Daniel 8 | The Great

Cornerstone Church

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Lord, we come to you as your children, we come to you knowing that the story of history is unfolding, you are sovereign and you know the beginning from the end.

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We come to you excited to see in Daniel how you tell us about the future and we ask,

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Lord, that we read this as those with a great hope of the new Jerusalem that will eventually come.

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But, Father, you are sovereign and so what is written here is true and we anticipate it.

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We pray that you be with Jeff as he opens this to us in Jesus' name, amen. There are historians that claim that the world is shaped by great men, that there are certain men who are so, not necessarily good, but great, so influential.

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Some of these great men don't necessarily have a good woman behind them, so think of the influence that Hitler had on the world.

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What a difference it made that he had the ambitions that he did and how many lives were lost and how it shaped culture, what it has done in the world.

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When you go back through world history, very often there are certain figures that are paramount. Right now, who is claimed to be the most powerful man in the world?

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Behind the scenes it could be Schwab or someone like that, but wouldn't most people say that the

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President of the United States is the most powerful man in the world?

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His decisions have the farthest reaching, yeah, but how ironic is it that we presently have a

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President who has so much power with unmatched incompetence and some could even say touches of senility, that he is no longer even sane.

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Clearly there's people behind him that are pulling strings for the decisions that he makes.

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Could be a sign of America's downfall. Could be a sign of the times, for sure, yeah. The point is, there are individuals that arise that make a big difference.

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People could talk about Donald Trump in that way, that the changes that he made in this country and to the world based on his views of what was orthodox to the

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Republican Party is now different after his rise.

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The populism and the stance toward engagement in foreign wars. The neoconservative movement kind of fell by the wayside as Donald Trump's policies took over.

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One man's views can shape a culture and very much affect things. This has always been the case and we're going to see it today in the text.

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Daniel chapter 8, but notice the theme of Daniel comes out very strong here and I think it obviously still applies to our day as well, that whereas you have quote -unquote great men who could be great in a bad sense in terms of influencing in a bad direction or great in a good way bringing in righteousness, behind these great men is truly the hand of God.

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They are not going to accomplish anything apart from God's sovereign decree. And he in fact has written these things ahead of time.

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What we have in Daniel chapter 8 is absolutely amazing because Daniel wrote these things before they came to pass.

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Now think about that for a minute. If they were written ahead of time, they were certain to come.

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Now they are so specific that liberal scholars have tried to date Daniel in the period of Maccabees in the 160s or later because they cannot fathom the idea of predictive prophecy.

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They have no textual or historical reason for that denial. It is purely based on the fact that it's supernatural revelation and they reject predictive prophecy.

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But in fact the predictive prophecy proves that it's God that has written these things ahead of time.

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It's right here in our Bible written before these events come to pass. So we are going to see the vision of Daniel in Daniel chapter 8 if we can all get there.

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History written in advance. It's the story of these great men but the greatness of the greatest kings of earth are actually but a flash in the pan.

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The short lived greatness of these men and we are going to talk about Alexander the

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Great and his influence today. But we could just as easily talk about other great men of history.

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The same is true. Herod the Great was destined to rebuild the temple and add and restore it to a greater than Solomon's.

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But was he truly a great man? Of course not. He was wicked and opposed

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Christ at his birth trying to kill him and yet he has the moniker great.

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Alexander the Great, Herod the Great. The greatness of the greatest kings of earth are but a flash in the pan and the great things they achieved were written ahead of time by the one sovereign who truly controls not only the destiny of his chosen people because here we have the story of Israel but also the destiny of the nations.

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God is on his throne above the nations and he turns the hearts of kings like a watercourse.

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Not as they intend but as he intends and what he means for good. So we are going to see this.

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One of the distinctives of the text before we get into it as you go from chapter 7 to chapter 8 is that the language moves from the

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Aramaic to the Hebrew. John why would you think that would be?

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Because you are the one that alerted this to me. Up until chapter 8

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Daniel really emphasizes the Gentile kingdoms. And so the

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Aramaic was the tongue that would have spoken to the Gentile kingdoms. Chapter 8 through 12 are really going to highlight the future destiny of God's Hebrew children.

