Daniel The Practical Prophet

I've gone through the summertime.

This is what a bullheaded Dutchman gets into when he won't get up.

! Very, very difficult.

I personally think you should take your vacations in the wintertime, not in the summertime. It would be easier on the church.

There's a song you all know.

In fact, boys and girls like to sing it, Onward, Christian Soldiers.

It's a good marching song, you know?

The tune we sing it to is a little different, but it's the same words.

Maybe it'll enthuse you tonight. Maybe it'll need to be encouraged.

Sometimes the days get a little drear.

Sometimes we sing the slow songs, and we should know them.

But we also should sing the militant things, and that's what I want you to listen to tonight.

Please?

Oh, my Christian soldiers, Parting as to war,

With the cross of Jesus, Holy God, we've born.

Christ the royal master, Leads against the blood.

Forward into battle, See his banners go,

Onward, Christian soldiers, Parting as to war,

With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.

Marching, marching, Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.

At the sign of triumph, Straighten's host doth lead,

And then Christian soldiers, Come to victory.

Hell's foundations, River, At the shadow, At the shadow, praise.

Brothers, hear your voices, Love your earth and trees.

Land down by G.R.E., Who's the Church of God.

Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have come.

We are not divided, All are mighty weak.

One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.

Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.

Marching, marching, Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.

Bows and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wade,

But the church of Jesus, Constance will remain.

Fades of hell can never, Hence the church, Hence the church prevail.

We have Christ of promise, And that cannot fail.

Unplanned, then ye people, Join our happy throne,

Then we rise, And that cannot fail.

Glory, Lord, be God and honor, Unto Christ our King.

This through countless ages, Men and angels sing.

Unplanned, then ye people, And that cannot fail.

Unplanned, then ye people, And that cannot fail.

Marching, marching, marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.

Amen!

Now, if you'll sing that way,

Shall we open our Bibles to the last few verses of the twelfth chapter of Daniel.

If you're a visitor tonight, it's very difficult to acclimate you

In a few moments to the entire book.

There are many things we could do by staying in the book of Daniel.

Certainly it would not be remiss if we took time to maybe go through the word of God

And study some of the signs of the return of the Lord.

I did not say the signs of the rapture.

This is the last evening we'll be in this book.

I trust you have a pencil with you and a paper.

I'm aware that lots of folks use overheads and occasionally I like to lose a backboard

And tonight you're going to need to draw some figures on a piece of paper to understand.

Next Sunday evening, the Lord willing, will be a single lesson on the subject of obedience.

Three weeks tonight, which is our twelfth anniversary of this church.

A subject again, a single challenging subject on let's delight the Lord.

And then three weeks from tonight, the Lord allowing, I'll begin a new series

For want of a better name on a phrase found in your Bible.

Understanding what the will of the Lord is

Now don't be misled by the subject of the series.

It is a subject on marriage and family and husband and wife and children and etc.

The subject is named understanding what the will of the Lord is.

It is a biblical phrase.

And as far as I'm concerned, it is a subject which has not been touched or attacked with that in mind.

So if you're in the habit of coming on Sunday evening, next Sunday, a simple lesson on obedience.

Two weeks from tonight, a lesson on let's delight the Lord.

And three weeks from tonight, a new series beginning on understanding what the will of the Lord is.

We're informal and I'd like to have you chat with me tonight on some questions.

The book of Daniel deals entirely with the nation of Israel.

True in prophecy, it deals with the nation of Israel from a Gentile standpoint in two visions.

And in three visions beginning in chapter seven with Daniel himself.

Chapter 10 and 11 and part of chapter 12 are the last vision given to Daniel by an angel.

Technically an answer to prayer.

The majority of the visions of Daniel, all five of them, whether by interpretation or prophecy, deal in the main part with the subject of the person we call the Antichrist.

This man who will be the world leader during the time called the tribulation.

I would like to try to answer for you tonight in two or three ways.

Verse seven, verse 11 and verse 12 of Daniel 12.

Now, no one can be dogmatic.

No one can say, why does Daniel?

And I would remind you that at the end of verse five, the angel really has finished his last vision to Daniel.

