Greetings everyone.
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Thank you for coming
to this first presentation
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of God's Great Prophetic Chain.
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During the next 10 sessions,
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we are going to study
primarily two great prophecies,
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one from Daniel and
the other from Revelation.
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We will be studying Daniel
7 and Revelation 13 in detail.
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Now I want to encourage you
to attend all of the sessions.
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It's important that
you be here for all 10,
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that includes not
only those who are here,
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but also those who are
watching the live streaming
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and will watch this on YouTube
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because this is a
chain of lectures.
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If you miss one of them,
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you're gonna miss
a link in the chain
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and the chain is broken.
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So I would encourage
everyone to please be here
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for all 10 presentations
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and that way you'll be able
to get the complete picture.
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Before we get in
our study tonight
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which is titled "God's
Great Prophetic Chain."
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We want to ask for
the Lord's blessing
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as we open His word
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and so I invite
you along with me
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to bow your heads reverently
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as we ask for
the Lord's presence.
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Father in heaven,
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we come before Your throne
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to thank You for
the many blessings
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that You pour
out upon us each day.
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Especially we thank You
that You have given us a brain,
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a brain that can reasoned,
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a brain that can
think and understand.
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We ask Lord that You
will speak to our minds
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that You will
give us understanding
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not only in this lecture tonight
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but also in all
of the other lectures
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that we are going to
study in this series.
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We ask for the
presence of Your Spirit
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and we claim that promise
in the precious name of Jesus,
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our Lord and savior, amen.
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The Bible tells us four things
about God's foreknowledge.
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First of all,
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the Bible tells
us that God knows
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the end from the beginning.
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In other words,
God knows all events
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that are gonna
take place in the future
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before they happen.
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Secondly, the Bible teaches us
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that because God
knows the future,
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God knows everything
that is going to take place.
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He is able to predict
how history will unfold.
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Of course, if God
knows what is gonna happen,
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God can predict exactly
how things are going to happen.
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In the third place,
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God is not a
passive observer of history.
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God is actively engaged
in the process of history
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to make sure that
historical events are fulfilled
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in harmony with His plan.
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Finally, God does not
keep the future secret.
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God has revealed the
future to the prophets.
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And then the
prophets reveal it to us
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so that we could know
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what is gonna
happen in the future
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and we can prepare for
what is gonna take place.
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So the four points
that I want to repeat again
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before we read
verses from the Bible
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to prove this
points is number one,
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God knows the end
from the beginning.
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Number two, because God knows
the end from the beginning,
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He is able to predict
how history will develop.
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Number three,
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God is not a
passive observer of history,
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but God is actively engaged,
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making sure that
everything is fulfilled
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according to His plan.
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And finally,
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God does not keep
the future secret.
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God is able to reveal
His secrets to His prophets
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and then the prophets
relay the information to us,
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so that we know what is
gonna happen in the future
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and we can prepare.
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Now let's read two
verses from the Bible
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that tells us exactly this.
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The first is
found in Isaiah 46:9-11.
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Isaiah 46:9-11,
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"Remember the former
things of old for I am God,
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and there is no other.
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I am God, and
there is none like me,
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declaring the end
from the beginning,
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and from ancient times
things that are not yet done,
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saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
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and I will do all my pleasure.'
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Calling a bird or
prey from the east..."
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It's speaking here about Cyrus,
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who came against Babylon
and led to the fall of Babylon.
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So it says, "Calling a
bird or prey from the east,
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the man who executes My counsel,
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from a far country.
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Indeed I have spoken it, I
will also bring it to pass,
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I have purposed
it, I will also do it."
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Do you see all of the key points
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in these verses?
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Very clearly.
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Now does God reveal
these secrets to us?
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Or is that only
God who knows them
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and God who molds history?
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The fact is that God
not only knows history,
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God not only molds history
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but God also
tells us the secrets
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that are gonna take
place in the future.
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We find such a thing
in Amos 3:7 where it says,
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"Surely the Lord
God does nothing,
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unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the prophets."
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So God knows the future, yes.
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And God reveals the
future to us in His holy word
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because He wants us to know
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what's gonna happen
and how we can prepare
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for the stupendous events
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that are gonna take
place soon in this world.
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Now in the next few days,
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we are going to study
some stunning prophecies
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that have been
fulfilled already in the past.
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We are also gonna
look at some prophecies
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from the Bible that
have not yet been fulfilled.
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But we can know
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because of the prophecies
being fulfilled in the past,
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we can be sure
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that prophecy is going to
be fulfilled in the future
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because God has a track record.
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In other words, if prophecy
was fulfilled in the past,
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we can be sure
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that prophecy will be
fulfilled in the future.
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Now I must warn you that
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what we're gonna study is
not for the faint of heart.
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We are not going to
be politically correct.
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We will tell it like it is,
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just as the Bible portrays it.
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Our study is going to
appeal to our intellect
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and not so much to our emotions.
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In other words what
we're going to study
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is going to make absolute sense.
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It's gonna be reasonable,
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it's gonna be understandable
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and we're gonna say, I did it.
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Now our primary
focus in this study
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will be on the
identity of the antichrist
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that is mentioned in scripture.
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However, the central focus
is not only on the antichrist,
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the focus is how Jesus
Christ will gain the victory
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eventually over the antichrist.
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We are going to try and
answer three main questions.
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Number one,
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who is the end time antichrist?
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Number two,
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at what stage in history
does that antichrist appear?
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And number three,
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what will the
antichrist be like?
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In other words, how
will the antichrist act?
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Those are the central questions
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that we're going to try
to answer in this series
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and our only source of authority
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will be the Bible,
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God's holy word.
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Now in the course of history,
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many candidates
have been proposed
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as the fulfillment
of what the Bible calls
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the little horn and the beast.
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Another name for the little horn
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or the beast is the antichrist.
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Many candidates
have been proposed
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throughout the
course of Christian history,
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particularly in
the last two centuries.
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I remember that some Christians
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believe that the antichrist
might be Benito Mussolini
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who was the premier of Italy
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from 1922 until
1943 but of course,
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he was hung in the plaza
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and so it didn't quite work out.
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Others individuals thought
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that it might be Adolf Hitler
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who was Fuhrer of
Germany from 1934 to 1945.
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We all know what
happened to Adolf Hitler,
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he certainly did not
fulfill the antichrist
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or the little horn
or the beast prophecies.
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Some though that it
might be Ayatollah Khomeini,
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the founder of the
Islamic Republic of Iran
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who in 1979
established a revolution in Iran
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that overthrew the Shah.
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Others thought that it
might perhaps be Yasser Arafat,
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the chairman of the PLO
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and the president of
Palestinian authority.
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Still others
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and I'm talking about Christians
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and beliefs that they've
had throughout the course
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of the last two centuries,
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some individuals
saw that it might be
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Henry Kissinger,
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who was a secretary of state
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during the
presidency of Richard Nixon.
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Still others believed
and I have a whole book
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written by a Christian,
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who said the
antichrist is Saddam Hussein.
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But Saddam Hussein of
course was hung in the gallows.
00:10:03.23\00:10:05.77
So he certainly did
not fulfill that prophecy.
00:10:05.80\00:10:09.07
I even noticed,
00:10:09.10\00:10:10.74
I actually watched a video
00:10:10.77\00:10:14.14
that lasted for over an hour
00:10:14.18\00:10:16.08
where the individual said that
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the antichrist or a little
horn is President Barrack Obama.
00:10:17.78\00:10:23.69
Now most Christians believe that
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the antichrist will
be a nasty individual
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that rebuild the Jewish temple.
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Build a great
big image of himself
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and command everyone to
worship this image of himself.
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He will impose a mark
or a tattoo on the forehead
00:10:41.40\00:10:45.87
or on the right
hand of his followers.
00:10:45.91\00:10:48.81
He will persecute the Jews
00:10:48.84\00:10:51.11
for three and
half literal years.
00:10:51.15\00:10:54.18
If you go to
conservative Christian churches
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you'll find that
this is the perspective
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that is held today
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in conservative
Protestant churches
00:11:00.69\00:11:02.99
about the antichrist.
00:11:03.02\00:11:05.43
Now we'd like to
say that of course,
00:11:05.46\00:11:07.56
none of these were the
fulfillment of the prophecy
00:11:07.60\00:11:10.03
of the little
horn or the prophecy
00:11:10.07\00:11:12.17
about the beast,
00:11:12.20\00:11:14.00
because simply that
is not the perspective
00:11:14.04\00:11:16.84
that the Bible
presents of the antichrist
00:11:16.87\00:11:20.48
or what we might
call the little horn
00:11:20.51\00:11:23.21
or the beast of Revelation 13.
00:11:23.24\00:11:27.02
Obviously, all of these choices
00:11:27.05\00:11:29.02
that have been made
throughout the course
00:11:29.05\00:11:30.69
of the last couple of
centuries are simply guesses,
00:11:30.72\00:11:34.82
but we don't have to guess.
00:11:34.86\00:11:37.96
The Bible tells us
00:11:37.99\00:11:39.76
when the antichrist
00:11:39.79\00:11:41.70
or the little horn or
the beast would arise,
00:11:41.73\00:11:44.23
the Bible tells us
where this antichrist,
00:11:44.27\00:11:47.47
or this little horn
or beast would arise,
00:11:47.50\00:11:49.77
and the Bible tells
us what this antichrist,
00:11:49.80\00:11:53.07
little horn or beast
was going to be like,
00:11:53.11\00:11:55.84
what the characteristics
of this power would be?
00:11:55.88\00:11:59.15
So the Bible simply taking
the testimony of the Bible
00:11:59.18\00:12:02.15
even a part from history,
00:12:02.18\00:12:04.29
we find clearly when
the antichrist would arise?
00:12:04.32\00:12:08.66
Secondly, where he would arise?
00:12:08.69\00:12:10.46
And number three,
00:12:10.49\00:12:11.83
what would
characterize this power?
00:12:11.86\00:12:15.86
Now we are going to follow
00:12:15.90\00:12:18.13
in this series of
studies a careful,
00:12:18.17\00:12:22.64
disciplined, systematic
00:12:22.67\00:12:26.04
and logical
approach to this subject.
00:12:26.07\00:12:29.78
There will be no guess work.
00:12:29.81\00:12:32.11
There will be no
unfounded assumptions.
00:12:32.15\00:12:35.58
There will be no conjecturing.
00:12:35.62\00:12:38.49
We will use a
method that comes forth
00:12:38.52\00:12:41.56
from the Bible text itself.
00:12:41.59\00:12:44.16
And that method is what we call,
00:12:44.19\00:12:46.86
well I call anyway the
historical flow method.
