"FOR THE ELECT'S SAKE"
‘FOR THE ELECT’S SAKE”
Matthew 24
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
August 17, 2014
Matthew 24:21-22: “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Except those days are shortened, there will be no flesh saved; but for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened.”
It has been reported that ISIS or ISIL is the cruelest terrorist group the world has ever experienced. As I watched on my television screen the masses of humanity struggling to survive, Matthew 24 came to my mind.
We often envision this scripture having to do with the great tribulation affecting the whole world. I believe the tribulation of the Christians and other religious minorities who have been brutally murdered; women raped and held hostage; children murdered and buried alive; property confiscated and thousands forced to flee a land which they inhabited for more than 3000 years, is an apt fulfillment of tribulation.
We could ask them if this was tribulation. I am certainly not implying that a greater tribulation is not yet to come. I do not know. However, without a doubt this was a great as tribulation to these people!
24: 16-21: “”Then let them which are in Judaea flee into the mountains. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. Nether let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! Pray that your flight is not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Except those days are shortened, no flesh will be saved; but of the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
The region appears to be specific since Judaea is identified. Yet the primary meaning for “Judaea” is “He shall be praised”. The location of Palestine is the secondary meaning. This could then be inclusive of all Christians in whom Jesus Christ is praised.
Obama announced the siege of Mount Sinjar was over this past Thursday. However, it appears the U.S. only cleared the north end of the mountain. The situation is still reported to be grave with claims of 70-80,000 refugees still stranded on the mountain.
On Friday, ISIS massacred 80 people in a small village located south east of Sinjar. The women and children were captured and used as sex slaves.
Who are the elect who have been given the authority to shorten tribulation? First I want to say to American Christians, none of us have yet suffered tribulation to the point that we had to either be killed or deny Christ. The Iraqi Christians have had to face this choice. Many Kurdish Christians died rather than deny their faith. So, I will certainly honor them as “the elect”.
I also honor those as “elect” who have in obedience to this scripture fled into the mountains.
Jesus Christ is the elect one. 1 Pet. 2:6: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded.”
All Christians- 1 Pet. 1:2: “Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; Grace to you, and peace be multiplied.”
Kingdom Office and assignments – Titus 1:1: “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after Godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; has in due times manifested His word through preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior.”
Jesus Christ clearly gave the “elect” authority to shorten the times of tribulation. At Wednesday night prayer, we faithfully discharged this authority over the tribulation of the saints in Iraq.
On Thursday, Obama announced the siege was over. However, we know our assignment of prayer for these saints is not over because ISIS is not destroyed nor their Levant agenda to rule the Muslim world, Israel and the United States.
Many were beheaded. Many were massacred.
Rev. 20:4: “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
Matthew 24:24: “If any man says to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Matthew 24:9-13: “They shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and you shall be hated of all nations, for My name’s sake. Then shall many be offended and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many, because iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall wax cold. He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come.”
American Christians are the most blessed people the world has ever known. Yet many in our Christian denominations are not even standing for the gospel of Jesus Christ, much less being willing to die for it.
There is much offense in the churches of America. Many won’t go into a church because of offense. Jealousy and competition abound. The spirit of deception abounds in many doctrines of devils including “easy believism”; “if it feels good, do it”; disrespect for the government of the Kingdom of God in the local churches; dishonor of the Word of God; reprobate minds; changing the truth of God into a lie.
Romans 1:18: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
Today the war has moved to the Tigris River. In Bible times, this was called the Hiddekel River. This is one of the four rivers which flowed from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2. This is also the place of the Great vision and visitation of the Angel of the Lord to Daniel in chapters 10-12.
On the first day Daniel started his prayer, God sent the Angel of the Lord in response to his prayer. The devil obstructed the passage of the Angel with all his might, for the devil was afraid that he might lose his domain by the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
The revelation Daniel received is recorded in chapter 11. It was about war in the spiritual world. The revelation in chapter 12 concerns war in the human world.
At this time, there was a battle raging in Jerusalem, but it was the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Grecia who were sent to stop the Angel of the Lord.
Due to Daniel’s governmental anointing and prophet to the nations, I could say that he was called to prayer to engage by prayer and fasting in the battle raging in the Heavens between the Angel of the Lord, Michael, the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Grecia having to do with the Lord’s Kingdom purposes for those nations as well as Israel.
The prayers of the elect are warfare. When we pray on the earth, the angels of God are sent to answer our prayer fight in the realm of the First and Second Heaven between humanity and the throne of God, where the devil, who is the prince of the air, is encamped. His demons are desperately endeavoring to block the prayers of the elect. As we continue in prayer, we are warring with the angelic host to defeat Satan and his demons.
10:4-9: “In the 24th day of the first month, I was by the side of the great river which is the Hiddekel. Then I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz. His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” This could only be a description of My Jesus!
We are to realize that behind every earthly ruler there is a demonic force for good or evil with supernatural power.
