Pretend you’re planning a big party at your house. You want to invite everybody. So, naturally, in the invitation you’ll include an address and a map with directions. Your map will include signs that will be seen on the journey to your house.
God is planning a big
party, a celebration, a wedding, a family reunion. He’s not pretending. He has
sent out an invitation, for whosoever will follow His map to His House.
His directions were meticulously
written by at least 40 different writers, in three different languages, on
three different continents, over 1,500 years.
His map has been
miraculously preserved over thousands of years.
His Bible includes signs that
will be seen on the journey to His House.
Nearly a third of His
Word is prophecy.
Prophecy is not allegory
or story, but HIS-tory, told in advance.
Signs that will be seen.
Daniel, is called the
Revelation of the Old Testament and it includes one prophecy after another.
Much of which has already
been fulfilled.
From our blessed vantage
point we look back at the prophetic tracks already laid and see they were
fulfilled just as it was written.
We look forward with
confidence, knowing what remains will be fulfilled just as it was written.
Daniel 8 is a simple, yet
profound prophecy; mostly fulfilled, and by the signs we’re seeing today, it
appears what remains will soon be fulfilled.
In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision
appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time.
It’s around 551 BC.
Daniel’s in his early seventies, and it’s been a couple years since Daniel’s
first vision in Daniel 7.
If reading the original
text, we’d notice the language changed from Aramaic back to Hebrew. Where it’ll
stay for the rest of the book.
2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking,
that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw
in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.
In his vision he was no
longer in Babylon, but Shushan, about 225 miles east of Babylon in what would
be the capital of Persia.
Setting the scene that Daniel
would soon be in custody of the Medo-Persia empire because within a dozen years
they would overthrow Babylon. (Daniel 5).
3 Then I
lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which
had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other,
and the higher one came up last.
When on a journey, the
name of the place you’re headed to, will be posted repeatedly, perhaps with the
distance listed. The signs confirm you’re still on the right track. The closer
you get the more often you see the signs, until eventually you see the welcome sign.
Likewise, regarding
prophecy, God posts similar signs proving His Providence over coincidence.
In Daniel’s first vision
he saw a bear raised up on one side, (Dan. 7:5). Now he sees a ram with one
horn higher than the other.
You might put two and two
together and conclude that they are related.
You might even look back
over history and conclude they represent the Medo-Persian empire. They were
together but the Persians were higher than the Medes.
However, if you’re like
me, you’d never figure that out.
So, God’s good and wants
everybody to understand, and sent a messenger named Gabriel to spell it out in
verse 20: The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the
kings of Media and Persia.
That makes the parallel with
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream easy. (Daniel 2).
God repeats prophecy.
Hebrews 1:1, tells us God
spoke at various times and in various ways, through (and to) the prophets.
4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so
that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from
his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.
Historically speaking
this is indeed what the Medo-Persian empire did.
5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the
west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and
the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that
had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with
furious power. 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage
against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in
the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him;
and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
You might be able to
figure out who the goat represents.
But for guys like me,
Gabriel is still hanging around and in verse 21 he spills the beans: “And
the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between
its eyes is the first king.”
Most historians all agree,
the large horn refers to Alexander the Great. Even the critics agree. However,
they said, it was added after the fact, because in their mind, there was no way
Daniel could’ve written something so accurate 200 years before it ever
happened.
They stuck to their story
until 1947, but then the dead sea scrolls were found and proved the
authenticity of Daniel’s writings.
Eventually, history, archeology,
geography, all the ologies, catch up with the Bible.
From about twenty years
old Alexander the Great, from Greece, blazed a bloody trail at the speed of greased
lightning, until there were no more worlds to win.
Alexander’s influence was
so great that Greek became the common language, like English is today. Which prompted
Greek speaking Jews to push for the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament) to be
translated into a language they could read.
From that birthed the
Septuagint. Opening the door for gentiles to read the Word of God.
God weaves His wonderful
ways even through the wicked ways of man.
How’d it end for Alex the Great?
Not so great.
Reportedly, when there
were no more worlds to win, he sat down and wept.
Around June 10th,
323 BC, at only 32 years old after a night of drunkenness, he died, in Babylon.
Perhaps in the same place Belshazzar, during a night of drunkenness, saw the hand
writing on the wall about his own demise.
8 Therefore the male goat; grew very great but when he became
strong, (conquered all) the large horn was broken, (Alex died) and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the
four winds of heaven.
Like brush strokes on a
painting, with each vision, dream, prophecy, the Lord makes the picture a
little clearer.
In prophecy horns often
refer to kings, kingdoms or rulers.
Once again, the Lord posts
a familiar sign.
Remember, the leopard,
known for its speed, in Danny’s last dream, it had four heads and
four wings.
Alexander the Great’s
untimely death, (the large horn broken off) resulted four horns, his four
generals taking his place.
