Remembering Charlie, Reflecting Jesus

 

9.10.25 was a Turning Point for USA, and the world.

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christ Jesus King

Charles James Kirk

Even his name reflects his King.

Do you reflect Jesus? When folks look at you do they see Him?

Ephesians 5:1-2

Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

Even though He never attended the fancy schools of the scholars He would astound them with His understanding and infuriate them because they could never beat Him in a debate.

He spent much of his time debating, not because He liked to argue, but because the people were like sheep without a shepherd, they were being deceived, and He knew He could help, if only they'd listen.

Some did. He amazed multitudes by what He could do.

Others considered Him a threat. They hated Him for telling them the Truth.

And one day, while He was just doing what He always did, talking to them, teaching them, helping them... He was murdered. Assassinated. Martyred.

He was just a young Man, still in His early 30s.

Who am I talking about?

Yes, Jesus.

However, it could be Charlie.

His martyrdom is both wake-up call and battle cry.

This is the Turning Point we’ve been praying for.

As God weaves His wonderful ways into the wicked ways of man, the whole world is witness to the undeniable proof, that God, brings Life from death.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live

 Today, we stand at a Turning Point.

Right to Life, left to death.

You know you’ve made the Right choice when in the midst of the battle your Conviction stands strong and True. 

Charlie’s wife Erika showed that to the world.  

Even after her husband, the father of their two precious children (3 yr old girl, 1 yr old boy), was assassinated in front of the world.

Even then, she clung to the cross of Christ, and the cross her Charlie wore.

Grab a hanky and watch Erika portray the Power of His Eternal Life and Love. 

John 12:24
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

The grain has already sprouted into thousands of Charlies, imitating Christ.

We had a prayer vigil in our town. We gathered around the American flag, hanging as if in mourning at half-mast.

One by one we stood under that flag and prayed. As we did, a beautiful breeze helped dry our tears and lift the flag as if in praise.

After a while a young man in his teens walked to the center. He prayed. After that, a stream of teens lit up the heavens with their powerful prayers and revealed for sure and certain, God’s not dead and He’s done with US.

We are indeed at a Turning Point USA.

Will we turn from our sin, turn to Him?

What would Charlie do?

Well, let’s hear it straight from him:

Take that leap of faith, stay involved, trust God and act obediently.

The most important decision I ever made.

In Charlie's own words.

After hearing about Charlie, I planted a tree in our backyard.

Then, I sat down at my desk and looked out the window at that tree and read,

2 Chronicles 7:14

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

 

Let’s pray.

Father forgive US for allowing our nation to get so wicked.

Lord Jesus, thank You for comforting Charlie’s loved ones with the blessed assurance that he is more alive now than ever, and we will see him again, where there is no parting, death or crying.

Please help US recognize this day of Your visitation, as once again, You bring Life from death. Help us honor Charlie, by turning to You and from sin.

Thank You for Your mercy and grace giving US one last shot to show the world what You will do for a nation that returns to You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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The New Covenant, Hebrews 8

 

Are you going to heaven?

Are you sure?

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

Jesus is the Main Point.

After eight chapters the writer says, I’ve said all that to say this.

We have, personally possess, not just any old priest, but such a High Priest, the One and only, ultimate, Eternal High Priest after the order of Marvelous Melchizedek. He is seated, already completed, His work, and won, therefore He sits in the place of honor, authority and power at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty, of God, as God in heaven.

He is Eternally Supreme, King of kings, Lord of lords, and yet, He ever lives as Minister to us, in the Holy Heavenly Tabernacle.

Jesus is the Main Point.

³ For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, it is necessary that this One (Jesus) also have something to offer. 

Why? If He’s Supreme over everything, why is it necessary for Him to do anything? He’s the Boss.

God established the priestly system of sacrifices and offering and He also declared Jesus a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Thus, to be called High Priest, He would of necessity abide by the very system He Himself established.

⁴ For (Now) if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;

When He was on earth in the flesh, He did not tell the High Priest, “Scoot over, I’ll take it from here.”

He did not offer sacrifices as a priest according to Levitical Law. He was not from the priestly tribe of Levi. He was from the royal line of David, the line of Judah.

