Light on the Hill

Guest (Male): The end is near and we're in the last days. Does your life reflect that? Light on the Hill is next.

Guest (Female): The peace only comes from you. I have found the joy only comes from you. Cuz all I need is you.

Guest (Male): We're nearing the end of our study of Daniel here on Light on the Hill. It's exciting to think that the next event on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church and it could happen at any time. We should want to be found faithful, ready and living in a God-pleasing way. Today's study will help us in that regard. Pastor James Kaddis will offer a brief description of end times events as stated for us in Daniel chapter 12.

James Kaddis: As we jump into chapter 12, just a little bit of review, not that we're going to get into any type of extensive review because if we did that, it would take the time of another Bible study simply to review all the things that we've learned over the last several weeks. But the one thing that I will say is as we look at Daniel chapter 11 uh well actually we'll start at Daniel chapter 10. When we look at Daniel 10, 11 and 12, we are going into of course this final vision of Daniel and uh what happens is significant.

Of course all of it is of consequence and we spent a lot of time learning a lot of lessons throughout these last few chapters. Of course one of the underlying tones of so much of what we've been going through as we've been reviewing Daniel together has been the element of spiritual warfare. Certainly an area that I think is very easy to ignore and not pay much attention to, but of course because we have the benefit of being able to analyze the things that we've learned uh moment by moment, it brings uh into us a deeper and a more thorough understanding of what Daniel is telling us and then we're able to really connect the dots in ways that maybe Daniel at his time wasn't really able to connect and we're actually going to find that out uh at the end of the section that we go over today in the book of Daniel.

So so much has changed uh today in that we're learning a lot more about the fulfillment of Daniel chapter uh 11 and 12. As a matter of fact, it's interesting so much of what Daniel wrote about had not been fulfilled at the time that he wrote it. And of course going forward from the time he wrote it to the time in which we live, an overwhelming majority of so much of what he shared with us has already been fulfilled. In most cases, hundreds of years after Daniel even mentioned it and quite frankly what he said, of course as we've already reviewed, has been extensively uh given to us.

Almost like Daniel watched it happen and then wrote it down as sort of a very poetic history uh kind of a reckoning, but the reality of it was uh or or simply is that all of it has been uh fulfilled and there are some that has yet to be fulfilled and of course that's part of what we're talking about now. Now of course as we get into the end of chapter 11, we of course are having the discussion of the Antichrist and in essence what he's going to end up doing and so that's what carries us into chapter 12 when we jump right into verse one.

So let's read this very quickly. It says in verse one, it says at that time of course we're talking about the end days, right? Shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people. By the way, the children of thy people meaning the children of God were referring to Israel here. By the way, it is interesting when we talk about Michael. Um Michael is referred to as the great prince which standeth up for the children of thy people, but he's also referred to in different ways throughout the scriptures. It would appear that the only reference biblically that we have to an archangel would be Michael the archangel.

Some of us um upon really examining through the scriptures believe that Gabriel of course would be uh certainly at the same level uh would have been an archangel as well. We don't know that for sure because the Bible doesn't specifically name him as one. The only person that we do see named as an archangel of course is Michael. Now a couple things to note here and that is we know that there are lots of angelic beings. Uh some people have tried to guess the numbers of angelic beings. We can certainly put them in the hundreds of millions.

We know that hundreds of millions of them exist and the reason why we know hundreds of millions of them exist is because the Bible gives us some very specific numbers at certain points and those numbers are when I say specific, they're specific in the fact that they're actually named, but they don't specifically tell us that that's the totality of all that exist. So we know we're talking about hundreds of millions of angels. We also know that angels have these um uh uh rankings uh amongst them and we know that Michael the archangel is amongst one of the highest ranking of them.

By the way, it is interesting if you go through the apocryphal books, the apocryphal books will actually name six other archangels uh whether or not the uh the claims of the apocryphal books are accurate. I'm not going to uh make any statements regarding that especially because we have not really uh recognized the existence of the apocryphal books as being valid for the biblical canon, but there is some interesting information that we get out of the apocryphal books. Of course one of the apocryphal books that actually helped us to understand a little bit of what was going on um in Daniel and one that I actually had quoted from on a few occasions over the last few weeks would have been Maccabees.

And of course we learn a little bit about the history of uh the Maccabean revolt and what actually happened there and a little bit of the story of what happened to Antiochus Epiphanes. Of course uh that was an interesting uh period of time in history and it is interesting because there was a festival that the Bible says Jesus celebrated that related to that time, the Maccabean revolt which of course would have been known as the festival of lights. Uh of course we're talking about Hanukkah and that was a festival that Jesus himself actually celebrated because the New Testament tells us that he actually celebrated that.