Beginning with verse six, he really is answering some of Daniel's questions and closing the book until the book is totally needed.

There is the debate of whether the end time or the time of the end refers to just the time of Israel during the tribulation period or whether it refers from the earthly ministry of Christ from Calvary to the end of that, which we call the time of the Gentiles.

That would be the end of the tribulation.

No one can really be dogmatic.

But I would like to remind you in prophecy that all prophecy deals with the nation of Israel.

Whether you're looking at Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, or other of the minor prophets, God in prophecy is not trying to tell us basically what's going to happen to Gentiles.

He is not trying to tell us at all what's going to happen during the age which we call grace beginning with Calvary.

All prophecy centers around Israel.

All geographic descriptions north, south, east, and west center around the land of Israel or Palestine.

When Daniel gives us two visions interpreted by him for Gentile kings, he does give us some progress in Gentile nations in regards to Nebuchadnezzar's image.

But he's mainly concerned in showing to us the work of the Antichrist during that period called the tribulation.

In chapter 10, and especially in the latter part of chapter 11, beginning with verse 35 and 36, you have pure prophecy, no history involved.

A prophecy showing us the Antichrist ruling and reigning and warring to get to that place.

And in 12th chapter verse 1 and 2, Daniel speaks of his own people who will be preserved during that same time described of the Antichrist in chapter 11.

Now when the angel finishes with the vision, two angels appear and Christ appears in the manifestation of the one clothed in linen.

The question has been asked by one of the angels, how long is it going to be?

Or how long will the time element be when these things you've just described in chapter 11 are going to take place?

If you're looking at your Bible, you're looking at verse 7.

And the one clothed in linen raised not only his right hand, but his left hand, an indication of emphasis on rightness.

And swear by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, a times and a half time.

That phrase has been used in Daniel before.

Most scholars agree that this refers to three and a half years.

Time is one, times is two, which would make three, and half would be three and a half.

Your Bible refers to a period of time called the Great Tribulation as a period of three and a half years.

Occasionally it refers to it at 1,260 days.

Therefore, Bible scholars have said that a month's time in the Bible prophetically is 30 days.

So that if you had three years and six months, you would have 42 months times 30 or 1,260 days.

Very often your Bible also refers to this period of time as 42 months.

You have that in Revelation 11, and you have it in Revelation 13.

All right.

So the man clothed in linen says that the events described of which you have asked,

when are they going to take place, or how long will it be when they're taking place,

he says it shall be for a time, and a times and a half time, three and a half years, or 1,260 days.

Now you've dropped down to verse 11, you get another figure.

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away,

and the abomination that maketh desolate set up.

May I stop for a second?

I missed one fact to you.

All three time periods in verse 7 and in verse 11 and verse 12

start at what we call the abomination of desolation.

That being referred to when the temple in Jerusalem is taken over by the Antichrist,

and he destroys the sacrifices which were allowable to the Jews at that time,

and sets up his own altar and abomination and figure and asks to be worshipped.

So that, you can read this in chapter 11, you can see where the transition took place.

Every one of the figures in these three verses are dated from what we call

the ending of the sacrifice and the beginning of the desolation or the abomination of desolation.

So that the angel, or the one of the angels who asked the man clothed in linen,

how long will it take for the events you've just described to take place?

He says, well, you start with the abomination of desolation, or when the sacrifice is not allowed,

and you'll find it's one, two, three and a half, a time, a times and a half time,

1,260 days or 42 months.

All right.

Now in verse 11, he identifies again that the time period begins

when the sacrifices end and the abomination of desolation takes place.

And from that time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away,

and the abomination that make a desolate set up, there shall be 1,290 days.

Now I have 30 days beyond three and a half years.

Have you followed with your pencil?

I'm going to repeat myself.

From the time that the Antichrist sets up his image in the temple at Jerusalem

until the events which are described in the preceding chapter

will be three and a half years or 1,260 days.

Now in verse 11, he also says there shall be a time period

which is 30 days more than the 1,260.

All right.

In the 12th verse, you receive something else.

Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1,335 days.

Now we have 45 days more than the three and a half years.

But also starting at that same period of time.