So, obviously, His Priesthood is different than that of the Levites.

 ⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed (warned) when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 

He’s quoting from Exodus 25.

That not only applies to Moses on the mount, but to you and I here and now.

What we see came from what we can’t see. The Word of God spoke the world into existence. Hebrews 11:3.

This visible life is a copy and shadow of that which is to come.

Verily, verily, verily, life is but a dream... and when we die, that’s when we wake up to the life we have chosen.

Everlasting Life with Christ, or Eternal damnation without Him.

All the love and goodness of God you can possibly see, is a foreshadow of the everlasting goodness and glory and joy He has instore for those who love Him.

All the wretchedness and evil you see is a foretaste of the eternal terror and torment instore for those who reject His nonstop knocking.

Moses was warned to make the system of worship exactly as shown to Him.

We are warned to do the same.

How are we to worship Him?

In John 4, we’re told Jesus needed to go through Samaria. Turns out He had a Divine appointment with a woman at a well.

He got there first, sat down and waited. He does the same for you. Wherever You go, He’s already there, waiting, wanting to build a relationship, and show you how to worship.

When she arrived at the well, He asked for a drink. 

She asked why He spoke, since she being a Samaritan was despised by Jews.

He told her if she only knew, she’d ask of Him and He’d give her living water.

How can You? The well is deep, and You have nothing to draw. Are You better than Jacob, who gave us this well?

Whoever drinks this water will thirst. Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst, for it will become a fountain springing up into eternal life.

Give me this water! she said.

Go call your husband, He said.

I don’t have a husband.

That’s true, you’ve had five but the guy you’re shacked up with now isn’t your husband.

You must be a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but You Jews say we must worship in Jerusalem.

Way to change the subject, lady. Jesus wants to talk relationship—we divert to religion.

Jesus says: Oh, dear woman, the time has come when you don’t need to worship in this mountain or in Jerusalem, but God is Spirit and seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. John 4:23-24.

She said, when Messiah comes, He will explain everything.

Jesus said, I AM He.

She believed, dropped her bucket, ran and told the whole town, and before the dust settled the whole town met Him, and believed.

Jesus chose a despised outcast, to be the first person, recorded in Scripture, that He clearly revealed Himself as the Messiah.

Are you going to heaven? Are you sure? Why?

If it has to do with religion, dos, don’ts, rules, regulations, worship in this mountain or that, in this building or that, you might want to think again.

Jesus plainly tells us: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24.

What does that even mean?

Let’s go on and see.   

⁶ But now He (Jesus) has obtained a more excellent ministry (service), inasmuch as He is also Mediator (go between) of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

Mediator, arbitrator, intervenes to restore peace between two parties, especially as it fulfills or ratifies a covenant.

The Real is so much better than the copy and shadow.

Jesus as our Mediator is a more excellent ministry than the Old Testament priests, who were in some ways just glorified butchers, continually, slicing animals to pieces to place on the altar.

Following the Law without considering the condition of the heart.

Now, Jesus our Great High Priest reveals the Truth of what it was supposed to represent. He pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit to the thoughts and intents of the heart.

He doesn’t require an outward commitment of jumping through hoops and going through motions, but commands change in the attitude and condition of the heart.

Outwardly easy, inwardly impossible.

It’s easy to say, “sorry” without being sorry.

But it’s impossible to say, “sorry” and really be sorry, without heart surgery.  

That’s why He introduces this amazing word, covenant.

This is the first of seven times we see “covenant” in this chapter; (19 in Hebrews).

GOD LOVES COVENANT.

Adam and Eve.

Marriage is a covenant. Man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh, and what God has joined together let not man put asunder. God created that. Performed the first wedding.

Noah.

After the flood God used the amazing word covenant, seven times when he told Noah, He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. As a sign of His covenant He put a rainbow in the sky as a reminder for you and I. Genesis 9:8-17.

Abraham.

Ever heard the phrase “Cut a deal”?  

God told Abram I’m going to bless you so much that all nations of the world will be blessed through you.

That was Genesis 12.

About Genesis 15, Abraham worked up the nerve to say, “How will I know?”

God said, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

To start a petting zoo?