00:12:46.90\00:12:50.83
It's also called historicism.
00:12:50.87\00:12:52.83
Let me explain
00:12:52.87\00:12:54.20
what the
historical flow method is?
00:12:54.24\00:12:57.51
The historical
flow method teaches
00:12:57.54\00:13:00.44
that the great chain
prophecies of the Bible begin
00:13:00.48\00:13:04.95
to be fulfilled in the day
in which the prophet wrote.
00:13:04.98\00:13:09.18
So we have a starting point
00:13:09.22\00:13:11.39
for the chain of Bible prophecy.
00:13:11.42\00:13:14.12
Also we find in this method,
00:13:14.16\00:13:16.52
there is a clear ending
point to the chain of prophecy
00:13:16.56\00:13:20.43
and that ending point is
the setting up of Christ's
00:13:20.46\00:13:24.03
everlasting kingdom
at His second coming.
00:13:24.07\00:13:27.07
And then prophecy presents
00:13:27.10\00:13:29.20
all of the
events that take place
00:13:29.24\00:13:31.37
between the starting
point and the ending point.
00:13:31.41\00:13:34.81
In other words the
chain has several links.
00:13:34.84\00:13:37.78
Each link connects
with the previous link
00:13:37.81\00:13:41.08
leading us to the final climax
or to the final consummation.
00:13:41.12\00:13:46.12
So we know where
the chain begins,
00:13:46.15\00:13:48.62
it begins in the days
00:13:48.66\00:13:49.99
when the prophet wrote
00:13:50.03\00:13:51.39
and we see all of the events
00:13:51.43\00:13:53.03
that transpire step after step
00:13:53.06\00:13:55.86
throughout the
course of Christian history
00:13:55.90\00:13:58.10
ending with the climax
00:13:58.13\00:14:00.54
at the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:14:00.57\00:14:03.87
Now I want to read a statement
00:14:03.91\00:14:05.24
from my favorite book
on Christian education.
00:14:05.27\00:14:09.01
This is from the
book Education page 178,
00:14:09.04\00:14:12.68
where this method
is explained in detail.
00:14:12.71\00:14:15.72
And we're gonna use this method,
00:14:15.75\00:14:17.22
we are not imposing
this method on scripture,
00:14:17.25\00:14:20.26
it is the method that
scripture itself presents
00:14:20.29\00:14:23.63
as to how to interpret prophecy.
00:14:23.66\00:14:27.10
This is how
this statement reads,
00:14:27.13\00:14:29.56
Education page 178,
00:14:29.60\00:14:32.13
" The history which the great
00:14:32.17\00:14:34.30
I AM has marked out in His word,
00:14:34.34\00:14:37.31
uniting link
after link in the..."
00:14:37.34\00:14:40.78
What?
00:14:40.81\00:14:42.14
"In the prophetic chain,
00:14:42.18\00:14:44.21
from eternity in the past
to eternity in the future,
00:14:44.25\00:14:48.88
tells us where we are today
in the procession of the ages,
00:14:48.92\00:14:53.82
and what may be
expected in the time to come..."
00:14:53.86\00:14:57.26
See the chain tells
us what has happened
00:14:57.29\00:14:59.29
and what is going to happen.
00:14:59.33\00:15:01.76
The statement continue saying,
00:15:01.80\00:15:03.87
"All that prophecy has
foretold as coming to pass,
00:15:03.90\00:15:07.57
until the present time,
00:15:07.60\00:15:09.44
has been traced on
the pages of history,
00:15:09.47\00:15:13.07
and we may be assured that
00:15:13.11\00:15:15.38
all which is yet to
come will be fulfilled..."
00:15:15.41\00:15:19.31
How?
00:15:19.35\00:15:20.68
"In its order."
00:15:20.72\00:15:23.72
So there is order
in Bible prophecy,
00:15:23.75\00:15:25.72
we can't simply guess and say,
"Well, who is the antichrist?
00:15:25.75\00:15:28.32
Well, there is a nasty guy
over there in the Middle East,
00:15:28.36\00:15:30.43
that must be the antichrist."
00:15:30.46\00:15:32.09
No, we must study
prophecy in a disciplined way.
00:15:32.13\00:15:37.07
The Bible has presented
the way in which we study it.
00:15:37.10\00:15:39.77
It begins in the
days of the prophets,
00:15:39.80\00:15:42.40
link after link you
can see the fulfillment
00:15:42.44\00:15:44.97
in the sequence that
we find in the Bible,
00:15:45.01\00:15:47.61
climax scene with the
setting up of Christ's
00:15:47.64\00:15:51.01
everlasting kingdom.
00:15:51.05\00:15:53.08
Now I need to mention
00:15:53.11\00:15:54.45
before we get into
our chapter of study
00:15:54.48\00:15:56.25
for this evening
which is Daniel 7.
00:15:56.28\00:15:59.35
I need to mention
that in Bible prophecy
00:15:59.39\00:16:01.92
we are dealing with symbols,
00:16:01.96\00:16:04.43
we are not dealing
with literal language.
00:16:04.46\00:16:07.56
In other words, we
can't take the language
00:16:07.60\00:16:09.83
of Bible prophecy at face value.
00:16:09.86\00:16:12.90
We're gonna find in Daniel 7
00:16:12.93\00:16:14.40
for example if there is
a lion with eagle wings.
00:16:14.44\00:16:17.37
Have you ever seen
such a beast in real life?
00:16:17.41\00:16:19.91
Of course not.
00:16:19.94\00:16:21.28
We find a leopard
that has four wings
00:16:21.31\00:16:24.35
and it has four heads.
00:16:24.38\00:16:25.88
I've never seen
an animal like that
00:16:25.91\00:16:28.02
in the real world.
00:16:28.05\00:16:29.45
We find a dragon
that has great iron teeth
00:16:29.48\00:16:32.62
and tramples everything
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.26
and it has 10 horns on its head.
00:16:34.29\00:16:36.36
Obviously, we are dealing
not with literal animals,
00:16:36.39\00:16:39.16
the animals symbolize
00:16:39.19\00:16:41.13
or represents
something beyond the literal.
00:16:41.16\00:16:46.63
In Bible prophecy
then a symbol represents
00:16:46.67\00:16:49.90
something far
greater than the mere symbol.
00:16:49.94\00:16:53.38
Now you say how do we understand
00:16:53.41\00:16:55.64
the meaning of symbols?
00:16:55.68\00:16:57.01
Of course, they
have to be decoded
00:16:57.05\00:16:58.61
in order to understand
what the symbol means.
00:16:58.65\00:17:00.98
How do you decode a symbol?
00:17:01.02\00:17:03.25
In two ways,
00:17:03.28\00:17:04.89
first of all many
times the symbol is explained
00:17:04.92\00:17:08.49
in the very chapter
that we're studying.
00:17:08.52\00:17:10.99
And you're gonna
find a couple of examples
00:17:11.03\00:17:13.90
in our study tonight.
00:17:13.93\00:17:15.66
But when the context
that you are studying
00:17:15.70\00:17:18.00
does not explain the symbol,
00:17:18.03\00:17:20.40
then you go to
other parts of the Bible
00:17:20.44\00:17:23.17
that use the same symbol,
00:17:23.20\00:17:25.11
where the explanation is given
00:17:25.14\00:17:27.68
and those other
parts of the Bible
00:17:27.71\00:17:30.08
will explain the
meaning of the symbol
00:17:30.11\00:17:32.08
in the passage
that you are studying,
00:17:32.11\00:17:34.08
is that point clear?
00:17:34.12\00:17:35.88
So the symbols are interpreted
00:17:35.92\00:17:37.62
in the light of the way
they are using the context,
00:17:37.65\00:17:40.59
if you don't have an explanation
00:17:40.62\00:17:42.36
in the chapter
that you are studying,
00:17:42.39\00:17:43.93
you look in other
parts of the Bible
00:17:43.96\00:17:45.86
that use the same symbol
00:17:45.89\00:17:47.40
to determine
what the symbol means.
00:17:47.43\00:17:51.13
Now we are going
to study this evening,
00:17:51.17\00:17:52.83
the prophecy of Daniel 7.
00:17:52.87\00:17:56.24
And so if you would like,
00:17:56.27\00:17:58.54
those of you who are
watching the live streaming
00:17:58.57\00:18:00.98
and who will watch on YouTube
00:18:01.01\00:18:02.94
and those that are
here in the studio,
00:18:02.98\00:18:05.61
I invite you to
turn to Daniel 7.
00:18:05.65\00:18:09.52
Now let me tell you something
about the date of Daniel 7.
00:18:09.55\00:18:13.86
This chapter was
written in 550 B.C.
00:18:13.89\00:18:18.73
In other words,
00:18:18.76\00:18:20.10
550 years before
the birth of Christ.
00:18:20.13\00:18:22.46
Now Babylon which
is the first kingdom
00:18:22.50\00:18:26.40
that we're gonna
take a look at in Daniel 7
00:18:26.43\00:18:28.87
fell 11 years later.
00:18:28.90\00:18:31.34
So in other words
Daniel 7 was written before
00:18:31.37\00:18:34.61
any of the events of
the chapter were fulfilled.
00:18:34.64\00:18:38.15
And yet we're gonna
find that Daniel 7 describes
00:18:38.18\00:18:41.68
history to a T even though
00:18:41.72\00:18:44.59
the prophecy was given 11
years before Babylon fell.
00:18:44.62\00:18:48.59
You have the sequence of powers.
00:18:48.62\00:18:50.89
You have the links
of the chain predicted
00:18:50.93\00:18:53.83
even from that time.
00:18:53.86\00:18:55.33
That's why it's
important for us to know
00:18:55.36\00:18:57.57
the date of Daniel 7,
00:18:57.60\00:18:59.47
because if Daniel 7
was written in 550 B.C,
00:18:59.50\00:19:04.07
and it describes
perfectly the sequence of events
00:19:04.11\00:19:07.44
in the future
without missing a beat,
00:19:07.48\00:19:09.98
we can trust that
God knows the future
00:19:10.01\00:19:12.38
and that God is able to
reveal the future as well.
00:19:12.41\00:19:16.45
So let's go to Daniel 7:1-2.
00:19:16.48\00:19:21.09
And we'll work our
way through the chapter.
00:19:21.12\00:19:24.59
It says, "In the first year
of Belshazzar king of Babylon,
00:19:24.63\00:19:28.50
Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head while on his bed.
00:19:28.53\00:19:32.63
Then he wrote the
dream, telling the main facts.
00:19:32.67\00:19:36.81
Daniel spoke saying,
00:19:36.84\00:19:38.64
"I saw in my vision by night..."
