Introduction

Chapter 12 of the Book of Daniel is also the final chapter. Each time I lead everyone in studying Daniel, I feel a sense of pressure, which persists until the next time we study it. Therefore, I try to spend more time understanding Daniel, as this book is somewhat like a heavenly scripture.

It is arduous to strive to understand what is not readily comprehensible, but this process is called seeking. Everyone must understand that God loves those who seek. If one does not seek, days pass by, and then one day, one suddenly dies, marking the end of a life.

Where does that person go? What is the end of all things? In fact, many people do not care much about this while they are alive. But people should care, because it is important. If one does not care, one becomes foolish.

People Must Seek the End of All Things

If one does not care about the end of all things, but only about the end of one's own life, the result is a tragedy. You can ask, although you cannot ask those who have died. However, you can learn from the living whether they truly care about the end of all things.

Daniel cared deeply about the end of all things and wanted to understand it. As a result, God told Daniel all these things. I call the theme of Chapter 12: The End of All Things. In fact, this theme has another meaning, which is that those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

In fact, people have a bad habit. We often sing a song that says: I don't care about forever, I only care about having it once. Seize the day and enjoy life, this has deluded many people. I met a 16-year-old boy who plays computer games all day, which worries his father greatly.

In fact, his father also played when he was young, which is called seizing the day and enjoying life. But if you don't know how it ends, isn't that a tragedy? When the time comes and you find that you have nothing, that is really deadly.

So, the insight I give to everyone is that the ending is crucial. People must seek the end of all things, because that is our goal. Today, everything we do must be aimed at the goal. If we do not seek the end of all things today, and we do not know what will happen in the future, we live one day at a time. As a result, one day it will be a tragedy, and we will say: God, why is this happening?

One day, when I was leading prayer, the theme of the prayer was: Love you deeply, Jesus. I was deeply moved, why deeply love Jesus? Because I know what the end of all things will be like.

How do I know the end of all things? Because I believe, I read it in the Bible, and I believe it. Because I sought it, God was pleased with me, and He constantly manifested His glory in me.

I am very moved when I see people in need being healed one by one. I said: God, if you had not come to this world in person, incarnated, and died for us while we were still sinners, and died on the cross, bearing our sorrows and carrying our curses, and by your stripes we are healed, how could we be healed today?

This is the result of my seeking. It is very difficult for those who do not seek. They do not know and do not care. They only care about living one day and enjoying one day. But do they really enjoy it? They can't enjoy it. No matter how much they enjoy, they cannot enjoy it more than I do.

Those Who Seek Are Wise

I have one advantage, that is, I seek! Although I have reached this age, I am still seeking. I have never thought about retiring in my forties, staying at home to play. I have never thought about this. Until now, I still have a decision, that is, until the day before I die, I will serve one if I can, I don't want to be idle.

I once did an experiment. For a few days, I stayed at home, doing nothing, just enjoying myself at home, eating when I was full, sleeping when I was well, swiping my phone, swiping this and swiping that. Then one day, two days, three days passed. After three days, I was restless! I felt super uncomfortable in my heart.

I had food and drink, and I lived well. Why was I uncomfortable? Later, I found that people have something called satisfaction. If people have no satisfaction, they live uncomfortably. Why do children play computer games?

Because they do not study well, they want to find comfort and satisfaction in computer games. But after playing too much, they become more entangled, because they still have to do their homework. I have heard of such a thing, a child, as long as he starts to study, everything hurts except his hair. In fact, there are many such people.

What is the result of my seeking? I said that people need to have a sense of satisfaction. When I was a student, I enjoyed studying, but I really didn't know it at first, I only knew it later. When I was a student, I enjoyed being a student. When I was a worker, I enjoyed working. When I was a slave, I enjoyed being a slave. When I was a prisoner, I enjoyed being a prisoner. These are people the world is not worthy of.