So this is so interesting to look at, but uh we do know that we are talking about an archangel here who is by far the highest ranking that are that's out there. Now we do know based on what the Bible tells us that Michael would seem to have an equal uh and when I say an equal at least somebody who has the same amount of power, um I don't know if you would have had more, but he certainly has the same amount of power and that is the devil himself. Of course the devil is a fallen angel and Michael the archangel uh probably uh viewed the devil on at least an equal footing because we know throughout the scriptures that both of them directly contended with one another uh for different reasons.

Uh the first type of a contention that we read about in the Bible from earlier years of course would be when he contended over the body of Moses. But we see lots of different examples throughout the Bible of these contentions between Michael and between the devil. Another such example of a contention that had existed between Michael and the devil would be of course when Daniel is praying and looking for insight and a message and of course the devil is contending with Michael the archangel and in that contention of course uh we know that there appears to be a footing between them that would seem to be equal.

And then of course we also know that when the uh contending was going on between Michael the archangel and the devil in the book of Jude, we know that Michael the archangel said the Lord rebuke you and in essence brought the Lord into the picture simply because it would appear as though Michael himself did not have the power to uh overcome or to defeat the devil. So it would appear that in terms of ranking those two beings were certainly powerful enough to be able to contend with one another without any clear victories between the two.

The only advantageous mechanism that would have been deployed by Michael against the devil would of course being calling upon the assistance of the Lord. So those are some interesting things to be thinking about and just understand that we are looking at definitely um rankings amongst these angels and of course when we look at the idea that Michael the archangel is directly getting involved, then you know it's a big deal and of course he is contending for Israel. But look what it goes on to say. It says in the same verse, this is verse one, when he refers to the people of God Israel, he says and there shall be a time of trouble uh such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered everyone that shall be found written in the book.

Though this is interesting because the Lord um talks about this book uh that's written. Of course it's interesting because in Matthew chapter 24 we'll see reference of uh to this book in Mark uh which we will soon be visiting. Uh he speaks about Jacob's trouble which of course is what's being referred to here. By the way, it is interesting um when we look at dispensations because that's something that of course I taught you guys to look at and to understand that there are certain periods of time. Right now we are in a dispensation that is referred to or known as the church age.

That's often times what people call this dispensation which I think is an important one to talk about being the fact that we are historically speaking. In the present day, we are in the church age and it is interesting because in the church age the only way anybody can obtain salvation is by putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. This includes the Jews that if a Jew wants to experience salvation, the way that they experience their salvation is to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to call upon his name that they might be saved.

Now there will be a point of time where there will be what the Bible deems as an end to this time of the Gentiles. There will be a time when the church receives the very last person to receive the Lord in their heart and when that person uh receives the Lord in their heart, then we will see the commencement of the rapture taking place and that time will come. There is by the way so many questions about the rapture. It is interesting because when you look at the book of 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, we know that this is the Apostle Paul who is answering their questions concerning the rapture because of the fact that they were uh very troubled.

As a matter of fact, the Thessalonian church we know was extraordinarily troubled because they felt like their loved ones, their uh fellow uh brothers and sisters in the Lord or their mothers or fathers or actual blood brothers and sisters who had loved the Lord and received the free gift of salvation from the Lord into their hearts were missing something and they uh were to die prior to the time that the rapture had taken place. So many of these loved ones that were watching their relatives die were getting very very scared and actually feeling quite nervous because as they were which witnessing this happen, they were thinking that they missed out on the opportunity that their loved ones would miss out on the resurrection as it would be termed and they would miss out on the rapture and that this would be something that would be a terrible situation.

Of course the Apostle Paul makes it very clear that that is not the case. He says, hey listen, don't be worried about this. As a matter of fact, you need to comfort one another with the words that I have just shared with you. What words did he share? He talked to them about the rapture. He talked about the fact that we'll be taken up, that there's going to be a snatching up. But the order of the rapture, what happens around that time is something that was supposed to be taken with great comfort to the people.

Why? He says, listen, the trumpet is going to sound and he says what's going to happen? The dead in Christ will rise first. So in other words, the people that you were so fearful of, the ones that you actually thought were going to be taken away, the ones that you thought sort of had met their end um quite frankly they will be the first partakers of everything that related to the rapture. They're going to experience it before we even experience it. The dead in Christ will rise first and then of course will be raptured and that's a very very powerful message that was given by the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonian church and they found themselves being in a place of peace.

