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Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201641A
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01:31 >> It has stood the test of time -- God's Book, the Bible -- 01:38 still relevant in today's complex world. 01:42 ♪♪ "It Is Written," sharing 01:46 messages of hope around the world. 02:01 Hurricane Irma developed near Cape Verde Islands. It left a path of destruction 02:08 across the Caribbean that was unparalleled. It even left the island of 02:13 Barbuda uninhabited for the first time in its history. It was the strongest hurricane 02:19 to make landfall in Florida since 2005. Irma was catastrophic. 02:26 It was a Category 5 hurricane that left a wake of destruction. But I want us to take note that 02:34 through meteorological technology, warnings were given. They were able to draw up an 02:42 estimated path of the destruction. They were able to establish a 02:46 timeframe in which to prepare. So in Florida, those preparations were made. 02:52 Evacuation orders were dispensed. Hurricane warnings were 02:55 published. Homes and other areas were evacuated. 03:00 Sandbags were laid. Windows were boarded up. Shelters were established. 03:06 And, overwhelmingly, most people understood the danger, heeded the warnings, and prepared for 03:14 the impending doom. However, there were some who decided not to heed the 03:21 warnings, some who said, "We'll just ride out the storms." Others ignored the warnings, and 03:27 some seemed to just be carelessly oblivious to what was happening. 03:34 Now, we have continued to see unprecedented events happen in our weather, social and economic 03:42 conditions that are also unprecedented, and it has led many to ask the question, "What 03:49 in the world is going on?" Could it be in those warnings of Irma we can faintly hear another 03:58 warning... a warning with even more dire consequences if not heeded? 04:09 Now, last time, we ended with the promise of 2 Peter 3:9. 04:26 Now, what is the promise referred to in this verse, and what does it have to do with our 04:32 study in Daniel chapter 8? In our last program, we left off asking some very important 04:41 questions about Daniel 8:19. If you missed last week's program, just go to... 04:51 ...and there you can watch any of our previous programs. Now, at the beginning of 04:57 Daniel chapter 8, we find Daniel having a vision about a ram and a goat. 05:03 There were some things about the vision that he did not understand, and the angel 05:08 Gabriel was sent to help him understand. When Gabriel gave him that 05:13 explanation, it became clear that the vision was following the repeated pattern and chain 05:19 of events that Daniel saw in the vision of Daniel chapter 2 and in Daniel chapter 7. 05:25 With each vision, he not only sees the same pattern, but also, new information is added. 05:32 More details are filled in. Now, after Gabriel gives an overview, then Gabriel explained 05:39 to Daniel that this vision referred to the time of the end. However, tucked away in 05:47 chapter 8 and verse 19 is something that I had not noticed until I recently restudied this 05:53 passage. The angel visitor says something that is absolutely critical to 05:58 our understanding of the appointed time of Jesus's return. 06:03 This is going to be absolutely essential to our understanding of Daniel chapter 8. 06:09 There are some Bible teachers and preachers who try to place Daniel 8:19 squarely in the 06:14 past, but when God gave this to Daniel, he placed it squarely in the future. 06:20 So let's take a look at this text and find out what it can tell us about the appointed 06:25 time. Daniel 8:19. This is what the Bible says. 06:43 Now, here are the key questions. What is this latter time of indignation? 06:48 When is the end? Now, when we study the Bible, we should compare Scripture with 06:54 Scripture and not rely on our own thoughts and ideas. So to help us understand what 06:59 the "latter time of indignation" means, let us look at a few other Scriptures that will help 07:06 shed light on this cryptic phrase. In Jeremiah 29:11, the Bible 07:14 says the following. 07:29 Now, the word there, "future," in that text is the identical Hebrew word for "latter times." 07:36 What is the future that Jeremiah was speaking of? What is the hope that Jeremiah 07:42 referenced? The only true hope, the only latter time talked about in the 07:47 Bible that gives us hope, is the day when Jesus will break forth through the clouds in glory. 07:55 In fact, Paul encouraged us, in Titus 2:13 with these words. 08:14 Day after day, thinking people everywhere are coming to the realization that there is 08:21 nothing we can do, nothing any government can do, nothing that society can develop that will 08:27 bring us lasting hope and peace. Jesus promises to bring all that and more when he comes in the 08:35 glory of his Father and with his angels. Even the best things on this 08:41 Earth are temporal. God is trying to focus our attention on the eternal and 08:48 understand that the only real hope that exists in our lives is the future that he has for us at 08:55 the appointed time of Jesus' return. In Isaiah 46:9-10, God makes a 09:05 bold statement about Himself. He says this. 09:24 God demonstrates that He is God and there is no other by declaring the end from the 09:30 beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done. Now, the same Hebrew word is 09:37 used for the word "end" in this passage as is also used for the word "latter times" in 09:44 Daniel 8:19. 09:49 Now, as we're seeing, Daniel 8:19 is speaking of something in the future. 09:54 God was pointing Daniel to the cataclysmic end of this Earth, when Jesus will come again in 10:01 glory. But remember, it's not just any later time. 10:05 The Bible says the latter time of indignation. Now, that word "indignation" is 10:11 a reference to God's outrage against sin. Now let's look at the difference 10:16 between God's indignation and His wrath. Indignation is how God feels 10:22 about sin. So, how does God feel about sin? God hates sin. 10:28 He's outraged by sin. What is he going to do about it? At the end of sin, sin will be 10:35 destroyed, and those who cling to sin will be destroyed with it. 10:39 You see, God is outraged by sin. He was outraged by the fall of Lucifer. 10:44 His heart was broken over the fall of Lucifer. But He is outraged by what sin 10:49 has done. You know, I've wondered for a very long time if one of the 10:55 reasons that we are still on this Earth is that maybe we really don't completely 11:01 understand what sin is and how bad it is. Too often, we look upon sin as 11:08 an "Oops, I made a mistake." But our sin, dear friends, my sin, killed the very Son of God. 11:17 Our sin on this Earth transformed the course of history. 11:22 God is outraged by what sin has cursed. God is outraged by the pain and 11:28 suffering that Satan has unleashed on this vulnerable planet. 11:33 Is God indifferent to your cancer diagnosis? God is outraged by Satan's 11:39 attack on your life. Is God indifferent to the loss of your loved one? 11:44 Where is God in all of this? The reality is is that He is outraged at the results of sin. 11:52 And here is the mystery that we can have a difficult time understanding. 11:59 Wherever God's wrath exists, so does His justice and mercy. When we talk about God's outrage 12:09 against sin, it leads many to ask that difficult question, "If He's so outraged by it, why 12:16 doesn't He bring it all to an end? Why doesn't Jesus just come 12:21 right now and let's get this all over with?" The answer comes from the text 12:26 in 2 Peter that we began this program with. 2 Peter 3:9 says... 12:44 Unfortunately, not everyone will come to repentance, and some will perish because they choose 12:53 to cling to their sin more than they cling to God. But God's heart -- God's heart 13:00 is so outraged by sin because His heart is so full of love, and it breaks at the thought of 13:07 not being able to spend eternity with you. He promised that He is preparing 13:13 a place for you. He wants you there. He wants your son, He wants your 13:17 daughter, your brother, your sister, your mom, your dad. He wants them all there. 13:22 He is longsuffering with us, and He waits just as long as He can... 13:29 that all can come to repentance. You see, in the midst of God's outrage, in the midst of His 13:37 indignation, is His justice and His mercy. But let's not miss the last part 13:44 of Daniel 8:19. 13:50 Did you catch that? Do you see how this all fits together? 13:55 It's at the appointed time. You see, God's indignation does have an end. 14:00 The latter time of indignation is when God's indignation will be worked out through His wrath. 14:08 And this happens at the end, and it is His wrath that finally brings about an end to sin. 14:18 The prophet Isaiah calls it God's strange act when a God of love must bring an end to sin. 14:25 It is strange because... it brings an end to sin, and in bringing an end to sin, He must 14:33 bring an end to the lives of those beings that He lovingly created to be an eternal part of 14:42 His family yet chose to cling to sin. Angels who chose to side with 14:48 Satan and human beings who have been unwilling to let their sin go will all be destroyed as a 14:57 result of this strange act. And in comparing Scripture with Scripture, we find that the same 15:07 word used here in Daniel 8 for "end" is the same word used in Genesis 6:13, where the Bible 15:15 says... 15:26 It's also used in Daniel 12:13. 15:41 And then in the New Testament, in Matthew 13:39... 15:55 The latter days of indignation, which will bring about an end, also bring about a glorious 16:01 beginning -- the beginning of a kingdom that will have no end. It's one of the great ironies of 16:07 the Gospel. Daniel 12 describes that momentous day of the appointed 16:13 time in Daniel 12:1-3. At that time. What time? 16:25 Daniel 11:40 tells us, "At the time of the end," the appointed time, and in verse 44, it says 16:33 that at the time of the news that comes from the East -- What is the news from the East? 16:42 Well, Matthew 24:27 tells us what this news from the East, in fact, is. 16:59 You see, Jesus is coming again, and Daniel 12 continues. 17:47 God has an appointed time where He will bring everything to an end so He can take us to a place 17:54 where there will be no end. And the question that we must ask ourselves is this -- 18:00 will we be ready for that day? Will we be ready for the appointed time? 18:06 If we are, it won't be because we have worked hard enough. It won't be because we have done 18:14 enough. It will be because we have been willing to let go of our sins 18:20 and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us that then He might work through us. 18:25 There is an end coming. There is an appointed time when the latter day of indignation 18:31 happens and God's outrage will be worked out through His wrath, and His outrage against sin will 18:40 be on display and eliminate sin forever. And when that day happens, there 18:47 will be throughout the entire universe one pulse of harmony. God's appointed time brings an 18:55 end to all things, but His appointed time of the end also marks the beginning. 19:02 It works the same way in our walk with Jesus. God has an appointed time for 19:11 the end of sin in your life, when we yield our heart to Christ, and as Romans 6 19:17 outlines, when we die with Christ, just as Christ died and was laid in the grave, but then 19:25 we are raised to the newness of life that we might truly live. God wants to bring an end to 19:33 those things in our life that keep us from our inheritance, our heavenly home, which Jesus 19:39 has prepared for us. God's plan in our lives is rather simple. 19:45 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says this. 19:57 Sanctification is God's cleansing process to prepare us for Heaven. 20:03 God's will, therefore, is that he would prepare you, that he would prepare me, for Heaven. 20:09 Any relationship, any activity, any association that takes us off that path is outside of the 20:17 will of God in our life. And this requires diligence on our part. 20:22 Mark 13:32-33 gives us both warning and instruction in regards to this. 20:32 Mark 13:32-33. 20:55 That word "time" is the Greek word "kairos." It's often translated 21:01 "the appointed time." So in light of the appointed time of Jesus' soon return, we 21:06 are to take heed, to watch, and to pray. So, what does it really mean to 21:12 take heed? It means to watch, observe, take notice, and be alert. 21:18 Friends, this is not for us to go about business as usual. We must take this time 21:24 seriously. We must take seriously the Lord's appointed time and be 21:29 aware of what's happening around us. And as we read the News and read 21:34 the Scripture, we should not be fearful and tremble but rather draw near to Jesus Christ. 21:40 But not only are we to take heed, but we are to watch. Not surprisingly, that literally 21:46 means "to lie awake." And here's the interesting thing. 21:50 The Greek word "hypnos" means "to sleep." "Lie awake" is the antonym, in 21:57 Greek, to "hypnos." We derive, by the way, our English word "hypnotism" from 22:03 the Greek word "hypnos." God is calling for us to not walk around in some hypnotic 22:09 state but to lie awake, to figuratively and spiritually lie awake, be aware of the 22:15 times, and diligently study the Word of God. As we take heed and watch, we 22:23 are also to pray. In this way, we are to follow the example of Jesus. 22:28 Jesus was often found in prayer. Mark 1:35 describes the prayer life of Jesus. 22:48 Why do we need to pray? As we face life's greatest struggles and disappointments, 22:55 as God gives us warnings that we don't know if we have the strength to heed, we can trust 23:01 in the promise of Philippians 4:13. 23:08 Jesus stated the converse when, in John 15:5, he said... 23:15 As Jesus gives us warnings, he doesn't expect us to do it on our own. 23:20 He is there to give us the strength and the courage we need to do whatever it is that He has 23:26 asked us to do. You know, Revelation chapter 14 describes three angels who are 23:33 carrying a message that is supposed to go to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people at the 23:38 end of time. They are dire messages of warning. 