Now the question is, why is there three different sets of time periods?

Why are we told that the tribulation described as three and a half years is 1,260 days?

Then Daniel is told there's a period of time including that 1,260 days,

but you add 30 to it.

That makes it 1,290 days.

And then there is added to that 45 more days to 1,335.

Let me stop again for a second.

Don't answer me out loud, but I want to make you think.

The time which is called the tribulation period

is usually identified, and rightly so,

as a time of how many years?

Answer me out loud on that one.

Seven years.

Now let me ask you a question without answering it.

Where in your Bible do you find that the tribulation is seven years long?

Now don't get upset.

I'm not a heretic.

I'm doing that to make you think.

With your hand up.

Can anybody answer me where I find that the tribulation is seven years long?

Don't be afraid.

It's not a catch question.

All right, Merle's got the answer, but I don't want you to hear her answer.

Now listen to me carefully.

I have tried to teach Daniel without any books on the outside, right?

Without any preconceived ideas,

of which most of you know a couple weeks ago I talked about the battle of Gog and Magog.

That really threw you for a loop.

Go back to Daniel 9.

Now let me say something to you.

It's the only scripture presently that you've got

to show that the tribulation period is seven years.

Now all of you immediately, when I ask you the question,

thought, well I can snap that thing off right like that.

I know where the verse is where it says the tribulation is seven years.

You do not.

Now bear something up.

It is not necessary for the New Testament to speak to you about the tribulation period.

If it were, you would have been told so.

The very silence of the New Testament age of grace

would give you the assurance

that you do not have to be concerned about it as a believer in Jesus Christ.

Now in Daniel 9, this little four-verse prophecy,

which we are not going to review.

If you weren't here, you may get the tape and listen to it at home.

But I would remind you that we have here 70 weeks of seven, right?

Historically, class, how many weeks have been fulfilled?

How many?

69.

We believe that Daniel teaches us that the 70th week has not come yet.

All right.

So we learn in verse 27 of Daniel 9

that this 70th week is one week.

And from history and from the light that we get in Daniel 9,

a day, a week is how many years, class?

Seven years.

All right.

When someone says to you then,

how do you justify the fact that you identify the tribulation as seven years?

The only place you can go is to the Old Testament,

to the nation of Israel prophetically,

where it says to us there is one week that has not been fulfilled,

the 70th week.

And that week has to deal with the children of Israel.

And because the 69 weeks break down into sevens,

we have every right to believe that the one week breaks down into seven.

There has to be 490 years.

70 times seven is 490 that God deals historically and prophetically with Israel.

He has dealt with them for 69 sevens.

Presently is not dealing with them.

They have been set aside because they rejected Christ.

And we have the age of grace.

Now look at verse 27.

And he shall confirm the covenant with many.

That's Jews, not Gentiles.

Because the whole passage speaks of the nation of Israel.

He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.

That's seven years.

There's the proof that the 70th week is seven years long.

Now let me boggle your mind for a second.

You are scholars enough to understand that the Lord says in Matthew 23 or 24,

I think it's 24,

when you see the abomination of desolation appear in the temple,

run for your lives.

Why?

Because it means the Antichrist has taken over for how many months?

Three and a half years, 42 months.

Now this is where scholars so-called get into trouble to say to us,

I don't believe the tribulation is totally seven years,

and I don't believe that the church is going to escape.

They're going to escape maybe three and a half years of it.

Because your New Testament does not mention the seven-year period.

Now, he makes a covenant for one week,

and in the middle of the week, the midst of the week,

he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to see,

and the abomination which is desolate shall take over.

That's what 927 says.

So we have a period of seven years called tribulation,

that's the name we've given to it,

of which he makes a covenant at the beginning of that seven years,

but in the midst of the week,

he breaks the covenant and destroys the sacrifice

and sets up the abomination of desolation.

Therefore, you identify chapter 12, verse 7, verse 11, and verse 12,

with the middle of the week.

But you have a total week that has to be identified.

That's the tribulation.

All right, now go back to chapter 12.

Now, I wanted you to see that seven is a good figure.

Every time we read in the prophecies,

and especially in the book of Revelation,

it is never concerned with the total seven years.