As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul later on in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 goes on to remind the people, listen, the one thing that you do need to understand is that you're not like those that are walking in the darkness where you have no hope. You're actually walking in the light and as you walk in the light, you can realize and understand and recognize the fact that you are a child of God that knows what to expect. You're not going to be sitting there like someone who expects uh nothing to happen and gets hit like someone who gets affected by a thief in the night.

You are not children of the night. You are children of the day. You're not sleeping. You're awake. You're watching this and so you're not going to be taken unexpectedly when Christ comes for his church. You're not going to be shocked by that fact when we are all raptured. It's not going to be something that hits you the wrong way. No, you will be expecting it and the attitude that you must have while you're waiting for that expectation, that blessed hope that it's often times referred to as is that you need to be people that are busy doing things for the kingdom, working hard, taking the next step, literally investing all that you have into making the better uh life, into growing things for uh your family and for your children's children.

Why? Because the Bible tells us to occupy till he comes and not only do we occupy till he comes, but our earnest expectation to see this very special moment in our lives should be the thing that drives us to living righteously and walking in purity. And so all of this is something that we're talking about now. When the church age ends and the rapture happens, then we will after a period of time how long that time is, I don't know. I think it'll be a short period of time, but after a certain period of time there will be the commencement of what we refer to as the tribulation.

And of course the first three and a half years of that tribulation are not going to be easy years. As a matter of fact, they're going to be substantially difficult, but not nearly as difficult as the last three and a half years. The last three and a half years are going to be substantially difficult. That's when the Antichrist sets himself up in the temple and demands to be worshiped. He's the one that makes a peace treaty according to the previous chapter in Daniel. Daniel chapter 9 verse 27 he makes strong an existing peace treaty between the nation of Israel and where he stands as the greatest power broker that ever lived at least in that moment.

And when that happens, the Jews are going to think that he's the savior, that he's their Messiah, that all is well except when he sets himself up in the temple and demands to be worshiped. Then the Jews will realize the mistake that they made and God will in essence deliver his people in that moment. So the dispensation that we're in right now is called the church age and in that age anybody who wants to receive salvation Jew, Gentile doesn't matter who it is. There's no racial distinction. There's no background distinction. There's nothing like that. Anyone who wants to receive salvation must do it by receiving Christ into their life, must do it by putting their faith and trust in Jesus.

When the church is raptured, then the Lord will commence the process or the dispensation that we often times refer to as the time where the Jews will be dealt with. And this is of course a dispensation dedicated to God dealing with his ancestrally chosen people. The problem is this. If you love the Jews and you care about the Jews, then you're going to preach the gospel to the Jews. Why? Because you don't want the Jews to go through the tribulation. When they go through the tribulation, it will be the worst thing they've ever seen and that's a crazy statement.

It'll be worse than the Holocaust. It'll be worse than October the 7th. It 'll be worse than anything they've ever experienced as a nation. It'll be worse than what Esther saved them from uh as they were being put through what was going to be a total annihilation of the Jewish state. The Bible says that a time will come where it will be remarkably difficult, that it's going to be very very hard. It's going to be like something they've never seen before. It's going to be something that 's going to take them off guard. It's going to be absolutely terrible.

It's going to be a brutal time and that's what it's talking about. So there will be this dispensation where God will deal with his people and bring them into this close loving relationship with him and many of them will be saved and we know that. We know that God will do that, but the way that that happens is not going to be fun. And I think that's the thing that we have to pay attention to. Also I should note this that God is a God of books, right? And that's kind of an important one as well because God holds a couple of books in his hands uh several books that he holds and those books have specific purposes.

There's one book that we absolutely want to be in and there's another book that we don't want to be in, right? One of the books that we want to be in or the book that we want to be in is of course the Lamb's Book of Life. We want to be in that book where God opens the pages, he sees our name in there and of course we know obviously that we have been written into that book and we have salvation and of course we know as the body of Christ that because we chose to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, our name is in the Lamb's Book of Life.

But there's another book and that book is not going to be a good book. That book is going to be uh a book that is going to bring uh detrimental uh uh end to anybody who's in it. You don't want to be in that book of judgment. You don't want to be in that book that of course is the book that shows every single sin that you've committed, every wrongdoing. You don't want that, but the Lord does keep books and it's important that we understand that, right? And so when it talks about the fact that we'll be delivered everyone that shall be found written in the book, that is a very very very important principle.

