This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. Thanks for joining us today. At Connect with Skip, the heart of what you hear each day is to help you go deeper in your walk with Jesus through clear, practical Bible teaching and real-life encouragement. but you don't have to wait for a broadcast to connect. When you sign up for Pastor Skip's weekly devotional email, you'll receive inspiring messages and free resources right in your inbox, all to help you weave God's word into daily life.
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Now let's dive into today's teaching from Pastor Skip Heitzig. If you've flown internationally, you know that one leg of a journey depends on the other leg, so that if If one flight becomes delayed. Then You may have cancelled flights and not make your destination. for a couple days. That's always a problem.
It was a problem I faced on my first leg out of Albuquerque, going to Beirut. We pulled out of the gate and we just sort of sat on the tarmac for a while and sat there and I knew something was up. Sure enough. Pilot gets on the intercom and he says, Ladies and gentlemen, there's some little problem we have, it's with emergency. lights or landing or something.
No, that's that's pretty significant.
So He said, We're going to pull back and try to get this thing figured out and get things replaced, etc.
So I thought, well, I'm going to be delayed for the Houston, the Frankfurt, the Beirut. And, you know, I always want to shoot up a prayer right then, and so I prayed. We're pulling back to the gate and he gets back on the intercom. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know what happened, but it reset and we're good to go.
So we took off and made all the connections. As we were sitting there, I was thinking of another. Flight that was delayed. And the pilot got on that intercom and said, Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that. Our thermal expander valve.
In engine number two, we have a warning light, and I will not fly this airplane until we get that part replaced.
So we got to take you back to the gate. And he disembarked. All the passengers, they waited for only 20 minutes, however, all got back aboard and the plane took off.
Well, while it is flying, One of the passengers said to a steward or a stewardess Boy, that was quick. You must have had a thermal expander valve close at hand to be able to fix it that quick. And she said, no way. There's not one of those things for a thousand miles from here. We got us a new pilot.
Uh Well, when you're flying in the air and you hear that. That's an epiphanal moment. And you walk away from that going, Uh oh. We could be in big trouble.
Well, that is sort of the moment that Daniel has in the section of scripture. that we're reading. The seventy years of Israel's captivity is over. It's time for them to go back and rebuild. They go back.
But not all of them go back. In fact, most of them don't go back. In fact, most of the Israelites stayed in Babylon. They didn't have any motivation at all to rebuild. And this broke Daniel's heart, and he was upset.
And he fasted and he mourned and he prayed. And while he was praying, an angel from heaven came and gave him a revelation. And that's chapters 10, 11, and 12. And it says basically Daniel I've got some bad news for you. The 70 years of captivity was just the beginning of sorrows.
It's gonna get far worse than this. There's gonna be generation after generation after generation of oppressors who will come. And your people will suffer. Throughout their coming history, even to the very end of days when another ruler is going to come. whom we know as the Antichrist.
And it will be really bad. at that time. That's the message he gets. It's pretty hopeless. Until now.
Now in chapter 12. The light shines through the darkness, through the hopeless. years of foretelled foretold history. It's as if Uh when the night becomes the blackest, the Light becomes the brightest right afterwards. And so it is with world history.
Just when things are getting to the very worst, God will then offer his very best. And hope arises in chapter 12. Look at verse 1. At that time, Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.
And at that time, your people shall be. Delivered. every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life. and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness. Like the stars. Forever and ever. Daniel, God's going to purify your people. He'll protect your people.
He'll resurrect your people. And he's going to reward your people. That's the message of these. Reverses. This then is a message of hope for Daniel because it's been hopeless up to this point.
Hope Is one of the three great necessities of life. Paul spoke of faith, hope. and love. We can't live without hope. It's been well said.
that mankind can go about forty days without food About three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only about one second without hope. And those people who study suicide Will tell you that people will take their lives not because of the Enormous problems in their present situation, but simply because they see no way out of their present situation. They see no future. They have no hope. They're hopeless.