It is concerned with the last three and a half years.

Now, why does the man in linen say to Daniel,

from the abomination of desolation to the events of chapter 11,

which is the destruction or the end of the Antichrist reign,

and realize that's what chapter 11 says,

is going to be 1,260 days, three and a half years.

If someone says to you,

how long is the great tribulation?

You have to say for the moment,

1,260 days.

Now, we all have our personal opinions.

I would remind you of a phrase in Matthew 24.

Having said to them,

when you see the abomination of desolation,

flee for your lives.

Don't go back and get any clothes.

Hide.

And then down the page in Matthew 24, it says,

this is great tribulation.

So we identify from Matthew 24

that when the abomination of desolation,

which we have in Daniel, is set up,

we have what we call great tribulation.

Further on in Matthew 24, it says,

except that period be shortened,

the very elect would be destroyed.

Now, it does not hurt any figures.

But it possibly,

what did I just say the last word was?

Don't you say I said fact.

It possibly says to us,

that it is not necessarily to the very day

that the first three and a half years of tribulation

has to be the identical amount of days

as the last three and a half years of tribulation.

But the last three and a half years

has to be 1,260 days.

God said that in Daniel 12, verse 7.

Daniel 12:7

The great tribulation has to last 42 months.

Turn to Revelation 11.

I don't like to turn here,

but I'm going to have to get you acclimated.

Then I'm going to give you a couple of thoughts

on the three time periods,

and then we're going to quit.

In Revelation 11,

I want you again to see the time period.

You have here still the times of the Gentiles.

Notice verse 1.

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod,

and the angel stood saying,

Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar

and them that worship therein.

But the court which is without the temple,

leave out and measure it not.

For it is given unto the Gentiles,

and the holy city they shall tread underfoot.

How many months, class?

Now, remember something.

The first part of the covenant,

Israel can worship in the temple, right?

The first part of that seven-year period,

Daniel 9, 27,

he makes a covenant with them

at the beginning of the week,

and he doesn't break it until the midst of it

when he sets up the abomination.

So kindly notice,

we are referred in Revelation 11

to again the last three and a half years

called 42 months.

Verse 3.

And I shall give power unto my two witnesses,

and they shall prophesy.

Here you have the exact days.

It's 1,260 days.

Not in the first half,

because the covenant is there in the first half.

But in the last half,

kindly notice your Bible always refers

to the great tribulation.

The first half is not important,

except for the fact

that a believer in Jesus Christ,

a sinner should be saved

to escape the whole mess.

Then you go to chapter 13,

and the chapter which describes

the threefold power,

Satan, the Antichrist,

and the other beast.

You realize here,

you come to verse 5

of chapter 13.

There was given unto him a mouth

speaking great things and blasphemies,

and power was given unto him

to continue.

He's already there.

Mark, continue in your Bible.

It does not say begin.

To continue 42 months.

So he is there

before the 42 months come.

He is going to continue

what he has started.

So he had to be there

before the great tribulation is there,

and he sets up the abomination

of himself.

All right.

Why does Daniel have three

time periods?

There are basically only

two possible explanations.

Some of you have studied

in our selective classes

that little book

by Leon Wood on Daniel.

How many of you have studied that?

Let me see your hand.

All right.

Some of you have got that.

I want to say something to you.

If you're looking at the last chapter

and the diagram,

the diagram is wrong.

I am surprised that no one

has put out a reprint

of that diagram.

If you have Leon Wood's

little paperback book on Daniel,

the diagram infers

that Wood is a mid-trib rapturous.

You never noticed that, did you?

Well, if I could enlarge the diagram,

you look at it.

The diagram has a line on the bottom,

and it shows the rapture

of the saints going to heaven,

and it shows two time periods

of three and a half years

for the tribulation.

But at the top,

it shows the 1260,

the 1290,

and the 1335 days

pointed to the time

of the rapture of the saints.

The time diagram is wrong.

It doesn't mean that at all.

Leon Wood was not

a mid-trib rapturous.

He was a pre-trib rapturous.

He believed that the believers

of the age of grace

were going to be taken to heaven

before the tribulation began.

