SERMON TITLE: The One who has Authority over History
TEXT: Daniel 11:2-45 (NLT)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 8-18-24
Watch the sermon here
Take notes here
As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — are joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
We’re continuing our series in the book of Daniel — and we’re nearing the end — just one more week of looking at what it means to live in exile. And the section of Daniel that we’re in — is a section full of visions, dreams, symbols, prophecies about the future, and so on. And — our verses for today — continue the final vision that Daniel is given — a vision that began back in chapter ten. So let’s turn to our text for today and see what we can learn from Daniel’s final vision. We’ll be in Daniel chapter eleven — beginning in verse two.
Daniel 11:2–45 (NLT)
2 “Now then, I will reveal the truth to you. Three more Persian kings will reign, to be succeeded by a fourth, far richer than the others. He will use his wealth to stir up everyone to fight against the kingdom of Greece. 3 “Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule with great authority and accomplish everything he sets out to do. 4 But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king’s descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others. 5 “The king of the south will increase in power, but one of his own officials will become more powerful than he and will rule his kingdom with great strength. 6 “Some years later an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of the north to secure the alliance, but she will lose her influence over him, and so will her father. She will be abandoned along with her supporters. 7 But when one of her relatives becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him. 8 When he returns to Egypt, he will carry back their idols with him, along with priceless articles of gold and silver. For some years afterward he will leave the king of the north alone. 9 “Later the king of the north will invade the realm of the king of the south but will soon return to his own land. 10 However, the sons of the king of the north will assemble a mighty army that will advance like a flood and carry the battle as far as the enemy’s fortress. 11 “Then, in a rage, the king of the south will rally against the vast forces assembled by the king of the north and will defeat them. 12 After the enemy army is swept away, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will execute many thousands of his enemies. But his success will be short lived. 13 “A few years later the king of the north will return with a fully equipped army far greater than before. 14 At that time there will be a general uprising against the king of the south. Violent men among your own people will join them in fulfillment of this vision, but they will not succeed. 15 Then the king of the north will come and lay siege to a fortified city and capture it. The best troops of the south will not be able to stand in the face of the onslaught. 16 “The king of the north will march onward unopposed; none will be able to stop him. He will pause in the glorious land of Israel, intent on destroying it. 17 He will make plans to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will form an alliance with the king of the south. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom from within, but his plan will fail. 18 “After this, he will turn his attention to the coastland and conquer many cities. But a commander from another land will put an end to his insolence and cause him to retreat in shame. 19 He will take refuge in his own fortresses but will stumble and fall and be seen no more. 20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. But after a very brief reign, he will die, though not from anger or in battle. 21 “The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue. 22 Before him great armies will be swept away, including a covenant prince. 23 With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers. 24 Without warning he will enter the richest areas of the land. Then he will distribute among his followers the plunder and wealth of the rich — something his predecessors had never done. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, but this will last for only a short while. 25 “Then he will stir up his courage and raise a great army against the king of the south. The king of the south will go to battle with a mighty army, but to no avail, for there will be plots against him. 26 His own household will cause his downfall. His army will be swept away, and many will be killed. 27 Seeking nothing but each other’s harm, these kings will plot against each other at the conference table, attempting to deceive each other. But it will make no difference, for the end will come at the appointed time. 28 “The king of the north will then return home with great riches. On the way he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey. 29 “Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. 30 For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant. 31 “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. 32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him. 33 “Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. 34 During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. 35 And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come. 36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. 37 He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all. 38 Instead of these, he will worship the god of fortresses — a god his ancestors never knew — and lavish on him gold, silver, precious stones, and expensive gifts. 39 Claiming this foreign god’s help, he will attack the strongest fortresses. He will honor those who submit to him, appointing them to positions of authority and dividing the land among them as their reward. 40 “Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will enter the glorious land of Israel, and many nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best part of Ammon will escape. 42 He will conquer many countries, and even Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control over the gold, silver, and treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians will be his servants. 44 “But then news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and obliterate many. 45 He will stop between the glorious holy mountain and the sea and will pitch his royal tents. But while he is there, his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him.