If you can really do this, you will be great, you will become Joseph, and later you will become the prime minister of Egypt. The prime minister's chair is not easy to sit on, but Joseph sits on it with enjoyment. I think such people are very interesting, and I also want to be such people, enjoying everything I do.

Later, when I became a pastor, I became an enjoyable pastor, because I have a sense of satisfaction. If people enjoy everything they do, that would be amazing! Confucius has a saying that I recently read and found very interesting, and I would like to share it with you. He said: Knowing it is not as good as liking it, and liking it is not as good as enjoying it.

Let me explain this sentence, that is, knowing that learning is necessary is not as good as studying hard, and studying hard is not as good as enjoying learning. That is, those who know are not as good as those who love to know; those who love to know are not as good as those who enjoy knowing. If a person seeks, he can probably find some truth.

As a pastor, I must also constantly seek. In fact, I didn't understand the Book of Daniel at first. Leading everyone to study it every week is really hard for me. But I seek! To what extent do I seek? To the extent that everything hurts except my hair, that's probably the meaning.

But once you find it, that feeling is really great. Being a pastor is to constantly climb spiritual peaks again and again. Although it is tiring in this process, every time you climb up a small spiritual peak, and then look back, your heart is full of satisfaction.

Those who seek are called wise people, those who seek will find, and those who knock will have the door opened. If a person seeks the end of all things, that is the smartest thing in a person's life. I seek the end of all things, that those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever. I said: God, I want to be such a person!

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)

I said: I have to do this, be a wise man, and turn many to righteousness! If you read the Bible, just read it casually, and you have not experienced the situation where everything hurts except your hair, then it is difficult for you to understand. I am telling you that in my experience over the past many years, only when you are in pain can you have joy. They say that giving birth is the most painful thing. If you don't have a child, you don't know the love of your parents. Giving birth is a very painful thing, but after the child is born, the parents begin to rejoice.

Seeking the end of things, whether we do it according to this goal determines how we live in this world today. If the end of all things is like this, many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. This is the end! As for whether you believe it or not, that is your business. As for me, I believe it. If I believe it and I have no feeling, and nothing happens, then it is still a bit superstitious. But today Christianity cannot be superstitious.

Christianity believes in the true God. When we begin to seek, God pours out His glory on us. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. The glory of God is the manifestation of miracles and wonders, that is the manifestation of the glory of God. Then I tell you, when I lead prayer, how many people are healed! One in a while, one in a while...I am always grateful!

Because I believe the words in the Bible, I strive to seek. Do you know? There are many foolish people. They read the same Bible as I do, and as a result, after they finish reading, it's over. Then today is over, tomorrow is over, and later it is completely over. This sounds a bit vulgar, but think about it carefully.

God Reveals Mysteries to Those Who Seek Him

The Bible is a sealed thing, only revealed to those who seek. Everyone must not think that the Bible speaks very plainly. I used to think, why is the Bible written so difficult? It would be better if it was written more plainly! Let me read a passage from the New Testament:

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. (Matthew 13:10-11)

After reading it, will you feel a little sad? Will you discern good and evil with God: God, what are you doing, wouldn't it be better if they all knew? Then, the worse thing is this: Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has grown calloused. (Matthew 13:14-15)

The key is whether your heart is calloused. If your heart is calloused, it is useless to listen to anything! You say that I speak plainly enough, right? I work hard to tell you these non-straightforward words. What I am talking about is that the end of all things is the key, it is very straightforward! Why does God seal up His words?

But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. (Daniel 12:4)

Because in the end times, people will know the knowledge of God, as the sea is filled with water. It is not that God deliberately seals it, God deliberately wants us to know, but not them to know. How do we divide this us and them? This us is those who seek, who are willing to follow Jesus to understand this mystery.

If people only care about this life, in fact, they cannot live well in this life; when we care about eternal life and seek this matter, God will reveal it to us. The result is that whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away and given to those who have. Which is better? Of course, seeking is better. After seeking, you see that the end of all things is like this, then you must fear God well in the world, and tremble because of the word of God.

