I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Daniel chapter
11. Daniel chapter 11. I want to
actually preach. The message that I plan to bring
is out of Daniel 12, verse 1 and 2. But I want to read the 11th chapter
of the book of Daniel. And what I'm going to tell you
right now is before I read it, the Spirit of God has been pleased
to show Daniel and us the unfolding of events that's going to take
place and is taking place right now in this world and things
that shall surely be brought to pass. before the second coming
of Christ. Now, let me set your heart at
ease. There's going to be some things
that are specifically set forth in the 11th chapter, and there's
going to be some things that are vague. And let me just say that here's what's
happening in verse 11. God Almighty's ruling. And though
there are some things that you will hear when we read that are
vague and not revealed, the secret things belong to God. But those
things that are revealed belong to us and to our children. So
I want to read. At first I wasn't going to read
this 11th chapter. I was just going to tell you
to go back and read it, but I'm going to read it. And understand,
Everything that I'm about to read is leading up to the 12th
chapter, verse 1 and 2. Daniel 11, also I in the first
year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen
him. And now will I show thee the
truth. Behold, there shall stand up
yet three kings in Persia. And the fourth shall be far richer
than they all. And by his strength, through
his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Grisha.
And a mighty king shall stand up that shall rule with great
dominion and do according to his will. It always amazes me
whenever I see something like this and you're reading and the
scripture is not specific on it. But a lot of commentators,
they'll say, well, now that right there, that's the realm of Constantinople,
you know, certain, certain BC, and this, that, and the other.
Now that's Rome, right there. And that's what's going to happen
when the Grecians say, how do you know? How do you know? Things that are not revealed.
Why do we try to reveal them? Verse 4, and when he shall stand
up, his kingdom shall be broken and shall be divided toward the
four winds of heaven. And not to his posterity, nor
according to his dominion, which he ruled for his kingdom, shall
be plucked up even for others beside those. And the king of
the south shall be strong, and one of his princes, and he shall
be strong above him and have dominion. His dominion shall
be a great dominion. I want you to start listening
for the word shall. Over 120 times the word shall
is used in this 11th chapter. Verse 6, And at the end of years
they shall join themselves together, for the king's daughter of the
south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement,
but she shall not retain the power of the arm, neither shall
he stand nor his arm, but she shall be given up, and they that
brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened
her in these times, but out of a branch of her roots shall one
stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and
shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and
shall deal against them, and shall prevail. So shall also
carry captives into Egypt, their gods with their princes, and
with their precious vessels of silver and gold and he shall
continue more years than the king of the north. So the king
of the south shall come into his kingdom and shall return
into his own land but his sons shall be stirred up and shall
assemble a multitude of great forces and one shall certainly
come and overflow and and pass through, then shall he return,
and be stirred up even to his fortress. And the king of the
south shall be moved with color, and shall come forth and fight
with him, even with the king of the north. And he shall set
forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given
unto his hand, And when he hath taken away the multitude, his
heart shall be lifted up. He shall cast down many ten thousands,
but he shall not be strengthened by it. For the king of the north
shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the
former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great
army and with much riches. And in those times there shall
many stand up against the king of the south. Also the robbers
of his people shall exalt themselves, to establish the vision, and
they shall fall. So the king of the north shall
come and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities,
and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen
people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. But
he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will,
and none shall stand before him. He shall stand in the glorious
land, which by his hand shall be consumed. He shall also set
his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright
ones with him. Thus shall he do, and he shall
give him the daughters of women, corrupting her. But she shall
not stand on his side, neither before him. After this shall
he turn his face unto the isles. and shall take many, but a prince
for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to
cease. Without his own reproach he shall
cause it to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face toward
the fort of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall and
not be found. Then shall stand up his estate
a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom, but within a
few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle. And in his estate shall stand
up a vile person to whom they shall not give the honor of the
kingdom, but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom
by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood
shall they be overthrown, from before him, and shall be broken,
yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with
him, he shall work deceitfully, for he shall come up and shall
become a strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably,
even unto the fattest places of the province. He shall do
that which his fathers have not done, nor his father's fathers.