If you remember — a few times in Daniel I’ve said that there’s a thread uniting the many visions and dreams found in the book. And this current vision — which covers multiple chapters — is a more detailed account of the visions we’ve encountered. For example, our sermon that covered Daniel’s vision in chapter eight — was titled “The Author of History.” That’s the sermon where we looked at two ways to interpret prophecies that we find in the Bible. There’s the way of the higher criticism which doesn’t believe that prophecies are possible — thus — visions like these were written down after the historical events had taken place. And the key being that these visions were written down to appear as if they were recorded prior to the events taken place. Thus — because prophecy isn’t possible — according to higher critics — the only way there are accurate prophecies like this in the Bible is because they were written after the historical events had taken place.
So that’s door number one — a door I’d recommend you not take. The second option is to take God at his Word. Where we use some of the same methods of the higher critics — looking at the dating of the original writings, authorship, and so on — but do so without eliminating the possibility that God can have history written down prior to it taking place. Thus — during that sermon on Daniel chapter eight — I strongly encouraged us to take God at his Word — to understand that he is the Author of history. And — being history’s Author — God can have history written down before events happen as easily as he can have it written down after it’s taken place.
With that being said — here’s our big idea for today: Because God is the Author of history, he has authority over history. Notice that the word authority has the word author in it — that’s because the words are related to each other. Thus — because God is the Author of history — he has authority over history.
One example — where we find this idea in our chapter — is in the last half of verse thirty-two — where — having described the influence of an individual known as the “king of the north” — his flattery and winsomeness even though he is absolutely ungodly — at the rise of this king who seems to have no rivals — we read…
Daniel 11:32b (NLT)
32b But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.
What does this verse tell us? It tells us that there will be a remnant — a preserved group who are faithful to God in the midst of this hardship that will take place in the future. There will be people who will not bow their knee to this ungodly king.
But why will there be a remnant? Our answer reminds me of a theme we find throughout Scripture. For example, when the prophet Elijah was on the run from the wicked King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, at one point...
1 Kings 19:9b–10 (NLT)
9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
Eventually God again asks Elijah, “What are you doing here?” And — again — Elijah replies with…
1 Kings 19:14 (NLT)
14 “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
Elijah was certain that he was all alone — that he was the last faithful person left on the planet. And — in response — God gives Elijah some instructions and he promises Elijah that he will be protected from the wicked people who are trying to kill him.
And then God says this to Elijah.
1 Kings 19:18 (NLT)
18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”
Elijah thought he was all alone but there were seven thousand others who also remained faithful. But — if you remember — our question is…why will they remain faithful? God’s Word tells us that they will remain faithful because he — God — will preserve them. He’ll keep the seven thousand from worshiping a false god. God — because he’s the Author of history — has authority over all of history — including preserving seven thousand who will remain faithful to him in a time full of hardship and uncertainty.
Now — back to the people of Daniel’s vision who will “know their God, who will be strong, and who will resist the king of the north” — why will they do so? Because God is the Author of history and — being the Author of history — he has authority over all of history — including giving these individuals the strength and perseverance to resist a wicked king in the future. God will preserve them — and his preservation guarantees their perseverance.
This idea is also found in the New Testament when Paul — writing about the Jewish people’s rejection of Jesus as the Messiah — refers back to Elijah’s situation and says…
Romans 11:1–6 (NLT)
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!” 5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful BECAUSE OF GOD’S GRACE — his undeserved kindness IN CHOOSING THEM. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is — free and undeserved.
Why — according to Paul — did some of the Jews remain faithful and not reject Jesus as the promised Messiah — when so many of their peers did reject him? Paul says these Jews remained faithful “because of God’s grace — his undeserved kindness in choosing them.” Choosing them for what? To remain faithful — to not reject Jesus as God’s Messiah. For God is the Author of history — thus he has authority over all of history — including preserving for himself a faithful people throughout all of history.
And — to be clear — God is not the Recorder of history. He’s not the Archivist of history. Or the one who keeps a diary of history. This isn’t about God’s ability to look into the future and see the decisions humanity will make and then write down our decisions ahead of time. That’s not authorship — that’s recording the history others are writing. And this is so critical for our view of God — for your view of God: Is he the Author of history or has he simply recorded the history that others are writing?
God — who gives prophetic visions to his people — as recorded in Scripture — is the One authoring history — he’s the One writing history — he’s not giving visions of events that he has no control of and no authority over — no — the certainty of the events — like the preservation of seven thousand who refused to worship a false god in Elijah’s day or the Jews who worshiped Jesus in Paul’s day — the certainty of events is due the authority of our God who is authoring all of history.
