The book of Daniel, particularly chapters 8, 9, 11, and 12, is examined to reveal prophecies concerning Gentile world empires and the rise of an antichrist figure. The sermon traces the historical fulfillment of prophecies through figures like Antiochus Epiphanes, who serves as a type for the future world leader who will desecrate the temple and demand worship. This end-time leader, empowered by Satan, will reject the God of Abraham and the messianic hope, ultimately leading to a final conflict and the resurrection of the dead. The message concludes by highlighting the promise of believers shining like stars for eternity as a reward for leading others to righteousness.
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the invitation for me to be here and for the Chosen People Ministry, American Board of Missions to the Jews to be represented. I appreciate so much Mr. Erickson coming down to Gainesville to get me and time of fellowship we had together. I know it was a very, very busy day for him and this weekend has been a very busy one and it was delight to be with him and meet him and was delight to get to know Mr. Forrest and his wife and we thank the Lord for bringing him here.
Interesting to see how God works. He was working at a plant that was in the greater Chicago area and over the years we've heard about it closing but didn't have any idea about that it was affecting a plan of God that would bring our dear brother here to be the head of this conference ground. We thank the Lord for that. We've enjoyed sharing times of fellowship around the table with those of you and appreciate the Zimmermans who so kindly lent me their car. It's great to be a member of the family of God.
You know, I've oftentimes thought if unbelievers only realize the love of true brothers and sisters in Christ for one another, they would want to be a child of God, just to be a member of his family. Enjoyed a time of fellowship with the Gilbert, and we thank you so much for the opportunity to be here and to represent this work. There is still some literature on that back table, and as I go, I hope that if you do not yet receive the Chosen People magazine, you'll just feel free to stop by and sign your name up.
Nothing would make us happier than for everyone here who doesn't receive that Chosen People magazine to get it. Absolutely free. All it takes is a few moments. to stop by and sign your name. And if you'll do that, we'll see that you get it. There are a few tracks of books and some tapes. If you're interested, you look at those. We appreciate your prayers. You know, it's a great little opportunity for me to get away from responsibilities at home. Last week was a busy, busy week. Not only taught my regular schedule, but there was a doctor of ministry seminar so I started teaching at eight thirty in the morning and ended about five thirty this is teaching right across all of the meals when there were to be meals I would make up classes so it was really nice to get on the plane and to know that for four hours no one could reach me on the phone and we head back tomorrow at seven fourteen arriving at eleven fourteen your time and looking forward
to seeing my family when I talked with my wife I told her the kids are okay some of you don't know tomorrow is is the day that Martin Luther King's birthday is celebrated so the kids aren't in school so I said bring them down and we'll go out to lunch so they'll be glad to see daddy come home so you pray for us by Three o'clock your time, I'll be teaching. It's amazing what we can do with airplanes. I can remember leaving Nautitanu International Airport in Tokyo and arriving home two hours before I left. You've heard about meeting yourself coming and going.
There you really, if you had a bad day, you don't look forward to going through it twice. but we shall pray for you. It's great to get to know many of you. We'll look forward to seeing you again someday, not here in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know we've been these messages talking about the book of Daniel, unable to preach on every verse, but try to give you some idea of the prophetic argument of the book of Daniel. And as we come to this last sermon, let me just take a couple of minutes to try to put everything together.
try to review for you some things that hopefully you know, or if I say them enough, you'll come to know. Here, someone here or there in the back say, oh, that's so new. I didn't get everything. Don't feel badly. I didn't remember all of this the first time I read it, either. But as we study over and over again, God's Word, We learn more and more. And so one of the reasons we take a minute or two at the beginning of the sermon is to remind you of the most important things. Remember, we saw that Daniel chapter two and chapter seven, our companion chapters, they lay out for us the course of Gentile rule over a period of time which the Bible calls the time of the Gentiles.
