No More Delay Before the Final Phase

Transcript

GR 2017
10/15/2017
No More Delay Before The Final Phase
Revelation 10:1-6
Gil Rugh

We’re studying the Book of Revelation together so I invite you to turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 10. You know, as we talk about some of the things that God says will be taking place on this earth in the coming days, it makes you more alert to the news and things you see going on. I was reading this week an article, one of the news sites and they were talking about, Yellowstone. They have recalculated as they have done, I don’t know, some kind of analysis of the area projecting they had quite a long time before they would see an eruption there. You know with the volcanos and everything and now they have decided that from what their recent studies are they have a lot less time than they thought they did. The article was about the impact on the world just if they had a volcanic eruption in Yellowstone and how much of the United States would be covered with ashes and the disaster that would be.

Then during lunch yesterday, I turned on the TV and on one of the channels, they were talking about the earthquake in San Francisco in 1906. You know and they carry that up to today and just the potential for the disaster there and the impact and it was interesting. One of the people they interviewed was talking about the fact, we have old cities in the Old World, but they didn’t build their cities along the ocean. The United States builds its cities, places like San Francisco and Los Angeles and New York, right on the ocean, which is the worst place to build your cities for the disasters that can come. They, of course, see them as natural disasters like earthquakes and so on and just showing as they put their map up of that route around different places where the earthquakes they know would be potential.

We’re not pessimists but the world is going to destruction. Now that’s not the last chapter but it is the coming chapter and that’s what the Book of Revelation is about, a period of time, when God will pour out His wrath on the earth, and there will be earthquakes, volcanos and all kinds of disasters. All of them supernatural because they’ll be all caused by God and His power. Before we’re done with the Book of Revelation, we will be told of the greatest earthquake the world has ever seen so some of the things that they talk about and they talk about could be potential in the world and trouble for the world; a good opportunity for us to share. You know you’re right. Well aren’t you afraid aren’t you concerned? No, I think you had better be ready. Oh, are you buying food, stocking water? No, I’ve gotten, a lot more prepared than that. I’ve got a ticket out. We have salvation, that’s the only preparation for the future and the disasters coming. There’s no escaping the anger and wrath of God.

We have the chart to remind you. If you’ve been here regularly you probably have it on the back of your forehead but this is about where we are. This is the church age starting after the crucifixion and resurrection Christ, Acts chapter 2. We live in the church age. How far along we are, we don’t know. It will culminate with the rapture of the church. Removal of the church from earth and that will then bring us to the final seven-year period of Daniel’s seventy weeks coming out of Daniel chapter 9. This is what the Book of Revelation is about from chapter 6 to chapter 19. We come to this point after the church age where Christ will return in chapter 19 so the Book of Revelation basically, from chapters 6 to 19 is about a seven-year period; and there’s a series of judgments that move us through this seven-year period; seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls.

Now, as we have noted, the seven seals really cover this entire area. The seventh seal will bring us all the way into the kingdom but we move through, out of the sixth seal will come seven trumpet judgments. That’s what we are talking about as we move through chapter 9 and with the trumpet judgments we saw a great outbreak of demonic activity in the world. Huge numbers of demons who have been restrained are now turned loose to cause great misery, suffering and death in the world.

The first part of chapter 9 talked about demonic beings released from the bottomless pit and they had the authority and power to inflict pain on people, great excruciating pain but there would be no deliverance by dying. They weren’t allowed to kill anyone but for a period of five months, they will be inflicting the world, the people of the world with pain. The last part of chapter 9 beginning with verse 13, the sixth angel sounded. Four demons who have been restrained are turned loose and they have authority over an army of 200 million, evidently, other demonic beings have the power to bring death and verse 18 says they have the power to kill a third of mankind. We saw back in one of the earlier judgments under the fourth seal one quarter of mankind died so we’ve noted about half the earth’s population dies in these two judgments and then we have all the other judgments going on.

