Latest / Max Lucado Daily Sermons / Never lose hope in the future ahead- Minister Max Lucado

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Never lose hope in the future ahead- Minister Max Lucado · Max Lucado Daily Sermons

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Speaker 1: Concluding message of our study in the book of Daniel
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Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed this study as much as I
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Speaker 1: have because of travel plans I'm recording this message in
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Speaker 1: advance but I want you to know that on the
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Speaker 1: day you study Daniel chapter 12 my heart is going
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Speaker 1: to be with you because it's a great opportunity for
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Speaker 1: all of us to thank God for this astounding book
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Speaker 1: that originated in the life of a wonderful man by
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Speaker 1: the name of Daniel, some 600 years before the life
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Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ. You know, in my time at Oak
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Speaker 1: Hills Church, I've preached well over 50 series to our congregation.
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Speaker 1: But I think I can say this has been the
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Speaker 1: most challenging series to date. This book is stimulating. It's perplexing.
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Speaker 1: It's exciting. And I've done my best to present to
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Speaker 1: you my best take on this wonderful study. What's important
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Speaker 1: in this study is that we understand the big message
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Speaker 1: and that is that there is a God in heaven
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Speaker 1: and that he is bringing all of history toward a
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Speaker 1: powerful and decisive victory. Now no one understands all the
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Speaker 1: details of what's going to happen between now and the
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Speaker 1: end of history. I don't. No Bible student does and
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Speaker 1: I've simply done my best to unpack to you what
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Speaker 1: seems to me to be a fair interpretation of this
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Speaker 1: wonderful book. And if your study takes you in a
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Speaker 1: little different direction, that's okay. What's important is that we
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Speaker 1: agree that there is a God in heaven, and he's
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Speaker 1: going to bring a great victory to this earth. Amen?
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Speaker 1: And that's what matters the most. Well, we're going to
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Speaker 1: dig into chapter 12 and wrap this up, put a
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Speaker 1: ribbon on the book. But before we do, can I
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Speaker 1: say a prayer? And then we'll get to work. Heavenly Father,
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Speaker 1: we thank you now. We thank you for this wonderful book.
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Speaker 1: We thank you for what you've taught us in this study. Lord,
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Speaker 1: it leaves us hungry wanting to know more. We pray
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Speaker 1: you'd forgive our teacher. His sins are many. And we pray,
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Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, that you would please reveal to him and
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Speaker 1: to us just a deeper understanding of what your future is,
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Speaker 1: what you hold for us in the future. And we
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Speaker 1: pray that we could be like Daniel, people who are prepared,
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Speaker 1: people who understand your word, who seek your truth. We
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Speaker 1: pray this for these are difficult, severe days in which
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Speaker 1: we live. And so we pray in the name of
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Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. And all the church said, well, my dad
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Speaker 1: made a big deal out of family vacations. He enjoyed
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Speaker 1: preparing for the vacations as much as the vacation itself.
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Speaker 1: Our vacations always consisted of a long road trip, And
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Speaker 1: then some time in a campground in the mountains. Usually
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Speaker 1: the road trip was from West Texas to Colorado. But
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Speaker 1: there were a couple of times we ventured out as
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Speaker 1: far as Yellowstone Park or Yosemite one time to the
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Speaker 1: Grand Canyon. He loved vacations. And he loved preparing for them.
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Speaker 1: In spring, when the spring weather began to change, he
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Speaker 1: would start talking about our summer vacations. And he began
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Speaker 1: making decisions as to where we were going to go.
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Speaker 1: And he didn't always tell us. He would surprise us.
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Speaker 1: He would talk about it until right up on the
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Speaker 1: evening before the vacation. And then he would tell us. Now,
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Speaker 1: this was back in the days before there was GPS
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Speaker 1: and before there were cell phones, of course. And so
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Speaker 1: he would plan our trips the old-fashioned way with an
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Speaker 1: honest-to-goodness foldable map. And he would spend hours over that
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Speaker 1: map in the days leading up to the vacation. And
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Speaker 1: he would use a highlighter and he would highlight our
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Speaker 1: route on the map. He would circle the restaurant or
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Speaker 1: places where we were going to stop at restaurants. He
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Speaker 1: would circle the names of campgrounds where we were going
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Speaker 1: to spend the night. And then, of course, he would
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Speaker 1: have in high highlights the name of the campground where
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Speaker 1: we were going to spend most of our vacation. And then...