When God said to get the animals, Abe knew exactly what He meant; they were about to cut a covenant. 

By the way, that phrase, cut a deal, comes from what we’re reading here.

Genesis 15:10, Abram gathered the animals and cut them in two and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.

Imagine the bloody scene.

A cow, a goat, and a ram, cut in half, laid in a row, and a dove and a pigeon one on each side. Separated just enough to leave a path—a blood path.

Now the cutting is done. Everything is ready for the blood covenant ceremony.

What happens next?

The terms of the agreement are clearly stated.

In this covenant, God promised to bless Abraham, to make him a great nation, with lands and descendants; including the Messiah, who’d bless all the nations of the earth. Genesis 12:2-3.

Abraham’s part, according to, Genesis 17:1-2, was to believe and be blameless (same word used for Passover lambs that had to perfect, spotless, without blemish, blameless).

After the terms of the agreement are stated, the covenant making part of the ceremony begins.

So, Abraham is all set. Ready. Waiting…

But where’s God?

Night came.

Abram stayed.

Vultures came.

Abraham scared them away and stayed.

Sleep came to Abe.

God came in the form of a smoking oven and a burning torch.

Now, the powerful part of the ceremony.

The bloody pieces are laid in a row, separated by a path of blood.

Now, the parties, first one, then the other, walk the path of blood.

As they do they take an oath to abide by the terms of the covenant or let it be to me as was done to the animals.

God goes first.

Then it’s Abram’s turn.

Abram. Abram! Where’s Abram?

Oh, for Pete’s sake, he’s still asleep.

Like the deep sleep that fell on Adam, when God created Eve— and the covenant between man and woman.

So, what happens?

Well, if Abram walks the blood path and takes the oath, to abide by the terms of the covenant, to be, blameless—he’s doomed.

God knew this, of course.

Did you notice God showed up as a smoking oven, AND a burning torch.

Normally, multiple times in Scripture, He appeared as one or the other. A burning bush, a cloud, a pillar of fire. 

But here, He showed up as both.

Per protocol of the blood covenant, two parties need to walk the bloody path.

God takes covenant seriously.

So, what happened?

The Lord took the bloody trail in Abram’s place... in our place.

Then, when Abram breaks the oath, is less than perfect, when you and I are less than blameless, when we break the covenant, when we fail, when we sin, when we turn our backs on Him, and doom ourselves to destruction…

Jesus steps up and says, WAIT! 

I passed through the blood for them. I took their place. I was cut in pieces for them. I walked Golgotha’s bloody path for them.

Then He stretches out a nail scarred hand toward us and says, “Wake up. Follow Me.”

Gen. 15:18. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram...

Made, in the original text means: to cut.

The Lord cut a covenant with Abram, knowing the cut and the blood would one day be His own.

If you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the Promise. Galatians 3:29. According to the Covenant.

The New Covenant

⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 

The “first covenant” refers to the Law given to Moses. The Mosaic Law.

That was a conditional covenant.

Obey and be blessed.

Disobey and be cursed.

They disobeyed right away. Of course. Repeatedly.

The whole system was set up to show them they couldn’t keep it. They couldn’t be blameless any more than Abraham could.

They needed a Savior.

The heart is deceitfully wicked. Jeremiah 17:9.

The fault of the Law was due to the human element. 

⁸ Because finding fault with them, (fallible, fault filled, people) He (God) says: (here he begins to quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34): “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ⁹ not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, (though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. Jer. 31:32b ) and I disregarded them, says the Lord.

So, since we breached the covenant once again, as usual, the Lord stepped in, once again, and cut yet another covenant.

You’d think since we keep blowing it that this covenant would be strict, like a dictatorship.

But it’s not, at all.

This covenant is the covenant of all covenants.

¹⁰ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ¹¹ None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. ¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

¹³ In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Wow!

We keep getting worse and He keeps getting better.

This new covenant is written like a marriage covenant.

Which appears to be exactly what the Lord was thinking because He quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34, where verse 32 that says: “though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.”   

This covenant is the best covenant ever offered to mankind.

We in the Church age, have opportunity to be in covenant with Christ, the Bride of Christ.

What amazing love is this?

He’s inviting us to know Him, personally, close enough to finish each other’s sentence close, with all our hearts and minds and souls.