00:19:38.67\00:19:41.11
' This is a
prophetic dream that he had.
00:19:41.14\00:19:43.21
"And behold, the
four winds of the heaven
00:19:43.24\00:19:46.31
were stirring up the Great Sea."
00:19:46.35\00:19:49.38
Now you have two
symbols in verse 2.
00:19:49.42\00:19:52.45
The first symbol that
you have is the four winds
00:19:52.49\00:19:55.62
and the second symbol
that you have is the sea.
00:19:55.66\00:19:58.49
See you're not gonna
look for some sea in the world
00:19:58.53\00:20:02.06
where the winds are blowing
00:20:02.10\00:20:03.53
because this is
symbolic language.
00:20:03.57\00:20:05.53
We need to
understand what winds represent.
00:20:05.57\00:20:08.04
We need to understand
00:20:08.07\00:20:09.40
what the waters
of the sea represent,
00:20:09.44\00:20:12.64
we don't have to guess.
00:20:12.67\00:20:14.34
Go with me to Isaiah 17:12.
00:20:14.38\00:20:17.75
Isaiah 17:12,
00:20:17.78\00:20:19.85
tells us what
the waters represent
00:20:19.88\00:20:21.98
when they are
churned up by the winds.
00:20:22.02\00:20:24.85
It says there in Isaiah 17:12,
00:20:24.89\00:20:29.16
"Woe to the
multitude of many people
00:20:29.19\00:20:34.06
who make a noise like
the roar of the seas..."
00:20:34.10\00:20:38.47
What does the roar
of the seas represent?
00:20:38.50\00:20:40.57
What does it represent?
00:20:40.60\00:20:42.94
Many people.
00:20:42.97\00:20:44.31
And then the second
half of the verse says,
00:20:44.34\00:20:46.31
"And to the rushing of nations
00:20:46.34\00:20:49.14
that make a rushing like
the rushing of mighty waters!"
00:20:49.18\00:20:53.31
So the rushing of
mighty waters represents what?
00:20:53.35\00:20:57.22
It represents the
rushing of nations.
00:20:57.25\00:20:59.99
In other words, the waters,
00:21:00.02\00:21:02.02
the raging waters of
the sea represent nations
00:21:02.06\00:21:05.93
that are at war
to ascend to power.
00:21:05.96\00:21:10.73
I want to read a statement
00:21:10.77\00:21:12.10
that we find in
that classic book
00:21:12.13\00:21:13.60
Great Controversy page 440,
00:21:13.64\00:21:15.67
where the winds and
the waters are explained.
00:21:15.70\00:21:18.97
"Winds are a symbol of strife.
00:21:19.01\00:21:21.91
The four winds of heaven
striving upon the great sea
00:21:21.94\00:21:25.31
represent the
terrible scenes of conquest
00:21:25.35\00:21:29.45
and revolution by which kingdoms
00:21:29.48\00:21:31.89
have attained to power."
00:21:31.92\00:21:34.06
In other words the
nations are fighting
00:21:34.09\00:21:36.19
one with the other,
00:21:36.22\00:21:37.56
that's what's
represented by the winds
00:21:37.59\00:21:39.46
churning up and
blowing upon the waters.
00:21:39.49\00:21:42.66
So we're gonna notice
that kingdoms that arise,
00:21:42.70\00:21:46.50
that we're gonna
study in a few moments,
00:21:46.53\00:21:48.17
they arise in the midst of war
00:21:48.20\00:21:50.37
and conflict to ascend to power.
00:21:50.41\00:21:53.81
Now let's go to Daniel 7:3.
00:21:53.84\00:21:57.75
Daniel continues seeing
in his dream and it says,
00:21:57.78\00:22:00.98
"And four great
beasts came up from the sea,
00:22:01.02\00:22:06.39
each different from the other."
00:22:06.42\00:22:09.06
So I want you to
imagine four beasts
00:22:09.09\00:22:10.83
one rising after the other.
00:22:10.86\00:22:14.03
Now what could these
four beast represent?
00:22:14.06\00:22:16.56
We don't have to guess
00:22:16.60\00:22:18.57
because it's
explained in the same chapter.
00:22:18.60\00:22:21.30
Notice what we find in verse 17.
00:22:21.34\00:22:23.67
This is the explanation part
of the chapter, Daniel 7:17,
00:22:23.71\00:22:28.54
"Those great
beasts, which are four..."
00:22:28.58\00:22:31.51
Are what?
00:22:31.55\00:22:32.88
"Are four kings which
shall arise out of the earth."
00:22:32.91\00:22:37.75
Now you might say,
00:22:37.79\00:22:39.12
"Well, then the four
beasts represent four kings,
00:22:39.15\00:22:42.56
but I need to explain
00:22:42.59\00:22:44.39
that in reality
the kings are kingdoms
00:22:44.43\00:22:49.06
because kings
rule over kingdoms.
00:22:49.10\00:22:52.40
In other words the word kings
00:22:52.43\00:22:53.87
and the word kingdoms
00:22:53.90\00:22:55.30
in prophecy are interchangeable.
00:22:55.34\00:22:57.91
And you'll say,
"Well, how do we know that?"
00:22:57.94\00:23:00.68
Let's pursue it.
00:23:00.71\00:23:02.94
Daniel 2 presents a prophecy
that is parallel to this one.
00:23:02.98\00:23:08.65
In this prophecy of
Daniel 2, we have an image,
00:23:08.68\00:23:14.56
and the image is composed
of four specific metals,
00:23:14.59\00:23:17.99
gold, silver, bronze,
00:23:18.03\00:23:21.26
legs of iron and
feet of iron and clay.
00:23:21.30\00:23:23.77
And then a stone
hits the image on the feet
00:23:23.80\00:23:26.03
and breaks it into smithereens.
00:23:26.07\00:23:28.84
Now those four metals
represent four kingdoms.
00:23:28.87\00:23:33.81
You'll say how do you know that?
00:23:33.84\00:23:35.41
Well, in Daniel 2:38,
00:23:35.44\00:23:38.08
God tells Nebuchadnezzar,
00:23:38.11\00:23:40.32
"You are the head of gold."
00:23:40.35\00:23:44.15
But in the next verse,
00:23:44.19\00:23:45.52
he says, "And after you
shall arise another kingdom."
00:23:45.55\00:23:50.59
So do you see that
king and kingdom are what?
00:23:50.63\00:23:54.53
Interchangeable because
God tells Nebuchadnezzar,
00:23:54.56\00:23:58.17
"You are the head of gold
00:23:58.20\00:24:00.50
and after you
another kingdom will arise."
00:24:00.54\00:24:03.10
So Nebuchadnezzar
ruled over a what?
00:24:03.14\00:24:06.44
Ruled over a kingdom.
00:24:06.47\00:24:07.81
King and kingdom
are interchangeable.
00:24:07.84\00:24:10.68
Also, we're gonna
notice in Daniel 7
00:24:10.71\00:24:13.98
that these four beasts,
00:24:14.02\00:24:15.35
it clearly says
that these four beasts
00:24:15.38\00:24:17.95
represent four kingdom.
00:24:17.99\00:24:19.92
Because if you
go to Daniel 7:23,
00:24:19.95\00:24:22.86
it says the fourth
beast is a fourth kingdom
00:24:22.89\00:24:27.06
that shall arise on the earth."
00:24:27.10\00:24:29.03
So we know that the four
kings are really four what?
00:24:29.06\00:24:34.10
They are really four kingdoms.
00:24:34.14\00:24:36.97
Also in Daniel 8:20,
00:24:37.01\00:24:39.97
this might not
be in your syllabus,
00:24:40.01\00:24:41.74
but in Daniel 8:20,
00:24:41.78\00:24:43.55
there is a ram
that has two horns
00:24:43.58\00:24:46.15
and it says there,
00:24:46.18\00:24:47.82
"The ram which you
saw having two horns,
00:24:47.85\00:24:51.42
they are the kings
of Media and Persia."
00:24:51.45\00:24:56.12
Now it doesn't mean
just one king of Media
00:24:56.16\00:24:58.79
and one king of Persia,
00:24:58.83\00:25:00.20
it means simply that
00:25:00.23\00:25:02.26
they represent the
dynasty of the Medes
00:25:02.30\00:25:05.93
and the dynasty of the Persians.
00:25:05.97\00:25:08.07
In other words,
it's not one king,
00:25:08.10\00:25:09.67
it represents all
of the kings that ruled
00:25:09.70\00:25:12.51
in succession in a kingdom.
00:25:12.54\00:25:14.94
So what I'm saying is
that these four beasts
00:25:14.98\00:25:18.11
don't merely
represent four individual kings,
00:25:18.15\00:25:21.08
they represent what?
00:25:21.12\00:25:22.65
They represent four kingdoms
00:25:22.68\00:25:25.69
that arise in
sequence upon the earth.
00:25:25.72\00:25:29.79
Now it shouldn't surprise us
00:25:29.82\00:25:32.83
that beasts are used
to represent kingdoms
00:25:32.86\00:25:36.63
because even
today beasts are used
00:25:36.67\00:25:39.13
to represent kingdoms.
00:25:39.17\00:25:41.04
You have a list
here in your syllabus,
00:25:41.07\00:25:44.41
what is the mascot so to
speak of the United States?
00:25:44.44\00:25:47.81
Eagle. The eagle.
00:25:47.84\00:25:49.58
What is the
mascot of Russia? Bear.
00:25:49.61\00:25:52.35
The Bear.
00:25:52.38\00:25:53.72
What is the
mascot of England? Lion.
00:25:53.75\00:25:55.72
The lion.
00:25:55.75\00:25:57.09
What is the
mascot of China? Dragon.
00:25:57.12\00:25:58.79
The dragon.
00:25:58.82\00:26:00.16
What is the mascot of Australia?
00:26:00.19\00:26:02.19
Kangaroo.
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.56
The red kangaroo, that's right.
00:26:03.59\00:26:05.76
What is the
mascot of Bangladesh?
00:26:05.79\00:26:09.50
The Bengal tiger.
00:26:09.53\00:26:11.03
What is the mascot of Canada?
00:26:11.07\00:26:13.30
It is a North American beaver.
00:26:13.34\00:26:15.87
What is the mascot of Columbia?
00:26:15.90\00:26:18.11
It is the Andean Condor.
00:26:18.14\00:26:20.58
What is the mascot of France?
00:26:20.61\00:26:23.91
It is the Gallic rooster.
00:26:23.95\00:26:26.28
And so don't be surprised
00:26:26.31\00:26:27.75
that the Bible uses
beasts to represent kingdoms
00:26:27.78\00:26:30.72
because we do that even today,
00:26:30.75\00:26:32.95
are you following me or not?