The Angel of the Lord is revealing to Daniel a great war yet to come.
Different good and bad angels have under their control certain responsibilities in certain kingdoms. Daniel carried a governmental anointing. Throughout his life, the visions concerning the rise and fall of kings and nations were given to him.
God ordains certain angels and sends them forth to cause the rise and fall of certain kingdoms. Also satanic princes over these kingdoms try to hinder the rise and fall of such kingdoms for fear of losing satanic domain by the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
We should remember that throughout all the ages those who pray for their country and their people are the “elect” and “true patriots” men and women of prayer who have fervently dedicated themselves to a vigil of fasting and prayer. We should pray day and night for the leaders of our country.
Michael is here identified as the Angelic prince of Daniel’s governmental office.
The fight will continue with the kingdom of Satan and against his power to the end of the world. We should pray unceasingly to help angels win in the spiritual war.
We are all generals engaged in spiritual war, and Michael, the captain of God’s host, stands by our side.
Daniel 12:1: “At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people.”
Because of this scripture, we have considered Michael to be the Angelic Prince over Israel. Yes, he is! However, the word for children here means “Sons”. I believe he is also the Angelic prince of the “Sons of God” (the elect) in spiritual Israel as well as the nation of Israel warring with the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of the saints for the eternal purposes of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven.
12:1: “Now at that time (the same time as 11:40-45-“the time of the end”) shall Michael stand up the great prince which stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
Michael, the great prince, will stand for Israel, “The children of your people”--- unlike the anti-christ in 11:45 “who will come to his end with none to help.” We too are children of Daniel’s people because we are grafted in through the Blood of Jesus Christ, our elder brother. Throughout the Book of Daniel, the term “your people” used by Gabriel and the Angel of the Lord refer to the Jews, but also to Christians who are heirs of salvation.
When Christ appears, whether at His Second Coming, or by visitation, he will recompense tribulation to those that trouble His People. There shall be a time of trouble threatening to all. Prophetically this speaks of the judgment of the great day that will be such a day of trouble at the time of the end. To those who are walking after the Spirit and the Word of God, it will be a day of rejoicing. To those that are wicked, it will be a day of darkness, “sudden destruction shall come upon them.” (1 Thess. 5: 1-5).
“Every one that shall be found written in the book”, seems to refer to Daniel 7:10- at the throne of God…ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
12:2-3: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
At the Coming of the Lord, there shall be a glorious reward conferred on those who are (elect) children of the light. Rev. 21:12: “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and instruct many. Those that turn men to righteousness; that turn sinners from the errors of their ways and help to save their souls from death will share in the glory of those who they have helped to heaven. The “elect” who are outstanding in earth in God’s sight will have a glorious reward in Heaven.
12:4: “But you, 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.”
This prophecy of those times, though sealed up now will be of great use to those that will live “at that time of the end”. Daniel was told to preserve his writing because its relevance was far in the future. Here it is to be closed, sealed, authenticated and protected from tampering. Isaiah 29:11 “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray you; and he says, I cannot; for it is sealed; and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, read this, I pray thee; and he says, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men; behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”
At the end of time men will be vainly seeking to discover God’s plans, as Amos foretold in Amos 8:12: “They shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”. Men will be seeking to increase knowledge. The only answer will lie in God’s word.
12:5-7: “Then I Daniel looked, and behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that lives for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”
Daniel had been made to foresee amazing revolutions of states and kingdoms, as far as the Israel of God was concerned in them. Here Daniel is given another scene within the great vision. (Vs.5) “And I, Daniel, looked and behold there stood two others, the one on the brink of the river on this side and the other on the brink of the river on that side. And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? The positioning of Christ from the Angel of the Lord in discourse with Daniel has changed to “the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river.” The location of this river is important to the vision. In chapter 10:5, Daniel was praying at the river, Hiddekel (Tigris River in present day Iraq). Matthew Henry describes this as between the banks of Ulai (a river in Iran). In Chapter 8, Daniel was translated to the Ulai River (Tigris in Iran) by vision.
The “man clothed in linen” (Christ) raised both hands and swore by Him who lives forever. Oaths were sworn with one hand raised (Dt. 32:40); the Mighty One stood with both feet on the water and swore with both hands lifted up, and swore by Him who lives forever. This then is another precise and exact time that is especially binding because He who lives forever will ever enforce it. As we have consistently noted, all of Daniel’s prophecies historically have been precise as to the exact number of days and years to date.
Our Lord Jesus charged his “elect” with authority and power in these times. The elect are to be wise and shine as the brightness of the firmament; and turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. The fact that the Mighty One dressed in linen said, “the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end” tells me that revelation has still not been totally revealed to those who consider themselves wise (Isa. 29:11).
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.
www.eastgateministries.comTeachings of Pastor Carolyn Sissom on Daniel dated Nov. 3, 1994 and January 2012 on website.