HopeLives365

Mark Finley: God's plan for humanity will triumph. God's purposes for humanity will triumph. Jesus will come. Jesus will come. The earth will be lightened with the glory of God.

Guest (Female): This is Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message, a series in the book of Daniel. Enjoy and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay up to date with Hope Lives 365 and Pastor Mark by going to hopelives365.com. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: Let's look at the first six chapters. Chapter one: what does it say about God? He's the God who turns defeat into victory, sorrow into joy. We can trust Him. Chapter two: He's the God who knows the future. We can put our lives in His hands. Chapter three: He is the God who is the mighty intercessor who delivers. Chapter four: He is the God who is King of kings and Lord of lords. Chapter five: He's the God of justice and judgment who calls us to commitment. Chapter six: He is the God who is steadfast forever and ever and ever. He's steadfast. He was with Daniel when he was 17, taken into captivity. He's with Daniel when he's 87, thrown into the lions, and He's steadfast. And the steadfast God is a mighty God that cares and delivers.

Now, the first six chapters have to do with the stories in Daniel. The last six chapters have to do with the prophecies in Daniel. Daniel chapter seven: Daniel has a vision of a lion, bear, leopard, dragon, then a dragon-like beast that's not fully described. Then ten horns, then a little horn comes up out of that. But you have the ten horns there, and you have this attempt, then you have the vision of the judgment. Then you have this attempt to change the very law of God. What is the theme of Daniel chapter seven?

The theme of Daniel chapter seven is simply this: In Daniel seven, God is the God whose kingdom triumphs. The theme of Daniel chapter seven is the kingdom of God. Babylon rises, but it falls. The kingdom of God triumphs. Medo-Persia rises up, Greece rises up, Rome rises up. Then you have the ten divisions of Rome. Then you have this little horn power, a religious-political kingdom.

But what happens? Daniel says, "I looked up." Daniel seven, verse nine, "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His garment was white as snow, his hair of his head was like pure wool, his throne as a fiery flame." See, Daniel seven is a battle for the throne: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, battle for the throne. But in Daniel chapter seven, what happens? Christ approaches the Father in the judgment. And the Bible says, verse 13, "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven.

He came with the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And to Him," that's Christ, "was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away. His kingdom, the one that would not be destroyed." Babylon rose and fell. Medo-Persia rose and fell. Greece rose and fell. Rome rose and fell. Ten divisions of Rome. There's an attempt by this religious-political power to change God's law, to create a kingdom of God so-forth on earth.

The judgment comes. All wicked powers are condemned in the judgment. God's people are exonerated in the judgment. Judgment is passed, according to Daniel chapter seven, judgment is passed in favor, verse 22, of the saints of God. And as this court is seated, the dominion of all the earthly powers is taken away. And the kingdoms, verse 27, "and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High." What is the theme of Daniel chapter seven? It's the God whose kingdom triumphs.

What does it say about you and me? It says that as we are faithful to God, He will pass in the judgment favorable commitment by Christ to us. Judgment was passed in favor of the saints in the judgment. We need not fear the heavenly judgment in Christ because the Bible says there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When our names come up in judgment, Jesus steps forth and says, "This man is one of mine. This woman is one of mine. I shed my blood for them. I pardoned them. I removed their guilt. This man, this woman, is one of mine. I've sent light and truth to their mind. I arranged circumstances in their life from the time they were born. I have been with them and guided them and directed them."

What does it say about life today? It says that we need not fear the judgment, that when Christ's kingdom triumphs, we can triumph with it. And in fact, there's some encouraging words there. Verse 27, "Then the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. The kingdom's an everlasting kingdom." So God in the judgment gives the kingdoms of this world to Christ.

And in the judgment, Christ, according to verse 27, gives the kingdoms to the people of God. What does this chapter say about God? He's the God of the everlasting kingdom. What does it say about you and me? We can reign with Him in that everlasting kingdom. What does it say about end events? It says evil is not going to triumph; Christ is.

Now, Daniel chapter eight. In Daniel chapter seven, we see the God whose kingdom triumphs. In Daniel chapter eight, we see the God whose truth triumphs. In Daniel chapter eight, the battle is against the truth of God. We have the vision of the ram and the he-goat. Now Babylon is not mentioned in Daniel eight because Babylon has faded away. But here in Daniel chapter eight, we have the male goat. The Bible says clearly that that represents Greece. And we have the ram that preceded it, that represents Medo-Persia.

The ram has two horns, representing the Medes and the Persians. The male goat has a single horn, representing Alexander the Great. That single horn is broken into four horns, representing Alexander's generals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. But then, after Medo-Persia fades away, after Greece fades away, God is just giving us a position now. Then you have this power coming from one of the winds, comes from the northwest and it pushes toward the east—the power of Rome that followed Medo-Persia and Greece.

It conquers the kingdoms of this world. But then out of that power arises a religious-political power that attempts to destroy the people of God and it cast the truth to the ground. Now notice, Daniel chapter eight, verse 11 to 14, "And he exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifice," 'sacrifices' is a supplied word, "the daily was taken away." What's that daily? Another word is 'continual' or 'regular.' Everything that happened in the ancient sanctuary. The ram and the he-goat are sanctuary animals.

And so this is talking about the sanctuary. As we shall see, there were two sanctuaries: the one in the Old Testament that we get lessons from. In the Old Testament, the sacrifices were sacrificed every day. They represented Jesus, the Lamb of Christ that would die, the Lamb of God that would die for us. The dying lamb represents Christ. The living priest represents Christ. Everything in the sanctuary talks about Jesus.

Daniel chapter eight. Verse 10 and 11, "It grew to the host of heaven." So here you have this religious-political power that grows to the host of heaven, cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled on them. What is this speaking about? Well, verse 24 tells us, "His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. He shall destroy fearfully and shall prosper and thrive. He shall destroy the mighty and also the holy people." So what is this talking about in this verse?

Persecution against the people of God by the medieval church in the early centuries and the medieval church during the Dark Ages. Then it says, "He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host." Who's that? That's Jesus Christ. "By him the daily was taken away." What's that daily? It's everything that has to do with the sanctuary. So there's a counterfeit religious system set up on earth with its counterfeit sanctuary, its counterfeit priests, its counterfeit sacrifice of an earthly mass. See, this is all about this power, the medieval church.

Then it says, verse 13, "Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the certain one who was speaking: 'How long will the vision be concerning the transgression of desolation, giving both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?'" Now what did this power do? According to verse 12, "Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth to the ground. He did all this and prospered." So here is truth cast to the ground.

And the question is, how long will truth be cast to the ground? Verse 14, in Daniel eight, says, "Unto two thousand three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Another word for 'cleansed' in the Hebrew is 'restored.' Whenever that 2,300-day period ends, and we've shown in past programs that that would end in 1844, God would raise up a movement. He'd raise up a divine movement of destiny to restore truth to the world: the truth about Jesus, the truth about His sacrifice, the truth about His priesthood, the truth about His law, that truth would triumph.

Here's the key thing to remember in Daniel chapter eight, and that is: God is the God whose truth, stamped down and crushed and apparently defeated, that truth would rise again and God's truth will triumph. What does it say about you and me? It says be a seeker after truth. Jesus said in John 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through Thy word. Thy word is truth."

Jesus said in John 7:17, "If any man will do His will, he shall know the truth." You can know the truth. Proverbs 23:23 says, "Buy the truth and sell it not." Truth is going to triumph at last, my friend, and you and I can triumph with it. What does this chapter eight say about end events? It says simply this about end events: It says that at end-time truth is going to triumph, not going to be defeated. Truth is not going to be flickering like some candle and go out blown in the wind, but truth is going to triumph and you and I can triumph with it.

Let's summarize the first eight chapters. What do the first eight chapters of Daniel say? Chapter one: He's the God who turns defeat into victory. Chapter two: He's the God who knows the future. Chapter three: He's the God who delivers His people. Chapter four: He is the God who's King of kings and Lord of lords. Chapter five: He's the God of justice and judgment. Chapter six: He's the God who's steadfast forever and will be with us in every trial. Chapter seven: He's the God whose kingdom will triumph. Chapter eight: He's the God whose truth will triumph.

Chapter nine: In chapter nine, He's the keeper of the covenant. In chapter nine, Gabriel comes back to explain to Daniel the meaning of these 2,300 years. And in this time prophecy in Daniel chapter nine, we find 70 weeks of the prophecy, or 490 years. You remember in the Bible it says that one prophetic day—now that's not every time a day mentioned in the Bible is a year—but one prophetic day in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, when you have symbolic language, you have symbolic time periods.