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Speaker 1: In an act of great drama, in an act that
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Speaker 1: I cherished, he would, on the eve before the trip,
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Speaker 1: sit me, my brother, and his wife, our mother, at
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Speaker 1: the table and unfold the map. And he would let
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Speaker 1: us see where we were going. Oh, can you imagine
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Speaker 1: how excited we were? My brother and I, we were
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Speaker 1: just single-digit age, you know, nine or ten years of age,
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Speaker 1: and Oh, how we would sit on the edge of
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Speaker 1: the chair with both elbows on the table and our
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Speaker 1: chin cupped in our hands and just listening to dad
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Speaker 1: as he would describe where we were headed. And since
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Speaker 1: we didn't know anything about travel, since we didn't know
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Speaker 1: what to expect, since we were newcomers to the road,
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Speaker 1: he not only told us where we were going, he
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Speaker 1: told us what to expect. He would say, now, sons,
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Speaker 1: when we get into New Mexico, That desert wind can blow.
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Speaker 1: You got to prepare yourself. And he'd say, sons, now,
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Speaker 1: when we get close to the mountains, you're going to
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Speaker 1: feel your ears begin to pop. He would say, boys, now,
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Speaker 1: you'll know we're getting close to the end when you
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Speaker 1: see those wooden signs that say National Park. They all
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Speaker 1: have green trees painted on them, those pine trees. And
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Speaker 1: he would describe them to us. Now why would he
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Speaker 1: do that? I mean aside from being a fun loving guy.
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Speaker 1: Why would he go to the effort of showing us
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Speaker 1: the map? And then why would he go to the
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Speaker 1: effort of preparing us ahead of time so we would
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Speaker 1: know what to expect? Why was it important to our
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Speaker 1: father for him to tell us what signs to look for. And,
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Speaker 1: as long as we're asking the question, why has God
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Speaker 1: done the same? Over and over, as we've studied through
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Speaker 1: the book of Daniel, I have suggested to you that
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Speaker 1: this book is a road map of sorts, or it's
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Speaker 1: a timeline. It's an itinerary of the human journey, especially
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Speaker 1: the book of Daniel. God has told us what to expect.
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Speaker 1: He has told us what's going to happen. And he
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Speaker 1: has prepared us so we will know how to behave
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Speaker 1: when we begin to see the signs. Of course, the
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Speaker 1: book of Daniel is far from the only book in
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Speaker 1: the Bible to do this It may surprise you to
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Speaker 1: know that 30% of your Bible is comprised of prophecy. 30%.
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Speaker 1: Did you know that entire volumes such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,
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Speaker 1: Revelation are prophetic? So to dismiss prophecy is to dismiss
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Speaker 1: one-third of your scriptures. Yet many people do. Many people do.
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Speaker 1: They dismiss prophecy. They say, just give me the Lord's
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Speaker 1: Prayer and just give me the 23rd Psalm. Just give
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Speaker 1: me the stories. I can't handle that prophecy. They may
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Speaker 1: do so for a couple of reasons. First of all, prophecy,
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Speaker 1: it can be complicated. It can. And it can be controversial.
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Speaker 1: And teachers of prophecy... well, have a tendency to be opinionated.
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Speaker 1: I understand the hesitancy, but I would encourage you, dear friend.
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Speaker 1: I would encourage you. Don't be listed among those who
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Speaker 1: miss out on the blessing of studying prophecy. Yes, blessing.
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Speaker 1: God promises a blessing for those who study the words
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Speaker 1: of the prophetic teachers. In fact, he closes the book
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Speaker 1: of Daniel chapter With this promise. Those who are wise.
