 Alright, so before the break we were looking at how Ezekiel is being asked to give God's judgments to the people and make them listen. So in Ezekiel chapter 3 verses 7 to 9, this is what the Lord says to Ezekiel when he is commissioning him for his new ministry. So if someone could read out for us, Ezekiel chapter 3 verses 7 to 9, Ezekiel 3, 7 to 9. But the house of Israel will not listen to you because they will not listen to me. For all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted. Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces and your forehead strong against their foreheads. Like a demand stone harder than flint, I have made your forehead do not be afraid of them nor we dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house. Alright, so here in these verses, God is giving him a warning and he says, these people are not going to listen to you easily because you see they are depending on the words of the false prophets, they want to go back, they want to fight. So they will not listen to you easily, but this is what the Lord says in verse 8. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like this hardest stone, harder than flint, do not be afraid of them or terrified by them. So these people are not going to quietly listen to what you are going to tell them, you know how they should quietly submit to the punishment and settle down in the land. You will not be willing to hear that, but don't worry, I will make you as hard and as tough as them. So even though there will be pressure from their side, you will be able to stay strong, you will be able to do your ministry and tell them all the words of judgment which I have planned for them. So we see that Ezekiel has been taken in that second batch along with a whole bunch of others and they have all been placed in a place called Tel Aviv. They are somewhere near about 50 miles from the main city of Babylon. That's basically where they are settled. So it's supposed to be somewhere near the river Caber. That's basically where the exiles have been placed. So when they are living over there, we don't know whether he was actually sitting next to the river when the visions happened or whether he was staying in his house when the visions happened, but he starts off the book of Ezekiel by giving us a description of the vision which has come to him. So if someone could read out for us chapter one versus two and three, Ezekiel chapter one versus two and three. On the fifth day of the month which was in the fifth year of King Jehochean captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi in the land of Chaldeans by the river Caber and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. It says there the hand of the Lord was on him. So the Holy Spirit takes over and he begins to have a vision. And this is what he sees in the vision. He starts describing some living creatures. He talks about how they have many wings and how there are eyes inside their wings and all kinds of strange descriptions which are very difficult to understand. But one thing we get to know that these living creatures are kind of supporting some kind of a vault is what he says over here. It's like these living creatures along with their wheels are supporting a kind of platform which is there on top. And on that platform is basically where you have the Lord seated. So it's something like a moving chariot or a moving throne or something of that type. Maybe we can read out a few verses to kind of get a feel of what is being talked about. So if someone could read out for us chapter one verses 19 yeah maybe you could just read verse 19 and we'll look at a few other verses verse 19 chapter one verse 19. When the living creatures went the wheels went beside them and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth the wheels were lifted up. So these creatures are somehow attached in some way to those wheels. So when the creatures move the wheels move and verse 22 if you could read out the likeness of the formament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal is stretched out over their heads. Yeah. So on top of these creatures is a kind of a vault is basically more like this shape rather than a flat platform. It's maybe like a globe I'm not sure exactly what he's trying to express but that thing is like a kind of a chariot and inside that or rather on that is basically where you have the Lord seated or rather his glory is seen over there. He himself can't be seen completely properly but this glory can be seen. Maybe we can look at verses 26 and 27. Yeah. Someone can read out verses 26, 27 and above the formament over their heads was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it also from the appearance of his waist and a word I saw as it were the color of ember with the appearance of fire all around within it and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Now look at the number of times she used the word likeness and the word appearance and as a so these are all ways of Ezekiel trying to describe what he's seeing is not saying that it looks like a rainbow is like a rainbow is the appearances is like fire. So he's talking about this throne which looks like as if it is made of some kind of precious stones and on that is seated this person who looks like the appearance of a man but not exactly like a human being and then he tries to describe the appearance of the Lord and he says waist upward look he looks like glowing metal and waist downward is like as if