Unveiling the End Times: A Look at Daniel’s Message for Today

Introduction:

The book of Daniel holds profound revelations not just for the past, but for our present and future. This exploration delves into Chapter 10 and beyond, where Daniel witnesses visions that unveil the coming struggles and ultimate triumph of God’s people. We’ll see how these prophecies intersect with our current times, marked by rapid advancements and intensifying challenges.

Through this prophecy, we are now introduced to things we consider “impossible”, yet in a glimpse, Daniel’s prophecy opens the closed door, and allows us to try and comprehend, although by, and through limited human mind, what God intended the Church to see and experience.

Daniel 10:46 explains what he saw, we try to explain this in mortal words that we have learned from educational facilities, we fail, but Daniel was not the only one who saw God’s glory, in fact, the Bible is filled with incidences of this revelation of God’s nature. Look at Moses’ request; show me now Your glory, that I may know Your ways (Ex.33:18), and many others, the Lord Jesus took three of His disciples to the mountain, and showed them His glory. I need to state now that God’s will and purpose is that His people experience His glorious presence at all times. Before this, however, we must see Daniel’s prayer and supplication for his people’s restoration.

Daniel understood that seventy years of exile as prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah had ended (9:12). The following is the type of prayer of repentance, a prayer befitting a true representative of God, the man went to God and talked to Him as a man who truly knew God. He prayed by the will of God, Daniel did not see the reason to extend the exile by one more day, because the time had ended, now what was left was the return of God’s people from exile, I encourage everyone to read the whole prayer sentence by sentence, you will start at least to understand the mystery behind Daniel’s life of endurance, durability and longevity.

In this prayer, Daniel covered Israel with intercession, I believe he touched the mind of God because this man, never praised his own name.

As you notice, an angel was sent and reached him on the 21st day of praying and fasting. The angel however told Daniel that the very first day that he started to pray, the answer had come, he was however detained in midair by the ruler of darkness over the area. The angel Michael was sent to take charge of the battle there in the heavenlies, thus releasing this angel with the answer to Daniel. see why God’s glory Now you must be revealed to us because we are in a battle that’s by far stiffer than the one people physically do on the battlefield, this one is in the heavenlies, the angel repeatedly addressed.

Daniel is the “most loved person, a person who had obtained God’s favor like you and me, we are the “beloved’ of God. But we must progress immediately, from here we are introduced to a group of people called; “Then we are told, that during wise ones”, these the antichrist’s rule, they will instruct many, and some who are weak and indifferent will join up with them, these wise people, will also be persecuted, plundered, beheaded and seemingly defeated, but the antichrist will only be playing a predestined role, that of purifying and cleansing God’s saints who will find “help” during that terrible period. Please do read on, you will discover that he shall destroy the faith of many by flattery, but these are those whose names are not in the Book of Life, God’s chosen ones will oppose and resist him, in spite of many lying wonders and signs that he’ll perform, there will be a “people who know their God”, they shall be strong and do exploits of resistance. (11:32)

This, therefore, is the very heart of Daniel’s prophecy; “to know God’, do not concentrate on the weeks and times now, because most of Daniel’s prophetic predictions have gone by through history. Come now to “our time”.

The last prayer by the Lord for His own started like this; And this is life eternal; That they may “know You”, the only True God, and (know) Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3). Earlier He told the Jews who had believed in Him; If you” continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed, you shall “know the Truth”, and the Truth shall make you free. (John 8:3132)

The Apostle Paul goes to great lengths to emphasize this “knowing God’, his epistles indeed do express this central theme of his doctrine, to the Church in Philippi he stated; That I “may know Him”, (3:10) To Timothy he wrote; For “I know whom” I have believed. (2 Tim.1:12) To the saints in Corinth he wrote; you have received the Spirit that is of God, that you “may know” the things that are freely given to us by God (1 Cor.2:13).

Why do we in Kenya teach faith without knowledge? Because we want the easy way out, Moses prayed; Show me now Your glory that I may “know Your ways”. Paul told the Ephesian church the purpose of his prayer for them: That they “may know’ the purpose of their inheritance. It demands discipline, separation from the world, total dedication to God, and living by the dictates of the Bible, it demands spending time with God in worship and prayer, many of our leaders have other interests to care for, doing God’s will becomes just an addition to their interests. But the times demand that we have the people in God’. Daniel’s prophecy, a “people who know their God.

This is not just the good preachers or the amazing Theologians who have several Degrees behind their names, but the people who represent God here, we need them now, it is so crucial if the church will survive the enemy’s attacks. These people may not have what to show for, but they will themselves be their own identity.

Of late the word “witness” has come to mean differently from what I knew before, Stephen is called the witness, not because he preached so well to the council of Israel, but because he laid his life down for the gospel truth. The two witnesses of Rev.11 are the epitome of the “people who know their God, because to them death is not the end, but the beginning of immortality, Daniel and his three other friends were planted in Babylon for the reason of demonstrating God’s greatness, and not just of that time only but throughout all history. God therefore has willed that all men read and acknowledge this;

The God of Daniel’s day rules in the affairs of men, and He has never left Himself without a witness, the people who know their God. It is from here that history is wrapped up and ends dramatically. Look at Daniel 11:36, it ends this way; “For that which is determined shall be done”. Here the prophet states the Sovereignty of Jehovah, what He determines gets done, we therefore should read and see what God has determined, and then we say; it shall be done. The current natural, or scientific happenings shall not change God’s word, and compare it with the day’s changes, we are wrong, we should see today’s changes and the evolution of things in the light of God’s word. Thus the Bible becomes the guide, not just a response book, but life itself.