What happens with chapter 10, important to get the flow, we have a break in the overall unfolding of the judgments. Call it an interlude. We had one of these back in chapter 7 after the sixth seal before the seventh seal was opened we had an interlude, a break. We had the sealing of the 144,000 and so on. Then we had the seventh seal broken in chapter eight, verse one, and out of that seventh seal come the seven trumpets. Now at the end of chapter 9, we have the sounding of the sixth trumpet and then we have another interlude or break because the seventh trumpet will not sound until chapter 11, verse 15. There you read the seventh angel sounded and the judgments that come out of that seventh trumpet won’t be poured out until chapter 16, verse one, where they going to be poured out, the seven bowls, which are the last.

So really from chapter 10 to chapter 16 (through chapter 15) we have not a series of the judgments but information that will prepare us for what is coming. Now the question comes, where are we in the flow of judgments? We know specifically what is happening but we don’t always know the timing with that clarity in the Book of Revelation. If you still could, put that chart back up for a moment. We’re moving through this seven-year period and in that seven years we have these judgments unfolding. Now as we noted, it’s important to see that all in the Book of Revelation through chapter 22, verse five, are included in the seven-sealed book; that seven sealed scroll. It contains everything so when we talk about the judgments coming out now of the seventh seal everything is going to be under that seventh seal, even the kingdom we’re going to get to; with six seals and then the judgments coming out where are we.

Some commentators think that we come to the middle of this seven-year period, with the seventh seal and they’re good commentators, pre-tribulational dispensationalists as we refer to ourselves who hold that so we have the trumpets and the bowls going on in this last half. I think it’s preferable that we see the six seals, the seven seals really but not all the seven seals and the seven trumpets taking place during the first three and a half years. I think what happens with verse 10, after the sixth seal, after the sixth trumpet we are at the middle of the tribulation and that’s why we have the break we have here.

The Book of Revelation is simply moving along in order, so after the sixth trumpet, with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we will have the unfolding of the last three and a half years. What we have in chapters 10 through really 15, chapter 15 closely tied to chapter 16, information regarding the last three and a half years, and events then will take place here so for whatever, I would say we are at the middle of the tribulation.

Several reasons for this, we’ll pick them up as we go along as well, but one of the most obvious is we are told a number of times, in these chapters, that we have three and a half years to go. For example look at chapter 11 at the end of verse two; “. . . they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.” That’s three and a half years. The “. . . two witnesses will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days . . . .” That’s three and a half years. You come down to chapter 12 at the end of verse six. Israel will flee into the wilderness, will be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, three and a half years. Verse 14, the last part of the verse, again Israel “nourished for a time, times and a half time.”

The expression drawn from Daniel’s prophesies regarding the last half of that seven-year period; a time, two times and a half time. The time being a year and here we’ll have one-year, two-years and a half year, three and a half years. You come down into chapter 13 at the end of verse five. The antichrist has authority to act for forty-two months; three and a half years so this repeated emphasis on this three and a half year period I think is an indicator that we have reached that point. We are at the middle of that seven-year period and now he’s giving us information that’s crucial to understand what’s going to be taking place now for this three and a half year period.

Israel will become more prominent, chapter 11, chapter 12 and chapter 13. They’ve been just mentioned, 144,000 Jews sealed in chapter 7 but the persecution of Israel with the rise of the antichrist and so on that all becomes a focal point, so I think what we’ve done, we’ve come to the middle of the tribulation. Back in chapter 10, verse seven, we are told “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he’s about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, which He preached to His servants the prophets.” In other words, we are at the end of the end. The seven years are the final phase of God’s program with the nation Israel. When you come to the last half of the seven years, you are at the final phase of the last period of time, so the mystery of God would have been revealed before and talked about but not revealed with fullness and clarity, so that final culmination of Israel’s salvation and how that would all be accomplished. Now the details will be unfolded.

Those are some of the reasons, why I think we have hit the middle point of the tribulation, why we have a break between the sixth trumpet and the pouring out of the seventh. Things then will move through this last three and a half year period focusing primarily on what's going to happen with Israel but then we’ll get the judgments and we’ll see there’s an expansion of them encompassing the whole world in these final judgments. Prior judgments have talked about one quarter of the earth’s population dying. Back up to chapter 8 when you had the trumpet judgments in chapter 8 verse seven. “A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees burned up, with the second trumpet judgment, you have a third of the sea became blood.” Verse nine, “a third of the creatures die” and so on. Verse 10, “a third of the rivers” so that third. Down in chapter 9 as we noted verse 18 “a third of mankind.”