00:26:32.99\00:26:34.36
So these four
beasts don't represent
00:26:34.39\00:26:37.13
four individual kings,
00:26:37.16\00:26:38.79
even though the
word kings is used,
00:26:38.83\00:26:40.73
it represents four what?
00:26:40.76\00:26:43.57
Four kingdoms that
will arise in succession.
00:26:43.60\00:26:48.44
Now there is a
very important point
00:26:48.47\00:26:50.17
that I want us to
notice as we study Daniel 7
00:26:50.21\00:26:53.07
and this is a nuance that
unless you read carefully,
00:26:53.11\00:26:55.61
you wouldn't catch this point.
00:26:55.64\00:26:57.71
You see history
is not transpiring
00:26:57.75\00:26:59.91
by the actions
of kings and rulers.
00:26:59.95\00:27:03.69
There is a power
behind the scenes
00:27:03.72\00:27:06.76
that is moving history.
00:27:06.79\00:27:08.49
You say how do we know that?
00:27:08.52\00:27:10.13
Simply because in Daniel 7,
00:27:10.16\00:27:13.90
you find many times verbs
00:27:13.93\00:27:16.43
that are used in
the passive voice.
00:27:16.46\00:27:19.13
In other words,
00:27:19.17\00:27:20.50
somebody else and we're
gonna see some examples,
00:27:20.54\00:27:22.24
somebody else is
allowing these powers to rise.
00:27:22.27\00:27:25.57
Somebody else is orchestrating
the events in Daniel 7.
00:27:25.61\00:27:30.08
It's not the
kings that are doing it,
00:27:30.11\00:27:32.05
it's not the
enemies of these nations
00:27:32.08\00:27:34.52
that are really
acting out history,
00:27:34.55\00:27:36.58
there is a hand
beside and behind history
00:27:36.62\00:27:40.99
that is actually
performing these events.
00:27:41.02\00:27:44.23
Now let's notice this
characteristic in Daniel 7:4.
00:27:44.26\00:27:49.06
This is the first
beast of Daniel 7.
00:27:49.10\00:27:52.23
This is a first
link of the chain.
00:27:52.27\00:27:54.94
It says there
speaking of the first beast,
00:27:54.97\00:27:57.67
"The first was like a
lion, and had eagle's wings..."
00:27:57.71\00:28:03.78
So I want you to imagine this,
00:28:03.81\00:28:05.58
a lion with eagle's wings
00:28:05.61\00:28:08.48
and then something
happens to the lion
00:28:08.52\00:28:10.22
with the eagle's wings.
00:28:10.25\00:28:11.59
It says," I watched till
its wings were plucked off,
00:28:11.62\00:28:14.72
and it was lifted
up from the earth,
00:28:14.76\00:28:17.09
and made to stand
on two feet like a man,
00:28:17.13\00:28:19.96
and a man's
heart was given to it."
00:28:20.00\00:28:23.06
Now I want you to
notice the passive expressions
00:28:23.10\00:28:25.77
that are used in this verse.
00:28:25.80\00:28:27.77
It says that its
wings were plucked off.
00:28:27.80\00:28:32.77
Interesting, were plucked off,
00:28:32.81\00:28:34.34
somebody else is
plucking them off.
00:28:34.38\00:28:36.34
It says, "It was lifted us."
00:28:36.38\00:28:38.48
It was lifted up from the earth.
00:28:38.51\00:28:41.05
"It was made to stand, a
man's heart was given to it."
00:28:41.08\00:28:46.96
Are you understanding
00:28:46.99\00:28:48.32
the importance of
the passive verbs?
00:28:48.36\00:28:49.96
It means that
somebody else is orchestrating
00:28:49.99\00:28:53.06
this behind the
visible scenes of history.
00:28:53.09\00:28:57.33
So where does the
prophetic chain began?
00:28:57.37\00:29:00.10
The prophetic chain begins
00:29:00.14\00:29:02.00
with the kingdom that ruled
in the days when Daniel wrote.
00:29:02.04\00:29:05.94
That is the
first link of the chain
00:29:05.97\00:29:08.04
because the lion represents
the kingdom of Babylon.
00:29:08.08\00:29:12.41
You say, "Pastor,
00:29:12.45\00:29:13.78
how do we know that
the lion with eagle's wings
00:29:13.82\00:29:16.58
represents the
kingdom of Babylon?"
00:29:16.62\00:29:18.79
There are several reasons.
00:29:18.82\00:29:20.26
Number one,
00:29:20.29\00:29:22.12
when Nebuchadnezzar built
the ancient city of Babylon,
00:29:22.16\00:29:25.53
he put lion
sphinxes at the entrances,
00:29:25.56\00:29:30.10
the main entrances
to the city of Babylon.
00:29:30.13\00:29:32.47
Archeologists have excavated
the ancient city of Babylon.
00:29:32.50\00:29:35.70
They found that
there were lion heads
00:29:35.74\00:29:37.61
at the main
entrances of ancient Babylon.
00:29:37.64\00:29:40.41
So the lion was
an important beast
00:29:40.44\00:29:43.21
in ancient
Babylon but not only that,
00:29:43.24\00:29:46.15
scripture tells us
that Babylon was the lion.
00:29:46.18\00:29:49.68
These texts that
I'm gonna mention
00:29:49.72\00:29:51.05
now are not in your syllabus,
00:29:51.09\00:29:52.42
you might want to write them in.
00:29:52.45\00:29:53.86
Jeremiah 4:7,
00:29:53.89\00:29:55.22
you have others
that are in the syllabus
00:29:55.26\00:29:56.76
but I decided to add these,
00:29:56.79\00:29:58.26
Jeremiah 4:7 is speaking about
00:29:58.29\00:30:01.40
the invasion of
Israel by Nebuchadnezzar.
00:30:01.43\00:30:06.30
And, you know,
Jeremiah lived right before
00:30:06.33\00:30:08.80
Nebuchadnezzar
came against Jerusalem
00:30:08.84\00:30:11.17
and conquered Jerusalem.
00:30:11.21\00:30:12.54
So Jeremiah is
living in this period,
00:30:12.57\00:30:14.21
notice what it says
there in Jeremiah 4:7,
00:30:14.24\00:30:17.61
"The lion has come
up from his thicket,
00:30:17.65\00:30:20.72
and the destroyer of
the nations is on his way.
00:30:20.75\00:30:23.89
He has gone forth from his place
00:30:23.92\00:30:25.45
to make your land desolate.
00:30:25.49\00:30:27.16
Your cities will
be laid waste..."
00:30:27.19\00:30:28.82
Talking about Judah,
00:30:28.86\00:30:30.19
"And without an inhabitant."
00:30:30.23\00:30:32.33
So Nebuchadnezzar is
spoken of as a conquering what?
00:30:32.36\00:30:37.23
As a conquering
lion against Israel.
00:30:37.27\00:30:41.27
Notice Jeremiah 50:17.
00:30:41.30\00:30:44.37
Jeremiah 50:17, it says,
00:30:44.41\00:30:47.64
"Israel is like scattered sheep,
00:30:47.68\00:30:50.51
the lions have
driven him away..."
00:30:50.55\00:30:54.78
Now notice this,
00:30:54.82\00:30:56.38
"First the king of
Assyria devoured him.
00:30:56.42\00:31:00.26
Now at the last
this Nebuchadnezzar
00:31:00.29\00:31:03.79
king of Babylon
has broken his bones."
00:31:03.83\00:31:07.30
So once again,
00:31:07.33\00:31:08.66
the lions that
conquered Israel are what?
00:31:08.70\00:31:12.53
Nebuchadnezzar and
the kingdom of Babylon.
00:31:12.57\00:31:15.60
So Jeremiah who
lived right before
00:31:15.64\00:31:18.17
the conquest of
Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar
00:31:18.21\00:31:20.68
says that the lion
represents Babylon.
00:31:20.71\00:31:26.25
Now what about
the eagle's wings?
00:31:26.28\00:31:28.78
Babylon is also spoken
of as having eagle's wings.
00:31:28.82\00:31:32.12
You say, "Really?"
00:31:32.15\00:31:33.49
Well, let's
notice Ezekiel 17:2-3
00:31:33.52\00:31:38.29
and then we'll read verse 12.
00:31:38.33\00:31:40.86
Ezekiel 17:2-3
and then verse 12.
00:31:40.90\00:31:44.87
It says there, "Son
of man, pose a riddle,
00:31:44.90\00:31:48.84
and speak a parable
to the house of Israel,
00:31:48.87\00:31:52.11
and say, 'Thus
says the Lord God..."
00:31:52.14\00:31:55.04
' Now notice this,
"A great eagle with..."
00:31:55.08\00:31:59.11
Large what?
00:31:59.15\00:32:00.65
"Wings and long pinions,
00:32:00.68\00:32:03.49
full of feathers
of various colors,
00:32:03.52\00:32:05.75
came to Lebanon,
00:32:05.79\00:32:07.16
and took from the
cedar the highest branch."
00:32:07.19\00:32:10.53
Now you say,
what does this mean?
00:32:10.56\00:32:12.46
Well, in verse 12
we find what it means.
00:32:12.49\00:32:15.43
It's speaking
about Nebuchadnezzar
00:32:15.46\00:32:17.13
coming against Lebanon and
then coming against Israel.
00:32:17.17\00:32:20.24
It says in verse 12,
00:32:20.27\00:32:22.47
"Say now to the
rebellious house.
00:32:22.50\00:32:25.37
'Do you not know
what these things mean?'
00:32:25.41\00:32:28.54
Tell them..."
00:32:28.58\00:32:30.08
Now he's gonna interpret
the meaning of the eagle
00:32:30.11\00:32:32.78
with the tree and so on.
00:32:32.81\00:32:34.72
"Indeed..."
00:32:34.75\00:32:36.08
What?
00:32:36.12\00:32:37.45
"The king of
Babylon went to Jerusalem,
00:32:37.49\00:32:40.06
and took its king and princess
and led them with him..."
00:32:40.09\00:32:43.99
To where? "To Babylon."
00:32:44.03\00:32:45.59
So is Babylon spoken
of as having eagle's wings
00:32:45.63\00:32:49.36
in the prophecy of Ezekiel.
00:32:49.40\00:32:51.03
By the way Ezekiel
was also a contemporary.
00:32:51.07\00:32:54.07
He lived right after Jeremiah
00:32:54.10\00:32:55.94
before the
destruction of Jerusalem
00:32:55.97\00:32:57.37
so he knew what
he was talking about.