But that diagram is wrong.

Now, most of you know

Dr. Wood's explanation

of the three time periods.

First of all, he says,

the actual great tribulation

is 1260 days long.

At the end of that 1260th day

to the 1290th day,

30 days more,

it will take God in Christ

30 days to have the judgment

of nations.

Now, bear something up.

We have read our Bible

and made graphs

and diagrams so long

that we think everything

in the Bible is instantaneous.

That is not true.

I showed you that

about Gog and Magog.

Therefore, the first explanation

is possible.

How long is the great tribulation?

1260 days.

That I agree with.

Then Dr. Wood says,

when the Lord returns,

he fights the battle

of Armageddon instantaneously.

Now, that is a questionable point.

Is the battle instantaneous?

In a moment,

we'll look at another thought.

Then Dr. Wood says,

after Christ returns,

literally to earth,

there is 30 days

for the judgment of nations.

That takes you

to the 11th verse,

1,290.

Then after that 30 days,

there is 45 days

to set up the arrangements

for the millennium.

That is not far-fetched.

So that what Daniel

is being told is,

the great tribulation

is 1,260 days.

Christ returns.

The Antichrist is defeated.

Then for 30 days,

there is the judgment

of the nations.

That's Matthew 24 and 25.

Then there is the 1,335 days.

45 days it takes up

to set up the governmental arrangements

for the millennium.

All right.

That's one possible explanation.

Let me give you another

to think about.

The 1,260 days

from the beginning

of setting up the abomination

to the time

that the Antichrist reign

will be finished

is 1,260 days.

Then Christ literally

returns to earth.

Turn to Revelation 19,

Revelation 19:11

verse 11.

Now there are some interesting...

Wait a minute.

I want to do something else first.

Turn to Matthew 24.

Most of you know

I purposely leave my notes at home

so that I don't become bogged down

with something that's superfluous.

So I may have to skip around.

There's something that interests me

that I wonder if you ever saw.

In Matthew 24,

Matthew 24:27

verse 27.

Remember,

this is at the end

of the Great Tribulation,

the 1,260 days.

For as the lightning

cometh out of the east

and shineth even unto the west,

so shall also come

the Son of Manila.

Now that's the literal return of Christ.

It shall be quick.

All right.

For wheresoever the carcass is,

there will the eagles

be gathered together.

Immediately after the Tribulation,

or in other words,

the thing just described,

the Great Tribulation

of those days,

shall the sun be darkened.

Now I'm not being

dogmatic,

I'm just saying to you.

It says here,

prophetically,

through Christ's own mouth,

that when the Great Tribulation

stops 1,260 days,

there is a stoppage

of the sun

which is darkened.

Could be one day.

And the moon

shall not give her light.

Could be one night.

And the stars

shall fall from heaven,

and powers of the heavens

shall be shaken.

Now I only have one thing

to say,

because most of you

are going to say to me,

Pastor,

I always felt

that was identified

with some of the seals

and the trumpets

of Revelation.

Wait a minute.

He said immediately

after the Tribulation.

Now somebody's going to say,

well, Pastor,

that's the first part

of the Tribulation.

No, no,

he has not even talked

about that.

Now you read it

when you get home.

After all this takes place,

verse 30 says,

Then shall appear

the sign of the Son of Man

in heaven.

And then shall all the tribes

of the earth mourn.

Isn't that interesting?

After the cessation

of all 1,260 days,

there seems to be

described a period

for which we have

no explanation for.

Or maybe we do.

And then,

they shall see

the Son of Man

coming in the clouds

of heaven

with power

and great glory.

Now we know

the gathering

of the elect

is next.

But someplace

in that little paragraph,

there is a hesitation.

Now you're turning

to Revelation 19.

And in Revelation 19,

I start at verse 11.

If you'll allow me.

1,260 days

after the abomination

is set up

in the temple,

the Antichrist

work is finished.

Did you listen

to what I just said?

That is what

Daniel 12,

Daniel 12:7

verse 7,

says.

When he has gotten rid

of all evidence

of godliness,

when he has defeated

totally the nation

of Israel

religiously,

then his work

is done.

