Sometimes as one looks around at the world today, one might get very discouraged. Things are bad, and only seem to be getting worse and worse. Not only are conditions all around the world bad, in just about every individual country, they are certainly locally, as well. Crime has increased, especially violent crime. And much as the working-poor struggle they can’t break free from poverty. On top of all that, the persecution of Christians, whether subtly or openly, continues unabated. We may think that someone is a pessimist if they say that things are only going to get worse, but it’s true. Things are going to get worse. However, that is not the final ending. Believers are promised a great victory in Jesus, which is not only recorded in the final book of the Bible, Revelation, but also in various passages scattered throughout the Bible. Our Old Testament Scripture in the Book of Daniel is one such passage.
Our Scripture comes from the Book of Daniel. Daniel, as you may recall, was a Jewish man who, as a young man or youth, had been taken captive into Babylon when that empire had overrun and destroyed the Kingdom of Judah. Because of his great godly wisdom, he rose to high positions in the empire, yet always remaining faithful to Yahweh. Now, towards the end of his long life, he has some visions or prophecies of end-times, and what will happen to God’s people. As our Scripture opens, we read of Michael, a great prince of God’s people (vs. 1). This is referring to the archangel Michael, who is chief among the angels, and a great warrior against Satan in the spiritual realm. Daniel relays that there will be a terrible time of trouble, and God’s people will be horribly persecuted. We see Christians persecuted today in various places, but it will be even worse then.
At the end of the tribulation period there will be a resurrection of the dead (vs. 2). Those who are believers and followers of the Lord Jesus will receive everlasting life. Those who are not will receive everlasting contempt. Their time has run out, and God now has nothing but contempt, abhorrence, and aversion for them.
Daniel continues by stating that those who are wise and those who share the message of salvation, leading others to the Lord, will shine like stars in heaven (vs. 3). Daniel is to seal the scroll, indicating that the full understanding of these prophecies will be revealed in the end times (vs. 4). The prophet saw visions of angelic beings who question how long this time shall last (vs. 5-7). The “time, times, and half a time” is thought to be about 3 ½ years, a time often called the Great Tribulation, a period of severe persecution for Christians right before Christ’s return.
As our Scripture continues, we read that believers will continue, standing pure and true, through great trials, while the wicked will continue their wickedness and rejection of God (vs. 8-10). At some date before the end of this time it is believed that the Temple will have been rebuilt, as the daily sacrifices will be ordered to stop, and a great abomination and affront to God will be set up (vs. 11-13). Those who stay true to the Lord till the end, though, will be blessed.
As we see in this chapter, though there are terrible trials and tribulations that will come for God’s people, we see that we will be delivered and rewarded if we stand true to Jesus. God encourages us to live wisely, remain faithful during these difficult times, and also to continue to tell others about salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.
No matter how dismal things may look in the world today, and no matter how worse they become in the future, no matter how strong Satan’s attacks may seem, God has the ultimate victory. If you have a relationship with God through saving faith in His Son, Jesus, you have that victory, too. If you don’t, please repent of your sins and call upon the Lord Jesus, accepting Him as your Savior today!
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