God’s Revelation to Daniel Culminated

Transcript

GR1918
5/10/2015
God’s Revelation to Daniel Culminated
Daniel 12:3-13
Gil Rugh

I invite you to turn in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 12, Daniel and the 12th chapter. We come to the close of this great Old Testament book and this last vision of Daniel really covers the last three chapters, chapters 10, 11 and 12. Chapter 10 told us “When the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel whose name was Belteshazzar.” So this last vision we are carried back to the beginning of the book when we were told about Daniel and his three friends, their receiving Babylonian names and this last vision culminates God’s revelation to Daniel. When we met him in chapter one, a young man, perhaps in his later teens and now he’s into his eighties just from the amount of time that has passed from Nebuchadnezzar carting him away into Babylon to coming to the third year of Cyrus king of Persia. The Babylonian Empire has fallen yet Daniel has been faithful to the Lord, used of the Lord and been recipients of a great revelation.

This closing revelation to Daniel carried him to the end of God’s program for Israel and the establishing of the kingdom. You will remember back in chapter 9 in a previous vision that took place in the first year of Darius, verse 24 of Daniel 9: There were seventy weeks decreed for your people and your holy city for Daniel’s people, the Jews and for Jerusalem and six things would be accomplished within that 77 year period, 490 years to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision in prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. We have come to the point where Israel has come to its salvation in the Messiah and we have the establishing of the kingdom.

So now in Daniel chapter 11 beginning in verse 36 we are carried to that last seven year period and the last half of that seven year period; the last three and a half year period here. So you can see as this vision closes out the focus of Daniel is drawn in this revelation to this last three and a half period and to the resurrection that will occur here. In fact as we will see as the book closes Daniel is promised that he will experience the resurrection of the righteous that will occur at the end of that 70th week that completes God’s program for the nation Israel and preparing them for the kingdom.

That came down from chapter 11, verse 36 and down through chapter 12, verse 3 and in chapter 12, verse 1 talked about the time of distress that will characterize that last three and a half year period culminating with the return of Christ, a time of distress like the world has never seen. The same thing Jesus said in Matthew 24, a time of distress so severe if He did not intervene there wouldn’t be anyone who would survive.

Then there will be a resurrection we saw in verse 2: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake; these to everlasting life.” And we noted, those that are raised, Old Testament saints and tribulation saints at the return of Christ to the earth complete the first resurrection. The first part of that resurrection was the rapture of the church. Daniel’s prophecies don’t deal with that. They pick up with the 70th week after the rapture and carry us to the kingdom and the rest will be raised to disgrace and everlasting contempt and we saw in Revelation chapter 20 that is 1,000 years after the resurrection of the righteous, the first resurrection and then the promise. “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven. Those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” God’s servants faithful to Him, used of Him to draw others to the knowledge of the living God. They will have glory in the kingdom.

And now the angel is ready to wrap it up for Daniel. “But as for you Daniel (Daniel, chapter 12, verse 4) conceal these words, seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will go back and forth and knowledge will increase.” It’s time for Daniel to close up the book of his prophecies, seal it. That denotes its security but it also may indicate that the understanding of it will not come until a later time and that is what is said at the end of the verse. “Many will go back and forth and knowledge will increase.” And sometimes in prophetic preaching this is taken to indicate something of our day. Look how travel has increased. Look how much more knowledge we have. But in the context it seems what he is talking about is that many will go back and forth depicting what is going on in the searching for truth and the knowledge and understanding of what God has revealed will increase because remember this seven year period is a time of God bringing judgment on the world, judgment on the nation Israel for their unbelief but He is dealing with the nation Israel to so purge them and refine them through this process of suffering that they will be brought to their knees and so as you get toward the end of that period and as Israel is being prepared by the grace of God through the intense suffering they have gone through there will be more serious searching of God’s Word and a more clear understanding. Some of that may indicate things that we are also blessed to experience. We will note that in a little.

Verse 6, Daniel has some things he would like to explain further and he’s asked for that in prior revelations you’ll remember and he got fuller explanations. Back in chapter 7, what about this little horn? And the angel explained it further.