And Daniel in chapter 10 and chapter 11 has had a series of messages from this angelic visitor who tells him about war and suffering and pain and heartache, one continuous vision. Until here he sees hope. There's four words. They're written in your worship folder this morning. Four words that describe that future time and I want you to see these four words as four rungs on a ladder.
Let's build a ladder today. Let's call it the ladder of hope. It has four rungs, and it's going to go from the basement. to where it was really bad. to where it really gets good.
Those four words are tribulation. Preservation. Resurrection. and remuneration. Those are the four four words that describe these three verses.
So let's begin with the first, the worst, tribulation. Look at verse 1. At that time, Stop. Just consider that phrase at that time.
Now when you read a phrase like that at that time, what do you ask? At what time? And so here's where I need to jog your memory and have you reach back a couple of weeks where we left off in chapter 11. That's the time he's dealing with. Remember it's one continuous vision.
And the angelic messenger foretells the time when Israel will be oppressed in the coming few hundred years, but then reaches to the very end of history, where it talks about in that section of chapter 11, the time of the end. And it describes the Antichrist, this last. bad ruler who's gonna come and oppress the Jews. At that time. When the Antichrist ascends to power, At the time when he walks into the temple and desecrates it, at the time where he usurps authority and consumes all religions of the world.
At the time where there's massive war that culminates in the Battle of Armageddon, at that time. Hope will dawn. Hope will arise. The night gets darker and darker and darker just before the dawn. And then there's hope.
So it says at that time.
Now it describes that time. Look also in. Verse one In the second Sentence. And there shall be a time of trouble.
Now, watch this description, such. as never was Since there was a nation. Even until that time. Get the point? This is going to be so bad.
That no other time period in history would be able to compare with how bad it's going to be. It's going to be bad for the world, but it's going to be especially bad. for the Jews because that's the context of These three chapters, the Jewish people. If you think about it, Israel has suffered much in its history. It has suffered by the hands of the Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Seleucids, the Ptolemies.
Um the Herods The Hazuaruses, the Alexanders, the Hitlers, they have suffered, suffered, suffered. But that's nothing in compared to what they will suffer. in that final period of history that we're dealing with here. I have a book in my library, and it's fun to pull it down from time to time. It's a series of research polls that took place in this country.
And it's interesting, it was written right at the turnover around the year 2000 when we were approaching the. The new millennium, the new century. And one little paragraph, and it says this. Quote, have you noticed that most books and movies about the future portray a world that you wouldn't want to live in? More than half the people we talk to honestly believe that the 21st century.
will be dirtier. Harsher. harder, grimier, and gloomier than the world of today. Close quote.
Well, here's what this angel would want Daniel and consequently us to know. No author or movie maker can portray how bad it's going to get. All we can say is. There's never been a time. Ever in history.
Like it.
Now, when we read this, this should Turn a little light on in our minds because Jesus said something. Pretty identical to this. That's where we turn to Matthew chapter 24.
So let's look at that. Matthew 24, look at verse 7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. in various places. And you might think, oh, come on, we've always had that stuff.
Read the next verse. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Go down to verse 15. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand.
Then let those who are in Judea Flee to the mountains. I was given instructions to people who are living locally in Jerusalem. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before today's message continues, there's a special offer for your family this Christmas. Hey, this is Nate Heitzig.
And if you're like me, one of the best parts of the Christmas season is gathering your kids to share the story of Jesus in a way that makes it come alive. That's why I wrote Christmas Under the Tree. a beautifully illustrated book and companion audio experience for families of all ages. My hope is that this story helps you and your kids connect the cradle to the cross and treasure the true meaning of Christmas for years to come. Christmas under the tree is yours when you give a gift of $25 or more to help more people discover God's word through Connect with Skip Heitzig.
Request your copy at connectwithskiff.com slash offer or call 800-922. Mm-hmm.
Now, let's get back to today's teaching. Let him who is on the housetops not go down and take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days. And pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on the Sabbath.
For then There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since. The beginning of the world until this time. No. nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, No flesh would be saved.
But for the elect's sake those days Will be shortened. Says the same thing Daniel says: an unprecedented time of pain, tribulation is coming upon this world.
Now this time period goes under several titles in the Bible. 26 times is called the day of the Lord. Isaiah 26 and Isaiah 34 call it the indignation. Isaiah 63 calls it the day of God's vengeance. Revelation chapter 6.
It's called the great day of his wrath. Also in Revelation 6, the day of the wrath of the Lamb.
So it sounded like an oxymoron. The wrath of the lamb. Have you ever seen a wrathful lamb? Lambo, I'd like to call it but Now, in hearing what I just said and what the angel said to Daniel and what Jesus said. You might be asking, well, how bad can it get?
I mean, we've had bad times in history before. I mean, we've had the Holocaust and World War I or World War II. etc., etc., we have. How bad can it get? I'm glad you asked.
The details of this last period of time are outlined in the book of Revelation. Essentially, that's what the book's about: Revelation chapter 6 through 19. Here's just a summary of that. War? Famine?
Again, you say we've always had that, but keep listening. 25% of the world killed. Heavenly bodies falling out of the heaven toward the earth. One third of the earth destroyed, one third of the seas destroyed, one third of all the freshwater sources on earth. Eliminated.
The release of hell's demons to overrun the earth. The Antichrist and his armies coming and slaughtering millions.
sores breaking out on people. Sunlight scorching people, burning them to death, and darkness covering the earth.
Now that goes on and on and on from chapter 6 through chapter 19. That's how bad it can get. But One of the special targets of this coming leader, this Antichrist, will be the Jewish people. That's why Jesus in Matthew 24 gives a special address to Jews. Let him who reads understand.
If you are living in Jerusalem, And you see this happening: the Antichrist going into the rebuilt temple and desecrating it and calling himself God. Get out of town now. Don't get your iPod. Don't get your iPhone. Leave.
and flee to the mountains. That's why Jeremiah calls it the time of Jacob's trouble. You've heard that phrase? The time of Jacob's trouble, that's Israel's trouble. They will really, really be troubled during that time.
That comes out of Jeremiah chapter 30, verse 7. Alas for that day is great, so that none is like it, And it is the time of Jacob's trouble.
So Number one, the rung on the ladder, number one. Tribulation. You go, that doesn't sound like a lot of hope.
Well hang on, we're climbing the ladder. The second rung of this ladder of hope is preservation. That's really the message of verse 1. At that time, Michael. shall stand up.
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people, and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. At that time, your people. Shall be delivered. It's the first message of hope Daniel has heard in chapters 10. 11 and now in chapter 12.
Your people will be delivered. And every one who is found Written in the book.
Okay. Who is this Michael?
Well, Michael is sort of like the angelic Version of a superhero. He is sort of like if you could put Iron Man and Batman and Superman and the Wolverine all together in one package, only for real. That is Michael. He's called here the great prince. The great prince in verse one.
In chapter 10, he was called the prince. of your people or one of the chief princes. The Hebrew word for prince is sar and denotes a military commander like a general. Jude chapter 9, he is called Michael the archangel, perhaps the greatest angel ever created, with a special task of defending God's covenant people, the Jews.
So here's the message. When the times become the worst times. When the night becomes the darkest night, When it's the very worst period of existence for the nation of Israel. Michael? Your Prince Your military commander.
We'll come into rescue. I want to give you a little note here at this point. I want you to notice something. We have a picture of Michael. A created angel.
Going to war against Satan and his forces. It is not a picture of God fighting the devil. And a lot of Christians think that. And I think one of the biggest lies Satan wants to perpetrate is that he is the opposite of God. He is not.
Sometimes we think, and over in this corner is God, and he's sweating it out as he's fighting the devil. Are you kidding? Satan can't go one round with the champ. I mean, it's like putting Justin Bieber against Bruce Willis or something. I mean, you can pick whoever you want, but it's like.
What? Not even close. Satan is a created being, Michael is a created being, and they're going at it. He will stand up. Questioned.
How will Michael stand up?
Well, it seems, and this is where I have to just shorten it for you, and all the materials available, you can get it free of charge on the website in the book of Revelation. It seems that during the tribulation period, all of hell's forces will be unleashed on the earth. With the sole purpose to obliterate the nation of Israel.
Now look at Revelation chapter 12. This is where that comes in. Revelation 12.
Now a great sign appeared in heaven. A woman. Clothed with the sun. with the moon under her feet. And on her head A garland of twelve stars.
Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain. To give birth. Who is the woman? It's sort of an unfair question because people will answer it differently. The Catholic Church says it's Mary.
They even have motif that shows this. That would be wrong, and I'll show you why in a moment.
Some people say this is a picture of the church. The woman Well The reason it can't be the church is because the New Testament calls the church the virgin bride of Christ, and here this woman is pregnant. And if that's the case, Church has got big problems.
Now I believe it can only be one thing. And I'll show you why. This is a picture of the nation of Israel. The only other time in the Bible we have this imagery of the sun, the moon, and the stars like this is back in Genesis 37, when little Joseph had a dream. Remember the dream he had?
He got in trouble. He said, Hey, you guys, tells his brothers, his mom, and dad, I had a dream last night. 11 stars. The sun and the moon all bow down to me. My star.
Isn't that a cool dream I had? You go, yeah, let's like sell you as a slave somewhere. In fact, Jacob, his dad, interpreted the meaning of that dream. That speaks of us, the 12 heads of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the father and the mother. It's a picture of Israel.
Say, why is Israel portrayed as a woman? She was often portrayed as a woman in the Old Testament. The wife of Jehovah called a woman many occasions.
So it's fair to say, since the only other comparison is that text of scripture that unlocks its meaning. that it's a picture of Israel. And you'll see why that's app appropriate. Verse 3: Another sign appeared in heaven. Behold, a great fiery red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns or diadems on his heads.
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour her child as soon as it was born. Who might that child be? My Bible has a capital C for child, rightly interpreting this to mean Christ. She bore a male child who was to rule all the nations.
Now we know it is Jesus with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and his throne. That would be the ascension. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God. That they should feed her there 1,260 days.
That's three and a half years.
So Jesus ascends into heaven, the male child, the woman is left. And during the tribulation, Satan and the beast will persecute the woman relentlessly. trying to destroy Israel.
Now, Satan's always wanted that. This is not like new news. He never wanted the Messiah to begin with. That's a whole reason. Bethlehem happened when Herod slaughtered all the baby boys.
Kill the Messiah. That's what Satan had in mind when he inspired him. Look at verse 7. Here it is, this is what I want to show you. And war broke out in heaven.
Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. But they did not prevail. nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. And so the great dragon was cast out, That serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out.
With him. Once the demons are cast out on the earth, they seek to overrun the earth and seek to destroy Israel, and Michael comes. And it tells us in Revelation 12, verse 1: Your people shall be delivered. I just got to imagine. What this sounded like to Daniel.
Right? He's been in chapter 10 and 11 hearing. This guy's coming, and that guy's coming, and we're gonna get killed, and that's gonna happen. It's bad news, bad news, till all of a sudden, hey, good news, dude. There's coming a day when Michael's going to stand up at the very worst of times, and your people will be delivered.
Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heidzig. Before you go, don't miss your chance to request Christmas Under the Tree, the beautifully illustrated book and audio experience by Nate Heitzig that helps your family see the Christmas story with fresh wonder and excitement. It's yours for your gift of $25 or more to help reach more people with biblical teaching through Connect with Skip. Call 800-922-1888 or go to connectwithskiff.com slash offer. And don't forget to sign up for the free weekly devotional for encouragement from Pastor Skiff right in your inbox.
Thanks for spending time with us today and we'll see you next time on Connect with Skiff Heitzig. Make a connection! Make a connection. Should Oh. Of the crisis.
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