it's it's burning fire. So this is his way of trying to use human words to describe something which cannot be described in human words. So the Lord we know whom we interact with in such a casual manner we go to him whenever we want to pray we when we're angry you know we say things which we should not say to the Lord we take him so casually we forget who he is. I mean this is just one small vision that Ezekiel is having of his almighty God and he's finding it so difficult to put one sentence also which makes sense to describe this almighty God. So he tries to adjust by talking about the living creatures he gives us most description of the living creatures he doesn't know what to say about the one who was seated on the throne above the living creatures that is the kind of God that we worship. So you know we need to have a little reverence and awe when we are approaching him and in the way we live in his presence. So a God like that was willing to lower himself to a level where he's now living within us and is willing to accept us as his temple. I mean what an honor what a privilege. So I think we should treat him with respect. So if he's chosen someone like him and this man Ezekiel is not able to even describe the throne that he's sitting on that God is choosing to consider us as his temple and is willing to live inside us. I mean how low he has come how much he has reduced himself to put up with a temple like this. So we should be very honorable in the way we treat our bodies in the way we conduct ourselves in the choices that we make because this is a very great and awesome God who humbled himself for no reason. I mean he doesn't need to humble himself for anyone but he chose to do that out of his love for us. So you know this is just something that comes across when we are reading all these descriptions which are given in the book of Ezekiel. So this awesome almighty God he seems to be moving somewhere because you see how this wheels these wheels are are are moving and then the wheels start rising up into the air. So it's like as if God is getting ready to go somewhere. So where is he going? We don't we're not told that in chapter one. We only get to know about that later. So in chapter two and chapter three he talks about what this this person who is in the likeness of a human who is seated on the throne. He begins to talk to Ezekiel and this is what the Lord says. So in chapter two and chapter three he basically Ezekiel talks about what the Lord said to him, what he asked him to do and all of that. So this is what the Lord is saying to him in Ezekiel chapter two verses seven to nine if you could read out no seven to ten. Ezekiel chapter two verses seven to ten if someone could read out please. And those psalms speak my words unto them whether they will hear or whether they will fervor for they are most rebellious but those sons of man hear what I say unto thee but be not though rebellious like that. Rebellious house open thy mouth and eat that I give thee and when I look behold and hand was sent unto me and low a role of a book was there in and he's hand and he spirit it before me and it was written within and without and there was written there in lamentation and mourning and alright so the Lord is saying you know I'm going to send you out as my prophet these people are not going to be willing to listen to you but don't worry I'll make you hard and tough so you will be able to talk to them you will be able to deal with them and this is what the Lord says to him in chapter two verse eight he says son of man listen to what I say to you do not rebel like that rebellious people open your mouth and eat what I give you so the in the vision is given a scroll to eat and is it a scroll with very nice things written on it no it's a scroll on which you have words of lament and mourning and go and judgment it's that kind of a scroll so God is saying don't be like these people who are always rejecting my word instead you be willing you open your mouth and you eat what I'm giving you so he eats it what do you think how do you think a scroll like this will taste will it taste nice and sweet like ice cream or will it taste like bitter gourd how do you think this scroll would taste and this is what Ezekiel says in Ezekiel chapter three verse three if someone can read out Ezekiel three three and he said to me son of man read your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you so I ate and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness yeah so the Lord says to him eat this scroll I'm giving you and fill your stomach with it so I ate it and he says it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth a scroll filled with judgment and lamentation and more it's tasting sweet the lesson that is being brought across to us over here is that though the disciplining of the Lord will be painful it is actually sweet it is meant for our good so here God is speaking words of judgment and correction against them but the Lord is not speaking these words to them just to condemn them or to crush them he's speaking these words to them so that they will be willing to submit they will be willing to repent and if they do that the result will be sweet it will not be bitter yes it's painful in the beginning when you're undergoing the correction but if you submit willingly and accept the correction the Lord is giving the end result is that it will be sweet inside your stomach so the Lord says fill your stomach with my words so you know