Colin Badger - Class 5: They Words are Heard and I am Come for They Words

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   This is Silver Star Bible School, 1987, August 12, Session 3. Our speaker is Brother Colin Badger. His general theme is The Effectual Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man Availeth Much. The title of this class is Thy Words Are Heard, and I Am Come for Thy Words, based on Daniel 10 and the first three verses of Daniel 12.

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   Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. I'd like to begin this fourth session, brothers and sisters, by asking you to cudgel your minds for a moment and thinking about this question. Where in the Old Testament would you go to find the clearest passage teaching the doctrine of resurrection at Christ's return? I'd like to begin this first session, say, the clearest passage concerning resurrection, with the saints clearly identified in conjunction with that resurrection.

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   Where would you go in the Old Testament? I would suspect that most of us would think of Daniel chapter 12, looking for a passage that is clear as possible, that is, where resurrection is clearly understood, and the saints are involved in that resurrection. Not Messiah, but the saints, first and foremost. Now, that's curious.

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   Let's just look at Daniel chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. 2. Verse 2. The resurrection of Messiah are nowhere near as easy to identify in terms of time as Daniel chapter 12. It makes a point of it. At that time, what time? When Michael stands up, when the people are in the midst of great trouble, at that time, verse 1, the people, or the saints, shall be delivered.

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   They are the ones who are written in the book, so the saints are very clearly identified. Their former condition is that of sleep or death, in verse 2. They shall awake. They shall awake. Standard language for resurrection, so many times in Old and New Testament. Judgment is implied in verse 2. For on the basis of that assessment, some will be given everlasting life.

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   Some, however, will be given shame and everlasting contempt. The glorious condition of those who are given everlasting life is described in verse 3, language that is used in Matthew 24, in Matthew 13, in Revelation. They that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. They that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever.

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   Surely, one of the clearest, if not the clearest, statements in the Old Testament concerning the doctrine of resurrection for the saints. Now, in the book of Daniel, we believe that there is a context that prepares for this very clear passage concerning resurrection. I'd like just to step back a little bit, brothers and sisters, for in Daniel chapter 8, we find a condition given in Daniel chapter 8, which describes the plight of Israel as they are persecuted.

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   Now, we've looked at this already, I'm sure, in the last few days, where the truth and the people are cast to the ground in Daniel chapter 8, verse 12. They are cast down, or it cast down, the truth to the ground, practiced and it prospered. And, of course, there is an appeal in verse 13, how long will this take?

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   And the time period mentioned that we discussed last evening is given. This is the casting down. And this is the time of desolation and oppression, verse 13 and 14. But then, in verse 15, in this prophecy concerning the casting down to the ground of Israel, there is hope. Verse 15, It came to pass when I, even I, Daniel, had seen the vision and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

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    And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Uli, which called and said, Gabriel, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. Notice we meet our friend Gabriel again. Verse 17, So he came near where I stood. When he came, I was afraid and fell upon my face. And he said unto me, Understand, O son of man, for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

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    Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground. The posture is not just one of humility. It is also one of humiliation, brothers and sisters, for that same kind of expression, has been used about the condition of his people and the truth, which are cast down to the ground in verse 12.

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    The posture, then, of Daniel is towards the ground. He is in, as it were, a deep sleep, faced to the ground. But, verse 18, he touched me and set me upright. Now, watch your margin there. Hebrew, made me stand upon my standing. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation.

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    For at the time appointed, the end shall be. It's one thing simply to say that Daniel was prostrate on the ground. It's another thing to say specifically that he was in a kind of coma. He was in a kind of deep sleep. and that is through the touching and the words of the angel, Gabriel at that, that the prophet is brought awake and that he stands up and made me stand upon my standing.

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    That kind of experience, personally, for Daniel, that sleep condition, face to the ground, and the reawakening and the standing up again experienced, personally, by Daniel relates in this prophecy, of course, to an answer to his question, how long? The number of days is given as 2,300. The resurrection kind of experience that Daniel has here, then, is in relation especially to the subjugation of the people of Israel.

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    In Daniel chapter 7, just before it, speaking not so much of the condition of the nation of Israel, but the condition of the saints, they too are described as being cast down to the ground in a certain sense, although those exact words are not used. For we find, verse 23 of Daniel 7, that the persecuting hostility of the work of the fourth beast in the last days has this result to the saints.