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Speaker 1: Will understand. Those who study this prophecy. Those who gather
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Speaker 1: this wisdom. They will come to a sense of understanding.
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Speaker 1: So this is a promise of God. That as you
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Speaker 1: study prophecy. You will understand. You will come to new
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Speaker 1: levels of understanding. You will have those aha moments. In
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Speaker 1: which you say. Oh now I see how this lines up.
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Speaker 1: Oh now I see what this passage means. You see,
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Speaker 1: God wants to give you what my father gave my
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Speaker 1: brother and me. And that is a glimpse into the future.
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Speaker 1: He wants to show us the journey. And he promises
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Speaker 1: a special blessing. A special blessing for those who read
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Speaker 1: and heed the words of prophecy. Maybe you've read these
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Speaker 1: words found early in the book of Revelation, the most
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Speaker 1: famous of the prophetic books. God blesses the one who
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Speaker 1: reads the words of prophecy to the church. I guess
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Speaker 1: that's me. And he blesses all who listen to its
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Speaker 1: message and obey what it says. you. For the time
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Speaker 1: is near. There's a story about an airplane that was
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Speaker 1: lost over the ocean in the middle of a hurricane.
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Speaker 1: The captain decided that it was time to assure the
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Speaker 1: passengers that he was still in the cockpit. So he
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Speaker 1: announced over the intercom, well, I have good news and
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Speaker 1: I have bad news. The bad news is I have
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Speaker 1: no idea where we are or where we are headed.
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Speaker 1: The good news is we're making great time. That describes
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Speaker 1: the lives of many people today. We are busy but
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Speaker 1: lost in a hurry but with no destination. You know
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Speaker 1: we're running faster than ever but we have no idea
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Speaker 1: where we are going. But to all who will listen,
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Speaker 1: God will share the blessing of the destination. He'll show
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Speaker 1: you the map. And in addition, he'll show you the
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Speaker 1: signs to look for along the way. He opens the
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Speaker 1: map and tells us where we are headed. Chapter 12
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Speaker 1: begins with a reminder of where this history is headed.
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Speaker 1: He calls this the tribulation. Verse 1 of chapter 12.
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Speaker 1: At that time, Michael, the great prince who protects your people,
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Speaker 1: will arise. And there will be a time of distress
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Speaker 1: such as not has happened from the beginning of nations
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Speaker 1: until then. But at that time, your people, everyone whose
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Speaker 1: name is found written in the book, will be delivered.
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Speaker 1: Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake,
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Speaker 1: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
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Speaker 1: Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of
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Speaker 1: the heavens and will lead many to righteousness like stars
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Speaker 1: forever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal
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Speaker 1: the words of the scroll until the time of the end.
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Speaker 1: Many will go here and there to increase. This passage,
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Speaker 1: as well as the rest of the book of Daniel,
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Speaker 1: anticipates a major event in the future called the tribulation.
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Speaker 1: We've come to see that's a period of seven years.
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Speaker 1: And I personally take that seven-year period time frame as literal.
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Speaker 1: It's a seven-year period in which there will be times
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Speaker 1: of intense struggle for who the book of Daniel calls
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Speaker 1: your people, Daniel, that is the Hebrews. Others will be involved,
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Speaker 1: but certainly those who are Jewish heritage in the city
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Speaker 1: of Jerusalem will face a time of intense struggle. This
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Speaker 1: is just one of several prophecies or several promises that
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Speaker 1: moments that are going to happen in the future that
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Speaker 1: we have looked at. I'd like for us to take
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Speaker 1: just a minute and back up and review some others,
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Speaker 1: just so we can look at the timeline and look
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Speaker 1: at the map one more time. Scripture tells us that
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Speaker 1: there will be a sudden, unexpected resurrection of the saints.
