Daniel and the Boys in the Band by Brian E. R. Limmer - HTML preview

Chapter 9: Final Days

By now we should be confident what God predicts through the prophets will come to pass. So, in this last chapter we take a look at some of the things left outstanding from the prophecies. We have already looked at the way Israel and the Church have speculated, become disappointed, disillusioned, and even missed out on events altogether, because preferred doctrines have hidden or mislaid facts. The Pharisees and Sadducees are an example of that. How many did not recognise Jesus when he came, simply because doctrines had blinded expectations about the Messiah? I hope we have seen it is pointless trying to fit the future into Premillennialism, Post millenarianism and Amillennialism, for example. At least two of those groups will be disappointed and disillusioned when the rapture takes place. Humility not pride is the hallmark of a Prophet.

Taken at face value, Jesus tells us of an increase in global pressure, false peace initiatives, and geopolitical alignments surrounding Jerusalem before the beginning of Daniel’s final ‘week’. Daniel and the boys in the band, urge us to watch the news with open eyes and minds, but not to jump on every war, or rumour of war that does not fill the bill precisely. Daniel is precise:  

For one week this foreigner will make a firm agreement with many people, and part way through this week, he will end all sacrifices and offerings. Then the “Horrible Thing” that causes destruction will be put there. And it will stay there until the time God has decided to destroy this one who destroys²⁷⁰.

I hope that Daniel has taught us to understand that the nature of the battle is spiritual in essence. God, in his sovereignty can handle any Pharaoh or Nebuchadnezzar that may appear on the scene to disrupt those plans.

You will hear of wars and rumours of wars… nation will rise against nation²⁷¹.

Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in private and asked, "When will this happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?  Jesus answered: Don’t let anyone fool you. Many will come and claim to be me. They will say that they are the Messiah, and they will fool many people. You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but don’t be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn’t the end. Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes.  But this is just the beginning of troubles. You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of me, you will be hated by people of all nations. Many will give up and will betray and hate each other.  Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others.  But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come.²⁷² 

I hope Daniel has taught us that law is grace. Law explains what God expects of those that enlist in his kingdom. We may not always understand why God expects certain behaviours, but because the battle is spiritual, we cannot know the consequences if we dismiss them.

I hope Daniel has shown also that time is grace, because it gives God time before his judgement is executed and space for us to put into practice what we learn.

I hope Daniel has taught us that the purpose of this ‘time of gentiles’ is to graft Gentiles into the kingdom plan, not for gentiles to try to usurp Israel’s position.

I hope Daniel has made it clear that the direction of travel for this earth is to unite it with the kingdom of heaven because the everlasting purpose of God is to make both new.

John’s vision in Revelation supplements and compliments Daniel. John also visits the same operations room that the boys of the band had visited. John reveals what is going on behind the scenes while these things are going on down here on earth, during the time of Gentiles.

While John was there, he saw the Lamb take the scroll (God’s title‑deed of judgment), signifying Christ being given authority to break the seals and bring about the fulfilment of Daniel’s final week. Revelation-six parallels Daniel’s 70th week by showing how the coming covenant and its deceptions play out on the earth. It shows how the false peace, followed by a break-out of war, famine, and death (symbolized by the four horsemen), are limited or restrained until the sovereignty of God says, ‘release them’. Before that command is issued in heaven, here on earth there will be many attempts to deceive us. Here on earth the major plan of the enemy is to pre-empt the spiritual battle and take the human initiative. That he has done so many times before and since Nimrod tried to gather the people together rather spread out, or Abraham misunderstood and tried to assist God in keeping his promise. So we must take a quick look at some of the danger points that may or may not occur during this time.

Dealing with speculation

‘The prince to come’

‘The prince’, has not yet come. At various times, various people have been allocated that title by would-be-prophets, but none fulfilled the criteria to rightly be called so. Among those history has recorded are: Titus, Napoleon Bonaparte; The Mahdi; King Arthur, and many others. None have fulfilled the criteria by which we will recognise this character. Much speculation has been added to the qualifications of this prince that are not explicit in scripture. Other titles that refer to the same character are: The Antichrist, The Man of Lawlessness / Son of Destruction²⁷³; The Beast²⁷⁴; The Little Horn²⁷⁵; The Wilful King²⁷⁶; The Lawless One²⁷⁷; The Abomination of Desolation²⁷⁸; The Wicked One²⁷⁹.