00:32:57.41\00:32:59.31
Notice also Lamentations 4:19,
00:32:59.34\00:33:02.48
there's an interesting verse
00:33:02.51\00:33:03.85
'cause Lamentations
was written by Jeremiah
00:33:03.88\00:33:06.28
for Israel to sing as they were
00:33:06.31\00:33:08.32
led into
captivity at the Babylon.
00:33:08.35\00:33:10.29
In other words, it
is a funeral dirge,
00:33:10.32\00:33:14.39
it's written in kina meter
00:33:14.42\00:33:16.16
which in Hebrew
is a funeral dirge
00:33:16.19\00:33:18.49
because they are being
taken captive to Babylon,
00:33:18.53\00:33:20.66
and Jeremiah composed
the Book of Lamentations
00:33:20.70\00:33:24.67
for Israel to sing
00:33:24.70\00:33:26.33
as they were going
captive to Babylon.
00:33:26.37\00:33:28.40
It says there in
Lamentations 4:19,
00:33:28.44\00:33:30.61
'cause wings
represent speed also.
00:33:30.64\00:33:33.21
It says, "Our
pursuers were swifter than..."
00:33:33.24\00:33:37.05
What?
00:33:37.08\00:33:38.41
"Than the eagles of the heavens.
00:33:38.45\00:33:40.18
They pursued us on the mountains
00:33:40.22\00:33:42.22
and lay wait for
us in the wilderness."
00:33:42.25\00:33:45.55
So once again we find
in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
00:33:45.59\00:33:48.82
who lived right
before this period of time
00:33:48.86\00:33:51.09
that the lion
represents Nebuchadnezzar
00:33:51.13\00:33:53.70
and the Babylonians
coming against Israel
00:33:53.73\00:33:55.70
and the eagle's wings
represent the swiftness
00:33:55.73\00:33:58.70
with which Nebuchadnezzar
00:33:58.73\00:34:00.07
and the Babylonians
would come against Israel.
00:34:00.10\00:34:03.07
You see scripture
interprets scripture.
00:34:03.10\00:34:06.57
In other words,
00:34:06.61\00:34:07.94
if in Daniel you
don't have an explanation
00:34:07.98\00:34:09.41
of what the eagle's wings is,
00:34:09.44\00:34:11.51
then you go to other text
00:34:11.55\00:34:13.42
in the came
context that describe
00:34:13.45\00:34:16.22
what is represented
by the eagle's wings.
00:34:16.25\00:34:18.95
Incidentally and this
is very, very interesting.
00:34:18.99\00:34:22.59
There was actually a prophecy
00:34:22.62\00:34:23.96
that was given
in Deuteronomy 28.
00:34:23.99\00:34:26.23
This is a
prophecy that was given
00:34:26.26\00:34:27.60
almost a thousand years before
00:34:27.63\00:34:29.66
Babylon was taken
by Nebuchadnezzar.
00:34:29.70\00:34:32.20
And in this chapter,
00:34:32.23\00:34:33.57
you have the blessings
and cursings of the covenant.
00:34:33.60\00:34:36.40
Moses basically inspired
by God was saying Israel,
00:34:36.44\00:34:39.11
if you're faithful,
00:34:39.14\00:34:40.48
these are the blessings
that will come upon you.
00:34:40.51\00:34:42.08
If you are unfaithful,
00:34:42.11\00:34:43.91
these are the curses
that will come upon you.
00:34:43.95\00:34:46.15
And I want you to
notice one of the curses
00:34:46.18\00:34:48.12
that Moses predicted
00:34:48.15\00:34:49.58
and we find this
in Deuteronomy 28:49.
00:34:49.62\00:34:54.36
He was actually predicting that
00:34:54.39\00:34:56.46
Babylon would
come with eagle's wings
00:34:56.49\00:34:59.06
to punish God's people.
00:34:59.09\00:35:01.96
It says there in
Deuteronomy 28:49,
00:35:02.00\00:35:04.83
"The Lord will bring a
nation against you from afar..."
00:35:04.87\00:35:08.04
He's saying if
you are unfaithful,
00:35:08.07\00:35:10.07
"From the end of the earth..."
00:35:10.11\00:35:11.84
And now notice this as what?
00:35:11.87\00:35:14.31
"As swift as an eagle flies,
00:35:14.34\00:35:17.05
a nation whose language
you will not understand."
00:35:17.08\00:35:19.78
He is talking about Babylon,
00:35:19.81\00:35:21.15
coming against Israel
for their unfaithfulness
00:35:21.18\00:35:23.32
and he's speaking of Babylon
as been very swift like a what?
00:35:23.35\00:35:27.52
Like an eagle.
00:35:27.56\00:35:28.89
So what is represented by
the first beast of Daniel 7?
00:35:28.92\00:35:32.86
Very clearly, the
first beast of Daniel 7
00:35:32.89\00:35:35.20
represents the
kingdom of Babylon,
00:35:35.23\00:35:37.73
the kingdom in
which Daniel lived,
00:35:37.77\00:35:41.10
beginning in the year 605 BC.
00:35:41.14\00:35:44.21
So do we have a starting
point for the prophetic chain?
00:35:44.24\00:35:47.58
We more certainly
have a starting point.
00:35:47.61\00:35:49.21
You know, if you
don't have a starting point,
00:35:49.24\00:35:50.81
how do you know
where it's gonna end.
00:35:50.85\00:35:53.05
So we have a starting point
00:35:53.08\00:35:54.48
which means that
the prophetic chain
00:35:54.52\00:35:55.98
begins in the days
00:35:56.02\00:35:57.59
when Daniel lived
with the kingdom of Babylon
00:35:57.62\00:36:00.19
which ruled from 605 to 539 BC.
00:36:00.22\00:36:05.93
But there's a second beast.
00:36:05.96\00:36:07.60
Notice Daniel 7:5.
00:36:07.63\00:36:12.23
"And suddenly another
beast, a second like a bear.
00:36:12.27\00:36:16.40
It was raised up on one side..."
00:36:16.44\00:36:19.14
So you can imagine
this lopsided bear,
00:36:19.17\00:36:22.11
it's higher on one
side than on the other.
00:36:22.14\00:36:24.81
"And had three ribs in
its mouth between its teeth.
00:36:24.85\00:36:29.55
And they said thus to it
'Arise, devour much flesh!'
00:36:29.58\00:36:33.82
" Incidentally in
the previous beast
00:36:33.86\00:36:36.66
that we notice the lion,
00:36:36.69\00:36:38.03
it says that its
wings were plucked.
00:36:38.06\00:36:41.03
So if the wings
represents swiftness to conquer,
00:36:41.06\00:36:44.30
what would the
plucking of the wings represent?
00:36:44.33\00:36:46.74
That it's not
gonna conquer anymore.
00:36:46.77\00:36:48.97
And a lion's heart
is taken out of it.
00:36:49.00\00:36:51.37
You know what the
lion's heart represents?
00:36:51.41\00:36:54.74
There was a king of England
00:36:54.78\00:36:56.34
that was called
Richard the Lionheart
00:36:56.38\00:36:58.78
because he was a
courageous warrior.
00:36:58.81\00:37:01.15
So if this lion,
00:37:01.18\00:37:02.58
his courageous
heart is taken out
00:37:02.62\00:37:04.65
and he's given
the heart of a man,
00:37:04.69\00:37:06.25
it means that
Babylon will lose its what?
00:37:06.29\00:37:09.62
Babylon will lose its swiftness
and its power to conquer,
00:37:09.66\00:37:14.40
so the bear rises.
00:37:14.43\00:37:16.26
Now I want you to notice also,
00:37:16.30\00:37:18.33
once again the passive language,
00:37:18.37\00:37:20.20
it says, "They said thus to it."
00:37:20.24\00:37:23.81
Somebody is
saying this to the bear.
00:37:23.84\00:37:27.14
"They said thus to it
'Arise, devour much flesh!'
00:37:27.18\00:37:31.91
" So somebody is
speaking to the bear
00:37:31.95\00:37:34.55
and telling the bear to
arise and devour much flesh.
00:37:34.58\00:37:38.19
Is somebody
orchestrating this event
00:37:38.22\00:37:40.86
from behind the scenes?
00:37:40.89\00:37:42.22
Absolutely.
00:37:42.26\00:37:43.59
Now you say,
00:37:43.63\00:37:44.96
"What does this bear represent?"
00:37:44.99\00:37:47.70
Well, in Daniel 7,
00:37:47.73\00:37:49.33
you don't have
a full explanation
00:37:49.36\00:37:51.40
because in Daniel
7 it doesn't tell you
00:37:51.43\00:37:54.00
why the bear was higher on
one side than on the other.
00:37:54.04\00:37:58.27
You don't have any
explanation in Daniel 7.
00:37:58.31\00:38:01.28
That's why God gave Daniel 8,
00:38:01.31\00:38:03.38
which is the key
to unlock many details
00:38:03.41\00:38:06.05
in the prophecy of Daniel 7.
00:38:06.08\00:38:08.48
You see in
Daniel 8 we have a ram,
00:38:08.52\00:38:13.42
and we don't have
time to read the verses
00:38:13.46\00:38:15.19
but we have a ram
00:38:15.22\00:38:16.83
and the ram has two horns
00:38:16.86\00:38:20.63
and one horn is
higher than the other
00:38:20.66\00:38:24.47
and the highest
horn came up last.
00:38:24.50\00:38:26.94
Are you catching the picture?
00:38:26.97\00:38:28.97
So you have in Daniel 7
00:38:29.00\00:38:31.04
you have a bear who's higher
on one side than on the other.
00:38:31.07\00:38:34.58
In Daniel 8 you have a ram
00:38:34.61\00:38:36.64
that has one horn that
is higher than the other
00:38:36.68\00:38:40.75
and the highest
horn comes up last.
00:38:40.78\00:38:44.29
Now you say,
00:38:44.32\00:38:45.65
"What in the
world could this mean?"
00:38:45.69\00:38:48.32
If you look at the dynasty
of the Medes and Persians
00:38:48.36\00:38:51.73
which is the next
kingdom that arises to power
00:38:51.76\00:38:53.93
because in
Daniel 8 it clearly says
00:38:53.96\00:38:55.63
what the ram represents.
00:38:55.66\00:38:57.00
In verse 20 it says that the ram
00:38:57.03\00:38:58.80
with the two horns represents
00:38:58.83\00:39:00.44
the kingdom of
Medes and Persians.
00:39:00.47\00:39:03.27
So we know that the
second kingdom is what?
00:39:03.30\00:39:05.91
The Medes and Persians.
00:39:05.94\00:39:07.28
Now why was one horn
taller than the other
00:39:07.31\00:39:10.05
and the large
horn came out last?
00:39:10.08\00:39:12.21
Here's the reason.
