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[0:00] So we have arrived. We've come to the end of 2025.!

[0:30] You saw that there in verse 1. Trouble that has never been seen before till that time.

[0:46] Trouble for God's people, you and I. But Daniel is given some hope in that beautiful but in saying, but at that time, your people shall be delivered.

[1:08] As Daniel takes us all the way to the end of time, it's a message of not only trouble, but also of encouragement that God's people will be delivered.

[1:21] But it's only those whose names are found written in the book. And so as we, as you and I, look towards the end of days, how can we be ready for when that day comes?

[1:40] How can we be ready for the troublesome times that we have to pass through to reach that glorious deliverance on the other side? Daniel wants to help us with that.

[1:55] He wants to help his own people with that in his day. And he tells us, he describes that day after the trouble. There's a line drawn with some risen to everlasting life.

[2:11] Some risen to everlasting contempt and shame. And that time of the end, those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.

[2:24] There will be a resurrection of the dead. There will be you and I who are God's people delivered. But it's some to life and some to shame.

[2:41] It's only those who are wise that shine like the brightness of the sky above. As Daniel is describing the end, he wants us to see that some will fall on this side of the line to glorious life.

[3:00] And some will fall on the other side to everlasting contempt and shame. Everlasting is repeated twice there because Daniel wants his audience, he wants also readers like us to know that this resurrection, the results of it are everlasting.

[3:21] I want you to put yourself there on that day. Now, we may want to put ourselves on one side of the line of everlasting life. Some of you may actually want to put yourself on the other side.

[3:35] Those are the things you've done. Regardless of which side you're putting yourself on, the side you end up on is everlasting.

[3:50] Once we land there, it's eternal. It is forever. So what do we do today to be ready for that day so we end up on the right side?

[4:04] So we end up shining like the brightness of the sky of the stars above. Well, Daniel helps describe those who turn many to righteousness.

[4:17] It's those who are wise that are risen to everlasting life. It's those who are in the book that come to glory. And then Daniel is told to shut up the words, to seal the book in verse 4.

[4:34] Until the time of the end. That many shall run to and fro and that knowledge shall increase. And the old saying goes, with time comes understanding.

[4:47] Right? With time comes understanding of what not only that day will look like, but how we should be ready for that day. Knowledge has increased.

[5:01] But the very least, verses 1 through 4, we're instructed on what we need to know about the end. That there will be some to life and some to contempt and shame.

[5:13] So brothers and sisters, you and I, church family, we need to know that this is our end. And we, as we're getting ready for that end, we have to not only in finding out how to get ready, we have to help one another get ready for that end.

[5:32] This is a whole church activity. Because the end, yes, while it is individual, you and I will find ourselves on one side of the line or the other side.

[5:43] We also recognize this is a corporate thing. There will be a people who are risen to life. A people, not just an individual. And then there will be a people risen to contempt and shame.

[5:55] And so why don't we dedicate ourselves, helping one another, to righteousness. To shine like the stars above. Why don't we help one another prepare, knowing what the end holds.

[6:14] Knowing the troublesome days that are before us. Knowing the troublesome days before us. Knowing that we don't know exactly which side of the line we're on.

[6:27] Some of you may have questions. Some of you may have questions about maybe, when is this all going to happen?

[6:40] What will my outcome be? Some of you may be thinking your outcome may be to contempt or shame. And you want to know today.

[6:51] You want to know assurance today that you can be risen to life. Your questions are actually questions that are asked in our text.

[7:06] Look, verses 5 through 9. You have two men standing on a bank. One above the waters. And one, Daniel observes. Verse 6, asks the question.

[7:19] How long shall it be till the end of these wonders? How long?

[7:30] A question that maybe some of you are still asking today. As you look towards the future. You look towards the new year. You're hoping, you're looking, saying, how long?

[7:40] Before the hard days of now are over. How long till the labors are done? And the question is answered, 7, with this.

[7:59] The man above the waters raises not just his right hand, not just his left hand, but both hands. And swears. A time, times, and half a time.

[8:12] I don't know about you, but I can't calendar that date. I can't go calendar the date of a time, times, and half a time.

[8:23] Now, we've gotten some help as we've been walking through the book of Daniel, knowing kind of what this is. But it's not something precise that you and I can calendar. We don't really have an answer about how long it will be until the end.

[8:40] But we recognize that a time, times, and half a time, because of what we've already heard, that it is a definite time. And that there it is again.

[8:54] That when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end. Interesting. Not only do we know it's hard days ahead, but there's a shattering for the power of the holy people.

[9:10] It's not just hard days, but they're harder days because of what we know with the shattering of the power of the holy people. And if you're reading, you're hearing, and you're like, man, I don't understand.

[9:23] I don't get it. I have no idea what's going on. You're in good company. Because Daniel feels the same way in verse 8.

[9:35] He says, I heard, but I did not understand. And he asked that same question that some of you and I may have been beckoning earlier. Thinking, what shall be the outcome of these things?

[9:51] What shall be my outcome when all things are said and done? What shall be the outcome? In verse 9, Daniel is just told to go his way.

[10:07] Go his way, for the words are shut up. It's sealed until the end. Until the time of the end. Yet again, we don't get a straight answer.

[10:20] On what the outcome will be for all peoples on that last day. We don't get to look into the book of whose names will rise to life.

[10:31] And whose names will rise to contempt and shame. Sometimes we just don't get all the answers.

[10:44] And some of you, maybe you're not a Christian and you're here with us today. And you think those Christians, they know all the answers. Well, let me actually encourage you. We don't know all the answers.

[10:56] We've got some answers. As we look towards that day. So we know what we know from verses 1 through 4.