So in verse 5: “Daniel looked and Behold two others were standing on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. The one said to the man dressed in linen who was above the waters, ‘How long will it be to the end of these wonders?’ I heard the man dressed in linen who was above the waters of the river and he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever that it would be for a time, times and a half times.” And as soon as they finished shattering the power of the people all these events will be completed.

So among the angels and perhaps with the pre-incarnate Son of God they’re passing on information but in verse 8 Daniel says, “Explain it to me.” But it’s not going to happen when he asked what will be the outcome of these events?

So there is information here. It is not new information. It’s further revelation to Daniel in these verses but its information that won’t be understood until later times and that may be part of what is involved in the book being sealed up. It will take longer time and fuller revelation and then for the nation Israel, the time of suffering that lies before them.
In verse 6 when they ask, “How long will it be until the ends of these wonders?” How long will this go on? Particularly like we talked about in verse 1, the time of distress such as never occurred. So the focus is on the last three and one half years and the response in verse 7: “It would be for a time, times and a half time and as soon as they finished shattering the power of the holy people all these events will be completed.” So you see you have this period of time here, the time, times and a half time, three and a half years and what is going on there is the crushing, the shattering of the nation Israel. To be sure the world is experiencing devastation but God’s program is focusing in Israel. This is a completion of His prophesied program for the nation Israel and so the shattering of the power of the holy people. When that is finished, Israel the holy people with the capital as the holy city because they are the people chosen of God, these events will be completed. So you get a time line here. How long? It is clear. It is a time, times and a half time.

Come back to chapter 7, verse 25. Speaking about this little horn, verse 25: “He will speak out against the Most High, wear down the saints of the Highest One, will intend to make alterations in times and in law. They will be given into His hand for a time, times and a half time.” And the conclusion of that, verse 27: “The sovereignty, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. All the dominions will serve and obey Him.” This last three and a half years of the 70th week of Daniel gets such focus because they culminate God’s program in bringing Israel to Himself and accomplishing their redemption so that the kingdom can be established.

Over in chapter 9, verse 27; again we have this 70th week. “He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week He puts a stop to sacrificing grain offering on the wing of abominations comes one who will make desolate even until a complete destruction. One is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate,” the destruction of the antichrist, the little horn with the return of Christ. But we pick up with the middle of that seven year period until the end. That time, times and a half time is referring to that three and a half year block of time.

Come over to the book of Revelation. Just to remind ourselves the book ends with what we have covered a number of times. Come to Revelation chapter 11. This is helpful. We get additional revelation here because we are adding to the revelation but you see it doesn’t change it. It just helps to clarify it. Verse 2, in measuring the temple of God and so on, “leave out the court (verse 2 of Revelation 11), leave out the court which is outside the temple. Do not measure it. It has been given to the nations. They will tread underfoot the holy city for 42 months.” We get different time lines here. That is what we are going to look at, time, times and a half time, that 70th week divided into two segments within the middle of the week, the breaking of the covenant with Israel. The next verse, verse 3: “I will grant authority to my two witnesses. They will prophesy for 1,260 days.” Remember 360 days is a year in prophecy, a prophetic year. Same thing as for 42 months, 1,260 days.

Come over to chapter 12 of Revelation, verse 6 and this is the persecution that breaks out in the middle of that 70th week. Remember Jesus in Matthew 25, “There will be persecution such as the world has never seen.” And so in Revelation 12, verse 6 “Then the woman fled into the wilderness,” the nation Israel here that gave birth to the Messiah, “where she had a place prepared by God so that she would be there, nourished 1,260.” Down in verse 14: “But two wings of the eagle were given to the woman so she could fly into the wilderness to her place where “she was nourished for a time, times and a half time.” Same expression we have in Daniel, time, times and a half time, identified as 42 months or 1,260 days.