00:39:12.25\00:39:13.58
If you look at history,
00:39:13.62\00:39:14.95
you'll find that
the first three kings
00:39:14.98\00:39:17.12
of the
Medo-Persian Empire were Medes,
00:39:17.15\00:39:20.46
and every
single king after that,
00:39:20.49\00:39:23.83
more than a dozen kings
after that were all Persians.
00:39:23.86\00:39:26.83
So in other words,
00:39:26.86\00:39:28.20
one of the kingdoms was
more powerful than the other
00:39:28.23\00:39:30.80
and the more powerful
of the two came up what?
00:39:30.83\00:39:33.60
Came up last.
00:39:33.64\00:39:34.97
Exactly the way
the prophecy says.
00:39:35.00\00:39:37.81
We know that the
second king is Medo-Persia,
00:39:37.84\00:39:39.97
we don't have to guess
00:39:40.01\00:39:41.34
because Daniel
8:20 tells us the ram
00:39:41.38\00:39:43.71
which has one horn
higher than the other
00:39:43.75\00:39:46.11
represents the kingdom of
the Medes and the Persians.
00:39:46.15\00:39:50.99
Now what does the three ribs
00:39:51.02\00:39:52.55
in the mouth of
the bear represent?
00:39:52.59\00:39:54.52
If you go to history,
00:39:54.56\00:39:55.89
you find out that
Medo-Persia had to conquer
00:39:55.92\00:39:59.33
three of the
provinces of Babylon
00:39:59.36\00:40:01.50
in order to ascend to power.
00:40:01.53\00:40:03.63
It conquered Lydia
00:40:03.67\00:40:05.47
which is
ancient turkey in 541BC.
00:40:05.50\00:40:10.84
It conquered
Babylon in the year 539 BC.
00:40:10.87\00:40:15.74
And finally forced
Egypt into submission
00:40:15.78\00:40:19.65
in the year 525 BC.
00:40:19.68\00:40:22.62
Those are the three ribs
in the mouth of the bear.
00:40:22.65\00:40:24.95
Of course, if the bear
is fighting with the lion,
00:40:24.99\00:40:26.82
we would expect the
ribs to be ribs of the lion,
00:40:26.86\00:40:29.42
are you with me or not?
00:40:29.46\00:40:30.79
And so the second power is
00:40:30.83\00:40:32.93
the power of the
Medes and Persians.
00:40:32.96\00:40:35.10
By the way you don't
even have to go to history
00:40:35.13\00:40:36.67
to know that the second
power is the Medes and Persians.
00:40:36.70\00:40:39.07
You say, "How is that?"
00:40:39.10\00:40:40.44
Very simple,
00:40:40.47\00:40:41.80
the book of
Daniel itself tells us
00:40:41.84\00:40:43.17
that the second kingdom
is the Medes and Persians.
00:40:43.20\00:40:45.07
Not only Daniel 8,
but if you read Daniel 5,
00:40:45.11\00:40:48.94
you remember when Belshazzar
was having his banquet,
00:40:48.98\00:40:52.31
he was celebrating a banquet,
you know, the enemy was,
00:40:52.35\00:40:55.12
had the city surrounded
but he was celebrating
00:40:55.15\00:40:57.02
because he felt
that the city of Babylon
00:40:57.05\00:40:58.69
could not be conquered,
00:40:58.72\00:41:00.52
and that night a
finger appeared on the wall,
00:41:00.56\00:41:02.46
mene mene tekel upharsin.
00:41:02.49\00:41:04.03
In other words,
00:41:04.06\00:41:05.39
the kingdom of
Babylon is gonna fall
00:41:05.43\00:41:07.06
and it's given to
the Medes and Persians.
00:41:07.10\00:41:08.83
Daniel 5 itself tells us
00:41:08.86\00:41:10.20
what is the next
kingdom that conquered Babylon,
00:41:10.23\00:41:12.63
it was the Medes and Persians.
00:41:12.67\00:41:14.54
So the second link
in the chain is what?
00:41:14.57\00:41:17.51
Medo-Persia and it
ruled from 539-331BC
00:41:17.54\00:41:23.68
but that's not
the end of the story.
00:41:23.71\00:41:25.98
We have the third beast.
00:41:26.01\00:41:27.68
Notice Daniel 7:6.
00:41:27.72\00:41:30.82
Daniel 7:6,
00:41:30.85\00:41:33.69
"After this I looked,
and there was another,
00:41:33.72\00:41:36.42
like a leopard,
00:41:36.46\00:41:37.79
which had on its
back four wings of a bird.
00:41:37.83\00:41:40.46
The beast also had four heads,
and dominion was given to it."
00:41:40.50\00:41:44.80
Notice once again
the passive verbs.
00:41:44.83\00:41:47.54
It says there
dominion was given to it.
00:41:47.57\00:41:52.64
Now I don't think that
the bear gave it the dominion.
00:41:52.67\00:41:56.38
And I don't think
that it took dominion.
00:41:56.41\00:41:59.01
It says
dominion was given to it,
00:41:59.05\00:42:01.15
somebody else is
giving the dominion.
00:42:01.18\00:42:03.49
Are you with me or not?
00:42:03.52\00:42:04.85
In other words,
00:42:04.89\00:42:06.22
somebody else is
allowing this to happen,
00:42:06.25\00:42:08.02
is orchestrating it in
harmony with his inventive plan
00:42:08.06\00:42:12.09
and by the way it's
God operating through
00:42:12.13\00:42:15.20
what the Book of Daniel calls
the Watcher through the Angels.
00:42:15.23\00:42:19.33
In other words who are
guiding the events of history.
00:42:19.37\00:42:23.30
So the leopard
is the third kingdom
00:42:23.34\00:42:26.07
and you'll say, "Well, pastor,
00:42:26.11\00:42:27.44
but what does the third kingdom,
00:42:27.48\00:42:29.11
what does the
third beast represent?"
00:42:29.14\00:42:31.75
Well, let me ask you this.
00:42:31.78\00:42:33.82
If a lion with
eagle's wings is swift,
00:42:33.85\00:42:37.15
with the leopard be
even swifter with four winds?
00:42:37.19\00:42:41.22
Absolutely, but in Daniel 7
00:42:41.26\00:42:43.39
you don't have any
explanation about the wings.
00:42:43.43\00:42:46.43
You read Daniel 7, it
just says it has four wings,
00:42:46.46\00:42:48.90
it doesn't say it
because it's swift.
00:42:48.93\00:42:51.13
That's why we
need to go to the key
00:42:51.17\00:42:53.13
in the next chapter,
00:42:53.17\00:42:54.50
the context.
00:42:54.54\00:42:55.87
Because after the
ram with the two horns
00:42:55.90\00:42:58.04
which represents the kingdom
of the Medes and Persians,
00:42:58.07\00:43:00.58
a he goat comes
00:43:00.61\00:43:03.78
across the surface
of the earth flying,
00:43:03.81\00:43:07.18
it's not even
touching the earth.
00:43:07.22\00:43:10.09
Are you catching the
parallel with Daniel 7?
00:43:10.12\00:43:12.62
It's flying over
the earth and it says
00:43:12.65\00:43:14.96
it has one a
notable horn on its head.
00:43:14.99\00:43:18.36
And then the
notable horn is broken
00:43:18.39\00:43:20.93
and four horns come out
00:43:20.96\00:43:23.43
in place of the
one that was broken.
00:43:23.47\00:43:26.27
Is there any connection
between the he goat in Daniel 8
00:43:26.30\00:43:29.77
and the leopard
beast in Daniel 7?
00:43:29.80\00:43:32.74
Very clearly, you
have four and four,
00:43:32.77\00:43:35.58
you have the
swiftness of the wings
00:43:35.61\00:43:37.61
and by the way the leopard
00:43:37.65\00:43:38.98
is a very swift animal in itself
00:43:39.01\00:43:40.55
and then you have the he
goat that is going so fast
00:43:40.58\00:43:43.15
that he's flying through air,
00:43:43.18\00:43:44.75
he is not touching the earth.
00:43:44.79\00:43:46.96
Now you'll say,
00:43:46.99\00:43:48.32
"Pastor, what
does this represent?
00:43:48.36\00:43:49.69
What is the third kingdom?
00:43:49.72\00:43:51.06
We don't have to guess
00:43:51.09\00:43:52.46
because Daniel 8 tells us that
00:43:52.49\00:43:55.23
this he goat that
flies through the air
00:43:55.26\00:43:57.90
and then sprouts four horns
like the leopard is very swift
00:43:57.93\00:44:02.24
'cause it has wings
and it has four heads.
00:44:02.27\00:44:05.21
We're told in Daniel 8:20
00:44:05.24\00:44:07.98
that the third
kingdom represents Greece.
00:44:08.01\00:44:12.31
And in Daniel 8 it says
00:44:12.35\00:44:14.25
that the notable horn
00:44:14.28\00:44:16.12
that the he goat
had was its first king.
00:44:16.15\00:44:19.85
Let me ask you
who was the first king
00:44:19.89\00:44:21.76
of the kingdom of Greece?
00:44:21.79\00:44:24.29
Alexander the Great.
00:44:24.33\00:44:25.66
Was he swift in
conquering the world?
00:44:25.69\00:44:28.06
He conquered the
world in nine years
00:44:28.10\00:44:30.40
from the Indus Valley,
00:44:30.43\00:44:31.77
all the way down to Egypt.
00:44:31.80\00:44:33.70
And when he was 31 years old,
00:44:33.74\00:44:35.57
he had nothing more to do
00:44:35.60\00:44:36.94
and he died in a
drunk and stupor.
00:44:36.97\00:44:40.04
And what's even more amazing is
00:44:40.08\00:44:42.04
when he died he
left no successor.
00:44:42.08\00:44:44.75
He had no son to succeed him
00:44:44.78\00:44:47.52
and so historians will tell you
00:44:47.55\00:44:49.28
that his kingdom was
divided into four divisions.
00:44:49.32\00:44:53.15
The Antigonids
which would be Macedonia,
00:44:53.19\00:44:55.66
the Ptolemies
which would be Egypt,
00:44:55.69\00:44:57.89
the Seleucids which
would be today Greece
00:44:57.93\00:45:00.40
and the Attalids
00:45:00.43\00:45:01.76
which would be the kingdom
of Pergamon in Asia Minor.
00:45:01.80\00:45:05.23
Exactly the way the Bible
says the third kingdom arose.
00:45:05.27\00:45:09.64
First the notable king,
00:45:09.67\00:45:11.21
then the notable king is broken
00:45:11.24\00:45:13.84
and four kingdoms
comes out from it.