To be at one with Him as family.

How will we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?

And consider the price He paid to make this offer.

He knew we couldn't keep our end of the old covenant.

He knows we can't keep our end of this new covenant

So, like He did with Abraham, He does with us.

He let us know on the night in which He was betrayed.

I will cut a new covenant with you.

I will walk the blood path for you.

Only the cutting and the blood won't be of animals but My own.

He took the bread and broke it and said this is My body which is broken for you.

He took the cup and said this is My blood of the New Covenant.

That was the Bride price of the New Covenant.

So, He could be reunited, in covenant, once again with His family.

That’s all He wanted. To be in covenant, with you.

Are you going to heaven? Are you sure?  

The answer depends on whether or not you are in covenant, with Him?

Greater love has no Man than this than to lay down His life for His friends. John 15:13.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we are heart broken. Hours after this Bible Study Your servant, Charlie Kirk was assassinated. He knows what covenant is all about. He was beyond committed to a cause, he was in covenant with You. Willing to risk and give his life for this covenant. We pray for his family and this country that he loved so much. Lord, we pray You use what the enemy meant for harm and turn it around for good. We pray this is a Turning Point for the USA, to enter into covenant with You. Use this Lord as a catalyst to show the world what You will do for a nation that turns to You.

 Thank You, Lord Jesus.

We trust and love You, forever.

Amen.  

Prayer Requests:

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Email: pray4measap@aol.com

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.

 

HIStory, Past, Present, Future, Daniel 11:1-35

 

Around 536 BC.

Daniel is 88-90 years old.

This is a continuation of the conversation with the angel from chapter 10.

Reportedly verses 1-35 contain 135 fulfilled prophecies.

For this reason, critics hate this chapter.

For this reason, Christians love this chapter.

2 Peter 1:19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

This sure Word, we hold in our hands can be depended upon beyond emotions, feelings, miracles, signs and wonders.

Almost 1/3 of Scripture is prophecy (100% of Daniel 11) and confirms the Word to be True with undeniable proofs.

With each scientific discovery, each archeological uncovering, the Bible is proved to be absolutely True, every jot, every tittle.

Not matter what the sceptics say, no matter what facts remain, in your heart and in your soul let God be True and every man a liar.

Facts change. Truth, ever remains the same.  

 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” Isaiah 46:9-10.

Verses 36-45 includes prophecy of things that are not yet done.

Daniel 11:21 introduces Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a type and shadow of the antichrist.

A study of this chapter includes lots of dates and data, but it’s not about that, it’s to show that God declares the end from the beginning, what He says comes to pass without fail.

Much of the spotlight rests on two dynasties that fought for about 200 years from 261B.C. - 60 B.C. Giving Voice to the “Silent Years” between the Testaments.

Seleucus and Ptolemy, two of Alexander the Great's generals.

The Seleucids in the North (of Jerusalem) controlled Syria and southward.

The Ptolemies in the South (of Jerusalem) controlled Egypt and northward.

Daniel 11:1
 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) 

Chapters and verses were not Divinely inspired and are not always in great places.

Daniel 10 and11 splits in the middle of a conversation between Daniel and an angel.

The angel, not Daniel, is speaking as we open chapter 11.

In chapter 10, the Lord through the angel revealed much about spiritual warfare.

Now, the angel is explaining that he’s been around since the Medo-Persian empire conquered Babylon. Perhaps mostly because of the fulfillment of the prophecy that after 70 years the Babylonian exile would end. Jeremiah 25:11-12.

Whenever God is on the move the serpent starts to rattle.

So, there must’ve been quite a spiritual battle attempting to thwart God’s Divine plan.  

² And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

HIStory identifies these kings as:

Cambyses (529-522 BC).

From history we know that Cambyses was the son of Cyrus.

An impostor, by the name of Guamata, claimed to be Smerdis, also called Artaxerxes, the younger brother of Cambyses. Is this the first case of Identity theft?

 Pseudo-Smerdis, won the hearts of the people and stole the throne by promising a three-year exemption from taxes.

When Cambyses realized he was defeated, he committed suicide.

Pseudo-Smerdis (522-521 BC).

