Monday Nov 14, 2011 - Jody

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is: Daniel 11-12, 1 Timothy 1

I'm going to carry on the theme of what Tammy talked about yesterday, the prophesy found in Daniel. God is giving Daniel a picture of what the future of Israel will be in the coming years. The coming years being the End Times and the Tribulation. The picture he gives in Chapter 11 is pretty bleak.

³⁶ “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. ³⁷ He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. ³⁸ Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. ³⁹ He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.^[e]

But the whole point going into Chapter 12, is hope. Hope that although there will be dark times for Israel and the world, there is hope for those who believe in the power of God. John MacArthur goes into detail in this message around the torment of the Israelites in the end times.

So, there awaits for Israel a very special distress, a distress without equal in human history. The time of Jacob's trouble, the seventieth week of Daniel, the time of the tribulation, the Great Tribulation, all of these terms are used to describe that period.
But, here comes the hope. In the midst of the special distress comes a special defender...back to verse 1...a special defender. "And at that time shall Michael stand up." The nation will not be utterly destroyed, for Michael will stand up. And who is he? "The great prince who stands, or who guards the children of thy people." Michael, perhaps the most powerful of all the angels, has been given throughout all of Israel's history the singular responsibility of defending the people of God. As the head of the holy angels, Michael is given that generalship over Israel. It's a marvelous task. He's involved in it. We see that in the New Testament as well as the Old. In Jude chapter 9 we find him even fighting Satan for the body of Moses. He has such care and concern for the people that he will not even permit the desecration of their dead bodies. And so he looks out for Israel.
We've already seen, haven't we, back in chapter 10 that when the demons tried to stop this angel from giving his revelation, verse 13 says Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Michael assisted him. And over in verse 21, it says: "In all of this there's none that works with me in these things but Michael," and I love this, "your prince." God has assigned Michael the special task of caring for Israel. And so when they get in the heat of this special distress, we're not surprised to see Michael appear either in chapter 12 verse 1. When the battle gets the hottest, when the most furious persecution and oppression takes place, Michael comes to the rescue.
Now in what way does Michael stand up? How does he stand up for the people of God? Well, I believe, during the Tribulation Satan wants to release all of the forces of hell against the people of God--Israel. He wants to obliterate that nation. I'm not talking about the church now, Pm talking about Israel. He wants to obliterate Israel. He's always wanted to do that. He wanted to wipe out the people of God so there could never be a Messiah. He wanted to rub out the line. He wants to destroy them so there can never be any of them for a kingdom. He wants to capture them all so that Christ and God are frustrated in their mission for that people. And so I believe that all the demons of hell in the end time are going to go after that nation Israel.

Scary, scary stuff ahead. But yet - we have hope!! Below is some closing thoughts from John MacArthur's same message.

Early in His ministry He (Jesus) said, "Marvel not at this," John 5:28, "for the hour is coming in which all that are in the grave shall hear His voice and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation." Jesus said everybody's going to come out of the grave, all bodies will be resurrected...some to life and some to death. That's the choice...life or death. And that's exactly what the angel says is the hope of Israel. In the midst of a time of terrible distress, in the darkness of suffering under the Antichrist, in the horror of Armageddon, the overruning power of demons shall stand a special defender, Michael. And through the instrumentality of Michael, God shall bring a special deliverance that promises to all who believe a special destiny.
Finally, for those there is promised a special dividend, verse 3. "And they that be wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." Oh, this is so rich. Marvelous verse, marvelous. It doesn't mention anything about the punishment of the wicked, it just drops that subject almost as if it was a thousand years later. The message here is hope. And so he focuses on the hope and says after the resurrection, that isn't the end, comes the reward, comes the time of dividends. You not only will receive everlasting life but in that life they that be wise, and who are the wise? The wise are the ones who believe, the wise are the ones who are purged, the wise are the faithful, the redeemed. And what are they going to receive but the brightness of the firmament. They're going to shine like stars.

Amen.

Tomorrow's passage:Psalm 137, Ezekiel 1-2, 1 Timothy 2