He shall scatter them, the prey, the spoil, the riches. forecast
his devices against the strongholds, even for a time. He shall stir
up his power and his courage against the king. The south,
with a great army, and the king of the north shall be stirred
up to battle with a very great and mighty army, and he shall
not stand. They shall forecast devices against
him. Yea, they shall feed of the portion
of his meat, shall destroy him, his army shall overflow. and
many shall fall down slain. And both these kings and the
hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at
one table, but it shall not prosper. For yet the end shall be at the
time appointed. Then shall he return unto his
land with great riches. His heart shall be against the
holy covenant. He shall do exploits. He shall
return to his own land. at the time appointed, he shall
return and come toward the south. It shall not be as the former
or as the latter, for the ships of Chittim shall come against
him. Therefore he shall be grieved
and return and have indignation against the holy covenant. So
shall he do. He shall even return and have
intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. His arms,
oh no, and arms shall stand on his part. They shall pollute
the sanctuary of strength and shall take away the daily sacrifice. They shall place the abomination
that make it desolate and such as do wickedly against the covenant
shall he corrupt by flatteries, but the people that do know their
God shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among
the people shall instruct many, yet they shall fall by the sword,
and by flame, by captivity, by spoil many days. And when they
shall fall, they shall be hoping with a little help, but many
shall cleave to them with flatteries. Some of them of understanding
shall fall to try them to purge make them white even to the time
of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed. And the
king shall do according to his will. He shall exalt himself
and magnify himself above every god and speak marvelous things
against the God of gods, shall prosper till the indignation
be accomplished. For that that is determined shall
be done. Neither shall he regard the God
of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any God,
for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate
shall he honor the God of forces, and a God whom his fathers knew
not shall be honored with gold and silver, with precious stones,
pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most
strongholds with a strange God, whom he shall acknowledge and
increase with glory. He shall cause them to rule over
many, shall divide the land for gain, and the time of the end
shall the king of the south push at him, and the king of the north
shall come against him like whirlwind with chariots and horsemen with
their many ships. He shall enter into the countries
and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the
glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these
shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab and the chief
of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand
also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver,
over all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans, the Ethiopians
shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and
out of the north shall trouble him. Therefore, he shall go forth
with great fury to destroy and utterly make away many. and he shall plant the tabernacles
of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain,
yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him." Now, as I said a moment ago, many
try to take and put all these pieces together and make them
be somebody that are not revealed. But let me tell you again what
this chapter says. God Almighty rules in the army
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay
his hand. This is what he said. All things
that I have determined shall come to pass. The counsel of
the Lord standeth forever. and his thoughts of his heart
to all generations. In the midst of this wicked world,
evil is rampant. Evil is everywhere, but in the
midst of this world, there is a remnant. According to the election
of God's grace, A remnant that's going to be kept until the day
of God's salvation. So, let the pot sherds of this
world, let the kings of the south and the north and those here,
let them rant and rave. Surely, the wrath of man is going
to praise Thee. All of this is taking place.
Let me tell you what's happening. Almighty God is moving and ruling
and raising up and putting down for His glory and for the salvation
of His people. Surely the wrath of man shall
praise Thee, and the remainder of wrath the Lord's going to
restrain. He's going to hold it back. Unnecessary. Unnecessary. He'll hold it back. He's allowed the wickedness of
this earth and the hatred of the world against the Lord and
His own to expose. The tares by persecution, God's
people are being purged. So as the tares are being exposed,
I'll just look at a couple of verses in Daniel 11. The tares
are being exposed. Look at verse 32. And such as
do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt by flatteries. are the false professors. Now
in every assembly, every assembly, there's always true and false
professors. There's always tares among the
wheat. And these false professors who make a fair claim outwardly
to give allegiance to the Lord God of heaven, those who worship
God with their mouth, but their hearts are far from Him, they're
shown to be nothing more than the tools of They're God's tools
that are allowed of Satan to set forth and manifest who are
the approved. There must be heresies among
you that those which are approved may be made manifest. So here's
what he's saying. And such as do wickedly against
the covenant shall be corrupt by flatteries. They're going
to be drawn away by the flatteries of this world. A sower went forth
to sow. Some fell by the wayside. Some
fell among the stony ground and rose up quickly. But what happened
when persecution came out? The sun came out. What happened?
