“Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river. One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, “How long will it be until these shocking events are over?” The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, “It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened.” I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, “How will all this finally end, my Lord?” But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means. “From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days! “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.””
Daniel 12:5-13 NLT
What do we do with all we have heard? Daniel had been carrying its burden in fear and trembling. He had been letting thoughts and insights confound him and consume him. God’s response was to allow Daniel to see what would happen. It wasn’t a serene picture, meant to hide the truth from him. Yet it wasn’t an altogether bleak picture either. Throughout the backdrop of wars against God’s nation, angelic hosts, and blasphemous horns, we see that God’s will, and those in it, prevail. We see that the trials and tribulations serve to perfect God’s people for their eternal reign beyond the finiteness of this life. This message is unequivocal. His reign will last forever. Daniel also learned of a life after death. And lastly he learned of the coming Messiah, who took shape as the victor known as the Son of Man. Yet the message for Daniel is a simple and clear one. He is to be quiet about these things and to continue on from them. They will come when they come. They will come how they come, and all will be in God’s control and for his glory. He doesn’t need to fret over them. He only needs to take solace in the idea that God is in control. This is the message that should always accompany prophecy for us as Christians. Too many of us shy away from the blessings of prophecy because we are worried about the future. Here we clearly see that we don’t need to worry.
JOSH McGARY.COM 