You come down into chapter 13, verse 5. There was given to him, this is the first beast coming out of the sea which is another description of the little horn or the willful king of chapter 11 with the antichrist. “There was a mouth given to him speaking arrogant words and blasphemy, authority to act for 42 months was given to him.” Repeatedly, Daniel mentioned it. The book of Revelation further unfolds it and adds quite a bit of additional material. None of it changes anything that Daniel said. Times are still the same. We are still talking about time, times and a half time or half of the last seven year period or 42 months or 1,260 days. I mean it seems that Scripture is pretty clear and I take it the numbers are to be taken at face value. They haven’t changed in the centuries between Daniel’s prophesies and John writing the book of Revelation. You can have 600 years go by but we are still talking about the same numbers. It is clear.

Alright, come back to Daniel chapter 12. This will be a time of judgment where God allows Satan to vent his wrath on the nation Israel, similar to what he gave Satan permission to afflict Job. Well Job was in a little different situation. He was a righteous man but still when God gave Satan permission he could afflict him with certain limitations. Well, the nation Israel is in rebellion against God and God gives Satan the opportunity to afflict his punishment or his wrath on them. So they are shattered as a nation, great destruction. We know something of the holocaust in our more recent history but that is nothing like what is going to be unleashed in the world wide persecution that will take place under the antichrist where God in mercy and grace has provided some place of refuge in what we might call the trans-Jordan area today across the Jordan for refuge but no place in the world because the world is under the dominion of the antichrist and following him and his attempt to crush Israel. So the end of verse 7 fits with what the New Testament also says the shattering of the power of the holy people. That completes the events. They are not annihilated but they have suffered a great persecution.

Verse 8: “As for me, I heard but I could not understand. So I said, ‘My Lord, what will be the outcome of these events?’” I mean you can understand here is all this unfolding and here we have the completed revelation of the New Testament so we take these things from what is revealed by Christ at His first coming and what is revealed through the apostles then that culminating revelation to John the apostle and now we can step back and say, “Ah, now we understand there are two comings of the Messiah, the first to suffer and die, the second separated by some 2,000 years.” Daniel had no idea of this and here we go and we’ve got the coming nations and he’s seen the nations coming with Rome and then Rome’s rise and out of that comes this little horn and the destruction of the people in this three and a half year period and the people are shattered.

Boy how do I put all this together? If you go back, you know, 500 years before Christ and say now we have got to put this together, not having any further revelation? The prophets and Daniel says, I can’t understand, it doesn’t all fit together for me. What will be the outcome of these events? Explain it further to me. But at a later time with later revelation is what is needed.

Daniel will be told in verse 9, “Go your way, Daniel. These words are concealed, sealed up to the end time.” Daniel, relax. He’ll tell in verse 13 as the book closes, “Go your way to the end and then you will enter your rest. Daniel, there is no further revelation coming for you. You will live out your life now and you will die. Then you’ll experience spiritual resurrection. These words are concealed; sealed up until the end time.”

So verse 4 Daniel was told, “Conceal these words. Seal up the book.” But it will become clear to the nations that along the way there is further revelation that will make it clearer. You know when we get to the time of the Messiah that will prepare for this.

Come to the book of Revelation chapter 22 and we are at the end of the end of God’s revelation. Daniel chapter 12 is closing out the revelation given to Daniel. Revelation chapter 22 is closing out the revelation given to John, closing out the revelation given by God to man and we are at the end of the end in Revelation 22 and note what John is told in verse 10: “Then he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book.’” So this is a book that is open. It is expected to be studied and understood by the church which is living in anticipation of the coming of Christ for the church. “The time is near.” You will note three times in this chapter, back in verse 7 Christ said, “Behold, I am coming quickly.” Verse 12: “Behold, I am coming quickly,” and then verse 20: “Yes, I am coming quickly so do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book. The time is near;” so a different emphasis than in Daniel because God’s revelation is complete now. It is to be understood. But Daniel, he said, I need more explanation, I don’t understand. That was acceptable for Daniel. It is not acceptable for us. Look at verses 6 and 7 of Revelation 22: “And he said to me, ‘these words are faithful and true and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets sent His angel to show to His bondservants the things which must soon take place. Behold I am coming quickly (now note this), blessed is he who heeds (or keeps) the words of the prophecy of this book.”