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Are being impacted by Gentile nations but it's really the future destiny of God's Hebrew children.

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So it's written in Hebrew. Yeah very good and so many of the things that it's foreseeing will apply to the

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Gentile nations. But there will be a prophetic foreshadowing that speaks to the end times.

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And there will be reference in the text to the end times and the coming Antichrist. And all of these things which tells us as pre -millennial dispensationalists of one stripe or another.

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That Israel will be the focal point of the end times. And the tongue here even reflects that it's

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God's prophetic timetable. The 77's of Daniel chapter 9 is

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God's prophetic timetable for Israel the chosen people. And the language there reflects it.

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So let's get into it. We'll begin and just kind of go around the room. Rob you ready? First verse and we'll talk through each one.

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I have a problem. Oh what's the problem? The glasses? Yeah. No no.

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Your wife comes through for you in the clutch. See behind every good man. There you go. There you go.

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This is the goodest one. In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign.

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I Daniel had a vision after the one that had already appeared to me. Right. So notice that these are successive visions.

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What visions has Daniel already foreseen or seen? Well Daniel chapter 2.

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Remember the picture of the statue man with the different head made of one.

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And the breastplate and the legs. And each of these represented the coming kingdoms of the world.

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Here again you have the same vision seen with different analogy in chapter 7 that John taught last week.

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It was these beasts. I can't speak today. It was or were these beasts.

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It was the different beasts that came into the world. Each reflecting the kingdoms of the world.

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From Babylon and then the Medo -Persians, the Greeks and finally the Romans.

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Here you'll have a similar vision in chapter 8. So it says in verse 1.

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As at the first. A vision appeared as at the first. Referring to the multiplicity of these visions.

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They're building on one another. They're painting a picture. A prophetic picture of the age of the

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Gentiles. The time of the Gentiles. How these Gentile nations will overrun

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Israel. First the Assyrians displaced the northern kingdom.

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And then Babylon came in and crushes the southern kingdom. And from this point in time you have the prophetic vision of the

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Medo -Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. These four kingdoms from Babylon to Rome. All of them showing the times of the

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Gentiles. While Israel is under their boot. Politically.

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So that's the first verse. Verse 2. Sue. I saw in a vision. And it so happened while I was looking.

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That I was in Susa of Assyria. Which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in a vision that I was by the river

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Ulai. Very good. The Ulai Canal.

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So where is Daniel? You're going to have to look at verse 1 for this. When he sees the vision.

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Where is he physically? No. Not yet.

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That's where he goes in vision. But look at verse 1. Third year of the reign of King Belshazzar.

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Now this is a son of Nebuchadnezzar. Now it's probably not a physical descendant son. I've read one commentary.

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The Bible knowledge commentary says. He's just a successor. Which would also be called the son.

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In either case. He's a successor of Nebuchadnezzar. In Babylon. And he's seeing himself.

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As if he lived. 100 years in the future. Wouldn't that be fun? If Christ has not yet come back to America.

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Wouldn't you want to see what it would be like. 100 years from now. Well if you were to go back 100 years from now.

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And see a vision of today. You would be shocked. There is this amazing movie.

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That Rob Randall recommended to us. That many of us have watched. Called Time Changer. And it's the story of a history professor.

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A theology professor. From a Christian college in the 1890's. And he jumps forward 100 years.

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And just walking into a department store. Like Macy's. He sees the scantily clad mannequin.

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And goes running out of there. Like horrified that this would be. Just out in the open. The things that we.

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And then he goes to a movie. And he runs out of the theater. Screaming and yelling at the manager. What are you putting on the screen?

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The change over 100 years is monumental. Just in America. So here's what's happening in verse 2.

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Daniel is jumping 100 years into the future. There was a movie about that too right?

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Back to the future. He goes 100 years into the future. And he sees himself.

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In Persia. Now the Persians had not yet. Conquered Belshazzar at this time.