We saw that there are going to be four world empires. between the time of Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century BC all the way to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's going to be Babylon followed by Medo-Persia, followed by Greece, followed by Rome. And we saw as early as the second chapter of Daniel that this fourth kingdom, Rome, a phase that presently is past, that is historical, though it was prophetic at the time Daniel wrote his book, and a phase that is yet eschatological, that this fourth kingdom will be revived and present at the time of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And we saw that these kingdoms are externally magnificent. They are able to build great palaces. They are able to build great monuments. After we had that terrific noon meal, I went back to my room and watched the Redskins Vikings game, and they showed some pictures of the Capitol and the Washington Monument, just gorgeous in the sort of hazy atmosphere that covered Washington today. If you've ever been to Ottawa, a magnificent city, planned out beautifully.
You know, we have some Canadian friends here this evening, and what a magnificent capital you have. And as you go to other places throughout the world, when you go and visit the Hague and Versailles, as we said, magnificent, building governments externally magnificent. But that often hides the complete fact that they are devoid of spiritual and moral values. And that's symbolized in chapter seven, as these nations are not pictured under metals, but they're pictured under beasts, ravenous beasts of the field.
And we saw that from this fourth kingdom in its eschatological phase, one of the great actors in the final phase of history before Jesus Christ returned is introduced to us. This little horn, this world political leader, he will arise and come to power and he will seek to subject the whole world to his authority and to his rule. And you will remember that we said the relationship between Chapter Eight and Chapter Two and Chapter Seven is that Chapter Eight focuses in on the Second and the Third Kingdom.
In Chapter Eight, we learn more about Medo-Persia and more about Greece. And in the eighth chapter of the book of Daniel, we learn about one whose name is Antiochus Epiphany. Greek, that means Antiochus the Great. The Jews hated him, as we're going to see why this evening. The Jews hated him, and they made a joke on his name. They punned on his name. They called him Antiochus Epimony, where it sounds very much like epiphanies, doesn't it? But it means something quite different. It means the madman.
They called him Antiochus the madman. And we learned that he is a type of an end-time world religious leader. Both of them will desecrate the temple in Jerusalem. Antiochus did it by... slaying a sow on the altar in Jerusalem. And this one in the end of the tribulation period will desecrate that temple as we saw this morning and in Daniel chapter eight by placing an idol in the holy place on a wing of the temple and demanding that the whole world worship Satan as God.
Morning we talked about the great ninth chapter of the book of Daniel, where Daniel received this great prophecy about the removal of unrighteousness from God's people. And we learned in verse twenty-seven something more about this world political leader. He will begin the tribulation period by making a covenant, a compact, with leaders in the nation of Israel guaranteeing their political and their religious autonomy. I believe that the Bible teaches a pre-tribulational rapture, and sometimes people ask me, what would make me think that my views about the rapture were wrong?
Well, what would make me think that I was wrong would be if a world political leader made a covenant with the nation of Israel for seven years. Then I would know we were in the tribulation period, and if God hadn't taken the church away, then I would think I was wrong about the time of the rapture. We saw that this world political leader is going to break his covenant in the middle of the week. Now we come tonight to chapter eleven and twelve, and if you have your Bible, turn there, because interestingly enough, chapter eleven and twelve are related to chapter eight.
Remember chapter eight gave information about the second and the third of those four kingdoms. They told us about Antiochus, Epiphanes, and this end time. religious leader. When you come to Daniel chapter eleven, again we are told about this second and this third kingdom. Now, if we had time, we would begin, beloved, with verse one and talk about each of these verses, but we do not. We're going to begin with verse twenty-one, but let me say that one of the strongest reasons that unbelievers do not accept Daniel as authentic as having been penned by a Daniel in the sixth century BC is to be found in verses one through verse twenty.
You have a fine library over there. I was privileged to go through your library in the activities hall there, and I would encourage you, if you have time, or if you have a good study Bible, to read the notes on verses one to twenty. You will find there a prophetic statement by Daniel about the end of the rule of the second kingdom, Medo-Persia, the rise of Alexander the Great and the division of his kingdom, as we said, among his four generals.
Remember in Daniel chapter eight we found out that at the height of his power Alexander the Great died. He had no heir and so this worldwide empire that he had amassed was divided among his four generals, Lycamacus, Cassander, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. And as I said on Friday night, the two most important generals, none of them had the power that Alexander had, the two most important generals were Seleucus and Ptolemy. The Seleucids settled in Syria to the north of the land of Palestine, and the Ptolemy settled in Egypt to the south of the land of Palestine.