That's what

Daniel 12,

7 says.

And that will take

1,260 days.

And then there is

the literal return

of Christ.

But it's possible

in Revelation 19,

Revelation 19:11

verse 11,

that what happens here

does not occur

in a moment of time,

but is rather

a series of events.

look at verse 11.

And I saw heaven

opened,

and behold,

a white horse.

And he describes

the Christ

in his power

and glory.

He that sat upon him

was called

faithful and true

and in righteousness

he doth judge

and make war.

His eyes were

as a flame of fire

and on his head

were many crowns

and he had a name

written that no man

knew but he himself

and he was clothed

with a vesture

dipped in blood

and his name

is called

the word of God.

Now stop.

At the end of 1260 days

the work of the Antichrist

is complete

and Christ literally

returns to earth

described in Revelation 19,

11, 12, and 13.

But it is possible

if you're reading

verse 14

and I would remind you

Dr. DeHaan

in his book on Daniel

points this out to you.

And the armies

which were in heaven

followed him.

I know what you're

going to say to me.

He came first

and they followed.

Or did he come

and then

after a lapse of time

they followed?

And now being dogmatic

I'm trying to get you

to think.

The word followed

could possibly indicate

a time lapse

before the battle

of Armageddon

takes place

and that's the time lapse

of the 30 days

of Daniel 12, 11.

1,390 days.

1,290 days.

Now you say to me,

Pastor,

what would be done then?

Well, of course,

a number of commentators

say this.

Christ will return

1,260 days

after the great tribulation

begins.

He will come to earth

and then there is

a possibility

of 30 days

of grace.

It is not uncommon

in your Bible.

Noah preached

for 120 years.

You remember that?

He was a preacher

of righteousness.

He was told

the dimensions

of the ark.

He was told

its purpose

and then one day

he and his families

were told

to get in.

Would you go back

and read Genesis?

from the day

they got in

until the time

the ark was in use,

God waited

seven days

with the door

open.

For seven days

the people

in Noah's time

could have gone

to the ark

and got in.

and someone

has said

that God

never brings

judgment

unless he gives

the last vestige

of opportunity

for grace

to take place.

And it is

possible

that after

1,260 days

Christ as described

in those three

marvelous verses

will come literally

to earth

and it's very

possible his armies

will follow him

but they won't

fight for 30 days.

He will just

be present

with the opportunity

for those

who are seeing

him around

Jerusalem

and the nations

to come

and follow

him.

Now nobody

will.

God never

sends judgment

without a

time lapse.

Wherever God

works in the

Bible,

you remember

he told them

to wait

and tarry

at Jerusalem

until they

be empowered

by the Holy

Spirit

and they had

a time lapse

of 10 days.

Now it's

very possible

that Dr.

Wood is right.

It's very

possible

and we all

agree

that the

great tribulation

can only have

1,260 days

and then Christ

has to return.

But it's also

possible that

for 30 days

Christ is

visible to the

nations gathered

against Jerusalem

and gives them

opportunity to

repent.

Now what

about the

1,335 days,

the 45 days

more?

It is

possible

that the

battle of

Armageddon

will last

for 45 days.

Why not?

Because God

is going to do

something instantly?

Not necessarily

so.

It's very

possible.

if you read

Revelation 19

at verse 17

it's very

interesting that

the battle of

Armageddon is

described this

way.

And I saw

an angel

standing in

the sun

and he cried

with a loud

voice saying

to all the

fowls that

fly in the

midst of the

air,

come and

gather yourselves

together under

the supper of

the great God.

Now let me

stop.

There's another

explanation that

someone says

the battle of

Armageddon

will take

one day

and it'll

take 44

days to

clean up

after it.

that is

also possible.

You are

aware after

the battle

of Gog and

Magog which

I believe is

in the middle

of the

tribulation,

it will take

seven months

to clean

that place

up.

And there

will be

people assigned

by the

Jewish nation

when they

hear of

something and

someone says

there's a

bone over

here that

hasn't been

buried that

that designated

person will

have to go

and bury

that bone

after seven

months.

That's what

Ezekiel 36,

37,

and 38

says.