we can literally maybe take that you know in our for us New Testament believers you know when we are reading his word and we are supposed to be practicing it it's like as if we are supposed to eat it and fill our stomach with it you know not take one little bit from here and there because you know oh Lord your word is so painful your requirements so Lord are so high oh Lord I don't want to listen to you so very reluctantly we take one little bit from here one little bit from there but here what does it say the Lord is saying fill your stomach with it and when he was willing to do that he says it was sweet it tasted sweet like honey so basically you know maybe you can you know it reminds us of Hebrews chapter 12 verse 11 where it says um yeah Hebrews 12 11 it says no discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful later on however it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it training is painful so the Lord is training you correcting you telling you to get rid of this and that and uh you know he's asking you to make sacrifices training is painful it's not pleasant like it very openly says over here nothing pleasant about it but later on it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace so at that time his words will taste sweet like honey you know to us so here as he kill submits to the Lord he chooses to become a prophet he chooses to minister to the Lord and so he begins God starts giving him words of prophecy and then in chapter 11 we get to know where this chariot is going so in chapter one we started off by describing the chariot and the chariot is about to go somewhere and in chapter 11 we get to know where it is going so now in chapter 11 Ezekiel is brought to the east gate of the Jerusalem temple and the temple had many many gates because it was this large piece of land in the middle of course you had the actual temple but all around it you have the temple complex where you have rooms where the priests will stay you have storage rooms where the grain is stored you have uh some rooms where all the you know gold vessels and all are kept you have certain rooms where the guards will be staying you have all these other extra so it's a it's a large temple complex and there are many many gates uh leading to it so right now over here Ezekiel is brought to the east gate of the temple and over there in the vision because physically where is he physically he's actually in Babylon he's somewhere near the cable river but in the vision he's brought over here to the east gate of the temple and there he sees 25 leaders and what are these 25 leaders doing in the vision they're giving false prophecies and they're encouraging the people to know to rebel against what God is telling them and so God says in the vision start prophesying against them and even as Ezekiel begins to prophesy against them one of them falls down dead right then and there so he sees all this happening in the vision so in chapter 11 Ezekiel is very very distressed he says Lord are you going to start killing everyone will nobody be left and then the Lord speaks assurance to him and says don't worry judgment must happen but after that there will be restoration and then in chapter 11 itself verses 19 and 20 he talks about how one day is going to take out the heart of stone which is there in the people he'll give them a soft heart of flesh and they will be able to obey the Lord they will submit to the Lord so there will be a remnant which will you know grow once again so God gives them gives all these words of assurance and after having spoken this words of hope the chariot rises up it leaves the temple and goes away it's very clearly says that this would be at the end of yeah maybe someone can actually read out this chapter 11 verses 22 and 23 chapter 11 22 and 23 so the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them and the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the east city so basically you have the glory of the Lord leaving what are the false prophets saying oh God will defend this temple nothing bad will happen to the city but here in the vision Ezekiel actually sees the glory of God leaving the temple leaving the city and going and waiting outside the city because now judgment is going to happen the third attack of Nebuchadnezzar is going to take place and the punishment will be completed nothing is going to stop it and so Ezekiel you know he comes out of the vision he starts sharing these details with all the exiles over there most probably the exiles did not listen to what he is saying maybe they still continue to you know talk about rebellion and all of that so now God gives one more sign okay after this vision I think the vision should have been enough they should have been shocked enough to accept what God is saying but they don't and now there is one more sign given to these people and this will be in Ezekiel chapter 24 where the Lord says I'm going to do something very terrible your wife is going to die so he tells in chapter 24 verse 16 he says with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes so Ezekiel God tells Ezekiel I'm going to you know allow your wife to die and this is going to be like an object lesson because when she dies when when someone dies you know you have an entire set of funeral procedures you do many various ceremonies to honor them to show them that they were loud and they were valued and so you know you have a list of ceremonies which you do including lamenting for them