You come back to chapter 1 of revelation, verse 3 you have the same blessing pronounced. Chapter 1, verse 3 of Revelation: “Blessed is he who reads, those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed (or keeps) the things which are written in it for the time is near.” Daniel is told, “It is not near for you, Daniel.” You are going to die. You are going to be placed in the grave, your body. At a later time you will experience resurrection. We will see that in a moment. For the church, you see we are to be living expecting the return of the Lord. Daniel, as a Jew had this period of time in here to deal with and he didn’t know. He’s way back there on the back wall. We are living in the church age expecting the return of the Lord at any time. The time is near and He’s given the completed revelation. Daniel had partial revelation. He couldn’t understand it and the book was sealed up. Now the book of Revelation is given and the instruction that was given in chapter 22, verse 10 is: “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book.” The time is near. We live expecting the return of the Lord at any time and how can you keep the words of the prophecy of the book if they are not understandable? The book of God’s revelation that promises special blessing for reading it, hearing it read because not everybody had their copy in those days and living in light of it. As a book you know, you can have a variety of interpretations. It’s apocryphal literature. It’s not meant to be taken at face value. You know, it’s just the opposite, what it says. And how does Revelation deal with Daniel, literally, at face value. The same thing we had. That is what we looked at, that last three and a half year period, nothing has changed there. It is a time, times and a half time or half of seven or 42 months or 1,260 days. “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy.”

So this will have its ultimate realization for Israel as they get toward the end of the seven year period. For us as believers we understand from the study of this completed revelation of God, not just the book of Revelation but now our entire New Testament something of the plan of God and the church lives in light of that. For Israel their understanding and searching it out will take the sufferings particularly of this three and a half years and toward the end of that there is going to be what we have in Romans chapter 11, “All Israel will be saved.” There will be a national turning as finally Israel is broken of their rebellion and fighting against God ceases and so the book of Zechariah chapter 12, 13, 14 talk about Israel not only turning and crying out for their Messiah to come and deliver them and then in chapter 14 of Zechariah he comes and stands on the Mount of Olives and we have the rescuing of the nation.

Alright, come back to Daniel chapter 12, verse 10: “Many will be purged, purified and refined.” That’s what is going on for Israel, what is God’s intention for the nation Israel to purge them, purify them, refine them and bring them to the point of turning to their God, the God of Israel and the Messiah who is their Savior but “the wicked will act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand. Those who have insight will understand.” So that fits with what He said at the end of verse 4: “Many will go back and forth and knowledge will increase,” as Israel begins that turn to the Lord and they search their Scriptures. By the grace of God their eyes are opened up. They say, “Now we understand. Look what Daniel said. Look what Zechariah said. Look at the book of Revelation said. Here is where we are.” So it all comes together for them and they are broken by the disciplining punishment of the Lord in that seven years but the wicked will continue on.

You know it is only the grace of God that people were saved at any time and even the trials of the tribulation will not break the stubborn resolve of sinful hearts.

Come back to the book of Revelation and then two books, Daniel and Revelation go together so when you go or if you go to Bible School or Seminary usually you have one course, Daniel-Revelation. They are usually taken together because they tie together so much. Come to the book of Revelation chapter 9 and we are in the midst of this tribulation period. Note here in Daniel chapter 9 just under the judgments. This is serious. Verse 18: “A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues.” And this is just a portion of what is going on. You have six billion people in the world to round it off. You have two billion of them dying in just this one series of plagues, the three of them and yet verse 20: “The rest of mankind were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons, the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, wood which can neither see nor hear nor walk. They did not repent of their murders, sorceries, immorality, thefts.”

Over in chapter 16 of Revelation as we have moved through so much of the judgments of the tribulation. In chapter 16, verse 9: “Men were scorched with fierce heat. They blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They did not repent so as to give Him glory.” Men cursed God for their suffering. We see that happen in some cases. It will happen by the unbeliever in the tribulation. Verse 11: “They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They did not repent of their deeds.”

