482 BC |
-
Xerxes of Persia makes
war with Greece. Thus begins the vision of Daniel
Chapter 8 when the Ram began to push at the He-Goat.
The entire vision would cover 2300 years until the time
would come for the 'cleansing of the sanctuary' Dan 8:1-27 |
457 BC |
-
Ezra receives a decree
from Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem. This marks the
beginning of Daniel's prophecy of Seventy Weeks. Daniel
9:24-27 |
323 BC |
-
Alexander the Great
dies. Having no heir to his kingdom, the kingdom is
divided to his generals. Ptolemy takes Egypt, Seleucus
Syria, Cassander Macedonia, and Lysimachus Asia. Two hundred
years earlier the prophet Daniel had predicted these events
with the greatest detail. Daniel 8:8 |
168 BC
|
-
Rome conquers Macedonia
in the Third Macedonian War thus becoming the 'Little Horn'
out of one of the four divisions of Alexander's divided
empire. Daniel 8:9 |
168 BC
to 31 BC |
-
The Roman Empire
becomes great expanding its dominion 'towards the east, the
south, and the pleasant land'. Jerusalem would be
taken by the Roman general Pompey in 63 BC. Daniel 8:9 |
31 BC
|
-
The Battle of Actium
between Octavian of Rome, and Marc Anthony and Cleopatra of
Egypt. This decisive battle left Rome as the world's
sole great power transforming it from a republic into an
empire. These events, which were predicted by the
prophet Daniel mark the beginning of the 'time of the end'
in which the Messiah would appear and the New Covenant would
be introduced. Dan 11:40-43 |
4 BC
|
- In the fullness of time
our Savior was born; our Lord Jesus the Christ. Gal 4:4,
Luke 1-2 |
27 AD
|
-
Jesus is baptized
marking the beginning of his public ministry. This
event marks the end of the 69 weeks of Daniel 9, and the
beginning of the 70th week. Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11,
Luke 3:21-23, Daniel 9:25 |
27 AD
to 31 AD |
-
Public ministry of
Jesus as detailed in the four Gospels. |
31 AD |
-
Having confirmed the
new covenant with his faithful disciples, Jesus was 'cut
off' by crucifixion in 'the middle' of the seventieth week
of Daniel 9, and thus by sacrificing himself once and for
all, he caused the Jewish system of sacrifice to cease.
Daniel 9:26, Matthew 27:34-50, Mark 15:23-32, Luke 23:33-43,
John 19:18-24, Hebrews 10:12 |
31 AD
to 34 AD |
-
The preaching of the
gospel remains constrained to the Jews. Thus the Jewish
nation was given a space of three and one half years after
the crucifixion of their Messiah to repent. |
34 AD
|
-
The end of the
seventieth week of Daniel. With the stoning of Stephen
the Jews confirm their final rejection of Jesus as their
Messiah. From henceforth the Gospel would go to the
gentiles. In 38 AD Peter would receive his vision teaching
him to call nothing unclean which the Lord has made clean.
Shortly following, Cornelius would become the first gentile
convert. Acts 7, 10, 11 |
70 AD
|
-
Roman armies destroy
Jerusalem and its temple as predicted by our Lord and by the
prophets. This cataclysmic event marks the beginning
of the Jewish period of 'Great Tribulation'. This
event also marks the beginning of the time in which the
'Abomination of Desolation' (the fourth beast's desolation
of the true worship of God) would be set up. The opening of
the first of the Seven Seals of Revelation (denoting the
conquering and victorious Roman Empire) also dates from this
event. Daniel 8:10-12, Daniel 9:26-27, Daniel 11:31, Daniel
12:11, Matthew 24:14-21, Mark 13:14-19, Luke 20:21-24,
Revelation 6:1-2 |
395 AD
|
- Upon the death of the emperor Theodosius relations with
the Germanic tribe of the Visigoths deteriorated, thus
leading to the first of the barbaric invasions of the Roman
Empire by Alaric. These events were the beginning of
the first four of Seven Trumpet judgments which would
devastate and eventually lead to the collapse of the Roman
Empire. Revelation 8:7-12 |
395 AD
to 476 AD |
- In 395, before his death, Emperor Theodosius divided the
Roman Empire into eastern and western divisions. Rome
entered into its 7th form of government or 'head'.
