DAYS OF THE END
Bert Clendennen
The book of Daniel deals with (he end of this age or the end of time. God gave Daniel certain visions and revelations that pertain to the end and then told him they were closed up until the end. "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried: but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand: but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up. there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth. and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way (ill the end be: for thou shall rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days "(Daniel 12:10-13)
God gave Daniel information about certain limes, events and length of days, and told him to go his way until the end when he would stand in his lot. In other words. God told Daniel he would be resurrected. Since ail the saints are going to he resurrected together at the end of time, there is certainly a key here that, if properly computed, would bring us into the proximity of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man. no. not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matthew 24:36. 42)
Discerning the Times
Although no man knows the day nor the hour of His coming, there can be no doubt we arc in the final days - perhaps even the closing hours. The events and prophecies given by Daniel. Ezekiel. and others do set times. Jesus said to the religious leaders: “When you see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say. There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say. There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth: but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:54 - 56)
We know everything but the right thing. In other words, He is saying, “There is given to you a knowledge of when this age will end.” We can. by establishing when certain events began, know the time of Christ's return. If a person could establish the time when the daily sacrifice was taken away, then he could count changes in the calendar.
Watch and Be Sober
“But of the times and the season, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say. Peace and safety: then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child: and they shall not escape. But ye. brethren, arc not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we arc not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others: but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)
If these solemn words mean anything, they mean that in this world there are children of light who are wide awake to the nearness of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. These enlightened ones know the times and seasons of His coming, which to the world shall he as a thief in the night. If the Lord didn't want us to know something about the time of His coming, why did He inspire Daniel to fill so much of his prophecy with days, weeks, years and times? These times, when carefully reckoned bring us to certain, exact dates which, if correctly computed and properly understood, point unerringly to the season of His coming. In fact. He told Daniel he would be resurrected at the end of a thousand two hundred and ninety days How much more exact could He be than this?
Abomination That Maketh Desolate
If we could know when the abomination that maketh desolate was made to stand in the Holy Place, we could know when He would come. The conclusion of many serious Bible scholars is that the Mosque of Omar which stands atop Mount Marian where the Temple of God used to stand is the abomination that maketh desolate. We need only to know when the mosque was built; then twelve hundred and ninety years from that time Daniel will be resurrected. How specific God is with us! In the tear of God let us examine these scriptures given to us by Daniel the prophet foretelling of the coming of Christ, the end of the age and the resurrection of the just. It will become evident that the Lord has not left us in darkness concerning the end of the age.
God's Secret Weapon
There is a wisdom that is hidden from the world - the ungodly - but is revealed to God's people. It is a secret wisdom that God imparts to those who arc possessors of His mind - those who have the Holy Ghost within them, those who will dare yield themselves to the Spirit. The wicked and the careless cannot partake of the riches of this spiritual understanding because it is the wisdom of God - the priceless gift of the Holy Ghost. Concerning the wisdom that God imparts to mature saints. a great description is given here: “Howbeit we .speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written. EYE HATH NOT SEE. NOR EAR HEARD. NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN. THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea. the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man. save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man. but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God: that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth. but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they arc foolishness unto him: neither can be know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For WHO HATH KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD THAT HE MAY INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." (I Corinthians 2:6-16)
The word “perfect” is better interpreted “mature”, thus, the wisdom of God is imparted to the spiritually mature. We oftimes expect more of people than God intends, unless we understand He is talking about mature saints when He speaks of those who are perfect.
Sodom and Gomorrah- Examples to Us
At the Teen Challenge Center in Houston we were filming some segments of the movie “Sown to the Wind,” showing how decadent we have become. Never has a people seen such an explosion of self conceit, materialism, pride, arrogance, selfishness, greed, corruption, and false religion. Unless we repent, we're going 10 face the same judgment as all other nations in history. Four blocks from the Teen Challenge Center in Houston is the crossroads of teenage prostitution. From 11:00 PM until around 3:00 AM. the city has set up no turn signs because the traffic is so heavy. There along the street are male and female prostitutes from age 10 through the teens. The traffic from around 11:00 PM on is bumper to bumper as adults come to pick up these children to use them. If you think God is going to let that go on, you're wrong. There has never been a generation more possessed with perversion, going after strange flesh, than America today. The Apostle Jude foretold this: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, 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. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (Jude 7-8)
We have arrived. This is an age of wickedness, covetousness. malice, envy, murder, strife, malignity, gossip, slander, hatred of God, pride, foolishness, faithlessness, heartlessness. ruthlessness; all gross disregard for righteousness. God wants His Church to be aware that He is about to come. God is trying to tell us the age is ending, and we know when it will happen.
Intercourse with Darkness
The signal for the downfall of the Adamic race, the rampant sinfulness, the degrading corruption and defiance of God that followed was brought to a full manifestation when the sons of God began to intermarry with the daughters of men. I don't know all the implications, but I have looked at it as being an intercourse with darkness. They produced a generation of giants, wicked beyond words, that hated God. Here we have a mixture of the human and the demonic. That certainly is taking place today. Men are fascinated by the darkness. Spiritism is on the rise. There is a revival of the occult. Men are turning to witchcraft and Satan worship. Even little children are manifesting the marks of demonic influence.
Line of Demarcation
There is coming into focus a line of demarcation and it will get more pronounced all the while The real mark is going to be the nature of men and women, their love for Christ and their change of heart. There is going to be some decided marks of holiness that show up in God's people, a separation from this world, a hatred of violence. Instead of sitting around at night and watching the violence, filth and rape, we should be reading the Word, praying and seeking God. We need to have prayer meetings including all the family in the homes if we are going to be ready when He returns. We will see this happening with those who really go on with God.
On the other hand, you arc going to see others who hate Christ, people who don't want Christ mentioned on radio broadcasts. You can call in and talk about Buddha, and nobody will worry about it, but don't talk about Jesus. The hatred for Christ is on the rise, and the love for Christ among true Christians is also on the rise. There is coming a time when some people will be willing to lay down their lives for Him, while others are going to despise to hear His name, even though they go to Church.
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up. and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28) I believe those who mean business with God can look up and rejoice today. However, when the Lord revealed these things to Daniel, it must have been a great frustration because it was sealed, until the end time. But it must have been a great comfort for God to say to him you will come up in the resurrection of the just. Daniel in fasting and praying earnestly sought God for a clearer vision of the revelations that had been given him. Notice the Lord spoke to him of two different lime spans. In Daniel 12:12 He spoke of a period of 1335 days. After this Daniel was told he would rest (evidently in death) and be resurrected at the end of these days. This is somewhat confusing because of the two distinct time periods. But looking into the history of the abomination of desolation, it is really a double confirmation. Since the just dead will he raised at the time of Christ's coming. God was telling Daniel that 1335 years after the daily sacrifice was taken away. Christ would come.