We’re going to move to larger scale judgments that are going to be enveloping the world which may indicate--we mentioned we don’t know exactly how the judgments that have been poured out under the seals and the trumpets are spread out. Are they spread out around the world everywhere or are certain portions of the world being largely destroyed? It may indicate that certain portions of the world are largely destroyed because we know Israel is going to be doing well. We’ll talk about this as we get into chapter 11. They will have rebuilt their temple, they will have sacrifices being offered, they will be honoring the antichrist as their deliverer so destruction and yet life going on.

The last three and a half years are particularly significant because remember the seventy weeks of Daniel were determined upon Israel and the holy city Jerusalem. This last seven years has that focus but the last three and a half years are where God really now brings the pressure on the nation that will ultimately bring them to their knees and prepare them to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah and prepare for His second coming in chapter 19.

OK, let’s look into chapter 10. It opens up with, “I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven,” another strong angel. There are more than seventy references to angels in the Book of Revelation so being God’s messengers and instruments repeatedly in the Book of Revelation so here is another one, a strong angel coming down out of heaven. Some take this angel to be Christ. I was reading a commentary last night, one of the older commentaries and he’s absolutely sure that this is Christ because of the description that follows. He’s clothed with a cloud, a rainbow was upon his head, his face was like the sun, his feet like pillars of fire and indeed that description and characteristics are often associated with God; God the Father, God the Son, but I think here we have just an angel, not Christ.

When he says I saw another strong angel, turn back to chapter 5 verse two, there he said, “I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice.” Now here it’s obviously not Christ because he is speaking about the Lamb and the redemption He provided by His death that will enable God’s purposes of a redeemed creation and a kingdom to be brought to fruition, so “I saw a strong angel.” When you come back to chapter, 10 and “I saw another strong angel” and in Greek they have two words for another. The distinction between them, we’re familiar with one, a heteros. That’s another of a different kind and then an allos is another of the same kind and I take it here with another of the same kind, “I saw another strong angel,” I take it that it would be another one, strong one like the one previously mentioned.

