Standing Firm in Uncertain Times
According to a recent USA Today article, “while fear of the dark is most common among children 3-12 years old, many adults are also prone to fears of darkness.” Many are afraid of the dark because it impairs our vision, which increases uncertainty and uncertainty leads to fear. This is why we often refer to difficult and uncertain times in our lives, like being diagnosed with cancer, as a dark time.
During a time of great uncertainty, Daniel received a vision from God in answer to prayer about the future of his people. The vision is about some dark times the people of God would have to face for many years to come, as one empire after another battles for political dominance. Although the prophetic vision of the darkness that looms ahead could certainly invoke fear and even hopelessness, it also reveals that even in dark times, God still rules and is working to accomplish His saving plans.
How do we stay faithful to God in uncertain times and not lose hope? To stand firm in hope, we must enlarge our faith by seeing the worthiness of God. The prophetic vision that Daniel received, recorded in chapter 11, is a continuation of the vision recorded in chapter 10, which was given in the third year of Cyrus. It was Cyrus the Persian King that issued the decree which allowed the exiled Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the desolate city.
Although the returning of some of the exiles was an answer to prayer, there was still many challenges to overcome and many unanswered questions. These challenges, which included fierce opposition from local enemies and the wavering devotion of his people, moved Daniel to pray and fast for 3 weeks with great mourning before God. Incredibly, Daniel’s prayer stirred up a spiritual conflict in the invisible realm as the angelic being sent to assist Daniel was opposed by demonic forces who were behind the rulers of the kingdom of Persia. The angel was opposed for 21 days. But because of the persistent prayers of Daniel, and the assistance of the Angel Michael, the angel Gabriel reached Daniel and prepared him to receive the prophetic vision of chapter eleven.
What is the main point of the prophecy? In the climax of the angel’s prophecy, which focuses on one of the greatest enemies of the Jews, Antiochus Epiphanies IV, we read this testimony about the faithfulness of God’s people during this dark time: “He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (Daniel 11:32).
Let me ask you, in dark times, in times of uncertainty, in times when we are blindsighted by the unexpected, what keeps us from losing hope? What enables us to persevere in the ways and work of God while encountering resistance? What enables the people of God to persevere in hope is not the promise of comfort and prosperity in this life. God can and does turn difficult situations around. God can and does restore broken bodies, broken lives, broken homes and broken marriages. Against all odds, in Daniel’s day and after the great Nazi holocaust in recent history, the Jewish people were miraculously able to return to their land.
But this did not mean that all their troubles would be over. Those who remained faithful to God and accomplished His purposes, did so not because God promised a trouble-free life. They remained faithful because they came to know the trustworthiness of God. Peace is not the absence of trouble but an awareness of God that comes through His word and by His Spirit.
It’s important to note that although the prophesies revealed to Daniel did not paint a pretty picture about what’s to come for the people of God, they did remind them and us that God rules over the affairs of men. What is revealed to Daniel about the coming empires and rulers battling for dominance, with Israel stuck in the middle, was not that things were going to get easier for Israel. Rather, having the knowledge that God knew what was coming served to increase their faith. Although they were not in control of the future, their God was still on the throne.
After the prophesy of the conflict Xerxes had with Greece, the next mighty king that the angel prophesied about is Alexander the Great (v.3). As Daniel’s other prophesies revealed and history bares out, Alexander was one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known. He conquered the known world by the time he was thirty years old. But soon after, he died of Typhoid fever at the age of thirty three. As quickly as he rose to power, he was gone.
As this prophecy incredibly predicted, Alexander’s kingdom was broken up into four smaller kingdoms which were ruled by four of his generals, none of whom were related to him, just as the angel foretold. Out of the four kingdoms that arose from Alexander’s empire, two of them became the most powerful and would have many conflicts between them. These two kingdoms were the Ptolemies, headquartered in Egypt to the south, and the Seleucids, headquartered in Syria to the North. Concerning these two significant kingdoms in the history of Israel, the angel revealed more incredibly precise prophetic details in verses 6 to 35. Most of chapter eleven is devoted to the succeeding rival dynasties of the Ptolemy and Seleucid kingdoms.
The prophecies are not only about general historic events in world history, but specifically how these events will impact Israel. Verse 14 tells of a rebellion against Egypt (the king of the south) by militant Jews, which did not succeed. Verse 16 is a prophetic account of the conquest of Syria (the king of the north) that will succeed against the weakened Jewish people. Verses 21-35 tells of the rise and rage of Antiochus Epiphanies who fiercely persecuted the Jewish people and committed great abominations in the temple of God.
