Daniel Lesson #10

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Daniel

September 21, 2015

Daniel Lesson #1

January 5, 2010

Daniel Lesson #2

January 5, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
DANIEL 8
LESSON #10
GLIMPSES OF THE ANTI-CHRIST

• MEMORY VERSE: 1 JOHN 5:4

• ORIENTATION:
• THIS SECTION IS AGAIN WRITTEN IN THE HEBREW FROM HERE FORWARD,
• THEREFORE, IT IS LIKE A ZOOM LENS FOCUSING ON ISRAEL IN THE SCHEME OF THE RISING GENTILE KINGDOMS.
• CHAPTER 8 OF DANIEL OCCURS 2 YEARS AFTER DANIEL 7 IN THE YEAR. (8:1)
• AT THE TIME WHEN THIS PROPHECY WAS GIVEN, THE FIRST KINGDOM (THE HEAD OF GOLD) WAS COMING TO ITS END AS BELSHAZZAR WAS THE LAST RULER OF THE BABYLONIAN KINGDOM.

• READ DAN 8:1-8 VERSE BY VERSE INTERPRETATION:
• THE RIVER, ULAI, IS THE KERKAH RIVER.

• RAM = MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE 538-330 BC

• THE RAM WITH 2 HORNS (3) = THERE ARE TWO ETHNIC POPULATIONS MAKING UP THIS KINGDOM.
• HORNS WERE HIGH = GREAT POWER
• ONE HORN HIGHER THAN THE OTHER = MEDES DOMINATED THE PERSIANS AT FIRST, FOR THEY WERE THE FIERCE FIGHTERS. THE PERSIANS WERE THE INTELLECTUALS WHO CAME TO PROMINANCE LATER WHEN THE KINGDOM NEEDED ORGANIZATION.
• HIGHER HORN CAME UP LAST = THE MEDES STARTED THE KINGDOM BUT WERE SUPPLANTED BY THE POWER OF THE PERSIANS, THE HIGHER HORN.
• RAM PUSHING WESTWARD, NORTHWARD, AND SOUTHWARD (4) = BABYLON, LYDIA, AND EGYPT.
• IT DOES NOT MENTION EASTWARD BECAUSE THEY CAME FROM THE EAST.

• HE-GOAT = GRECIAN EMPIRE OF ALEXANDER 330-146 BC

• THE HE-GOAT CAME FROM THE WEST (5) = ALEXANDER THE GREAT CAME FROM MACEDONIA IN GREECE, TO THE WEST OF ISRAEL AND BABYLON.
• A MYTH SAID THAT AN ORACLE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST GREEK COLONY BY SENDING A GOAT AS A GUIDE TO THE LOCATION TO BUILD A CITY. IN GRATITUDE TO THE GOAT, THE CITY WAS NAMED “AGAE” WHICH MEANT “THE GOAT CITY”. THE “AGEAN SEA” MEANS “GOAT SEA”.
• THE GOAT TOUCHED NOT THE GROUND = IT REFERS TO THE SPEED WITH WHICH ALEXANDER THE GREAT CONQUERED.
• NOTABLE HORN = ALEXANDER THE GREAT (BORN 356 BC). HE BECAME KING OF MACEDONIA AT AGE 20 IN 336 BC AND KING OF ASIA IN 330 BC. IN 326 BC HE REACHED INDIA. BABYLON WAS HIS CAPITAL CITY. HE REQUIRED PEOPLE IN THE PROVINCES TO WORSHIP HIM AS GOD AS A MEANS OF UNIFYING HIS KINGDOM.
• CAST HIM DOWN TO THE GROUND AND STAMPED UPON HIM (7) =
• THE ARMY OF KING XERXES OF PERSIA MOVED WEST TO ATTACK ALEXANDER. ALEXANDER WAITED UNTIL HE GOT TO A NARROW PASS AT THERMOPYLAE. ALEXANDER HAD THE PERSIAN ARMY AT A DISADVANTAGE IN THE NARROW PASS AND DECIMATED IT
• WHEN ALEXANDER ATTACKED THE CITY OF TYRE, 8,000 DEFENDERS OF TYRE WERE KILLED AND 2,000 CAPTIVES MURDERED, THE REST OF THE POPULATION WAS SOLD INTO SLAVERY AND THE CITY LEVELED.
• ALEXANDER WAS A FIERCE WARRIOR.
• READ ZEC 9:8
• GOD MIRACULOUSLY PROTECTED JERUSALEM FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
• WHEN THE HE-GOAT WAS STRONG THE GREAT HORN WAS BROKEN (8) = ALEXANDER THE GREAT DIED IN BABYLON SUDDENLY OF MALARIA 323 BC AT THE AGE OF 32 AFTER A LONG NIGHT OF DRINKING.
• FOUR NOTABLE HORNS = ALEXANDER’S FOUR TOP GENERALS WHO FOUGHT OVER THE KINGDOM AND ENDED BY DIVIDING IT INTO FOUR PARTS IN 311 BC.
• CASSANDER
• LYSIMACHUS
• SELEUCUS
• PTOLEMY
• FOUR WINDS OF HEAVEN = 4 GEOGRAPHICAL DIRECTIONS IN WHICH ALEXANDER’S KINGDOM WAS DIVIDED
• CASSANDER TOOK MACEDONIA AND THE WESTERN SECTION.
• LYSIMACHUS TOOK THRACE (TURKEY) AND THE NORTHERN SECTION.
• SELEUCUS TOOK ASIAN INCLUDING SYRIA TO THE EAST.
• PTOLEMY TOOK EGYPT, NORTHERN AFRICA, AND JUDEA, THE SOUTHERN PART.
• READ DAN 8:9-14
• ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES PREFIGURES THE ANTI-CHRIST