This period in Roman history which is known as 'The Late
Period of Antiquity' would continue only a 'short space' as
had been communicated to the Apostle John in the Book of
Revelation. In less than 100 years, in 476 AD, the
Roman Empire in the west would be no more. Revelation 17:10,
Revelation 8:12- Earlier, in 330 AD, the Emperor Constantine had moved the
capital of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople.
This along with the continuing barbarian invasions signified
by the second through fourth trumpet judgments left a power
vacuum in Rome which came to be filled by the increasingly
powerful yet corrupt and apostate clergy of Christendom.
The 'mystery of iniquity' continued to grow. In 476 AD with
the removal of Roman government in the west, that which had
hindered the 'Man of Sin's' rise to power was finally 'taken
out of the way'. Revelation 8:8-12, 2 Thessalonians
2:3-8 |
529 AD |
- In 529 AD the Emperor Justinian codified Roman law with
the goal of eliminating anything incompatible with
'Christianity', thus giving a corrupt clergy and the
successor kings to the old Roman Empire supreme power to
enforce their apostate 'faith'. The 'man of sin' was
now in power, and the 'abomination of desolation' was fully
'set up'. From these events a 'beast' would arise in the
west on the ruins of the old Roman Empire. Thus a Roman
emperor in the East gave to this new beast in the west
'power, its seat, and GREAT AUTHORITY'. Revelation
13:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 |
529 AD
to 1789 AD |
- The western Roman Empire appeared to suffer a fatal wound
when it fell to barbarian invaders in 476 AD. This
'deadly wound; was however healed when those same barbarian
kings which had brought down the empire became the
inheritors of a new Europe; a division of ten kingdoms loyal
to the Latin ecclesiastical power seated at Rome.
Thus the beast that 'was, and is not' when John received the
Revelation rose from the abyss with the Western Empire
becoming a 'kingdom of the Latins' as it had been under its
first head. This arrangement was to last 1260 years.
- This period is mentioned
repeatedly in prophecy in order to show God's people the
magnitude of its importance. It was in this period
that Christianity was to meet the darkest night of its
apostasy. It was in this period that war would be made
against the saints and they would be overcome by this newly
risen 'beast'. It was in this period that God's true
church would be driven into the wilderness, the true
believers would be trodden down, and God's Two Witnesses,
the Law and Prophets as contained within the Bible, would
prophesy in sackcloth, declaring all the judgments which
were to fall upon this empire of apostasy.
- The Book of Revelation
defines the three great enemies of God which would reign
during this period. They are:
1) The Beast - The ten
political states along with their rulers loyal to the
ecclesiastical power at Rome.
2) A Two-Horned 'Lamblike'
Beast which speaks as a Dragon - The apostate clergy of
Christendom which used the power of the secular states to
impose its cannon law. Thus this second beast
exercised all the power of the first beast.
3) An 'Image of the Beast'
- The office of the Papacy, which although a mere man is
given power by the corrupt clergy to speak great things.
The clergy and the state had power to enforce the will of
Pope upon pain of death.