The ten kings

Much speculation has also attached itself to future resurrection of the Roman Empire. The prince that is to come is assumed to rise to power from within these ten kings. You will remember, in Daniel’s dream, Rome was never destroyed, The clay feet that were shattered and spread in his dream in chapter-two. These became ten nations, (ten toes), who form a confederacy. When the Common Market was first formed, the great speculation was that these would become the ten kings, but then the eleventh nation joined, and the speculators went quiet. It is worth watching for future developments, especially if they form a confederated army, but leave the speculating out of it. Rome disintegrated by 476AD. Daniel saw the beast with ten horns and a little horn which becomes a ruler who grows to be the leader over the ten. According to Daniel, this is referring to the spiritual drive behind the character, not one specific person. Daniel’s instructor tells him the prophecy has two events in mind:

 I came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days, and also for days yet to come.²⁸⁰

So, this prophecy has a dual nature, it refers to Daniel’s immediate future with the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires etc., but also points toward “the latter days”. So we must expect to see events carried out in history, occurring again in the last days, but we will certainly see the same spiritual force driving both.

At the time appointed, he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be the second time as it was the first²⁸¹. 

From these verse outlines, conflicts between kings of the North and kings of the South will be ongoing. From Daniel’s time during the Persian Empire through the rise of Greece under Alexander the Great, the division of his empire, the conflicts between the Seleucid (Syrian), and Ptolemaic (Egyptian), kingdoms, and even extending to the reign of the future Antichrist in the last days. Daniel 11:2 to 35, is historical. It foretells the fall of the Persian Empire and the rise of Greece under Alexander the Great.

 Then I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a forth, who will be far richer than all the others… Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases²⁸².

This fits perfectly with Alexander the Great. When he died, his empire was divided among four generals²⁸³. It covers the time of warfare between the Ptolemaic (kings of the South, Egypt) and the Seleucids (kings of the North, Syria), two of Alexander’s successor kingdoms. These rival dynasties battled repeatedly, and Israel, caught geographically between them, suffered greatly. This period covers the Maccabean revolt when Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the Jewish Temple by setting up an idol, and sacrificing a pig on the altar. It was a horrific “abomination that causes desolation”, but it was only a shadow of what will come. Daniel 11:36 continues the prophecy, shifting from Antiochus (Antichrist Past) to a future ruler yet to come (Antichrist Future).

At the time appointed, he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be the second time as it was the first²⁸⁴. 

This future Antichrist will exalt himself above every other god and speak blasphemies against the true God:

 Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the time of wrath is completed²⁸⁵.

Paul picks this up, as does Jesus:

But don’t be fooled! People will rebel against God. Just before the Lord returns, the wicked one who is doomed to be destroyed will appear. He will brag and oppose everything that is holy or sacred. He will even sit in God’s temple and claim to be God²⁸⁶. 

Someday you will see that “Horrible Thing” in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand!²⁸⁷ 

Jesus identifies this act of abomination of desolation, as the unmistakable signal of great tribulation beginning:

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)… then there will be great tribulation.²⁸⁸

The Tribulation

When will this happen? Part way through the seven years, (probably, half way), But in any case, after the signing of the peace treaty.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and part way through the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. He shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease, and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate²⁸⁹

Who will go through the tribulation? There is no direct scripture that ties the rapture to the tribulation. Those that choose to speculate, try to tie it to the rapture. Some will conclude the church is safely out of the way when it occurs, quoting:

For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ²⁹⁰

Others do not presume special treatment for the church. They will point out Jesus was talking to the Church not the Jews when he sat on the mount of Olives. The disciples, came privately, asking, ‘When shall these things be and what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?' 