00:45:13.88\00:45:16.98
By the way you don't
even have to go to history
00:45:17.01\00:45:18.35
to deal with the last,
00:45:18.38\00:45:19.71
that the third
kingdom is Greece.
00:45:19.75\00:45:21.85
Because Daniel 8
tells us it's Greece.
00:45:21.88\00:45:24.69
Are you following me or not?
00:45:24.72\00:45:26.05
In other words,
00:45:26.09\00:45:27.42
you don't even have to
go to history to understand
00:45:27.46\00:45:29.46
what is
represented by this beast?
00:45:29.49\00:45:31.06
So the third link
in the chain is Greece.
00:45:31.09\00:45:34.30
Now we've moved
from Babylon 605-539 BC
00:45:34.33\00:45:38.60
to Medo-Persia 539-331 BC,
00:45:38.63\00:45:42.27
we've moved then to
Greece from 331-168 BC.
00:45:42.30\00:45:47.18
Those are the first
three links in the chain.
00:45:47.21\00:45:50.08
Are you with me or not?
00:45:50.11\00:45:51.71
Now let's go to Daniel 7:7
00:45:51.75\00:45:54.55
because here we
have the fourth beast
00:45:54.58\00:45:56.79
in the sequence,
the fourth kingdom.
00:45:56.82\00:45:58.89
And now you're gonna see that
00:45:58.92\00:46:00.26
the four beasts are
not four individual kings,
00:46:00.29\00:46:02.32
they are actually four kingdoms
00:46:02.36\00:46:03.69
because the fourth
beast it says is a kingdom.
00:46:03.73\00:46:05.86
Notice Daniel 7:7,
00:46:05.89\00:46:08.50
"After this I saw
in the night visions,
00:46:08.53\00:46:10.97
and behold,
00:46:11.00\00:46:12.33
a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible,
00:46:12.37\00:46:15.57
exceedingly strong.
00:46:15.60\00:46:17.14
It had huge..."
00:46:17.17\00:46:18.51
What? "Iron teeth,
00:46:18.54\00:46:20.78
it was devouring,
breaking in pieces,
00:46:20.81\00:46:23.38
and trampling the
residue with its feet.
00:46:23.41\00:46:26.11
It was different
from all the beasts
00:46:26.15\00:46:27.92
that were before it,
00:46:27.95\00:46:29.28
and it had..." What?
00:46:29.32\00:46:30.95
"And it had ten horns."
00:46:30.99\00:46:35.59
Now this is an
interesting beast.
00:46:35.62\00:46:37.83
Because we're gonna notice that
00:46:37.86\00:46:39.19
this beast has
three stages in Daniel 7.
00:46:39.23\00:46:42.43
The first stage
is the fourth beast
00:46:42.46\00:46:45.00
ruling by itself, no
horns on its head yet,
00:46:45.03\00:46:48.07
then at some point
later on in its history,
00:46:48.10\00:46:51.54
it sprouts ten horns
00:46:51.57\00:46:53.71
and then after the
ten horns are there,
00:46:53.74\00:46:56.18
among the ten and after
them rises a little horn.
00:46:56.21\00:47:00.48
Are you following me or not?
00:47:00.52\00:47:02.35
So this fourth
beast has three stages,
00:47:02.38\00:47:05.79
three consecutive
stages of existence.
00:47:05.82\00:47:09.02
Now what can this
fourth kingdom represent?
00:47:09.06\00:47:14.56
We don't have to guess.
00:47:14.60\00:47:16.00
We don't even have to
go to history to find out.
00:47:16.03\00:47:18.13
You say, "We don't?
00:47:18.17\00:47:19.50
No, you don't.
00:47:19.53\00:47:20.87
Where else in the Bible
do we have a dragon beast
00:47:20.90\00:47:23.14
that has ten horns?
00:47:23.17\00:47:25.44
In Revelation 12,
00:47:25.47\00:47:28.41
have you ever
read Revelation 12?
00:47:28.44\00:47:30.81
It says there that
a woman is with child,
00:47:30.85\00:47:34.45
she's gonna have a baby
00:47:34.48\00:47:36.48
and the dragon with ten
horns stands next to the woman
00:47:36.52\00:47:39.69
to devour her child as
soon as her child is born.
00:47:39.72\00:47:43.19
Let me ask you who is that child
00:47:43.22\00:47:44.66
that's gonna be
born in Revelation 12?
00:47:44.69\00:47:46.43
Christ. Christ.
00:47:46.46\00:47:48.10
What was the kingdom
00:47:48.13\00:47:49.46
that attempted to slay
Christ when he was born?
00:47:49.50\00:47:53.60
Herod, who was a
ruler of what empire?
00:47:53.64\00:47:56.47
The Roman Empire.
00:47:56.50\00:47:57.84
You don't even have
to go to history to know
00:47:57.87\00:47:59.21
what the fourth kingdom is.
00:47:59.24\00:48:01.51
The fourth link
in the chain is what?
00:48:01.54\00:48:04.25
Is the kingdom of
Rome or the Roman Empire.
00:48:04.28\00:48:09.05
Are you following me or not?
00:48:09.08\00:48:10.72
So how long does Rome rule?
00:48:10.75\00:48:13.82
Well, Rome rules
from the year 168 BC
00:48:13.86\00:48:19.59
all the way to the year 476 AD.
00:48:19.63\00:48:24.10
Now let's go to Daniel 7:23-24
00:48:24.13\00:48:28.20
for the interpretation
00:48:28.24\00:48:29.84
of the meaning
of the fourth beast
00:48:29.87\00:48:31.97
and I want you to see
there is a sequence here.
00:48:32.01\00:48:34.24
The fourth beast for
a while rules by itself,
00:48:34.28\00:48:37.51
no horns.
00:48:37.55\00:48:38.91
Then after a
period of existence,
00:48:38.95\00:48:41.12
it sprouts ten
00:48:41.15\00:48:42.72
and then after
the ten are complete,
00:48:42.75\00:48:45.32
the little one comes up.
00:48:45.35\00:48:47.39
I want you to
notice the sequence here
00:48:47.42\00:48:49.22
in Daniel 7:23-24,
00:48:49.26\00:48:52.76
"Thus he said,
00:48:52.79\00:48:54.53
'The fourth beast
shall be a fourth..."
00:48:54.56\00:48:56.26
What?
00:48:56.30\00:48:57.67
Kingdom, also the
beast don't represent kings,
00:48:57.70\00:49:00.24
they represent what?
00:49:00.27\00:49:02.10
Kingdoms, it says,
00:49:02.14\00:49:03.77
"The fourth beast shall
be a fourth kingdom on earth,
00:49:03.81\00:49:06.57
which shall be different
from all other kingdoms,
00:49:06.61\00:49:08.81
and shall
devour the whole earth,
00:49:08.84\00:49:10.38
trample it and
break it in pieces..."
00:49:10.41\00:49:12.48
Now listen carefully to this.
00:49:12.51\00:49:14.18
"The ten horns are ten kings
00:49:14.22\00:49:16.38
who shall arise
from this kingdom...'
00:49:16.42\00:49:20.32
' So must the kingdom exist
00:49:20.36\00:49:21.69
in order for the
ten to arise from it?
00:49:21.72\00:49:23.93
Absolutely, so
we have a sequence.
00:49:23.96\00:49:25.86
Fourth kingdom and then
it says the ten are ten what?
00:49:25.89\00:49:31.33
Horns or kings or kingdoms
00:49:31.37\00:49:34.10
that will arise
from this kingdom
00:49:34.14\00:49:36.14
but that's not the end,
00:49:36.17\00:49:37.51
it continues saying,
00:49:37.54\00:49:38.97
"And another shall rise..."
00:49:39.01\00:49:40.78
When?
00:49:40.81\00:49:42.21
"After them,
00:49:42.24\00:49:43.88
he shall be
different from the first ones,
00:49:43.91\00:49:46.01
and shall subdue..." What?
00:49:46.05\00:49:48.45
"And shall subdue three kings."
00:49:48.48\00:49:50.79
Or three of the ten kingdoms.
00:49:50.82\00:49:54.09
Are you following me or not?
00:49:54.12\00:49:56.12
So what does the
fourth kingdom represent?
00:49:56.16\00:49:59.66
It represents the Roman Empire.
00:49:59.69\00:50:01.16
But the Roman
Empire at least in Daniel 7
00:50:01.20\00:50:03.70
represents three
successive periods
00:50:03.73\00:50:06.53
of the Roman Empire.
00:50:06.57\00:50:08.50
I'm gonna synthesize,
00:50:08.54\00:50:09.87
I'm gonna study this
more in our next lecture,
00:50:09.90\00:50:12.74
but from the year 168 BC,
00:50:12.77\00:50:16.28
all the way down to
around the year 330, 340
00:50:16.31\00:50:21.88
the Roman Empire was
a united Roman Empire.
00:50:21.92\00:50:24.75
But then the barbarians
00:50:24.79\00:50:26.42
began invading the
empire from the north
00:50:26.45\00:50:29.32
and they started dividing up
00:50:29.36\00:50:31.66
what had been the Roman Empire.
00:50:31.69\00:50:33.63
They carved it up,
00:50:33.66\00:50:35.06
the nations of Europe today
00:50:35.10\00:50:37.10
cover the territory
where the Roman Empire was
00:50:37.13\00:50:40.07
but the Roman Empire was divided
00:50:40.10\00:50:41.97
among all of these nations
that are in Europe today,
00:50:42.00\00:50:44.34
each with their own culture,
each with their own language.
00:50:44.37\00:50:47.28
We're gonna study this
00:50:47.31\00:50:48.64
and then once the
Empire had been carved up,
00:50:48.68\00:50:53.55
another power arose among them,
00:50:53.58\00:50:58.15
the little horn
which is the antichrist.
00:50:58.19\00:51:01.42
And the antichrist
ruled for it says time, times
00:51:01.46\00:51:05.96
and the dividing of time.
00:51:05.99\00:51:07.33
We're gonna interpret
that, what that means tomorrow.
00:51:07.36\00:51:09.86
But what I want you
to understand for now is
00:51:09.90\00:51:12.60
that the fourth
beast has three stages.
00:51:12.63\00:51:15.10
The united Roman Empire,
00:51:15.14\00:51:17.27
the divided Roman
Empire and then a little horn,
00:51:17.31\00:51:20.81
which must be Roman
00:51:20.84\00:51:22.24
because it rises from
the head of the fourth beast
00:51:22.28\00:51:24.55
which is Rome.
00:51:24.58\00:51:26.35
Are you following me or not?
00:51:26.38\00:51:28.08
Now I need to
make a clarification
00:51:28.12\00:51:30.45
before we bring our
study today to an end.
