The persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a preview
of the Tribulation Period. Just as the terror of Antiochus’
reign ended according to God’s timetable so will the reign of
the Antichrist cease on schedule. There is a light at the end
of the tunnel.
A remnant of Jews returned to Palestine after the
Babylonian captivity, but the succeeding generations of
Jews turned their back on God.
Therefore, Antiochus
was permitted to persecute Israel. Today, the nation’s
spiritual status in the Promised Land is far worse than in
the second century B.C. It cries out to God for another
madman!
Man is without excuse; God has warned the world of the
coming prince. Antiochus was a living preview of this
madman, who was possessed or controlled by Satan. The
Antichrist will be more profane and brutal than Antiochus.
If the Antichrist is alive today, he is unrecognizable.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes rose out of obscurity as did men
like Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolph Hitler and so will the
end times’ ruler.
The speed and power of Alexander the Great foreshadow
the rapidness of the Antichrist’s attempt to dominate the
world. He will ride out on the white horse at the
beginning of the Tribulation; three and one-half years
later the Antichrist will control the Revived Roman
Empire; and then he will set out to rule the world. At the
height of his power, his horn will be broken off also. The
Antichrist’s kingdom will not be divided among generals;
Christ will smash it and it will be gone with the wind.
If Alexander the Great died in a drunken stupor, he was
defeated by his own sinfulness. Certainly, Antiochus IV
Epiphanes died because of his lust for power, prestige and
a desire to play God. Such men stand as a warning that
unchecked sin destroys like a cancer.
The mere touch of the archangel Gabriel strengthened
Daniel. The NT manifests that fallen angels (demons) have
the power to make a person physically impaired and weak
(cf. Matthew 4:24; 8:16-17; 9:32; 12:22). Does God send
the holy angels to strengthen His people today?
Gabriel’s interpretation of the vision, if anything,
complicates it. Daniel could not fully understand it, even
with angelic help. We also need to be careful not to be
too dogmatic concerning the details of the future. The
overall thrust of prophecy can be understood in any age,
but those who live through its literal fulfillment will
see it unsealed before their eyes.
It is evident that superpowers come and go in history.
The military that any nation depends upon fails, no matter
how large or efficient. When God says it is over, it is
over!
Since God has outlined history so graphically, He wants
us to be alert, ready and waiting for the coming of
Christ. He will come for His Church before the Tribulation
and return to the earth with the armies of heaven at the
very end of it. Christians do not have to look forward
with dread to the rise of “the little horn”—“the coming
prince”—because the Prince of princes will save all
born-again believers from the time of wrath (1
Thessalonians 5:9).
The next upcoming event on God’s prophetic calendar is
either the invasion of Israel as predicted in Ezekiel
38-39 or the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians
4:16-17). Those left behind will see the rise of “the
little horn.” His lawlessness and tyranny will plunge the
world into
absolute chaos. The majority of those who
turn to God in the time of wrath will be martyred during
the Antichrist’s reign of terror (Revelation 7:9-14).
Today is the day of salvation from wrath. The final
three and one-half years (the Great Tribulation) and its
horror goes beyond our imagination as both Satan and the
Lamb pour out wrath upon the earth and upon its
inhabitants. Though multitudes will be saved in the
Tribulation Period, they will experience the terrors of
the Antichrist’s reign as well as the seal, bowl, and
trumpet judgments that are predicted in Revelation 6-19.
As God’s fellow-workers we urge you not to receive
God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor
I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I
tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day
of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).
Like Daniel, we should be appalled at what is coming,
and warn the lost to get ready before it is too late. The
unsaved should be given a chance to hear the Gospel at
least once. Without Christ, there is no hope!
Here is an easy presentation of the Gospel that you can
share with your family, friends, neighbors, and
co-workers.
The Gospel
The GOSPEL is simple as A -B -C.
A.
Admit you are a sinner in need of God’s grace.
1. As
it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one
(Romans 3:10).
2. For all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
3. For the wages of
sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
B. Believe in your heart that Jesus
died for your sins and rose from the dead so that God can
declare you righteous.
1. He was delivered over to
death for our sins and was raised to life for our
justification (Romans 4:25).
2. But God demonstrates
his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
C. Confess that Jesus is Lord and call
on Him.
1. That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus
is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your
heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with
your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans
10:9-10).
2. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of
the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
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