When it says 70 weeks are determined upon my people... You know, somebody said, "If the shoe fits, wear it." Well, does the shoe fit in the 70-week prophecy? What does it say in that 70-week or that 490 years? Daniel chapter nine: God's the keeper of the covenant. God never fails. Daniel chapter nine, we look there at Daniel nine and verse 25. He informed me, that's Gabriel, and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I've now come forth to give you skill and understanding.

At the beginning of your supplications, the command went out, and I've come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved." Here is Daniel, perplexed, but he's greatly beloved. Verse 25, "Know and understand that from the command to restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks." Wait a minute. Here's a prophecy that says from the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to the Messiah shall be 69 prophetic weeks. That's 483 years.

What does that take you down to? When does the prophecy begin? From the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. Daniel would have known that as a significant event. Why? Because Daniel's in captivity, his people are in captivity to Babylon, and then the Medo-Persian empire takes over. And when Medo-Persia takes over, Daniel would be looking for the time of a decree to restore and to build Jerusalem. When did that take place? Artaxerxes passed that decree in 457 BC.

Sixty-nine prophetic weeks: seven times 69, seven days in a week, 483 days, 483 prophetic years. Where does that take you? To 27 AD, exactly the year that Christ is baptized. Exactly. The decree goes forth in the fall of 457. Four hundred and eighty-three years later, the fall of 27, Jesus is baptized. And when He's baptized, what does He say in Mark 1:14? "The time is fulfilled." But yet, we go on. It says after that period of time, the Messiah would be cut off. What does 'cut off' mean? Crucified.

Then He'll confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the middle of the week, He'll bring an end of sacrifice and offering. Who is the 'He' there? Well, in verse 25, the theme is the Messiah. In verse 26, the theme is the Messiah. In verse 27, it's not the Antichrist that's going to confirm the covenant. The Bible does not say in any place that the Antichrist ever establishes a covenant. He, that is Christ, shall confirm the covenant many with one week. The middle of the week, He'll bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

If I've got 27 AD and I've got three and a half years after that period of time, if I do that, what does that take me? Three years from the fall of 27 takes me to the fall of 30. Six more months takes me to the spring of 31. What Jewish feast took place in the spring? The Passover. When was Christ crucified? Exactly at 33 years old in the spring of 31 AD. What happened three and a half years later? The gospel went to the Gentiles. What does Daniel nine say?

It says God has a divine timetable. It says that God is the keeper of the covenant. Christ came on time. Christ was crucified on time. The gospel went to the Gentiles on time. And the 70 weeks of the 490 years, the angel said, Gabriel said to Daniel—do you believe the Gabriel? Do you believe the angel?—it said 70 weeks are determined upon your people. Who are Daniel's people? The Jews. The word 'determined' there in Hebrew is 'chattak.' It means cut off. Seventy weeks are cut off from what?

The 2,300 days. How many days in 70 weeks? Four hundred and ninety. Four hundred and ninety cut off, they're the first part of the prophecy of the 2,300 days that relate to the Jews. Second part of the prophecy relates to end events. If 490 years of 2,300 ran out in 34 AD, we'd have 1,810 years left. Four-ninety, 1,810, 2,300. First 490 run out in 34 AD. Eighteen hundred and ten more years. When does that run out? In 1844.

What does that mean? It means that since that period of time, we have been living in what the Bible calls end-time. We've been living in God's judgment hour. We've been living when judgment hangs over the earth. You say, "That's a long time." Sure, but Noah preached 120 years, right? And our population is much greater. We've been living at a time when the gospel Jesus said, Matthew 24:14, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, then the end shall come."

Revelation 14, verse six: "I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people." What does Daniel nine say to us? It says God's the keeper of the covenant. What does Daniel nine say to us? It says be patient, my brother, my sister. God says, "I have a divine timetable." What does it say about end events? It says we're living at end-time, prepare for the coming of Jesus.

Daniel chapter 10. Daniel chapter 10. Daniel's praying about the deliverance of the Jews. And as he prays, he prays for three weeks; there's apparently no answer. But then, in Daniel chapter 10, verse 12, "Then he said to me," that's Gabriel, "Do not fear, Daniel, from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I've come because of your words."