Then those who wholeheartedly love God will be protected by God. What viruses, plagues, these are not to be feared. Because God is doing these things, not to harm His people, but to allow the world to understand some truth when they see it. For example, recently this doctor died of Wuhan pneumonia. People live and die, that's all, and many people have not realized it!

For example, when we read Daniel Chapter 11, the king of the north, the king of the south, the king will do as he pleases, exalting himself above every god and prospering in it. When it comes to his end, no one will be able to help him because he does not care about the end.

It is a tragedy if people do not care about eternal life. What does it mean to turn many to righteousness? Righteousness means turning to Jesus Christ. Those who have the faith of Abraham are called righteous. The righteous live by faith, and God counts Abraham as righteous because of his faith, this is called grace. We are not, but God counts us as righteous. Once we are counted as righteous, we are no longer sinners. Sinners have a characteristic, it is legal for the devil to live in the body of sinners. Once we believe in Jesus, the devil is an illegal resident in our body, and we can drive it out through Jesus Christ.

If a person has no faith, how can the demon in his body be driven out? If you do not believe that Jesus bore your curse, and do not believe that your redemption was accomplished by the blood of Jesus, the demon in your body cannot be driven out. So today we imitate the faith of Abraham, believing in the God who can raise people from the dead. Let's look at the scripture:

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)

To Turn Many to Righteousness, Build God's Glorious Church

Abraham believed in eternal life, believing that God could raise people from the dead. God can create something from nothing; this is Abraham's faith. It is a bit difficult for today's Christians to believe this. Not only is it a bit difficult to believe this, but they do not even believe in healing, deliverance, and casting out such minor demons behind the Wuhan pneumonia. They don't believe, and on top of that, they come up with a whole bunch of reasons.

In a pastor group I'm in, I often see them using onions and garlic to prevent diseases. Why don't you use Jesus! I see they have a lot of faith in garlic and onions, but why don't they have faith in Jesus? By the blood of Jesus, we are healed. Psalm 91 speaks so well about this; why can't we guide people onto the path of faith? Today, I am walking on the path of faith, and nothing can turn me back because I have personally seen God's glory constantly manifesting among us.

Turning many to righteousness is very meaningful, and it cannot be done without building a church. In the New Testament, the theme of the entire New Testament is about building a victorious church. A victorious church is the body of Jesus Christ, and entering the body of Jesus Christ is called being made righteous. We all believe in Jesus, but when you delve deeper, the Jesus that one person believes in, the Jesus that another person believes in, and the Jesus that the Apostle Paul believes in—the difference in belief is too vast.

It's as if people believe in different Jesuses, which could be called eight Jesuses. Therefore, we must begin to know that Abraham believed in a God who can raise people from the dead. That is to say, at the end of the world, many will awaken, that is, be resurrected from the dead, and then some will gain eternal life, and some will be thrown into hell.

Why did Abraham believe in God? Because he was seeking the end of all things. He felt that there was not much meaning in life. You say, how could he feel that there was not much meaning in life? Eating well, drinking well, living so well? Because Abraham pondered and discovered that people live and then die. What is the point of this?

You should also ponder this matter, especially those among us who have received healing. It is a tragedy not to seek this. Never reach the point where no one can help you at your end. It is a tragedy today not to seek eternal life, not to seek imperishable, eternal glory. You must begin to seek glory, honor, and imperishable blessings. If you read the New Testament, you will know that building God's glorious church is to turn many to righteousness, and they will shine like stars forever and ever.

Some people say: This is too utilitarian. Our God is like this; don't think that utilitarianism is bad. Who doesn't want to shine like a star? Then you must turn many to righteousness, and turning many to righteousness is pastoring. Love God, shepherd God's flock, which is called turning many to righteousness. What is turning many to righteousness? It begins with faith and leads to faith; under your pastoring, their faith continually grows. Is this generation the end times that Daniel spoke of? Yes.