Man’s wickedness will only grow worse. People and those who are professing believers sometimes criticize Christians who take a literal interpretation of the Scripture as you know, we are pessimistic. That is true. We are pessimistic as far as where the world is going. It’s going to destruction but I am not pessimistic about the outcome. Our Savior wins. He rules. But to say you are not helping making the world a better place. You are not improving the lot of mankind. I can’t. All I can do is bring the Gospel of God’s salvation that can change a heart and that will change a life and a lifestyle but I have no misconceptions that things are going to get better in the world. They are going to get worse. We are going to the 70th week of Daniel as man’s wickedness and openness the world is ripening for judgment and we see something of a more open display in the world of defiance of God, of His Word, of His revelation things that have never been seen in the history of mankind, we see now. For example, reading in a secular writing we are first time in the history that homosexual marriages have become recognized. The Roman Empire never did that. We just become more open, more defiant; more closed to hearing what God has to say. But that is sinful man. He suppresses the truth in unrighteousness, Romans 1. It is important that we as believers have this clear otherwise we get involved in all these other things as portions of the evangelical world is post-millennial, re-constructionism as sometimes it is called and popular that you know, through implementing, re-implementing the Mosaic Law through getting involved in changing culture the world is going to get better and better and we are going to bring in the millennium. I just can’t find it in the Scripture. Here is where we are going.

Alright, come back to Daniel chapter 12. So verse 10: “My God’s grace many will be purged, purified and refined but the wicked will act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand. Those who have insight will understand.” So now, particularly for Israel as Daniel writes there is going to be clarity coming in the time of suffering and trouble when the nation Israel is being prepared for her salvation.

Now we have some timelines here. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up there will be 1,290. Oops, now we just went through all that showing the 1,260 days. Now we find out there are 1,290 days, an extra 30 days and then we are going to add 45 more days to that in verse 12. “How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to 1,335 days.” Daniel asked for more information to clarify, I don’t see this has clarified it for Daniel.

So verse 9 told Daniel: “Go your way, Daniel. These words are concealed and sealed up till the end time.” Then verse 13: “But as for you, go your way to the end. You will enter your rest.” But he does give some additional information. Now if we are at 1,260 days here we have just added 30 days, 1,290 days and then we added 45 more days, a total of 75 days. So from that middle point of the tribulation the regular sacrifice is abolished, the abomination of desolation is set up. Remember when Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24, verse 15, “When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, don’t even go back into your house to get an extra coat, you better run, hide as quickly as you can. Get out of Jerusalem.”

Now we have 1,290 days. Well we know Christ is coming back at the end of the 1,260, the 42 months but there are things that take place. We have been studying what? When He comes back there is going to be what? Judgment of Israel, judgment of the nations. So I take it that might be what is going on in the 30 days, the 1,290 days. And what about then another 45 more days is added onto that? Well we have the cleansing of the earth, cleansing of the temple that will be replaced at that site; this setting up of the government for the millennium. Now come to a total new administration, the King of kings is here so the government of the millennium when you come to 1,335 days so He comes after 1,260 and then we will have the judgment of the nations and the setting up and preparing of the earth for the reign of the Messiah and the assigning of all the responsibilities. “Blessed is he who comes to the 1,335 days.” Why? Because you have come through it all. You know those who are to be judged, the living, those who survive those judgments we saw in Matthew chapter 25, Ezekiel chapter 20 for Israel, the judgment of the nation, the judgment of Israel living, well blessing, come through. A new government is set up. I am part of the new kingdom. I take it that’s what these days are.

Amazing to me how precise God is. It is not just a period of time. He tells us how much time. I mean He’s not only talked about 1,260 days as we saw in the book of Revelation. Now He talks about 1,290 days. Well you know, maybe it will take 25 days. Maybe it will take 40 days. No. God says 1,290 days. Well, 1,335 days, an extra 75 days, I mean I’m fine if it takes 100 days. It is not fine with God. He said, “1,335 days.” The numbers, why would God bother giving these precise numbers if they are meaningless? Why would we not take them? Somebody gives numbers and says you have an appointment in ten days, I wonder why he means by ten days? Ten is two times five. Maybe he didn’t mean ten days. Maybe he means I will meet him twice in five days. Pretty soon we can’t communicate any longer. God said, I told you about the time, times and a half time. I clarified that. It is 1,260 days. I want to tell you there is a dividing point after 1,290, we have an extra 30 days then we have an extra 45 and by then the kingdom is established in a sense that its government is set up. The judgments have taken place. The duties are assigned, maybe the details.

