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Series Code: TPP
Program Code: TPP000001A
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00:19 Let's bow our heads for prayer. 00:22 Father in heaven we thank you for the privilege of being here 00:25 in this beautiful place. 00:28 We asked for the presence of your Holy Spirit 00:30 as we open your holy word. 00:32 Open our minds and hearts to understand 00:34 and receive the truth. Help us also to proclaim it, 00:39 and we thank you for hearing and answering our prayer 00:41 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus, Amen. 00:48 Our primary focus in this series of meetings 00:52 is going to be identifying the famous Antichrist of Scripture. 01:00 The Bible tells us 01:01 that there will be an Antichrist at the end of time, 01:06 and that there will be a remnant that will resist its power. 01:11 So it's very important that we understand who the Antichrist is 01:16 and who the remnant is. 01:19 Now, we are going to try and answer three questions. 01:24 Number one, who is the antichrist? 01:30 Number two, at what stage of history does he appear? 01:36 And number three, what will the antichrist act like? 01:42 So basically who he is, when he rises, and what he does. 01:48 Now in the course of Christian history 01:50 there are many candidates that have been proposed 01:54 as the antichrist. 01:56 Christians have every time that a nasty individual appears, 02:00 Christians seem to say well that's the antichrist. 02:03 Let me just mentioned some of those that in the course 02:06 of the last hundred and fifty years 02:08 have been proposed as candidates as the antichrist 02:13 when they rose. There were some that believe 02:17 that Benito Mussolini was the antichrist. 02:21 He was the premiere of Italy, and he ruled from 1922 to 1943. 02:27 Obviously he wasn't the antichrist 02:29 because they hung him in the public square. 02:32 Then a little bit later 02:34 they thought that perhaps that might be Adolf Hitler, 02:37 who was the Führer of Germany from 1934 to 1945. 02:42 But of course he wasn't, because he committed suicide. 02:47 Others thought that it might be the Ayatollah Khomeini, 02:50 the founder of the Islamic Republic 02:53 who led the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah. 03:00 But he's dead. He wasn't the Antichrist. 03:03 Some thought that it might be Yasser Arafat, 03:07 who was the chairman of the PLO, 03:11 the President of the Palestinian Authority. 03:14 He's dead now, he wasn't it. 03:18 Some people thought that it might be Henry Kissinger, 03:22 who was the secretary of state 03:23 during the time of President Richard Nixon. 03:31 Others thought that it might be Saddam Hussein, 03:34 but of course we know that he was hung. 03:38 More recently I was watching a video, 03:40 an hour and a half video, that suggests that it might be 03:43 Barack Obama. 03:46 And even more recently some have thought that it might be 03:49 Donald Trump. I've heard Christians say that. 03:54 Now for most evangelicals, for most Protestants 03:58 with the exception of the Adventist Church, 04:01 the antichrist will be a nasty individual 04:04 that is going to rise at the end of time 04:06 after the rapture of the church. 04:09 This individual will rebuild the Jewish temple. 04:13 He will make an image of himself and command everyone to worship 04:16 that image in his honor. 04:19 He will impose a tattoo on the forehead 04:22 or on the right hand of all of his followers. 04:26 He will persecute the Jews after the church 04:29 has been raptured to heaven, 04:31 and he will rule for three and a half literal years. 04:35 You turn your television on on Sunday 04:37 and you watch any of the television evangelists 04:40 from the United States, 04:41 you'll find that this is the scenario 04:44 that is being taught in Protestantism today. 04:50 Obviously, all of the individuals that are mentioned 04:54 are just guesses, but we don't need to guess. 05:00 We don't need to conjecture about who the antichrist is, 05:05 because the Bible makes it very clear 05:06 when the Antichrist would arise, 05:09 where the Antichrist would arise, 05:13 and what the Antichrist would be like. 05:17 Now in this series that we're going to study 05:21 we shall follow a careful, disciplined, systematic, 05:27 logical approach to studying Bible prophecy. 05:32 There will be no guesswork, 05:35 no unfounded assumptions, no conjecturing. 05:41 We will use the method that the Bible itself uses 05:45 to explain Bible prophecy. It's known as historicism. 05:51 I prefer to call it the historical flow method. 05:56 Basically historicism teaches, or the historical flow method 05:59 teaches that the great lines of prophecy 06:03 begin in the time when the prophet wrote. 06:07 And then prophecy is fulfilled 06:10 in a chronological sequence of events 06:13 culminating with the setting up of Christ's everlasting Kingdom. 06:19 In other words, in the historical flow method 06:21 you can know exactly where you are at each moment 06:25 in the course of the chain of prophecy, 06:28 because you know where the prophecy begins, 06:30 where the chain begins, you know where the chain is going to end, 06:34 and therefore, you can see all of the different lengths 06:37 of the chain in between. 06:41 So basically the historical method, 06:43 or the historical flow method if you please, 06:47 begins in the day when the prophet wrote, 06:50 concludes when Christ sets up his everlasting Kingdom, 06:55 and in between, you can see all of the steps 06:57 that take place between one event and the other 07:00 so we can know exactly where we are 07:02 in the flow of prophetic history. 07:06 Now something else that we need to understand 07:09 as we studied the prophecies. 07:12 Not only must we use the historical flow method 07:15 or historicism as our governing principle. 07:18 We also must understand 07:20 that prophecy is dealing with symbols, 07:24 and symbols cannot be taken literally. 07:28 For example, 07:29 there is not such a thing as lions with eagle's wings. 07:35 There are not leopards that have four heads and four wings. 07:41 There is not a bear that is a hunchback higher on one side 07:44 than on the other. 07:46 There is no such thing as a dragon that has ten horns 07:49 and suddenly a little horn rises and knocks off three of them. 07:54 Obviously we are dealing with symbols, 07:57 and symbols have to be decoded. 07:59 In other words, we have to determine what their meaning is. 08:03 And of course the question is how can we determine 08:06 the meaning of a symbol. It's very simple. 08:10 Many times the symbol is explained in the very context 08:15 that we're studying, 08:18 but when the symbol is not explained in the context 08:21 that we are studying, other places of the Bible 08:25 will help us understand the meaning of the symbol. 08:29 So, if the meaning of the symbol is explained in the context, 08:33 all good. 08:35 But if it isn't, there are other places in the Bible 08:38 that explain the symbols. You see, God placed in the Bible 08:43 everything we need to understand the Bible. 08:46 There is nothing in the Bible that is an enigma 08:50 and they cannot be explained by other texts 08:52 that we find in the Scriptures. 08:55 Now, our study this evening is going to be based on Daniel 7. 09:02 And there is a reason why we're going to study Daniel 7. 09:04 It's because it is closely linked with 09:08 Revelation chapter 13. 09:10 So we're going to take a look at these two chapters, 09:13 and Revelation 13 we're going to do it very briefly, 09:16 we're going to look at these two chapters to see 09:19 if we can catch the flow of the historical flow method. 09:26 Now, it's important to recognize the date of Daniel chapter 7. 09:32 Daniel chapter 7 was actually written, 09:36 or at least the vision Daniel had was in the year 550 B.C.. 09:42 Five-hundred and fifty years before Christ. 09:45 Now eleven years later the kingdom of Babylon 09:49 was going to fall. 09:50 So basically everything that we have in Daniel 7 09:54 is future from the time that Daniel received the vision. 09:58 That's amazing because we're going to find 10:01 a precise description of a chain of events in history. 10:06 One event right after another. Beginning with Babylon 10:10 and ending with the setting up of Christ's everlasting Kingdom. 10:14 So let's go to Daniel chapter 7, and let's analyze this chapter 10:19 and see if we can understand how prophetic history flows 10:24 where it begins and where it ends. 10:28 Let's go to Daniel chapter 7 verses 1 and 2. 10:32 << In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, 10:37 Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. 10:42 Then he wrote down the dream telling the main facts. 10:46 Daniel spoke saying, I saw in my vision by night and behold 10:51 four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. >> 10:56 And we have two symbols here. 10:58 We have the four winds, and we have the great sea. 11:03 So the question is, what is meant by the four winds 11:07 and what is meant by the great sea? 11:09 Well go with me, if you have your Bibles, 11:11 to Isaiah 17 verse 12. 11:13 I know we usually use Revelation 17 verse 15, 11:17 where it says that the waters upon which the harlot sits 11:20 are multitudes nations tongues and peoples. 11:22 But I believe that there's a better text to explain 11:25 what the waters represent then Revelation chapter 17 verse 15. 11:29 Isaiah 17 verse 12. 11:33 Here it says, << Woe to the multitude of many people, 11:39 who make a noise like the roar of the seas; 11:44 ..So what does the roar of the seas represent? 11:47 Many what? Many people. 11:50 And then the second half of the verse expands upon it. 11:52 The second half says.. and to the rushing of nations, 11:57 that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!>> 12:03 So what does the rushing of the mighty waters represent? 12:06 The rushing of what? Of nations, the rushing of nations. 12:10 And what happens when the winds hit the waves of the sea? 12:15 Oh the sea becomes agitated. 12:17 So the winds represent strife and wars among nations 12:22 in order to gain the supremacy. 12:24 In fact, Ellen White in great controversy page 440 12:30 wrote this about the meaning of the winds. 12:33 << Winds are a symbol of strife. 12:36 The four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea 12:41 represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution 12:46 by which kingdoms have attained to power.>> 12:49 So once again, winds are a symbol of strife. 12:53 The four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea 12:57 represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution 13:00 by which kingdoms have attained to power. 13:02 And so these four beast they're fighting among each other 13:06 and there's turmoil among the nations where they're rising. 13:10 Now let's notice the vision itself. 13:13 Let's notice the beast that are mentioned in this vision. 13:17 Daniel chapter 7 verse 3. 13:20 << And four great beasts came up from the sea, 13:25 each different from the other.>> 13:28 So you have four beast that come up from the sea 13:30 and so immediately you'd say, 13:31 well, what do these four beasts represent? 13:34 What do they symbolize? 13:36 Well, the good news is that the very context explains 13:40 what the four beasts represent. Notice verse 17: 13:46 << Those great beasts, which are four, 13:50 are four kings which arise out of the earth.>> 13:55 Now we need to understand that there's no such thing as a king 13:58 without a kingdom. 14:00 So they are not merely four kings, 14:03 they are four kings that rule over kingdoms. 14:06 In other words, the four beasts represent kingdoms 14:09 and you say how do we know that? 14:11 Well go with me to Daniel chapter 2, 14:13 Daniel chapter 2 and verse 38. 14:16 Daniel chapter 2 verse 38. This is another vision, 14:19 the vision or the dream of the image 14:22 that Nebuchadnezzar had. 14:24 And Daniel chapter 2 and verse 38, 14:27 Daniel is speaking to the king and he says this: 14:31 << And where so ever the Children of Men dwell, 14:33 the beasts of the field in the fowls of the Heaven 14:37 hath he given into thine hand, 14:39 and if made the ruler over them all. 14:41 Thou art this head of gold.>> 14:44 So Daniel says to Nebuchadnezzar you are the what? 14:48 You are the head of gold. 14:49 But now notice what the next verse says, verse 39 14:52 Verse 39 says: < 14:58 So was Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon a kingdom? 15:02 Yes, because another kingdom is going to arise 15:05 after your kingdom is what God is saying. 15:07 So, in other words, beasts, yes they represent kings 15:11 but kings that rule over kingdoms. 15:14 We have another way of knowing this. 15:16 If you go with me to Daniel Chapter 7, 15:18 well you'll see that a king 15:19 and a kingdom are interchangeable. 15:22 In Daniel Chapter 7 and verse 23 15:24 that speaks about the fourth beast of Daniel 7. 15:27 Daniel 7 verse 23 15:29 it's speaking about the fourth of these four beats 15:31 that come forth from the from the sea. 15:34 It says, << Thus he said: 15:36 the fourth beast shall be the fourth ..what?.. 15:39 kingdom upon the earth...>> 15:41 So do the beast represent kingdoms? 15:43 They most certainly do. So, basically the context itself 15:48 tells us what the beast represent. 15:50 They represent four successive kingdoms 15:54 that will rule upon the earth. 15:57 Now don't be surprised when you find beasts in prophecy. 16:02 And these beasts represent kingdoms or represent nations, 16:06 because even today beasts represent nations. 16:11 Nations have their mascot so to speak. 16:14 For example, what is the mascot of the United States? 16:18 The bald eagle. What is the mascot of Russia? 16:22 A bear. What is the mascot of England? 16:25 A lion. What is the mascot of China? 16:30 Actually, it's actually a dragon. 16:34 Australia, the red kangaroo. Bangladesh, the Bengal tiger. 16:39 Canada, the North American Beaver. 16:42 Colombia, the Andean condor. 16:44 In France, the Gallic rooster. In other words, 16:46 practically every nation has their own mascot. 16:49 Animals represent kingdoms. 16:51 And so it shouldn't surprise us that in Daniel chapter 7 16:55 these animals that rise from the sea, 16:58 that are carnivorous, 17:00 represent various nations or various kingdoms. 17:04 So let's take a look at the first beast 17:06 that rises in the midst of the turmoil of the nations. 17:12 Daniel chapter 7 verse 4 gives us the starting point 17:16 for the great prophetic chain. Remember that phrase, 17:21 Daniel 7:4 gives us the starting point of the chain. 17:26 And then Daniel 7 is gonna give us 17:28 all of the other links of the chain 17:31 when we connect Daniel 7 with Revelation chapter 13. 17:35 It says there in Daniel 7 verse 4: 17:38 << The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. 17:44 I watched till its wings were plucked off; 17:48 and it was lifted up from the earth 17:50 and made to stand on two feet like a man, 17:53 and a man's heart was given to it.>> 17:57 Now it's interesting Nebuchadnezzar, 17:59 at the main entrances to the ancient city of Babylon, 18:03 placed lion's sphinxes at those entrances. 18:07 Archaeologists have dug up what was ancient Babylon 18:10 and they've discovered lion sphinxes 18:14 at the entrances the main entrances to the city. 18:16 So we know that the lion was something very important 18:19 for King Nebuchadnezzar. 18:20 So that's probably why God would tell him 18:23 that Babylon represented the lion. 18:24 He would feel very comfortable with that idea. 18:28 Now the lion not only is found in the entrances of Babylon 18:34 but the Bible itself identifies the lion as Babylon. 18:38 You say whereas that, Jeremiah chapter 4 verse 7. 18:42 Jeremiah chapter 4 verse 7 18:44 tells us that the lion represents Babylon. 18:47 See, Daniel 7 doesn't tell us the lion represents 18:50 Babylon. It just says that Daniel saw a lion 18:53 that rose from the sea in the midst of the winds 18:56 but it doesn't say that the lion represents 18:57 Babylon. 18:59 So we go to other texts where the line is identified. 19:02 Notice Jeremiah chapter 4 and verse 7. Is speaking about 19:08 Babylon, the invasion of Babylon into Judah 19:12 to destroy Jerusalem, eventually. 19:15 It says: << The lion has come up from his thicket, 19:19 and the destroyer of nations is on his way. 19:24 He has gone forth from his place to make your land desolate. 19:27 ..God is speaking to the Jews, your land, the Jewish land.. 19:31 Your cities (God says to the Jewish nation) 19:35 will be laid waste without inhabitant.>> 19:40 And so Jeremiah chapter 4 Verse 7 19:42 clearly uses the lion as a symbol of the conquest 19:46 Nebuchadnezzar does of the Holy Land, 19:49 and ultimately of Jerusalem. 19:52 Now what about the Eagle's wings? 19:54 The Eagle's wings also are connected with Babylon. 19:58 Notice Ezekiel chapter 17 and we'll read versus 2 and 3 20:02 and then we'll jump down to verse 12. 20:05 Ezekiel chapter 17 verse 2, verse 3, and then verse 12. 20:10 It says there: << Son of man, pose a riddle, 20:15 and speak a parable to the house of Israel, and say, 20:20 Thus says the Lord God: ..listen carefully now.. 20:24 "A great eagle with large wings and long pinions, 20:29 full of feathers of various colors, 20:32 came to Lebanon and took from the cedar the highest branch.>> 20:37 So what does that great eagle with large wings 20:41 and its feathers represent? 20:43 Well we go down to verse 12 that tells us 20:45 what the wings represent. It says here in verse 12, 20:49 << "Say now to the rebellious house: 20:52 ..that's once again to Israel.. 20:54 'Do you not know what these things mean?' 20:56 ..don't you know what the eagle 20:58 with the eagle's wings represents?.. 21:01 Tell them, indeed the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem 21:07 and took its king and princes, 21:09 and led them with him to Babylon.>> 21:12 So you see the lion in other places of scripture 21:15 is identified with Babylon, 21:18 and the eagle's wings are also identified with Babylon. 21:22 So we know that this first Kingdom 21:24 even though it's not identified in Daniel 7 represents 21:27 what, it represents Babylon. 21:29 That's where the prophetic chain begins. 21:33 That's the first link of the chain. 21:36 Now, what is the meaning of the wings being plucked off 21:40 and the lion being given the heart of a man. 21:45 Well if lion if the wings represent swiftness to conquer, 21:50 if the wings are plucked off it means that this beast 21:53 is going to cease to be a conquering beast, 21:56 is going to lose its power. And by the way, 21:59 how much courage does a lion have with a man's heart. 22:04 You know I don't know if you've ever heard, 22:06 but in England there was a king 22:08 who was known as Richard the Lionheart. 22:11 And the reason why he was called Richard the Lionheart 22:14 is because he was a great leader and a great warrior. 22:18 But a lion with a man's heart doesn't give you much fear. 22:24 And so what the prophecy is saying 22:27 is that eventually Babylon was going to lose its power. 22:31 Its swiftness in conquering was going to leave, 22:34 and it will no longer have the courage to go out 22:37 and conquer.But then we have a second beast. 22:41 It's in Daniel chapter 7 and verse 5, 22:43 Daniel 7 and verse 5. It says, 22:46 << And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. 22:52 ..And this is a lopsided bear, this interesting bear. 22:55 It says.. It was raised up on one side, 22:59 (it was higher on one side than on the other) 23:02 and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. 23:06 And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!'>> 23:12 So you'll say, so what would this lopsided bear higher 23:16 on one side than on the other represent? 23:20 Well in Daniel chapter 7 we don't have the explanation 23:23 of what the bear represents and what the bear symbolizes. 23:26 We have to go to the very next chapter, chapter 8. 23:30 Let's go to Daniel chapter 8 and read verses 3 and 4. 23:35 Daniel 8 verses 3 and 4. See the Bible explains itself. 23:41 The Bible is its own interpreter, its own expositor. 23:45 You know, you don't have to depend on what the scholars say 23:48 although I'm not against scholars. 23:51 But we need to study scripture for ourselves, 23:53 and the Bible explains itself. 23:55 Notice chapter 8 and verses 3 and 4. 23:59 << Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, 24:02 there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: 24:09 and the two horns were high; 24:12 but one was higher than the other, ..ahh, 24:17 a bear that's higher on one side than on the other. 24:21 And here you have this ram that has two horns one 24:24 is higher than the other. Are you with me, or not? 24:27 And then another interesting detail is given.. 24:30 and the higher came up last.>> 24:34 When you look at the history that is being described here, 24:39 the fulfillment is remarkable. What does the ram represent? 24:43 All we have to do is go to verse 20. 24:45 in verse 20 of chapter 8 it says: 24:48 << The ram which thou sawest having two horns 24:52 are the kings of Media and Persia.>> 24:56 So we know what the second kingdom is. 24:58 The second kingdom is the Medes and Persians, two kingdoms. 25:02 Now here's the interesting detail. 25:04 Even though this nation was composed of two kingdoms, 25:08 a dual kingdom, 25:11 the first two kings of Medo-Persia were Medes, 25:15 and every single king after that was a Persian. 25:20 So the most prominent horn came up last. 25:23 Just like the prophecy says. 25:26 And so we know that the second beast is the Medes and Persians, 25:29 and by the way, Daniel itself tells us that. 25:33 You remember Belshazzar feast that he was having 25:36 when the city was surrounded by the Medes and Persians? 25:40 Well the handwriting on the wall. 25:42 Your kingdom is removed from you and is given to whom? 25:45 To the Medes and Persians. 25:47 And that night the kingdom passed of the Medes and Persians. 25:50 So, the second link in the chain represents what nation? 25:54 It represents Medo-Persia. 25:57 By the way, the three ribs in the mouth of this bear 26:01 represent the three kingdoms within the Babylonian kingdom 26:07 that were conquered by Medo-Persia in order 26:10 for Medo-Persia to rise to power. 26:13 Those three kingdoms within the kingdom of Babylon were, Lydia, 26:19 which today is Turkey Anatolia. 26:22 and that they were conquered in 547 B.C. 26:26 The second one is the city of Babylon 26:28 which was overcome in the year five thirty-nine, 26:31 and the third was Egypt which was overcome in the year 26:34 five twenty-five B.C. 26:37 So the three ribs were fulfilled exactly 26:39 and precisely just like everything else 26:42 that we find in the description about the bear. 26:45 But now we have a third beast. This beast is a leopard, 26:50 so go with me to Daniel chapter 7, 26:53 and let's read verse 6. Daniel Chapter 7 and verse 6. 26:58 << After this I looked, and there was another, like a 27:01 leopard, ..is the leopard a swift animal? Is it? 27:07 Ohh yeah but this is a super swift leopard, 27:10 because not only is that a leopard a swift animal, 27:12 but it says it was.. 27:13 like a leopard which had on its back four wings of a bird. 27:18 ..So this must be a much faster conquering power 27:22 than was Nebuchadnezzar, 27:23 because Nebuchadnezzar's lion only had two wings. 27:26 The leopard is a fast animal. 27:28 It has four wings. And then it says,.. 27:31 And the beast also had four heads, 27:34 and dominion was given to it.>> 27:38 Daniel 7 doesn't interpret the symbols. 27:41 It doesn't tell us really what the leopard represents, 27:45 it doesn't tell us what the four wings represent 27:47 and why a leopard is used, 27:49 and it doesn't tell us what the four heads represent. 27:52 But the good news is that chapter 8 does. 27:56 See you allow scripture to interpret scripture. 27:59 Let's go back to Daniel Chapter 8, 28:02 and notice here verses 5 through 8. 28:05 Daniel 8 verses 5 through 8. 28:08 Bible is its own interpreter its own explanation. 28:11 It says in verse 5, 28:13 And as I was considering, behold, 28:16 and he goat came from the West on the face of the whole earth, 28:21 and touched not the ground: .. so what kind of a goat is this? 28:26 It's a flying goat because it's not touching the ground. 28:31 It's swift, and so it says, ..and touch not the ground: 28:35 and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 28:38 ..This detail is not in Daniel 7. 28:40 We're going to see a little bit later 28:42 what the notable horn represents. 28:44 But then it continues saying in verse 6.. 28:46 And he came to the ram (that's the previous power) 28:50 ...he came to the ram that had two horns, 28:52 which I had seen standing before the river, 28:55 and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 28:59 And I saw him come close onto the ram, 29:02 and he was moved with choler (that means anger) 29:05 against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: 29:10 And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, 29:13 but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: 29:17 and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 29:20 ..So was the ram going to cease to govern? 29:23 Cease to rule?, of course. 29:25 And who was going to destroy the Medo-Persian kingdom. 29:28 There was going to be the leopard. 29:31 Now, what about the notable horn 29:35 that is mentioned in the prophecy and the four heads? 29:39 Noticed verse 8.. 29:41 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: 29:44 and when he was strong, 29:46 ..in other words, when this kingdom was strong.. 29:49 the great horn was broken; ..and now notice this.. 29:55 and for it came up four notable ones toward 30:00 the four winds of heaven.>> In Daniel 8 you have four horns, 30:07 in Daniel 7 the leopard has four heads. 30:12 The leopard is swift with wings, 30:15 the he goat flies through the air. 30:18 So the question is what does the leopard represent? 30:21 Daniel 8 tells us. 30:22 Notice verses 21 and 22, verses 21 and 22. 30:27 << And the rough goat is the king of Greece: 30:32 ..so the third kingdom is which kingdom? 30:35 It says Grecia in the King James Version, 30:39 that means Greece. And then it says.. 30:42 and the great horned that is between his eyes 30:45 is the first king.>> 30:47 Who was the first king of the Grecian Kingdom? 30:51 Alexander the Great. 30:53 Do you know how long it took Alexander the Great 30:56 to conquer the whole known world from Mesopotamia 31:01 all the way down to Egypt, 31:02 which was the civilized world of that time?. 31:05 It took him nine years to conquer the world. 31:10 And when he was thirty-one years old 31:12 he had nothing more to conquer. 31:15 And so, in a party he got so drunk 31:19 he intoxicating himself so much that he died of intoxication. 31:24 At thirty-one years of age. 31:26 So history shows that he was very fast to conquer, 31:30 just like the leopard, 31:31 and just like the he goat that flies through the air. 31:34 So it says here the great horn is the first king, 31:38 and then verse 22 says: 31:40 << Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, 31:44 four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, 31:48 but not in his power.>> That was literally fulfilled. 31:52 Because Alexander the Great had no successors. 31:56 And so when he died the Grecian kingdom 32:00 was split into four portions. 32:02 And the four kingdoms into which it was split 32:05 were the Antagonists, 32:06 which would be Macedonia, the Colonies, 32:09 which at that time was Egypt, the Seleucids which is Greece 32:14 and the accolades which is the kingdom of Pergamum 32:18 and so exactly like this prophecy says, 32:22 this was a swift power to conquer. 32:25 This was a power that had a notable 32:28 King that was swift to conquer and when he died four horns 32:33 came up which are the four heads of the leopard 32:36 does Daniel 8 help us understand Daniel 7? 32:39 It most certainly does. 32:41 Now we don't even have to go to history books 32:43 to know what the three first three kingdoms 32:45 are go with me to Daniel eight. 32:48 Once again in verse twenty one it says 32:50 and the rough goat is the king of Grecia so the Bible 32:54 itself identifies the third kingdom as Greece. 32:57 So do you have to go to history books 32:59 to know that the first kingdom is Babylon? 33:02 No. Do you have to go to history books 33:03 to know that the second kingdom is Medo-Persia? 33:06 No because you go to Daniel 5. 33:08 Do you need to go to the history books 33:10 to know that the third kingdom is Greece. 33:12 No because Daniel Chapter 8 tells you it's Greece. 33:16 Are you following me? 33:18 This is the great prophetic chain. 33:21 So we have three links so far Babylon, Medo Persia, 33:25 Greece, Greece with no gaps no parentheses one kingdom 33:30 falls the next rises in other words 33:31 it's one event in sequence to the previous event. 33:36 And then we have a fourth beast Daniel chapter 7 and verse 7. 33:41 This is a dragon beast. 33:44 It is not called a dragon and Daniel 7 33:47 but it sure acts like one. In Revelation 33:49 it is called a dragon. It says in Daniel 7 verse 7. 33:54 << After this I saw in the night visions 33:57 and behold a fourth beast dreadful and terrible. 34:03 Exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth. 34:08 It was devouring breaking in pieces 34:11 and trampling the residue with its feet. 34:15 It was different from all the beasts that were before it 34:18 and it had 10 horns.>> 34:23 We don't know if they even got to history 34:24 to know what the fourth kingdom is. 34:28 Because when you go to Revelation chapter 12 34:31 it speaks of a great red dragon 34:35 and it speaks about a woman who has a child in her womb. 34:41 And the dragon is waiting to devour the child 34:43 as soon as the child is born. 34:46 By the way this dragon has 10 horns. 34:48 Just like the dragon of Daniel Chapter 7 has ten horns. 34:51 Let me ask you who is that woman that is with child 34:54 that is gonna bring the child into the world literally. 34:57 It is Mary and who is the child? 34:59 The child is Jesus, who is the dragon? 35:04 Well the dragon is the devil. But that's not the whole story. 35:08 Because the devil he doesn't show himself, 35:11 the devil works through the civil powers of the world 35:13 to accomplish his purposes. 35:15 Who was it that attempted to kill Jesus? 35:18 Well the devil wanted to kill him 35:19 but the devil used Herod a political ruler 35:22 to try and kill Jesus. 35:24 Just like the devil used Pharaoh to try and kill Moses. 35:28 You see the devil's in the background. 35:29 He uses the civil powers of the world to try to destroy. 35:33 So this fourth kingdom would be the Roman Empire. 35:37 The Bible identifies it that the Roman Empire. 35:39 You don't even have to read read world history books 35:42 to know what the first four kingdoms represent. 35:46 Now there's another interesting thing here. 35:49 You have a sequence here in Daniel Chapter 7 35:54 with regard to this fourth beast. 35:57 This fourth beast in Daniel 7 36:00 has three stages, three successive stages. 36:04 You say really? 36:06 Daniel 7 verse 23 and verse 24. 36:09 Notice Daniel chapter 7 verses 23 and 24 36:12 The three stages of the fourth beast by the way. 36:15 At the end of our study this evening we are gonna see 36:17 that the fourth stage to this fourth beast 36:21 but it's not in Daniel 7 clearly 36:23 but it is in Revelation Chapter 13. 36:25 Revelation expands upon what we find in Daniel Chapter 7 36:30 we're going to find that. It's a very important principle 36:32 in the study of prophecy. 36:33 Daniel seven verse twenty-three and twenty-four. 36:37 This is the explanation of what the fourth beast represents. 36:40 << Thus he said: the fourth beast shall be a ..what?.. 36:46 a fourth kingdom on earth, 36:50 which shall be different from all other kingdoms, 36:52 and shall devour the whole earth, trample it 36:54 and break it in pieces. 36:55 ..And now let's be careful in the way that we read this.. 36:59 The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. 37:07 ..Let me ask you, does this fourth beast have to exist 37:11 in order for the ten to rise from it? 37:14 So does the beast exist before the ten horns come out? 37:18 Absolutely. So the first stage is the dragon beast rules alone. 37:24 The second stage is that after a certain period 37:27 the dragon beast sprouts what? 37:30 10 horns But there's a third stage. 37:33 Once again verse 24.. The ten horns are ten kings 37:36 (We know that kings are kingdoms) 37:38 who shall arise from this kingdom 37:41 and another shall arise after them. 37:44 ..Do you see the sequence? The dragon beast by itself, 37:47 then it sprouts ten horns and after the ten horns 37:50 are there then in the midst of the ten comes forth, what? 37:54 A little horn.. he shall be different from the first ones, 37:58 and shall subdue three kings.>> In other words, 38:02 he's going to overwhelm three of the ten kingdoms. 38:08 Now the question is who is this little horn? 38:13 Daniel chapter 7 verse 8 38:16 tells us something about this little horn 38:18 that comes out among the ten. 38:20 << I was considering the horns and there was another horn, 38:25 a little one, coming up among them, 38:28 before whom three of the first horns 38:30 were plucked out by the roots. 38:34 ..What does that mean, plucked out by the roots? 38:36 That means that they're uprooted from history. 38:39 And then it says,.. And there, in this horn, 38:42 were eyes like the eyes of a man, 38:44 and a mouth speaking pompous words.>> 38:48 Which Revelation identifies as blasphemies. 38:54 Now what does the little horn represent? 38:58 Well I want to share seven characteristics 39:00 because the little horn is the Antichrist. 39:04 Everyone is agreed in the Christian world, 39:07 whether they're Adventists or Protestants, 39:10 that the little horn is the Antichrist. 39:14 But the problem is that Protestantism, 39:17 conservative Protestantism, 39:18 says that the Antichrist is gonna be a nasty individual 39:23 that will rise in the Middle East 39:25 and rule for three and a half literal years 39:28 and persecute the Jews and make an image of himself 39:31 and put tattoos on people. 39:34 Whereas, in the Seventh Day Adventist Church 39:37 we believe that the little horn represents a power that existed 39:41 during the history of the Christian church 39:43 and will rise to power once again. 39:46 Now, let's notice 39:47 seven characteristics clear characteristics from Scripture 39:51 that tell us who the little horn is. 39:54 Characteristic number one, 39:56 the little horn rises after the ten horns are there. 40:01 So we need to know when the Roman Empire 40:03 was finally divided into ten kings and historians 40:07 tell us, for example, Edward Gibbon 40:10 who wrote the famous six volumes set called 40:14 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 40:17 He us shows very clearly that the Roman Empire 40:19 was finally divided into ten kingdoms in the year 476 A.D. 40:24 which means that the little horde 40:26 has to rise to power after 476 when the ten horns are there. 40:31 The second characteristic 40:33 is that the little horn rises among the ten, 40:36 and the ten horns represent the ten divisions 40:40 of what used to be the Roman Empire. 40:42 and by the way the nations in Europe today 40:46 are the fruit of the barbarian invasions 40:49 that carved up the Roman Empire. For example, France the kingdom 40:54 that that came and established themselves in France 40:58 were the Francs. In Germany the Alemani, 41:03 you know that doesn't sound much like Germany in English 41:05 but in Spanish the word the word Germany is Alemania. 41:10 The Lombards settle in Italy. 41:13 The Anglo-Saxons established themselves in England. 41:18 You see before the barbarian invasions 41:21 carved up the empire the empire was one empire, 41:25 with one language and one culture. 41:27 But when it was carved up you have in Europe nations 41:31 that have different languages they have different cultures. 41:33 That's why it's been so difficult to unite Europe 41:37 because every nation is different. 41:39 The fruit of the barbarian invasions. 41:42 So the little horn would have to rise somewhere in Western Europe 41:46 because it rises among the divisions 41:49 of the Roman Empire in Western Europe. 41:52 The third characteristic is that the little horn 41:54 would have to uproot three of the ten. 41:58 History shows that the papacy which is really the little horn 42:03 we're going to notice uprooted three of the ten kingdoms. 42:07 What were those kingdoms? 42:09 Well those kingdoms were rebellious to the papacy. 42:11 They actually were Aryans which means that they believe 42:15 that Jesus was a created being. 42:17 And so the pope influenced the Emperor 42:21 by using the sort of the civil power to attack 42:25 and to do away with those rebellious kingdoms 42:28 that did not want to accept the authority of the papacy. 42:31 The Heruli fail in the year 493 A.D. 42:35 The Vandals fail in the year 534 A.D.. 42:39 And the Ostrogoths suffered a devastating defeat there in Rome 42:44 in the year 538 A.D.. 42:47 In other words those three kingdoms were uprooted 42:49 and there is no nation in Europe that comes from those kingdoms 42:52 because they were pulled up by the roots. 42:56 And then there's four additional characteristics. 43:00 Those are found in Daniel chapter seven verse twenty-five 43:03 Daniel chapter 7 and verse 25. 43:06 Notice once again about the little horn. 43:09 << He shall speak pompous words against the Most High 43:13 ..the Book of Revelation 43:14 identifies those pompous words as blasphemies.. 43:17 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High 43:19 ..that's characteristic number four. Number five is.. 43:22 He shall persecute the saints of the Most High, ..number six is.. 43:28 He shall intend to change times and law. 43:32 ..Our second study this evening 43:34 is gonna deal with change in the times and the law. 43:38 So it says,.. he shall intend to change times and law. 43:41 Then the Saints shall be given into his hand 43:44 ..and here's characteristic number seven.. 43:46 for a time and times and half a time.>> 43:54 Let me ask you, now that we've noticed the characteristics. 43:58 Did the papacy rise to power after the year 476? 44:03 Absolutely! Did the papacy rise in Western Europe? 44:08 Absolutely! 44:10 Then the papacy uproot three of those ten kingdoms. 44:14 You can read it in history. They did. 44:19 Then the papacy speak blasphemies against God. 44:22 You know a blasphemy 44:23 is according to the biblical definition? 44:25 It's when a mere man claims to have power to forgive sins. 44:29 Does the papacy claim to have power to forgive sins? 44:32 It most certainly does. 44:34 And the second characteristic of blasphemy 44:36 is when a mere man claims to be 44:39 the representative of Christ on earth. 44:41 Does the pope claim to be 44:43 the representative of Christ on earth? 44:44 Jesus was actually accused of blasphemy 44:47 for claiming to represent the father on planet Earth. 44:52 Now let me ask you, did the papacy persecute God's people? 44:55 Have you ever heard of the Inquisition? 44:58 All you have to do is read the history books 45:00 to see how the papacy used the civil power to persecute 45:04 those who did not agree with their doctrines 45:07 and with their practices. 45:09 Did the papacy claim to have the power to change God's law? 45:13 Absolutely! In what sense? 45:16 In the sense that, first of all, if you read 45:19 if you notice the catechisms in the Roman Catholic Church, 45:22 the second commandment isn't there. 45:23 The second commandment is gone. 45:25 The one that says you're not supposed to bow before images. 45:27 Why would they take that one out. 45:30 Because the churches are full of images. 45:32 And so if you're teaching a child from the catechism 45:35 and it has the second commandment 45:36 they're going to say oh wait a minute, 45:39 if the second commandment says don't make images or bow 45:42 before them why do why is the church filled with images. 45:45 And so they take that one out 45:47 and because they take one out they end up with nine. 45:50 So what they do is they divide the tenth commandment into two. 45:53 Don't covet your neighbour's goods 45:55 and don't covet your neighbour's wife would be number 10. 45:58 But covetousness is covetousness. 46:00 It's one commandment. 46:01 It's not two commandments but because they take out one 46:04 they have to divide the 10th Commandment into two. 46:08 But the greatest change that the papacy claims to have done 46:12 was the change in the Sabbath commandment. 46:18 I have pages and pages of quotations 46:21 from Roman Catholic Popes, 46:24 Cardinals, Theologians, and Priests where they say, 46:30 we by the power that God gave us 46:33 have changed the day of worship from Sabbath to Sunday. 46:37 They don't try to hide it. 46:39 It's in all of their publications. 46:41 All you have to look and see is that the papacy tells people 46:45 that they're supposed to keep Sunday 46:47 when the Bible says you're supposed to keep the Sabbath. 46:49 There you have a change in God's law. Very very clearly. 46:53 And then you have this last characteristic 46:56 which is that the little horn would rule for time times 47:01 and the dividing of time. 47:03 How many days is time times and the dividing of time? 47:07 Well in the Bible the biblical year has 360 days 47:13 because the biblical month has 30 days. 47:15 So you multiply 30 times 12 it's 360. 47:19 So, time would be one year, that's 360 days or years. 47:26 Then you have times, that's two years the duol in Hebrew, 47:30 which would be 720, 360 twice, 47:34 and then half a time would be 180, half a year. 47:37 So you add 360 plus 720 plus 180, 47:42 and what is the result? 47:44 One thousand two-hundred and sixty days. 47:46 But in prophecy days are equal to years.So this little horn 47:51 was going to rule for one thousand two hundred 47:53 and sixty years after it rose to power. 47:58 Now, it's interesting when you read 48:00 Daniel seven is everything in Daniel seven symbolic? 48:04 Of course it's symbolic. Even 48:06 Jesus going on the clouds to God the Father. 48:09 The clouds are angels the clouds symbolize angels 48:12 Don't they? The lion is symbolic. 48:15 The wings are symbolic. The bear is symbolic. 48:18 The ribs are symbolic, the leopard is symbolic. 48:21 The wings of the leopard are symbolic. 48:23 The heads are symbolic. The horns are symbolic. 48:27 Everything in Daniel 7 is symbolic. 48:29 So what sense does it make to say that the time is literal? 48:35 The flavor of the expression shows that it's symbolic. 48:40 What would you think if I said, folks you know 48:42 you have a beautiful island here in Hawaii. 48:45 After this particular series of meetings 48:48 I promise that I will come back in time times 48:50 and the dividing of time. 48:54 Is this guy crazy? We don't talk that way. 48:57 You know the Bible when it wants to say three 48:59 and a half years in normal language 49:01 James 5:17 says that 49:03 Elijah closed the heavens for three years and six months. 49:06 That's the normal way of saying it. 49:08 So if everything in Daniel 7 is symbolic 49:11 the time must be symbolic as well. 49:12 The flavor of the expression is symbolic 49:16 and Revelation speaks of this period of 1260 days 49:20 and also as 42 months. 49:22 We don't talk that way in normal conversation. 49:26 It's clearly symbolic. 49:28 So the little horn would rule, 49:30 the papacy would rule 1260 years. 49:34 And its rule began in 538 49:36 when it uprooted the last opposer. 49:38 >> You see it could not raise to complete power 49:41 while it had one kingdom that opposed it. 49:45 But once the last opposing kingdom 49:48 was taken out of the way the papacy now rose to power 49:51 and was able to use the kings of Europe 49:54 to accomplish its Will. What happened in 1798? 50:02 Exactly twelve hundred and sixty years later. 50:04 Now this is what's interesting. 50:06 We know for a fact that the Ostrogoths were overcome 50:13 in the city of Rome in February of the year 538. 50:18 We know the month it was in February. 50:21 Let me ask you what happened in February of 1798? 50:25 Berthier the general of Napoleon's armies, 50:31 entered the Sistine Chapel where the pope was celebrating 50:35 the anniversary of his coronation, 50:38 and he went up to where he was, he took him off of his throne, 50:42 removed the Triple Crown, 50:45 took the pastoral staff from his hand, 50:47 and his ring from his finger, 50:49 and he said Your power has come to an end. 50:54 And the papacy has not been able to exert the same power 51:00 ever since that time. 51:02 And so the papacy in 1790 in exactly the way prophecy 51:05 says received a deadly wound. 51:08 February 538 to February of 1798. 51:15 Are we doing well so far? Can you see the prophetic chain? 51:20 You can follow the trajectory. 51:22 You say, ok, Babylon Medo-Persia, 51:24 Greece, pagan Rome. 51:26 Rome was divided into ten kingdoms, 51:28 then the papacy ruled 51:29 for one thousand two hundred sixty years. 51:32 You know exactly where you are, 51:34 where to find the Antichrist, what is going to do 51:37 and where he's going to rise by using the Historicist method 51:42 by using the historical flow method if you please. 51:47 But the chain doesn't end in Daniel 7. 51:51 We have to go to Revelation 13 51:53 and I'm going to do this very briefly 51:54 because, you know, the greatest enemy that we have is the clock. 51:59 For preachers the greatest enemy is the clock 52:02 but there is one final point that I want to make in 52:06 Revelation chapter 13. Revelation 13: 1 through 10. 52:11 We're not going to read those verses 52:13 I'm just gonna give you the picture 52:15 It speaks there about a beast. 52:18 This beast speaks blasphemies against the Most High, 52:22 this beast persecutes the saints of the Most High, 52:25 this beast rules for 42 months. The same as the little horn. 52:30 It does the same things as the little horn 52:32 and it rules for the same period. 52:35 Because time times the dividing of time is twelve hundred 52:37 and sixty days, 52:38 which are years, forty-two months 52:41 if each month has thirty days you multiply forty-two times 52:44 thirty, one thousand two hundred sixty. 52:46 And in case you still didn't get it in 52:48 Revelation chapter 12 it says 52:50 that the woman, which represents the true church, 52:52 flees to the wilderness for 1260 days. 52:56 So three ways the Bible gives us a way of showing 53:00 what was the period of dominion of the papacy. 53:05 Now Revelation chapter 13 tells us 53:07 that this beast ruled for one thousand two hundred sixty years 53:11 or forty two months, symbolic months, 53:14 and at the end of its rule 53:17 it received a deadly wound with the sword. 53:22 Do you know what the sword is? The sword is a symbol. 53:28 It does represent the word of God 53:30 but not in Revelation 13. 53:33 It says he who kills with the sword 53:36 must be killed with the sword. 53:38 Now the papacy used the sword to kill, 53:42 and the power that had the sword was going to use the sword 53:46 to give the deathly wound to the papacy. 53:49 Now you say well did the Bible wound the papacy? 53:53 Well it might sound like a good interpretation, 53:56 but the problem with that interpretation 53:57 is that the papacy did not use the Bible to kill anyone. 54:02 And it says that the beast used the sword to kill, 54:05 and the same sword killed the beast 54:07 or gave the beast the deadly wound. 54:09 So the sword cannot represent the Bible because the Bible 54:15 the papacy did not use the Bible to kill anyone. 54:17 Are you understanding my point? 54:20 You see in the Bible symbols are flexible. 54:22 They don't always mean the same thing. 54:24 It's another principle in interpreting prophecy. 54:27 For I was to ask you, what does a lion represent 54:29 What would you say? 54:32 Does the lion represent the devil? 54:35 He goes about as a what? 54:37 >> As a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 54:39 Does the lion represent Christ? The lion of the tribe of Judah. 54:43 Does the lion represents the kingdom of Babylon? 54:46 We just notice it. Does the lion represent 54:48 Judah the son of Jacob? Yes. So every time you find lion 54:51 it doesn't necessarily mean the same thing. 54:53 The same with the sword. Romans chapter 13 tells us 54:57 that it's a civil power that has the sword. 55:00 The government has the sword. 55:03 The papacy use the civil powers of Europe to persecute. 55:08 And what it's saying is that the sword 55:10 that the papacy used to persecute 55:12 was the sword that France was going to use 55:14 to give the papacy its deadly wound. 55:17 Are you following me or not? 55:20 But then prophecy tells us that after a time where this power 55:25 or the little horn or the beast is convalescing 55:28 with a deadly wound something is going to happen. 55:32 >> We are told that it's deadly wound is going to be what? 55:38 It's deadly wound is going to be healed. 55:43 Is it going to recover its power? 55:46 >> Yes. It says, its deadly wound will be healed 55:51 and all of Hawaii will wonder after the beast. 55:55 Well Hawaii too. 55:56 It says the whole the whole earth the whole world 55:59 except for a little remnant, will wonder after the beast. 56:03 So is the papacy going to recover its power? 56:06 Are we seeing that now as I speak 56:09 by what's happening in Rome 56:11 and all of the Protestant ministers going over there. 56:14 In France is all of his ecumenical meetings 56:16 saying we need to join forces 56:18 we need to get together and common points of doctrine. 56:20 We'll talk about that a little bit later. 56:22 It's amazing what we're seeing happen 56:25 in the Christian world today. 56:27 >> And so, the deadly wound is in the process 56:30 of healing.When will the deadly will be fully healed? 56:35 When the papacy once again has the power of the sword, 56:39 is able to control the symbols of powers of the world 56:42 to persecute like it did in the past. 56:45 Now, Who is going to heal the deadly wound? 56:51 Well you know you probably are thinking well the deadly wound 56:54 was healed in 1929. If you are Adventist 56:57 and you've studied something about Bible prophecy, 56:59 you say the deadly wound was healed in 1929 57:02 when Mussolini signed the concordat with the pope, 57:06 restoring the Vatican City to him among other properties. 57:11 But that doesn't exactly square with what the book of Revelation 57:14 tells us. You see the book of Revelation 57:16 tells us that after the first beast receives its deadly wound 57:23 another beast rises from the earth. 57:27 And that beast from the earth 57:29 is going to restore power to the first beast. 57:33 You say really? If you read Revelation 13 about this beast 57:38 that rises from the Earth everything it does 57:42 it does to please the first beast. 57:46 It exists to restore power to the first beast. 57:49 You read Revelation 13: 11-18, 57:52 it says there that this beast 57:55 exercises all the authority of the first beast. 58:00 It commands the whole world to worship the first beast. 58:05 What it does it does in the presence of the first beast, 58:10 and many versions translate and behalf of the first beast. 58:14 It makes an image of the first beast 58:17 and it enforces the mark of the first beast./JAB 20190217 |
Revised 2019-07-17