The Great Day of World Missions

 THESE ARE GREAT WORLD-MISSION DAYS

When I was a new Christian, a young teenager, I would read a few chapters of the Bible in the morning - then when I got home from school in the afternoon, I'd take a smaller portion - or a topic - and study it more closely. When I left for school in the mornings I looked forward to getting home in the afternoon so I could get back into the Word.

(Later I read that Dr Billy Graham also recommended both approaches to Bible reading.)

Sometimes I’d also sit down to read whole books of the Bible in one go. One benefit of doing so—getting the whole sweep of a book like that—is that it can help solve problem verses.

Like:

𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋 𝟏𝟐:𝟒
𝟒 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮, 𝐎 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥, 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝: 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝.

𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰; and 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥, it says.

I've never felt satisfied that that primarily meant jet travel, and modern technology.

The problem with citing technology as an 'End Time' sign, is that we can only compare current tech. with the past - we can't compare it with the future. There could come advancements in technology in the future yet which might make current tech. obsolete and look primitive. So to my mind, technological innovation has really been quite useless as a sure sign of the 'End Time' generation.

Not to mention that in our generation I think we are actually witnessing a loss of knowledge in many ways - like the loss of vocabulary; and of whole dialects worldwide; the loss of knowledge of natural remedies; of general history; and of traditional (non-automated) ways of doing and making things, such as navigation, and construction.

So one day I decided to read the entire Book of Daniel in a single sitting, in order to see what meaning might spring to light when I would arrive at this verse (chapter 12 verse 4).

After immersing my mind in Daniel's themes, his concerns, and his use of vocabulary throughout chapters 1-11, when I arrived at 12:4 a meaning immediately sprung to light, naturally - just shone off the page.

𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰 meant responding to the revealed prophetic word, by becoming heralds of its message - acting on the word, carrying God's Word; 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 meant the knowledge of God - knowing God.

That's what Daniel was concerned with! The idea that it's about the latest app. on your phone in your pocket, really seems to come from nowhere, and doesn't fit.

Daniel's concern was covenantal - about God - and the plight of God's people in an ungodly, pagan world.

God had a solution to Daniel's concerns, to be rolled out in a time future to Daniel. Meanwhile that part of Daniel's prophetic words (God's solution, His plan) was to be 'shut up' and 'closed', it says in the same verse. But there would come a time, Daniel was assured, when many would 'run to and fro'.

We see a similar expression in Habakkuk:

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵" (2:2).

Habakkuk was to write a vision plainly so that anyone could immediately read it, and straightaway run - as a herald of its message, it meant.

Similarly, God had a wonderful solution for Daniel's concerns, but it wouldn't be rolled out until a time future to Daniel - then many would understand, and run with it - as heralds. As a result, knowledge (about that previously held-back plan) would be increased.

Jeremiah also foretold of the time coming when God would do something new with Israel and Judah - a whole new modus operandi, or covenant - when "𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥: 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥" (Jeremiah 31:34).

And not only Israel, and Judah, but all the earth, Habbakuk said:

"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢," (Habakkuk 2:14).

There was to come an opening up of God's plan - something new, for Israel, first - resulting in an effulgence of knowing God, not only among Israelis but the whole world.

That's what the prophecy was about.

Did there ever come a time in Israel's history when that happened? Yes! Through the gospel of our Lord JESUS Christ.

"𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴" (Colossians 1:26).

The mystery has now been made manifest, to His saints.

('Saints' was also a Daniel term [five times in chapter 7). Paul claimed the term as being about believers in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles.)

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦" (I John 5:20).

God has given an understanding. First in Israel, with John the Baptist. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, Jesus said - and, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵. Jerusalem and all Judea went out to him.

As great as John's impact was, he was only the forerunner for Jesus. "Jesus made and baptised more disciples than John (though it was Jesus' disciples and not Jesus Himself who did the baptising)".

"𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘌𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘵, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨,

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘮, 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢, 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯, 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴;

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥" (Matthew 4:14-17).

Through Jesus, through the preaching of the gospel, a great light shone.

('The kingdom' was another Daniel term which Jesus and the Apostles claimed for the gospel -'the gospel of the kingdom of God'.)

"I am the light of the world," Jesus said, "he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness," (John 8:12).

"𝘈 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭," it was said of Jesus (Luke 2:32).

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦" (Matthew 24:14).

'The end' is another Daniel term (found in this verse, 12:4, and elsewhere in Daniel). Jesus, and the apostles, claimed the term in relation to the gospel.

Notice 'the end' isn't only the future final few years of history:

"𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴: 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦" (I Corinthians 10:11).

"𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦," (I John 2:18).

"Behold I make all things new," Jesus said.

There shall be new heavens and a new earth.

The new creation project starts in us.

"If any man be in Christ...new creation!" Paul said.

This is the time when all people can know God, and Jesus Christ Whom He hath sent.

We're living in the overlap of the new upon the old.

"This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it".

"The acceptable year of the Lord."

Now is the time, Today, You can know Him!

Through the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This is what Daniel foresaw.

"Abraham also rejoiced to see my day," Jesus said, "and he saw it and was glad".

Things like travel, and technology mightn't be outside the scope of what comes about through the knowledge of God. Every society that has received the gospel has also seen an improvement in its infrastructure and education. But the gospel is the main meaning, the source - knowing Jesus.

Any such material advancements would be positive, not negative. In the past nearly half-century, so-called 'end times' preaching has consistently viewed new tech negatively - until they themselves start utilising it for good, and new tech comes along which replaces the existing tech and makes it look eschatologically uninteresting to them. Then they ostracize the new tech at first.

It's all about JESUS.

"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us" (II Corinthians 1:20).

The gospel is how God was faithful to His promise.

The great commission - world missions - is the unfolding of Daniel 12:4.

God's word has come to light through the gospel. We have been given an understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom. We are heralds. People are coming to know Him.

You and I today are in Daniel 12:4.

These are the great days when we have a ‘more sure word of prophecy’—the unveiling of that which Old Testament prophets wondered about—opened for all to hear and know and run with.

The angels declared it on the first Christmas.

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”.

The great days of world missions.