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The Medo -Persians will do that. Babylon will fall. To Medo -Persia. But here

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Daniel is seeing himself. In Susa. And it seems that it's 100 years.

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Because the citadel. Which would not be formed until then. Is already standing.

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So he's picturing himself. 100 years in the future. Isn't that a cool thing? And here again is why the liberal scholar.

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Is like oh this was written in the 160s. No. This was written by Daniel himself.

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He's recording a vision of things. Yet to come. At that time. Verses 3 and 4.

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Carol. She read 3 and 2? She read 2 I think. As I looked up I saw in front of me.

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A ram with two long horns. Standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer.

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Than the other. Even though it had begun to grow. Later than the shorter one. The ram butted everything out of its way.

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To the west. To the north and to the south. And no one could stand against it. Or help its victims.

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It did as it pleased and became very great. Interesting. When Daniel is seeing this vision.

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Belshazzar is king. That means the handwriting on the wall. Has not yet happened. Where that very night he'll die.

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So. Babylon is still standing. But what does the ram.

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Represent? As in the previous ones. We should know this by now. It's the

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Medo Persian Empire. The Medes on one side.

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I made for you a map. This comes from the Bible knowledge commentary. I just photocopied it. You can look on your map.

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And find Babylon. There by Arabia. Along the

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Euphrates River. Modern day Iraq. As you head east towards Persia.

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You're seeing Iran. Media is up by the Caspian Sea. So that's where you have the

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Medes. Gaining their strength. And the Persians.

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Are off to the east. So this is the threat to the Babylonian Empire. I raise my eyes.

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And behold a ram. Standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns. Why do you suppose it has two horns?

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Yes. Because it's two kingdoms. In coalition. Against.

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To do the ramming. To do the crushing. To break apart Babylon. It had two horns.

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And both horns were high. What do you suppose that means? A high horn would mean.

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Strength. Great strength. Both of them are strong. Both are high. But. One was higher than the other.

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Persia is higher than the Medes. That's not the case geographically. Because the Medes are north of the

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Iranians. The Persians. But in terms of their strength.

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And their power. But which one. Is antecedent to the other in time? Who will rule over Babylon first?

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Darius the Mede. Or Cyrus the Persian? Darius the Mede. And so look how specific the

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Lord is. Both. Horns were high. One was higher than the other.

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So the Persians will be stronger than the Medes. That's the higher horn. And the higher one came up.

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Last. Now do you see why the liberal scholars. Cannot believe that this came. Before the time.

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It's that specific. That the timing would go. First Darius the Mede ruling.

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And then Cyrus the Persian. The Persians would be even stronger. As you know. As Persia develops to be the world power.

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And does battle. Even in the late. Around 480. The battle of Marathon.

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Where they conquer. The Greek forces. Pressing as far as Greece.

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Persia becomes the stronger. It's not the Medes. That are fighting the Greeks. It's the

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Persians. They're the stronger. I knew you would know this.

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What was it? I think he ran from Marathon to Sparta. The other way around. That's where you get the 26 .2

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miles. I did that way back in 2003. That's about the last time. I made that distance. I went there.

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Believe it or not. I ran it on the Grand Canyon. The lip of the Grand Canyon.

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It was super hot and dry. You go inland on this Indian reservation. You conclude it along the lip.

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It's amazing. I was running with my friend Dave. He on mile 25.

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Collapsed. The Indians came out. They were blowing smoke on him. Doing these

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Indian dance rituals. I'm chasing him away. The last thing he needs is smoke in his face.

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When he's dehydrated. He made it though. He got up after about 10 minutes. We walked the last mile.

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He's still my friend. I rescued him. He was tired though. That's right.

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You have here the higher one is Persia. Verse 4. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward.

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No beast could stand before him. This coalition is enough to overthrow

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Babylon. They do. Even great Babylon. The lion. No beast could stand before him.

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There was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased. Here's our word for today.

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He became great. Great. This is the greatness of the great kingdoms of earth.

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But ultimately God is the one who's written this. In advance. Verses 5 and 6.

