this verse, we see our soul will be at rest with the Lord and our body will be asleep in the grave waiting for the glorious resurrection morning. Look at this, at the end of days. Let's read this. But go thou thy way till the end, be till our death, for thou shalt rest. When we die, beloved, we rest. We go to our eternal rest, which is in Christ, which is in heaven, seeing Christ face to face. And look at this, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Oh, at that great day, at that great day, when Christ returns, will receive our glorified bodies, beloved. Oh, my. And we will rejoice, and we will praise the Lord Jesus Christ in the glorious resurrection morning, his great second coming. At the end of the days, when it's all over, beloved, we shall receive our glorified bodies. And, you know, death is often referred to as sleep in the scriptures. because of the inactivity of the body. But our soul is never said to sleep, beloved. It's ascribed to being at rest in Christ.

Listen to this in Revelation chapter six, verse nine. And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God. and for the testimony which they held. My, let's read Daniel chapter 12 verse 13 once again and just marvel at the beauty in this verse. But go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shall rest and stand in thy lot at the end of days.

Now look at this, fourthly we see here, every born again blood washed believer will die, Every born-again blood-washed believer will enter into eternal rest. Every born-again blood-washed believer will receive their glorified body. And now we see here, we shall stand in judgment at the end of days. Look at this. Now, we won't be judged, beloved, because our sins were judged at Calvary's cross. But look at this, and stand in thy lot at the end of days. My, there's a great day coming. My. And you know what the believer will stand before God in the blessed merit and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. My, and God will find no fault in us, beloved, because all our sins were judged at Calvary's cross when the wrath of God due us fell upon Christ. My, my, oh, my.

You know what we're gonna hear, beloved? Come, thy blessed of my Father. Come, thy blessed of my Father. My. Having been saved from our sins through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will hear the Lord Jesus Christ say, come ye blessed of my Father. That's talking about God's people. That's talking about those he redeemed from all their sins.

But the unbeliever will stand in the merit of their unrighteousness. their own unrighteousness. And hear Christ say, depart from me ye cursed. My. People who thought, well I'm a good person. Surely God won't send me to hell because I'm a good person. There's none good, no not one. My, oh my.

And fifth, we see in this verse, let's read it again. But go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. My, my, we see fifthly, until the end of our days on this earth, go thy way, go thy way. We are to be like Daniel. We are to continue in faithfulness to the Lord. Waiting with great expectation and comfort to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Isn't that wonderful, beloved?

God in his grace, beloved, God in his grace will furnish us with living comfort along the way and will give us grace and strength for our days here and then at our death, he will supply dying grace and take us to our eternal rest, all because of the shed blood and the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we believers say amen and amen.