and all of that so here in chapter 24 the Lord says to Ezekiel when she dies the delight of your eyes when she dies don't mourn her in your heart grieve for her feel the pain but outwardly the Lord says you know don't cover your moustache you know don't trim your hair he gives him a list of things that he should not do because these are all the funeral procedures which they did and so the Lord says you will not do that maybe you can just read out one verse chapter 24 verse 17 chapter 24 verse 17 sigh in silence make no mourning for the head your turban on your head and put your sandals on your feet do not cover your lips and do not eat men's bread of sorrow so the Lord says don't do any of these things and so Ezekiel goes and tells the people this is what God is going to be doing so he says in verse 18 so I spoke to the people in the morning and in the evening my wife died and so the next day they're expecting all the funeral procedures to start but he doesn't do any of those things and the people are shocked because you see this lady was the delight of his eyes someone that he loved deeply but he's not doing any of the mourning procedures so they come to him and they ask why are you not doing it what is the meaning of this and then he says the delight of your eyes Jerusalem it will fall but on that day in the same way I am not mourning for my wife today you must not mourn for Jerusalem on that day because this judgment is coming directly from the Lord and you must accept it so on that day do not mourn rather submit and say yes Lord we have sinned and because of that you have rightfully justly done this to us and accept your fate so I think maybe at least after this maybe the people began to listen to him because this is a very painful and shocking sign which is being given to them and shortly after this Nebuchadnezzar comes and makes his final attack right so that is the book of Ezekiel so you know if anyone here is thinking oh my life is tough my ministry is tough the people of those days those prophets their ministry was much tougher the demands of the Lord laid on them were much greater you know so but they were so faithful and they did not turn against the Lord so greatest their reward I mean I don't know how great their reward will be but it will be something amazing because of the level of obedience and submission which those people you know those prophets showed in those times so we should aspire to be like that in our own Christian walk so coming very quickly to the book of Daniel so Daniel as we you know we saw earlier he was not taken during the second you know second attack of Nebuchadnezzar he was taken in the first attack itself so that was that was the time when many of the aristocratic royal family members were taken away including Daniel and his friends so we get to know that you know based on the date the dates which are given and the timing and all of that we get to know that Daniel was probably around 16 or 17 years of age when he was taken so you know we generally think of Daniel as a grown-up man going over there but actually it's just a youngster I mean our modern day he would be like an 11th standard 12th standard maybe at the most first year degree a very young guy not some you know confident established grown-up man so you have this bunch of kids I mean I mean at least in my eyes because I'm old you know they're like literally kids 16 17 year old guys they go over there and because you know they are very brilliant the Babylonians decided that they will use them in their royal palace so they start training them and they start giving them this food which is forbidden according to the law of Moses and these young guys they stand up to those officious and they say no we will not have it I mean what guts it takes these are not grown-up men who are resisting and protesting this is just youngsters young boys but they love the Lord and they take a stand and say it's alright you see actually they're being promised a better quality of life they've all been taken as exiles but these people have been given special status they're going to be trained to become part of the what civil services you know like I mean in our country civil services is the big thing a lot of people write exam to go for that these people have been chosen for that for the higher level of administrative roles in the in the in the palace so this is a very high positions that are being offered to them free your training is free I mean they know they're not going to be charged for it all they have to do is eat what is being given to them but Daniel and his friends say no according to the law of Moses there are certain foods that we should not touch and we will not have it so they have for them even at that young age honoring the Lord was more important than getting benefits than you know get living in peace for them they didn't mind even resisting the officials if it meant you know having to dishonor the Lord in some way they would rather be you know dishonor this leaders rather than dishonor the Lord for them that was the stand which they took at a young age so therefore I think the Lord would have used them powerfully you know in in in each of their lives not just Daniel but even his friends so coming to the book of Daniel we see that the first chapter is written in the Hebrew language where an introduction is given but how they were taken over there but chapter 2 onwards up to chapter 7 is written in the Aramaic language because that was