And for better than a hundred years, they fought with one another. And as you can imagine, each country on the way to do battle with its adversary, went through the land of Palestine. So for these years, the land of Palestine was constantly trampled underfoot by the armies either of the Seleucids or the Ptolemies. And you read verses one through twenty with a good commentary, and it will amaze you the detail in which the Spirit of God predicts what will happen.
And again, as I said this morning, if this were not the living word of the living God, there would be no explanation for how such detailed knowledge could be known beforehand. When we come to verse twenty-one through verse thirty-five, we again are introduced to Antiochus Epiphany. And remember, again, that What we read here in these verses takes place a good four hundred years before the event actually took place.
And here is what the Spirit of God says through the prophet Daniel. And in his place, that is, in the place of this king spoken of in verse twenty, a despicable person will arise on whom the honor of kingship has not been confirmed, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. We know that Antiochus Epiphanes did not have a hereditary right to the Seleucid dynasty. He was an imposter, and through intrigue and rebellion, he gained power in Syria.
And verse twenty-two, and the overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered. and also the Prince of the Covenant, and after an alliance is made with him, he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. In a time of tranquility, he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors, he will distribute, plunder, booty, and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against the strongholds, but only for a time.
Now, those verses tell about Antiochus securing and firming the power that he has in the north. Through intrigue, through deception, through a small but very committed force of fighters, Antiochus Epiphanes is able to solidify his power in Syria in the north. Now look, if you will, at verse twenty-five.
and he will stir up his strength and courage against the King of the South with a large army. So the King of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war, but he will not stand for. Scheme will be devised against him. That's the King of the South. And those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow but many will fall down slain. As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil. Sounds an awful lot like modern diplomacy, and they will speak lies to each other at the same time, but it will not succeed for the end is still to come at an appointed time.
What happens is that Antiochus Epiphanes Having solidified his control on Syria in the north, determines that he will turn his attention to Egypt in the south. You have to wonder why Egypt and Syria don't get along real well today. They have a long history of distrust, beloved. And Antiochus, wise man that he is, sets a plot with those who are the king's butler, those who feed the king his food, and he plots with them to poison the king.
And he will return, verse twenty-eight, with much plunder, but his heart will be set against the Holy Covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land. Antiochus, not happy with success, in Egypt also turns his soldiers loose in the land of Palestine. You know, God sets limits, as we said earlier, verse twenty-nine. At the appointed time he will return and come into the south. Antiochus isn't happy with the success he has in his first invasion into Egypt.
And he will come into the south, but this last time It will not turn out the way it did before. For ships of Ketim will come against him. Therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the Holy Covenant and take action. So he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the covenant. What happened is this. On the second invasion, of Antiochus Epiphanes into the land of Palestine, ships of Khitam. It's another name for the Romans. The Romans were there and they met him and they told him to make a promise that he would not invade the land of Egypt.
And they told him that they would not leave until they had his word. After twenty-four hours Antiochus Epiphanes gave them his word. He left and he was upset that he made that agreement. And he returned to the land of Palestine and he became enraged at the Holy Covenant and took action. From history we know what happened. An erroneous report reached the city of Jerusalem that Antiochus Epiphanes had been killed in battle in Egypt and they were singing and dancing in the streets of Jerusalem when who should show up at the gate.
You guessed it. Dear old Antiochus with his army, now he didn't take too well to the fact that they were celebrating over his demise. And so he turned his hatred against those who show regard for the covenant. Again, we have in verse thirty-one, prophetically given to us the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes. And forces from him will arise and desecrate the sanctuary fortress and do away with the regular sacrifice, and they will set up the abomination of desolation.
And by smooth words, he will turn to godlessness, those who act wickedly toward the covenant. But look at this beautiful word. But the people who know their God will display strength and take action. You see, there are always some people who for a little gain are willing to sacrifice principles. And he found that there were those who would side with him in the desecration of the temple. But there were those, namely the Maccabees, as we mentioned, who stood by God and they fought a guerrilla warfare three years later, gaining control of the Temple Mount and rededicating it.
