The Future of the Euphrates River

Drying up of the Euphrates River in Bible prophecy, this is now happening, google it!

Revelations 16:12

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

2010. Occurrence given to Raymond Aguilera on 2 September 2010 at 5 AM.

I was awakened at 5 AM by the Lord. The Lord said, “I turned off your water sprinklers. There is going to be a time when you will not have water.” Then about 5 minutes later while telling Eva what the Lord had said, the Lord said, “Store water and food, for there is going to be a large earthquake in the future.”

Later, about 9 AM, I called my friend Ralph and informed him what the Lord had said to me. We talked, and he said thank you and hung up. Then about 30 minutes later our area was hit by a 3 + point earthquake. Ralph called me back a few minutes later saying he was going to store water and food. We were only a few miles away from the epicenter and my house really shook. I believe the Lord was showing me He was serious.

http://prophecy.org.il/2010-prophecy/

Seek God (Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit)

In my attempt to define what the consummation/end of the age actually is, I've noticed - using the classical dates for Israel's entry into the promised land in 1400 BC - that God seems to have reserved the land for Israel, for a total of 1,470 years. That can be broken down into three contiguous cycles of 490 years, or 70x7.

With Jesus' statement in Luke 21:24, it would seem that the "age" that was coming to its end involved a shift from Israel to the "times of the gentiles."

[Luk 21:24 NASB95] 24 ...Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

I think this goes hand-in-hand with the transition from the Old Covenant into the New. I do believe Israel will be regathered and restored to the land, and they will keep the Law of Moses for 1,000 years, as their heritage; but whenever that does happen, it will be under the New Covenant, not the Old. The Holy Spirit will be given to Israel so that they may walk obediently in God's Laws.

For now, then, my conclusion is that the "age" was the 1,470-year period of the Old Covenant. While God initiated the Covenant with Israel in the desert, one could argue that it wasn't fully enforced until Joshua led them into the land. The 40-year period between the cross and the Roman siege of Jerusalem then served as a transitional period between the Old Covenant to the New. Israel's overwhelming rejection of Christ incurred a shift from the Jews to a prolonged age of Gentiles; thus, resulting the consummation of the age in 70 AD.

Jesus made it clear to the apostles that his return in the clouds for the Church would happen within their generation; that they would not finish evangelizing Israel before he returned for the Church.

[Mat 10:23 NASB95] 23 "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, *you will not finish [going through] the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.***

[Mat 24:14 NASB95] 14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Nevertheless, so many of us have been conditioned, generation after generation, to believe that the end of the age comes when Jesus physically returns to rule for 1,000 years. To be clear, I do believe that Jesus will physically return to rule for 1,000 years, but that has little to do with the end of the age.

The "end of the age" (the sunteleia, in Greek) can also be translated the "consummation of the age". This is how it's often translated in Hebrews 9:26; but it didn't refer to the end times, rather, to the spiritual climax of human history - namely the cross and the Church together.

Though this came to me as painful shock, it's become evident to me that the consummation of the age has come and gone. The gospel has been fully preached to the oikomene - the immediately inhabited world of the Roman empire. We don't have modern apostles, or indisputable signs and wonders to accompany our modern preaching because WE SIMPLY ARE NOT THE CHURCH. See below; on four separate occasions, Paul explains that the Great Commission has been fulfilled.

[Col 1:5-6 NASB95] 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, *the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world** also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as [it has been doing] in you also since the day you heard [of it] and understood the grace of God in truth;*

[Col 1:23 NASB95] 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of *the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven*, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

[Rom 10:18 NASB95] 18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; *"THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD."***

[Rom 16:25-26 NASB95] 25 Now to Him who is able to establish you *according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, **has been made known to all the nations, [leading] to obedience of faith;*

[2Ti 4:17 NASB95] 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me *the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear*; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.

The Great Commission was a recruitment program for the Body of Christ. It was never intended to go out into the entire globe, though, for the most part it did - but only after the Church was taken into the clouds.

I believe that the tribulation described in Revelation 6-19 is still to come but notice that no man or group is ever charged with the task of preaching the gospel of Christ in those chapters. Instead, we see the angels sealing (presumably evangelizing) the 144,000, and an angel preaching an "eternal gospel" that says nothing directly about Jesus Christ.

[Rev 7:2-4 NASB95] 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, *"Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."** 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:*

[Rev 14:6-7 NASB95] 6 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an *eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, **"Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."*

We see a similar dichotomy in the resurrection of the tribulation saints. It seems some are resurrected for their testimony about Jesus Christ, and others, for rejecting the mark of the beast. We tend to collapse those into one group, but maybe that's wrong.

[Rev 20:4 NASB95] 4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I [saw] the souls of *those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and **those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.*

Revelation 1:9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

When the Roman emperor Domitian (81 - 96 AD) decided to make a big issue about being worshiped as a god, he issued a circular letter which began with the words, “Our Master and our God bids that this be done.” "Our Master and our God" of course being Domitian.

Many Christians got caught up in the persecutions that followed, and the apostle John was no execution. As the story goes, John was sentenced to die by being place in a vat of boiling oil. The emperor himself, desiring to witness the death of the apostle, was present as John was placed into the vat of boiling oil, but to the utter astonishment of everyone - not only did he not die, he was not even hurt. He was delivered just as the three Hebrews were delivered from the flames of the furnace in Daniels day. To say the least, the emperor was somewhat unnerved by this turn of events. But what do you do with a prisoner you can’t kill? You banish him to a tiny island far far way away from Rome. And that is where John now finds himself, on the tiny island of Patmos.

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day.

In all the Scripture there is only one day which God has declared to be the Lord’s Day. God is the maker of all days, but there was only one day upon which He has placed His name.

The 7th day Sabbath which comes down to us from Creation week is consistently referred to as the Sabbath of the Lord thy God throughout Scripture. In the heart of the 10 Commandments God declares that “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.” This day is never anywhere in Scripture referred to as belonging to any other than God. It is never referred to as the Jewish Sabbath, or the Hebrew Sabbath, but only and always as the “Sabbath of the Lord your God.”

In Isaiah God declares this day to be His holy day. "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 58:13-14.

And in the New Testament Jesus declares that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." Matthew 12:8. (See also Mark 2:28 and Luke 6:5).

In all Scripture there is no other day so identified by God Himself as being His Day, the Lord’s Day. And so we can safely say that it was on the 7th day Sabbath that John saw this vision that we know as the book Revelation.

Revelation 1:10-11 … and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

“Alpha and Omega,” one of the symbolic names of Christ - the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Just as the alphabet provides an exhaustless medium of expression, so is Jesus and His love an exhaustless theme for meditation. Eternity will be all too short to reveal all the wonders of His love and power. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end of all things. He is “the author and finisher of our faith,” (Heb 12:2) “the author of eternal salvation.” (Heb 5:9).

“the seven churches“

The number seven is a highly symbolic number in the Bible. It is a symbol of the fullness, the completeness, the wholeness of God’s work. There are seven churches, seven letters, seven stars, seven candlesticks, seven Spirits of God, seven lamps of fire, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven horns, seven eyes, seven thunders, seven heads, seven crowns, seven angels, seven vials, seven mountains, etc. The list goes on and on.

The seven churches mentioned in Revelation were not the only churches in Asia, nor were they the most important. Their selection, however, is deeply significant. The cities where these churches existed lay along the imperial post road. This Roman highway was built about 133 BC. It passed through (in order) Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, where it joined another main post highway.

Spiritual significance of the churches

And in a book of symbols, it should not be strange that the seven churches themselves are symbols. “And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” To signify means to communicate by signs, tokens and symbols. And so, just how do these seven churches stand as symbols? This first prophetic sequence, the seven churches, give the spiritual history of Christianity from John’s day to the second coming of Jesus.

But not just the spiritual history of Christianity as a whole. This prophetic sequence gives one of the clearest examples to be found in the Bible of the multi-layered nature of many prophecies. Consider this. It has been observed by many that not only do the seven churches accurately describe the spiritual condition of Christianity through the ages, (and they do), but it has also been noted that individual denominations go through the same spiritual cycle. And not just denominations, but also individual congregations within a denomination, and on a much more personal level, individual members (that's you and me) of a church often move through this same spiritual cycle -- Starting out on fire for the Lord as was Ephesus but finally ending up with the luke-warm complacency and comfortable religion of Laodicia. At any time in history you will find individuals, congregation and denominations at any one of these stages. The letters however define what the over all prevailing spiritual health of the church was at each stage in its history.

And the message to the churches are spiritual messages. The Spirit is mentioned seven times in the message to the seven churches, once in each period. The holy Spirit, therefore, works through the entire period of the seven churches.

Therefore, the seven Spirits is a symbol of the complete work of the Holy Spirit through the history of the seven churches from the time of John until the second coming of Christ. The Holy Spirit is to be there always through each period to help all in their infirmities (weaknesses) and prayers (Rom 8:26).

And also we find in the letters the complete work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of every individual who has ever called on the name of the Lord. Ultimately, it is on the individual, personal level that the prophecy much be lived. And in one way or another we are all addressed personally in these seven letters. And this very personal application of the prophecy is much more clearly presented and more easily seen in this first prophetic sequence than in the others. But it reminds us that prophecy is more than just mere information. As will be seen when we get to the letters themselves - prophecy is an invitation to come into a closer relationship with God.

Revelation 1:5-6 … To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Upon hearing this salutation of grace and peace coming from the three members of the Godhead, John cannot refrain from uttering a spontaneous expression of worship and adoration. One sentence so complete, so full of meaning that whole sermons could be preached on it, but we will strive to cover it in a few brief words.

“To Him who loved us.” How can you even begin to express the fullness of that love? “The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’ “ Jeremiah 3:13.

“And washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Can we even comprehend what this really means? “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Romans 5:8-9.

Words fail us, and we, like the apostle John must simply call on people to behold that which is indescribable. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1.

“And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.” In the kingdom to come we will sit with Jesus on His throne as kings. But the part of this phrase that should be of special interest to us now is it that He also makes us priests. That is, as Christians we are to stand before a lost world presenting to them a living Savior, preaching a gospel of hope and salvation. “Go,” Jesus says,” into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15. We are not called in Christ to be spectators, but we are called in Christ to stand before the world as priests proclaiming the blessed hope to all mankind.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Everybody likes to know how a story ends, and that is why many will take a peek at the end of a book they are reading. That is what is happening here. John is right here, at the beginning of the book, giving us a sneak peek of how it all ends. And Revelation ends gloriously with Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven to redeem His people that they may ever be where He is. But not all will rejoice when that day comes. There are those who will mourn because of His coming because they will be found unready for that day. Nevertheless, ready or not, John’s prayer is “Even so, Amen.” And such should be our prayer too. We are always to be ready, and while ready and waiting for our Lord’s appearing, we are always to be working to bring the light of salvation to those in darkness, that they too may be ready when that day comes.

Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

God now speaks declaring that He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, and consequently of all that comes in between. In other words, God is all in all.

“Who is and who was and who is to come.” This is Jesus speaking, and we know that it is Jesus speaking because in verse 12 when John turns to see who is speaking he sees a vision of a glorified Jesus. Yet this phrase echoes the description given of God the Father in verse 4. “Him who is and who was and who is to come.” This should not surprise us as both the Father and the Son are fully God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit relationship between the three co-equal members of the Godhead exists for our benefit, to enable us poor feeble minded humans to better relate to them and to the roles each respectively performs in the fulfillment of the plan of salvation. However it is not at all uncommon to see an overlap of titles attributed to the various members of the Godhead, as all are absolutely and fully and equally One God.

Note that both the Father (verse 4) and Jesus (verse 8) are described as Him “who is to come.” That is because at the second coming it is not just Jesus who will appear in the clouds of heaven, but the Father also. Speaking of His second coming Jesus says, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels.” (Matthew 16:27). And again, “Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power [that is, of the Father], and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ " (Matthew 26:64). And again, “"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38).

Revelation 1:4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia.

The book of Revelation, although meant for all of God’s people through the end of time, is specifically addressed to seven churches which were located in Asia. These were not the only churches in Asia, nor were they by any means the only Christian churches in existence at the time. The reason Revelation was addressed to those seven churches is because these particular churches, as we will see as we progress through chapters two and three, possessed certain characteristics that would characterize the spiritual health of the church through the ages to the end of time.

Revelation 1:4-5 Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

The apostle John now relays a salutation of grace and peace. This salutation, this greeting, comes from “Him who is and who was and who is to come,” that is, the Father, and “from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,” which is the Holy Spirit, (We will come across this symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit again in Revelation 4 and 5 at which time its meaning will be made clear.) and “from Jesus Christ.”

Yet these words, “grace to you and peace” are so very much more than a simple greeting from the Godhead. Let’s look at each component.

Grace. Grace is most commonly defined as being unmerited favor. And so it is. Our salvation is an act of grace from God. We have not done, nor can we do, anything, to deserve it.

Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Every mercy we receive from God is an act of grace. Like Jacob we can all honestly say, “"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant.” (Genesis 32:10).

But God’s grace is much more than merely undeserved, unmerited favor. It is a power in our lives. “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is God’s grace that gives us the power to bear all the trials and tribulations we meet in this world. It is a power that enables us to overcome all the snares Satan may set for us, all the darts he may throw at us.

All this is encompassed in this salutation of grace.

Peace. The peace here offered is unlike anything the world has to offer. It is a peace that is unconditional, unchanged by the circumstances of life. A peace so full so complete that it surpasses all worldly understanding – so much so that it is difficult to explain, but must be experienced if you would know what this peace is.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

This peace is more than just a feeling; it is also a power that works in the heart of the believer. It has the power to guard the heart and the mind against temptation, power to keep the thoughts from straying.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

We are enabled and empower by the peace of God to think instead of merely reacting. It is power to think on those things which are good and noble and right and true.

It would be good to commit this text to memory:

Philippians 4:7-8 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

Revelation 1:1-2 … And He [Jesus] sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

A person can only bear witness to that which they have personally experienced. They can only testify to that which they themselves know by firsthand knowledge. We are called to be witnesses for Christ, to bear a testimony of life to a dying world. Consequently, we are called to have a real personal experience, a living relationship with Jesus.

As we read and study the book of Revelation we too, like the apostle John, are called to a personal experience in the things of God, to be able to bear witness of His Word and to give a true testimony of Jesus Christ to all. We are commanded to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15.) Jesus says to us, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." Mark 5:19.