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Candy slash cookie. Laughter. As I was considering the cold.

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A male goat came from the west. Across the base of the whole earth. Without touching the ground.

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And the goat had a conspicuous horn. Between his eyes. He came to the ram. With the two horns.

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Which I had seen. Standing on the bank of the canal. And he ran at him in his powerful wrath.

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Okay. What does the word mystery mean in the Bible? Mystery.

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Something that hasn't been revealed yet. Which is then being revealed. So in Ephesians, Paul will say.

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I tell you a mystery. And he's talking about the grafting in of the Gentiles. And the two becoming one.

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The tearing down of the dividing wall of hostility. That Jews and Gentiles. Would now be in the church together.

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A mystery. Is not how we use the word. In our culture. We tend to say a mystery is something that you can't really reconcile.

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It seems to be at odds. Like a conundrum. No. Biblically.

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A mystery is something previously hidden. Now being revealed. A vision from Daniel here.

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Is not mysterious in that. Okay. It's just this weird dream. Like he ate some bad mushrooms.

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And now he's seeing animals. And you kind of read into it. Whatever you want. That's how the world would read this prophecy.

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That is not what is happening here. This is clear revelation from God. It is apocalyptic literature.

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What does apocalypse mean? Or apocalyptic literature. It means unveiling.

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Something that was covered or hidden. Now being made known. Apocalyptic literature.

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Is an unveiling of things that would be secret. As in the future. The secret will of God. Yes. In the book of Revelation.

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That apocalypse is an unveiling. It's a revelation. An unveiling of things that are hidden.

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It's not necessarily bad. But often it is.

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Because this world will kind of progress from bad to worse. Until Christ comes. Yes.

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Well done. So it's a revelation of something.

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Often in the future. Which would be hidden to us. It's known to God's secret will. But it's covered to us.

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We don't know the future. But an apocalypse is an unveiling of something. Tells us the future.

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So this again. Is an unveiling of things we couldn't have known. Alexander the

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Great does not appear on the scene. Until the 300's. But read along with me.

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Verses 6 and 7. As I was considering.

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Behold a male goat. Came from the west. From the west is

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Greece. Across the face of the whole earth. Without touching the ground.

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What does that indicate? Not touching the ground. Swiftness. Just flying along. Just advancing incredibly fast.

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And at that point I'd like to direct your attention. To this map that I've provided. Comes from the

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Bible knowledge commentary. And it shows the swiftness. Of Alexander's triumph.

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Start in Greece. If you can follow along there. Along the Mediterranean Sea. Around the year 335.

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334. If you follow the dotted line. Along the

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Mediterranean Sea. By 333 B .C. Through Israel in 332. And down into Egypt.

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Where he conquers Memphis. And as far as Siwa. Founding Alexandria.

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The most famous of. The Egyptian cities. This happens by 332.

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Now follow his conquest. To the east. Through Syria. To Guagamela in 331.

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Reaching Babylon. In the 331 range.

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Now look how far he goes. Past Susa. To Persopolis. In the spring of 330.

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He heads up to Media. To Ecbatana. Going all the way out to India.

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If you follow. By 325. The autumn of 325. I'm way down in the corner.

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Bottom right corner now. Just tracing it all the way along. And then heading back home.

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Towards the west. Where does he die? See if you can find it. In Babylon in the year 323.

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All of this happens in 11 years. With at least a half a dozen. Alexandria's found.

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He finds Alexandria's everywhere he goes. How old is Alexander the Great. When he dies?

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How do you know this? You know everything. I just read a lot about him. I'm just reading this in the commentaries.

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And Rich just knows it by heart. Tying 7 and 8 together. 7, 6.

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He's meaning 20. After this. I looked and behold another.

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The third beast. Like a leopard. Swift. With four wings of a bird.

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On its back. Out of 7. Tying into 8.

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With everything that's going on. Successive visions. Saying the same thing. So again.

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Let's look back in the text. It says he ran at him. And in his powerful wrath.

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What stirred up this 20 year old. Great man. Alexander the

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Great. It goes all the way back.