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Speaker 1: This is often called the rapture. And it's going to
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Speaker 1: happen without warning. But at that moment, every believer, who
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Speaker 1: has placed his or her trust in Christ, will be
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Speaker 1: resurrected in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
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Speaker 1: They will be given a new body. They will be
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Speaker 1: welcomed as the bride of Christ to a wedding feast
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Speaker 1: in heaven. This will be a glorious day for all
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Speaker 1: who have trusted in Christ. But this will trigger a
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Speaker 1: difficult day for all those left behind. You see, in
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Speaker 1: this moment, in a millisecond, the church... and her restraining influence,
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Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit will be gone. He, the Holy Spirit,
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Speaker 1: is who holds evil at bay right now. And for
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Speaker 1: a time, the Holy Spirit will step away. Now imagine
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Speaker 1: the ensuing chaos when the church and the Holy Spirit
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Speaker 1: are removed from society. When all those who seek to
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Speaker 1: do good are suddenly gone. When all those who teach truth,
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Speaker 1: are suddenly missing. It seems to me that their sudden
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Speaker 1: departure will cause a moral, financial, and political tailspin. And
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Speaker 1: this world as we know it will turn into a
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Speaker 1: chaotic mess. And this chaos will set the stage for
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Speaker 1: an evil despot, a tool of Satan, the Antichrist. He's
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Speaker 1: a primary character in the book of Daniel. Now, according
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Speaker 1: to the prophecy of Daniel 9, this Antichrist is going
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Speaker 1: to step forward and he's going to broker a peace
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Speaker 1: treaty in the Middle East that will seem to settle
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Speaker 1: everything down. It's going to encompass the world. The promise
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Speaker 1: is this, that leader, speaking of the Antichrist, will make
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Speaker 1: a firm agreement with many people for seven years. He
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Speaker 1: will stop the offerings and sacrifices after three and one
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Speaker 1: half years. A destroyer will do terrible things until the
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Speaker 1: ordered end comes to destroy the city. So the Antichrist
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Speaker 1: will step forward. He will broker a peace treaty. Apparently
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Speaker 1: this peace treaty involves the reconstruction of the temple. Yet
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Speaker 1: after three and a half years, he's going to stop
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Speaker 1: the offerings. And he will engage in what Jesus Christ
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Speaker 1: himself calls the abomination of desolation. He will position himself
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Speaker 1: as God and demand to be worshipped. And this will
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Speaker 1: trigger a season of suffering. But after this season of suffering,
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Speaker 1: a resurrection will occur as we just read in Daniel
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Speaker 1: chapter 12. A sum to everlasting life and some who
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Speaker 1: rejected God to shame and torment. Even most important, at
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Speaker 1: the end of these seven years, Christ himself will come.
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Speaker 1: Can we reread the promise from Daniel chapter 7? This king,
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Speaker 1: speaking of the Antichrist, will speak against the most high
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Speaker 1: God and he will hurt and kill God's holy people.
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Speaker 1: He will try to change times and laws that have
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Speaker 1: already been set. That is to say, he will try
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Speaker 1: to create a religion that's set up around himself. The
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Speaker 1: holy people that belong to God will be in that
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Speaker 1: king's power for three and one half years. But then
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Speaker 1: the court will decide what should happen. That's the court
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Speaker 1: of God. The power of the king will be taken
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Speaker 1: away and his kingdom will be completely destroyed. Then the
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Speaker 1: holy people who belong to the most high God will
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Speaker 1: have the power to rule. And they will rule over
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Speaker 1: all the kingdoms under heaven with power and greatness. And
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Speaker 1: their power to rule will last forever. That's the beautiful
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Speaker 1: promise of the book of Daniel. The church will be raptured.
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Speaker 1: The tribulation will be severe. But it won't last forever.
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Speaker 1: Christ will return. And he will establish his kingdom on
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Speaker 1: this earth with his saints. And he will rule forever.
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Speaker 1: Now you may have more questions. Daniel did. But before
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Speaker 1: Daniel could ask for an explanation, did you notice he
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Speaker 1: was told to seal up the book of prophecy? That
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Speaker 1: is to say, no further revelation is going to be coming.
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Speaker 1: Daniel had been given all that he would be given.
