The Book of Daniel 11-12
Sermon Summary
On Sunday, Pastor Russell Johnson concluded the Daniel series by exploring Daniel 11-12, using the powerful image of WaterWorld's wave pool to illustrate the relentless nature of human history: "the waves didn't stop. They kept coming, bigger, harder, closer together." Pastor Russell walked through the stunning prophetic accuracy of Daniel 11:1-35, where specific historical figures from Persian and Greek empires are described centuries before they lived, declaring "hitting a bullet with a bullet idea. Here we are again, and again, and again!" He demonstrated how wave after wave of kingdoms rose and fell—Ptolemies, Seleucids, and ultimately Antiochus IV Epiphanes—all crashing through Israel with deception, violence, and persecution. Pastor Russell taught that behind this chaos stands God's sovereignty: "God determines even the terms of tyrannies, and they are restrained to the dates on God's calendar." He concluded with God's assurance to Daniel and to us: "Your duty is clear: go your way to the end; and your future is settled: you will enter into rest and rise again," reminding us that we have "an allotted place, an assigned space, designated for you in the resurrection age at the end of the days."
Discussion Questions
- Pastor Russell opened with his childhood experience at WaterWorld, where the wave pool would create wave after wave until "suddenly you're not playing anymore, you're just trying to stay above water." What's a season in your life that felt like relentless waves—where one challenge would hit, and before you could catch your breath, another one came?
- Read Daniel 11:1-20 together. Pastor Russell explained the stunning accuracy of these prophecies about Persian kings, Alexander the Great, the Ptolemies, and Seleucids, noting these kingdoms repeatedly intersected at Israel with "all of this back and forth and back and forth is going through Israel." How does seeing God predict specific historical rulers and events centuries in advance strengthen our confidence that He also knows and controls what feels chaotic in our world today?
- Read Daniel 11:4, 6, 12, 14, 19, 22. Pastor Russell highlighted the repeated refrains throughout the chapter showing kingdoms breaking, falling, and being swept away, teaching that "there is one Kingdom that will last forever, and it will not be man's. All these earthly kingdoms are given by God and restrained by God." When we watch current political powers, cultural movements, or global crises that seem unstoppable, how should this truth change our anxiety levels and prayer priorities?
- Read Daniel 11:21-35. Pastor Russell detailed Antiochus IV Epiphanes' horrific persecution of the Jewish people, including desecrating the temple and setting up "the abomination of desolation," yet noted this points forward to an even greater future fulfillment in the Antichrist. Given that faithful Jews during the Maccabean period "will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days," what does this teach us about the cost of remaining faithful when evil seems to be winning?
- Read Daniel 11:24, 27, 35 and Daniel 12:7, 11-12. Pastor Russell emphasized God's repeated phrase "at the appointed time" throughout these chapters, teaching that "God determines even the terms of tyrannies, and they are restrained to the dates on God's calendar" and even gives specific time periods like "time, times, and half a time" (3½ years). How does knowing that God has already marked the calendar for evil's expiration date help us endure when wickedness appears to prosper without limits?
- Read Daniel 12:1-3. Pastor Russell taught that this passage promises resurrection—"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life"—and that "those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." Share about someone who has led you toward righteousness or deepened your faith—how does this promise that they will "shine like the stars forever" encourage you about eternal impact versus temporary success?
- Read Daniel 12:13. Pastor Russell concluded by applying God's word to Daniel directly to us: "Your duty is clear: go your way to the end; and your future is settled: you will enter into rest and rise again," explaining that Daniel was simply "to get back to your desk and filing cabinet, Daniel, and finish your day's work; grind it out living quietly and working with your own hands." What does faithful "grinding it out" look like in your specific life circumstances this week—at work, at home, in relationships—knowing that your "allotted portion" is already waiting in the resurrection age?
Extra Credit
Look up and read these passages about God's sovereignty over human history and His promise of resurrection and reward:
Psalm 2:1-4 - "Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!' He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them."
Isaiah 40:15, 17 - "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust... All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless."
Matthew 10:28 - "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Revelation 20:11-12 - "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds."
What common threads do you see in these passages about God's perspective on earthly powers, the temporary nature of persecution, and the certainty of resurrection and judgment? How do these truths equip us to faithfully "go our way to the end" regardless of the waves that crash around us?
Psalm 2:1-4 - "Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!' He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them."
Isaiah 40:15, 17 - "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust... All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless."
Matthew 10:28 - "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Revelation 20:11-12 - "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds."
What common threads do you see in these passages about God's perspective on earthly powers, the temporary nature of persecution, and the certainty of resurrection and judgment? How do these truths equip us to faithfully "go our way to the end" regardless of the waves that crash around us?
Posted in Sermon Notes
No Comments