They fell. They fell. There was no root in them. That's
what they're saying. They do wickedly against the
covenant. They're corrupted. by the flatteries,
but there's another group that's within this world. While all
of this fighting and back and forth, there's another group,
latter part of verse 32. But the people that do know their
God shall be strong and do, now look at the word exploits. Exploits
is in italics. It's added and it is, I mean,
It's there and it's okay. It's a good word, but it doesn't
add anymore. Here's what it says. The scripture says, but the people
that do know their God shall be strong and do. Do. They do. They follow after the Lord. My
sheep hear my voice. I know them. And what do they
do? They follow me. They follow me. All that the
Father hath given me, what do they do? In the day of God's
power, they come. All that the Father giveth me
shall come. They do, they do. Those that
know Him do. Job said, though He slay me,
yet will I trust Him. I'll trust Him. So all that appears
to be so chaotic, you could take Daniel 11 and just kind of lay
it right now, over this world right now. You see what's happening,
Iran saying they're going to go into Iraq. Almighty God is ruling. Almighty
God is keeping His people. And though everything looks so
chaotic, everything is perfect in the hands of Him who rules
an army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth. And during this
time, all this chaos right now. Let me tell you what else is
going on right now in this world. Oh, I thought this was in the
Old Testament. It is. It is. And it's going on right
now. Look at verse 35. And some of
them of understanding shall fall. Why? To try them and to purge,
to make them white. even to the time of the end,
because it is yet for a time appointed. God's people, all
of God's sheep, in this world, called out of spiritual darkness,
but let me tell you what we all possess. That old Don Fortner
told me one time, he said every believer carries a lot of baggage
with him. A lot of dross. And it makes the afflictions
and the trials of this world at the hand of Him who loves
His people, whom the Lord loveth. He chasteneth and scourgeth every
son that He receiveth. Almighty God is using all of
the trials and tribulations for one reason. He's preparing His people. showing
us of ourselves. And they're necessary. When they
come, there's no doubt. God's people are found. They
do stagger. They do stumble. But what happens
to a believer when he stumbles? He's going to get up. He's going
to get up. He'll rise. He'll rise. They know themselves to be feeble. But all of these calamities,
All of these trials, they're for our good. We need them. We
need them. How many of you parents ever
enjoyed spanking your children? You enjoyed it. How many of you
enjoyed it? Really? Now, kids, let me tell you something.
Contrary to what you're thinking, we don't. We never did. Oh, I
used to tell them all, especially Gabe. It grieves me to have to spank
you, but I got to. It's for your good. It's for
your good. And I hated to have to discipline,
but it was the best thing. He'll tell me right now, Dad,
the best thing you ever did for me is wet me. That was the best
thing you ever did. I needed it, and he got it. I'm telling you. If you be without chastisement,
it's because you're not His. You're not His. Some of them
of understanding shall fall, not from grace, you can't do
that. But they're going to stumble
because of the trials and calamities. But it's to try and to prove
them. Prove them. Prove that faith is truly there. That they do, that God does keep
them to the end. that they do, they are sustained
by the grace of God. And all of this is for a time
appointed, that's the way, that's the Lord's way of separating
the sheep from the chaff, showing His sheep to be His, even to
the end. These trials are going to continue,
but believers take heart. With all of this, all of this
that's going on, all of this, Man, I don't know what's happening.
I don't know who's on what side. I don't know who's allies. I
don't know anything. I don't know anything. Let me
tell you what's going to happen. It's coming. Here it's coming. Daniel 12, verse 1. And at that
time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people. There shall be a time of trouble
such as never was since there was a nation, even to the same
time. And at that time, thy people shall be delivered, everyone
that shall be found written in the book." Boy, isn't that an encouraging
scripture. What's going to happen? What's going to happen when all
of this is over? When all of this As I said, things
mess and stuff. All of the bickering and all
of the fussing, you know. One of these days, very soon,
Michael is going to stand up. Now there can be no doubt what
time it is. At this time, at that time, it's
the last day. It's the last day. It's the day
of judgment. When is that going to be? Well,
it's going to be when men are eating and drinking and marrying
and giving in marriage, like in the days of Noah. That's what
it's going to be. It's going to be a day just like today,
when you think not. And a day that you think not,
that's when the Son of Man is going to come. The hour, the
day, the Lord said, Matthew 24, 36, no man knows but the Father
in heaven. No man born. in Adam. When men shall be going about
their lives as usual, thinking everything's going to be just
like it is right now. It's always been like this from the creation.