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Speaker 1: The review was complete. Even so, a couple of questions remained.
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Speaker 1: And as we read further in Daniel chapter 12, Daniel
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Speaker 1: saw what appeared to be an angel and he heard
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Speaker 1: the angel ask, now how long before Daniel These amazing
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Speaker 1: things come true. Well, what do you know? We used
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Speaker 1: to ask that question on vacation. How long, Dad? How
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Speaker 1: long before we get there? I guess that was an
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Speaker 1: angelic question. The answer came from Jesus himself. Reading again
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Speaker 1: in Daniel 12, the man dressed in linen who stood
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Speaker 1: over the water raised his hands toward heaven and I
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Speaker 1: heard him swear by the name of God who lives forever.
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Speaker 1: It will be for three and one half years. The
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Speaker 1: power of the holy people will finally be broken and
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Speaker 1: And then all these things will come true. I heard
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Speaker 1: the answer, Daniel said, but I really did not understand.
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Speaker 1: So I asked, Master, what will happen after all these
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Speaker 1: things come true? He answered, Go your way, Daniel. The
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Speaker 1: message is closed up and sealed until the time of
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Speaker 1: the end. Many people will be made clean, pure, and spotless,
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Speaker 1: but the wicked will continue to be wicked. Those wicked
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Speaker 1: people will not understand these things, but the wise will
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Speaker 1: understand them. The angel needed an explanation. Daniel needed an explanation.
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Speaker 1: How long, asked the angel. What shall be the end
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Speaker 1: of all these things, asked Daniel. Give us more details,
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Speaker 1: in other words. And Jesus came and gave them more details.
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Speaker 1: Now you and I would love more details too. We
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Speaker 1: don't have all of our questions answered. But as we
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Speaker 1: have sought God, he has given us more details. I
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Speaker 1: believe that God has done for us what he did
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Speaker 1: for Daniel. God has given us more details. In fact,
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Speaker 1: the details that God has given to us are sufficient
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Speaker 1: enough to cause me to think we really may be
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Speaker 1: nearing the end. I do not say that lightly. And
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Speaker 1: I realize in every generation there have been those who
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Speaker 1: have said, now this is the last generation. And yet
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Speaker 1: there are certain things about our generation that command our attention,
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Speaker 1: that cause us to wonder, are we truly toward the end?
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Speaker 1: Are we truly nearing the final rapture. I believe that
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Speaker 1: Christ could come at any moment. I believe this not
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Speaker 1: just because of what I read in the scriptures, but
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Speaker 1: also because of what I read in the newspaper. Now, again,
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Speaker 1: to be clear, no one knows the exact time of
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Speaker 1: our Lord's return. Jesus said, no one knows about that
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Speaker 1: day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor
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Speaker 1: the son, but only the father. The exact time is
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Speaker 1: hidden from the followers. We do not know the hours.
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Speaker 1: But we have been told to look for the signs.
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Speaker 1: And we are told to respond to the signs. Now,
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Speaker 1: you know how to respond to signs. You see signs
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Speaker 1: on the highway whenever you're driving or riding in a car.
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Speaker 1: For example, when you see this sign, what does it
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Speaker 1: tell you? Well, because of that sign, you're going to
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Speaker 1: anticipate a wet road. You don't know the exact location
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Speaker 1: or the amount of the water, but you anticipate water.
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Speaker 1: What about this sign? Now, do you know the amount
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Speaker 1: of construction or the purpose? No, but you know you
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Speaker 1: need to be alert. What about this sign? Well, who
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Speaker 1: put that in there? That must be from God. I mean,
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Speaker 1: we sure don't want to ignore the signs, do we? No,
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Speaker 1: Jesus has not given us the hour of his return.
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Speaker 1: But church, we have signs. We have signs as we're
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Speaker 1: traveling through life, as we're traveling toward our final destination.