Psudo-Smerdis  reigned a short time before Darius the Great took control of the Persian Empire.

Darius The Great (521-486 BC).

Xerxes aka: Ahasuerus (486-465 BC).

Far richer than them all, the one you know and love from the book of Esther.

Xerxes amassed the largest army in the ancient world (some claim 2.5 million men, plus naval ships).

The Greek historian Herodotus records that in around 482 B.C., Xerxes had two bridges built across the width of the Hellespont in order that his huge army could cross from Persia into Greece. These bridges were then destroyed by a storm that so enraged Xerxes, that he beat the sea 300 times with a belt!

However, the ultra-wealthy seldom know when to quit or when enough is enough and Xerxes of Persia, wanting more wealth and more power, rammed into quickly growing Greece, not once but twice.  

This, set the stage for the prophecy we’ve already heard of the ram and the goat in Daniel 8. The Grecian Goat, quickly rose up and ground the Persian Ram into a Persian rug.

The Grecian Goat was Alexander the Great.

 ³ Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. ⁴ And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Don’t forget the awesomeness of all of this. Remember, this was written about 200 years before Alexander the Great graced the scene.

All historians agree that this speaks of Alexander the Great.

After quickly conquering the known world around June 10^th, 323 BC, at only 32 years of age, after a night of drunkenness, he died, in Babylon. Perhaps in the same place Belshazzar, during a night of drunkenness, saw the handwriting on the wall and met his demise.

Alexander had no clear successor when he died.

His wife, Roxana, was pregnant with Alexander IV.

He also had a four year old son, Heracles, born to Barsine, a mistress from Macedon.

He had a half-brother, Philip III, who was mentally challenged.

All possible successors related to Alexander, including Roxana, were assassinated.

Now notice again the accuracy of Scripture; the kingdom was divided, toward the four winds, but not among his posterity.

The kingdom was divided four ways between four of his generals. As previously depicted in the vision with the four headed, four-winged, leopard in Daniel 7, and the four horns from the goat in Daniel 8.

Cassander ruled over Macedonia and Greece.

Lysimachus over Thrace.

Ptolemy I, reigned Egypt.

Seleucus ruled Syria.

The first two (Cassander and Lysimachus) fade away and the focus remains on the North and the South as they battle it out and guess whose glorious land is right smack dab in the middle of Syria and Egypt?

Israel.

Therefore, the spotlight remains on them because what they do affects the apple of God’s eye, Israel.

⁵ “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.

HIStory tells us that the king of the south, Ptolemy I Soter, established his authority over Egypt quickly, (323-285 BC).  

However, Seleucus I Nicator, in the north, was having some trouble. One of Alexander's former military leaders, Antigonus, thought he ought to be king of the north.

Ptolemy rode up from the south and helped Seleucus in the north to gain power and have a great dominion even larger than his own.

 ⁶ And at the end of some years...

Seems like there might be some truth to the saying, “no good deed goes unpunished.” Because after Ptolemy showed southern hospitality and helped Yankee Doodle Seleucus in the North, they started fighting amongst themselves for some years, about six decades.

Then, somebody had a brilliant idea.

Let’s have a wedding. Why not? We already hate each other, so we might as well be in-laws.

How about, one of your boys marries one of our gals? Who knows, maybe we’ll become one big, noisy, messy, happy, family.

What could possibly go wrong?

⁶...they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. 

So, they found a lovely southern belle, Berenice (daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the king of the south), to marry the handsome northern king Antiochus II (262-246 BC).

So, now what could stand in the way of wedded bliss?

Well, Queen Laodice for one. Antiochus’s wife.

Oops.

Hell has no fury like a woman... well, it wasn’t long until the bell tolled for southern belle Berenice, her infant son, and king Antiochus.

Then Laodice put her son, Seleucus II Callinicus, on the throne.

⁷ But from a branch of her (deceased Berenice) roots one shall arise (her brother, Ptolemy III Euergates) in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.

The king of Egypt Ptolemy III, the brother to recently deceased Berenice marched into the fortress of the North, like Braveheart, and killed Laodice, and plundered the Northern empire as far as Babylon.

