Episode 35 – The Rise, Success, and Fate of the Antichrist

Episode 35 depicts a great vision of Daniel and Gabriel’s revelation of its meaning. The major focus of this episode is the time of the end–the rise, success, and destruction of the antichrist.

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Transcript
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24. Daniel Chapter 8–The Time of the End

The Rise, Success, and Fate of the Antichrist (Ep. 35)

 

         Begin the study of prophecy with Daniel Chapter 2. In the study of prophecy, Daniel Chapter 2, which describes Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great image, is an excellent place to begin. It depicts the entire sweep of the history of the Western world, without any gaps, from the time of the Babylonian empire through to today’s world. It identifies the kingdoms that succeeded Babylon as Persia, Greece, Rome, and Rome divided into its constituent provinces which evolved into the modern states of Europe. It ends with the kingdom of God, which destroys the imperial and secular kingdoms of men and rules forever.

         Daniel Chapter 7. Daniel Chapter 7 pictures the same succession of kingdoms: Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Rome divided, and the kingdom of God. The first four empires are pictured as a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a “terrible and dreadful” beast, with great iron teeth. Rome divided is represented by ten horns on the beast’s head. Daniel Chapter 7 provides us with more information regarding the end of the unjust and corrupt kingdoms of men by introducing us to their final ruler, the secular antichrist and his fate.

         Melchizedek. Daniel Chapter 7 also introduces us to the superhuman conqueror of the antichrist, the divine being who is sent from heaven to defeat the forces of evil, and then rule the nations in Jesus’ name forever. This divine son is Melchizedek, who in earlier times functioned as Abraham’s High Priest and God’s “messenger of the covenant.” (Mal 3:1) He is the material, conquering Messiah of Jewish prophecy who brings to earth the outer political rule of God, in contrast to Jesus who is the spiritual, suffering Messiah who taught the rule of the Father’s spirit in our hearts. Jesus established the inner spiritual kingdom of God. Melchizedek will institute the outer political kingdom of God.

         Daniel’s vision in chapter 8. Daniel’s vision in chapter 8 occurs in the third year of the co-reign of King Belshaz’zar, which would be which would be 551 BC, just 12 years before the fall of Babylon to the combined forces of Media and Persia under Cyrus the Great. This vision focuses on two of the four great empires pictured in Daniel Chapters 2 and 7, Persia and Greece. After symbolizing the coming of the Persian and Grecian empires the vision depicts the break up of the Grecian empire at the death of Alexander the Great into four separate kingdoms. Unlike Daniel Chapters 2 and 7 the vision then skips Rome and its eventual evolution into separate nation-states, and moves forward to modern times and “the time of the end.” (Dan 8:17)

         The initial phase of the vision. The vision begins with Daniel seeing a ram with two horns, in which the larger horn came up last, charging ⁴“westward and northward and southward,” and ⁴“no beast could stand before him.” (Dan 8:3,4) Gabriel interprets the vision for Daniel and reveals that, ²⁰“the ram which you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.” (Dan 8:20) In 553 BC Cyrus the Great, king of the small Median province of Persia, overthrew his Median overlords, and innated the Medo-Persian empire. He conquered Babylon to the west, Lydia to the north, and Egypt to the south.  Next, Daniel sees, ⁵“a he-goat [that] came from the west …[and] ” had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.” (Dan 8:5) Gabriel reveals that ²¹“the he-goat is the king of Greece; and the great horn between his eyes is the first king.” (Dan 8:21) Next Daniel sees the he-goat ⁶“[run] at the [ram] in his mighty wrath” and ⁷“cast him down to the ground and [trample] upon him.” (Dan 8:6,7) This symbolizes the conquest of the Persian empire by Greece under Alexander the Great. Daniel then continues his description of the vision, ⁸“but when he [Alexander] was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.” (Dan 8:8) Gabriel interprets this verse as follows, ²²“As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. (Dan 8:22) Alexander died of a raging fever in 323 BC and his empire was divided into four kingdoms by four of his generals. These four kingdoms that were represented by the ⁸“four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven” (Dan 8:8) were Macedonia-Greece to the west, Asia Minor (modern Turkey) to the north, Syria to the east, and Egypt to the south.

         The vision for the time of the end. When Daniel first seeks to understand the vision, Gabriel cautions him, ¹⁷“Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.” (Dan 8:17) This focus on the time of the end begins with Daniel 8:9. Here the vision moves directly from the time of the breaking of the great horn into four lesser horns to “the time of the end.” Daniel states:

         ⁹Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. ¹⁰It grew great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. ¹¹It magnified itself, even up to the Prince of the host; and the continual burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. ¹²And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through transgression; and truth was cast down to the ground, and the horn acted and prospered. (Dan 8:9-12)    

         The coming of the antichrist and his success. This latter part of the vision tells us that out of one of the ⁸“four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven” (Dan 8:8) there came forth a little horn. This little horn symbolizes the one whom the New Testament identifies as the antichrist. He acted and prospered. The antichrist grew ⁹“exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.” (Dan 8:9) He cast down truth, overcame the hosts, and even cast down some of the host of heaven; He overthrew the sanctuary in Jerusalem and took away the continual burnt offering. He even magnified himself up to the Prince of hosts (Jesus). (Dan 8:11)

         Gabriel’s interpretation.  Gabriel interprets the meaning of the preceding verses as follows:

         ²²As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. ²³And at the latter end of their rule, when the transgressors have reached their full measure, a king of bold countenance, one who understands riddles, shall arise. ²⁴His power shall be great, and he shall cause fearful destruction, and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people of the saints. ²⁵By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall magnify himself. Without warning he shall destroy many; and he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes; but, by no human hand, he shall be broken. (Dan 8:22-25; my bold)

         The antichrist. In Daniel 8:23 Gabriel’s interpretation moves forward from the time of the four Greek kingdoms to the present day. Gabriel reveals that ²³“at the latter end” of the four kingdoms, “when the transgressors have reached their full measure” (Dan 8:23) the antichrist will appear. He will be bold, understand riddles, and gain great power. He will succeed in what he does, cause great destruction, destroy mighty men and the people of the saints. He will be cunning, work in deceitful ways, and destroy many. He will magnify himself and even rise up against Jesus, “the Prince of princes.” ²⁵But “by no human hand, he shall be broken.” (Dan 8:25)

         Summary. In summary, this vision tells the same basic story as Daniel Chapters 2 and 7. After a time of great trouble and tribulation there will come an end to the secular, evil, and corrupt rule of men over the nations of the earth. This will occur when the world has filled its cup of evil, ²³“when the transgressors have reached their full measure.” (Dan 8:23) Then will arise a most evil ruler, a powerful secular dictator who will ²⁴“succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people of the saints.” (Dan 8:24) But as in Daniel Chapters 2 and 7 this antichrist will be broken ²⁵“by no human hand.” (Dan 8:25) Melchizedek and his angelic forces will cone down from heaven, destroy the antichrist, and then rule the nations forever as the vice-regent of Jesus, the “Prince of princes.” The vision affirms the same great good news we find in Daniel Chapters 2 and 7; the imperial, unjust, and nefarious kingdoms of men will be replaced by the everlasting rule of righteousness, the kingdom of God.

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