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    Verse 23 of Daniel 7, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall, notice, tread it down, and break it in pieces. Then we read in verse 25, and he shall speak great words against the most high, and shall wear out the saints of the most high.

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    So the saints are worn out. The earth, not just Israel, is trodden down. That territory of the earth where the saints find themselves living. So the focus here is not physical Israel. The focus here is the saints and the world in which they live in the last days. Verse 27, it's obvious. The saints are still the subject of attention.

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    Verse 27, and the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Now, if they've been worn out, and if the world in which they have lived has been broken in pieces and trodden down, then they, the saints have experienced the same kind of treading down, same kind of antagonism, same kind of wearing out, which Israel is described as experiencing as a nation, the Jew in his persecuted state in Daniel 8.

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    But in both cases, either by a direct enactment in Daniel 8 or by implication that the saints finally rule in verse 27, the saints must be lifted back up again, as must Israel be lifted up again. Both, therefore, require a kind of resurrection experience, one enacted and one by implication. You see, then, by the time you come to Daniel chapter 12 and find the clearest statement concerning resurrection of the saints and the clearest indication of the time of that experience, we've been prepared for that resurrection concept.

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    First in Daniel 7 by implication with the saints who were worn out but will be elevated in order to rule the world. And secondly, the experience of the nation of Israel, downtrodden in Daniel 8, but in the experience of the prophet, a reawakening and a standing upon the standing, as the Hebrew margin suggests.

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    of the people would be found in the book of Daniel at a time when the Gentiles are beginning to rule and when his people are in captivity and the saints in particular in the person of Daniel and his friends are suffering oppression. Why would that be such an appropriate time to set before Israel the hope of their resurrection nationally and to set before the saints and Daniel and his friends the hope of their resurrection to immortality?

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    Let's just suspend an answer to that but keep it in mind as we progress. Let's ask another question. Where in the Old Testament do we have the most detailed description of the process? And then the key word there is process. Where do we have the most detailed description of the process of Israel's resurrection nationally?

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    Ezekiel 37, which we looked at last night. Now Ezekiel is also a contemporary at least for a short term with Daniel. Ezekiel is receiving this resurrection or restoration vision at a time that is in the times of the Gentiles at a time when his people have been taken captive to Babylon. Now that's curious that the most detailed description of a resurrection process bones coming together from the skeletal frames the sinew being put on the bones and muscle flesh blood finally breath and then a standing just go back to Ezekiel 37 vision.

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    This too is at the same time roughly of Daniel's vision and the people's condition in time and place is the same. we have the overhead on please when breath is brought into the corpses of Ezekiel 37 verse 9 we read as follows verse 9 of chapter 37 then said he unto me prophesy unto the wind prophesy son of man and say to the wind thus saith the Lord God come from the four winds O breath and breathe upon thee slain notice their condition and remember that in Daniel chapter 9 excuse me Daniel chapter 8 Israel had been described as being trodden down by her enemies and desolated breathe upon thee slain that they may live so I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great army not only do we have a fairly detailed resurrection process here but of particular interest in the Septuagint that's the Greek translation of verse 10 you have this word being used in the Septuagint for standing up it's as you can see part of the standard Greek word used in the New Testament for Anastasius or resurrection so estami is used stand up the main stem of that word used so often in the New Testament and as we'll see also elsewhere in the Old Testament Septuagint we know that many times the vocabulary of the New Testament Greek seems to either borrow or at least parallel the Greek words used quite often in the Greek Septuagint which Jesus listeners and readers were familiar with keep that in mind brothers and sisters and go

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    forward in Ezekiel chapter 37 to verse 24 for it's not only the nation of Israel physical that is a subject of concern here but were brought into the future age when we come to verse 24 we have Messiah before us as the end result of this resurrection of the nation verse 24 and David my servant shall be king over them and they shall have one shepherd and they also they shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them now the clearest statement of resurrection process in a national sense but also it must be very similar in the individual sense is in Ezekiel to the captives in Babylon the clearest statement of resurrection concerning the saints is found in Daniel in Babylon at about the same time when nationally the nation of Israel is experiencing the same kind of Gentile oppression interesting that God would reveal this kind of information at this time in his revelation to his people another question and this is the last where in the Old Testament would you turn to find the concept of resurrection linked with the period of three days where in the Old Testament would you find the concept of resurrection linked with the period of three days that is the clearest link I hear Jonah yes Jonah is perhaps the choice we could make there's one other contender I wouldn't say which one is necessarily better than the other but the question is which is the clearest can you read Jonah without the help of the New Testament or would you have read Jonah without the help of the New Testament statement from