What was the main message these amazing prophesies were meant to convey to Daniel and His people in uncertain times? These prophesies about the endless conflicts of earthly kingdoms and coming antichrists are first meant to tell us something about God. They are meant to increase our faith by demonstrating that although we will go through uncertain times, which remind us that we are not in control, our God is always in control. These prophesies didn’t give the Israelites the precise solution to all their earthly problems, but they did assure them that God knew what they were facing and because God’s people knew that He knew, they were able to keep going.
I appreciate Bryan Chappel’s example: “Knowing that God knows is what we need to keep going as he desires. More than once I have endured in ministry by thinking, “God knows,” when others have attacked, thought me foolish, or thought my motives ungodly; and, though all the world hate, ridicule, and view me with suspicion, I can walk this path because I know that God knows it. In all the difficulty that Daniel predicts for his people through God’s revelation, he provides at least this assurance: God knows what we are facing.”
Remember, before Daniel had the capacity to receive this prophetic revelation, he encountered the blazing glory of what was likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus (Daniel 10). He was also reminded repeatedly by the angel Gabriel that he was a man greatly loved. Daniel and others could stand firm even in dark times because they knew their God.
Similarly, this side of the cross, if you are going to stand firm as a follower of Christ in these uncertain times, you must enlarge your faith by seeing and beholding the glory of God in the person of Christ. You must know the love of Christ in your inner being through the might of the Spirit and in the word as you seek His face day by day. We can’t wait to find time for God; we must make time for God.
Secondly, to stand firm, especially in dark times, you must not only enlarge your faith by seeing the worthiness of God, you must exercise your faith by submitting to the will of God. Remember, in the climax of the angel’s prophesy, which focuses on one of the greatest enemies of the Jews, we read about the faithfulness of God’s people during this dark time: “He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (Daniel 11:32).
The church today is not the nation of Israel under the old covenant. Therefore our resistance to the forces of evil does not come in the form of physical or military might. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Our primary weapons are the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer.
We advance the kingdom of God by letting our light shine before men, as we submit to God’s will so that others in our circles of influence might see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). We are not called to curse the darkness, but to light up the darkness by demonstrating the selfless love of God and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
It’s been said, "a faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted." Faith that’s born in the light is developed best in the dark. In other words, uncertain times or dark times, can bring us to a place where we lean hard on Jesus, while we take steps of faith, which results in experiencing His persevering grace. To grow in faith and experience the power of God, we must act upon the word of God and obey the will of God even when it costs us. To overcome the forces of evil and conformity to this world, we must be submitted to God. “You’ll never be over what God has put under you, until you are under what God has put over you.” -Adrian Rogers
In addition to enlarging your faith by seeing the worthiness of God and exercising your faith by submitting to the will of God, to stand firm in faith, you must extend your faith by spreading the word of God. After prophesying about the people who know their God, stand firm, and take action in the dark days of Antiochus Epiphanies, we read in verse 33: “And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder.”
The faithful people of God, who were wise, resisted the darkness of Antiochus Epiphanies by making many understand. Presumably, they were wise because they had knowledge of the word of God and the prophesies of Daniel. Through their wisdom from the scriptures they could encourage others by showing them that God predicted the persecution of Antiochus and that in God’s appointed time his days would come to an end.
There’s no doubt that the times we live in today are growing darker. In these dark days we are called as Christians not only to enlarge our faith in the word of God for our own sake, but to extend or pass on our faith by spreading the good news of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14). The mission of the church extends beyond consuming the word of God within the four walls of a building. Rather, our main mission is to communicate the word of God outside the four walls in our communities and circles of influence. But sadly, in a society that is increasingly becoming more hostile towards Christians, many believers are shrinking back in fear rather than shining the light in faith.
Other believers, who are being more influenced by our culture of rage than they are the word of God, seem to be more interested in fighting the culture wars than shining the light of Christ. But as the prophecies in the book of Daniel revealed, this hostility to the truth of God’s word is not new. The spirit of antichrist has existed in every age and will continue until the end of time.
Keep in mind that although history awaits the final Antichrist, there have been many antichrist figures throughout the ages. The spirit of the antichrist, which does as he wills, opposes God, and exalts himself as God, is alive and well today.
How do we overcome the dark forces of this world at work to keep followers of Christ from shining their light? The blood Jesus shed not only sets sinners free from the power of sin, satan, and death, but also gives us access to the throne room of heaven where we can receive the divine assistance we need to push back the darkness.
Do you regularly talk to God on behalf of others so that you can talk to others on God’s behalf? Do you pray as the New Testament teaches us for doors of opportunity to be opened to share the word, for hearts to open to pay attention to the word, and for your mouth to be open to speak the word with clarity and courage? We don’t overcome the darkness by isolating ourselves but by praying for the grace to engage the darkness with the saving power of the gospel.