• THE HISTORICAL PERSON OF ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES PERSONIFIES AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE LIKE, AND SOME ACTIONS HE WILL PERFORM IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• LITTLE HORN (9) =
• THE LITTLE HORN IN DAN 7 CAME OUT OF THE FOURTH KINGDOM AND REFERRED TO THE ANTICHRIST.
• THE LITTLE HORN IN DAN 8 COMES OUT OF THE THIRD KINGDOM AND REFERS TO ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES (171-164 BC) ONE OF THE 13 KINGS WHO CAME OUT OF SELEUCID EMPIRE OF SYRIA.
• ANTIOCHUS WAS THE NAME OF 13 SELEUCID KINGS. EPIPHANES IS NOT A NAME BUT A SELF-APPOINTED TITLE MEANING “GOD MANIFEST”.
• PLEASANT LAND (9) = THE LAND OF ISRAEL
• ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES WANTED JUDEA WHICH WAS UNDER THE POSESSION OF THE PTOLOMIES.
• CAST DOWN SOME OF THE HOST AND OF THE STARS AND STAMPED UPON THEM (10) = ANTIOCHUS WAS SPIRITUALLY EMPOWERED BY SATAN.
• VERSES 10 AND 11 DRAW BACK THE CURTAIN AND SHOW US A GLIMPSE OF THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE BEHIND THE SCENES.
• MAGNIFIED HIMSELF EVEN TO THE PRINCE OF THE HOST (11) = HE PLACED HIMSELF EQUAL TO THE SECOND MEMBER OF THE TRINITY, JESUS CHRIST, AS EVIDENCED BY THE MEANING OF HIS NAME.
• DAILY SACRIFICE WAS TAKEN AWAY = IN 169 BC ANTIOCHUS ENTERED THE HOLY OF HOLIES OF THE JEWISH TEMPLE AND CARRIED AWAY SOME OF THE GOLD AND SILVER VESSELS. HE STOPPED THE JEWISH TEMPLE SACRIFICE IN 168 BC.
• PLACE OF THE SANCTUARY WAS CAST DOWN = ON DEC 25, 167 BC ANTIOCHUS PLACED A STATUE OF JUPITER (ZEUS) IN THE TEMPLE AND OFFERED A HOG ON THE ALTAR DEFILING THE TEMPLE AND MAKING IT UNCLEAN FOR FURTHER SACRIFICES TO GOD.
• CAST DOWN THE TRUTH TO THE GROUND (12) = SET HIMSELF AGAINST GOD’S TRUTH EMBODIED IN JUDAISM DECLARING CIRCUMCISION, OBSERVING THE SABBATH, AND JEWISH DIETARY LAWS FORBIDDEN. IF ONE ADHERED TO JEWISH LAW OR POSSESSED THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT, HE WAS CONDEMNED TO DEATH.
• TRANSGRESSION OF DESOLATION