I don’t think that Christ is referred to as an angel anywhere in the New Testament. After His incarnation, He is not referred to as an angel. In the Old Testament He was referred to as the “angel or messenger of Jehovah” but after His incarnation He is not again referred to as an angel so I don’t think it is Christ in view here but it is a messenger with the authority of heaven behind him. His description is clear; he comes from God. He came down out of heaven so he comes from heaven from the very presence of God. He’s clothed with a cloud and a cloud depicts glory, majesty. When Christ returns, we are told He will come in clouds of glory so the clouds display that and we have something of that feel when we see the majesty of the clouds on a day and their glory and splendor. There’s something majestic about them so he’s clothed with a cloud, the rainbow was upon his head. Now again, that’s connected with God.
Come back to chapter 4 verse 3 where John sees God the Father sitting on the throne. He was “like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; there was a rainbow around the throne.” Now this angel comes down out of heaven in chapter 10 verse one, the “rainbow upon his head.” We noted in chapter 4 the rainbow depicts mercy in judgment going back to the Book of Genesis in chapter 9.
After the flood, in the days of Noah, God entered into a covenant with mankind and promised He would never again destroy the world with a flood and He says as a testimony to that covenant, He put His rainbow in the sky and that rainbow thus depicts mercy. God will be merciful and the judgments that come will be tempered by mercy so there won’t be that complete destruction like there was.
So here, the angel comes down and he has the rainbow on his head because he comes as a messenger directly from the presence of God. What do you expect? He would look drab? I mean, look a little bit dumpy? I don’t think so! He comes from the very presence of God. He reflects something of the glory of the God that he represents as he serves in His presence.
Remember Gabriel when the father of John the Baptist—Gabriel told him about the son that was going to be born and the father of John the Baptist says, “well how will I know that’s true?” And you know it’s almost like an insult to Gabriel. “I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God!” You want confirmation? “You won’t be able to speak until that son’s born” so these angels serve in the very presence of God. It’s not amazing that they would come reflecting God’s glory. What’s going to happen to us when we get our transformed body? We call it a glorified body, a body characterized by glory. Why? Because it’s a body intended to serve in the very presence of God. What would we get? It’s glory so—he has a rainbow, he’s coming with a message of the most severe judgment now that the world has ever seen. Half the earth’s population has already been killed but now it’s going to really get serious but even in the coming judgment there is mercy; so the rainbow.
“His face was like the sun,” similar to the description of Christ in His glorified state in Revelation chapter 1 verse 16. Again, remember Moses in Exodus 34, when he’d go into the presence of God and come out his face shone, it glowed and it was the result of being in the presence of God. We are to reflect His character. When we are glorified something of the glory that comes from Him and radiates from Him will be ours! We won’t become objects of worship, that glory He gives to no one else, but the glory that characterizes Him, characterizes the angels in heaven, and will characterize us.
Turn over to Revelation 18, one more on this before we have to move on. Revelation chapter 18 verse one. “After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.” Here’s an angel coming from the presence of God and he’s a great angel, he has great authority and the glory that he radiates is enough to fill the whole earth. Again, you see something of the awesomeness of God and it’s revealed even in the creatures that serve Him.
“His feet are,” come back to chapter 10, “like pillars of fire.” Again, the rainbow pictures mercy, the feet like pillars of fire picture judgment. We saw this in Revelation chapter 1 verse 15. The resurrected glorified Christ, “His feet were like fire glowing in a furnace, picturing like bronze glowing in a furnace,” picturing judgment. This angel comes with an announcement of judgment but in judgment, there will be mercy because when this three and a half year period is over the nation Israel will have experienced a national redemption along with a number of Gentiles from the various nations, by the grace of God, so he comes in this condition and with this purpose.
Note what he does, verse two, “he had in his hand a little book; it’s open.” We’ll talk more about this little book, its John’s commission to continue his prophetic work. Down in verse 11, he said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples . . .” and the book will have been given to John to devour so we’ll talk about that little book and its connection to John as we move to the last part of chapter 10.
This angel now has quite an impact. Verse 2. “He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land” so it shows something now, the whole earth is under his authority with what he has to say coming from the presence of God. You know, sometimes you’ll see that with our abilities today, they’ll do something like show you the globe of the earth and then coming out of that they make a picture, a building or something that looms up that looks so large as it comes down. I sometimes think of something like that with this angel as he stands and he looks so overwhelmingly large and the earth so small under him and one foot’s on the earth, one foot’s on the sea. As I mentioned prior judgments have been emphasized impacting portions of the earth, one-quarter, one third, one third and so on but here now he comes and with authority over the whole earth; land and sea will be impacted worldwide by the judgments that he is bringing.