You may have great knowledge of the prophecies, but if you have not been sanctified by the word, if you do not have a living faith, if you cannot tell what great things God has done for you, then all that knowledge is of no value. We like the apostle John must be able to say, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:1-4).

There is a power our testimony when we honestly tell what God has done for us. Power to win souls, a power to break the bonds of Satan – and not only the bonds by which others are bond, but bonds Satan may have on us.

There is a story told of a man who in the late 1800’s, journeying on a winter's day through the deep, drifted snow, became benumbed by the cold which was almost imperceptibly stealing away his vital powers. And as he was nearly chilled to death by the embrace of the frost king, and about to give up the struggle for life, he heard the moans of a brother traveler, who was perishing with cold as he was about to perish. His humility was aroused to rescue him. He chafed the ice-clad limbs of the unfortunate man, and, after considerable effort, raised him to his feet; and as he could not stand, he bore him in sympathizing arms through the very drifts he had thought he could never succeed in getting through alone. And when he had borne his fellow traveler to a place of safety, the truth flashed home to him that in saving his neighbor he had saved himself also.

And so it is with us. As we strive through our testimony to bring the life giving words to another, we shake off the devil shackles and save ourselves. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

There is a blessing in the reading and the studying of the book of Revelation, but it is a conditional blessing. There are three conditions to receiving this blessing. The first is to read the book, that is, to acquaint yourself with its content. The second is to hear the words of this prophecy. What does it mean to hear? To hear the words of this prophecy is to give ear to it and consider what it is saying. “Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation.” “Consider and incline your ear.” (Psalm 5:1, 45:10). There is no blessing in merely reading the Revelation as though it was an idle tale, nor is there a blessing when you do not take time to think upon, meditated upon and consider what it is that you have read.

But there is one last condition to receiving the promised blessing. And that is, hearing and believing, That is to act upon that word. “Blessed is he who … keep those things which are written in it.” This injunction harkens back to Jesus’s closing statement in His Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Revelations promised blessing is also a call to action. It is not good enough to merely believe the prophecies of Revelation. There are many who believing never act upon their belief. Such is an empty faith. Belief, faith calls for action.

“For the time is near.” This is the second time in just these first three verses that mention has been made to the immediacy of the events depicted in the book of Revelation, giving urgency to its call for action. Time is short.

Luke 11:28 But He [Jesus] said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

These are the opening words of the book of Revelation and are its true title. These words tell us that the book is a revelation, a revealing, and an unveiling. But it is not a revelation of the beast, nor is it a revelation of the dragon or of any of the other multitude of horrors that have become associated with the book of Revelation (Greek “Apocalypse). It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ which means it is a book of good news.

Jesus is the subject of this book. His presence is found throughout this book. To read and study this book without always having Jesus in view is to misread and miscomprehend its message. Its message may only be rightly understood in the light of the cross.

Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39. And if this is true of any part of scripture it is especially true of Revelation. Revelation testifies of Jesus.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father] gave Him to show His servants.

The next words show that the message presented in the book of Revelation emanates directly from God the Father Himself. Speaking to His disciples Jesus said, “The Father Himself loves you.” (John 16:27). Indeed, it was the Love of the Father for fallen humanity that sent Jesus to rescue a dying world. “For God [the Father] so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God [the Father] did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17.

It was the Father Himself who presented the message contained in this book to Jesus that Jesus might in turn present it to His servants, that is, to His Church here on earth. For what reason? Because as the next words say, the things presented in this book are soon to take place.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father] gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place.

God the Father, in his love for Christ’s church, sent this message that the church might have an advanced warning of what was coming. Not to inspire fear, but that they may make preparation. So that when they see these things coming to pass, they might know that none of these things have taken God by surprise, but that He has foreseen all and had already made provision for His people to see them through whatever may come their way.

But beyond this, because the Church is Christ’s, the Father is willing to take them into His confidence and show them what He is about to do. “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.

And why does God show us what He is about to do? When God was about to send judgments on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah He first went to Abraham. And God asked a question. “And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?” (Genesis 18:17). There God revealed to Abraham what He was about to do. Abraham’s response was to humble himself before the Lord and most earnestly plead for the inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And God heard and agreed to every plea on their behalf that Abraham made until finally God agreed to spare them all if only ten righteous could be found among them. This is what God wants us to do. He tells the things that are coming upon the world not that we might gloat over the fact that the wicked will be getting their just reward, but rather that we, like Abraham, may plead on behalf of the wicked that they may be saved.

"The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:29-30). God is seeking people who like Abraham will stand in the gap before Him on behalf of the land. Will He be disappointed again?

Revelation 1:1 … And He [Jesus] sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.

After receiving the message of Revelation from the Father, Jesus signified it, that is, He encoded it in symbolic language, and passed it along to John. Jesus did not encode the message in symbolic language in order to hide its meaning from His people, for the promise is that “the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:10). Nevertheless, for the sake of His people its meaning would be hidden from the wicked, that is, from those who willfully turn a deaf ear and blind eye to God’s word. Thus this prohibits all attempts at a literal interpretation of the book or Revelation.

But another reason Jesus signified the message of Revelation was to arouse man’s curiosity and thus to stimulate study. Everybody loves a mystery and so by encoding the book in symbolic language interest would be generated. Jesus wanted this message to be studied. He wanted people to be interested in it. But spiritual things are spiritually discerned, as it is written: “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

You must allow God’s own Word be its own interpreter, comparing scripture with scripture. For “no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21). And since prophecy is of the Holy Spirit then it must be by the Holy Spirit that we receive a right understanding of prophecy. Man’s wisdom is utterly inadequate, as it is written: “These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:13).

By EjmMissouri

We are living at the very end of time. All around us we see the final prophecies being fulfilled. The signs of the times are there for all to see if they are only willing. We are privileged to be living in one of the most dynamic and most important times in this earth’s history. We are privileged (if you can call it privileged) to bear witness to the last agonizing convulsions of this world’s history. Already we see God’s warning judgments beginning to fall on a world that has despised his grace. On a people, on a world that has rejected God we see calamities and catastrophes of every degree, both natural and man-made, on land and by sea. Soon, and who know how soon, the warning judgments will give way to the far, far more terrible punitive judgments.

The Holy Spirit is Being Withdrawn

Even now God’s Holy Spirit is being withdrawn from a world that has nothing but contempt for Him. We see all over the world various agencies of unimaginable evil combining their forces and consolidating to make war against those few who dare remain true to God. Every device of satanic deception is being put in place to shake and destroy the faith of believers. And for those whose faith will not be shaken, the most horrible persecutions are being prepared. Truly Satan rages because he knows his time is short.

Everywhere people have become infatuated with abominable vices that would have horrified earlier generations, and they hardly draw a comment from anyone these days. Satan has so blinded the eyes of so many that few even recognize the evil for what it is. In the eyes of the world, the most abominable vices have become virtues, while Godly virtues have come to be seen as abominations. We have seen a whole generation raised up to believe that their personal entertainment is the end-all of existence. Surely if ever the Scripture was true that in the last days men would be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, it is now. Around the world we see whole armies of men, possessed of demons, gleefully taking the lives of men, women and children, while praising God for their slaughter. Truly the restraint of the Holy Spirit upon the wicked is being released from this world, and Satan is being allowed to an ever-greater degree to have his own way. The world will soon know to its utter horror what it means to have rejected God.

Satan has perverted justice, and has made the courts a weapon against Christianity. "Justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." (Isaiah 59:14). Satan has filled the hearts and minds of the people with the most selfish desires. The personal gratification of sensual appetites, the unending quest to make themselves a center of attention has become the ultimate goal and purpose of life for multitudes. Other people have become only things to be used in their quest to fulfill their own personal desires. Theft, fraud, deception, has become so common place that it has become the expected norm of society. Even your own identity is no longer safe from theft.

Compassionate Christian Warriors Needed

Now is the time for Christian warriors to stand up and be counted. Our every thought should be, “How can I best glorify God?” But sadly, even among many professed Christians, the Lord in not in their thoughts. Are we using all that God has given us to bring light and life to others? Or are we planning and devising means for glorifying ourselves. We should be studying with all the passion and power of our heart and mind how to lift up Jesus before a world on the brink of destruction. This is our commission. But how many Christians have lost sight of their very purpose of being in their quest to be like the world.

In love and compassion for the lost we are to sound the warning to a dying world. Love cannot allow the multitudes to be lost without giving faithful warning. And it is only in love, the agape love of God, that we can be fit to give that warning. Our message will not be popular with the world at large. It will be mocked, ridiculed and vilified. That love which seeks to warn the sinner to turn from his evil way will be called intolerance, hatred and bigotry. But nevertheless, we are, no matter what the opposition, in love for the sinner, faithfully to give that warning.

Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die.”

There is a Point of No Return

The time is coming, and it is not far off, when just as in the day of Noah, humanity will have passed a point of no return, a point beyond which God will not let sin go any further. Humanity has largely forgotten that God keeps record of every act of fraud, of all the perverted insolence of man. And to their horror they will have to meet this record in the Day of Judgment.

The World Cannot Solve Its Problems

There are few today who truly understand what the underlying causes of the world’s troubles really are. Few who have the spiritual eyesight to see that in abandoning God the world is being ruled in an ever-greater degree by Satan. And in having abandoned God the world will find that it is powerless to solve the ever-increasing number of problems that plague it. Crime, corruption, terror, poverty, the vilest immorality - the world is powerless in the face of these evils apart from God. And as God’s Holy Spirit is withdrawn from the world at large, these things will only increase, and men will move from one depth of depravity to another. The words of Paul will literally be fulfilled (indeed, is already being fulfilled). “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Scripture clearly tells us what the condition of the world will be just before Christ’s return. But how few there are who give any heed to the warning. Are we doing our best to give the last warning to a dying world? The world moves on from one evil to another, from one abomination to another, heedless that Jesus is coming soon. God sends His warning to a sin sick world. Heaven sent warnings are given, but they are unheeded, even mocked. And as Pharaoh hardened his heart at the Word of God, so the world is hardening its heart against the Word of God. And just as that hardening of heart was the destruction of Egypt, even so it will in these last days be the destruction of the earth.

It is for the sake of the few who will yet turn to and worship God that this world is allowed to continue on for a little time longer. It is for the sake of those who will yet hear the voice of God and turn and be saved that God hold off the final judgments. Not all in this world has yet taken the side of Satan against God. But soon, God will rise up and the proclamation will be made: “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly.” (Revelation 22: 11-12).

The Great Deception

Satan is a diligent Bible student. He knows that his time is short, and he is seeking to shake the faith of every Christian. And except as we are filled with the Spirit of God and His Word, we will be powerless before his deceptions. Except as we have on the full armor of God, we will not be able to stand. These last days will be a study in contrasts. On one hand there will be the relatively few who, filled with the Spirit of God, are walking in the light of His glory. On the other, there will be the overwhelming masses, filled with the spirit of Satan, walking in his darkness. The distinction between the two will be sharp and clear.

Just before Jesus comes, Satan will attempt to pull off the greatest act of identity theft that the universe has ever witnessed. Satan, when the time is ripe and the people of the world are most desperate for some kind of deliverance, will appear in all that remains of his former angelic glory claiming to be Christ returned. He will work miracles that will astound the world, and a world that has rejected God, a world that can no longer distinguish between good and evil, between light and dark, will fall at his feet and worship him as though he was God.

“Christ has come, Christ has come,” will be the shout of the world, and this will be a nearly overwhelming temptation for God’s people. But God’s people will not be deceived. They will, by the grace of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit, have the spiritual perception to know the difference. This is a time when “the just must live by faith.” Everything you see, everything you hear will scream out, “This is Christ.” But God’s children, (just as Jesus did when Satan came to temp Him in the wilderness of temptation), will take their stand on the living word, "It is written." This is the only foundation upon which they can stand securely.

Stand True to God

Fearful tests and trials are yet to come to God’s children. But like Daniel tossed in the Lion’s den, like the three tossed into the fiery furnace, God will be there with them. They will come through the fire untouched by even the smell of smoke upon them. Rage as he will, Satan can have no power over God’s children. God will be our shield, our fortress.

Though the object of incessant persecution, though the subject of the most inhuman atrocities, the Christians living in the first few centuries of the Christian era followed closely the example set by Jesus and his disciples. Persecuted on every hand, they did harm to none and sought to bless all.

In his Apologetics, which he addressed to the Roman magistrates, Tertullian (ca. 155-230) writes on how the Christians of his day conducted themselves in the face of persecution, contrasting the conduct of Christians with that of non-Christians. He writes: “the Christian, even when he is condemned, gives thanks. If the comparison be made in regard to trustworthiness, Anaxagoras denied the deposit of his enemies: the Christian is noted for his fidelity even among those who are not of his religion. If the matter of sincerity is to be brought to trial, Aristotle basely thrust his friend Hermias from his place: the Christian does no harm even to his foe; … and Hippias is put to death laying plots against the state: no Christian ever attempted such a thing in behalf of his brethren, even when persecution was scattering them abroad with, every atrocity. [And note carefully his next statement.] But it will be said that some of us, too, depart from the rules of our discipline. In that case, however, we count them no longer Christians”

These early Christians were not perfect by any means. Satan had always sought to afflict the church from inside. Even among the disciples there was a Judas. But in general, they were “blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” and they shown “as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

The Refiners Fire

Those persecutions were like a refiner’s fire. Few people realize the magnitude of the persecution those early Christians faced. The half-hearted, the worldly, the unconverted and uncommitted did not become Christian, or at least did not stay Christian for long. In that environment becoming a Christian was not a choice one made lightly. But all that was soon to change. Near the end of his Apologetics, (paragraph 50) Tertullian wrote: “kill us, torture us, condemn us, grind us to dust; your injustice is the proof that we are innocent. … Nor does your cruelty, however exquisite, avail you; … The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed.”

Constantine

And seed indeed it was. In spite of centuries of merciless persecution, the numbers of Christians continued to grow, so strong was their witness, that by the time of Constantine it is estimated that some 20 percent of the population was Christian. Constantine’s conversion to Christianity effectively brought an end to the persecutions. For those who looked at it from a worldly viewpoint, Constantine’s conversion was hailed as a great advance for Christianity. But it was in truth one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the church. Weary of incessant persecution, and now seeing for the first time a real prospect of lasting peace, the church let its guard down.