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    Jesus and have concluded that Jonah's experience was necessarily intended to portray a resurrection process in three days the master says so therefore it's absolutely right in one of the most important illustrations in the Old Testament and it's interesting by the way that the prophet Jonah was the only prophet sent to the Gentiles at a time of Assyrian ascendancy there's an interesting similarity with the kind of context we find ourselves in Ezekiel and Daniel but beside Jonah's experience the clearest statement from the Old Testament itself would likely be from Hosea just turn to Hosea there's a picture that's beginning to build up here brothers and sisters I believe Hosea chapter six the prophet appeals to the nation come verse one and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up after two days will he revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight you see the similarity here to the language of Ezekiel 37 speaking of national Israel here is a clear statement linking three day process and that of resurrection it's really a clearer statement than that Jonah what's the time in the context it's at a time when Israel has been wayward it's on the threshold of Assyria ready to come down and overtake the northern ten tribes it's really on the very shadow of the beginning of the times of the Gentiles tasted firstly through the Assyrian invasion but then brought about fully when the southern kingdom is destroyed at the time of Daniel God is giving Israel

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    and the saints resurrection information as they get closer and closer to the beginning of the times of the Gentiles when they're going to be displaced and lose temporarily of course the exercises of the law when they're going to experience what we talked about two periods back the life of being a nomad where they will be strangers and aliens from their homeland it's then that the resurrection doctrine is introduced to the nation in very clear form no doubt in the experience of Abraham and Isaac there were hints along the way the work of Elijah and Elisha in their resurrection work yes there were certainly indications of the resurrection there but now it's coming forward as a revelation by God to this nation north and south as they begin to come into the times of the Gentiles and live as aliens in a strange land that can't be a coincidence as we sample these sections from the Old Testament the question then is what's the appropriateness of introducing clearly the resurrection doctrine to the Old Testament at that time let's think carefully about that why is the resurrection doctrine put in front of our eyes in the New Testament because we are aliens and strangers we have no continual abiding place we are to view our surrounding circumstances as being temporal but what's the incentive how do you encourage brothers and sisters to hold with a very light hand the possessions of this age how do you encourage brothers and sisters to lift up their heads from their surrounding circumstances and look to something greater how do you do that the father's method is to set before us

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    a vision not only the restoration of the nation of Israel not only the revival of that people and the restoration of Jerusalem but you give them personal incentive you cause them to understand that there is hope for themselves not only will the nation the city and the land be resurrected but you have the hope of personal resurrection something to hope for something to pray about something that will give you the incentive to lift up your eyes and look heavenward for it's a heavenly hope it's the hope that you will be energized by spirit thus showing that the temporal things around you are transient that's how you encourage brothers and sisters to walk the line that they are to walk to give the encouragement they need in trial and tribulation you lift up their eyes to the heavenly hope and it's personal as well as the national hope for the peace of Jerusalem now that brings us to Daniel chapter 10 the focus of our comments but it has to be seen in context not only of the prophecy of Daniel before what is said in Daniel 10 through what we saw in 7 and 8 but Daniel chapter 10 has to be seen also as throwing out an important link to those first three verses in Daniel chapter 12 and we have to see the personal nature of this hope that Daniel not only sees now he experiences as he did in chapter 8 when the resurrection and the hope of the nation is presented to him so we come into Daniel chapter 10 and once again in verse 2 like we saw last day in