[11:08] And then verses 5 through 9, we also recognize we don't know everything about the end. So what do we do to be ready? That original question.

[11:20] What do we do to be ready for that day? We've got to prepare. We've got to prepare for what we know is the end.

[11:32] What we know is coming before us. What is down the pipe of history. We've got to know to prepare today. Verses 10 through 13.

[11:45] Many shall purify themselves. Make themselves, why? And be refined. But the wicked. The wicked shall act wickedly.

[11:58] The wicked won't understand. But the wise will understand. As we look towards that day, Daniel gives us a further description.

[12:10] Of what the two groups of people do to prepare for that day.

[12:22] Some people purify themselves. They're white and refined. And others, the wicked just keep acting wickedly.

[12:32] So, then becomes the question. Back to the question. How do we get ready? What does it mean to be purified?

[12:46] As we think about the end. As we ask questions. Some of our questions. That we've even seen in the text. As disciples of Jesus.

[12:57] Some of our questions are actually the same questions. That the disciples were asking Jesus. Back in Matthew 24. How long? And part of Jesus' answer.

[13:11] Matthew 24, 13, 14. He tells them. That the one who endures. To the end. The one who is prepared to endure.

[13:22] To the end. Will. Be. Saved. And that this gospel of the kingdom. Will be proclaimed. So, yes. Hard days are ahead.

[13:36] But with those hard days. It's those who endure to the end. Will be saved. So, again. How are we purified?

[13:46] Well, those disciples of Jesus. Reading the gospel of Matthew. Knew. Of the death and resurrection of Christ. Coming down the line. They knew that they could find purification.

[13:58] By their obedience to the truth of the gospel. That's going to go to the whole world. They knew that if they repent and believe. As some of you and I have done. If we repent and believe.

[14:10] We too today. May be found purified. We may be purified in our souls. And we may look towards that day.

[14:21] With hope. Knowing that hard days are coming. But with hope. As they say. The blessed hope that helps us cope. It's that hope at the end of the line.

[14:31] That we will rise to resurrection life. If we've been purified. If we've been purified. By the blood of Christ. Friend, if you're here today. And you're not a Christian. Let me encourage you.

[14:42] To join us. To be purified. In the blood of Christ. By obediently obeying the truth. Of repent and believe. In Christ's death and resurrection.

[14:55] That death and that resurrection. That resurrection was a first resurrection. And our resurrection will be like it. But oh. All the more glorious for us.

[15:07] That we know. More than these original readers. How glorious it is for us. That we already recognize.

[15:18] Christians. That Christ has died. Has rose. And we get to look forward to that bodily resurrection. On that one day. So we purify ourselves.

[15:29] In the blood of Christ. To prepare. For that day. And preparing for that day. Will bring with it.

[15:41] The delightful promise. The delightful promise of God. God. That we too. Like Daniel. May stand in our allotted place. You keep reading.

[15:53] 11 through 13. There's a shorter number of days. And then a longer number of days. It's 1,290 days. But then 12 tells us.

[16:04] Blessed is he who awaits. And arrives. At 1,335 days. There are hard days ahead.

[16:17] Church. For you and I. There are hard days ahead. Now you and I may not be living in hard days right now. The church may not be persecuted right here in Southside Chicago. Quite like it will be.

[16:29] But today is the day to start preparing for that day. Preparing to endure when days do get hard. So that we may be a people who wait.

[16:41] And arrive. At 1,335 days. It's helpful that we get actually more specificity here.

[16:52] On this 1,200. And this 1,300. This 45 days. It's helpful that we have more specificity here. Because we recognize that God is in control.

[17:04] He knows the day and the hour. He knows the exact minute. When resurrection life will come for you and I. Let me also encourage you.

[17:18] If there's somebody telling you that they do know the day and the hour. You need to avoid them. The day and the hour is not for us to know.

[17:30] But for us to know is that it is coming. And that for you and I, Christian, we will shine like the brightness of the stars above. If we are preparing today.

[17:42] If we spend our lives not only preparing ourselves. But preparing our neighbors. Preparing our families. The gospel truth of purification in Christ is not just for you.

[17:55] Not just for I. But it's also for our children. For our neighbors. They need to be prepared for the day when Christ returns. So what are we doing to prepare them?

[18:07] Are we busy about the work of preparation for the day when Christ returns in his second coming? Daniel is trying to prepare his audience.

[18:20] He's trying to encourage his audience. Just as Jesus is trying to encourage his audience. His disciples. So we actually need to prepare one another. We need to encourage one another.

[18:32] On these sweet gospel truths that we one day will stand. In our allotted place. And that with endurance.

[18:44] With preparing for that day. Comes with it blessing. Comes with it great blessing for those who await and arrive.

[18:55] And then Daniel is just told again to go his way. So brothers and sister. Will we go our way? Will we go our way in planning and preparing to rest on that day?

[19:07] We've done a lot of preparation for Christmas. But will we continue the preparation for the second coming of Christ? May we prepare for that day like it's today.

[19:20] Because we know the end is coming. So. Will you prepare knowing the end? Will you join me in prayer?

[19:31] Father. Father we recognize that you hold. All of our days. That you are.

[19:45] The one who knows the day and the hour. We pray that you would help us to walk in wisdom. We pray that you would help us to walk in righteousness. And that any of us that are walking in wickedness.

[19:58] That we would repent. That we would once again purify ourselves in the blood of Christ. And that we would walk wholly unto you. We pray that you would help us day by day.

[20:14] Looking and longing for the end. Looking and longing for the end of the hard days. Knowing that these days are hard themselves.

[20:25] Looking and longing for you to return. We pray all of this in Christ's name. And by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[20:35]  Amen. Amen.