Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / December 22 - Daniel 12

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December 22 - Daniel 12 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it's Sean here and it is Monday of Christmas
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  week. Yes, it's the 22nd of December
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  and we are just around the corner from that very, very
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  happiest of days. And so this week, this week is
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  gonna be fantastic. Today we are going to have the
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  glorious and triumphant end of the book of Daniel.
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  And then from tomorrow, we are going to open the Book of Luke
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  and begin reading through that preparation for Christmas.
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  And then on Thursday, we'll celebrate Christmas together,
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  friends with that beautiful Christmas Bible reading.
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  And then over the rest of December and January, we are
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  going to be working our way through that spectacular gospel
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  written to convince us that Jesus is indeed Lord and we are
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  invited to be his people. So, so much to come.
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  But today, today we are going to finish the book of Daniel.
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  And you might remember our reading from Thursday last week
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  was a hard one. It was just one battle after
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  another. And I'm not talking about the
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  new movie in the cinemas at the moment.
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  I'm talking about that prophecy of just battle after battle
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  after battle where the populations just got squeezed
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  and destroyed and revenged upon. And it was just a terrible,
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  terrible story. But today, today we hear that
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  God will be ultimately victorious and that his victory
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  brings life to all of his people.
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  So this is a glorious way to end.
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  And if you are a Sadducee, you might just need to block your
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  ears because this is going to be one of the key texts that all of
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  the Pharisees used to use to prove resurrection of the body.
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  And the Sadducees, yeah, not their cup of tea.
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  Anyway, that is beyond the point.
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  Let us read this happy ending to this book of Daniel that draws
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  all these themes together in God's triumph over history.
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  As we read together Daniel chapter 12.
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  At that time, Michael, the Archangel who stands guard over
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  your nation will arise. Then there will be a time of
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  anguish greater than any since nations first came into
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  existence. But at that time, every one of
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  your people whose name is written in the book will be
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  rescued. Many of those whose bodies lie
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  dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life, and
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  some to shame and everlasting disgrace.
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  Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who
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  lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
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  But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret.
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  Seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush
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  here and there and knowledge will increase.
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  Then I Daniel looked and saw two others standing at opposite
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  banks of the river. One of them asked the man
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  dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river.
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  How long will it be until these shocking events are over?
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  The man dressed in linen who was standing over the river, raised
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  both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the one
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  who lives forever, saying it will go on for a time, times and
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  half a time. When the shattering of the holy
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  people has finally come to an end, all these things will have
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  happened. I heard what he said, but I did
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  not understand what he meant. So I asked, how will all this
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  finally end, my Lord? But he said, Go now, Daniel, for
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  what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the
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  end. Many will be purified, cleansed
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  and refined by these trials, but the wicked will continue in
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  their wickedness and none of them will understand.
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  Only those who are wise will know what it means.
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  From the time the daily sacrifice has stopped and the
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  sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be
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  worshipped, there will be 1290 days.
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  And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the
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  1335 days. As for you go your way until the
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  end, you will rest, and then at the end of the days you will
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  rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.
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  Oh Jesus, thank you for this call to us, a call to us to be
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  patient, a call to us to persevere, and an assurance to
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  us that at the end of all things there is you.
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  You, our glorious, beautiful, loving Saviour, with your arms
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  spread wide, ready to welcome us at the end of all toil.
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  Lord, when we are in the midst of a hard chapter of our lives,
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  when things seem dire and we are struggling and suffering, maybe
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  it's the context of our life. Maybe it's our faith in you that
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  is causing us to be a derided or or excluded.
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  Lord, I pray that you just hold us and remind us, just as Daniel
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  does, that we are yours, that we are loved, and then ultimately
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  you will restore us just as you plan.
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  So we love you, and we praise you as our mighty and victorious
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  God, and we lift you up and praise you and pray all these
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  things in your name, Jesus, Amen.