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    Daniel 9 Daniel's attitude prepares his receptiveness and pleases no doubt the father to give him an answer for he tells us personally in verse 2 that in those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks it's easy in our readings to gloss over that verse and not give it much thought have you ever mourned for three full weeks not necessarily here now for the loss of a loved one that might be a little easier to identify with but have you ever mourned for the ecclesia or for spiritual matters and concerns for three full weeks I know I haven't that's the difference between Daniel and ourselves perhaps in part here was a man who agonized over spiritual matters in Daniel chapter 9 he agonized with sack cloth and ashes just to know by books his understanding of the 70 years prophecy in Jeremiah and he prayed about it and he agonized to know and here he's in the same posture again in his prayer for he tells us in verse three that he fasts for he eats no pleasant bread he has no flesh no wine neither does he anoint himself until the three weeks are over but then in verse four in the four and twentieth day of the first month as I was by the side of the great river which is Hittichel alone and secluded this time away from his home he receives a vision verse five and he lifts up his eyes and he looks and what does he see he sees a certain man margin one man or as it can be translated the man or a man of one and this

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    man is clothed in linen whose loins were girded with fine gold his body also was like the burl and his face is the appearance of lightning and his eyes as lamps of fire his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude now bring together those two thoughts one in verse five and one in verse six here was one man or a man of one and yet when he speaks he has the voice of a multitude so in one man there is a multitudinous voice a multitudinous representation now brother Stephen has this chapter also and he has to expand on this I'm sure in order to fulfill his obligations I guess we could say for the exposition of this chapter and I don't want to tread on this exposition of the one man and its links with other passages in the New Testament except for our purposes we're looking at this as it relates to prayer and to the hope of prayer and the object of prayer here we have also a preparation for Daniel chapter 12 without any real in-depth study most brothers and sisters I'm sure would look at verse 5 and 6 and say well it reminds them of the picture of an angel or it reminds them of some picture of a glorified individual it's a picture of God manifestation one man is stressed at first but then the voice of a multitude doesn't take a lot of careful searching for links elsewhere in this prophecy or out of this prophecy in Old Testament or New to realize

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    that this is the language of God manifestation Ezekiel received a vision in the first few chapters of his prophecy and some of the light colors the colors used to describe light in Ezekiel 1 and 2 are very similar to this and the glorified figures related to the cherubim in Ezekiel 1 and 2 in the wheel vision are also related to this for now letting Stephen be able to handle that the way he wishes let's just notice that Daniel sees a vision of God manifestation in the person of a man yet who is also associated with a multitude when he speaks now we're going to continue and leave the exposition of that for our purposes we now look at verse 7 and on and I Daniel alone saw the vision for the men that were with me saw not the vision but a great quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves the prophet now was privileged to experience this alone therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision and the remain no strength in me for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption now notice now how these terms are even more detailed than that of the experience of the prophet's sleep in Daniel 8 that we just looked at it uses the word corruption he has no strength funny to describe someone as having corruption while he's still alive even though he might feel weak you wouldn't normally say that because a person feels he has no strength that he feels there's corruption in his body yet he does and in verse 9 yet heard I the voice of

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    his words when I heard the voice of his words we come back to Daniel late experience then was I in a deep sleep on my face on my face toward the ground so there's Daniel in a state of kind of death corruption no strength a deep sleep remember it's sleep that's described in Daniel 12 from which the saints come out they're described in the first three verses of Daniel 12 as a waking out of sleep second stage verse 10 behold a hand touched me which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands notice the process it's a kind of resurrection experience but it's in process through stages remember what we saw in Ezekiel 37 just a few moments ago and what we saw last night stages in the resurrection he touched me set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands and now he's told an encouraging thing in response to his prayer the angel says he said unto me oh Daniel a man greatly understand the words that I speak unto thee stand upright Hebrew in the margin stand upon thy standing just like we saw in Daniel 8 stress on the fact that he's to stand I speak unto thee and stand upon thy standing for unto thee am I now sent and when he had spoken this word unto me I stood trembling the Septuagint word for stood there is anastan it's not the word for anastasius but it's related interestingly enough we go on a little further then said he unto me fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou did set