And this is meant to give God’s people great comfort as they live in this land of exile. For the future is not up to chance — or us — or whoever has the most power — or nature — or whatever else others consider to be the ultimate authority over history. The future — our future — your future — the future of everyone and everything — is in the powerful, loving, and just hands of the only wise God. May this give you comfort — if your future right now — is causing you anxiety, fear, or worry.
Now — there are two angles of this truth — that God — in being the Author of history — has authority over all of history —two angles that we’re going to briefly look at. The first angle is this: Since God is the Author of history and has authority over all of history — he has determined the big picture of history. God has determined the big picture of history.
If we take a step back and look at this prophetic vision — in chapter eleven — we see that we’re covering hundreds of years of history — history still to come from Daniel’s point of view. But this is history that’s certain to come — history that we know has come — as both Christian and non-Christian scholars agree on the historical events that have fulfilled what’s written in the book of Daniel — which we looked at in the sermon on Daniel chapter eight.
Thus we see that — from kings and presidents, to wars and peace treaties — God is over and above all of history. Orchestrating history so that his will is done. For the Christian — this is the hope of our faith — because Jesus Christ came to earth to live, die, and rise from the dead — which is the culmination of God’s plan for all of history. And if he lacks authority over other events in history — how could we not conclude that God lacked authority over his plan of salvation for his people? Or — to state it positively — since we believe that God had authority to execute his plan of salvation for his people — an event culminating in the historic events of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection — we believe that he has authority over all of the rest of history as well. For God’s authority is not limited just to our salvation — he’s working out all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
As one person has said, “It is because Christ has suffered and died and risen again that history has meaning and purpose.” (Duguid)
And this is true even for the history that’s yet to come — from our point in history — and this is true even when that history — that is yet to come — will bring trials and tribulations, persecution and pain, or even death for God’s people. We can trust God’s Word when it tells us that there are great battles ahead of us — and yet face them with confidence because we trust in the One who has authority over all of history — the One who empowers his people to stand firm — to remain faithful — to not bow down to the false gods of our day but remain committed to the One who has called us according to his good purpose.
For our God — your God, if you believe in Jesus — is the One who said...
Revelation 22:13 (NLT)
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Alpha and Omega — as you may know — are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet — they’re the beginning and the end. And — here — Jesus tells us that he is beginning and the end — that he’s eternal — which means that he existed before history and will exist after history — and that’s what it means to be the Author of history. And he’s given us his Word to testify about things that are still to come so that we — his people — might hold fast to his promise that he is coming soon as we persevere in this land of exile.
This is why Daniel received his vision — so that he and God’s people would hold fast to the promise that God’s Messiah was coming. And this is why we have Scripture to tell us of Jesus’ promised return — so we’ll hold fast — as we live in this land of exile — remembering all of God’s promises to us. Promises that are guaranteed because he is the Author of history and has authority over all of history. And no one and no thing can stop his plan from coming to pass.
That’s the big picture when it comes to God’s Authorship and authority over history. Now — let’s explore the second angle of this truth: Since God is the Author of history and has authority over all of history — he has determined the details of history. God has determined the details of history.
Here’s why this matters to you. As one pastor has said, “If the Lord cares only about the big picture, individuals could fear that they would get lost or used in the grand schemes of empires and kingdoms. So with the sweeping revelations of eons and empires, the Lord also reveals his attention to particulars.” (Chapell)
God’s authority over the details of history — includes your history — and this is where intimacy with him is experienced. For — if God can give Daniel such specific details about the future of individuals — people like Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyrus, and Alexander the Great, and Antiochus Epiphanes — and new details in our chapter fulfilled by Egyptian rulers, or a Syrian king who tried to takeover Egypt by getting his daughter to seduce the Egyptian ruler’s young son — which didn’t work — just like we see in Daniel’s vision of the future — if all of these people fulfill the details of Daniel’s vision — showing us that God is the Author who has authority over the details of their lives — why would we question his Authorship and authority over the details of our lives?
Here’s one reason why: We experience pain and suffering. Daniel’s vision of the future isn’t going to be pain free for God’s people, right? This vision includes much suffering. Yet we — Christians here in the US — have bought into a lie that God’s will for his people is a life without difficulty, pain, or suffering. And I’ve tried to figure out why we’ve bought into this lie. I mean — it can’t be from knowing our Bible — I know that much — because it’s not an easy task to find someone in the Bible who doesn’t experience suffering, pain, and difficulty as they follow God.
Again — how could anyone read the Bible and conclude, “God’s will for his people is a pain free — no suffering — life”?
Much less if we turn to Jesus does this lie make any sense to believe. Jesus is called the Innocent Sufferer. The Sinless One who…
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The One who…
1 Peter 2:22–25 (NLT)
22 …never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.
The One who is the Author of history — who has authority over all of history — has written every detail of your life. Yet he wrote suffering into his story so that — know matter the suffering or pain or horror you experience — you have assurance in knowing that you too can leave your case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. That — because Jesus carried your sins in his body on the cross — you are now dead to sin and alive to righteousness. So that you know — by his wounds — you’ve been promised healing — full restoration of life — just as the Author of history has promised it will be. A life of no suffering. No pain. No sorrow. No death. Promises that are guaranteed because the Author of history entered into history to suffer and die for his people.
So I can’t tell you specifically why God has allowed you to suffer — to experience the pain you’ve experienced — to go through that season of darkness or depression or disappointment. I’m not the Author — he is. But what I can do is point you to his Word — to his promises — to the future that’s sure to come because the Author of history has determined it to be. For he has said…
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Remember —earlier Daniel was reading from the prophet Jeremiah when he was given a vision — a vision connected to the one in our chapter. This promise could very well have been on his mind during all of this. For years, Daniel may have been wrestling with, “God, how will this promise and this vision come to pass — for both are from you — the Author of history?” Yet — despite the vision — God’s promises to his people is what Daniel holds on to. Despite the vision of future pain and suffering — there’s a promise of hope. And despite the pain and suffering you have — or are experiencing — there’s hope for you too. Do you believe God’s promises of hope to you? For example — this promise — which we reminded ourselves of last week.
Romans 8:28 (NLT)
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Everything means everything. This is a promise of hope for us — God’s people. He is causing everything to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. This is the hope we have. Hope that we haven’t earned — but hope that is guaranteed. For — if the Author of history says there will be a remnant of seven thousand who will remain faithful — there will be a remnant of seven thousand who remain faithful. And — if the Author of history says that everything will work together for the good of his people — then everything is working together for our good.
May who God is — the Author of history — and all that he has and will do — because he has authority over the big picture of history and authority over the details of your story — may this be the reason for your hope today, tomorrow, and all your days as you live in this land of exile: Your God is the Author of history — and he is the One who has authority over all of history. Let’s pray together.
Father of all history, what comfort and hope in knowing that history is not random — it’s not up to chaos or chance or nature — but is under your Authority. This gives us confidence in promises like, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:11) and that you have claimed us as your “possession since we were predestined according to your purpose” — and that you are the “One who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of your will.” (Ephesians 1:11) Your Authorship and authority are not threats — they are comforts for your people — guarantees of the promises you’ve made to us.
Spirit of God, would you so imprint these promises into our hearts that our confidence in your — not in ourselves — but in your faithfulness increases. For it’s so easy to relate to Elijah — feeling like we’re all alone — when there are seven thousand others you’ve kept from straying — a remnant of faithful, persevering, Word and Spirit Christians who are generous, and Kingdom-minded, and focused on making disciples to be welcomed into your faith family. Increase our trust in that you are Authoring the best story — even the best story for us — for this is how we will endure with hope and joy.
And — Jesus — you endured suffering and abandonment and betrayal and death because of the joy set before you. You lived trusting that your life was in your Father’s hands — the same hands our lives are in because you suffered and died for our sins. This is the grandest display of love — suffering and death — for us — and the grandest display of God’s authority over all of history is you rising from the grave three days later — ensuring that the plans your Father has for us — plans for good and not for disaster — plans of a future full of hope — and where everything is working together for our good — your defeat of death guarantees that the plans you have for us will come to pass. May we keep our hope fixed on your wonderful promises to us all our days as we live in this land of exile. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.
May who God is — the One who has authority over all of history — be the reason for your hope as you live in this land of exile. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
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