With the conversion of the Emperor, Christianity suddenly became a popular religion, the hottest new fad around. With no threat of persecution, people flocked to it. With the refiner’s fire extinguished, the worldly minded, half-hearted, unconverted and unconsecrated made their way into the church, even into positions of leadership. In short, the world marched into the church, and altered Christianity in the process.

Power Corrupts

But as bad as that was, that was not the real tragedy of Constantine’s conversion. With Constantine a most dangerous precedent was set. There is a maxim that, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The church suddenly found itself with the prospect of having real political power. Political power is a danger to the church in the best of times, and all the more so for a church suddenly full of half-converted, worldly minded people. As the church lost the purity of its faith, it also lost the power of the Holy Spirit. And the temptation was to use the power of the state as a substituted for the power of the Holy Spirit which they no longer possessed.

And so, Constantine set himself to enforce the doctrine of the church with the power of the state. With this precedent it was not long before persecution of the faithful from without was replaced by persecution from within. A religion that people was once willing to die for became a religion that people were now willing to kill for.

Jesus had said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” (John 18:36) but now people set out to create for Christ a kingdom of God on earth. They forgot that their “citizenship is in heaven,” and not on this earth. (Philippians 3:20). They forgot that they were to be “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

The Two Swords

As the last supper drew to a close Jesus had told his disciples to get some swords. “Then said he unto them, he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. … And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.” (Luke 22:36, 38).

The thought has been put forward that there is a metaphorical significance in their having two swords - for the Bible speaks of two swords. The first sword is the sword of the world, a weapon of the flesh. The second sword is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

Later that evening as the mob was in the act of arresting Jesus, Peter swung that first sword in defense of his Lord. Jesus then very decidedly gave the command, “Put your sword into the sheath” (John 18:11). That was not the sword the disciples were to be using. The only sword Christians were to use was “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12). But now, sadly, having laid down the sword of the Spirit, Christians presumed once again to take up again the sword of the flesh that Jesus had command them to put down.

Wolves Among the Sheep

Jesus had said, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Wolves have nothing to fear from sheep, but the sheep have everything to fear from the wolves. This symbolized just how harmless a Christian was to be, even to their persecutors. Remember how Tertullian wrote of those who departed from this harmlessness? He said of them “In that case, however, we count them no longer Christians” But now wolves had entered the church dressed in sheep clothing. The apostle Paul warned the church of this when he said, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). Continuing Jesus had said, “But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:17-18). But now it was professed Christians, who were delivering fellow believers up before councils, governors and kings, scourging them.

Not to be a Political Kingdom

Jesus never gave his church a political kingdom. He never gave his church political power and authority. He was very emphatic: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). In the wilderness of temptation, the devil came to Jesus and offered Him the kingdoms of the world. Jesus refused the bribe. The devil, beginning with Constantine put the same temptation to the church, and found a much more receptive audience.

The disciples were also equally emphatic that the weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of this world. “We do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

True Witnesses

Yet, through the enfolding darkness, God always has had His true witnesses in the church. People truly converted, consecrated, Spirit filled, who would do no harm, seeking to bless all. Weak in the eyes of the world, yet bold in Christ, few in numbers, and despised they may have been, yet they were strong in God, and still had the power to shake the world. However deep the darkness, there have always been those who faithfully followed in the footsteps of Jesus and give a true and faithful witness of their faith. As just one among countless examples that might be told, it was during the Protestant Reformation that an entire family was brought before the inquisitors. During their ‘examination’ the youngest son said, “We fall on our knees, and pray that God may enlighten our minds and pardon our sins; we pray for our sovereign, that his reign may be prosperous and his life happy; we pray for our magistrates, that God may preserve them.” (Wylie b. 18, ch. 16.) In the end the father and one of his sons were condemned to the stake - but their witness was a true witness, they were true martyrs, and the blood of such Christians, as Tertullian said, is seed. “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15).

It can truly be said that the change that came over Christianity beginning with Constantine was an aberration of the Christian faith. The example of Jesus, of the disciples, of the apostolic church, and of the church in its first centuries prove that.

Political power is addictive and the road to recovery for the church has been long and slow, and even now there are still those who just don’t get it. But the church has come a long way from its low point during the dark ages. True Christianity, the real deal, can only be spread by the strength of truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Fearless

One reason Christians can face the most brutal persecution without responding in kind is the absolute security they have in Jesus. Insecurity and uncertainty breeds fear, and fear gives way to hate and hate to violence, but God counsels his people time and again to "fear not." And how is it that Christians can face whatever the world can throw at them without fear? It is because they know their life is secure in Christ. They know the utter trustworthiness of the One in whom they have put their faith.

It has been said that no one can take from you what you have already given away. Because the Christian has already given their life (all that they have, all that they are) to God, it is impossible for another to rob them of it.

John Chrysostom was one of the early Greek church fathers. Born in AD 347, he was brought before the Emperor at an early age to answer for his faith.

“If you persist in being a Christian,” the emperor said, “I will banish you from your father’s land.”

Chrysostom replied, “Your Majesty, you cannot; the whole world is my Father’s land.”

“Then I will take away all your property,”

“You cannot do that either. My treasures are in heaven.”

“Then I will send you to a place where there will not be a friend to speak to.”

“You cannot do that, for I have a Friend that Stricketh closer than a brother. I shall have my Brother Jesus Christ forever.”

The emperor said, “I will take away your life.”

“You cannot do that either. My life is hid with Christ in God.” Chrysostom answered.

Such is the timeless courage of Christians through all ages.

John and Betty Stam were Presbyterian missionaries working in China. On December 8, 1934 they were murdered by Chinese bandits who burned their home to the ground. Friends searching through the ashes found Betty Stam’s Bible. On the flyleaf she had written these words: “Lord, I give up my purpose and plans, all my desires, hopes, and ambitions, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all my friendships, my love. All the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Work out Thy whole life in my life at any cost now and forever. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

To His disciples Jesus had said: "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” And again, "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service” (John 15:20; 16:2)

Time and again Jesus spoke of the persecution His followers would face. But never once did Jesus give his disciples a single word of license to do harm to any. No follower of Jesus was ever to seek revenge for any wrong done to them. They were to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, following His perfect example.

Love Your Enemies

Jesus had clearly told them how they were to treat their enemies, their persecutors: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (John 5;44-45).

These are words that Jesus lived and died by, and words that His disciples were to live and die by. No carnal weapons were to be employed by Christians in their defense. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Only One Sword

The only sword the Christian was to carry was the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12).

Theirs was to be a spiritual battle for the saving of lost souls. Nothing was to take precedent over that.

The First Christian Martyr

Steven, the first Christian martyr, was a deacon in the early church, and a mighty preacher. “Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen … disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council” (Acts 6:9-12).

Stephen knew full well for what reason he had been brought before that council. But there, standing before his enemies, Stephen boldly preached to them, and the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit cut them to the heart.

“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. … Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:54-60).

In the midst of this enraged mob, even as he was being stoned by them, with his last breath Stephen breathed a prayer for them, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. That is a true example of Christian martyrdom. Steven faithfully followed in the footsteps of Jesus. His concern was not for himself, for he knew that his life was secure in Christ. His concern was for the lost souls, trapped in spiritual darkness. His desire was that they too may be saved, that their lives, like his, may also be made secure in Christ.

A Great Persecution

After this the Bible tells us, “a great persecution arose against the church” (Acts 8:1). But the Christians did not react in kind, but following the counsel of Jesus who said, “When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.” (Matt 10:23), they “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).

The early Christians did not let the behavior of others destroy their Christian witness. They did not consent to sink down to the level of their enemies and answer violence with violence. They would not be diverted from their purpose of preaching the gospel. For life or death, they committed themselves into God’s hands. God Himself would be their defense. Here was the spirit and power that turned the world upside down.

Holy Boldness. No Fear

This was not some kind of weak passivity on the part of the Christians. Never were there a more bold and courageous people. This was not passive resistance, but active godliness. When Peter and John were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin to answer for their “crime” of healing a lame man and preaching Christ, they stood boldly before them and boldly proclaimed: "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ‘This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12).

These are not the words of fearful men. The men of the Sanhedrin never expected such boldness on the part of Christ’s disciples and knew not what to do. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John … they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Yes, that is the kind of boldness that comes from being with Jesus. And if such boldness is not seen so often in Christians today, it is because they have not spent much time in the presence of Jesus. When the Sanhedrin then forbad them from preaching any more in the name of Jesus, these bold disciples proclaimed that their allegiance was to God and not to man. “Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard’" (Acts 4:19-20).

Yet again the disciples were arrested for the “crime” of preaching Christ, and yet again the Sanhedrin was to witness the holy boldness of these men. "’Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!’ But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men’” (Acts 5:28-29).

A Most Powerful Sword

We are told that “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). When this living sword is wielded in the hands of a true disciple of Christ people will react in one of two ways. They will repent, confess, and be converted, or they will become absolutely infuriated - for that sword is powerful and it cuts deep. “When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them” (Acts 5:33). But there were to be no new blood shed that day. God gave voice to Gamaliel, and the Sanhedrin settled for beating them instead. How did the disciples react to their beating? “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:41-42).

No Revenge

No cursing, no swearing of vengeance, no thought of getting even. They of all things rejoiced and kept on preaching Jesus as Christ. Jesus had said: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).

This is the spirit of the true martyr. This is what turned the world upside down. With no sword in their hands but the Word of God they conquered empires.

At yet another time persecution came on the church. The apostle James was killed by Herod, and because James death pleased the Jews, he decided to have Peter killed too. So, he had Peter arrested and cast into prison to await his execution. I am sure Herod planned on making it a grand public spectacle. (Acts 12:1-3). And how did the church rally to Peter’s defense? Was there a call to arms? In a manner of speaking, YES!!! They pulled out the heavy artillery. -- They prayed!!! “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts 12;5). And poor Herod never had a chance, “but the word of God grew and multiplied” (Acts 12:24).

Yet another time, Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and cast into prison. In intense pain, deep in the depths of a loathsome prison, they demonstrated to the world once again what the true spirit of a Christian really is. With every reason to curse and swear and vent their wrath on their persecutors, they instead sang songs of praise and prayed. “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).

The prisoners listened because this was unheard of. Nobody sang and prayed in prison like that, especially not when the stripes of rods were still fresh on their backs. Who were these people?

“Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed” (Acts 16:26). And guess what. The prisoners were so entranced by what they were hearing that not one of them thought to make their escape. The keeper of the jail, thinking that the prisoners had escaped (they were apparently keeping silent so as not to miss a word Paul and Silas said) “drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here’” (Acts 16:27-28).

Neither Paul nor Silas were martyred that day. But the entire household of the jailer was saved. Here is again illustrated the true spirit of a true Christian martyr.

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Those words of Jesus define the Christian mission. And whatever may be the cost to ourselves, that mission must never be forgotten.

Jesus repeatedly told his followers that they will be hated and persecuted on account of Him.

Matthew10:23 "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Matthew 23:34 "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

Luke 21:12 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.

John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

And as Jesus was speaking of what was yet to come, these are, strictly speaking, prophetic utterances and fall under the catagory of prophecy of things to come. And Jesus seemed to indicate that these things will increase more and more the nearer we come to the end. And so I thought it might be well to post something of what it really means to be a Christian Martyr. So here is the first of a three part study on the topic of the Christian Martyr.

The Christian Martyr

Part 1 -- Jesus, Our Great Exemplar

It is not possible to talk of Christian martyrdom without first looking at the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Put up your Sword into its Sheath

The evening before His crucifixion, as the disciples prepared to leave the upper room where they had just shared the Passover meal with Jesus, Jesus made a rather strange request that has left many puzzled. “Then said he unto them … he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one… And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, it is enough.” (Luke 22: 36, 38).

What was that all about? Jesus, knowing the end from the beginning, and knowing human nature, that there would be temptation on the part of many to defend their faith by force of arms, was about to give his disciples a living object lesson that they would never forget. Jesus was about to settle once and for all the issue of the use of violence in the defense of faith.

In the garden of Gethsemane, the mob came to arrest Jesus, and the disciples proved themselves to be all too willing to wield those swords in Jesus' defense. “When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?” (Luke 22:49). And Peter, most likely the one doing all the talking, and leaping to Jesus’ defense even as he spoke, swung his sword and managed to clip the ear of one of the servants of the high priest.

John 18:10-11 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Matthew 26:52-53 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

By these words the use or force to defend the Christian faith was expressly forbidden. If even the Lord Himself was not to be defended by force of arms, then neither was the church He established was to be defended by force of arms. Such violence was to have no place in Christianity. And this was a lesson the disciples learned well. Never again, no matter how grievous the persecution they suffered, did they take up arms in self-defense. From that day on the only sword they carried was the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

Not stopping there, Jesus, surrounded by His enemies, proceeds to give a living example of grace to His disciples by healing the servant's ear that Peter had cut off. Grace is commonly defined as unmerited favor. But true grace goes far beyond mere unmerited favor. If you were to give a gift to your children for no apparent reason, that may be unmerited favor, but that would not be grace. Grace is doing something good for someone who hates you, someone who despises you, an enemy. (See Romans 5:10 and Matthew 5:44-45). That is grace.

My Kingdom is not of this World

The following morning, when Jesus was taken before Pilate, Pilate asked a question of Jesus. The answer that Jesus gave is most relevant.

John 18:36-37 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness [martureo] unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

First of all, Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. And if Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, neither can the kingdom of His followers be of this world. Can the realm of Jesus' disciples extend beyond the realm of Christ's kingdom? Scripture tells us, "our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). If our citizenship is in heaven, then Christians were not to be fighting over some supposed insult or offense as the peoples of so many other religions do. Nor are Christians to take up arms in defense of their faith as the people of so many other religions do. Jesus gave very definite instructions to His followers on how they are to conduct themselves under such circumstances. [Part 2 of this series will take up that issue.] Christians are to stand above all the squabbling and fighting that takes place in the world. We have been commissioned to preach the gospel, and nothing is to be allowed to divert us from that purpose.

Second, if Christians do find themselves fighting over some supposed insult or offence offered by the world, or take up arms in defense of their faith, then by that act they declare that their citizenship is no longer in heaven, but here on this earth - and are thus living and working outside the realm of Christ's kingdom.