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Speaker 1: Just like my father told my brother and me what
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Speaker 1: signs to look for. So Jesus Christ has said, now
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Speaker 1: here's some signs. He criticized the religious leaders of his
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Speaker 1: day for not looking for signs. The Pharisees and Sadducees
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Speaker 1: came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to
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Speaker 1: show them a sign from heaven. He replied, When evening comes,
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Speaker 1: you will say, It will be fair weather, for the
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Speaker 1: sky is red. And in the morning, today it will
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Speaker 1: be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast. You
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Speaker 1: know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but
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Speaker 1: you cannot interpret the signs of the times? Now would
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Speaker 1: Jesus need to give us the same rebuke? We know
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Speaker 1: how to read the weather forecast, but we're not paying
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Speaker 1: attention to the signs of the times. Consider what Jesus
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Speaker 1: says about reading signs. Such things must happen, but the
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Speaker 1: end is still to come. In other words, we shouldn't
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Speaker 1: be too quickly misled. Men have been declaring the end
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Speaker 1: since the very beginning. There are endless skirmishes and conflicts
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Speaker 1: and rumors of wars. And these mean nothing. They are
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Speaker 1: not signs. But the true signs are these. Look what
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Speaker 1: he says next. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom
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Speaker 1: against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
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Speaker 1: All these are the beginnings of birth pains. Now, note
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Speaker 1: that phrase, birth pains. We men are really not qualified
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Speaker 1: to explain what a birth pain is. But I have
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Speaker 1: it on good authority that birth pains are painful. And
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Speaker 1: they come with increasing frequency as the time of delivery
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Speaker 1: draws near. Jesus is saying that there are certain signs
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Speaker 1: that are going to be painful. They're going to be disruptive.
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Speaker 1: And they're going to come with increasing frequency as the
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Speaker 1: end draws near. With that in mind, consider a couple
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Speaker 1: of signs of the end. He says, nation will rise
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Speaker 1: against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Now, this is a
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Speaker 1: colloquial expression used by Hebrew rabbis in ancient literature, found often,
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Speaker 1: that describes a unique type of war. It's an expression
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Speaker 1: that describes a widespread... conflict. Our phrase for this conflict
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Speaker 1: would be world war. World war. So Jesus is saying
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Speaker 1: you will see world wars. Now have we? Of course
23:44
Speaker 1: we have. Twice in the last century we have seen
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Speaker 1: conflicts that are so universal that they earned the phrase
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Speaker 1: world war. In fact the first one was called the
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Speaker 1: war to end all wars but then came the second one.
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Speaker 1: World War II. More people died from war in the
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Speaker 1: 20th century than then in all the other centuries leading
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Speaker 1: up to the 20th century, combined, combined, increasing frequency, increasing pain.
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Speaker 1: What about natural disasters? Specifically, Jesus says, famines and earthquakes.
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Speaker 1: Of course, the world has always seen both. But did
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Speaker 1: you know we're seeing them with increasing frequency? Examples. For example, earthquakes.
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Speaker 1: According to one study, from 1939 to 1976, there were
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Speaker 1: 71 earthquakes. Yet from 1977 to 2014, there were 164.
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Speaker 1: That's an increase of 131%. Does it seem to you
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Speaker 1: that the birth pains are increasing in frequency? These are
24:39
Speaker 1: signs on the road. And there are more signs. I
24:59
Speaker 1: have time for just a couple, but consider this one.
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Speaker 1: The most remarkable sign, I think, of our generation is
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Speaker 1: the regathering of the Jewish people in Israel. Did you
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Speaker 1: know that the Bible speaks of a day in which
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Speaker 1: the Jewish people will reoccupy their homeland? Way back in
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Speaker 1: the book of Jeremiah. The days are coming, declares the Lord,
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Speaker 1: when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back
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Speaker 1: from captivity and restore them to the land I gave
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Speaker 1: their forefathers to possess. Now, almost all the key prophecies
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Speaker 1: in the book of Daniel depend upon a repopulated geographical Israel.
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Speaker 1: For example, the book of Daniel prophesies a covenant between
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Speaker 1: the Antichrist and Israel. This can only happen if the
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Speaker 1: nation of Israel exists. The book of Daniel prophesies a
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Speaker 1: rebuilding of the temple. Again, Israel exists. It must exist.