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To the 480s. To the Battle of Marathon. And other battles. So Marathon was 490.

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The rage dates back. This still exists in our culture. Issues that date back.

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Hundreds of years. The Armenians versus the Turks. Where they slaughtered.

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Millions of people. No one acknowledges that genocide. That happened in the early 1900s.

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Where the Muslims did that. Armenian Christians. Many of them. The rage that goes on.

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Is there still such things existing in our culture? Is there anybody that hates the

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United States? Who doesn't? These things can run deep.

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From the 490s to the 320s. You have this. Boiling rage.

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It never abated. Alexander grew up hearing the stories. He did not accept

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Persian rule over Greece. Greece should be the dominant. As a 20 year old. He leads forces.

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No one can stop him. Not Egypt. When he goes through Israel. They can't stop him.

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He goes to Egypt. Crushes. Founds Alexandria. Heads east.

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Neither Babylon nor the Persians. Nor the Medes. No one can stop him.

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This is the point of our text. Powerful wrath. He came close to the ram.

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He was enraged against the Persians. Struck the ram.

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The ram broke his two horns. Isn't that an amazing picture? World empires crumbling.

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In so short a time. The whole period of Alexander. Is 12 years. And the entire

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Persian empire. Is crumpled and trampled under his feet. The ram had no power. To stand before him.

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He cast him down to the ground. And trampled on him. There was no one who could rescue the ram.

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From his power. Would you like to read verse 8? Just the first part.

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Therefore the male goat grew very great. But when he became strong. The large horn was broken.

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Very good. Right there. No one can stop him. But he couldn't preserve his own life.

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Beyond the age of 32. How precise. Is the word of God.

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The goat is exceedingly great. But when he was struck. Strong. He died.

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Some say it was dysentery. Some kind of viral thing. What do you read?

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Malaria. Whatever it was. He just dies in Babylon.

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On his way back. Never made it back to Greece. Conquered the world. In the strength of his power.

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His greatness drops dead. How brief is the life on this earth. And how great is the greatest of the great.

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Flash in the pan. As Solomon understood. We can't add a day to our lives.

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It's a miss. 32 years old. Just drops dead. Is there a reason that Alexander is identified as the goat?

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The swiftness here. But I don't think of a goat as being that swift. Maybe a mountain goat kind of thing. That can just jump along and soar along.

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So quickly. I don't think of a goat. Earlier the leopard we understand. He was a leopard.

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That's known as speed. But why goat? Maybe because he's got the horn. The single horn that crushes the two horn ram.

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Kind of thing. I don't know why God used the analogy. What's that? Greatest of all time. Yeah.

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I think there's many people that I've heard. Historians argue that Alexander was the greatest of all time.

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The most powerful conqueror. Greatest leader. Most accomplished in 12 years.

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Conquered the world. Yeah. There's good things about it too. Obviously.

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But I think the idea here. Do you see that word exceedingly great? This is what I'm trying to emphasize. And he becomes known in history as Alexander the

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Great. Exceedingly great. But when he was strong. The great horn was broken.

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He used the same word for his rage. For his station.

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See. Rageful. John, the second half. You guys get to share a verse.

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That was on purpose. In its place.

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There came up four conspicuous horns. Toward the four winds of heaven. John, you already taught us.

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What are the four? The four successors to Alexandria. Who the kingdom was divided up into.

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Yep. Alexander gave it to his four generals. And so you have the Seleucids. And the Ptolemaic kingdoms.

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And it's divided into four. Cassander married Thessalonica.

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Which was his. Alexander's half -sister. That's when he got the name of the city. Oh yeah, that's right. I haven't heard that.

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But I didn't remember it like you do. This guy's mind is a steel trap. I'm telling you. Verse 9.

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Sandy, if you will. Out of one of them came forth. A rather small horn.

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Which grew exceedingly great. Toward the south. Toward the east. And toward the beautiful land.

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So one of the four generals. Then that becomes the kingdom. You got the Ptolemaic and the

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Seleucid. One of these. Now this is not one of the generals.