(13) = JESUS CALLED THIS THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION IN MAT 24:15. IT REFERS TO ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES’ OFFERING OF A HOG ON THE ALTAR AND THE PLACING OF AN IDOL OF JUPITER (ZEUS) IN THE TEMPLE. AT THAT TIME EVERY JEW WAS ORDERED TO WORSHIP JUPITER (ZEUS) AND OTHER FOREIGN GODS.

• 20 MILES FROM JERUSALEM A JEWISH PRIEST NAMED MATTATHIAS HASMONEAS KILLED A FELLOW JEW WHO WAS OFFERING SACRIFICE TO JUPITER (ZEUS). HE ALSO KILLED THE KINGS LOCAL AGENT AND THUS SET OFF A SERIES OF JEWISH REVOLTS CALLED THE MACCABEAN WARS AGAINST ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV. ANTIOCHUS BUILT A NEW FORTRESS CALLED AKRA IN JERUSALEM TO WITHSTAND THE JEWISH REVOLT. JEWS RALLIED AROUND MATTATHIAS’ THIRD SON, JUDAS MACCABEUS, WHO LED THE JEWS IN GUERRILLA WARFARE AND EVENTUALLY GAINED CONTROL OF THE TEMPLE. THEY RE-DEDICATED IT TO GOD DECEMBER 164 BC AND LIT THE LAMP OF ETERNAL LIGHT AND BEGAN THE CELEBRATION NOW KNOWN AS HANUKKAH (THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS).
• TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED DAYS (14) = 6 YEARS, 4 MONTHS, AND 20 DAYS (MAT 24:22):
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT = THIS WAS THE EXACT LENGTH OF ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES REIGN (6 YEARS 4 MONTHS 20 DAYS). ANTIOCHUS DIED 2 YEARS AFTER THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE IN ANOTHER CAMPAIGN.
• THE TIME PERIOD BEGAN WHEN APOSTATE JEWS ABONDONED THE HOLY COVENANT AND RECEIVED OFFICIAL AUTHORIZATION FROM ANTIOCHUS TO OBSERVE THE ORDINANCES OF THE GENTILES.
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT =
• POSSIBLY THIS REFERS TO THE LENGTH OF TIME FROM THE RESTORED TEMPLE WORSHIP IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD THROUGH THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION.
• READ DAN 8:15-27
• ONE HAVING THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN (15) = THIS IS EITHER CHRIST OR AN ANGEL.
• GABRIEL = HIS NAME MEANS = “THE STRONG ONE OF THE STRONG GOD”
• HE IS GOD’S HERALDING ANGEL MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS ESPECIALLY AS REGARDS TO ISRAEL AND THE JEWS.
• THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AN ANGEL OF GOD IS MENTIONED BY NAME IN SCRIPTURE.
• LATER IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL GABRIEL IS MENTIONED AGAIN:
• 13 YEARS LATER HE GIVES DANIEL THE TIMING OF CHRIST’S FIRST COMING IN DAN 9.
• ABOUT 500 YEARS LATER HE APPEARS TO ZACHARIAS ANNOUNCING THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
• 6 MONTHS AFTER THAT HE APPEARS TO MARY ANNOUNCING THE CONCEPTION OF JESUS.
• AT THE TIME OF THE END SHALL BE THE VISION (17) =
• HISTORICALLY, THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE END OF ALEXANDER’S KINGDOM.
• PROPHETICALLY, THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE TIME OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. THIS THROWS THE VISION PAST IMMEDIATE HISTORY INTO A DOUBLE REFERENCE FULFILLMENT, THE END OF THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES (LUK 21:24 REV 16:19)(DAN 12:4)
• END OF THE INDIGNATION (19) = THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• A KING OF FIERCE COUNTENANCE (23) = THERE ARE THREE PRIMARY INTERPRETATIONS:
• =1=THE KING OF THE NORTH IN DAN 11:40.
• THE HISTORICAL FULFILLMENT OF THIS INTERPRETATION = SYRIA
• THE PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT OF THIS INTERPRETATION = RUSSIA (EZE 38 AND 39)
• =2=A TYPE OF THE ROMAN BEAST IN DAN 7:23-27.
• =3=A DIRECT PROPHECY OF THE ANTI-CHRIST WHICH IDENTIFIES HIS GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN.
• PERSONALLY I PREFER THIS INTERPRETATION.
• UNDERSTANDING DARK SENTENCES = THE ANTI-CHRIST’S KNOWLEDGE COMES DIRECTLY FROM SATAN JUST AS ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV WAS DEMON POSSESSED.
• NOT BY HIS OWN POWER (24) = THE POWER OF THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE DIRECTLY FROM SATAN.
• DESTROY THE MIGHTY AND THE HOLY PEOPLE = THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL DESTROY CHRISTIANS AND JEWS IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• MAGNIFY HIMSELF (25) = THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL SET HIMSELF UP AS GOD.
• BY PEACE SHALL DESTROY MANY = THE ANTI-CHRIST FIRST COMES IN THE DECEITFUL GUISE OF PEACE (REV 6:1-2).
• STAND UP AGAINST THE PRINCE OF PRINCES = JESUS CHRIST IS THE PRINCE OF PRINCES BEFORE HE BECOMES THE KING OF KINGS.
• HE SHALL BE BROKEN WITHOUT HAND = THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE DEFEATED NOT BY HUMAN HAND BUT BY THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST AT HIS SECOND COMING.
• SHUT UP THE VISION FOR IT SHALL BE FOR MANY DAYS (26) = THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL WERE CLOSED TO INTERPRETATION AND FULFILLMENT UNTIL JESUS CHRIST OPENS THE SCROLL WITH THE 7 SEALS IN REV 5:1-6:1.
• APPLICATION:
• IT IS NOT UNTIL THE END TIMES THAT WE WILL SEE THESE PROPHECIES BEGIN TO BE FULFILLED. JESUS SAID THAT WE SHOULD DISCERN THE TIMES AND SEASONS. (MAT 16:3) THAT MEANS WE MUST STAY IN THE WORD OF GOD TO UNDERSTAND THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE.