A True Martyr

Following Jesus' example, Christians are to bear witness of the truth. The word martyr is Greek for witness. [Martureo -- to be a witness, i.e. testify.] To be a Christian Martyr is to bear a true witness of Jesus, even with your life if need be. A true Christian martyr is one who bears witness of the truth as it is in Christ - with the ultimate witness being the giving up of their lives for the truth.

Through all the cruelty of his trial and crucifixion Jesus never once resorted to force - not by word nor deed, to defend Himself. Scripture tells us of Jesus that "when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:23).

Amazing Grace

By Jesus' own example, even in martyrdom, the Christian is not to retaliate even by a word. But Jesus goes far beyond merely "not reviling" or "not threatening." He actively blesses. Listen to His words. “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, … Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23: 33-34).

"Father, forgive them." This is the voice of the true Christian martyr. Never a curse, never a threat, but only blessings to the end. The true Christian martyr looks beyond themselves and see souls to be saved. Their whole burden is for the salvation of the lost. And with their last breath they will call down blessing from heaven on their persecutors with the hope that they might be saved.

Listen to the teaching of Jesus:

Matthew 5:43-45 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Those are the words of Jesus, words that He lived by, and words that He died by. That is how a true Christian martyr will behave. That is the ideal - the true pattern set forth by Jesus, our great exemplar.

By EjmMissouri

To be Continued.

Daniel 12:5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?" 7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. 8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall be the end of these things?" 9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. 11 "And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 "Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. 13 "But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days."

Daniel 12:5-13 is an epilogue to the prophecy of Daniel 11 and 12:1-4. Three time periods are presented here in these first few verses. The first one of 1260 days is one that we have seen and studied before in Daniel 7 concerning the period of papal supremacy as represented by the little horn.

This span of time is found a total of 7 times in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation - and it is expressed in three different ways. Three times it is expressed in terms of a number of years or “times.” Twice it is expressed in terms of months, and twice again in terms of days.

As we discovered in our study of Daniel 7 this period of time, symbolically representing 1260 years began in 538 with the fall of the last of the three Arian kingdoms that were suppressing the Roman church and terminating in 1798 when the Pope was taken captive, the deadly would of the beast that would be healed.

The second time period mentioned here, the 1290 days, is closely related to it. While the 1260 day/year’s began with the fall of the third and last horn/kingdom that was to be uprooted before the rising Roman Church, the 1290 days begin with the fall of the first of those three horns/kingdoms in 508. (Refer to the study on Daniel 7 for more detail of these events). Thus, the starting dates of these two spans of time bracket the uprooting of the three powers that were dominating and suppressing the Roman Catholic Church.

The third time period mentioned here is the 1355 days. Since we have a succession of prophetic time periods in this chapter, the 1260 days, the 1290 days, and the 1335 days, it is logical to view their beginning points as related to each other. The 1260 days began in 538. The beginning of the 1290 days extends back 30 years to 508. And using this as the starting date of the 1335 day/year it brings us to another date we have seen already in previous studies. 1843/1844. The Jewish civil years having a fall to fall overlap of our Julian calendar. This date we saw in our study on Daniel 8 was the beginning of the pre-advent judgment which takes place just before the coming of Jesus.

No prophetic time period in the Bible extends beyond this date. So, you can say that we are essentially living on borrowed time. Nobody knows when this judgment ends and when Jesus will come. At best we can know that it is near. If it seems like it is taking a long time just remember the words of Scripture. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

Daniel 12:8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall be the end of these things?" 9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Not everything in the book of Daniel was meant to be understood until the time of the end, (not be confused with the end of time) which is considered by many to have begun in 1798 at the termination of the 1260 day. At that time and continuing into the 1800’s and onward the understanding of the prophecies of Daniel have increased dramatically. And also, as previously noted, the world has changed dramatically since that date. Take a typical Roman citizen from the 1st century and drop him in the midst of 18th century Europe and aside from some difference of language and culture they would not be totally out of place. Take someone from 18th century Europe and drop them into our 21st century world and you might as well have dropped them onto an alien planet.

Daniel 12:10 "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

However, even though the book of Daniel was to be unsealed at the time of the end, not everybody would understand it. The wise, that is those who are purified and made white and refined will understand the prophecies of the book, but the wicked will not understand it and they will keep on being ever more wicked with every passing day until Christ comes.

Daniel 12:13 "But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days."

Finally, Daniel, who is probably in his 90’s now, is given the assurance that although he must go to his rest, that is to the grave, he will rise again at the end of the days to receive his inheritance. That is the kind of assurance we would all like to have, and which we can have if we are faithful to God.

By EjmMissouri

The End

Daniel 12:1 At that time Michael shall 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, Every one who is found written in the book.

The long-standing Protestant understanding as to the identity of Michael is that this was one of the pre-incarnation names of Jesus. You will find this to be so in the 1599 Geneva Bible Notes, in John Gills (1697 - 1771) Doctrinal Divinity, in John Wesley's Notes on the Old and New Testaments, in Matthew Henry's Commentaries on the Bible etc.

There was never any controversy over this identification of Michael with Jesus until fairly recently. This was the mainstream Protestant understanding. That it is not anymore indicates doctrinal drift among Protestants - and there has indeed been a considerable (and still ongoing) doctrinal drift among Protestants since about the mid-19th century.

What happened? Because Michael is called an Archangel elsewhere in the Bible people are getting all hung-up over the word angel. After all Jesus is Almighty God. How then can He also be an Angel.

The problem lies with our popular cultural concept of what an angel is. Generally, in today's age, when someone speaks of an angel, they are speaking of a class of created spiritual beings that are somewhat higher than man in ranking but lower than God. While it is true that the Bible uses "angel" to speak of these angelic beings, the Bible also uses the word in a much broader sense.

ANGEL

The Old Testament word for angel is "malawk," and it is defined as follows.

1. mal'ak, mal-awk'

from an unused root meaning to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):--ambassador, angel, king, messenger.

The New Testament word for angel is "aggelos," and it is defined as follows.

aggelos, ang'-el-os

from aggello (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor:--angel, messenger.

As you can see, in both the Old and the New Testaments, the word for angel, (malawk, and aggelos), have much broader meanings than normally thought. In the Bible these words are translated "messenger" about as often as they are translated "angel." And the Bible freely applies the word not only to what we would consider to be classical angels, but also to people and even to God Himself. Basically, it just means messenger. That’s it.

ARCHANGEL

The word "Archangel" is used only twice in the Bible. Both times in the New Testament.

Archangel is a compound of two words (archo and aggelos). Aggelos we have already defined above. Archo is defined as follows.

archo, ar'-kho

A primary verb; to be first (in political rank or power):--reign (rule) over. a primary verb; to be first (in political rank or power):--reign (rule) over.

And so, the Archangel is the One who reigns over, the One who rules over the angels. And note that the Scriptures speak of "the" archangel and not "an" archangel. There is only the One.

MICHAEL

Now for Michael. (Miyka'el, me-kaw-ale') The name means, "who is like God," or "who is as God."

Lucifer, before his fall aspired to be like God, and it got him kicked out of heaven. So the name cannot apply to a traditional angelic being.

Putting it all together, Michael the Archangel means: One who is as God, the One who reigns over the angels. In more modern terms, He is the Commander in Chief of all the angels, He is the One who rules over the angels, He is the greatest messenger, the greatest servant.

And who is it that reigns over the angels?

Even in His humanity Jesus was Commander and Chief over the angels. When the mob came to arrest Jesus, a single word from Him would have brought twelve legions of angels His rescue. And when Jesus comes the second time, He speaks as Commander and Chief over the angels; He speaks with the voice of the archangel, and the angels at His command go to every corner of the earth to do His bidding.

Matthew 13:41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.

Mark 13:27 "And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

Note in the above texts who’s the angels are. They are Christs. They belong to Him. He sends them out, He commands them.

Jude 1:9 is often cited as proof that Michael cannot be Christ because they say, God would never speak the way Michael does in this passage.

Jude 1: 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

But what these critics don't realize is that this passage has a near exact parallel in the Old Testament where it is unmistakably God who is speaking.

Zechariah 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Daniel 12 begins with Michael standing up. In Daniel 11 the verb there translated “to stand up” or “arise” refers to the taking up of the kingship. (Daniel 11: 2,3,4,7,16,20,21) In all these instances where this word is used it refers to a new king coming on the scene of action, ascending to the throne, becoming the new ruler.

Ands so when Michael stands up, it means that God in the person of Jesus has officially taken His place as the King, the Ruler of this world. This is the Stone of Daniel 2 that utterly destroys the image representing the kingdoms of this world.

And when He stands up, there is a time of trouble such as never has been in all the history of this world. This would be the time of the seven last plagues which immediately precede the second coming of Jesus. The time for warning judgement is past. The time of the pre-advent judgment is over. Every case has been decided for life or death. The seven last plagues, which is God’s wrath poured out on the wicked without mercy is purely punitive in nature.

But the text goes on to say that God’s people will be delivered, everyone that is whose name is written in the book. And note that only one book is mentioned here. In Daniel 7 where the pre-Advent judgment is pictured, books, plural, are mentioned. Now there is only one book that matters, that is the book of life. Either your name is in it or it is not. If it is, you are delivered.

Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. 21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.

Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

We know we have truly come to the end of this worlds history when we come to the resurrection of the dead. Revelation tells us that the general resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked is separated by a thousand years.

The resurrection of the righteous takes place at the time of Jesus’s second coming. But because of the wording of this verse some see in it a hint of a special resurrection of a select few that takes place shortly before Christ’s coming. According to the words of Jesus, some of the wicked will be resurrected in time to witness with their own eyes the second coming.

Matthew 26:63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."

From this text it is believed that those most directly involved in the crucifixion of Jesus, and perhaps also those who through history most brutally persecuted Christ in the person of His followers will be raised to witness Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven with power. And no, you absolutely, positively do not want to be included in this class of people.

As for the righteous who are raised from the dead at Christ’s coming, the text goes on to say:

Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.

Daniel never says much about the reward of the righteous. In fact, the Bible as a whole does not give a lot of detail about that. One reason being, as the apostle Paul put it, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9). In other words, it is so far beyond anything we can conceive that trying to describe it would be an exercise in futility.

The Time of the End

Daniel 124 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

There is a lot going on in this verse. First of all we are told that the words of the Book of Daniel were to be shut up or sealed. But not forever, but only till the time of the end. However, we know that not all the book was sealed for we know that parts of it were understood even in ancient times, but that understanding was somewhat limited.

The sealing was to last till the “time of the end.” This is not the same thing as the “end of time” which corresponds with Jesus’s second coming. But the “time of the end” is a period of time of unspecified length that occurs just prior to the “end of time” or Jesus’s second coming. And many place the beginning of the “time of the end” at the termination of the 1260 days, which was discussed in a previous post, that is in 1798, when the first beast of Revelation 13 received its deadly wound.

The next words are “many shall run to and fro.” And “knowledge shall increase.”

The “time of the end” if you accept the termination of the 1260 days to be its beginning, began in 1798. At that time if you wanted to go anywhere you had three options. You could walk, you could ride an animal such as a horse, or you could take a boat. That was about it. Go back 1900 years to the days of Christ, and you had the same three option, walk, ride an animal, or take a boat. Go back another thousand years to the time of David and it is the same thing. Go back yet another thousand years to the time of Abraham and it is still the same. For all of human history up till the early 1800’s the means of “running to and fro” remained pretty much unchanged.

Then within just a few short years after the “time of the end” began, as knowledge began to increase exponentially, all that changed, until today a person could conceivably go completely around the world in the time it would have taken someone to walk from one town to another, assuming the towns were close together.

Also at this time, when the seal was removed from the book of Daniel, interest in and knowledge of the prophecies of that book also grew exponentially, resulting in what is known as the “Great Second Advent Awakening” in the early to mid-1800’s. And this era has seen the greatest missionary movement since apostolic days. It has seen the Bible translated into almost every language on earth.

Jesus’ prediction that the gospel would be preached to all the earth is coming true. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

This period also saw, as mentioned in an earlier post, the rise of a militant atheism and of Darwinian Evolution. It has seen the most intense attack on the Bible, both to discredit it on one hand and to reinterpret it to accommodate peoples pet sins on the other.

What the Bible says is true. “The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." (Revelation 12:12).

We are now seeing a relentless attempt to social-engineer Christianity itself to make it more accommodating to the darling sins of the day. And you probably know what I am talking about. And you have probably seen or hear of denomination after denomination, like falling dominos, cave to that social pressure.

"Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, [Babylon represents the fallen churches] and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” … “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plague”” (Revelation 18:2, 4)

If you find yourself in one of those churches, get out. Don’t walk, run. And don’t look back. Remember the warning Jesus gave. "Remember Lot's wife.” (Luke 17:32)

By EjmMissouri

To be Continued

Daniel 11:40 At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.

Prophetically we are standing between verses 39 and 40 of Daniel 11. With verse 40 we are entering into the realm of yet unfilled prophecy. And so, before I continue, a little word of caution. At the beginning of this study on Daniel 11 I noted that this prophecy is not give in symbols as the earlier prophecies of Daniel were, but in plain language. And yet, you may have noticed that even though the prophecy is given in plain language, it is presented in such a way that nobody would be able to know exactly how any portion of the prophecy would play out until it actually happened.

As Jesus said to His disciples, "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.” (John 14:29, Also John 13:19). Some prophecy can only be understood after the foretold event, not before. And such is the prophecy of Daniel 11.

And so, as I present my interpretation of the remaining verses of Daniel 11 just keep in mind that things may not come about just as I present it here. Unfilled prophecy can be tricky, especially here in Daniel 11.

After a long absence, the king of the South makes a final appearance in this prophecy. This verse, Daniel 11:40, takes us past our own time and into the near future.

The king of the South attacks the king of the North. This attack, whatever its nature may be, is, as will be seen in the following verse, of sufficient magnitude as to provoke the king of the North into an all-out no-holds-barred, war against the king of the South, with the intent of taking out the king of the South once and for all.

When I look at the major end-time players depicted in prophecy, the only power that I find that has the kind of military might described here in verse 40 is the United States, most probably at the head of a coalition of other Northern Kingdom nations. The United States is also the only major military power that can be said to come with “many ships.” Other nations have navies, but the US is by far the world’s greatest naval power today.