Jesus answered them with bullet points:

Take heed that no man lead you astray. 

You shall hear of wars and rumours of wars

Nation shall rise against nation,

There shall be famines and earthquakes

Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, (talking to disciples remember).

They will kill you: and hate you for my name’s sake.

False prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. 

The love of the many shall wax cold.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations;

 and then shall the end come.²⁹¹ 

Far better then, not to pit one scholar’s view against another. Far wiser to watch, wait and be ready for either, as Jesus himself recommended.

The Rapture and Resurrection

Looking a little deeper into the rapture (meaning “caught up”, which we first mentioned in chapter seven), is when Jesus comes in the air for His Church, raising dead believers and transforming living ones so all may be with Him forever.

The Resurrection: on the last day is Christ returning to reign and judge. In the earliest church teaching, The resurrection and rapture are simultaneous with the second coming, the dead in Christ are resurrected, and living believers are “caught up” (raptured) together with them to meet the Lord in the air. This is a single, unified event.

Separating them into two events, largely took hold in the Brethren church under John Darby (1800-1882). Another Brethren preacher, Cyrus Scofield produced his reference bible, in 1909AD, from the teachings of Darby.

It is for you to decide if you think these are one event or two, but it is another example of the church trying to pre-empt the occasion by forming doctrine. Wisdom suggests we hold pre-empting doctrines loosely, When events such as these are announced by God, they sound improbable, but, in the light of the accurate fulfilment of Daniel’s prophecies they are changed to a certainty.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air²⁹².”

Many of those who lie dead in the ground will rise from death. Some of them will be given eternal life, and others will receive nothing but eternal shame and disgrace²⁹³. 

 I know that my Saviour lives, and at the end he will stand on this earth. My flesh may be destroyed, yet from this body I will see God.  Yes, I will see him for myself, and I long for that moment²⁹⁴. 

The resurrection is a sure event. God declared it, Jesus confirmed it.

 “For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.²⁹⁵

Paul expands it.

My friends, I want you to know that our bodies of flesh and blood will decay. This means that they cannot share in God’s kingdom, which lasts forever²⁹⁶. 

I will explain a mystery to you. Not every one of us will die, but we will all be changed. It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so that we will never die again.  Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won’t die or decay.   The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true, “Death has lost the battle! Its victory? Where is its sting?” Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin²⁹⁷. 

Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is²⁹⁸. 

For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.  For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven:   if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life. Now he that wrought us for this very thing is God, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit²⁹⁹. 

Worshipping before the throne in Revelation, The lamb receives the scroll, unseals it and begins the process which causes the tribulation.

Armageddon / Magog invasion

At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood³⁰⁰.

 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him³⁰¹.

It is presumed, but not certain, that John is referring to the same battle, thus locating it in the valley of Megiddo. Daniel’s angel seems to say that the great world leader finds his final defeat right there.

 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon³⁰².

The Kingdom Age

After the 70th week ends, Christ reigns as King over all the nations.

And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High…³⁰³

The thousand‑year reign of Christ, often called the Millennial Kingdom, is a literal future period when Jesus Christ will rule the earth in righteousness and peace following His second coming.

Daniel was not the first in the band to see the final kingdom on earth. But he foresaw the literal, everlasting Kingdom of Messiah and the Son-of-Man, established after the destruction of the world’s final empire.

I saw what looked like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven, and he was presented to the Eternal God. He was crowned king and given power and glory, so that all people of every nation and race would serve him. He will rule forever, and his kingdom is eternal, never to be destroyed³⁰⁴. 

Then the greatest kingdom of all will be given to the chosen ones of God Most High. His kingdom will be eternal, and all others will serve and obey him³⁰⁵.

John fills in a little more detail:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the Abyss and a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years³⁰⁶.

By now you will expect me to add again, it seems so improbable, but the delivery of all Daniel’s other prophecies makes it a certainty. So why? Although this millennial kingdom is transitional, it is a necessary bridge between us and the new-heaven and new-earth, another gap-year so to speak. It allows for the fulfilment of at least six promises.