Now I'm

saying to

you that

God for a

reason has

given Daniel

three time

elements all

starting at

the same

period at

the beginning

of the

great

tribulation,

the abomination

of desolation.

The work

of the

Antichrist

is finished

in three

and a half

years,

1,260

days,

42 months.

The city

of Jerusalem

is only

besieged

for 42

months.

That's what

Revelation 11

says.

The witnesses

only witness

for 42

months,

but that

means that

the witnesses

have to

witness

from the

beginning

of the

great

tribulation

to the

very

day

that

Christ

returns.

Now you

have another

problem.

Because the

witnesses lie

three days

in the

street

to be

seen of

all people

after they're

killed.

So again,

you have

three days

to make up

of the

42 months

after the

witnessing

is finished.

Now all

I'm saying

to you is

you can't

be hard

nosed

about it.

But I

am saying

to you,

turn back

to Daniel

12,

we can't

go any

more

revelation

tonight,

that you

have three

time periods.

Somebody

says to

you,

how long

is the

great

tribulation?

tribulation

days.

If it

has to

go 1,260

days and

it has to

be shortened,

then very

possibly the

total

tribulation

period has

to be

shortened,

a little

bit,

according to

Matthew 24.

You have

1,390

days,

30 days

either of

grace,

or as

Dr.

Wood says,

30 days

to do the

judgment of

nations,

and if so,

then you've

got 45 days

to set up

the millennial

reign,

or you've

got 45

days to

put together

in regards

to the

battle of

Armageddon

or those

things which

dovetail

together from

Matthew 24

to Revelation

19.

Now,

somebody's

going to

stop me

and I'm

off my

base for

a second

and say

to me,

Pastor,

back in

chapter 8,

verse 14,

it speaks

of 2,300

days.

Well,

since we're

on figures

tonight,

let's play

with that

one a little

bit.

First of

all,

in chapter

8,

if you want

to look

at it,

it's verse

14,

maybe you

better turn

there for

a second

so you

know that

what I'm

talking about

is true.

Chapter

8,

verse 14,

we won't

go into

the vision

anymore of

the little

horn and

et cetera.

In verse

13,

then I

heard one

saint speaking

and another

saint say

unto that

certain

saint which

spake,

how long

shall be

the vision

concerning

the daily

sacrifice

and the

transgression

of desolation

to give

both the

sanctuary and

the host

to be

trodden

underfoot.

And he

said unto

me,

unto

2,300

days,

then shall

the sanctuary

be cleansed.

Now,

of course,

if you have

a historical

Bible,

you immediately

know that

the 2,300

days is the

exact time

from the

setting up

of

Etaiacus

Epiphanes

in his

religion

at the

temple

until the

cleansing

of the

temple

by

Maccabeus

was 2,300

days

historically

right to

the nose.

but

chapter 8

is also

a prophecy.

You take

2,300

days,

I would

remind you

of something.

You have

965

days

to try

to put

together.

again,

a couple

commentaries

say to

us

that you

take the

2,300

and you

take 1,260

away.

That's the

great tribulation.

You have

965

left,

and it

will take

965

days

into the

millennium

to rid

Jerusalem,

the city,

and the

land around

it of

the rebellious

nations in

order for

the cleansing

of the

sanctuary.

It's not

far-fetched.

Or,

I'd like to

be or

tonight,

then I

don't have

to be

convicted.

Or

maybe,

the very

total

tribulation

period is

2,300

days,

shortened

for the

very

elect's

sake.

But you

can't get

rid of

three and a

half years

of great

tribulation,

you have

to shorten

the first

part of

the

tribulation

then.

I

personally

don't

believe

that.

But I

present it

to you

as a

possibility.

I'm

not

worrying

about

preaching

on

figures

because

God

was

right

when he

told

Daniel

what was

going to

take

place.

I'd

remind you

he said

to

Daniel

it's

sealed

up to

the

time

of

!