Chapter Eleven of Daniel proves one sure thing; No one can exalt himself beyond God, he shall come to his end and no one shall help him, (vs.45) at the pinnacle of his life, the opponent of God shall be brought to an end, and shall find no help. Because the Lord of hosts has purposed it, who shall nullify it? His hand is stretched out, who shall turn it back? (Is. 14:27)

But now we must approach the end of this great prophecy, God’s intention must now be sent to flourish, this is what Paul also teaches; That God’s eternal purpose may be made known to the Church, (Eph.3:10), we see Daniel being commanded to seal the Book until the end time. Then he is told what shall characterize this end time. (12:4) Please take note; That those whose names will be found written in the Book shall be delivered, we must be told this; That Daniel’s vision was not confined to his physical people only, but “all God’s people”, there is deliverance for these people no matter what terrible times they live in, as we learned earlier some would be killed, plundered and be made a spectacle, but it is for a reason that God will allow this to happen. Among these, “the wise” is said to be a people of great magnificence, they shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and the stars forever and ever! (12:3)

Since Daniel sealed the Book, the time of the end has come. About 605 B.C, the prophet had enough sight to see, that there would be a people upon whom this time would come, a generation that would close the age, a people who would be alive when God wraps up history, someone here needs to hear: You are the people, but you are supposed to know God now, “knowing God’ will characterize the people of the end. Because the frenzied travel activity is now so hyped, the skies, oceans, and roads are full of travelers. Besides this, knowledge has greatly increased, and this is only during the last one hundred years! Look at Medical Science, food technology, Agriculture, and Communication, we are now frightened by achievements of cloning, DNA, and other claims that boggle the mind, Radio waves are carrying messages all over the earth and the atmosphere, the bad side is more frightening, diseases that have no names, the natural havoc, oceans, and seas moving inland from their boundaries, weather patterns that are unpredictable, depletion of ozone layer, the destruction of ecology, and contamination of the air, When we read all these, none of breath! we have a heart strong enough to stand to it. This is when a “people who know their God’ shall be strong, Hallelujah. I am not teaching the “believing and getting” things clichés, but the knowledge of God. Like the Apostle Paul we cry; That I may “know Him”. (Phil.3:10) “For I know whom I have believed. (2Tim. 1:12) Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord. (Hos. 6:3).

Daniel’s prophecy engulfs all God’s people of all generations, we are the most privileged of all God’s people as I have said earlier, for this generation shall not pass away. (Matt. 24:34) I have been struggling with what title I should give these studies, they have not been a Theological critical analysis of exposition, not even a survey, to see Daniel’s prophecy, but the implication Daniel has upon today’s believer in Christ, here where we live, we have the problem of detaching ourselves from major happenings, we only want to hear what will make us happy and excited, but no more, the Bible was written for us all, and for all times, good and evil.

I should now perhaps for the benefit of those who want historical proof of what time we are in say this. Many prophetic scholars do believe, that since the United Nations declared Israel a nation in 1948, the beginning of the end started to take shape, all else is simply fitting in of the specifics to complete prophecy, we are living in its process, a process that no one reverse or slow down. In fact, things will happen so fast now, because knowledge has increased to make it possible. I have one challenge though to put forward to the scholars of prophecy; a generation is approximately 40 years in duration, if this math is deemed as correct, and needing no correction, then 1988 was to be ‘the year when most new things would happen, the only contention I have is Jerusalem, the eternal city of David was still in the hands of gentiles, Tel-Aviv remained the capital of physical Israel, (Luke 21:24) until the six days’ war 1967 when all Jerusalem came under the complete rule of the Jews, could we be judged inaccurate to state; that the end generation that will close history started then?

Nothing will salvage history, and only those who know Jesus, not only as Savior, but as Lord shall be strong, everyone and everything else has a tragic ending awaiting. But, JESUS IS LORD.

Conclusion:

Daniel’s prophecy emphasizes a crucial truth: knowing God is paramount. This knowledge surpasses mere belief or religious affiliation. It’s about a deep, personal connection that empowers us to face the end times with faith and strength (Daniel 12:3). The book emphasizes this theme repeatedly, mirroring Paul’s yearning to “know Him” (Philippians 3:10).

The text suggests that we, the generation witnessing the culmination of prophecy, are uniquely privileged (Matthew 24:34). Knowledge has exploded in recent decades, potentially accelerating the events foretold (Daniel 12:4). The establishment of Israel in 1948 is seen by many scholars as a pivotal moment, marking the beginning of the end.

This journey through Daniel’s prophecy leaves us with a stark message: while the world faces turmoil, those who truly “know their God” will stand strong (Daniel 11:32). Ultimately, history marches towards its divinely ordained conclusion, and only those anchored in Jesus, both Savior and Lord, will find solace.