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But hundreds of years later. One of these. And you know who it is.

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Antiochus Epiphanes. He grows exceedingly great. There's our word again.

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Another great one. Of course he's wicked as could be. And he desires to conquer the southern.

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So he's up here in the Turkish kind of region. Syria. He goes through Jerusalem.

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To get to Egypt. And conquers. The Egyptians. So now you have the fourfold kingdom.

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Turned against itself. Later this will become kind of the Roman Empire. When all that's conquered.

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But you have Antiochus Epiphanes. Goes and conquers Egypt. Coming back.

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He is enraged against Jerusalem. Because they sought to give some support. To the Egyptians.

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And he crushes Israel. The glorious land. Verses. 10 -13

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Until the time of the Maccabees. 10 -13 It grew up to the host of heaven.

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And caused some of the host. And some of the stars to fall to the earth. And trampled them down. It even magnified itself to be equal.

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With the commander of the host. And removed the regular sacrifice from him. Capital H.

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And the place of his sanctuary. Was thrown down. And on account of transgression. The host will be given over the horn.

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Along with the regular sacrifice. And it will fling through. Fling through to the ground.

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And perform its will. And prosper. Then heard a holy one speaking. Another one said.

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That particular one who was speaking. Quote. How long will the vision.

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About the regular sacrifice apply. While the transgression causes horror. So as to allow both the holy place.

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And the host to be trampled. Here we're going to focus on just the historical. Of what was happening.

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And what does Daniel refer to. And then ultimately as we see the recounting of it.

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We'll move more quickly there. To make the point that this. Anticipates what's still to come.

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So what happened in time. In 168 ish. What year do we have here.

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I don't know if I recorded it. But Antiochus Epiphanes. Coming back through.

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Through Israel. Desecrates the temple. He puts himself in the place of God.

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He even sacrifices a pig. On the altar. Which is the ultimate desecration.

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Of God's holy temple. At that time you still have temple sacrifices. This is before Christ. Let's say 168 ish.

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Right in there. Here comes Antiochus Epiphanes. And does the unthinkable.

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Not only does he do that. He slaughters the priests. Kills the holy ones.

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These angels. These stars representing God. The Levitical priests. Are put to death.

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He makes himself like a priest. And makes this unholy sacrifice. This is what prefigures what is called.

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The abomination of desolation. The abomination that makes desolate. It's the most horrible thing you can do.

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Murdering everybody. And sacrificing on God's altar. Ultimately.

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Essentially. Making himself in the place of God. That he is the

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God. To be worshipped in Israel. By defiling the God of Israel. As he thought he was doing.

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He is exalting himself. To that place. Challenging Yahweh head on.

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Now of course what God will do. Is he will raise up. What's his name? Maccabeus.

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Judas Maccabeus. And it takes. 2300 days.

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To restore. Temple worship. To refurbish the temple. And restore it. Isn't that interesting?

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If you look in the Bible at verse 14. He said to me. For 2300 evenings.

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You can see why the liberals just can't believe. That this was written ahead of time. But it absolutely was.

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Evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be restored to its rightful state. Some Bible scholars say.

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Evening and morning there refers to the morning sacrifice. And evening sacrifice. So the number of days would be half.

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Of the 2300. So 1650. And that was at one stage of the refurbishing.

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Of the temple. Or it could be the full. Reestablishment and restoration of all the temple practices.

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2300 days in full. However you slice it. By that period of time.

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You have. The restoration of the temple sacrifices. Judas Maccabeus.

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Leading the revolt against. Against Antiochus Epiphanes. And the governing

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Greek powers. They are able to reestablish. Independent. Religious worship.

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Now it doesn't mean they're not still under the boot. Of the powers that be. But their religious worship. Is restored in 2300 days.

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You still have. These big empires overrunning them. As they will. Even in the days of Rome.

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In the time of Jesus. But they're still doing the sacrifices now. Because of the prophetic word fulfilled.

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Alright does that make sense? Of what's happened here? Antiochus Epiphanes. That unlocks the mystery of what's happening.