Daniel

Daniel

heard

what the

man

in

linen

said

about

the

three

and

a

half

years

he said

to him

I don't

understand

he said

what's going

to be the

last of

these things

that have

been described

to take

place

and he

never

got an

answer

verse

nine

said

he said

go

thy

way

Daniel

for the

words

are

closed

up

and

sealed

carefully

preserved

to the

end

or the

time

of the

end

again

possibly

from

Christ

to the

end

of the

age

of the

Gentiles

or

possibly

closed

up in

all of

its

possible

prophetic

revelation

until

the

tribulation

I rather

think that

the first

is true

we have

a full

bible

revelation

comments

on

Daniel

and

Jeremiah

and

Isaiah

and

Ezekiel

perfectly

there is

no

contradictions

I think

we have

the privilege

to know

what God

is going

to do

in the

future

with his

nation

Israel

and with

his own

other people

called

Gentiles

and we

are not

a part

of that

picture

and then

verse

10

as many

commentators

say

is the

very

essence

of the

signs

of the

times

beginning

with

Christ

or

beginning

with the

closeness

of his

return

many

shall

be

purified

and made

white

many

of whom

maybe

Daniel's

people

is always

talking

about

but it

is a

marvelous

applicable

text

wherever

you are

looking at

it

today

there

has to

be a

line

between

the

righteous

and

the

wicked

and

I

told

you

this

morning

that

line

is

getting

so

obliterated

we

can't

see

it

anymore

this

bothers

me

and if

there's

ever a

sign in

the Bible

that we

should pay

attention

to

it's

the fact

that so

called

spiritual

people

are becoming

so

ungodly

in their

conduct

and I

personally

believe

that's

the sign

that we

should

pay

attention

to

in

regards

to

the

latter

days

beginning

with

Timothy

the last

days

perilous

times

shall

come

and then

you

read

that

marvelous

six

verses

which

he

describes

he

says

to

Daniel

many

shall

be

purified

and

made

white

and

tried

you

see

but

the

wicked

shall

do

more

wickedly

apostasy

has

to be

the

sign

which

shows

us

what

takes

place

I

am

not

a

negative

person

but

I

have

never

seen

in my

Bible

revival

before

the

tribulation

now

I

can

see

revival

after

the

tribulation

starts

I

can

literally

see

thousands

of

people

who

have

heard

the

gospel

if

the

rapture

takes

place

today

and

tribulation

comes

tomorrow

that

will

turn

to

Christ

and

I

have

no

!

problems

with

that

but

I

see

no

revival

before

the

rapture

of

the

saints

because

progression

is

downward

those

that

do

wickedly

shall

do

more

wickedly

and

the

line

of

demarcation

has

to

be

set

none

of

the

wicked

shall

understand

but

all

the

wise

shall

understand

that

refers

back

to

those

who

did

not

break

the

covenant

in

chapter

11

of

his

own

people

in

the

middle

of

the

tribulation

they

are

the

wise

who

will

preach

the

chosen

ones

in

revelation

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

chapter

7

then

he

gives

us

the

phrase

and

from

the

time

that

the

daily

sacrifice

shall

be

taken

away

and

the

abomination

that

make

a

desolate

shall

be

1290

days

but

the

end

of

the

work

of

the

Antichrist

is

1260

days

don't

you

ever

forget

that

that

doesn't

change

in

your

Bible

whether

that

30

days

is

a

day

of

the

judgment

of

the

nations

or

a

day

of

30

days

of

grace

with

Christ

being

visible

to

all

of

them

there

there

is

a

30

day

period

that

Daniel

says

is

going

to

come

and

then

there

is

a

45

day

period

in

verse

12

blessed

happy

is

the

word

isn't

that

interesting

that

verse

12

says

happy

is

he

that

waiteth

or

endures

and

cometh

to

the

thousand

three

hundred

and

thirty

five

days

let

me

start

with

them

I

have

no

proof

of

it

I

do

not

believe

the

resurrection

of

the

Old

Testament

saints

and

the

tribulation

saints

is

going

to

take

place

until

one

thousand

three

hundred

and

thirty

five

days

after

the

abomination

of

desolation

is

set

up

there

is

no

need

for

those

saints

to

be

here

during

the

battle

of

Armageddon

or

any

place

else

and

let

me

start

with

you

you

aren't

going

to

see