It fulfils God’s promises to Abraham, Israel, David and Jesus, which have not yet been fully realized.               

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates³⁰⁷.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever³⁰⁸.

Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession³⁰⁹.

It fulfils God’s promises to the Gentiles, the nations, and to the earth itself. The curse will be lifted, creation will be restored, and even the animal kingdom will be at peace.

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat… they will not harm or destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea³¹⁰.

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like a rose³¹¹.

All nations will worship God in Jerusalem³¹²

War will cease and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares³¹³.

It fulfils a promise to the Church and the Saints:

“If we endure, we will also reign with Him³¹⁴.”

It will restore longevity:

No child will die in infancy; everyone will live to a ripe old age. Anyone a hundred years old will be considered young, and to die younger than that will be considered a curse³¹⁵. 

The Lord will be King over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name³¹⁶.

And He shall reign forever and ever³¹⁷.

During this period there will still be other nations on the earth. One of the biggest mysteries to me is, if the promises we have just read are all fulfilled in this reign, how come nations remaining are still discontent with Jesus’ reign. I suppose that is the same question we must ask of Satan, who had a plum job in heaven but wanted more. Ambition is a killer when you plan to take the throne from God. It is clear this spiritual drive is still around in the millennium reign. However the end is coming

Even after a thousand years of perfect government, Satan will be released “for a short time”³¹⁸. This event demonstrates the unchanging truth of human nature. Even in a perfect environment, mankind still needs redeeming grace from craving, driving forces that look for more. Daniel is coming to the end of his vision but he finally sees the great white throne in the situation room.

 As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened³¹⁹.

John saw it also:

 Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books³²⁰.

From idea to Fruition.

This marks the end of the process that God saw in his mind when he first said, ‘Let us create’. From that point, he has determined the whole process.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time³²¹.

One of the boys in the band, Amos, saw it like the Nile in flooding season. It surges down its course bursting its banks and destroying everything in its way, when it reaches the sea it leaves behind the calm tranquil waters. He penned these words:

 “Because of this the earth will quake, and all who live in it will mourn. The whole earth will rise like the River Nile, it will surge upward and then grow calm, like the Nile in Egypt³²².

As Peter declares:

But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells³²³.

Daniel has given us a clear picture of a process that God, from within his character, conceived the idea, declared he would do, and has used his sovereignty to bring it about. His character, has been patient, considerate and loving through the whole process. As we have seen from the glimpses we have had from the ‘operations room’, He has used rebellions, dissension, and opposition to bring his dream about. Many heavenly beings he originally created to help bring about his idea, have defected on the way. Now the birth of this project has come, and the old order is no longer needed. Now is the time for Judgement not grace.

Just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment³²⁴.

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done³²⁵.

“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment³²⁶.

Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn³²⁷.

All that is left to do is to roll up the old order, together with all its trials and tribulations, opposers and schemers, and to roll-in the new heaven and earth. The ‘dinosaurs’ are no longer. Satan is cast into the lake of fire forever.

All of creation has been judged, both spiritual and human, and the new order can begin forever.

And I saw the new heaven and earth. The first heaven and the first earth were gone forever. I saw the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. I saw the whole united church made up from every nation, adorned like a bride made beautiful for her husband.  I heard a great shout from the high seat, saying, See, the house of God is built, it is now His living-place among his people. Let his people join God in it and live with Him there.³²⁸ 

It is done. I am the First and the Last, from the start to the end. I have freely given life to everyone who needed it. I have given my heritage to everyone who overcame, I will be his God, and he will be my son.  But those who refused, the unclean, The takers in life, those who lived for the sins of the flesh, and those who made use of evil powers, those who worshipped material idols, and those that lived false lives, These will join the deceiver in the ever-burning fire which is the second death.³²⁹ 

Other books by same author

A history of Limmer- Person Place, & Thing

I Think I'd Better Think It Out Again!

Overturning Tables

The right time the right place

Surfing The Scriptures

Is this the Kingdom of God?

So, Who do You Think You are

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