This is going to be repeated that he stands on the land and the sea three times in this chapter; I believe it is, one foot on the land one on sea. A reminder what he is unfolding, the message that John will be recording from here on impacts the world, which again makes me think that we are focusing on the last three and a half years, parts of the world have been destroyed but now, the whole world is coming under judgment including the nation Israel. Remember that is the focus and their respite has been for three and a half years. The first three and a half years, as a result of the covenant with the antichrist that began this seven-year period but now, time has run out and Israel will be caught up in the coming judgments that will be used of God to bring them to salvation.
All right look at verse three. “He cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars.” He is God’s spokesman coming from heaven so he speaks with the authority of God on the throne; it’s not his own authority. We’ve been told he comes from heaven. He has though things that identify him with the God on the throne and God’s representative and spokesman so he speaks with that authoritative roar. Often in Old Testament prophecy, God’s voice is said to be a roar, like a lion. Amos, one of the commentaries on Amos is titled something to the effect, The Lion has Roared because one of the verses in Amos says the Lion has roared, God has spoken! Who can but prophesy? So that picture here of that authority here. Here is God saying what is going to take place. “He cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars. When He had cried out the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.” Now we don’t know who this is, God’s voice does thunder in the Old Testament and thunder is God’s voice of judgment. This probably is God’s voice, the perfection of the seven, and what is said, these thundering voices coming from the throne are understood and so it’s not just a rumbling like we talk about thunder. It is similar to John’s Gospel chapter 12 when God spoke to His Son and the people thought it thundered but there were clear words spoken they did not understand.
We won’t go to the Old Testament but there is one passage, I do want to take you to, Psalm 29. I try to limit the number of times we go to the Old Testament because there are so many allusions to the Old Testament, a number of references here to God’s voice, like a lion, God’s voice like thunder. We will just look at this one passage because it may be connected. That’s all I can say to the seven thunders in Psalm 29 where it starts out, “ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in holy array.” We’re in the majesty of holiness and then in verses three to nine, seven times it says the voice of the Lord.
Then there are breaks in there where it describes something of the voice of the Lord, for example, verse three. “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders.” It goes on, “then you’ll see” verse four, “the voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars.” Down in verse seven, “the voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve.”
You see seven times declares what the voice of the Lord is, what it does, so some commentators would connect that to the seven thunders that speak out. Interesting, the first time in verse three it said “the voice of the Lord is upon the waters, it says the God of glory thunders and the voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic and then the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. He has the power to snap the powerful trees” and on it goes so that might be the background for the seven thundering voices that speak and would be the illusion to the Old Testament. At any rate, it seems to be God. If it were angels, it wouldn’t change anything, it’s God’s authority that is speaking even when the angel speaks.
Come back to chapter 10. It seems to me that the “peals of thunder coming out” may be God speaking here and what really interests us is what did the seven peals of thunder say? You know, all that’s revealed in Revelation that occupies us trying to figure it out and the one thing you find yourself thinking, I wonder what the seven peals of thunder said because--you know what the voice--verse four. “When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard the voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, do not write them.’” Ah, come on.
Why did He speak and then tell John not to write? I mean why not just not say anything. Evidently, God’s intention was to give John information and John understood what was said. That’s why I say, not just to make an impact with a thunderous sound. This is a voice like thunder but the words were understood, John’s ready to write it down and then he’s commanded not to write that but the end of the chapter here in verse 11 he’ll tell John, “You must prophesy . . .” It’s probably going to go on but there are certain things God has not chosen to reveal to us. Why would He reveal it to John? Perhaps to encourage and strengthen John. Perhaps it is something that will be made known at a later time perhaps as we move toward the end of the seven-year period. Perhaps it’ll be something that will have to do with bringing about the salvation of the nation Israel. We don’t know. For some reason God chose to speak, make it known to John but tell him this is not something I want revealed to anyone else at this time.
