Daniel Extremity 12:1

Mat 24:21 KJV

(21)

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

From the first chapter of Daniel to the last we have uncovered both a history and forecast of events which shape the way to the return of the Lord. We will do a summary after completing a look at chapter 12 our final chapter. We will have to look no further than verse 1 to start us on our way into end of the age activity. It's uncertain how many sections this study will take. None the less we will be making many connections to the end of the age events which both usher in the return of Jesus and lead us as believers to our new paradise.



Dan 12:1 KJV

(1) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

We have spoken much about the dual relationship of biblical prophecy in our studies. It has been no different with our explorations of the book of Daniel. In order to better obtain where our prophetic pathway is going we must give attention to the events of the middle east in recent weeks. One of the big concerns associated with these events is in leadership. Who or what types of authority will rise in these nations. All of which are mentioned by Daniel.

Dan 11:40-45 KJV

(40) And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

(41) He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

(42) He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

(43) But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

(44) But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

(45) And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

This passage sets the stage for the showdown that most believers know is coming to the nation of Israel. In the passage we can see that the whole of northern and western Africa will be involved.

If you follow world events we need not look any further than the world news for the last few weeks to see what Daniel shared over 2500 years ago. Below is a map of the general areas of civil unrest and the nations involved.

In the book of Daniel the word trouble is used in 4 verses. There are approximately 20 different words used in the OT that represent the word. They each carry their on degree of definition concerning the use of the word. As we have mentioned before the placement of specific words can be very important in how the perception of scripture is influenced. We may find this true again in the first verse of chapter 12.

Dan 12:1 KJV

(1) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble(H6869), such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

H6869

צרה tsârâh

tsaw-raw'

Feminine of H6862; tightness (that is, figuratively trouble); transitively a female rival: - adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.

It seems very interesting and appropriate that we have a feminine application used by Daniel. The reasons for this will be pointed out through the course of the study.
 
Throughout the Bible Michael the archangel is mentioned by name 5 times. Three of these are found in the book of Daniel. The first 2 passages are found in chapter 10 which is a chapter heavily concerned with battles fought in the spiritual realm. The 3^rd of course is found in here in verse 1 and is directly associated with the time of the end of the age.
 
Eph 6:10-13 KJV
(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Jud 1:5-11 KJV
(5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
(6) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
(7) Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
(8) Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
(9) Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
(10) But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
(11) Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Rev 12:7-9 KJV
(7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
(8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

As we can see the mentioning of Michael in both testaments all refer us to a spiritual battleground. As for the spiritual connection associated to the feminine use for the word trouble. In the book of Revelation the beast or the burden of Babylon is described in a feminine gender.

Mat 24:21 KJV
(21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Rev 17:1-7 KJV
(1) And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
(2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
(3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
(4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
(5) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
(6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
(7) And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

Rev 18:1-13 KJV
(1) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
(2) And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
(3) For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
(4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
(5) For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
(6) Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
(7) How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
(8) Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
(9) And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
(10) Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
(11) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
(12) The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
(13) And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

In addition to the connections of tribulation we also have many items of commerce and worship listed that we find in our studies of Daniel. Many of these items are described as offerings to Jesus by the wise men of the east. In addition and of no coincidence these are materials associated with the worship services and care of the temple.

The trouble spoken of by Daniel is not the only place we have a picture of tribulation established. Many of the OT passages that relate to the end of the age fulfillment refer to a moment called “the day of the Lord” and in 1 OT instance the “great day of the Lord”. The phrase “day of the Lord” is found in 24 verses of the OT with 26 occurrences.

Without writing an entire collection of books concerning this time of trouble which has never been seen we need only to read the prophets. In other studies we have made the connections to this day. This is most often referred to as the day of the Lord. It would appear that Amos is perhaps the earliest prophet to pen the phrase. It's also noteworthy that Amos' day job if you will was as a shepherd to the flocks. He received his call approximately 20-40 years prior to Isaiah.

Amo 5:18-20 KJV

(18) Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

(19) As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

(20) Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

We know and understand that Amos is delivering a prophecy concerning the first destruction of the temple by the Babylonians. It looks as though he was also providing information for other future events In verse 19 we see the prophetic side of the lion being Babylon, the bear which was the Persians and finally a serpent is described.

Rev 12:9-12 KJV

(9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

(10) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

(11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

(12) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

You can decide for yourself but it appears that the day of the Lord in which Israel faces the serpent happens when the events of Revelation 12 take place.

The next prophet to mention the day of the Lord is Isaiah. Isaiah describes a time of trouble which will affect the powerful as in political or exalted status. However it does not mean it is restricted to leadership positions. Those who are considered the rich and powerful behind the scenes so to speak will also be afflicted.

Isa 2:11-12 KJV

(11) The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

(12) For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

Isa 13:6-9 KJV

(6) Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

(7) Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:

(8) And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

(9) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Isaiah 13 a chapter we recently looked into which describes a day of wrath for the nation of Babylon. In another prophecy Isaiah describes a day of the Lord which will afflict the nations of the earth.

Isa 34:6-10 KJV

(6) The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

(7) And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

(8) For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

(9) And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

(10) It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

A couple of passages from the book of Revelation which seem to coincide with a judgment for all the nations of the earth.

Rev 14:9-13 KJV

(9) And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

(10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

(11) And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

(12) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

(13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Rev 18:17-20 KJV

(17) For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

(18) And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

(19) And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

(20) Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Rev 19:1-3 KJV

(1) And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

(2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

(3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

These are descriptions of the Mystery Babylon being destroyed. In the destruction of the city the judgment will afflict all nations who have participated in the spiritual fornication described in the previous passages.

There is a single passage found in the OT in the book of Zephaniah which describes a great day of the Lord. Actually it's the only time the phrase occurs in the entire scripture of the Bible.

Zep 1:14-18 KJV

(14) The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

(15) That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

(16) A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

(17) And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

(18) Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

If you have ever heard someone use the phrase “a time of Jacob's trouble” the same is implied here. It is described as such in the book of Jeremiah.

Jer 30:4-11 KJV

(4) And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.

(5) For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

(6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

(7) Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

(8) For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

(9) But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

(10) Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

(11) For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

Rev 6:15-17 KJV

(15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

(16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

(17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

We will look into verse 2 with our next study

Thank You and God Bless