Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Come to chapter 12
• Skipped over chapter 11 - better to look at in a Bible Study
• Some difficulties in chapter 12
• Unusual numbers
• Perhaps we are not meant to know what it means
• Daniel - the wisest man on the earth did not understand it (v8)
• There are some things only to be revealed at the end (v9)
• The numbers have significance
• Close to numbers given in Revelation
• We are to try and decipher these numbers
• We are to look at plain and sobering things
• Your eternal destiny
• The day of final judgment
• The day of heaven and hell
• The bible gives details of the end times
• Including a great hope for those who believe
• Daniel has hope (v13)
• Hope for all who trust in Jesus Christ
• Overview:
• v1-3: Protection and deliverance (v1), The final day (v2), A word of hope (v3)
• Deliverance from tribulation (v1)
• The resurrection (v2)
• The glorious promise  (v3)

Deliverance from tribulation (v1)

• This passage speaks of terrible tribulation
• God's people have always been a suffering people
• Example of Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Paul
• Many have experienced remarkable deliverance in the midst of tribulation
• The archangel Michael
• He stands over the people
• We had previously how Michael overcame the prince of persia
• v1 - The archangel will deliver God's people
• The psalms speak of angels that protect us
• Example of Elisha's Servant
• God has His servants
• Tribulation at the end of the World
• Not the times of tribulation faced by the Jews
• God's people suffer terrible tribulation
• Talking about the final time of tribulation 
• The final tribulation
• The antichrist will come
• Such an awful time that God has to shorten it, for the sake of the elect
• Many false prophets will arise
• Reading 2 Thess 2:1-12 & Comment
• Christ will come and in a moment will destroy the lawless one
• We will be delivered by Christ
• We should take encouragement that no matter what we go through - God is for us
• If God is for us, who can be against us?
• The Book of Life
• Phil 4:3
• Jesus spoke of names written in heaven
• Rev 20:12,15
• The elect of God
• Are we the elect of God?
• Have we trusted in Jesus Christ
• If so, there is a promise that we are safe in Him and no-one can pluck us from the Father's hand

The resurrection (v2)

• A promise of judgment
• Some ridicule the resurrection
• v2 - The doctrine of the resurrection
• When we die:
• Our spirits go to God and we are judged immediately - a temporal judgment
• Our bodies decay in the ground
• God knows our DNA, our blueprint
• Our bodies renew (every 7 years) yet we remain the same
• God is able to resurrect us
• Scripture teaches there will be a general resurrection when our bodies will be united with our souls
• There will be a judgment and some will go to a place of bliss and others to a place of torment
• There will be a new body like Jesus
• Jesus is the first fruits
• It will happen at the Second Coming
• Reading John 5:24-29 & Comment
• Reading Rev 20:11-15 & Comment
• A day of separation - the sheep and the goats, the saved and the unsaved
• When considering the last day
• Are we in the faith?
• Make your calling and election sure
• You know - if you trust and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ

The glorious promise (v3)

• A promise to the wise
• To shine like the stars
• Personal example
• God's people will shine forever like the stars
• Example of Daniel's wisdom
• What do we live for?
• For Daniel there will be no regrets (v13)
• He will be forever with the Lord
• May we have this deep assurance