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    thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words once again let's think of the practical import of that Daniel like all of us needed encouragement he needed the assurance that his prayers were heard so did the friends so did the nation of Israel why would they need especially at this time encouragement concerning the hearing of their prayers well without having lived in those days prior to the 70 year captivity it's hard to remember here was a person in Daniel and the nation who was with him who had previously experienced the exercise of the laws of Moses they were used to seeing animals sacrificed on the altar that was a central form of worship they were used to seeing or knowing of the altar of burnt incense but question does God hear prayer while we're in Babylon or do we have to still be in the land remember Acts chapter 7 Stephen speech the assurance to all of Israel that God is not worshipped by a temple made with hands pure and simple God is wherever his people are God wishes to dwell not just in a temple made with hands he wishes to dwell with flesh for the word was made flesh and he wishes to dwell and to live and to work and to change you and I and make us into a new creation that's a fundamental understanding brothers and sisters prayers why of why brothers and sisters in this predicament need to know that prayers are heard and answered did they have to be in the temple no did

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    they have to be in the land of Israel no did they have to at least be in Jerusalem for prayers to be heard no prayers are heard even in Babylon to the righteous that is that's a source of encouragement wherever we are brothers and sisters whether we are walking on so called holy ground or not wherever we are his people are met with the presence of God and his overshadowing care whether we're at the bus stop whether we're at home wherever we are there's that positive assurance and it was something that perhaps you and I take for granted and understand well but it was a new experience for people in exile from a place that was of course away from the central forms and symbols of worship thy prayers Daniel were heard and I am come for thy words then we are told that the angel was detained of course but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one in twenty days but lo Michael ah Michael the one who's introduced to us at the beginning of chapter twelve that clear passage to do with resurrection Michael whose name means like unto God one of the chief princes came to help me and I remain there with the kings of Persia now verse fourteen I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days for yet the vision is for many days Daniel however is as we understand it standing but he is not really standing with a lot of strength for we left Daniel before these words were first spoken by the angel standing in verse

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    eleven and trembling now there's another process the third point verse fifteen when he had spoken such words unto me I set my face toward the ground he's down again as it were looking down and I became dumb and behold one like now notice the similitude of the sons of men the plural picture one like the similitude of the sons of men remember that certain man who was one man yet when he spake his voice was like a multitude one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips then I opened my mouth and spake and said unto him that stood before me oh my lord by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and I have retained no strength and or for how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord for as for me straightway there remained no strength in me neither is there breath in me notice no breath the condition of the dispersed nation and the valley of dry bones one who has no breath is as though he was dead so that picture of the corpse is once again reinforced in the condition of Daniel as he experiences it verse 18 then third stage then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man and he strengthened me final stage and said oh man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong and when he had spoken unto me I was strengthened and said let my lord speak for thou hast strengthened me at least three main stages here brothers and sisters he experiences a

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    death state he is brought partly upright although still trembling and lacking any strength and still without proper breath and then finally the stage in verse 19 Daniel experiences strength what a marvelous picture and in verse 21 almost the last word mentioned is the word Michael one like God who was like God in the vision verse five and six right that certain man looked like God who was the one that comes in verse 13 as part of the vision experience lo one like God Michael one of the chief princes comes to help me who is it then that strengthens and brings Daniel through in this last stage Michael does one like God and it's in the days of Michael Daniel chapter 12 one like God that the vision the clearest vision in the Old Testament of the resurrection of the saints is given is that just coincidence that in the resurrection experience which Daniel has using even words as we can see here mentioned already before in the standing up of Daniel that are used elsewhere in the New Testament for resurrection in part part of the stem as well as the whole world itself all brought to our focus as we come from New Testament and look back here in the old with a better vision than what perhaps even his contemporaries had here though in the vision of one who's like God a vision of God manifestation Daniel besides that man goes through a step by step process from being in a corruptible sleeping condition to where finally from a trembling standing position he's upright and he's strengthened here's Daniel and here's one who is

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    called that certain man or that one man who when he speaks speaks like the voice of a multitude and this voice of a multitude is heard in the face of Daniel here is one who is glorified and speaks for a multitude here is one who experiences a strengthening process through a resurrection as he watches and sees this great glorious vision in front of him and then the final step brought for Daniel is by one who's called Michael one like unto God who faces the prophet Daniel touches him and strengthens him in the last stage of verse 19 see how you cannot separate Daniel chapter 8 Daniel chapter 10 from Daniel chapter 12 once again let's now see how this relates to the purpose of helping Daniel in prayer and helping to encourage both himself and the fellow saints he had around him to endure the trials of their affliction let's go to that passage in the New Testament that best shows the resurrection and uses in the Greek the word Anastasis 1st of Corinthians 15 here's the clearest passage in the New Testament concerning resurrection and just look at the terms of reference as they parallel the terms of reference in Daniel 10 1st of Corinthians 15 verse 42 we have here in connection with resurrection the mention of the condition being corruption to start with in verse 42 you remember that in Daniel 10 that Daniel was described as though he had corruption then there's a raising verse 42 and that's the word anastasis the word used in part in the valley of dry bones and in part also in Daniel chapter 10 and