the language which was being spoken in those areas at that time so Daniel wanted even the people of that of those places to understand what is being told in chapters 2 to 7 because in chapters 2 to 7 you have a lot of details being given about the visions the dreams which Nebuchadnezzar is having and the dream of Belchazar and Belchazar doesn't have a dreamy as a vision so you know all those details are given in chapters 2 to 7 and Daniel wanted even those people also to know all the things which happened so chapters 2 to 7 are recorded in the Aramaic language and then chapter 8 onwards up to chapter 12 is it's just talking about what will happen to the Jewish nation so that's written again in the normal Hebrew language so there's something special about these chapters 2 to 7 it was so God considered it so important that he asked that Daniel should write it in the Aramaic language rather than in the Hebrew language so what exactly happens in these chapters why are these chapters so important if you were to see chapters chapter 2 will basically talk about you know this dream which Nebuchadnezzar has is about a big statue the top part is represents Babylon and then you have other you know the statues made up of different different parts and they all represent different kingdoms so Nebuchadnezzar is not able to understand the meaning of the dream and then the Lord helps Daniel to give him the interpretation and then in chapters 4 and 5 you again have a dream which Nebuchadnezzar has and the vision of Belchazar is given his son Belchazar Nebuchadnezzar's son Belchazar that is given in chapter 5 so in all of these chapters basically the the Lord is telling the living God Yahweh is telling right now you people are in power but you know what a time will come when God will wipe you out so don't think that you are all powerful because Nebuchadnezzar thought thought himself such a great person that he made a large statue of himself and he wanted everyone to worship it like as if he is a God that was the level of pride which Nebuchadnezzar had and so that is why we see in chapter 3 you know he asks everyone to worship that statue and then Daniel and his friends they refuse to do that they are thrown into the furnace but God preserves their life and they come out alive so all of that happens and in chapter 4 God again sends a warning to Nebuchadnezzar and tells him if you refuse to submit to me and accept me as the living God and if you you know continue to ask people to worship you I'll reduce it reduce you to such a low level that you will become like a animal in the field I mean you who consider yourself so powerful and so wise and so great I can in an instant reduce you to reduce you to nothing because it's me who has helped you to win all these wars and become who you have become but you in your mind you're thinking that you are so great and you're like a god but you are nothing and so in chapter 4 we see that Nebuchadnezzar for a certain number of I think a year or something for a for a period of one year or was it more than that don't really remember so he becomes like an animal you know he loses his mind becomes like a mad person so God does that to him and then in the next chapter you have a vision being given to Belshazzar who is also very proud and also wants to be you know declared as a as a great some as a great personality to be honored and worshiped and God says to him you know the very next day you will be assassinated I'm so sorry was it for a long time was it just now did it get muted a long time ago and I hope I'm audible now two minutes I'm so sorry I mean you see it does that on its own without anyone touching the laptop so I didn't even know it had happened I'm very sorry the next time you know if someone could just immediately warn me because no one was touching the thing it happened on its own so yeah so in chapter six you have Daniel being thrown into the lions then so all these things show the the pride of the kings and what God does to these boastful kings so in a way these chapters they point towards Genesis chapter one because in Genesis chapter one human beings are created in the image of God to rule and reign and to have dominion so they are supposed to rule over the beasts of the earth and humans are supposed to be their rulers but if these rulers become proud and if they go against the living God who has given them this stature who has given them the special status if they go against him the Lord shows I can reduce it to the level of the beasts so you see that's the lesson which comes out from from this particular portion so chapters two to seven are written in the Aramaic language and then chapter eight onwards you have different details being given about the you know so in chapter seven you have a dream in which Daniel sees four beasts and then in the end you have one very large beast rising up and God finally comes and judges it and it is destroyed so in chapter eight you have an explanation given about two of those beasts and what it means and in chapters 10 to 12 it gives some details about the end times and how the king of the north will be destroyed we don't know whether the king of the north is referring to antichrist or whether it's referring to some Old Testament time king we don't really know the details chapter nine on the other hand is Daniel's prayer where he fasts and prays and says Lord the 70 years of exile is now almost coming to an end so you can imagine he went over there as a teenager