But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” (Daniel 12:4)

Why hide these words and seal this book? Because only by building a victorious church can this seal be opened. It is written this way in Revelation:

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.(Revelation 5:1-5)

This passage is written in Revelation chapter 5. Chapter 5 is after chapter 4, chapter 4 is after chapter 3, chapter 3 is after chapter 2, and chapter 2 is after chapter 1. Because chapters 1 to 3 are letters written to the seven churches, and the seven churches are constantly talking about how the victorious are. As soon as Jesus is victorious, the church relies on Him to be victorious. The church is the body of Jesus Christ, so in chapter 5, Jesus can open the seven seals. Continue reading:

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of saints.(Revelation 5:8)

It turns out that Christian prayers can open the door to a victorious church and can open human history! Isn't this opening the fourth seal?

Let us look at this passage:

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.(Revelation 6:7-8)

These words are really deadly! Do we want to be victorious Christians? Some people say they dream of it, so let's build God's glorious church together! Today, God has opened seal after seal, and these words are no longer hidden. We know by observing this generation that the last days have arrived. I encourage everyone, as Christians, do not turn it into a chore as you do it.

Once, I was on a plane and found that the person next to me was a pastor I knew. This pastor lamented that he had finally unloaded the chore of being a pastor, and it turned out that he regarded being a pastor as a chore. At that moment, I said in my heart: God, have mercy! I asked him what he was doing now. He said he was making money. I was thinking, how good it would be to earn Jesus! Earning Jesus will make you shine like a star, forever and ever!

There is also a word in the Bible called refining. Turning many to righteousness is a refining, and it is not easy! There are two most challenging things in the world: the first is being the President of the United States, and the second is being a pastor. The President of the United States faces the two houses of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which is not easy. The President of the United States is very envious of China's system. When you are a pastor, to build God's glorious church, it is difficult without shedding tears.

The scripture says:
He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.(Daniel 12:9-10)

It will be to a time, times, and half a time; when the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed, until finally the daily sacrifice is taken away. This is refining! Once refined, if you are gold, you will shine; if you are trash, you will be burned up. We Christians must have a victorious mentality. With a victorious mentality, things we do not enjoy become enjoyable. Because we know the outcome of things, it does not matter if we are refined, and we do not care about encountering more difficulties until God makes us victorious, and God will surely add strength to us.

Even if the power of the holy people is broken and the daily sacrifice is taken away, it does not matter, because the day of the Lord is coming soon. Then will we still care about life and death? It is a very shameful thing for Christians to be afraid of death. Christians live in eternal life, so what is there to be afraid of? For it is the Spirit that gives life! Although our bodies are dead, our spirits are still alive. In the last days, those who sleep in the dust will be resurrected to receive God's judgment.

He Who Endures to the End Will Be Saved

It is normal for us to have some refining; understand that this is God's plan. Whether you are a person of faith must be known through refining. Tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, this is the refining of faith. Prepare your faith every day, so that no matter what happens, you can stand on the victorious rock of Jesus Christ.

At the end, there will be judgment. Some will have eternal life, and some will suffer shame and eternal contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. I am happy when I think of these things! For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all! At the end of the wait, we will all be resurrected from the dead and enjoy our blessings!

As God said:
“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.(Daniel 12:11-12)

In the last days, it is not easy to be a Christian! Christians from all generations were easier than us. Christians in the last days will experience great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of nations until then. At that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. This is our hope. These light and momentary troubles are not worth mentioning! Because we have the end of all things within us. We deeply know that God is our God, and He will make us shine like stars forever and ever.

We must build a victorious and glorious church and be refined in this generation before the daily sacrifice is taken away. We must tell ourselves that we must be wise people no matter what, understanding how the end of all things is arranged. Do not be short-sighted and regret it when it is too late.

May God raise up a victorious people in our generation, raise up a group of wise people. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. May these words be fulfilled in each of our brothers and sisters, and in the future, we will surely rise up to enjoy the blessings that God has prepared for us, Amen!