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    Daniel 8 both together then of course as we proceed through there's mention of the word breath for in verse 45 the last state is described as quickening spirit or quickening breath then we're told in verse 49 that the ultimate result will be that we bear the image of the heavenly what did Daniel have put in front of him the picture of a certain man and a glorified expression of God manifestation who came to do the final touch Michael one like unto God we shall bear the image of the heavenly then what is the final encouragement well you see in verse 57 the prayer first to Corinthians 15 ends with a prayer the two are not disassociated first we're given the picture of resurrection for most of that chapter and then Paul breaks out into a prayer of praise and thanksgiving verse 57 but thanks be to God it's an expression of prayer and worship thanks be to God who giveth us not just me but us the victory through who through our Lord Jesus Christ who touched Daniel and gave him the strength Michael did one like God how do we get the victory through one who is like God Jesus Christ verse 58 therefore here's the conclusion of the matter my beloved brethren here is the practical reason for the doctrine of resurrection being explained to us here's the effect it should have on the minds and hearts of Christ Adelphians therefore here's what follows if we have a resurrection hope if death will be overcome if God will give us the victory through one who is like Michael one like unto God therefore

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    brothers and sisters he says be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord how do you know that how do you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord because of what's just been said because of the hope of resurrection that's why your labor is not in vain if your energies are finally expended in the master's service if you're thrown into the lion's den as it were if you're thrown into the fiery furnace if you like Joel lose some of your family and your home if you're flesh is given to disease and sickness and to problems if like the apostle Paul you're buffeted for Christ's sake if you are how do you know that your labor is not in vain because because verse 57 thanks be to God he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ what victory the hope of resurrection why did Daniel need to know that why did his friends need to know that what was the incentive to them at that time and at that place brothers and sisters because these were men who were thrown into lions these were men who faced dire persecution and problems they needed to have that vision before them and Daniel is given that vision after he has prayed so let's get that sequence Daniel prays and mourns for three weeks Daniel receives an answer to his prayer what's the answer he sees a glorified vision of God manifestation in a whole body of people as it were but in the person

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    of a kind of one man that's the ultimate result and then Daniel in the face of that vision goes through stages of resurrection until he too is standing up and he too has strength and one like unto God has given him that resurrection experience Daniel prayed Daniel got an answer he saw it first as the end result he experienced it personally through his own self Daniel is given the hope of resurrection not just as a vision in front of him although that was important as the end result Daniel experiences it what a gracious God what a God of understanding the frailties and the forgetfulness of human experience that Daniel on behalf of all his faithful and on behalf of you and I portrays for us the man who is given the reward at the end of the race for faithful service and the apostle Paul in detailing the greatest chapter in the New Testament on the process of Anastasius and resurrection ends by a prayer assures us that we have victory and then in verse 58 tells us what the practical import is therefore like Daniel and his friends there's now reason to be steadfast now there's an incentive to be unmovable now we have an encouragement to be always abounding in the work of the Lord is that how the resurrection doctrine affects you and I is it just a principle just something in the Birmingham amended statement of faith that we read and say yes to just something we ascend to prior to baptism does it have that effect on you and I that's the point do we pray for it and by

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    praying for it keep the vision fresh and crisp in our mind in our heart do we picture it as something real that Daniel needed to experience and see as being real and when it comes to deciding whether or not we should support the Bible class when we wonder whether we should help serve on the arranging board which we know will put more demands on our time when we see that the CYC is in need of help when we see the brethren are crying out for assistance in committee work in the work of the Lord when we see a magazine that might need assistance in various ways by support writers or in many other ways when we see there's an appeal to the mission field do we brothers and sisters say yes and accept those responsibilities personally by the incentive of the doctrine of resurrection may it be brothers and sisters that we like Paul in verse 57 can pray as follows thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen