END-TIME STUDY--Pt.15

Let me start by saying I am truly sorry for not updating this blog site but we have had extensive computer problems, and we're just now getting back online and are just now reprogramming our computer. Hopefully we will not have any other interruptions in our study in the near future.

Now to continue our Bible study. Two years after Daniel received his vision of chapter 7 he receives another vision found in Chapter 8. He is now some 67 years of age when he receives this vision of a ram and a goat. Daniel here is receiving more detail and confirmation of the things that he received in his vision recorded in chapter 7 of his writings. In his vision he finds himself at Shushan in the Palace. Shushan was in Persia some 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf (modern day Iran). Shushan or Susa is set in between two rivers, the Shapur and the Ulai. Both of these rivers join the Euphrates River just below the confluence with the Tigris River which then flows into the Persian Gulf.

In his vision Daniel sees a ram with two high horns standing by the river. One of its horns was higher than the other meaning that one was more predominant than the other. This ram represents a kingdom that we have already seen, the Medo-Persian Empire. Like the lopsided bear with three ribs in its mouth of chapter 7, this ram with the lopsided horns represents the silver chest and arms of Nebuchadnezzar's statue. This empire was mighty and conquered all the lands about them. They prevailed until a greater empire emerged, the goat of verse five.

The goat was the the national symbol of the Grecian (Macedonian) people. They were known as the goat people for some 200 years. This goat appears to not touch the ground, as though it were flying much like the leopard of chapter 7 with four wings. Both of these animals represented the bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar's statue, the Grecian Empire. This goat had a notable horn between his eyes meaning one great leader, which was Alexander the Great. Alexander's conquest of the Medo- Persian Empire introduced the known world to the Greek language which would be the predominant language for centuries.

Verse eight tells us that the great horn was broken and four notable horns arose in its place. At age thirty-three Alexander the Great died of a great fever while at the zenith of his empire and pride. His brother Philip Aridaeous and his two sons, Alexander Aegus and Hercules, ruled the Macedonian Empire until they were murdered fifteen years later. Thus the great horn, the Macedonian empire, was broken and cut-off.

Out of the Macedonian empire came four notable ones, or to say, four kingdoms. One to the west, one to the north, one to the east and one to the south, the open "four winds of heaven." The Western Kingdom ruled by Cassandra. The Northern Kingdom was ruled by Lysimachus and known as the Macedonian Kingdom. The Eastern Kingdom was the old Persian Kingdom, Syria and Babylon ruled by Selucus. The Southern Kingdom, Egypt, was ruled by Ptolemy. What Daniel just saw was the next 200 years of mankind.

Daniel's vision now fast forwards in verse nine to the end of the age. Here in this verse we see the "little horn," that was revealed to us in Daniel 7:8, which is none other than the Antichrist rising up from the area of the old Roman empire. This "little horn" will come from one of the four kingdoms or great horns as recorded in verse eight. We are told here that this "little horn" grew southward, eastward and towards Israel the "glorious land." Although the Scriptures do not indicate that this "little horn" or Antichrist would be born in the North or West, it is from here that he began his reign as a world leader. This would include all of Europe.

Just what will be the thing that will cause such countries as Egypt, Libya, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Germany, Russia, France, as well as other European countries, to unite? Religion! Namely the Muslim religion. A religion that has a great hatred for Israel. A people who desire to control the oil rich middle east.

I will elaborate more on the Muslim religion later in this study when we look at the world religion of the tribulation period. Suffice i tto say the Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion in the world and as they grow their influence on world peace and politics is growing as well. With their disregard for life, the world leaders fear them, thus they give in to their demands. Who better to spearhead an all-out push to rid the world of Jews and Christians alike than a people sworn to eradicate these infidels from the earth. The rise of the Muslim faith is a sure sign that the end time events are unfolding before our eyes. Don't be surprised if the Antichrist is a Jew who converted to Islam. His appearing is very, very near.

Because so many do not fully understand the description of the Antichrist found in Scripture they tend to erroneously label certain people as the Antichrist. People like Nero Caesar, whose numerical name was calculated 666, and because he would not allow anyone to buy or sale without first pledging allegiance to Rome, many thought him to be the Antichrist. Then in 202 A.D. Hippalytus Romanus believed the Antichrist would come from the Jewish tribe of Daniel. This led to the Crusades to kill Jews, thus eliminating the seed of the Antichrist.

In 1099 A.D. Muslims and Jews killed one another in Jerusalem believing that the Antichrist would arise from Jerusalem. In the 1600s the belief in the Antichrist caused Christians to break away from the Catholic Church claiming that the Pope was the Antichrist. Also in the 1600s the Puritans, who came to the New World to evangelize the Indians, soon found themselves starving and began to raid the Indians food supply. When the Indians began to fight back savagely the Puritans thought them to be demon possessed, and thus agents of the Antichrist. This caused the Puritans to determine that the Indians had to be eliminated.

During the Revolutionary War the American clergy thought that King George III was the Antichrist, thus Americans must fight for their freedom from England and the rule of the Antichrist. In the early 1900s many believed Mussolini was the Antichrist. Then Hitler was thought to be the Antichrist because of his smooth use of words to persuade the masses to follow him in annihilating the Jews.

In the 1980s some pointed to Ronald Reagan as the Antichrist because each of his names had six letters in them, 666. All through the ages many have been declared the Antichrist, including Barack Obama. Were any of these correct? No! We must understand all the Scriptures pertaining to the Antichrist so that we, as believers, may be able to factually identify him so that we may warn others.

We, as believers, should welcome the appearing of the Antichrist because that will signal that the return of Jesus is near. (Luke 21:28)