The ending of Daniel says of the coming Antichrist: “Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him” (Daniel 11:45). He shall come to an end because, as the New Testament reveals, "the Lord shall consume [him] with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy [him] with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 KJV). Until then, let us be prayerfully about our Father's business in these dark days.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
During a time of great uncertainty, Daniel received a vision from God in answer to prayer about the future of his people. The vision is about some dark times the people of God would have to face for many years to come, as one empire after another battles for political dominance. Although the prophetic vision of the darkness that looms ahead could certainly invoke fear and even hopelessness, it also reveals that even in dark times, God still rules and is working to accomplish His saving plans.
How do we stay faithful to God in uncertain times and not lose hope? To stand firm in hope, we must enlarge our faith by seeing the worthiness of God. The prophetic vision that Daniel received, recorded in chapter 11, is a continuation of the vision recorded in chapter 10, which was given in the third year of Cyrus. It was Cyrus the Persian King that issued the decree which allowed the exiled Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the desolate city.
Although the returning of some of the exiles was an answer to prayer, there was still many challenges to overcome and many unanswered questions. These challenges, which included fierce opposition from local enemies and the wavering devotion of his people, moved Daniel to pray and fast for 3 weeks with great mourning before God. Incredibly, Daniel’s prayer stirred up a spiritual conflict in the invisible realm as the angelic being sent to assist Daniel was opposed by demonic forces who were behind the rulers of the kingdom of Persia. The angel was opposed for 21 days. But because of the persistent prayers of Daniel, and the assistance of the Angel Michael, the angel Gabriel reached Daniel and prepared him to receive the prophetic vision of chapter eleven.
What is the main point of the prophecy? In the climax of the angel’s prophecy, which focuses on one of the greatest enemies of the Jews, Antiochus Epiphanies IV, we read this testimony about the faithfulness of God’s people during this dark time: “He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (Daniel 11:32).
Let me ask you, in dark times, in times of uncertainty, in times when we are blindsighted by the unexpected, what keeps us from losing hope? What enables us to persevere in the ways and work of God while encountering resistance? What enables the people of God to persevere in hope is not the promise of comfort and prosperity in this life. God can and does turn difficult situations around. God can and does restore broken bodies, broken lives, broken homes and broken marriages. Against all odds, in Daniel’s day and after the great Nazi holocaust in recent history, the Jewish people were miraculously able to return to their land.
But this did not mean that all their troubles would be over. Those who remained faithful to God and accomplished His purposes, did so not because God promised a trouble-free life. They remained faithful because they came to know the trustworthiness of God. Peace is not the absence of trouble but an awareness of God that comes through His word and by His Spirit.
It’s important to note that although the prophesies revealed to Daniel did not paint a pretty picture about what’s to come for the people of God, they did remind them and us that God rules over the affairs of men. What is revealed to Daniel about the coming empires and rulers battling for dominance, with Israel stuck in the middle, was not that things were going to get easier for Israel. Rather, having the knowledge that God knew what was coming served to increase their faith. Although they were not in control of the future, their God was still on the throne.
After the prophesy of the conflict Xerxes had with Greece, the next mighty king that the angel prophesied about is Alexander the Great (v.3). As Daniel’s other prophesies revealed and history bares out, Alexander was one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known. He conquered the known world by the time he was thirty years old. But soon after, he died of Typhoid fever at the age of thirty three. As quickly as he rose to power, he was gone.
As this prophecy incredibly predicted, Alexander’s kingdom was broken up into four smaller kingdoms which were ruled by four of his generals, none of whom were related to him, just as the angel foretold. Out of the four kingdoms that arose from Alexander’s empire, two of them became the most powerful and would have many conflicts between them. These two kingdoms were the Ptolemies, headquartered in Egypt to the south, and the Seleucids, headquartered in Syria to the North. Concerning these two significant kingdoms in the history of Israel, the angel revealed more incredibly precise prophetic details in verses 6 to 35. Most of chapter eleven is devoted to the succeeding rival dynasties of the Ptolemy and Seleucid kingdoms.
The prophecies are not only about general historic events in world history, but specifically how these events will impact Israel. Verse 14 tells of a rebellion against Egypt (the king of the south) by militant Jews, which did not succeed. Verse 16 is a prophetic account of the conquest of Syria (the king of the north) that will succeed against the weakened Jewish people. Verses 21-35 tells of the rise and rage of Antiochus Epiphanies who fiercely persecuted the Jewish people and committed great abominations in the temple of God.
What was the main message these amazing prophesies were meant to convey to Daniel and His people in uncertain times? These prophesies about the endless conflicts of earthly kingdoms and coming antichrists are first meant to tell us something about God. They are meant to increase our faith by demonstrating that although we will go through uncertain times, which remind us that we are not in control, our God is always in control. These prophesies didn’t give the Israelites the precise solution to all their earthly problems, but they did assure them that God knew what they were facing and because God’s people knew that He knew, they were able to keep going.