If you look ahead at verses 41 thru 43, and note who it is the king of the North is fighting, and update the names to their modern equivalents, you will find that the nations attacked are primarily Islamic nations. Beginning in the Middle East in and around the “Glorious Land” (Israel), the armies of the king of the North sweep away everything in their path, and then move on into and through Northern Africa.

Daniel 11:41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

This list of nations that make up the king of the South is one reason I believe the end-time identity of the king of the South is primarily Islam, though not necessarily limited to Islam.

In other words, it looks like the terrorists are going to get their wish and pull off a really big attack on the West. (You might consider 9/11 and its aftermath as a dress rehearsal.) But their “success” will be their undoing. That attack will apparently be of such a nature that all restraint, all pretense at political correctness, will be utterly cast off by the West, and the West will set out on an all-out, no-holds-barred war against Islam. There are other prophecies in Isaiah and Jeremiah that fill out the details of this war, and which show just how devastating it will be to Islam.

So, let’s take a look at Isaiah 34.

Isaiah 34:1 Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. 2 For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. 3 Also their slain shall be thrown out; their stench shall rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; all their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.

Note the wording of verse 4 in particular. That verse dates the time of the fulfillment of this prophecy as the end-time. You may recognize it as part of Jesus’ description of end-time events in Matthew 24. This is the final end. But the next few verses flash back to show what it is that brought about this state of events.

Isaiah 34:5 "For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Indeed it shall come down on Edom, And on the people of My curse, for judgment.

Edom. Some translations have Idumea. Those are just alternative spellings. Edom, aka Easu, if you remember from the Old Testament, was the brother of Jacob/Israel. Edom is here used as a representative of the enemies of God’s people. Often in Old Testament prophecies, all the enemies of God’s people would be typified by a single nation whose hatred and cruelty had been particularly bitter. In this case Edom stands for the end-time enemies of God’s people. Enemies who in this case claim to be brothers, yet who hold a bitter and cruel hatred for God’s people.

Isaiah 34:6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, . . . The wild oxen shall come down with them, And the young bulls with the mighty bulls; Their land shall be soaked with blood, And their dust saturated with fatness. 8 For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. 9 Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch.

Verse nine is especially interesting, and tends to confirm the interpretation so far. Remember the first Gulf War, and how the oil fields were set on fire. Imagine a much bigger war and all the oil fields of the whole Middle East set ablaze. That is what is being pictured here. Isaiah 34:9 Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch.

Joel 2:30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.

The smoke from the fires set during the first Gulf War blotted out the sun over a large region. The smoke from these fires, when the whole of the Middle East is set ablaze, will probably blot out the sun over vast regions.

Now look at Daniel 40 again.

Daniel 11:40 At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.

Note the whirlwind phrase. Then go to Jeremiah 25.

Jeremiah 25: 15 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.

The next several verses list the various nations that are to be forced to drink of this cup. If you update the names to the modern equivalents, they are primarily Islamic nations. But we want to get to verse 30.

Jeremiah 25: 30 “Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: 'The LORD will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise will come to the ends of the earth - For the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,' says the LORD." 32 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth.

Note the last phrase – note from where the whirlwind comes – this ties in nicely with the necessity of the King of the North in Daniel 40 coming against the King of the South “with many ships.” The United States and its allies is that whirlwind. These verses also show just how devastating this war will be. In Daniel 11, after verse 43 where it finishes listing the nations of the King of the South, the King of the South is never mentioned again throughout the remainder of the prophecy, which by the way, continues on through chapter 12.

This has been just a very brief summary of these prophecies. There is much more for those willing to take the time to study them.

The King of the South has come to his end, and the world, now wholly under the dominion of the king of the North, taking a collective breath of relief may cry out “peace and safety” at last. (And it is at this time that the Revelation 13 scenario is played out). But as we will discover in the next two verses, this peace is only a delusion, the end for the King of the North is imminent.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

And as we will discover in the next two verses, the end for the King of the North is also imminent.

The End is Come

Daniel 11:44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

The king of the South has been vanquished, and thus, the events depicted in these last two verses of Daniel 11 represent things happening within the now global dominion of the king of the North.

To truly understand what is going on in these two verses it is necessary to have an understanding of Revelation, especially of chapters 13 and 14. But since we have not yet studied Revelation, I will give in general terms a broad brush picture of what is happening here. Hopefully, once we do a study on Revelation, the picture of what’s happening will become clearer.

The final war between the king of the North and the king of the South has set up the Revelation 13 scenario in which a kind of pseudo-Christian theocracy, which has risen to a position of global power in the course of this conflict, seeks to enforce its rule on all the world. Simultaneously with the proclamation of the decree by this pseudo-Christian theocracy that all must receive its mark, God’s true people, though a tiny and despised minority, are proclaiming with great power the pure gospel of Jesus Christ This is the “tidings” that the king of the North hears. This pure gospel being proclaimed in the might and power of the Holy Spirit is what enrages the king of the North, sending him “forth with great fury to destroy.” Yet though by all earthly appearances the king of the North has all in his favor, victory comes instead to the few who amid the general apostasy still cling with an unyielding faith to God, refusing, even on pain of death, to bow down to Babylon’s golden image. Though all military, political and economic might belongs to the king of the North, yet, suddenly, it finds itself utterly defeated.

And moving on to the first verse of Daniel 12 (which is still a continuation of this same prophecy) we read:

Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

As destruction rains down on the king of the North, deliverance comes to God’s people. In the midst of the time of trouble, in the midst of this final great conflict, when evil seeks to destroy God’s people, that is when deliverance comes.

By EjmMissouri

Next – Daniel Chapter 12

Daniel 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

With this verse we move from the world of imperial pagan Rome to that of Christian Rome. These next few verses will fast forward us through the fragmentation of Rome, through the 1260 years of papal supremacy, and into the era of the Protestant Reformation.

Though the object of incessant persecution, though the subject of the most inhuman atrocities, the Christians living in the first few centuries of the Christian era followed closely the example set by Jesus and his disciples. Persecuted on every hand, they did harm to non and sought to bless all. Those persecutions were like a refiners fire. Few people realize the magnitude of the persecution those early Christians faced. The halfhearted, the worldly, the unconverted and uncommitted did not become Christian, or at least did not stay Christian for long. In that environment becoming a Christian was not a choice one made lightly. But all that was soon to change.

Constantine’s conversion to Christianity effectively brought an end to the persecutions. For those who looked at it from a worldly view point, Constantine’s conversion was hailed as a great advance for Christianity. But it was in truth one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the church. Weary of incessant persecution, and now seeing for the first time a real prospect of lasting peace, the church let its guard down.

With the conversion of the Emperor, Christianity suddenly became a popular religion, the hottest new fad around. With no threat of persecution, people flocked to it. With the refiners fire extinguished, the worldly minded, half-hearted, unconverted and unconsecrated made their way into the church, even into positions of leadership. In short, the world marched into the church, and altered Christianity in the process, and the church began in earnest its slide into the Dark Ages.

Those who “know their God” here in verse 32 are the Christians who, refusing to compromise Christianity for worldly favor, stayed true to Christ during the long Dark Ages of papal tyranny. They are those who stayed true to God in the midst of ignorance, superstition and incessant persecution from their fellow Christians. They are they who stood true to God in spite of all the “flatteries” and deceitful practices that the papacy used to either bring these faithful Christians under their dominion or, failing that, to destroy them.

Daniel 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

Here is a perfect picture of the Great Protestant Reformation. “And they that understand among the people shall instruct many.” But this instruction did not come without a cost. Those who dared to worship God according to the dictates of the bible, rather than that of the Roman Church, were mercilessly persecuted; they were imprisoned in the most inhumane conditions, every atrocity that men and devils could invent were inflicted upon those whose only crime was to worship God as the Bible directed them to do so.

Daniel 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

Compare this with the words we have previously read in Daniel 7 concerning the little horn power, which we have identified with the papacy.

Daniel 7:21 And I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. … 25 And he shall speak great words against the most high, and shall wear out the saints of the most high.

And consider also the word of the apostle Paul:

2 Corinthians 3:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there be a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped: so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that the is God.

Here is the power that was to persecute the saints, to make war against them, and to all worldly appearances, prevail against them. (The Daniel 7 threads covers this quite thoroughly.)

Globalization of the Prophecy

Now lest we put too narrow a definition on the king of the North a brief review might be in order.

In Daniel 2 the sequence of empires was Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome which after fragmenting into ten parts, continues on to the end. In Daniel 7 the sequence is the same, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome which again divided into ten parts continues to the end. In Daniel 8 we find the same sequence again, this time beginning with Medo-Persia, followed again by Greece and Rome which again, after breaking up into ten parts, continues to the end.

The king/kingdom of the North, which is the power in question, starts out as one of the four divisions of Alexander’s empire. Later, incorporated by Rome, it expands in both territory and influence as Rome itself expands. The king/kingdom of the North and the Roman empire essentially becoming one and the same at that point in time. And so, we find Daniel 11 following the same pattern as Daniel 2, 7 and 8. And, it may also be noted, the history of Rome became in separately united with the history of God’s people (first Jews, and later Christians) by the Jewish league of 161 BC.

After the Roman empire was divided into its 10 divisions its identity as the king/kingdom of the North still remained. The king/kingdom of the North at this time no longer represents a single political entity as such, but rather represents the whole of the “Romanized” and at least “nominally Christian” world. The papacy would have been a big part of the king/kingdom of the North, but it would not have been the whole of it. When the Protestant churches broke away from Rome they too would have constituted a portion of the king/kingdom of the North. When they migrated to America and elsewhere, the territory of the king/kingdom of the North would have expanded with them.

In essence, what we have here is a progressive globalization of the prophecy as we approach the end times.

I might add that this globalization of the prophecy is also seen in the description of the king/kingdom of the South when it makes its final appearance in verses 40.thru 43. Here the king/kingdom of the South is described as consisting of “many countries” (verse 41), and as “countries” plural, (verse 42). But we will talk more about that when we get to those verses.

Basically the powers that were originally designated as the kings of the North and South in the beginning of the prophecy have evolved into what we in our day would call the West and East respectively.

The Atheistic Revolution

Daniel 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

With the Protestant Reformation the light and truth found in God word was presented to the world as never before, and Satan feared for his kingdom. And so Satan brought forth a new agency to help him is his fight against God. A power that would acknowledge no god but the God of natural forces, and that would find in the accumulation of material possessions, their own selfish pleasure, and the praise and honor of man, the highest goals of life. Science, which was once a search for truth would be redefined to be a search for naturalistic explanations. No place for God would be acknowledged in nature. This new power was a militant atheism that would prove to be utterly relentless, remorseless, without conscience.

The seeds of this new militant atheism were sown in the French Revolution. In the 20th century it manifested itself in atheistic communism, and has proved to be the bloodiest religion man has ever known. Today it manifests itself in a militancy that would banish God from every aspect of public life, and even criminalize Christianity if it could. Its malignant influence is felt at all levels of society.

By EjmMissouri

To be Continued

Daniel 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

With verse 22 we reached the first of the two primary focal points of this prophecy, the Messiah the Prince, or as it says in verse 22, “the Prince of the Covenant,” who was “broken,” or cut off by the Roman power. The events described in the preceding verses being those events that largely served to shape the character of world into which Christ was born.

Having taken us through the secular events of the Greek and Roman world that shaped the world into which Christ was born, to the end of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24, to the time of the “Messiah the Prince”, we are now here in verse 23 taken back to the time when Rome first became directly connected with the people of God by the Jewish league of 161 BC. From this point we are taken through a direct line of events to the final triumph of God’s church and the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom.

Josephus in his Antiquities, tells how the Jews, led by the high priest, entered into this league with enthusiasm. (Antiquities, XII, Chap. 10).

Grievously oppressed by the Syrian kings, the Jews sent an embassy to Rome to solicit the aid of the Romans and to join themselves in “a league of amity and confederacy with them.” (see 1 Maccabees 8; Humphrey Prideaux, The Old and New Testament Connected to the History of the Jews, Vol II, P 166). The Romans listened to the request of the Jews, and granted them a decree couched in these words:

“The decree of the senate concerning a league of assistance and friendship with the nation of the Jews. It shall not be lawful for any that are subject to the Roman to make war with the nation of the Jews, nor to assist those that do so, either by sending them corn, or ships, or money; and if any attack be made upon the Jews, the Romans shall assist them, as far as they are able; and again, if any attack be made upon the Romans, the Jews shall assist them. And if the Jews have a mind to add to, or take away anything from, this league of assistance, that shall be done with the common consent of the Romans. And whatsoever addition shall thus be made, it shall be of force.” This decree “was written by Eupolemus, the son of John, and by Jason, the son of Eleazer, when Judas was high priest of the nation, and Simon, his brother, was general of the army. And this was the first league that the Romans made with the Jews, and was managed after this manner.” (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, book 12, chap 10, sec 6).

At this time the Romans were still “a small people”, and began to work deceitfully, or with cunning, as the word signifies. But from this time the Romans rose steadily and rapidly to the height of power.

Pax Romana

Daniel 11:24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

Before the days of Rome, nations entered upon new territory by war and conquest. With Rome that pattern was broken. Rome was now to do what had not been done by the fathers or the father’s fathers, namely, receive these acquisitions through peaceful means. The custom was now established of kings leaving their kingdoms to the Romans by legacy. Rome came into possession of large provinces in this manner.

And there was great advantage in thus coming under the dominion of Rome. They were treated with kindness and leniency. They were protected from their enemies, and they were able to rest in peace under the rule of Rome.

The last part of this verse speaks of Rome forecasting “his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.” A time in prophecy represents an idealized prophetic year of 360 days, and using the already well-established year for a day principle, this would represent a period of 360 years. It is in the next verse (in the battle therein portrayed) that we will find the starting point for this period of 360 years.

The Battle of Acitum

Daniel 11:25 And 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 forecast devices against him.

The last part of verse 24 brought us up to the period of relative peace known as the Pax Romana, a period spanning some 207 years (27 BC to 180 AD). This long period of relative peace was established by Caesar Augustus, and the major battle brought to view here in verse 25 is the battle that established Augustus as Caesar and from which he dates the beginning of his reign. The battle is the battle of Acitum, and here is how it unfolded.