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew
exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious
Land.
Once again, something
sounds eerily familiar.
Daniel 7:8. “I
was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one,
coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by
the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a
man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”
10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some
of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.
We can’t help but think
of a similar verse in Revelation 12:4a. His tail drew a third of the stars of
heaven and threw them to the earth...
11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the
host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of
His sanctuary was cast down.
Sounds familiar to the
words of lucifer:
Isaiah 14:13.
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north.
There's coming a day
midway through the seven year tribulation when the antichrist will show his
fangs. According to this passage in Daniel 8:11, he will stop Jewish temple
worship to God, and demand worship to himself... or die.
Revelation 13:15. He (the
antichrist) was granted power to give breath to the image of the
beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would
not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small
and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except
one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name.
The little horn is wicked.
Speaking of wicked. Antiochus
Epiphanes ruled from 175 to 164 BC. He gave himself the name, Epiphanes meaning,
God manifest.
The devil is a counterfeiter.
Jesus is called Immanuel,
meaning God with us.
Behind Antiochus Epiphanes’
back, the Jews called him, Epimanes, meaning mad man.
It’s said he slaughtered
100,000 Jews in Jerusalem.
Jewish temple worship was
outlawed. Daily sacrifices to the Lord ceased.
Antiochus ordered pagan
sacrifices burned on the temple altar. In 167 BC he sacrificed a pig, splatted
its blood around the Holy of Holies and dedicated the temple to Zeus.
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 included Antiochus as a foreshadow of the Antichrist.
As is the case many times
with prophecy. It has a near and far interpretation. A preview for the real
show. A shadow of the substance.
12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to
the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the
ground. He did all this and prospered.
Compare that to, Isaiah
59:14:
Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
Sounds like our day.
Because
of transgression. Because God’s people fail to do God’s
work, evil prevails. All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.
Lord,
help us rise up, speak out, stand against, evil. Be Your salt and light, soul
winners, disciple makers, abhorring sin and loving sinners. Amen.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said
to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning
the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving
of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then
the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
In context this is “concerning
the daily sacrifices.”
So, literally 2,300
morning and evening sacrifices, or 1,150 days.
There are many different schools
of thought regarding the 2,300 days, some are downright heresy.
However, the most credible
seems to be that the temple was defiled 1,150 days until the Maccabees’ revolt
recaptured and cleansed the temple again in 164 BC.
NOTE: The angels’ concern
is about cleansing the sanctuary. How long before that which is sacred,
that which is dedicated to the Lord, shall be cleansed?
Consider, you are meant
to be sanctified, meant to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, called to be holy.
The LORD is waiting,
longing, for the last soul to be cleansed, holding out, not willing that any
perish.
Will you help Him, bring
them in?
15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was
seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the
appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the
Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17
So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my
face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to
the time of the end.”
This vision, with all of its
literal, historical, fulfilled foreshadows, is really about the time of the
end.
The days in which we
live.
18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with
my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.
19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall
happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed
time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw,
having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the
male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is
the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its
place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
Alexander’s four generals
rose to rule, but not with the power of Alexander.
23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
When the cup of iniquity
is full. The antichrist will rise.
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Antichrist’s profile.
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
Possessed by the devil
He shall destroy fearfully,
Steal, kill and destroy.
And shall prosper and thrive;
Some of the wealthiest
are the wickedest. Soros. Qatar.
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
Christians and Jews are
most hated and persecuted on planet. This demonic hatred is a foreshadow of the
coming Tribulation.
25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
The father of lies. We
live in the days of deception.
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
The arrogant attribute of lucifer.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
Blaspheme, mock, and gather
to fight the Prince of Peace at the battle of Armageddon.
But he shall be broken without human means.
2 Thessalonians 2:8. And then the lawless one
will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of
His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
Revelation 19:19-21. And
I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to
make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His
army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet
who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the
mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were
cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And
the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him
who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”
Near and far fulfillment.
First is a shadow, then the substance.
Antiochus, to Antichrist.
The closer you get to your destination the more signs you see. The closer we get to God’s goal, the more signs He posts.
Daniel was told to seal up the vision, it was for the future. However, John was told not to seal the prophecy for the time is at hand. Revelation 22:10, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.”
27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I
arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision,
but no one understood it.
What’s happening in our
world is sickening. But we must not bury our heads in the sand. We must rise up
be about the King’s business.
1 Thessalonians 16-18.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead
in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall
always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort
one another with these words.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for
loving us enough to show us what’s to come. Not to scare us but prepare us.
Now, help us to rise and be about Your business. Help us to see ourselves as
ambassadors for You, the King of kings. Give us the wisdom and courage to
lovingly forewarn all those You’ve given us, so none are lost.
Thank You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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This was feed for you to
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Thank you for sharing.
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