I appreciate Bryan Chappel’s example: “Knowing that God knows is what we need to keep going as he desires. More than once I have endured in ministry by thinking, “God knows,” when others have attacked, thought me foolish, or thought my motives ungodly; and, though all the world hate, ridicule, and view me with suspicion, I can walk this path because I know that God knows it. In all the difficulty that Daniel predicts for his people through God’s revelation, he provides at least this assurance: God knows what we are facing.”
Remember, before Daniel had the capacity to receive this prophetic revelation, he encountered the blazing glory of what was likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus (Daniel 10). He was also reminded repeatedly by the angel Gabriel that he was a man greatly loved. Daniel and others could stand firm even in dark times because they knew their God.
Similarly, this side of the cross, if you are going to stand firm as a follower of Christ in these uncertain times, you must enlarge your faith by seeing and beholding the glory of God in the person of Christ. You must know the love of Christ in your inner being through the might of the Spirit and in the word as you seek His face day by day. We can’t wait to find time for God; we must make time for God.
Secondly, to stand firm, especially in dark times, you must not only enlarge your faith by seeing the worthiness of God, you must exercise your faith by submitting to the will of God. Remember, in the climax of the angel’s prophesy, which focuses on one of the greatest enemies of the Jews, we read about the faithfulness of God’s people during this dark time: “He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (Daniel 11:32).
The church today is not the nation of Israel under the old covenant. Therefore our resistance to the forces of evil does not come in the form of physical or military might. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Our primary weapons are the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer.
We advance the kingdom of God by letting our light shine before men, as we submit to God’s will so that others in our circles of influence might see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). We are not called to curse the darkness, but to light up the darkness by demonstrating the selfless love of God and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
It’s been said, "a faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted." Faith that’s born in the light is developed best in the dark. In other words, uncertain times or dark times, can bring us to a place where we lean hard on Jesus, while we take steps of faith, which results in experiencing His persevering grace. To grow in faith and experience the power of God, we must act upon the word of God and obey the will of God even when it costs us. To overcome the forces of evil and conformity to this world, we must be submitted to God. “You’ll never be over what God has put under you, until you are under what God has put over you.” -Adrian Rogers
In addition to enlarging your faith by seeing the worthiness of God and exercising your faith by submitting to the will of God, to stand firm in faith, you must extend your faith by spreading the word of God. After prophesying about the people who know their God, stand firm, and take action in the dark days of Antiochus Epiphanies, we read in verse 33: “And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder.”
The faithful people of God, who were wise, resisted the darkness of Antiochus Epiphanies by making many understand. Presumably, they were wise because they had knowledge of the word of God and the prophesies of Daniel. Through their wisdom from the scriptures they could encourage others by showing them that God predicted the persecution of Antiochus and that in God’s appointed time his days would come to an end.
There’s no doubt that the times we live in today are growing darker. In these dark days we are called as Christians not only to enlarge our faith in the word of God for our own sake, but to extend or pass on our faith by spreading the good news of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14). The mission of the church extends beyond consuming the word of God within the four walls of a building. Rather, our main mission is to communicate the word of God outside the four walls in our communities and circles of influence. But sadly, in a society that is increasingly becoming more hostile towards Christians, many believers are shrinking back in fear rather than shining the light in faith.
Other believers, who are being more influenced by our culture of rage than they are the word of God, seem to be more interested in fighting the culture wars than shining the light of Christ. But as the prophecies in the book of Daniel revealed, this hostility to the truth of God’s word is not new. The spirit of antichrist has existed in every age and will continue until the end of time.
Keep in mind that although history awaits the final Antichrist, there have been many antichrist figures throughout the ages. The spirit of the antichrist, which does as he wills, opposes God, and exalts himself as God, is alive and well today.
How do we overcome the dark forces of this world at work to keep followers of Christ from shining their light? The blood Jesus shed not only sets sinners free from the power of sin, satan, and death, but also gives us access to the throne room of heaven where we can receive the divine assistance we need to push back the darkness.
Do you regularly talk to God on behalf of others so that you can talk to others on God’s behalf? Do you pray as the New Testament teaches us for doors of opportunity to be opened to share the word, for hearts to open to pay attention to the word, and for your mouth to be open to speak the word with clarity and courage? We don’t overcome the darkness by isolating ourselves but by praying for the grace to engage the darkness with the saving power of the gospel.
The ending of Daniel says of the coming Antichrist: “Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him” (Daniel 11:45). He shall come to an end because, as the New Testament reveals, "the Lord shall consume [him] with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy [him] with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 KJV). Until then, let us be prayerfully about our Father's business in these dark days.
In your service,
Pastor Marco