And that day of that glorious second coming of the Lord in
the twinkling of an eye, the trump of God's going to sound
and time is not going to be anymore. No more time. And as surely as
this is the day of judgment, There could be no doubt who stands
up. Michael. Michael. None other than the Lord Jesus
Christ. You know what Michael means?
Who is like God. It doesn't mean he's like God.
He is God. It's who is a God like unto you. This is Michael. The archangel. The first. the messenger of the
covenant, Michael himself, the Christ, the anointed of Jehovah,
divine human, the redeemer, the advocate, the husband of the
sheep, the great high priest. Who is this Michael? He is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature,
The only begotten of the Father. I cannot read that and not admit
my wonder of that statement. I appreciated so much what Robert
Hawker said about the only begotten of the Father, that wording of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He said it is a truth set forth
that is so wonderful We have no idea what it means. As I've told you before, I can
understand the first begotten of Bob and Chuck. I see. I see. I understand. I understand that to come forth
from. But he that ever has come forth
from the Father, he who always before Him, always His delight,
the only begotten of the Father. But I can say some things, though
that truth is veiled by the Holy Spirit as to the absolute explanation
of it. But I can tell you this, He's
the only begotten of the Father, the only Son of God by nature,
who is God. I know that. He's the only begotten
of the Father who is God by nature. We sons by adoption being found
in Him. The only mediator between God
and men, the man, Christ Jesus, the only one. The only begotten
of the Father who is the same yesterday and today and forever. The only begotten of the Father
who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He told his disciples, you see
me, you've seen the Father. Now we believe that by faith,
but now again, you just try to start explaining it and what
we'll do is taint it. We'll taint it. Just suffice
it to say this is the truth. The only begotten of the Father. God's Lamb openly manifested
in the fullness of time and secretly beheld by the Father as the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. I love the mysteriousness
of God. We can't explain Him. Oh, when
people try to explain, they say, well, it's just real simple.
No, it's not. No, it's not. Who is a God like
unto thee? The Christ who was rejected of
many, taken by wicked hands, crucified, and thereby accomplished
the will of the Father to redeem the everlastingly loved sheep. And now, the Scripture says He stood up. Now this one who stands
up, he's not standing up abused by the hands of wicked men, but
here's the great prince which, I love this word, standeth for
the children of the people. He's always stood. He's always
stood. He stood for the elect in covenant
agreement according to the everlasting covenant of God's grace and stood
as their surety before they were ever created, before they were
ever brought forth. He stood for them and they in
Him. He who would answer before God
for them. Their eternal redemption and
salvation stood as their substitute and sacrifice, being made sin
that they might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Bore their curse,
being made a curse, and now answers for them. as the great high priest
before God, he who ever liveth and make intercession for his
bride, pleading his own merit on their behalf, and accepted
in him. When God sees the blood, he passes
over. Now this is the one who has the
right and the honor in himself to sit at the right hand of the
majesty on high. There's a man seated in glory
who answers and the scripture declares that he stands, stands
up. Now I can't think of, hold your
place right there and turn to Acts 7, Acts chapter 7. Here's a glorious truth. This is the one before whom every
believer bows in their heart, bows before Him. You're worthy, you're worthy,
you're worthy to receive all the honor and all the glory and
all the praise. And there was a day revealed
in the Holy Scriptures. There was a man named Stephen. This man was being stoned to
death because of what he believed and who he confessed. He was
hated. He was hated. And you'll be hated. You'll be hated for the love that you have for
the Lord Jesus Christ. And he boldly stood before those
who opposed the Lord and told them the truth about their wickedness. Acts 7 verse 51. You stiff-necked and uncircumcised
in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your
fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not
your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which
showed before of the coming of the just one, of whom ye have
been now the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by
the disposition of angels and have not kept it. When they heard
these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on
Him with their teeth. But He, being full of the Holy
Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory
of God. That's what Moses asked God for. He said, show me your glory.
He looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God. What did he see? and Jesus standing on the right
hand of God. He saw the Lord. He was full
of the Holy Ghost. Mr. Hawker made this statement
on that, full of the Holy Ghost. He said, the Lord graciously
granted him a fresh renewing of the Spirit and prepared him
for the cruel and painful death that he was about to suffer.
God prepared him. Now that gives me some hope.
But when it comes to the time of our departure, the Lord who
has promised, He said, I'm never going to leave you. I'm not going
to forsake you. Have you ever watched a believer
die? It's an amazing thing to watch a believer Die. And die with some peace and some settledness. It's a
miracle of God's grace. And in His dying moments, in
the time of His greatest need, a glorious manifestation of the
Lord Himself. The Lord stood to receive Stephen
unto himself, and to welcome him home. Precious in the sight
of the Lord is the death of his saints. And Stephen looked steadfastly
into heaven, and look at verse 56. Here's what he said, Behold,
I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing on the right
hand of God. This is real. This is real. This is real. We see this by
faith. But the Spirit of God has revealed
that this is real. And God's people are truly going
to see Him face to face. They're going to see Him. And
the Spirit of God revealed at that time of the Lord standing
back in Daniel chapter 12 verse 1. At the time when Michael stands
up, the great prince, which standeth for the children of thy people,
there should be a time of trouble such as never was since there
was a nation, even to that same time." Our Lord spoke. I'm going to
be looking at Matthew 24 as I wrap this up. Matthew 24. The Lord
spoke of this time, of the last days. Amazing passage of scripture,
Matthew 24. And the disciples are talking
to him, Matthew 24, verse 3 to 5. And as he sat upon the Mount
of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell
us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of
thy coming and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered
and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Many shall come in my name, saying,
I am Christ, and shall deceive many. This end time, the trouble, the
tribulation, what is it going to be? We talk about that tribulation,
great tribulation. What is it? Look at verse 21,
Matthew 24 verse 21-22. For then shall be great tribulation, Such as was not since the beginning
of the world, and to this time, nor ever shall be. And except those days be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those
days shall be shortened. What is this great tribulation? What's happening? I don't doubt for a second when
the Lord spoke of the great tribulation as many refer to that as the
fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the calamities and the horrors
of that time and I don't doubt that one bit. I believe it is.
But God's people have always lived, every generation has lived
and seen in their time beholding what is to their perception the
worst that it has ever been. I was reading, and I'm talking
about somebody that lived back in the 1600s, 1700s, and they
were talking about the way things were in the world at that time. They were talking, they said,
it's never been, there's never been a time when evil was so
rampant. Now let me ask you this, what
do we say? Second Timothy, 2 Timothy 3.13,
2 Timothy 3.13, But evil men and seducers shall
wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. You want
to know what great tribulation is? It's the rampant preaching
of false religion, and the hatred and resentment
of God's people who believe and hold to the truth. Evil men and
seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. I want to read something. I normally
just make a quote from Henry Mahan's book on 2 Timothy chapter
3 and verse 13. Here's what Brother Henry said,
by evil men are meant not openly profane sinners of the world
nor wicked men in general, but wicked men under a form of godliness
in the pulpit and in the pew who are bent on seducing and
deceiving others to follow their false doctrine and their gospel
liturgy of works. In the last days these religious
hucksters and jugglers of truth shall wax worse and worse, deceiving
many and being further deceived themselves. It is not because
error is stronger than truth nor because Satan is more powerful
than the Spirit of God, but because natural men are more inclined
to embrace error and will embrace that which agrees with their
carnal nature. Every generation beholds evil
waxing worse and worse. So Daniel chapter 12, at that
time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people. There shall be a time of trouble
such as never was since there was a nation even to that same
time. That's it. But, listen to this, at that
time thy people shall be delivered. Who? Everyone that shall be found
written in the book. The books shall be opened and
the book, and the book. The Lamb's Book of Life, verse
2, and many of them that sleep in the dust, here's that resurrection,
all men, we're all going to be there. Many of them that sleep
in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life
and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Almighty God has set
forth that in this world we're going to have tribulation, trouble,
fighting, wars. But rest assured, God's keeping
His people. He's using even the wrath of
men to refine them, to purge them, to teach them. And in that
day, when all of this is over, Michael's going to stand up to
receive his people unto himself. He's going to stand, he's going
to divide the sheep from the goats. To those on his right hand, the
sheep, he's going to say, enter in. They're going to be delivered. Those have been found written
in the book, written from the foundations of the world. I pray
that this be an encouragement to all of us, knowing that in
these days, in these days of apparent trouble, rest assured,
God reigns. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart for Christ's sake.