23:43 But in Revelation 14:12, immediately after those angelic messages, we are told how we are 23:51 supposed to take heed of those warnings. The Bible says... 24:05 Other Bible translations use the word "perseverance" or "endurance." 24:10 Perseverance and endurance is not something that you can develop overnight. 24:15 By its very nature, it is something that is developed over time. 24:19 Endurance athletes take years to train. It takes discipline. 24:24 The apostle Paul even likens our Christian experience to a race that requires endurance as we 24:31 take heed and watch and pray. It is not a sprint. It's not something we can rush 24:37 through as fast as we can. When running a marathon, sometimes you have to tune 24:43 everything out, including your own thoughts of giving up, and then persevere. 24:49 You keep pushing forward to that finish line. As we run this marathon race of 24:55 life, pushing forward to the appointed time, we need to tune out all the voices that tell us 25:01 to give up. That's...not worth it. Listen instead to the voice of 25:09 Jesus as He continues to cheer you on and is eager to welcome us home. 25:18 This waiting for the appointed time is not for the faint of heart. 25:23 These warnings are strong. The stakes are high. This isn't just a mere hurricane 25:28 that God is warning us about. This is one storm that we can't simply ride out in the hopes 25:35 that we'll make it in the end. There isn't going to be anything left on this Earth that's worth 25:42 hanging on to. Don't get so bogged down with just trying to keep up with life 25:48 that you become carelessly oblivious and indifferent to what God is trying to tell you. 25:59 So, what will you do? I plead with you today to make a decision to give your life 26:05 fully to Jesus. Allow Jesus to set you free from sin... 26:11 to set you free from that which so easily entangles you. Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us 26:19 to... 26:30 Dear friend, please do not reject or ignore Him. Yield yourself to Him today. 26:36 Submit everything fully to Him and allow Him, who began a good work in you, to finish it so 26:45 that you will be ready for the appointed time. Let's pray. 26:52 Heavenly Father, we are looking forward to the appointed time of your son's return. 27:00 We know the day is coming soon. Yet for many of us, we feel helpless. 27:06 We feel like we're not strong enough. And so today we ask for Your 27:11 encouragement. We pray for Your strength, and we ask, Lord, that You would 27:16 work in our lives to make us ready for that day. Please help us to be ready that 27:23 when that day comes, our joy will burst forth as we prepare to spend an eternity with you. 27:33 We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Dear friend, the appointed time 27:42 of Jesus' return is coming soon. The Bible is the road map to guide us, to help us navigate 27:52 through life's turmoils and troubles, that we would be prepared on that day. 27:58 Now, sometimes, as we're navigating through the Scripture, we need tools to help 28:02 us understand, and so today for our offer, I want to give you one of those tools. 28:07 The tool I want to offer to you today is Signs of the Times' magazine 28:11 The End of the World. This full-color magazine will give you the four sure signs of 28:17 the return of Jesus. It will also highlight how to be prepared in that day. 28:22 Here's the information you need to receive today's offer. 28:27 >> To request today's offer, just log on to 28:30 www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca. If you prefer, you may call 28:36 toll-free at 1-888-CALL-IIW. >> Dear friends, the appointed time of Jesus' return is so 28:46 thrilling. Are you looking forward to that day? 28:49 Over the course of the last nine weeks, we have studied how God has intervened throughout 28:54 history to prepare His people for the appointed time. 28:59 If you missed any of the episodes of this series, 29:02 "The Appointed Time," you can go to our YouTube channel... 29:09 There you can find all the archived programs of not only 29:12 this series but any other programs we have done. 29:15 In addition, you can go to our website... 29:19 ...and there find resources to help you grow in your spiritual 29:24 life. Friends, I hope that you have 29:27 been blessed by the program and that you are preparing for the 29:30 appointed time. I invite you to join us again 29:33 next week. Until then, remember, it is 29:36 written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 29:42 that proceeds from the mouth of God." 29:46 ♪♪ ♪♪ 30:05 ♪♪ ♪♪ |
Revised 2018-01-23