Revelation 13, Revelation 11:1-6, Revelation 12:14, 2
Thessalonians 2:3-8, Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22, Daniel 7:8,
Daniel 7:20-21, Daniel 8:12, Daniel 8:25, Daniel 11:36-39,
Daniel 12:7 |
1789 AD to 1793 AD |
Western Europe continued
during the dark ages within
the iron grip of an apostate
ecclesiastical system riding
upon the backs of ten
European kingdoms which gave
to this beast their loyalty
and strength. But in
1789, as a direct result of
these centuries of abuses,
revolution broke out in
France. In this began
the fulfillment of the
vision given to John in
Revelation 17; that the 'ten
kings' who had previously
supported the 'harlot
church' would hate her, eat
her flesh, and utterly burn
her with fire. Thus,
within the revolution in
France the churches were
closed, all loyalty to the
Papacy disavowed, and the
vast monastic lands which
comprised the wealth of the
Catholic church were seized
and sold to fund the
revolution. This
pattern would be duplicated
all over Europe as the
revolutionary spirit spread
from France.
But this spirit of
revolution encompassed far
more than a revolt against
the abuses of the Catholic
church. It encompassed
a spirit of atheism,
humanism, and sheer
rationalism. In Paris,
at the cathedral of Notre
Dame a prostitute was pulled
from the street, placed on
the alter, and there crowned
the 'goddess of reason'.
In 1789, at the end of 1260
years a great spiritual war
had also begun. Not
only would this revolution
in France change forever the
political and ecclesiastical
landscape which had existed
in Europe for nearly
thirteen centuries, but it
would also threaten to do away
with the true worship of
God, and silence the two
witnesses of God as found in
the Bible. Revelation
17:12-17, Revelation 11:7
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_______________________________________
Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome
Daniel Chapter 2 outlines a vision of four
kingdoms which arise upon the earth in succession. The first
of these was to be Babylon, the second the Persian Empire, the third
Greece, and lastly the Roman. Rome was to exist
from the time of its inception until it is finally destroyed by the
Kingdom of Christ at his coming.
These four kingdoms are detailed by
four very specific prophecies in the book of Daniel as shown in this
chart:
~ F O U R
P R O P H E C I E
S O F D A
N I E L ~ |
|
Babylon |
Mede-Persian |
Greece |
Rome |
Rome Divided |
The
Great Image Dan 2 |
Head
of Gold
'Thou art this head of gold..' Dan 2:38 |
Breast
and Arms of Silver
'After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee' Dan 2:39 |
Belly and Thighs of Brass
'And another third kingdom of brass which shall bear rule over all the
earth' Dan 2:39 |
Legs
of Iron
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron
breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh
all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. (Dan 2:40) |
Toes
Part Iron - Part Clay
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and
part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of
the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with
miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of
clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And
whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to
another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. (Dan 2:41-43) |
|
Babylon |
Mede-Persian |
Greece |
Rome |
Rome Divided |
The
Four Beasts Dan 7 |
The
Lion
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the
wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and
made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
(Dan 7:4) |
The
Bear
And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up
itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the
teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. (Dan 7:5) |
The
Leopard
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the
back of it four wings of a fowl... (Dan 7:6) |
The Leopard's Four Heads
...the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
(Dan 7:6) |
The
Terrible Beast
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron
teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the
feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it;
and it had ten horns. (Dan 7:7) |
The
Ten Horns
...and it had ten horns. (Dan 7:7) |
|
Babylon |
Mede-Persian |
Greece |
Rome |
Rome Divided |
The Ram and the He-Goat Dan 8 |
|
Ram
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the
river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one
was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram
pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might
stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his
hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. (Dan 8:3-4) |
He-Goat
And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the
face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a
notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two
horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in
the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was
moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two
horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he
cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none
that could deliver the ram out of his hand. (Dan 8:5-7) |
The Broken Horn
Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the
great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the
four winds of heaven. (Dan 8:8) |
The Little Horn Waxes Great
And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of
the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he
magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily
sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of
transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it
practised, and prospered. (Dan 8:10-12) |
Lysimachus Asia |
Ptolemy Egypt |
Seleucus
Syria |
Cassander
Macedonia
Macedonia Taken by the Romans
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding
great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant
land. (Dan 8:9)
---------------> |
|
Babylon |
Mede-Persian |
Greece |
Rome |
Rome Divided |
The Kings of the North and South Dan 11 |
|
The Four Kings
And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet
three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all:
and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the
realm of Grecia. Daniel 11:2
1. Cambyses, the son of
Cyrus.
