Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Saturday, November 29, Daniel 8:

"Then the goat became very great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land." (8-9)

As we saw, Alexander died young, and four of his commanders split the kingdom. We'll see more of them in chapter 11. This chapter keys in on the "little horn", and we see a "near/far" description of the spirit of Antichrist.

Unlike Christ and the Isaiah prophecy, which revealed His near/far fulfillment, the antichrists we see in human form are possessed by Satan. And when we see this prophecy, we see workings of Antiochus, who called himself "Epiphanes", thinking himself as a god, who rose from the ranks of one of the Seleucid kings, yet we see a further destruction that was to be reserved for "the time of the end" (17c).

We see clearly that the "little horn" was an embodiment of Satan, that caused an "abomination of desolation" by sacrificing a pig on the altar and setting an idol of Zeus in the place of God was a sure representation of what was going to happen in the time of the end.

We will see a similar treatment through the Roman Titus, where Jesus had prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem again and the scattering of the Jews for these last two millennia because of their rejection of Him. He could have stepped right into the Temple, but they crucified Him instead.

We see the "far glimpses" within Daniel of how Satan is going to possess this "beast". We see it in the prophecy chapters of Jesus in about 30 AD, the description of the "man of sin" to come in Paul's writings in the 50's and 60's, and then again in John's Revelation in the 90's, long after the Jews were dispersed and the Temple destroyed. Which indicates a final Temple yet to come.

In all three, we see the great "abomination". In this instance, this "antichrist" was given domination for "2300 evenings and mornings" (14a), which can be pinpointed to end at the successful Maccabean revolt. We can read about some of that in the Apocrypha and other histories during the "silent years" between the Old and New Testament. As a matter of fact, that is when the Jews inaugurated "Hannukah", the "re-dedication" of the Second Temple. And every "25th day of Kislev", in our December, they begin to celebrate the "Festival of Lights" in honor of this great occasion.

And, in the end, we see the real purpose of this antichrist—for the world to bow and worship the dragon. "And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast…" (Revelation 13:4a) So the beast will "reflect" the devil in every aspect, and the whole world will be fooled.

But you don't have to be.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*ESV used unless noted*

Memory Helps:

Chapter 8: "The Great Ram meets its FATE in a FATE-ful battle with the GREAT Goat."