Last week, we have discussed two different chapters in the book of Daniel. In chapter two, Daniel interpreted the dream of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had in his dream; the construction of the statue was interpreted as the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the Roman Empire. We also touched on the coming Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist. In Daniel chapter seven, we saw last week the four kingdoms illustrated in the figures of a winged lion, a humpbacked bear, a winged leopard and at fierce beast.
This week, we will begin examining this figure, Antichrist.
Over the centuries, many people have been mistakenly identified as the person identified in 1 John as Antichrist. Some have said Charlemagne was. Others have said certain popes of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet others stated it was Nero, or Domitian, Napoleon, Hitler, President Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, President Bill Clinton and now even President Barack Obama.
Obviously, these men were not Antichrist. Some have been antichrists, which we will discuss further in a few days, and some have been wrongly labeled as such. I remember back in the 1980s, before I was saved, I thought President Reagan was Antichrist because his name--Ronald Wilson Reagan--came out as 666 (six letters in each name). Hey, I was unsaved, what can I say? But antichrists do exist, and we will touch on that fact this week.
It is important to remember, first and foremost, that if you are saved you will not know whom Antichrist is. Antichrist will not be revealed until after the rapture of the church, and we will also discuss how this is the case.
Where will Antichrist come from? Daniel chapter seven shows us where.
What will Antichrist be like? Let's look to the scriptures.
Dan 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
If you will remember, last week we talked about how the "great sea" is the Mediterranean Sea. These ten horns represent ten nations that will arise to power from that region--the region in which the Roman Empire once stood strong. In the time of the Tribulation, there will be a ten nation confederation--consisting of European countries--that shall control the world.
Now you might look at this and scoff. However, there is already in place. Ever heard of the European Union or the Common Market? The Roman empire has never really gone away. It still exists, though in a more dormant form.
Today all of the pieces are in place for the resurrection of the Roman Empire. On March 25, 1957, the Treaty of Rome was signed into existence by six European nations: France, West Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Netherlands and Belgium. The European Economic Community was born, which we know today as the Common Market. Since that signing, the members have grown to include Greece, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and others. These nations have a common trade status with no tariffs, and the Euro dollar has come into being as a means of trading with member countries and countries outside the Common Market.
The ten horns represents 10 countries around the Great Sea--Europe. While there are more than 10 countries in the Common Market, if you look at a map with all of the member countries you could see how these countries could become more consolidated into just ten. How?
Look at what 9/11 did to our country. If the terrorists' original plan of as many as a dozen airplane strikes would have been carried out instead of four our economy would have collapsed. All it would take in some of these smaller countries is to have a well placed nuke explode and not only would the area around it be destroyed but the country's economy would be also. Other countries in the Common Market would come to their aid, and absorb them into their nation.
This vision by Daniel is interpreted later in the chapter:
Dan 7:24 The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. (NKJ)
Also, in Revelation another vision that John had that shows us the same:
Rev 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. (NKJ)
In the near future, 10 European countries--perhaps the Common Market--will be in charge of the entire world. And, they will be give their authority to and be ruled by what the Bible calls the Beast--the Antichrist.
Dan 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
To interpret this passage, we need to look again to Daniel 7:24.
Dan 7:24 The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.
Let's talk just briefly about this section of scripture. As we see in Daniel 7:24, this "horn" is a king that will supplant three other kings. This horn, which we have identified as the Antichrist, shall overthrow 3 of the 10 kings and shall end up ruling the others as they will give power to him.
In verse 8, the text says that his mouth speaks "pompous words", but the Living Bible perhaps states it better: he will have a "bragging mouth". Everything that happens on earth he will take credit for. He will, as we will see in the future in this study, say that he is God.
Further, let's look at the next verse to see more revealed about Antichrist:
Dan 7:25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. NKJV
Again, here we have Scripture interpret Scripture. This "bragging mouth" is a king that will arise in a ten kingdom confederation in the area around the Mediterranean Sea as we will see. What will he brag about? He will speak against the "Most High".
The term "the Most High" reflects back to the statement that Nebuchadnezzar made in Daniel 4:
Dan 4:34-35
34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him,"What have You done?" NKJV
Here in this passage, Nebuchadnezzar "gets it". He understands. He comes to faith. Now look at the great doctrine--teaching--that is shown here. He is the
"Most High"--above all in power, authority and sovereignty. He rules forever; we are just specks on the wall compared to Him. He does what he wants, and is answerable to NO ONE. On the contrary, unsaved human nature follows Satanic nature: we want to think that we are "all that", that we are the "captain of our own destiny". Antichrist here dismisses God--the Most High--many will follow.