Verse thirty-three, and those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many. yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. Now when they sleep they will be granted a little help, and many will join them in hypocrisy. And some of those who have insight will fall in order to refine, purge, and make them pure until the end time, because it is still to come at the appointed time. So that though Antiochus Epiphanes is able to gain support from some who are hypocrites, the appointed time God gives victory to the Maccabees.
Now in verse thirty-six through verse forty-five, again we have given to us a prophecy about this end time religious leader. You see Antiochus Epiphanes and His desecration of the temple is a type of this end-time religious leader who will desecrate the temple of God. Then the king will do as he pleases. This is this end-time religious leader, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every God, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of God's and he will prosper until the indignation is finished for that which is decreed will be done.
You see, this individual is an egomaniac and he will magnify himself above every God and will speak monstrous things against the God of God. How will he do that? Look at verse thirty-seven, beloved. we read that he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers is what my version says but the word there is the Hebrew word Elohim and it may mean God's idols or it may mean the true and the living God and in the margin of my version it says capital G O D and I think that's the correct interpretation of this text this verse says that this end time religious leader empowered by Satan will show no regard for the God of his father.
I think, remember I said yesterday or Friday, that this end-time political leader is a Gentile, his headquarters are in Rome, this end-time religious leader is a Jew, and his headquarters are in Jerusalem. Why? because he will have no regard for the God of his Father, that is, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, nor for the desire of women. What does that mean? Well, I think that is an Old Testament phrase to speak of the messianic hope of Israel.
It was the desire of every godly young Jewish woman that the Messiah would be born through her. And so the Messiah was called the desire of women. And what this text is saying is that this end-time religious leader is going to be an apostate Jew. He will reject the God of Abraham. the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, and he will reject the messianic hope of his people, but he will show regard for other gods, and he will magnify himself above them all.
but instead he will honor a God of fortresses, a God whom his fathers did not know. He will honor with gold, silver, costly stones, and treasures, and he will take action against the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign God. He will give great honor to those who acknowledge him, and he will cause them to rule over many and will parcel out land for a price. If you want to hear the New Testament commentary on that. Turn, if you will, to Second Thessalonians chapter two. And you see the perfect harmony between these two portions of Scripture written nearly six hundred years apart.
Second Thessalonians chapter two. Look at verse three. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come, that is, the day of the Lord, until the apostasy comes first. And the man of lawlessness is revealed. Who is this man of lawlessness? This is this world, end-time world religious leader. It's called the man of lawlessness. Remember this morning, beloved? In the middle of the week, remember in the middle of that last seven, what happened? That's right.
He broke the covenant and put an end to sacrifice and grain offering. Why? Because there is the revelation of this world religious leader. And rather than allow religious autonomy, what's going to happen during this last three and a half years of the tribulation period, there is going to be an attempt to coerce the whole world to worship Satan as God. Look at what's going to happen. There will be the revelation of this man of lawlessness, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God or object of worship.
so that he takes his seat in the temple of God displaying himself as being God." The final form of apostate religion, beloved, is going to be the worship of Satan as God. Think of it, beloved, in the very sanctuary that was dedicated to the worship of the true and the living God, an idol is going to be placed, this religious leader is going to sit in that sanctuary, and the entire world is going to be forced to worship Satan as God.
Beloved, I think one of the clearest signs that we are near the return of our Lord Jesus Christ for us is the alarming and enormous rise of Satanism today. Beloved, you would absolutely be astonished at the widespread influence of Satan, not in the backlands of Africa, not in the aboriginally, in the Aboriginal tribes of Australia, or among the primitive people of Papua New Guinea.
I'm talking about the United States of America. Do you realize that in many, many of the recent cases of serial murders, they have been done by people who claim that they were under the influence of Satan and that parts of human anatomy have been cut out and offered on the altars to Satan. You read about some of the cases of child abuse recently, related to Satanism in this country.
You see, dear brothers and sisters, in all too many cases, we are ignorant of what's going on. It bothers police to report that these things are done in ritualistic worship of Satan. I just finished teaching. I mentioned this course. to doctoral students. We talked about the New Age movement. In the sixties, you'll remember how the flower children came in and many of them turned to Eastern mysticism and Western occultism. And in the seventies that went underground and now it has surfaced as the New Age movement.