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Speaker 1: It must occupy the land in order for this to happen.
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Speaker 1: Daniel forecasted an utter sacrilege of the temple. Well, no Israel,
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Speaker 1: no temple. The War of Armageddon only makes sense if
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Speaker 1: Israel is occupying the land where the valley is found. Now,
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Speaker 1: the idea of a repopulated Israel was unthinkable just a
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Speaker 1: few decades ago. You know the history. The Jewish people
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Speaker 1: were dispersed to over 70 countries for more than 20 centuries.
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Speaker 1: Yet in our day, we are seeing them return. Did
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Speaker 1: you know that today, for the first time since A.D. 135,
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Speaker 1: there are more Jews living in Israel than any place
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Speaker 1: on earth? There is a regathering of the Jews to Israel.
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Speaker 1: Could this be a sign? It's unique to our generation,
26:46
Speaker 1: that's for sure. This super sign in itself is enough
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Speaker 1: to get our attention. Maybe we have time for one more.
26:54
Speaker 1: How about globalism? You know, the book of Revelation prophesies
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Speaker 1: a day in the tribulation in which an evil ruler
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Speaker 1: will commandeer the world economy and that no one will
27:06
Speaker 1: buy or sell without his permission. Well, a hundred years ago,
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Speaker 1: this was impossible. How could anybody commandeer the world economy
27:14
Speaker 1: a hundred years ago? But today, thanks to the proliferation
27:18
Speaker 1: of electronic banking and credit and debit cards, it's possible.
27:24
Speaker 1: The world is a smaller place globalization has shrunk the globe.
27:31
Speaker 1: And scripture repeatedly promises a plunge into immorality in the
27:36
Speaker 1: end times. I know the world has always been immoral.
27:39
Speaker 1: Yet because of globalism, because of the internet, because of
27:45
Speaker 1: accessibility that we have between one culture and another, between
27:49
Speaker 1: another country and this one, pornography has peddled on a
27:53
Speaker 1: global scale like never before. Porn peddlers in Russia can
27:57
Speaker 1: poison the thoughts of a teenager in Kansas at any
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Speaker 1: point during the day. Folks, that wasn't true when I
28:03
Speaker 1: was a kid. That wasn't true when I was growing up.
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Speaker 1: It wasn't true 30 years ago, but it's true today.
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Speaker 1: Might it worsen? Yeah, probably. But can we say that
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Speaker 1: we have plunged into a dark cesspool of immorality? Absolutely,
28:21
Speaker 1: we can say that. The world is smaller. And because
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Speaker 1: the world is smaller, the possibility of global disasters are
28:28
Speaker 1: more likely. The Antichrist, during the time of tribulation, will
28:33
Speaker 1: unleash atrocities upon the globe. What's he going to use? Bacteria?
28:38
Speaker 1: Nuclear power? Financial sabotage? A combination of them all? We
28:42
Speaker 1: live in a day in which he could, thanks to globalism. Now,
28:47
Speaker 1: we could add more signs to this list. The mysterious
28:51
Speaker 1: blood moons.
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Speaker 2: The attempts.
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Speaker 1: at peace in the Middle East, the increased apostasy of
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Speaker 1: the church. But all of these add up to make
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Speaker 1: us wonder if we couldn't be getting close to the end. Now, again,
29:07
Speaker 1: no one knows. No one knows. And anyone who says
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Speaker 1: they know, well, they're wrong. But we should pay attention
29:14
Speaker 1: to the signs. The Father has told us what to expect. Now,
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Speaker 1: if you're in Christ, you have nothing to fear And
29:23
Speaker 1: I suggest these signs not to increase a level of
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Speaker 1: anxiety at all, just the opposite, but to affirm you.
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Speaker 1: You see, Christ said these things would happen. So we
29:35
Speaker 1: know he's in control. You know what is coming. But
29:38
Speaker 1: if you've never given your heart to Christ, I share
29:42
Speaker 1: these signs to alert you. You need to be ready.