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It's not mysterious. It's history. Written in advance. Amazing. Verses 15 to 17.

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Daniel seeing the future. Amazing. This is what the angel tells him.

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So these. So quote unquote Bible scholars. That say well. This was actually written after the fact.

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All they're telling us. Is they don't believe the Bible at all. Because what the angel says. Is this is for a future time.

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So they're just rejecting scripture. And that's what critical theories. All do. The German higher criticism.

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It's just plain old unbelief. That's all it is. Trying to justify that. With some made up theories.

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It's rejection. It's outright rejection of the word of God. 100%.

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But here it's an apocalypse. It's an unveiling of the future. Is Daniel aware that he is speaking with the angel?

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Yes. And he's overwhelmed. As he always is. Look what it says in verses 18.

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Joe would you read 18? When he had spoken to me. I fell into a deep sleep.

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With my face to the ground. But he touched me. And made me stand up. So wow. When you encounter a holy month.

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An angel. Boom. Down you go. Slaying in the spirit.

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Without the fake stuff that you see on TV. This is in the presence of God. He's just like.

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Falling down. And it takes the angel to touch him. And restore him.

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And say okay I'm going to tell you the meaning. Again. This is not meant to be mysterious. In the sense of.

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Take what you want. It's just a dream. And you can read into it. No there's a meaning. And the angel now is going to give that to us.

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Rich would you read verse 19? And he said. Look I am making known to you.

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What shall happen. In the latter time. Of the indignation. For at the appointed time.

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The nation. Of. I'm sorry. For at the appointed time.

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The end shall be. And this refers to the time of the end. Now that's again repeated from verse 17.

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The vision is for the time of the end. Verse 19. It refers to the appointed time of the end.

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Last times. Here is a very important principle. For understanding scripture. And prophetic visions.

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There is very often. A near fulfillment. And a far fulfillment. A repetition of something.

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That historically happens in time. That foretells. Something greater. Where else do you see near and far fulfillment.

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In the scripture. We've discussed some of these over the years. But Rich you know any near far fulfillment?

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Near and far. Something that happens. In time. That speaks to something greater.

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When Abraham takes Isaac. He is being asked. To offer his son.

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But he's actually. Referring. To the son of almighty

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God. Actually dying on the cross. A near thing and a far thing. They're both historically.

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True. Prophecy here is. Referring to Antiochus Epiphanes. And the desecration of the temple.

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And listen. It's referring to the. Antichrist yet to come. We only know this because Jesus.

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Makes this point in Matthew 24. The abomination of desolation. Which is still yet future.

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As spoken of by Daniel. In Jesus's time. It's still yet future. And yet it's fulfilled.

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Antiochus has fulfilled. This is the abomination of desolation. But that's the near fulfillment.

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Like mountain peaks in the distance. It looks to Daniel as one thing. But as you get upon it.

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There's the near peak. And behind that is another later. Higher peak. Makes sense? So here you go.

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Verses 20 to 25. John would you read that for us? As for the ram that you saw with the two horns.

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These are the kings of Meda and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes.

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Is the first king. As for the horn that was broken. In place of which four others arose.

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Four kingdoms shall arise. From his kingdom. But not with his power. At the latter end of their kingdom.

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When the transgressors have reached their limit. A king of bold face. One who understands riddles.

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Shall arise. His power shall be great. But not only by his own power.

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He shall cause fearful destruction. And shall succeed in what he does. And destroy mighty men.

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And the people who are the saints. By his cunning. He shall make.

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To see prosper under his hand. And in his own mind. He shall become great. Without warning.

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He shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up. Against the prince of princes. And he shall be broken.

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But by no human hand. Okay so I wasn't making it up. When we went through. The analogy of ram and goat.

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I know that only because. The angel told Daniel. In verse 20.

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The ram. Medo -Persian. 21. The goat. Greece.

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The great horn. First king. Alexander the great. Verse 22.

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The horn that was broken. And the four others. Four kingdoms that arise from his nation. These are the four generals that each receive.