⁸ And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

The spoils they took back to Egypt included 2500 idols (gods), 4000 talents of gold and 40,000 talents of sliver.

Ptolemy III, the king of the South reigned for 24 years. The king of the North (Seleucus II Callinicus) reigned for 20 years (died from falling off a horse).

Thus, as prophesied, he continued more years than the king of the North.

⁹ “Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. ¹⁰ However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one (Antiochus III) shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; (Judah) then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.

¹¹ “And the king of the South (Ptolemy IV) shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, (Antiochus III) who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.

North attacked the South.

South attacked the North.

Back and forth.

Antiochus III recaptured much of what Ptolemy III had taken.

In 221 BC Ptolemy IV marched through Judea and was turned back in Lebanon by Antiochus III.

Then in the spring of 219 BC the big battle of Raffia ignited (20 miles south of Gaza).

The South had 75,000 soldiers and 73 elephants.

The North had 68,000 soldiers and 102 elephants.

The South lost 2,200 men, whereas the North lost 14,300.

¹² When he (Proud Ptolemy) has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 

The South won the day, but not the war.

Ptolemy’s heart was lifted up. Never a good sign—pride comes before a fall, Proverbs 16:18.

Reportedly Ptolemy went on a victory tour stopping at Jerusalem. He was about to enter the Holy of Holies, against the warning of the high priest, but was suddenly struck with paralysis.

God protected the Holy place, until an appointed time.

Meanwhile Antiochus, rather than being discouraged by the defeat, was rebuilding his army for a rematch.

¹³ For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

¹⁴ “Now in those times many (including early Rome) shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people (Israel) shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. ¹⁵ So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist.

¹⁶ But he (Antiochus III) who comes against him (Ptolemy IV) shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land (Israel) with destruction in his power.

Antiochus returns with 100,000 soldiers.

Back and forth for some years, about 200 years these battles raged, the north and the south battled, crisscrossing the land of Israel to wage war with one another.

The glorious land of Judea was reduced to poverty after so many years of being the center of this North and South tug of war.

¹⁷ “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him (Ptolemy V)  the daughter (Cleopatra I) of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him.

Not Elizabeth Taylor, that was Cleopatra VII. This is Cleopatra I.

Antiochus III gave his daughter (10 years old) to Ptolemy V (teenager) thinking peace through matrimony would give him the advantage over Egypt, without the expense of war.

Only his daughter wasn’t the spy he hoped she’d be. Instead, she fell in love with Ptolemy V.

¹⁸ After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him.

Antiochus III set his sights on Greece, but Rome intervened and sent him high tailing it back to home.

But not before forcing him to pay restitution, and tribute, agree to a peace treaty, and to leave his son, Mithradates, as a political hostage. NOTE: This boy would eventually become Antiochus IV Epiphanes, infamous for his spiteful persecution of Jews. The shadow of the antichrist.

¹⁹ Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

Here, we see the final fate of Antiochus III, he will stumble and fall, and not be found.

Once again, history reveals that prophecy was fulfilled.

After his defeat in Asia Minor, he turned his face toward his own land, and went home. But instead of settling down, he stumbled and fell and was found dead, while plundering a temple in his own land in modern-day Iran. 

²⁰ “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.

Antiochus III was succeeded by his son, Seleucus IV Philopator.

He drastically increased taxes to pay his dad’s debts.

He also arranged for his brother, Mithradates, to be brought back from Rome in exchange for his own son.

His reign was brief, as he was poisoned by one of his political officials.

Just as prophesied, he was destroyed ‘neither in anger nor battle’ but as a result of a political scandal.

This led to the wicked reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the type and shadow of the antichrist.

²¹ And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 

Here, the prophecy comes to one of Scripture's most infamous historical figures.

His illegitimate rise was predicted, he seized the kingdom by intrigue.

The peace deal with Rome was that the son of king would be a political prisoner.

That’s why Seleucus IV sent his own son in exchange, Antiochus.

When Seleucus IV was assassinated, Antiochus seized the throne through flattery and bribery.

He changed his name from Mithradates to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, meaning, "God Manifest." However, he was often called, "Epimanes," which means "insane."

²² With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.