DANIEL 8 – VISION

RAM	HE-GOAT	4 HORNS	LITTLE HORN		LITTLE HORN
MEDO- PERSIA EMPIRE 538-331 BC	ALEXANDER THE GREAT 331-323 BC	CASSANDER LYSIMACUS PTOLOMY SELEUCIDES	ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV 171-164 BC	***	ANTI-CHRIST
	GREEK EMPIRE				ONE WORLD RULE

                                                         ***THE UNSEEN CHURCH AGE 

DANIEL 8:14 THE 2,300 DAYS (6 YR. 4 MO. 20 DA.)

FIRST FULFILLMENT			SECOND FULFILLMENT
	7 MO 10 DAYS	7 YR T R I B U L A T I O N	THE TRIBULATION BEGINS. ANTI-CHRIST SIGNS PEACE TREATY
ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV BEGINS REIGN JEWS OBSERVE GENTILE CUSTOMS	6 YR 4 MO 20 DAYS = 2300 DAYS		JEWS BEGIN ANIMAL SACRIFICE
ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV REIGN ENDS			ANTI-CHRIST’S REIGN ENDS AT BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

Based on 360 day year

HOMEWORK
DANIEL 9
THIS IS A SELF STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF DANIEL 8
• READ REVELATION 3:7-8,10
• IN CONSIDERING ALL THE THINGS TO COME UPON THE EARTH, AND ACCORDING TO THESE VERSES IN REVELATION, WHY IS THERE NO NEED FOR FEAR FOR THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST?
• PREPARATION FOR DANIEL 9
• READ DANIEL 9:1-27
• IN VERSES 3-19, WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GOD, THE FATHER?
• IN VERSES 3-20, OUTLINE DANIEL’S PRAYER
• HOW DO YOUR PRAYERS COMPARE TO DANIEL’S?
• HOW COULD YOU IMPROVE YOUR PRAYERS?
• MEMORY VERSE: EPHESIANS 5:15-16