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The kingdom. Verse 23. The latter end of the kingdom. When the transgressors have reached their limit. Here he is.

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Now this is what I'm trying to tell you. There's a lot of emphasis put on this guy. And he is a historical figure named.

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Antiochus Epiphanes. The Jews will call him. Antiochus Epiphanes.

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Meaning madman. Epiphanes means. Illustrious one. Great one.

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Antiochus Epiphanes. Foreshadows. The coming Antichrist. Which is what we learned from Matthew 24.

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The abomination of desolation is the appearing of the Antichrist to do these things. So what you see in him.

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Is a prophetic foreshadowing. Of the coming Antichrist. Look at verse 23. A king of bold face.

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Proclaiming himself. To be God. Exalted and illustrious. A legend in his own mind.

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One who understands riddles. So he's smart. He's crafty.

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He's a step ahead of the game. Verse 24. His power shall be great. But not by his own power.

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That should send a chill down your spine. He's satanic. He is. The devil incarnate almost.

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You know the devil will possess this guy. He shall cause fearful destruction. He destroyed.

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Innocent women and children. The priest just slaughtered in front of. He's horrible.

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Shall succeed in what he does. Destroy mighty men. And the people who are the saints.

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Genuine believers in Israel. Awaiting their Messiah. Cut down merciless.

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The saints. Attacking Israel for no reason. By his cunning he shall make.

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Deceit prosper under his hand. And in his own mind. He shall become great. I love that as kind of a summary.

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Of this chapter. He's a legend in his own mind. The great ones. This is why guys.

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I don't think we should be starstruck by anyone. If you sat down with Donald Trump.

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You should talk to him like anybody else. He's just a man. Same with any great one of this earth.

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They're just mid. But in their own mind. They're so much greater. Alexander the Great dies at 32.

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At the height of his power. Because he can't keep himself alive. He's a man. And none of us can.

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They're just men. In his own mind. He's so great. Without warning he shall destroy many.

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He shall even raise up against the prince of princes. That is that abomination of desolation. Where he's exalting himself in God's place.

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In the temple. He doesn't know what he's playing with. And he shall be broken.

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But look at that last phrase. But by no human hand. Did you know

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Antiochus Epiphanes. No one killed him. He went mad. He died as an insane madman.

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Ranting and raving. I don't even know how he died. But it's by no human hand. His insanity overtook him.

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The way Nebuchadnezzar became an animal. This is the fate that awaited. Antiochus Epiphanes.

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And the Antichrist will be the same way. Lastly. Verses 26 and 27. The vision of the evenings and the mornings.

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That has been told. Is true. But seal up the vision. It refers to many days from now.

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Daniel is seeing hundreds of years now. Into the future. And seeing prophetically.

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Even to the very end times. Notice his reaction. I Daniel was overcome.

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And lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business. But I was appalled.

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By the vision. And did not understand it. Sure he can't understand it.

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Because it hasn't happened yet. He doesn't know Alexander the Great. He doesn't have a history book.

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Like we do. He doesn't know what he's seeing. But he sees the destruction.

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And it makes him sick. So it is with the world today. I don't think I want to see.

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Everything that is to come. In a vision. I think it would turn my stomach sick. And if you look at the world today.

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What we're seeing. Should make your stomach sick. The castrating of little boys. Because they have gender dysphoria.

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The damage done through these chemicals. It makes you sick.

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The state of the world in which we live. It makes you sick. Daniel was sick by what he saw.

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That is the world. But ultimately as we're going to see. This is all bringing in. The King of Kings.

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The truly great one. Let's pray John. Oh Lord come quickly. We can only have our hope in you.

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We think of loved ones. Who have gone before us. And we despair. But not as those without hope.

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Daniel was given a glimpse of truth. The sovereign God is in control. All of these kingdoms.

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Raised and all of these great men. Took power not because of themselves. But because of you.

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And they fall because you are the sovereign God. Lord we look forward.

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To that glorious day. But yet we mourn for those. Who are stuck. Under the thumb of this world.

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us your wisdom. Let us be salt and light in this world. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.