That happened on another occasion. Come back to 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Paul’s talking about an experience he had where he was caught up to heaven to the very presence of God, the third heaven. The atmospheric heavens, the stellar heavens and then the heaven, which is the dwelling place of God. Verse two, “I know a man in Christ, about fourteen years ago”--and Paul says even at this point with the passing of time he doesn’t know for sure, whether he was bodily transported to, heaven or it happened in a vision. He says “whether in the body I do not know or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. I know how such a man” and then he repeats it again, “whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up into Paradise,” now note, “heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” There were things that he had revealed to him, things that were told him but he was not permitted to record.
Now again perhaps it was to help Paul but again you know with Daniel when he asked for additional information the angel just told Daniel you don’t need to know Daniel, that’s sealed up, just leave it go, you’re going to die and be buried, that’s for a future time. Here, for some reason, God wanted to indicate and make known and have Paul record, as John recorded, that he had received information, evidently about something God was going to do, but it’s not time to be revealed. That’s why I think maybe in Revelation there’s something that will be revealed later. We don’t know but come back to Revelation chapter 10. I want to remind us Deuteronomy 29:29 said “the revealed things belong to us the secret things belong to God.” What God has revealed, we’re responsible to know it and live in light of it, but that doesn’t mean God has revealed everything He’s going to do. He’s revealed everything that we need to know about His work but that doesn’t mean that He reveals everything there is. And obviously we have our hands full grasping what He has revealed.
All right, back in chapter 10 verse five. “Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, again,” that’s the second time this angel standing on the land and the sea. The third time will be up at the end of verse eight, “the angel who stands on the land and on the sea.” Now a reminder here his stance is important. His authority encompasses the whole earth, everything, everyone is under the authority of the revelation he is giving and what is to unfold. “He lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore. He takes an oath by Him who lives forever and ever, Who created heaven and the things in it, the earth and the things in it, the sea and the things in it,” so this is a solemn authoritative oath and it has the authority of God behind it. You see the timing here and where we are and what is about to unfold is of tremendous significance and his authority encompasses the whole earth, the whole world, land and sea.
“The God who lives forever and ever, He is the eternal God.” This expression is used a number of times in the Book of Revelation to denote and emphasize God’s eternal existence, like He spoke through Isaiah the prophet; “there was no God before Me there’s no God after Me,” emphasizing His eternality. Then “He is the Creator, the One who created heaven and the things in it, the earth and the things in it, the sea and the things in it” quoting from Exodus chapter 20. He is the Creator. He has sovereign authority over it all, it’s His. He created it. It’s for His purposes, His will will be done. There’s no escape, there’s no appeal to anyone else. He is the eternal God. He’s the One who created everything. Now everything is under His eternal authority but you’re going to get a sense of something of the seriousness of the time where we are and what the angel swears at the end of verse six, there will be delay no longer, time has run out for the world. There will be “delay no longer.” The King James translated something like “time will be no more” and some took that to mean time as we know it will cease but I don’t think that’s the point. The point is time has run out, time is up, there will be delay no longer.
Back in chapter six verse 10. Remember the martyrs under the throne and verse 10, Revelation 6:10 they cried out with a loud voice saying, “How long O Lord, holy and true will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Well they had been told to wait a little while. Now we’ve reached the final block of time. When you run through this last three and a half year period Christ will be returning to earth, the final judgments will have occurred and we will be ready for Armageddon, the climax of those judgments, so there will be delay no longer.
Now these things said here…..the oath, verse six, based on Him who lives forever and ever, the Creator, “delay no longer.” Come back to the Book of Daniel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel those three large prophetic books precede Daniel. Daniel chapter 12 the last chapter and much of what is coming in these subsequent chapters are going to be taken from the Book of Daniel, chapters 11, 12, 13, in particular of the Book of Revelation. Daniel chapter 12, now note where we are. “Now at that time Michael, the prince who stands guard over the sons of Israel” and that time comes out of some of the events and we’ll get to this when we get to things particularly in chapter 12 of Revelation. “At that time, Michael the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people” so Michael has particular responsibility for the nation Israel. He stands guard over the sons of your people, Daniel is a Jew, he stands his responsibility and that makes him important, obviously because this is the only nation on the earth God has chosen for Himself so Michael stands with a unique position and great authority as other scripture reveals as well. He will arise.