We saw in our study earlier today faithful servants. You can rule over ten cities. Now we have to portion that out. Your ten cities are here. Your four cities are here. You have the playground over here; whatever the assignment is in the kingdom. So you get to the 1,335 days the kingdom is organized and established. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other things to be done. We have a millennial temple. Will it be built within that time? I don’t know. It could be by the power of God that it doesn’t happen because we are going to have a growing into this kingdom because remember the world has been decimated. You not only have the billions of people who died in the judgments of the tribulation and you have the multiple, who knows how many people who survive the tribulation but were unbelievers and have been executed. So now we start the kingdom and there will be children born and growth so there are times for things to go on. We just don’t boom, we have it now, we have a perfect kingdom. It is perfect in the one sense but it’s not completed yet. There will be the growth and development and through the thousand years people born and all of that.

Okay, verse 13, wrap it up for Daniel. “But as for you, go your way.” So He basically repeats what He told him in verse 9 but He added when Daniel asked, “Well, how will these things work out?” He did give Daniel a summary of that concluding time that will end with blessing. “But as for you, go your way to the end” the end of your life. We had different than the end of the book of Revelation. You will be expecting Me, I am coming quickly. The time is near. “Daniel, you will live out your days and there are not many of them left.” Obviously he is man in his eighties at this point. “Then you will enter rest. You will not see the outworking of what has been prophesied, Daniel.” In the New Testament in the book of Revelation we are told to expect to see Him, the coming of the Lord and so on. “You will enter into your rest and (note that) rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

Back to verse 2: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake; these to everlasting life.” “Daniel, there is no more revelation to be given to you. You have been faithful will soon die but you will be raised again and you will receive your allotted portion at the end of the age, the end of the days” because Daniel will be raised here with Old Testament saints and he will be judged, rewarded. A man of his demonstrated faithfulness over the extensiveness of his life we can be sure that his rewards will be significant. The position he has in the kingdom will be significant. That is what he deserved. That is how it ends. You have received the revelation. You don’t get the full understanding of it but that is alright you are faithful with what God has given you.

We come to the conclusion of the book of Daniel and I think how blessed we are. We have touched on the book of Revelation and through the studies that you have been involved in present time and you have studied Matthew, you have studied other prophetic portions. You study the book of Revelation. We have so much clearer understanding than Daniel could possibly have. How amazing is that? With the awesome revelations given to Daniel you and I as believers today have a clearer understanding of the work of God in the world than Daniel could ever have. I have an understanding of the provision of God’s salvation with the details of the coming to earth of His Son, His life on earth, His suffering and death to pay the penalty for sin, His resurrection from the dead, the establishing of the church to bring salvation to the Gentiles while Israel experiences judgment and understand there will come a time in God’s program in the church, the fullness of the Gentiles will come to an end, this time of Gentile salvation and then God resumes His program with Israel and that will culminate in the salvation of the nation Israel and then all saints from all ages will come to have their part in the kingdom. That has been prophesied and we are to live in light of that. I just love the book of Revelation. It reminds us of the blessing of those who live in light of these truths. We have more motivation because we have been given greater knowledge by a completed revelation and our goal is to be faithful individually and as a church until Christ comes.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord for the riches of Your Word. Thank You for the revelation given to Daniel, the testimony of his life. Lord as we have been privileged to pick him up as a young man standing faithfully for You and then see him in advanced years being faithful and Lord we are encouraged not only by the revelation given to him but the testimony of his life and Lord how blessed we are to live in this day and to have a completed revelation from You all the way through the book of Revelation to study and understand and know something of the fullness and completeness of Your plan not only for Israel but for the church and to live with the expectation of the coming of Christ to gather us into Your presence so that the final phase of Your program for the nation Israel might unfold. Lord may these truths grip our hearts. May we live in light of them; may be live in light of the instructions of Your Word to heed these words. The time is near. Christ is coming quickly. His reward is with Him. May we be about Your work. Keep us from being distracted, taken up with those things which are not of importance. May we be focused and may we have lives that are a testimony of faithfulness to You until Christ comes we pray in Christ’s name, amen.