00:51:30.49\00:51:34.92
In our next lecture
00:51:34.96\00:51:36.29
we are going to
identify the little horn.
00:51:36.32\00:51:40.10
We're gonna find that
most Palestine's believe
00:51:40.13\00:51:43.57
that the little
horn is an individual,
00:51:43.60\00:51:46.80
but we are going to discover
00:51:46.84\00:51:48.17
that the little horn
is not an individual,
00:51:48.20\00:51:50.11
the little horn is a kingdom.
00:51:50.14\00:51:53.78
The little horn is a
system or an organization
00:51:53.81\00:51:56.85
that has a succession of rulers
00:51:56.88\00:51:59.31
just like all
of the other powers
00:51:59.35\00:52:00.82
that we've studied about.
00:52:00.85\00:52:03.45
There's one thing that I
want to make absolutely clear
00:52:03.49\00:52:05.69
in preparation
for our study tomorrow
00:52:05.72\00:52:08.22
and that is
00:52:08.26\00:52:09.66
that there are scores of
sincere loving Christians
00:52:09.69\00:52:12.26
within the system.
00:52:12.29\00:52:15.00
They love the Lord
00:52:15.03\00:52:17.03
and they serve the
Lord the best they can
00:52:17.07\00:52:19.57
according to the
knowledge that they have.
00:52:19.60\00:52:22.40
So when we speak about
this little horn power tomorrow,
00:52:22.44\00:52:25.27
it's no
reflection on individuals.
00:52:25.31\00:52:29.71
It's a reflection on a system,
00:52:29.74\00:52:32.15
an apostate religious system.
00:52:32.18\00:52:35.78
We're speaking
about the organization,
00:52:35.82\00:52:38.42
we're not speaking
about all of the individuals
00:52:38.45\00:52:41.06
that are within
this organization.
00:52:41.09\00:52:44.39
Now this power is referred
to with different names.
00:52:44.43\00:52:47.83
It's called the king
of the north in Daniel 11.
00:52:47.86\00:52:50.77
It's called the
harlot in Revelation 17.
00:52:50.80\00:52:53.54
It's called the man of
sin in 2 Thessalonians 2.
00:52:53.57\00:52:56.74
It's called the
little horn in Daniel 7-8.
00:52:56.77\00:52:59.61
It's called the abomination
of desolation in Mathew 24.
00:52:59.64\00:53:02.98
It's called the
beast in Revelation 13
00:53:03.01\00:53:05.41
which we're gonna study
00:53:05.45\00:53:06.78
and it's referred to as
the antichrist in 1 John 2.
00:53:06.82\00:53:10.65
In other words,
this power has many names
00:53:10.69\00:53:12.69
and many nuances
in the scriptures,
00:53:12.72\00:53:15.62
we're gonna
take a look primarily
00:53:15.66\00:53:17.69
at Daniel 7 and Revelation 13.
00:53:17.73\00:53:21.43
Now somebody might
say, "But, Pastor Bohr,
00:53:21.46\00:53:23.13
how can you distinguish
individuals from the system
00:53:23.16\00:53:27.00
when the individuals
are within the system?"
00:53:27.04\00:53:30.37
Perhaps, the best illustration
that I've been able to provide
00:53:30.41\00:53:33.61
is the apostate Jewish
church are the days of Christ.
00:53:33.64\00:53:39.11
You look at the
apostate Jewish church
00:53:39.15\00:53:40.82
in the days of
Christ, the corporate church,
00:53:40.85\00:53:42.72
the organization or
the system of Judaism
00:53:42.75\00:53:46.39
and you'll
discover that the scribes,
00:53:46.42\00:53:48.29
the Pharisees and the Sadducees
00:53:48.32\00:53:49.86
which were the
leaders of the nation
00:53:49.89\00:53:51.63
were incorrigibly corrupt.
00:53:51.66\00:53:55.06
The Sanhedrin,
00:53:55.10\00:53:56.53
the governing body
pronounced the death sentence
00:53:56.56\00:53:58.43
against Jesus several
times during his life,
00:53:58.47\00:54:01.04
this apostate
religious organization.
00:54:01.07\00:54:04.01
Jesus gave a scathing
rebuke of this system.
00:54:04.04\00:54:09.21
He called the
leaders blind guides,
00:54:09.24\00:54:13.05
whited sepulchers,
00:54:13.08\00:54:14.75
hypocrites, murderers,
00:54:14.78\00:54:17.05
generation of
vipers and serpents.
00:54:17.09\00:54:19.39
Those are names that
politically incorrect names
00:54:19.42\00:54:22.89
that Jesus used to
describe the leadership
00:54:22.92\00:54:25.63
of this apostate
religious system.
00:54:25.66\00:54:28.93
And then Jesus said,
00:54:28.96\00:54:30.90
"How will you escape
the condemnation of hell?"
00:54:30.93\00:54:34.24
And he promised to take
away the kingdom from them
00:54:34.27\00:54:37.17
and give the kingdom
to a nation that produced
00:54:37.21\00:54:40.11
the fruits thereof.
00:54:40.14\00:54:41.51
Quite a scathing
rebuke if you read Mathew 23,
00:54:41.54\00:54:44.65
but listen carefully.
00:54:44.68\00:54:46.01
Not every one in the system
00:54:46.05\00:54:49.32
really had the
heart in the system,
00:54:49.35\00:54:52.29
not every individual
00:54:52.32\00:54:53.66
within the apostate
system was apostate.
00:54:53.69\00:54:56.69
There were many
sincere loving people
00:54:56.73\00:54:58.63
within the system.
00:54:58.66\00:55:00.26
They really did not have
the philosophy of the system.
00:55:00.30\00:55:02.96
They serve God to the
best of their knowledge.
00:55:03.00\00:55:05.73
For example,
00:55:05.77\00:55:07.10
we could
mention the 12 apostles,
00:55:07.14\00:55:08.67
the apostles were
within the system.
00:55:08.70\00:55:11.41
Nicodemus, the man
who met Jesus by night,
00:55:11.44\00:55:15.38
who later became a
champion of Christianity,
00:55:15.41\00:55:17.91
he was a member
of the ruling body
00:55:17.95\00:55:20.18
of the Sanhedrin.
00:55:20.22\00:55:21.58
We have Joseph of Arimathea,
00:55:21.62\00:55:23.72
the individual who
provide Jesus his tomb.
00:55:23.75\00:55:26.62
He later became
00:55:26.65\00:55:27.99
a strong
supporter of Christianity.
00:55:28.02\00:55:29.79
We have the wise Gamaliel,
00:55:29.82\00:55:32.09
you remember the story
00:55:32.13\00:55:33.46
when Peter and John
were being persecuted
00:55:33.50\00:55:35.26
they wanted to lynch them,
00:55:35.30\00:55:36.63
the leadership
wanted to lynch them
00:55:36.67\00:55:38.23
and Gamaliel said don't do it,
00:55:38.27\00:55:39.70
if this is of God,
00:55:39.73\00:55:41.07
nobody is gonna able to stop it.
00:55:41.10\00:55:42.44
And if it's not of God,
00:55:42.47\00:55:43.94
then it will
disappear on its own.
00:55:43.97\00:55:46.47
He gave wise counsel
00:55:46.51\00:55:47.94
and he saved the
two servants of God
00:55:47.98\00:55:49.61
and he became a
follower of Jesus.
00:55:49.64\00:55:52.31
And then we have Saul of Tarsus,
00:55:52.35\00:55:54.72
oh, people he became
the great Apostle Paul
00:55:54.75\00:55:57.19
a persecutor of the church.
00:55:57.22\00:55:59.05
He was also in the
system, believe it or not,
00:55:59.09\00:56:01.92
but he was not,
00:56:01.96\00:56:03.29
his heart was really
not part of the system
00:56:03.32\00:56:05.53
even though he
was in the system.
00:56:05.56\00:56:07.03
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:56:07.06\00:56:08.56
An organization can be apostate
00:56:08.60\00:56:11.03
without all of the individuals
00:56:11.07\00:56:12.90
within the
system being apostate.
00:56:12.93\00:56:16.20
In fact we're told in Acts 6:7
00:56:16.24\00:56:19.34
that shortly after
the day of Pentecost,
00:56:19.37\00:56:22.08
scores of priests and
members of the apostate church
00:56:22.11\00:56:25.91
left the apostate church
00:56:25.95\00:56:27.65
and joined the Christian church.
00:56:27.68\00:56:30.92
It says there in Acts 6:7,
00:56:30.95\00:56:33.09
"Then the word of God spread,
00:56:33.12\00:56:35.26
and the number of the disciples
00:56:35.29\00:56:36.86
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
00:56:36.89\00:56:39.19
and a great many of the priests
were obedient to the faith."
00:56:39.23\00:56:43.13
Even ministers
came out of the system
00:56:43.16\00:56:45.53
and they joined
the Christian church.
00:56:45.57\00:56:48.00
So in the following lecture
00:56:48.04\00:56:49.70
we'll be talking
about the little horn system
00:56:49.74\00:56:53.61
or what the Bible
calls the beast system,
00:56:53.64\00:56:56.21
not the
individuals in the system.
00:56:56.24\00:56:59.68
There are many
individuals within the system
00:56:59.71\00:57:01.72
that truly love the Lord.
00:57:01.75\00:57:04.19
In fact, some of
them love the Lord
00:57:04.22\00:57:06.32
probably more than some of us.
00:57:06.35\00:57:10.33
And yet they don't realize that
00:57:10.36\00:57:12.23
they're within apostate system
00:57:12.26\00:57:13.96
and the call need to be
given to them to come out
00:57:14.00\00:57:17.10
and to join God's true system
00:57:17.13\00:57:20.84
that teaches a truth
as its found in the Bible.
00:57:20.87\00:57:24.51
So what have we seen
in the prophetic chain?
00:57:24.54\00:57:27.14
Babylon, Medo-Persia,
00:57:27.18\00:57:29.91
Greece, the Roman Empire,
00:57:29.94\00:57:32.45
the divided Roman Empire
00:57:32.48\00:57:34.22
and then the
little horn governing.
00:57:34.25\00:57:37.49
Are you seeing the links?
00:57:37.52\00:57:38.95
We've moved from
the kingdom of Babylon
00:57:38.99\00:57:41.26
all the way to the
time of the little horn
00:57:41.29\00:57:43.89
which is a
different kind of Rome,
00:57:43.93\00:57:48.00
and we will study that in
our next exciting episode,
00:57:48.03\00:57:51.93
so don't miss
our study tomorrow,
00:57:51.97\00:57:54.90
"Who is The Little Horn?"
00:57:54.94\00:57:57.37