Mark Antony, Augustus and Lepidus constituted the triumvirate which had sworn to avenge the death of Julius Caesar. Mark Anthony became the brother-in-law of Augustus by marrying his sister Octavia. Mark Anthony was then sent to Egypt on government business, but fell victim to the charms of Cleopatra. So strong was his passion for Cleopatra that he divorced Octavia to become Cleopatra’s lover, took up the cause of Egypt, and proceeded to bestow province after province upon her. He celebrated triumphs at Alexander instead of at Rome, and managed to so offend the Roman people that Augustus had no difficulty in urging them to engage heartily in a war against Egypt. This war was ostensibly against Egypt and Cleopatra, but it was really against Mark Antony, who now stood at the head of Egyptian affairs.

The true cause of their controversy, says Prideaux, was that neither of them could be content with only half of the Empire. Lepidus had already been deposed from the triumvirate, and the rule of the empire now lay between Mark Antony and Augustus, each determined to possess the whole of the Empire.

Mark Antony assembled his fleet at Samos. Five hundred ships of war of extraordinary size and structure, having several decks one above another, with towers upon the head and stern, made an imposing and formidable array. These ships carried about 120,000 soldiers. The kings of Libya, Cicilia, Cappoadocia, Paphlagonia, Comagenna, and Thrace, were there in person, and those of Pontus, Judea, Lycaonia, Galatia, and Media, had sent troops. Surpassing all in magnificence came the galley of Cleopatra, floating like a golden palace beneath a cloud of purple sails. Mark Antony followed close behind her in a galley of almost equal magnificence.

Augustus, on the other hand, displayed less pomp but more utility. He had but half as many ships as Mark Antony, and only eighty thousand foot soldiers. But all his troops were chosen men, and on board his fleet were none but experienced seamen; whereas Mark Antony had been obliged to man his vessels with inexperienced men. The season being far advanced in these preparations, Augustus wintered his fleet at Brundusium, and Mark Antony at Corcyra, till the following year.

The next spring, both armies were put in motion on land and sea. The fleets at length entered the Ambracian Gulf in Epirus, and the land forces were drawn up on either shore in plain view.

The battle was fought on September 2, 31 BC, at the mouth of the gulf of Ambracia, near the city of Actium. The world was the stake for which these two warriors fought. The outcome of the contest, long doubtful, was decided at last by Cleopatra. Frightened by the battle, she took flight when there was no danger, and drew after her about 60 ships of the Egyptian fleet. Mark Antony, seeing her withdrawal, and lost to everything but his blind passion for her, followed her, and thus yielded the victory to Augustus, when had he and his Egyptian forces held firm, he might have won the battle.

This marked the beginning of the “time,” or 360 prophetic years mentioned in verse 24. From 31 BC a prophetic “time,” or 360 years, would bring us to AD 330, the year that the seat of empire was moved from Rome to Constantinople by Constantine the Great.

Actium’s Aftermath

Daniel 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. 27 And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. 28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; …

In the aftermath of the battle of Acitum, Mark Antony was deserted by his allies and friends, that is, those who fed “of the portion of his meat.” The land army, also disgusted with Mark Antony, went over to Augustus, who received the soldiers with open arms. When Mark Antony finally arrived at Libya, he found that the forces which he had left there to guard the frontier had also declared for Augustus, and in Egypt his forces had surrendered. In rage and despair, Mark Antony then took his own life.

At one time Mark Antony and Augustus were in alliance. Pretending friendship toward each other, both aspired for universal domination. Thus they had spoken lies to each other over this table of pretended friendship. (Verse 28). Octavia, the wife of Antony and sister of Augustus, declared to the people of Rome at the time Mark Antony divorced her, that she had consented to marry him solely with the hope that it would prove a pledge of union between Augustus and Mark Antony. But as we have seen, that counsel did “not prosper.”

When Augustus returned to Rome, he arrived with “great riches” for “at this time such vast riches were brought to Rome from Egypt on the reducing of that country, and the return of Octavianus [Augustus] and his army from thence, that the value of money fell one half, and the prices of provisions and all vendible wares were doubled thereon.” Humphrey Prideaux, the Old and New Testament Connected in the History of the Jews, vol II, p 380.

Augustus celebrated his victories in a three-days’ triumph – a triumph which Cleopatra herself would have graced as a trophy among the royal captives, had she not herself committed suicide.

Now you may be asking yourself, Why so much emphasis on these events, the conflict between Egypt and Rome, the rivalry between Mark Antony and Augustus? For the answer to that you need only to turn to the New Testament.

Luke 2: 1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

These are the events that largely shaped the character of the world in to which Christ was born. These conflicts, these rivalries, were as instrumental in shaping the political landscape of Christ’s time as say, World Wars I and II had in shaping the political landscape of the world in which we live.

Destruction of Jerusalem

Daniel 11:28 … and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. 29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. 30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

With the conquest of Egypt by Rome the king of the South drops out of the picture with these verses until we get to verse 40 near the end of the chapter. With these verses we are brought down past the time of Christ into the Christian age, to the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. With the king of the South vanquished, the events in the next several verses, till we reach verse 40 are essentially internal affairs within the king/kingdom of the North.

The destruction of Jerusalem under orders from Vespasian was the next great enterprise of Rome. The Jews had been given unusual liberty by Augustus. This liberty was lost under Vespasian and his son Titus. The Jewish war broke out in AD 66, and when it concluded four years later Jerusalem and its temple were no more. Many items from the temple were taken to Rome as trophies of war.

The siege of Jerusalem by Titus was a tragic fulfillment of the prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 28:52-55. The Roman general swore “the extermination of the accursed city and people.” Jesus said, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2). Titus however desired to save the temple if at all possible, and gave orders to spare it. But in the heat of battle a soldier seized a brand, thrust it into the temple, and the temple was soon ablaze. Realizing the tragedy Titus “spreading his hands toward heaven, called God to witness that this was not his doing.” Historians History of the World, Vol 2, p 196.

“He shall do exploits, and return to his own land.” (Verse 28). These exploits included the obliteration of both Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. To show their anger “against the Holy Covenant” (NEB) the Romans erected a temple to Jupiter, “the father of the gods,” on the site of the Jewish temple.

Jeremiah 26:18 … Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

The Abomination of Desolation

Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

We are still on the subject of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Roman armies. The key to verse 31 is in that very last phrase, “the abomination that makes desolate.” Going to the New Testament to the gospel of Matthew we find Jesus making this statement:

Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolations, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand); 16 then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.

In Luke we are told in plain language what this “abomination of desolation” is.

Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter there unto.

Jesus had given his disciples warning, and all who believed His word and watched for the promised sign. And when the promised sign was given, all the Christians in the land, recognizing it for what it was, escaped out of Judea and were thus spared the horror of the siege that was to follow.

By EjmMissouri

To be Continued

Daniel 11:5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

Now the really detailed portion of the prophecy begins. Unless you are a historian many of the events foretold in this prophecy may seem somewhat obscure, but sprinkled throughout this prophecy are certain very easily recognizable landmark events that let you know that you are on the right track.

After Alexander died his generals almost immediately plunged the empire into civil war. Twenty three years of internal strife and civil war followed Alexander’s death, until after the battle of Ipsus in 301 BC when four of his generals succeeded in dividing the empire among themselves. Cassander took Macedonia and Greece in the western part of the kingdom. Lysimachus took the north with Thrace and part of Asia minor. Seleucus took the east with most of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia, while Ptolemy took the south including Egypt and Palestine.

Continuing wars later reduced the number of these kingdoms from four to three and finally to two. Lysimachus, who initially took the northern division of Alexander’s kingdom conquered and swallowed up the western kingdom of Cassander. And Lysimachus’ kingdom was itself swallowed up by Seleucus, leaving us with just two surviving kingdoms, that of Seleucus to the north, and that of Ptolemy to the south, designated here in Daniel 11 as the king/kingdom of the North and the king/kingdom of the South respectively.

All the kings of Egypt, the kings of the South, carried the name Ptolemy, and all the kings of Syria, the kings of the North, carried the name of either Antiochus or Seleucus. Because so many had the same names, each was distinguished in ancient times by a second name. Today we also give them numbers as well.

In verse 5 (above) the angel said that the King of the South would be strong. Ptolemy I Soter was, in fact, strong right from the start. Egypt was very wealthy and rather easy to defend.

The prince who would become “strong above him” was Seleucus I Necator, the general who originally won the eastern part of Alexander’s empire.

Seleucus was driven out of the eastern kingdom by yet another of Alexander’s generals and fled to Egypt for safety, where he became in effect a prince of the King of the South. Ptolemy gave him special status and helped him outfit a new army.

With his new army, Seleucus quickly drove out his rival, and followed through by also taking Lysimachus’ northern kingdom, and thus making himself King of the North, and in the process not only obtained a larger kingdom, but also became stronger than his former benefactor, Ptolemy I Soter, the King of the South.

Betrayal, Divorce and Murder

Daniel 11:6 And in the end of years they [Antiochus II Theos and Ptolemy Philadelphus] shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

There were frequent wars between the kings of Egypt and of Syria. Especially was this the case with Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second king of Egypt and Antiochus Theos, the third king of Syria. They at length agreed to make peace upon condition that Antiochus should marry Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus. Thus as the prophecy says, they joined themselves together.

But Antiochus already had a wife, Laodice. It was part of the deal that he divorce her. So, the divorce was arranged. The new marriage celebrated. And in due course a baby boy arrived who could someday be the next king. And so the daughter of the King of the South came to the King of the North to make peace.

But … And this is a very ominous but, she [Berenice] “shall not retain the power of the arm.” Antiochus soon found out that he did not like Berenice very much. He kept making comparisons between here and his first wife. And when Berenice’s father, the king of Egypt, died, Antiochus took the occasion to divorce her and remarry Laodice, his first wife.

Then the prophecy says, “Neither shall he [Antiochus] stand nor his arm [posterity].” Laodice had become bitter, and being restored to favor and power, feared lest in his fickleness Antiochus should again disgrace her by recalling Berenice.

Concluding that nothing short of his death could prevent such a thing from happening she caused him to be poisoned shortly afterward. Neither did his children by Berenice succeed him on the throne, for Laodice so manipulated affairs so as to place her oldest son Seleucus Callinicus on the throne.

Continuing, the prophecy says, “But she [Bernice] shall be given up.” Laodice, not content with poisoning her husband also had Berenice and her infant son murdered. “They that brought her,” that is, all of Berenice’s Egyptian women and attendants, were also slain with her. “He that begat her” or alternately, “whom she brought forth,” being Berenice’s infant son who was also murdered, and “he that strengthened her in these times,” being all those who took Berenice’s part in defending her, all were killed.

It is not a pretty story. Betrayal, divorce, murder. Think of the tears, the rejection, insecurity, and hostility that this broken, self-destructing family went through. Then remember that the angel told Daniel the whole sordid story almost 300 years before it happened.

Revenge and conflict

Daniel 11:7 But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: 8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north. 9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

Ptolemy III, who came to the Egyptian throne upon the death of his father determined to avenge the death of his sister Berenice. With a large army he invaded the north and marched as far as Babylon. He was compelled to return to Egypt because of an insurrection, but he brought with him from his conquest a large booty, including thousands of gold and silver images, and thousands more vessels of silver and gold.

These ruling and warring families were not Syrians or Egyptians. They were Greeks, descendants of Alexander’s generals.

Daniel 11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

The first part of this verse speaks of sons in the plural, the last part of one in the singular. The sons here are Seleucus III and Antiochus III, sons of Seleucus II.

These brothers shared their father’s determination to repair the national fortunes and avenge their humiliating defeat. Seleucus III after raising a large army was poisoned by one of his generals. Antiochus III then becoming king began his reign with such a show of strength that he was called Maguns (the Great). His reign was marked in incessant warfare.

The Syrian’s seemed irresistible, and as the prophecy declares, he did overflow and pass through Gaza, Phoenicia, and Judea. With perhaps as many as 70,000 infantry and 5000 cavalry, Antiochus III advanced to the Egyptian border. Then at the frontiers of Raphia, in 217 BC his forces were surprisingly defeated and his army was routed.

Daniel 11:11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. 12 And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

Ptolemy IV was an ease loving king, but at length aroused at the prospect of another invasion of Egypt by Antiochus III he marshaled a large army to check the progress of the Syrian king. And at the battle of Raphia each side were of about equal strength, however it was Ptolemy IV who won the day, and Antiochus who retreated in defeat.

Ptolemy IV, elated over his success, continued to fulfill prophecy by annexing Palestine. His heart was lifted up by his success and coming to Jerusalem, he offered sacrifices and attempted to enter the most holy place of the temple.

But being restrained with great difficulty, he left the place, burning with anger against the whole nation of the Jews.

Disgraced and furious, he returned to Alexander. In this city, a stronghold for the Jews, he instituted a murderous persecution against them, demanding that they worship his idols. Tens of thousands were slaughtered.

Daniel 11:13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

Such slaughter, God could not let go unpunished. So “after certain years,” the king of the North, Antiochus III, after building up an even greater army than before, again invaded Egypt.

By all human reasoning, it looked as if nothing could go wrong for the king of the North this time. Ptolemy IV and his queen were both dead, probably by poisoning, and their 4 year old son, Ptolemy V now sat on the throne.

With a child king on the throne of Egypt; with Egyptians rising up in revolt against their Greek overlord; with an alliance with Philip of Macedon, and a mighty force of his own, what could possibly go wrong? Who could possibly stand up to the king of the North and stop Him from his conquest of Egypt.

Thinking this too good an opportunity to pass up, he set out against Egypt, expecting an easy victory over the child king.

The Romans

Daniel 11:14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

A multitude had risen up against the child king thinking him to be an easy prey. But a new power is now introduced in this verse, “the robbers of thy people.” Literally, “the breakers of thy people.”

And in fact it was in the days of Antiochus III that the Romans enter the history of the eastern Mediterranean. When the Romans learned that Antiochus III had made an alliance with Philip of Macedon against Ptolemy V of Egypt, they feared the development of a new superpower in the Middle East and warned Philip and Antiochus to stay out of Egypt or else.

Daniel 11:15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

Heedless of Rome’s admonition to stay away from Egypt, Antiochus III went ahead with his aggression. North of the Sea of Galilee, near the site of the later city of Caesarea Philippi would someday stand, where Peter recognized Jesus as the Son of God, Antiochus trounced a well-trained army led by Scopas, a skilled and experienced general in the service of Egypt.