And Jesus talked about this book not only in Matthew, but he made reference to this book as well in Mark and we see this being uh spoken of and it is interesting because when you look at everything that happens prior to this time, whether it be what happened with Armageddon and and and what ends up happening with the world rebelling against God and knowing how tumultuous of a time that 's going to end up being, we can all say thank you Jesus that we're not going to be part of it on the reciprocal end. Yes, we'll be part of it on that end of people that will be with the Messiah, will be in his army, with him will actually be riding in on these uh horses coming to watch all of this, but we're not going to be a part of the receiving end of it and it is interesting because when all of this happens, the most uh significant uh thing that we can recognize is the fact that we get to be participants in a way that is actually glorious and not in a way that's difficult or hard from the sense that we're the receivers of all of this bad stuff.

Look at verse two. It says, and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and to some to shame and everlasting content. And of course it's interesting because um we talked about this on so many levels. Um we talked about what the Bible deems as the first resurrection and what the Bible often times talks to as a different resurrection and that resurrection is the resurrection that we don't want to be a part of, right? The first resurrection actually started with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and those of us who died after the resurrection of Christ while at the same time having had accepted his free gift, we will be a part of the first resurrection.

As a matter of fact, the first resurrection as we understand it according to what we know from the book of Revelation actually ends when all of those that were martyred during the tribulation uh in essence are uh raised up to experience the reward for all that they uh for all that they did and for all that God did for them and then that happens and of course that's a pretty powerful moment. When that all takes place, that is all finalized of course after the uh second coming of Christ, but the second resurrection, the other one that you don't want to be a part of of course is going to be the one that happens at the end of the millennial reign.

The one that happens at the end of the millennial reign is the one that you don't want to be a part of because if you end up being a part of that one, you are in essence going to be living uh to eternity resurrected unto death. You'll be resurrected to experience all that hell has waiting for you. And that's not something that any of us want to be in. We don't want to be in that lake of fire and I think that's a very very important thing to think about.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Pastor James Kaddis on Light on the Hill and part of our new study in the book of Daniel. Pastor James will be right back with more. There are a few ways you can listen to today's message again or catch up on what you may have missed in the series. We post all of our programs to lightonthehillradio.com as well as oneplace.com. You'll also find Light on the Hill on most of the major podcast platforms like Apple, Spotify and Google. We also have an app that makes listening to messages easy to do on any of your mobile devices.

Just search for Calvary Chapel Signal Hill in the App Store or Google Play. We're thankful to the Lord for the listeners that come alongside us with their prayers or financial support. It helps us do what we do every day. If you'd like to make a donation to the ministry today, visit lightonthehillradio.com. You can also give through the Light on the Hill app. Start following James Kaddis on X, Instagram and YouTube throughout the week. He shares biblical encouragement and videos that deal with current events and Bible prophecy. You can also explore the Countdown to Eternity program for even more biblical encouragement in this area.

You'll find that at countdown the number two eternity.com and at oneplace.com. For many of you, Calvary Chapel Signal Hill is just a short drive away. We'd like to invite you to one of our services. We have a Thursday night study that begins at 7:00 p.m., three Sunday morning services at 8:00 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and then a Sunday evening service at 5:00 p.m. You can watch our live stream and get directions as well as more information at calvarychapelsignalhill.com. We left off in Daniel chapter 12 at verse three a moment ago. Here's Pastor James with more.

He says, and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. This is so interesting because look at look at the first phrase here. It says, they that be wise shall do what? Shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. It's so unique because when you look at the world in which we live, so many people want to be stars. You know people want to be famous. They want to be sort of in the limelight and they want to be looked at as a superstar that's shining bright and and and experience the notoriety that often times comes with that uh type of thing and what the Bible actually tells us and this is really critical and this is really important and something that I think is uh very pertinent to our understanding is the fact that the true stars will be the ones who choose to act in wisdom.

The true stars will be the ones who say that they are going to listen to the voice of God and act according to the voice that's been given to them, that the true stars will be people who will turn the hearts of others towards the Lord, that the real stars, the one that shine bright will be the one that will take God's wisdom and God's council and act according to his wisdom and council and shun the wickedness that often times comes from denying what the instruction of God is. And I think that that's really important and it's really great when it's when he says that they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.

In other words, it's not going to be an unnoticeable matter that when you continue to allow the Lord to stand as he stands in and of himself, when you literally get out of the way and you show people who he is and you use the wise council that he's given you to live your life and every aspect of your life, the Bible says it will be completely noticeable. In other words, it's not going to be something where you diminish and fade off into the in into the sunset. This is something that everybody is going to be able to see.

It will be without an exception a remarkable and successful thing and everybody's going to be able to notice it. Everybody's going to be able to see it.

James Kaddis: There's much more to come in our study of Daniel, so join us each day for Light on the Hill. Remember, you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. This program is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Signal Hill.

Guest (Female): I have found the peace only comes from you. I have found the joy only comes from you. Cuz all I need is