29:47
Speaker 1: And you need to make sure that you have placed
29:50
Speaker 1: your trust in the hands of the one who controls society.
29:54
Speaker 1: By the way, we never did answer that question. Why
29:58
Speaker 1: did my father tell my brother and me about the map?
30:01
Speaker 1: Why did he show us where we were going? Well,
30:04
Speaker 1: I think there's a simple answer to that question. I
30:06
Speaker 1: never did ask my dad, but as a dad myself,
30:09
Speaker 1: I think there's an answer. I think he wanted us
30:13
Speaker 1: to know that he knew where we were headed and
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Speaker 1: what would happen. You see, it turned out he was right.
30:23
Speaker 1: When we got to New Mexico, the winds did blow.
30:27
Speaker 1: When we reached the mountains, our ears did pop. And
30:31
Speaker 1: you know, when we got close to the campground, we
30:33
Speaker 1: began seeing those wooden signs that said National Forest and
30:36
Speaker 1: they all had that little green evergreen tree imprinted on them.
30:42
Speaker 1: By the time we reached our destination, I was proud
30:44
Speaker 1: of my dad. I trusted him because he had promised
30:49
Speaker 1: and he had delivered. My friend, our God deserves our worship.
30:55
Speaker 1: He has promised. And he has delivered. What he said
30:59
Speaker 1: he would do. He has done. So what he says
31:03
Speaker 1: he will do. He will do. Amen. So Heavenly Father
31:10
Speaker 1: thank you now. For this great book. This powerful book
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Speaker 1: called Daniel. We thank you Lord for where we have
31:16
Speaker 1: succeeded in our study. We pray for mercy for where
31:19
Speaker 1: we have fallen short. We ask that you would give
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Speaker 1: us the blessing that you have promised. a blessing of assurance, confidence,
31:29
Speaker 1: and faith. And grant that we can be like Daniel
31:32
Speaker 1: in these severe times and that we can trust you.
31:38
Speaker 1: Through Christ we pray. And all the church said.
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Speaker 3: Thank you.
32:37
Speaker 1: Thank you.
33:11
Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you. You don't have to be new You.
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Speaker 3: Don't have to stay close.
35:02
Speaker 4: As long as you're somewhere out there.
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Speaker 2: That's enough for me I.
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Speaker 3: Don't need to hold you near me Don't need promises
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Speaker 3: to keep Just the thought that you are breathing Somewhere
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Speaker 3: in this world I see Even if I'm not beside
35:28
Speaker 3: you Even if you never know There's a quiet kind
35:34
Speaker 3: of comfort Just in knowing you still glow I don't
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Speaker 3: need forever.
35:46
Speaker 4: I just need you to exist.
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Speaker 2: You don't have to stay with me.
35:54
Speaker 5: You don't have to feel the same Just as long
35:58
Speaker 5: as you're still out there Calling softly through my days
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Speaker 5: You don't.
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Speaker 2: Have to look my way.
36:08
Speaker 5: You don't have to be my home.
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Speaker 4: It's enough to know you're living I won't chase you
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Speaker 4: through the distance Won't disturb your chosen life I'll just
36:28
Speaker 4: keep you in my silence Like a star that shines
36:32
Speaker 4: at night Through the dark and through the blue I
36:42
Speaker 4: still think of you.
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Speaker 5: You don't have to look my way. You don't have
36:53
Speaker 5: to be my home.
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Speaker 3: It's enough to know you're living in a world I'm
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Speaker 3: not alone. I don't need to be your light I
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Speaker 3: don't need to cross your mind All I need is
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Speaker 3: just the truth That you're somewhere Still alive You don't have.
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Speaker 2: To stay with me You don't have to feel the
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Speaker 2: same Just as long as you're still out there Calling
37:55
Speaker 2: softly through my days You don't have to look my
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Speaker 2: way You don't have to be my home It's.
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Speaker 3: Enough to know you're living
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Speaker 4: In a world I'm not alone