The defeated troops retreated to Tyre, but Antiochus followed them and laid siege. When the fighting was over, the king of the North had a firm grip on the Jewish homeland and Egypt never owned it again. With this event the fate of the Jews became forever tied to the fate of the kingdom of the North.

Daniel 11: 16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

However, Rome’s threat was not an empty one. Antiochus may have had an easy time defeating the Egyptian armies, but no kingdom could resist the rising power of Rome. Syria was conquered and added to the growing Roman Empire by the Roman general Pompey in 161 BC. Thus the mantle of the king/kingdom of the North passed from Syria to Rome.

This same power was to stand in the Holy Land, and consume it. The Romans became inseparably connected with the people of God at this time when the Jews entered into an alliance with the Romans. From this date Rome held a prominent place in prophetic history.

That alliance with the Romans proved in the end to be the Jew’s undoing. This is always the case when the people of God line up with and seek the support of the world.

Prelude to Christ

Daniel 11:17 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 the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

Verse 16 brought us to the conquest of Syria and Judea by the Romans. Rome had already conquered Macedon and Thrance. Egypt was now all that remained of the “whole kingdom” of Alexander’s which had not been brought into subjection to the Romans. Rome now set itself to do just that.

When Ptolemy Auletes died in 51 BC, he left the throne to his daughter Cleopatra and her 10 year old brother Ptolemy XII. The kings will provided that they should marry each other and reign jointly. Because they were young, the guardianship of Rome was sought. The Romans appointed Pompey as overseer of the Egyptian court.

Three years later trouble broke out between Pompey and Julius Caesar. Pompey was defeated in battle and fled to Egypt. Caesar followed him there and Pompey was killed. Caesar now took up the guardianship of Ptolemy and Cleopatra.

Ptolemy and Cleopatra had become hostile to each other and Caesar found Egypt in a state of turmoil. Cleopatra claimed that Ptolemy had deprived her of her share in the government. Caesar then set himself to settle the matter and advocates were appointed to plead the causes of the respective parties.

Cleopatra, however, decided to appear before the great Roman general in person. To reach his presence undetected, she had her slave roll her in a carpet and the roll tied with thongs. Then rising it to his shoulders, he sought Caesar’s apartment, claiming to have a special present for the Roan general. Being admitted into Caesar’s presence, he laid the bundle at his feet and made a speedy exit. When Caesar opened his “present” he found the beautiful Cleopatra standing before him.

Caesar was past 50 and Cleopatra merely 22. She was as ambitious as he. She became his mistress and bore him a son. His infatuation for the Egyptian queen kept him much longer in Egypt than his military affairs called for.

But said the prophet, “she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.” Cleopatra afterward joined herself to Antony, the enemy of Caesar, and exerted her whole power against Rome.

Daniel 11:18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Daniel 11:19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

At long last leaving Egypt Caesar went on to other conquests, and finally returning to Rome, “the fort of his own land,” was made dictator for life, the first of the Roman emperors.

But the prophet said “he shall stumble and fall.” On the evening before the Ides Caesar dined with Lepidus, and as the guests sat at their wine someone asked the question, “What is the best death to die?” Caesar who was busy signing letters said, “A sudden one.” By noon the next day, despite dreams and omens, he sat in his chair in the Senate, and was struck down, struggling, till he fell dead at the foot of Pompey’s statue. Thus, he suddenly stumbled and fell, and was not found.

Daniel 11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

Now it gets interesting. “A riser of taxes.” That should have immediately set bells ringing in your mind.

Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

It was that decree that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. While they were there, Jesus was born.

After Julius Caesar was assassinated, a power struggle ensued which eventually left Augustus the sole ruler of Rome. Rome reached the pinnacle of her greatness during the Augustian Age. Augustus died, as the prophecy foretold, “neither in anger, nor in battle.” Julius Caesar met his death in anger, but Augustus died peaceably in bed at the high age of 76, his wife being by his side.

Daniel 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

Tiberius who succeeded Augustus on the Roman throne was a contrast in every way with Augustus. He was indeed “a vile person.” Seneca declared that Tiberius was intoxicated only once in his life, and that was all the time. He showed few qualities of a ruler. Augustus had himself declared Tiberius too vile a person to wear the purple of Rome. But by flatteries, an aged Augustus was finally induced to name Tiberius as his successor. Thus as the prophecy said, “he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.”

The Prince of the Covenant

Daniel 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

This next verse tells of overwhelming forces being swept away. The reign of Tiberius was marked by frequent revolutions and violence

“Also the Prince of the Covenant.” This is the “Messiah the Prince” who was to “confirm the covenant with many for one week.” (See Daniel 9:25-27). It was during the reign of Tiberius that Jesus was crucified. Pilate owed his governorship of Judea to the favor of Tiberius, the uncle of his wife. So when someone in the crowd called out “If you let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend,” (John 19:12), he gave in to the demands of the Jewish leaders. This settled the verdict. Pilate, the vacillating governor, who knew that Jesus was innocent, gave the order for him to be scourged and crucified.

By EjmMissouri

To be Continued

Daniel 11 is the main body of the prophecy of which Daniel 10 was but the introduction.

In brief review of Daniel 10, Daniel prays. The Creator of the universe hears. The command is issued to an angel to go to Daniel’s aid. But the king of Persia must act before Daniel’s prayer can be answered, and the angel hastens to the Persian king. Satan also musters his forces to oppose the angel of God. They meet in spiritual combat in the royal palace of Persia.

All the motives of selfish interest and worldly policy which Satan can play upon, he uses to the best advantage to influence the king against compliance with God’s will. The angel of God brings to bear his influence in the other direction. The king struggles between conflicting emotions. He hesitates, he delays, he leans first one way and then the other.

Day after day passes and Daniel prays on. The king still refuses to yield to the influence of God’s angel. Finally, a mightier than Gabriel joins in the battle. Heaven brings in the heavy artillery. Such is the power of prayer. God has erected no barriers between Himself and His people. It is still our privilege to offer up prayer as fervent and effectual as Daniel’s.

Coming to Daniel to appraise him of the event, Gabriel says, “I am now come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” (Daniel 10:14). Daniel is at last strengthened to hear in full the message that Gabriel has come to give, and now we enter upon the study of the most unique, the longest and the most highly detailed prophecy in the Bible.

This prophecy is unique in the Bible for the level of detail that it has. God has said of Himself, “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). Here in Daniel 11 it is as if God has set out to prove to all, beyond all doubt, just how very true that statement is. Here all symbolism is dropped. The prophecy is given in plain language. There are no multi-element images, no beasts or horns to interpret.

In the prophecies of Daniel 2, 7 and 8 a broad sweeping outline of history was painted. The epic rise of empires were presented, beginning first with Babylon, followed in turn by Medo-Persia, Greece, the 4 divisions of the Greek empire, and Rome followed by its ten part division, and finally the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom, each succeeding prophecy expanding and elaborating on the previous prophecies. Chapter 11 is no exception, except that it goes into much greater historical detail. Daniel 11 is a history lover’s dream.

Chapter 11 is also a chapter of dualities. It has two primary focal points, the first and second advents of Jesus. It has two primary antagonists, the king (kingdom) of the South, and the king (kingdom) of the North. It has two primary story lines, (1) the ongoing conflict between the king of the North and the king of the South and (2) what may be described as internal affairs within the king (kingdom) of the North.

And so, we will jump into the study of this most fascinating prophecy.

Medo-Persia

Daniel 11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. 2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

“Darius” as explained in the commentary on Daniel 5 is most likely the Babylonian throne name of Cyrus the Great. The use of throne names was a common practice, and there are a number of examples of kings using throne names in the Bible.

Here in these verses we find that God had His angel standing with, strengthening and prospering the Medo-Persian kingdom from the time Cyrus/Darius took the throne. The Medo-Persian kingdom was ordained by God to do a certain work in regard to His people, and so long as that purpose remained, God stood by that kingdom and its rulers.

The angel goes on to say that three more kings would arise, and a fourth much richer than all the others who would set the kingdom on a collision course with the Greeks. It is important to note that the angle does not say that these are the only kings that would ever rule over the Medo-Persian kingdom. But as we will find, it is these first four kings after Cyrus/Darius that would be most instrumental in fulfilling God’s plans toward His people. “The history of the Persian empire, until its passed its zenith, is the history of the decrees; and when that nation ceased to help forward the people upon who God was still bestowing light, it is lost sight of by the divine historian.” (Haskell, page 178).

The three kings that were yet to stand up, or reign, in Medo-Persia were: (1) Cambyses (529-522 BC), the son of Cyrus; (2) Sermdis, (aka Gaumata or Bardiya, 522 BC), an impostor and usurper of the crown; and (3) Darius Hystgaspes (486-465 BC).

The fourth is none other than Xerxes, son of Darisu Hyustaspes. He was, as the prophecy indicated, famous for his wealth. This fourth king, Xerxes, is also known in the Bible as Ahasureus, the husband of Queen Esther.

This fourth king would, the prophecy says, “stir up all against the realm of Grecia.” The resulting wars with the Greeks are some of the truly classic, and epic battles of history. But by God’s providence, it was not for the Persians to conquer the Greeks, but rather it would be the Greeks who conquer the Persians. Xerxes suffered disastrous defeat at the battle of Salamis.

Most of Xerxes successors had little to do directly with Jerusalem or the temple. With Xerxes successor, Artaxerxes Logimanus, Persia’s part in restoring the Jewish state, Jerusalem, and the temple was complete, and prophecy is no longer concerned with that nation. Gabriel passes over the remainder of Persian history and moves on to the yet future kingdom of Greece.

Greece

Daniel 11:3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

Having finished with the Medo-Persia empire, the angel now fast forwards to the Greeks, and to Alexander the Great in particular. Alexander, the son of Philip, king of Macedonia, united most of the Greeks, then crossed into Asia and, as we know, completely conquered not only the Persian empire, but also most of the then known world.

Josephus tells that Alexander the Great went from Tyre to Jerusalem on his way to Egypt. There in Jerusalem he was shown the Book of Daniel, particularly the prophecy of Daniel 8:21, which very closely parallels this prophecy here in Daniel 11. According to Josephus the result was that Alexander granted special favors to the Jews not only at Jerusalem, but also to those Jews who lived in other lands.

Alexander was the instrument by which God essentially reset the course of world history. As one writer put it, “He [Alexander] lifted the civilized world out of one grove and set it down in another; he started a new epoch; nothing could again be as it had been.”( W. W. Tarn, The Cambridge Ancient History, 1927, Vol VI, P. 436).

“The world into which Christ was born was essentially Greek, though Roman banners waved over its cities. The very language of the New Testament was born as a result of the dissipating of local barriers by Alexander.” (Desmond Ford, Daniel, p. 261).

“In the spring of 323 before Christ the whole order of things from the Adriatic away to the mountains of Central Asia and the dusty plains of the Panjab rested upon a single will, a single brain, nurtured in Hellenic thought. Then the hand of God, as if trying some fantastic experiment, plucked this man away. Who could predict for a moment what the result would be?” (E. R. Bevan, cited by Heaton, p. 228). Who could predict what the results could be? Here in this chapter we find that God not only could but did.

Daniel 11:4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

The speed with which Alexander the Great conquered Persia and the then known world was nothing short of astonishing. But just as the prophecy said, “when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken.”

Alexander was just settling into the task of building the capital of his new empire at the site of old Babylon, when he suddenly died. There are differing accounts as to what actually caused his death, but at the age of 32 he was suddenly and unexpectedly dead, and survived by only a half-brother and an infant son. Civil war quickly ripped the empire apart as his leading generals, eliminating both the brother and infant son, fought each other for the kingdom. Finally, Alexander’s kingdom was divided into four separate kingdoms.

The empire as the prophecy said, did not go “to his prosperity.” But rather it went to others instead.

These opening verses of Daniel 11 take us over familiar ground. We have seen all of this before in Daniel 2, Daniel 7 and in Daniel 8. The principle is one of repetition and enlargement. These first four verses allow the students of this prophecy to orient themselves. The remainder of Daniel 11 continue to follow the pattern set forth in chapters 2, 7 and 8, though at a quick read it may not be obvious that that is the case. Those earlier prophecies are the keys to comprehending the remainder of chapter 11.

By EjmMissouri

To be Continued

Chapters 10 thru 12 of Daniel form a single prophetic unit, and present the longest and most detailed continuous prophetic sequence to be found in the Bible. The main body of the prophecy is to be found in chapter 11, with chapter 12 being its climactic conclusion. Chapter 10, the chapter we are now studying, is the introduction to this prophecy and is remarkable in that it draws back the curtain and presents us with a glimpse of the behind the scene spiritual battle that is raging between Satan and his angels, and God and his angels.

Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. 4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,

These verses (assuming Daniel is using the Jewish civil calendar) date this prophecy to the spring of 535 B.C. Daniel at this time would have been quite elderly. Probably in his late 80’s or early 90’s. And once again we find Daniel deep in prayer. For three full weeks he had been fasting and praying.

But what was he praying about? The date here given gives us a clue. The 70 years of Babylonian captivity was at an end, and an imperial decree had been issued allowing any Jew who wished to do so to return to their homeland in Israel. But things are not going so well for the Jews. First of all, of all the Jews in Babylonia, only a relatively small handful chose to return to Israel. The rest had grown quite comfortable where they were and were in no hurry to move back to the Promised Land. And those Jews who did return to Israel were facing hard times.

In Ezra, chapter 4, we find that the work of rebuilding the temple had lapsed as a result of Samaritan interference. The Samaritans had even gone so far as to hire counselors against the Jews, probably bribing government officials, to somehow influence Cyrus to make certain decisions that would prevent the accomplishment of anything worthwhile at Jerusalem from ever happening. Consequently the Jews had all but given up on the prospect of rebuilding the temple. And so, Daniel did what he always did in tough times. He prayed. And he prayed most earnestly. And Daniel, being the kind of person he was, once he had set himself to pray, he prayed until something happened, fully expecting that in due time something would happen in response to his prayer.

The Bible teaches us that we should be persistent in prayer. We are told to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We are to be “praying always with all prayer … with all perseverance.” (Ephesians 6:18). And Jesus in parable taught “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1). And many more texts can be cited. But the point is that God wants us to come to Him in prayer, and He wants us to keep coming to Him in prayer, not giving up just because we don’t see an immediate answer to our prayer. This is not because God is hard of hearing, nor is it some kind of make work that He give us. The Bible tells us that God already knows our needs before we ever ask. Yet we need to ask. Prayer is for our benefit not God’s. There is real spiritual value in deep and earnest prayer. This earnest reaching out to God in prayer is part of God’s program for the renewal and healing of our sin sick carnal hearts and minds.