Antichrist will speak words against the Most High. The term antichristos in Koine Greek, the New Testament language, means "against Christ" or "in place of Christ". Actually, Antichrist will be both: He will be against Christ, and will promote himself as a replacement for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
How will Antichrist do this? Rather than to get into the whole scope of the what Antichrist will do, let's just look what this verse teaches us--which merely scratches the surface.
He "Shall persecute the saints of the Most High": The term "saints" is the word
qaddiysh (kad-deesh') and is a term from the Aramaic language (similar to Hebrew). It means to be separate. The New Testament Koine Greek word would be hagios. In short, it means saved people; people that have been sorted out of the mass of humanity. People that are saved are called to be different; we are the "set apart people of the Most High".
Why will people that are saved, and those that are Jews, be persecuted during the Tribulation? Because Satan hates you, the Christian. He hates God, he hates Christ, and he hates us. Why?
Think about this for a moment. Satan and all of his fallen angels were perfect and sinless, and willingly rebelled against God. The had it made, but thought they could do a better job that God could. They were condemned forever, formerly perfect beings. Now, with God's people, Jesus saved us--"while we were still sinners" (Rom 5:8b). God took a fallen, imperfect people--us--and made us perfect and sinless in His sight. He makes us sin less as time goes on. And one day He will make us sinless when we go to be with Him in Heaven.
We are part of the body of Christ, as Paul tells us in various passages in the New Testament. Not only does Satan--and, likewise, Antichrist--hate us, but when he persecutes us, he persecutes HIM.
Not only that, but Antichrist "And shall intend to change times and law." Now give this some thought. We are creatures of habit, all the people of the world. Many of us, in this country anyway, are practically lost without a watch. Most of us are paid according to the hours we work, the number of days we work and by the number of years we have worked. Antichrist will try to change all of that.
And he will also change the laws. As we will discover more in-depth next week, Antichrist is "the lawless one" (2 Thessalonians 2:8,9). Antichrist will hate law because, if you really ponder the issue, not just the Law (capital L) is from God but all laws (that is good ones, not oppressive ones) are from God.
Antichrist will do all things to promote Himself and blaspheme God.
A few years ago, I had a well known preacher from our area preach revival at our church for three days. The first night? Great. The second night? Spectacular. The third and final night? We don't want to go there...but well, we will.
I remember vividly this man preaching about the wrath of God to come in the Tribulation period when he made a bold--and wildly untrue--statement: "Once the Rapture happens, no one will be saved from that point onward!" Well, to say I kind of freaked out would be an understatement. After the service, I told him I sure did not agree with what he said, and asked him for Scriptural support for that position. He got a tad short with me and said "Well, that's what the Bible says about it". Sorry, but that is not good enough. It is never good enough to say "that's what the Bible says" when pressed about a certain position we take. We are to be ready in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2) and always be ready to defend your position (1 Peter 3:15).
All of this being said, yes, people will get saved. Otherwise, how would there be "tribulation saints", and how would it be that Antichrist would war against the saints (Rev 13:7)? Also, what about the those "souls" that will be beheaded for their faithfulness to Jesus (Rev 20:4)?
However, we must be careful--very, very careful--not to fall into a false sense of security regarding the salvation of men and women during the tribulation period. Some people, believe it or not, have that position; their line of thought is that if they don't get saved now they would get saved later, especially when they see how bad things will get.
But give this some careful thought: Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. In other words, Antichrist will persecute those that are alive during the tribulation period. We will discuss more in depth what this period is and when this period "a time and times and half a time"is, but I will tell you this much today: It is a three and a half year period (Time=1 year, Times=2 years, Half a Time ½ a year, TOTAL 3 ½ years) when all of the wrath of Satan will be unleashed upon the saved of that day. People will be tortured for their faith, and those doing the torturing will enjoy their job. The saints of that day will be beheaded for their faith. In addition, they will witness the wrath of God upon the unsaved of the world. It will be the worst time in human history.
The time to share Christ with people is NOW. God's Word tells us DO NOT WAIT: Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Cor 6:2b NKJV). Likewise, if you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, do not wait. Today is the day.--JH