There will be a “time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time” and this brings us to the middle of the tribulation. Remember in Matthew 24 the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus marked this middle. “When you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” and he’ll talk about this down in verse 11 of chapter 12. “At that time, the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up.” We have 1,290 days and we’ll talk about why the extra 30 days as we get further in Revelation but you can see it’s about the three and a half year period. Here we have Michael standing, this happens in the middle of the tribulation as Revelation 12 makes clear and that will move us then to the end and the resurrections that will occur for Israel.
Incidentally, look at verse three. “Those who belong to God, when they’re raised they will shine brightly, like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, like the stars forever and ever” so you see it’s not surprising that an angel would come enveloped in the light of glory. It’s going to be true of believing Jews and other believers as well “but as for you Daniel,” verse four, “conceal these words and seal up the book.” That means it’s not going to be possible to understand these prophecies in Daniel with clarity. Remember, Daniel doesn’t have any grasp of a first coming of the Messiah and a second coming. He’s one of those Old Testament prophets that Peter remarks about; they couldn’t sort out the first coming of Christ and the second coming. God had revealed information that would relate to the first coming of Christ and would relate to the second coming of Christ but He didn’t put it in order for them so they knew a Messiah was coming to rule and reign, they knew a Messiah was coming to suffer and die. Are there two Messiahs?
Even John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, when he’s put in prison, what does he do? He sends a messenger, asks Christ, and says, “you know did I miss something? Are you really the Messiah?” Because John’s understanding is the Messiah’s going to come, destroy His enemies, he preached, “repent the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and He comes with a winnowing fork in His hand to sort out the wheat from the chaff and He’s going to cast the chaff into the fire. There will be judgment of the unbeliever and the rebellious when the Messiah comes. I come to tell you He’s on His way and John’s in prison. I thought it was the other way around. I thought we were going to have the kingdom, I would reign, and the enemies would be destroyed. It hadn’t been made known yet. God had chosen not yet to make clear. In fact, there won’t be clarity until the Book of Revelation. There’s additional revelation that helps us to put things together but it’s not until we’re in the Book of Revelation that things are now put together.
All right, still in Daniel chapter 12. That was just extra information. It comes with the sermon. Down in verse six of chapter 12 “How long will it be until the end of these wonders? I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the waters.” Now note this, “he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever.”
Remember the angels, strong angels each standing on one bank of the river who asked the question. He swore by Him who lives forever and ever it would be for a time, times, and a half time. As soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, these events will be completed so time, times, and a half time. We saw that’s one of the expressions for three and a half years. That’s picked up in Revelation as well as we’ve already noted but note what Daniel says verse 8, as for me I could not understand. What in the world, “Lord what will be the outcome of these events?” “Go your way Daniel; these words are concealed, sealed up until the end time” but you know what, remember we got to the end of the Book of Revelation chapter 22, we looked ahead and John said, “don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Now its intended that we understand with Christ coming with the establishing of the church and now with the giving of the Book of Revelation, oh, now things fit together. I mean you and I are blessed with a full complete revelation and then He’ll say “1,290 days from the abomination of desolation” that’s the middle of the tribulation and that fits with the time, times and a half time. “Time, two times and a half time” in verse seven of Daniel 12 so we have all this time together.
Come back to Revelation as we wrap this up and this will fit. We’ll pick up with verse seven next time but in Revelation 10:7, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to the prophets,” His servants, so this is the final phase. You get the same kind of impact as you had in Daniel 12 so we’re ready for that last time, times and a half time, 1,260 days, forty-two months; an awesome time!
All right let me just summarize these points with you, what we looked at. “The angels radiate the glory of God,” chapter 10 verse one. We’ve talked about this, emphasized it, but I’d be surprised if an angel would manifest his presence here and I take it angels are here as well as demons. The demons try to distract and so on and prevent the light of the glory of the gospel from shining in but holy angels would be here. If I could see a holy angel manifested, I take it the glory and beauty and splendor would be awesome unless it was God’s will that he veil that and a reminder believers will someday have that same privilege, to be in the presence of God as one who belongs to Him and who is His servant. We will share in that glory.
The second point here, God is sovereign over all creation and that I picked up from “the angel stands with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land” in those three verses and we’re told that three times. He comes from the presence of God to announce something and this is sure, settled. God is sovereign. It’s His creation, He’s the eternal God. He does with it as He pleases. It’s very difficult. We have some bible doctrines that are hard for us to accept because we think this is somewhat of coequality. It is not. It is simply He is God we are not, that settles it. He’s eternal. We will live eternally. He has always existed and always will exist. He has eternality in Himself. He’s the Creator, we are created so it’s His creation, He created, He can do as He pleases. He always functions consistent with His character.