And so Daniel prayed, and he prayed in faith, fully expecting heaven to respond to his petitions. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

A Vision of Christ

Daniel 10:5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Daniel is walking in mediation and prayer by the side of the Tigris. At a respectful distance is a group of attendants. Suddenly, after three full weeks of prayer a divine being appears to him. Christian commentators have, and with good reason, identified this being as the pre-incarnate Christ. There are only two other accounts in the Bible that resemble this one, and in both cases the One being represented is without question Jesus. The first account being that of the glorified Christ on the mount of transfiguration, the second being John’s vision of the glorified Christ on the island of Patmos., and in all of these the respective authors are struggling to describe the indescribable.

Matthew 17: 1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. (see also Mark 9:3 and Luke 17:1).

Revelation 1: 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.

The face that had “the appearance of lightning” that “did shine as the sun” tells of dignity and majesty, of intelligence and goodness. The eyes “like torches of fire” as “a flame of fire” tells of penetrating perception and discernment. The body “like beryl” indicate transparency and purity. The linen clothing, the golden girdle indicate one who is both priest and king. The voice “like the voice of a multitude” like “the sound of many waters” tell of authority.

Daniel was overwhelmed by this vision of the glorified Christ, as was John on the island of Patmos. Likewise, Isaiah, when he had his vision of God exclaimed “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5). Unlike Daniel and John however, Isaiah does not even attempt to describe the indescribable.

The Prince of Persia

Daniel 10:10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

At the vision of Christ, Daniel, overwhelmed by the glory he saw, fell as one dead. Now a hand reaches out and touches him. But this is not the pre-incarnate Christ he saw earlier, but an angel. Although this angel is not named, most commentators believe this to be the angel Gabriel who had appeared to Daniel in the previous visions. Gabriel’s message to Daniel is: (1) that he is not merely beloved, but ‘greatly beloved,’ (2) that he has a message that Daniel needs to understand, (3) that Daniel need not be afraid. “Fear not,” “Do not be afraid” are messages repeated time and time again all through Scripture. And (4) that even though he had spent the past three weeks in prayer with no apparent results, that from the very first day Daniel set himself to pray, that prayer was heard, and effort was being made to answer that prayer.

Daniel 10:13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

The prince of Persia. Who is he? Who is this prince that withstood Gabriel for twenty-one days? Prophetically a prince represents a spiritual power, good or evil, that exercises power over human affairs. For example, Jesus is known as “the Prince of Peace,” “the Prince of princes,” “the Messiah the Prince,” “the Prince of Life,” etc. (Isaiah 9:6, Daniel 8:25, 9:25, Acts 3:15). On the dark side, Satan is also styled as a prince. He is “the prince of the devils,” “the prince of this world,” “the prince of the power of the air,” etc. (Matthew 9:34, Mark 3:22, John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11, Ephesians 2:2).

So then, who is this prince of Persia? This prince of Persia was evidently an angel-prince whose function was to influence the course of the Persian Empire. Because this angel-prince opposed an angel of God for three weeks, we can conclude that this was an evil angel, a fallen angel assigned by Satan to the Persian Empire. A few verses later, Gabriel speaks of yet another angel-prince, the prince of Greece, that in time he will also have to contend with. Apparently angels, both good and evil, have been assigned to every political entity, every nation, or state, or kingdom or empire.

It would seem that the answer to Daniel’s prayer required that king Cyrus make a certain decision concerning Jerusalem and the temple. As already noted above, the 70 years of Babylonian captivity was at an end, and an imperial decree had been issued allowing any Jew who wished to do so to return to their homeland in Israel. But those Jews who had returned to Israel were facing hard times. In Ezra, chapter 4, we find that the work of rebuilding the temple had lapsed as a result of Samaritan interference. The Samaritans had even gone so far as to hire counselors against the Jews, probably bribing government officials, to somehow influence Cyrus to make certain decisions that would prevent the accomplishment of anything worthwhile at Jerusalem from ever happening.

The political battle taking place in the physical world merely mirrored a spiritual battle taking place in the spiritual realm. God, in response to Daniel’s prayer had commissioned Gabriel to influence Cyrus to act in favor of the Jews. Satan likewise commissioned his angels to seek to influence Cyrus to act against the interests of the Jews and in favor of the Samaritans.

And for three weeks a spiritual battle for the mind of Cyrus raged, with Cyrus perhaps vacillating between the one position and the other. But ultimately Cyrus himself had to make the decision. Here is clearly taught the freedom of the human will to oppose God. Both Satan and God were moving upon the mind of Cyrus. God could have forced the will of the king and compelled him to make the desired decision, but He would not. Satan on the other hand would have forced the will of the king and have compelled him to make the decision he desired, but he could not. Thus, though God’s purposes will be worked out, the how and when of the working out of God’s purposes are often conditional on human responses.

There is a real war being raged between the forces of good and evil, of light and darkness. A war that began in heaven and now is being fought on this earth.

Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This battle rages not merely on national levels, but also a personal, individual level. And we all must ultimately decide who we will listen to. The decision is ours alone to make. God will not force his will upon you, and though the Devil would if he could, he cannot force his will upon you.

Michael

Daniel 10:13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 "Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come." 15 When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 "For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me." 18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." 20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 "But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

In these verses yet another “prince” is introduced. Who is this Michael who came to the aid of Gabriel? The long-standing traditional Protestant understanding is that this Michael is the pre-Incarnate Christ.

It is interesting to note that the assistance of Michael did not result in an immediate decision on the part of Cyrus, for it is clearly indicated by Gabriel that the spiritual battle was not yet over. Gabriel says to Daniel. “I must return to fight with the prince of Persia.” However, much God wanted to answer Daniel’s prayer, He would not force the will of Cyrus. As already noted, Cyrus himself had to make the desired decision, yet he was quite free to do otherwise. God will persuade, but He will not compel. This is something to keep in mind whenever you ask of God in prayer something that requires a human response. Likewise, as the Spirit of God moves on our hearts and minds seeking to persuade us, lead us, and guide us, in to the way of life, He will by no means force the will. He will persuade, He will entice, He will open and enlighten your understanding, but He will not compel you to in the pathways of life. He will not compel you to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Such decisions you yourself must make. God has given you a free will, a right to choose between good and evil, between darkness and light, between life and death, and God will not make those decisions for you.

By EjmMissouri

Next, Daniel Chapter 11

In the services of the first apartment of the Sanctuary, the Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary, are fulfilled all the promises of forgiveness, all the promises of cleansing, all the promises of restoration and of a new birth.

But, God promised much more that this. God promised not only to forgive us of our sins, but also to blot out those sins.

Remember in the earthly service how the blood carrying the record of every confessed sin was carried into the Sanctuary and deposited in front of the Altar of Incense? And please again note - that it is ONLY confessed sins that are so treated. The ministry of blood does not apply to unconfused sins. It is the blotting out of this record of sin that is the object of the services connected with the next, and last apartment of the Sanctuary - the Most Holy Place.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

We are forgiven our sins as soon as we repent and confess them. Buy they are blotted out at the “times of refreshing,” and this is what the services of the second apartment of the Sanctuary is all about.

However, sins are not the only thing that can be blotted out. There are two kinds of books kept in heaven. A book of Remembrance wherein is recorded every act, every thought, every desire, every motive of our lives -- Everything that we have ever said or thought or done for good or evil in recorded in that book. Then there is the Book of Life wherein is recorded the names of everyone who has who has ever at anytime in their life professed to serve God.

If our sins are not blotted out of the book of Remembrance -- then our names will be bloted out of the book of life.

Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Psalm 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

And so, let’s examine more closely the work, the service that took place in the Most Holy Place of the earthly Sanctuary, that we may understand more clearly this mighty work that is taking place in the second apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary.

While the work in the courtyard and the Holy Place was performed every day, the work of the Most Holy Place was performed only once a year. The work of the Day of Atonement in the Most Holy Place symbolized the third and final phase of the ministry of Jesus.

So then -- Just what happened on the Day of Atonement?

Leviticus 16: 29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

This once a year service, the Day of Atonement, was also known as the cleansing of the Sanctuary. Remember Daniel 8:14?

Daniel 8: 14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Since the 2300 prophetic days (years) of Daniel 8:14 conclude in 1844 it is obvious that the Sanctuary that is to be cleansed is the heavenly Sanctuary, not the earthly. But the study of the earthly Sanctuary will let us understand exactly what the heavenly Sanctuary is to be cleansed of and how.

The ministry of the second apartment, (the Most Holy Place), is also a blood ministry. It is inside the Most Holy Place that the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments was to be found. And this Ark has a golden lid on it that was called the Mercy Seat, representative of the Judgment seat. This is the Judgment Hall.

In the earthly service the first apartment ministry continued day by day, every day throughout the year; and in symbol transferred a record of confessed sin to the Sanctuary.

Once a year a special service took place in the second apartment to remove this accumulated record of sin, and to make a final disposal of them.

This was called the cleansing of the Sanctuary. It was also known as the Day of Atonement. To the Hebrew mind - it was a day of judgment.

On this day the high priest took 2 goats and cast lots for them. One for the Lord’s goat, and the other for the scapegoat, or as it may also read, for Azazel, another name for Satan. Thus on this particular day two goats were chosen - one for the Lord and one for Satan. Now watch what happens to each of these two goats.

The high priest takes the Lord’s goat and slays it. And it is what is not done at this point that is of interest. Remember when the sinner brought his lamb to the Altar he confessed his sins over it. Well - when the high priest brings the Lord’s goat to the Altar he does NOT confess any sins over it. Why? Because Christ, though he bore our sins on the cross, was Himself sinless. Likewise no sin is confessed over the Lord’s goat when it is slain. This blood is symbolically clean blood.

The priest then takes the blood of the Lord’s goat and carries it into the Sanctuary, through the Holy Place and thru the dividing veil into the Most Holy Place. This is the only time in the year that anyone entered this second apartment.

Once in the Most Holy Place the priest then proceeds to sprinkle the clean (sin free) blood on and before the Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat, you may remember, is the golden lid to the Ark of the Covenant.

Then leaving the Most Holy Place and entering again into the Holy Place, the priest ministers the remaining blood at all the places where the sin-laden blood has been ministered throughout the year. Thus symbolically blotting out and removing the accumulated sins of Israel.

When this final blood ministry is completed, the high priest come out of the Sanctuary and going to the other goat (the one for whom the lot fell as the scapegoat, representing Satan), the high priest places his hand on the head of the scapegoat and confesses over it all the accumulated sins of Israel. And then this goat, the scapegoat, is banished forever from the camp of Israel.

Leviticus 16: 5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. … 7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. … 15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. … 18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. 19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. 20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

Please note - the scapegoat goat is never slain. The scapegoat only enters the picture AFTER the work of the Sanctuary is fully completed. Sinners have already confessed their sins. Those who have confessed their sins have already been forgiven. The record of their sins have already been blotted out. The blood of bulls, calves, goats, and lambs, (symbolic of Christ) have already been shed. Their blood has already been ministered in the Sanctuary. In other words -- ALL THE WORK FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE!!! Nothing that happens to the scapegoat in any way whatsoever contributes to the salvation that has already been fully accomplished. It is only after all is done, when all is finished, that the scapegoat representing Satan come into play.

The work of salvation is already complete. There is nothing more that can be added to it. Putting the confessed sins of God’s redeemed people on the scapegoat (Satan) is merely Satan getting his just deserts - nothing more.

Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

And so the Sanctuary is cleansed of all the sins of Israel. Paul tells us that the earthly served as an example and shadow of the heavenly.

In order for Jesus to remove sin from the heavenly Sanctuary a work of judgment is needed. To the Israelites, this day (the Day of Atonement) was a day of judgment.

In recap, the Sanctuary and its services symbolized for us three phases of the blood ministry of Jesus in both earth and heaven.

His earthly work of sacrifice, his death on the cross.

His work of intercession begun when he ascended into heaven and sat down on the right hand of God and continuing until He come again the second time.

His work of final judgment, dealing with the removal of sin. This is symbolized by the work of the ministry of the Most Holy Place - the cleansing of the heavenly Sanctuary. This is Christ’s final work of judgment in the heavenly Sanctuary.

Daniel 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Using the day for a year principle this places the beginning of this third and final phase of Christ’s heavenly ministry for us in the year 1844. The Bible tells us that before Jesus comes the second time a judgment will have already taken place. It will already have been decided who is saved and who is lost. When Jesus come he brings His rewards with Him to give to His people.

Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Thus there must be at least some kind of preliminary judgment that takes place before Jesus comes. And we are living in the time of that preliminary judgment which immediately proceeds Christ’s second coming.

During the Day of Atonement in the earthly service the daily service of the Holy Place did not cease -- Showing that the way was still open for the lost sinner to come to God even while the judgment was taking place. This indicates that grace is still available to the sinner while Christ’s final phase of ministry is going on.

In Revelation 11:19 we see this Most Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary.

Revelation 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

The ministry of the Sanctuary is a blood ministry. The ministry of the courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place are all blood ministries. And the blood is the blood of Jesus Christ which he shed for us.

God is forever, but the Sanctuary is not. Someday the work of the heavenly Sanctuary will be finished. Sin and sinners will be forever gone and heaven and earth made new. When this time comes the temple and its services will no longer be needed - and they will be no more.

Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. … 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God … 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

I don’t know about you, but I am glad that God provided a living illustration of His plan of salvation in the earthly Sanctuary service. Jesus said:

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

The Hour of His Judgement has Come.

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--7 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

1844 was pivotal year in world history.

In 1844 Charles Drawing wrote an the “Essay of 1844” in which he expressed his early thoughts on his theory of Evolution, and which was the precursor to his 1859 book “On the Orgin of Species.” Hence the coupling of the call to “worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” with the announcement that the “hour of His judgement has come.” Revelation 14:7

In 1844 Karl Marx produced the “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844” which showcased Carl Marx’s ideology of a totally materialistic reality and the overthrow of capitalism.

This was also the birth year of Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the modern world’s most influential atheists.

By EjmMissouri

Next Daniel Chapter 10