The spokesman of which are stars like Linda Evans, Joyce DeWitt, and Shirley MacLean. Do you realize that last year Shirley MacLean went on a tour promoting reincarnation? and her brand of Spiritism and Eastern mysticism and demonism, and you know how much she made? Three point eight million dollars. Article in the LA Times, Los Angeles, one of the centers of this new occultism.
The chic thing is channeling. Have you heard anything about that? Where people give their bodies over to individuals who supposedly are wise men, wise women, and who come and speak in seances. You want to read something about this? You ought to read December seventeenth, nineteen eighty-seven Time Magazine. Ten years ago, two mediums in Los Angeles. Today, two thousand five hundred mediums. Where is this all headed, beloved?
to the worship of Satan as God. From the time of Ezekiel twenty-eight and Isaiah fourteen, Satan has desired to take away the glory that belongs to the living God and to take it to himself. And God is going to let a generation of men and women be so deluded that they will sell their soul to Satan himself. They will take the mark of the beast so that they can trade and so that they will be able to carry on social and economic commerce.
Verses forty through forty-five, we'll just have to pass by. But there I think you have the battle plan for Armageddon, how it's going to get started. An invasion from the north in Syria, from the south in Egypt, something that we've seen a dress rehearsal for in our time. But look at verse one of chapter twelve. You know, in contrast with those who follow Satan, who follow this one, who is the anti-type of Antiochus Epiphanes. We read about those who know they're gone and are obedient unto them.
Here is what Daniel says. Now at that time, Michael the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise. There will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time. And at that time, your people, everyone who is found written in the book will be rescued." Those are the exact words that our Lord used in Matthew chapter twenty-four and verse twenty-one. And look at verse two. Mark this verse well, beloved. This is the clearest verse in the Old Testament of the resurrection of the dead.
Shall I say that again? Verse two of chapter twelve is the clearest verse in the Old Testament that teaches the resurrection. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake. That's the resurrection. Some to everlasting life but others to disgrace an everlasting contempt. Let me tell you something. Do you see that comma after everlasting life? At that comma is one thousand years. Did you know that? As premillennialists, we believe in two resurrections, the first of the righteous at the beginning of the millennial age, and the second resurrection of the wicked at the end of the millennial age.
And I love verse three. Look at this. And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever see in contrast with those who follow satan and his two cohorts there will be those who have insight and they will turn many to righteousness Don't you love this promise? And they will shine like the stars forever and ever.
I don't know whether they have this down in northern Florida but up in Chicago around Christmas time. They offered a gift where if you had a friend who had everything for a specified amount of money you could write in and you could name a star for them. And they would send you a little certificate suitable for framing. And some star out in the galaxy would be named for someone whom you love. Let me tell you something, beloved. Isn't this far better? Talk about superstars. superstar.
This text says, and those who lead many to righteousness shall shine brightly like the stars forever and ever. What a prospect. Dr. Talbot, Dr. Lewis Talbot, whom I know many of you know through writing, pastor before Dr. McGee of the Church of the Open Door and Chancellor and President of Biola College used to be thrilled by this, used to encourage people to go out and to be at work in God's vineyard, leading many people to faith in Jesus Christ.
What a reward to look forward to, to shine as the stars forever and ever. What a great God we have. You know what my prayer is? that there will be many of you in the hearing of my voice that will be used of the living God to turn many in this day of incredible darkness to the Son of His love and that you may shine like the stars forever and ever. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, it has been good to be together with brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thank you for the bond that draws us together. Heavenly Father, we realize that the days are getting increasingly wicked. We would not close our eyes to the sinfulness of our day. We know that Satan is at work. He is blinding the eyes of the unbelievers. He is seeking to take the good seed so that those that hear will not believe. But Heavenly Father, we thank you that though Satan and the demon hosts of the world are strong, They are not omnipotent, nor are they sovereign, nor are they in control of the course of history, that you on the cross have defeated them, routed them, and someday They will be cast into the lake of fire.
We pray that you will embolden us to speak your word. Thank you for the promise that you will build your church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We think tonight of brothers and sisters in Christ in difficult places throughout the world, places where they do not have the freedom that we have, China and Russia, in Iron Curtain countries, in countries where freedom is not practiced like we have. O our God, build your church, for it's in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray.