Daniel 8:23-26 “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means. “And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.”
Daniel was thrust into a world that he knew nothing about except for the prophecies given to him here concerning “Many days in the future”.
The prophecy of Daniel chapter 8 gives us a description of some of those things that will occur during the time that the antichrist arises as a world ruler shortly after the Rapture of the Church.
In the first part of Daniel chapter 8 there is a phrase that says that the coming of this world ruler will be during a time when “Transgressors have reached their fulness”. You remember that it was a result of the world reaching a fulness in the evil of men that the Lord told Noah to prepare an Ark because He would destroy the entire world.
It was because the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah had reached a pinnacle that the Lord sent the Angel to Lot to remove him and his family before the Lord could destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jesus describe the last days as a time when the sins of the world would once again reach a height that paralleled the days of Noah, and then judgement would fall as the Great Tribulation would take the lives of two-thirds of all those who dwell upon the earth.
Today violence and the sin of man has again reached a mountaintop from which we can see the approaching of Jesus in “The wrath of the Lamb” instead of the former suffering servant. Daniel 8 begins by making the statement that this man of sin known as the antichrist will come when “Transgressors have reached their fulness”. That time is now and this first step is set for the appearance of the antichrist.
Daniel then continues to describe a man who “understands sinister schemes”. The peace that Daniel chapter 9 describes as “many nations making peace for one seven year period” is going to come about because of a “scheme” not yet brought to the forefront of the past peace process in Israel. This world ruler who will be known late on as the antichrist or the beast, will have the capacity to complete peace in the middle east where others have failed.
Today’s new headlines state that “The Palestinians have already approved direct talks with Israel”. If we see that this current attempt at securing peace between Israel and the nations around her is successful and that the peace plan includes a seven year provision, then we will either already be gone from here as the Rapture will take place shortly before the peace plan is signed, or just shortly thereafter the agreement is signed.
The conclusion of the text here in this study of Daniel chapter 8 describes the fact that this world ruler who will be known as the beast, will be defeated and destroyed by the coming of Jesus at the end of the seven years of Tribulation.
Today there is still time to call on the name of Jesus and be included in the Rapture when Jesus comes for His church. Those who the Bible describe as “Not receiving the love of the truth so that they might be saved” will enter the seven year Tribulation in which the horrors of Jesus wrath will fall upon all those who follow after and worship the beast in his rulership for this short time.
Jesus said that “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would survive…”
As Israel and the Palestinians enter this new round of peace talks, those of us who are watching for the appearance of Jesus realize that in the next few days we may find ourselves in the fulfillment of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
As perhaps no other time in my life I am anticipating this monumental event as I see all the the things that Jesus said would happen just before He comes for us already in place.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. Maranatha!