In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel prays, but it doesn't appear that anything's happening for three weeks. Have you ever felt that you prayed and your prayers were going up to heaven and nothing's happening? Then the angel Gabriel comes and says, "From the first day that you prayed, I came." Well, why wasn't there any immediate answer? He tells you, "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia..." Who's that? Well, it's not Cyrus because Cyrus the Bible says was the king of Persia in this chapter.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia—remember Jesus said the prince of this world, John chapter 12, comes and he has nothing in Me? Remember in Ephesians chapter two, the Bible says that Satan is the prince of the power of the air? So the prince of the kingdom of Persia is obviously Satan. He withstood Gabriel for 21 days. Then Michael—it doesn't say our translation says "one of the chief princes"—the Chief Prince, the Mighty One of heaven, comes to help me, for I had been left alone with the kings of Persia.

So what's going on here? Daniel's praying and there's a battle between good and evil. There's a battle between Christ and Satan. There's this tremendous battle. Daniel keeps praying, he keeps persisting. See, sometimes our prayers are not answered. Why? Because we're in a battle. Ephesians 6, verse 12, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of evil in wicked places." So Daniel's praying and there's this battle over the mind of Cyrus between the good and evil angels.

As Daniel keeps praying, the evil angels are trying to bring darkness to Cyrus's mind. The good angels are fighting against them. Then Michael—who's Michael? The Mighty One of heaven. The Mighty One. Michael the Mighty One comes, the All-Powerful One comes. He beats back all the forces of hell. And Cyrus signs the decree so God's people can go free. What does Daniel 10 have to say to you and to me today?

First, it tells us that God is the God who answers prayer. He's the God who answers prayer. Secondly, it says to you and me: Persist in prayer. Don't give up. And thirdly, it says to a people living at the time of the end as we pray for the coming of Jesus, as we pray that phrase in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come," as we pray the prayer of John in Revelation 22, the last verse, "Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus," that Jesus will answer that prayer. Principalities and powers of hell will be defeated.

Daniel chapter 11. You have the description of Persia again, description of the Grecian empire, you have the description of the Roman empire. And you have this battle with all these empires against God's people. And the great theme of Daniel chapter 11 is that the people of God are going to triumph. If you look at Daniel chapter 11, verse 32, "Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out exploits.

And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering." So the people of God would experience captivity in the last days. They would experience suffering, they would experience plundering. But the people of God would be sharing God's love, sharing God's goodness. The light of God's truth would shine everywhere. The people of God would triumph.

Revelation 18, verse one: "I saw another angel come down from heaven, and the earth was lightened with the glory of God." Habakkuk chapter two, verse 14: "And the knowledge of the glory of God would cover the earth as waters cover the sea." Daniel chapter 11: The people of God are going to triumph. You come to the end of Daniel chapter 11. There's the battle between the King of the North, the King of the South. The King of the North representing atheism, the King of the South representing false religion.

And in the middle of that is Israel, or God's people today. But what happens? God's people triumph. Atheism does not triumph. False religion does not triumph. But the people of God in Christ triumph. That leads us to Daniel chapter 12. At that time Michael—the battle is raging between good and evil. Michael stands up, the Great Prince who stands for the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time, your people shall be delivered.

Daniel one: He's the God who turns defeat into victory. Daniel two: He's the God who knows the future. Daniel chapter three: He is the God that leaps into the flames of life and delivers us. Daniel chapter four: He's the God who's King of kings and Lord of lords. Daniel chapter five: He's the God of justice and judgment. Daniel chapter six: He is the God who's steadfast forever, with us in the lions' dens of life. Daniel chapter seven: He is the God whose kingdom will triumph.

Daniel chapter eight: He is the God whose truth will triumph. Daniel chapter nine: He is the God who keeps the covenant. Daniel chapter 10: He is the God who answers prayer. Daniel chapter 11: He is the God whose people will triumph. Daniel chapter 12: He is the God whose purposes and plans will triumph.

Guest (Female): You've been listening to Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at hopelives365.com. And you can support this ministry by going to hopelives365.com/donate. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.

Mark Finley: God's plan for humanity will triumph. God's purpose for humanity will triumph. Jesus will come. Jesus will come. The earth will be lightened with the glory of God. Amen.