 ²³ And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. ²⁴ He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

Here, we see prophecy of Antiochus’s early military victories. His actions reflect those of the antichrist. A deceitful peace maker, dispersing plunder and riches to devise his evil plans.

He besieged Egypt in 170 BC; with the force of a flood he swept in and conquered the city of Pelusium and gained access to all of Egypt.

He dictated who would be the High Priest, (the prince of the covenant), by giving it the highest bidder.  

He rose to power by deception and flattery.

²⁵ “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. ²⁶ Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 

²⁷ Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.

The battles, the hearts bent on evil, the speaking of lies at the same table, continued, and will continue, for the end will still be at the appointed time.

 ²⁸ While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.

Antiochus returned north with great riches, yet, his heart was moved against the holy covenant, to do damage.

There is a demonic hatred toward God’s covenant people and property.

If you have a hatred toward Jews, like much of the world. Stop right now and ask God for forgiveness and deliverance from this demonic evil.

Antiochus had heard that a rumor went about claiming he was dead. He also heard the news was met with celebrations in Israel. Something he figured he needed to punish.

²⁹ “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. ³⁰ For ships from Cyprus shall come against him...

Evil always goes too far. Sin never knows when to quit. Power lust is never satisfied.

Antiochus was met in Egypt, by the Roman Consul, Gaius Popillius Laenas, who told him that he must immediately withdraw from both Cyprus and Egypt. (Antiochus’s fleet had captured the isle of Cyprus).

Antiochus asked for time to think about it.

“Sure,” said Gaius, as he drew a circle around him in the sand, “take as much time as you want. Only you must decide before you leave that circle.”

Surrender or declare war with Rome and die.

He agreed and headed north, only, on the way to vent his rage, he stopped by Jerusalem and foreshadowed the actions of the antichrist with the abomination of desolation.

³⁰... therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.

“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. ³¹ And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 

In his rage, he slaughtered 40,000 Jews and sold many into slavery.

Antiochus stopped temple worship.

Offered swine on the altar and desecrated the temple with the flesh and blood of swine.

Forced public nudity.

Stole the golden vessels from the Holy of Holies (God allowed this to happen).

Defiled the temple by placing in it a statue of Zeus (Jupiter, the Roman equivalent).

This, Abomination of Desolation, is a foreshadow of the actions of the antichrist to come.

Jesus refers to this “abomination of desolation spoken of by Danie the prophet” and masterfully projects it into future tense. Matthew 24:15-16. Thereby, telling us that Daniel’s prophecy of Antiochus is a foreshadow of the Antichrist.

As is the case with prophecy, many times it has a near and far interpretation, a preview for the real show.

³² Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery...

In intense times, the thoughts and intents of the heart are revealed.

We are living in intense times, and they are getting more and more intense, like labor pains. Are you growing more agitated and irritated, or, more focused, calm, peacefully intense?  

There were those who quickly bowed to Antiochus.

There are those who will quickly bow to antichrist.

³²...but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. ³³ And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. ³⁴ Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. ³⁵ And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

Evil always goes too far. Sin never knows when to quit.

Antiochus tried to force a rural priest to sacrifice an unclean animal to a pagan God. The priest, Mattathias, refused.

When another villager tried to follow the command, Mattathias killed him. That encouraged the crowd to unite and stand against the soldiers. This escalated into a full-scale uprising now known as the Maccabean Revolt, and is what birthed the modern celebration of Hanukkah.

When the dust settled, the Jews still standing (many were killed just as prophesied) entered the Temple and found it defiled, desecrated. They went to work to cleanse and rededicate the temple. However, they didn’t have enough pure oil to keep the menorah burning continually as required. Nevertheless, they did what they could and lit the lamp.

God did the rest.

The lamp continued to burn day after day, for eight days, enough time to produce new pure oil for the menorah to remain lit and never burn out. 

Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word that tells of things to come. Thank You for HIStory that reveals what You said in Your Word has come true. This makes it easy to believe that what remains of Your Word to be fulfilled, will come to pass exactly as You have written. Please help us earnestly and urgently shine Your Love to those You’ve given us so we all will hear You say, “Well done.”  

We love You, forever.

Amen.

Isaiah 46:9-10. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”

2 Peter 1:19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

 

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