Thirdly, not everything in the plan of God has been revealed that was chapter 10 verse four. He revealed something to John but it’s perhaps not yet his time to reveal what was said in the seven thunders. Maybe that’s too clear. It’s not His intention that be known by all but He did utter it, speak it. John understood it enough he could write it out. Like I say, it wasn’t just a thunderous sound. These are words he’s ready to write down so, God hasn’t revealed everything but we can expect that we have to deal with what He has revealed.
Number 4, God’s character is foundational to the accomplishing of His purposes. He’s eternal. It’s who He is that assures that all He does will be accomplished. He’s eternal; He’s the Creator. That ties to His sovereignty. These things are intertwined and because of who He is and what is essential to His character and His action, everything He has said will be accomplished. He gave the Book of Revelation to be understood. We’ve had so many people make it a book of unknowable mystery. God wants us to know what He’s going to do and will bring about.
And the last point. the purposes of God will be accomplished in His time. Remember 2 Peter chapter 3, Peter says “in the last days mockers will come,” making fun of the fact when is the Lord coming, they’ve been talking about the coming of the Lord forever. Remember that God dwells in eternity. A thousand years with the Lord, that’s not any more than a passing day for us, but the Lord’s not slow about His promises as some men count slowness but “He’s patient, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to the knowledge of the truth.” That’s the will of God, that’s the purpose of God.
I saw a pastor being interviewed on TV whose home was destroyed in one of the fires in California recently. They kept asking him, I don’t know the poor man didn’t seem to have a clue. Oh, we know God’s a God of love and does good things and we can never really explain why. Well, you know in one sense we can’t explain everything but we can explain God is sovereignly does His will. You know we don’t have the same fears the world has. We know God’s purposes are being accomplished. There are no accidents in our lives as His people. We are right where He wants us for His purpose today and His plan is sure it’s settled. He can say, “no more delay.”
We’re at the final phase. Think what is going on. It’s been two thousand years since John wrote this. Look at the nations that have come and gone, the rulers that have come and gone, the diseases and the catastrophes and everything swept the world. Yep, we’re right on schedule right on time. Sometimes I may say, “Lord, I don’t understand what’s happening.” Then I have to remind myself, Gil, you don’t have to understand. You know that God is sovereign. His purposes are being accomplished and we need to remind ourselves, this is not just interesting material for the future, this tells us where this world is going.
We have people trying to save the planet and that’s fine, go ahead, but you know we want to tell them, “this planet cannot be saved by your action. The terrible things you see going on are just a foreboding of what God says is going to overwhelm the planet. You can make preparation, you can store water and food if you like but there is no preparation for the judgment of the God who is going to bring the judgment and says no one can escape His judgment. There is only one hope you have and that hope is this is a day of salvation. Why would you waste the time God gives, He says ‘I’m patient. This is the day for you to come to My Son as your Savior. Recognize your sin and guilt, cast yourself on My mercy, recognize My Son died to pay the penalty for your sin and place your faith in Him, I’ll cleanse you forgive you and you will escape coming judgment.’” Now that’s preparation!
We as believers need to be careful we don’t get distracted. Why is God being patient, withholding judgment? So people can be saved! How can they be saved if they don’t hear about Christ? How can they hear about Christ if we don’t tell them? We have a unique role in the world. It’s not to join the world and its fear of trying to rescue the planet. It’s to do what no one else on the face of the earth can do but a born again believer. Bring the message of life to those who are doomed to destruction. So we don’t want to get diverted, we don’t want to get distracted. We don’t want to let the world set an agenda for us. They pour themselves into these things. We have one clear task to do. We come to tell you about life in a Savior. We come to tell you about coming disaster, coming judgment, but we come to tell you, “you can be prepared; you can be delivered but only in Jesus Christ.”
Let’s pray together.
Thank you Lord for Your grace in giving revelation to us, and Lord, we would not take for granted the blessing that is ours in the time in which we live. To have the history of the church that is a testimony of your work, to have the completed revelation that You’ve entrusted to us, to have the years of study and preparation that we benefit from. Now we come and study this precious portion of Your word and You have put together for us Your revelation so that we might understand it and live in light of it. We are one of the churches to whom this is written. Lord I pray that we might be faithful with the truth, we might live in light of it. That we might take seriously our responsibility as lights in the midst of darkness and the face of coming doom. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.







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