okay so when Daniel first went he was a teenager now it's been 70 years so he must have died at a very old age you know so Daniel lived for many many many years like it says right those who honor the Lord and follow his ways they will have a long and blessed life so Daniel actually has that so so in chapter eight you have an explanation given about two of the beasts which are mentioned in chapter seven again in chapters 10 to 12 some more details are given and so some people say that this king of the north who is destroyed in chapter in chapters 10 to 12 where it talks about the king of the north some people say it is actually talking about the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanus who comes in the 160s BC he is the man who comes and desecrates the temple he puts a he sacrifices a pig in the temple because the Old Testament says that you know the Israelites should not eat a pig so he actually slaughters a pig over there in the temple just to dishonor the God of Israel he does all those things so they say that most probably you know the king of the north who is mentioned in chapters 10 to 12 refers to this person and then there are other people who say no no no it must be talking about the Antichrist who will come in the end times so there's difference of opinion regarding that but you know just for us to briefly go back to chapter seven where he has the original dream about these beasts and all of that in Daniel chapter seven so you have four different beasts which rise up and in the end you have one large evil beast with many horns and each of the horns represents different kings who are going to come to power and all of those details in chapter seven verse nine is where it starts talking about how God will judge this final beast and you know destroy it so maybe we can read out Daniel chapter seven verses nine to eleven because you know all those details about which king will rise up and which kingdom will fall I mean those are the things which you can read for yourself but maybe we can just focus on this portion where God's judgment is released upon the final beast in the end so Daniel seven nine to eleven if someone could read out I watched till thrones were put in place and the ensign of days was seated his garment was white as snow and the hair of his head was like pure bull his throne was a fairy flame it's real a burning fire a fiery stream issued and issued and came forth from before him a thousand thousand minister to him then thousand times then ten thousand stood before him the court was seated and the book were opened I was then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame okay so the last portion I mean so this Daniel chapter seven is talking about the end times the last portion of history when this final beast and the final horn which rises up from the beast the beast is compared this is probably a nation the final nation which will rise up which is which will be all powerful and from that nation one horn will come out that is one king will rise up as the most powerful and so it's talking about those end times and it talks about how the ancient of days will come and judge and the beast will be slain the horn you know which will be crushed so all the evil will be finally destroyed so at that time when the end times when the judge when the king of kings and lord of lords who is you know described over here as ancient of days when he is seated on the throne this is what it says it says in verse 10 the court was seated and the books were opened so there will be a set of books which will be opened at that time what do these books refer to it's obviously not the book of life because book of life is only one book here it's talking about plural it's talking about the books which were opened so this is all theory because nobody really knows no one has gone over there to heaven and come back and told us the details so we don't really know but generally this is what is told there will be books in which all the things which we are doing the choices we make all that will be recorded you know because we are reward in heaven the bill for believers the reward in heaven will be based on what we have done for the lord so reward is that book of life on the other hand is salvation I mean so that you don't earn it it's freely given so anyone who believes in the lord Jesus their names will be written down in the book of life so the books which are referred to over here they say is probably referring to the books in which all the things which we have done said our choices which we made when we honored him when we did not honor him when we exercised our faith when we failed to exercise our faith all those things are written down in the books so every human beings deeds are recorded in the books and so that is probably what is referred to over here in Daniel chapter 7 verse 10 is what they say because if you see in Revelation chapter 20 verse 12 if someone can read out Revelation 20 verse 12 and I saw the dead is small and great standing before God and books were open and other book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books all right so here the dead that is those who have not placed their faith in the lord Jesus you know they are like spiritually dead set for judgment these people are going to be judged according to what they have done as is recorded in the books but there is also another book which is mentioned which is what it says over there in verse you know in verse 12 another book was opened which is the book of life so it looks like there's going to be something called the book of life where the name of every person who has placed their faith in the lord Jesus will be written down in that book of life and those people are not called dead they are the ones who have received eternal life they will live with the Lord forever their names are in the book of life but you have another set of books according to which deeds of the people are judged so it says the same thing again in verse 15 Revelation 20 verse 15 anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire so the book of life when was it written Revelation 13 verse 8 where it says all whose names have not been written in the lamb's book of life the lamb who was slain from the creation of the world and then Revelation 17 8 where it says the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world so even before the world was created God had already made a salvation plan and God already knew who are all the people who will place their faith in the Lord Jesus so our names were already entered into the book of life at that time because God knew who will accept Jesus and who will not accept Jesus so our names are written in the book of life but then there are other books in which the deeds of people are mentioned and these dead the ones who are spiritually dead they will their judgment will be declared based on those books so people like Hitler and people who have been extremely evil they will receive greater levels of punishment on the other hand the people who have not indulged in very terrible sins they will be given lesser levels of punishment so these are all the things we know which are referred to so Daniel chapter 12 the last chapter it also talks about the resurrection that will be Daniel chapter 12 verses 1 2 4 maybe we can read out verses 1 2 and 3 yeah Daniel 12 verses 1 2 and 3 at that time Michael's cells stand up the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time and at that time your people shall be delivered everyone who is found written in the book and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life some to shame and everlasting contempt those who are why cells shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever okay so here it's talking about that end time judgment and the resurrection is how i know that the it says over there both the unrighteous and the righteous will both be resurrected so you see some the people who have eternal life they will be resurrected unto it for everlasting life uh verse 2 multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake some to everlasting life others to shame and everlasting contempt so those who have accepted the lord those whose names are there in the book of life they will be resurrected for eternal life the unrighteous will also be resurrected physically but they will be resurrected to live in the lake of fire so judgment will come up resurrection will happen to both but judgment will come and it says in verse 3 those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens that is the way the righteous will shine on that day and those who have led many to righteousness you know those who shared the gospel those who took the effort to go and tell people about Jesus how will they shine like the stars forever and ever so these are the kind of goals that we should be aiming for you know so that the lord will be pleased with what we have done and he you know we will receive our reward on that day so yeah just these are just some of the things that we could touch upon from these three major prophetic books so there are no questions here in the chat any questions at all in the class otherwise we can close some students are completely confident no doubts be shaking us in fully no doubt at all all right yeah let's close with the word of prayer Lord we just thank you so much for these scriptures which reveal to us who you are Lord we see you in your awesome majesty all powerful where even the living creatures can't look at you directly I mean you are that majestic that awesome and Lord we see your great compassion a God who is so high and so great chooses to be so loving and so patient with people who are rebelling against him what an awesome God you are oh Lord thank you oh Lord for your love and for your mercy and your compassion and your kindness like we saw in the book of lamentations Lord even when you're disciplining your people you do it in love so that they may not this so that they may be restored one day and rather than being destroyed because so Lord we read in lamentations that you don't inflict grief upon anyone willingly it is only punishment which you bring upon people when they have sinned against you so we thank you oh Lord for your love for your compassion and Lord we pray that we would be like this Ezekiel and like this Daniel or Lord who chose to honor you even though they had to face a position even though they had to undergo difficult things persecution they were willing to stand up for Lord because honoring you mattered to them more than achieving something in the world and we pray oh Lord that you would help us to be like them and we pray oh Lord that we will have the joy of shining like stars because we took the effort to lead people to righteousness to tell people about you and share about you so we pray oh Lord that even as we commit ourselves into your hands you will do these things in our lives thank you Lord in Jesus name amen amen thank you