2. Smerdis, the Magian,
3. Darius, the son of
Hystaspes4. Xerxes |
Alexander the Great
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion,
and do according to his will. Dan 11:3 |
Division of Alexander's Empire
And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be
divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor
according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be
plucked up, even for others beside those. Dan 11:4 |
The Tyranny of the Romans in Destroying
Jerusalem
...and they (the Romans) shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and
shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the
abomination that maketh desolate. (Dan 11:31) |
Divided Rome Under Harlot Church and
Papacy
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt
himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous
things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation
be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither
shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor
regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his
estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers
knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious
stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds
with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory:
and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for
gain. (Dan 11:36-39) |
Lysimachus Asia |
Ptolemy Egypt |
Seleucus
Syria |
Cassander
Macedonia |
North and South Kings
Daniel 11 documents the reigns of the kings of Syria (King of the North)
and Egypt (King of the South) ending with the reign of Antiochus
Epiphanes and his confrontation with the Romans in verse 30...
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be
grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so
shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that
forsake the holy covenant. (Dan 11:30) |
|
|
Rise of the Roman Military Power
And arms shall stand on his part...(or 'forces' (i.e. Roman Armies)
shall arise after Antiochus) (Dan 11:31) ----------------> |
|
Babylon |
Mede-Persian |
Greece |
Rome |
Rome Divided |
Some commentators - liberal
commentators and those who believe that Daniel was written in the
second century BC in particular - attempt to equate the fourth
empire with that of the Seleucid Kingdom which, under the reign of
Antiochus Epiphanes severely persecuted the Jewish people and
desecrated the temple in 168BC.
This is clearly an error according to
the very words of Jesus himself:
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall
see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:)
The 'abomination of
desolation' which is so tightly linked to the fourth kingdom of
Daniel's visions still awaited a future fulfillment in the time of
Christ. Thus it is impossible that the prophecies concerning
the fourth kingdom should be applied to Antiochus Epiphanes.
See Also The Fourth
Kingdom - Rome
_______________________________________
A period of distress for the Jewish
people extending from the time of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem
in 70AD until they recognize Jesus as their Messiah at his second
coming.
While many Christians believe that the
'Great Tribulation' is some period yet future, the Bible is clear as
to exactly when the Great Tribulation began and when it will end:
Matt 24:15, 21 When ye therefore shall see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)...
for then there shall be great tribulation
etc...
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed
with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
The discourses given in Matthew 24 and
Luke 21 were given first primarily to answer a question from the
disciples about the time in which the city and temple would be
destroyed. (see Luke 21:6-7, Matt 24:1-3) Jesus clearly
equates the Roman destruction of the city and temple with the
'Abomination of Desolation' spoken of by Daniel the Prophet. (see
Daniel 11:31, 12:11, 9:27, 8:13). This 'Abomination of
Desolation' is the clear marker in time from which the beginning of
the 'Great Tribulation' is reckoned. Thus the 'Great
Tribulation' begins with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70
AD.
The extent and duration of this tribulation is also
stated thusly:
Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge
of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations:
and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Matt 23:38-39
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say
unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say,
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Rom 11:25-26 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be
ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own
conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel
shall be saved: as it is written,
There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob:
We believe that any system of prophetic
interpretation which fails to reckon the 'Great Tribulation' from
any point other than that which our Lord clearly delineated to be in
serious and irrevocable error.
-- Comparison with
Daniel 12:1 --
Matt 24:21 For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Dan 11:40-12:1 And at the time of the
end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the
north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots,
and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into
the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter
also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be
overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom,
and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall
stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of
Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the
treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious
things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at
his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north
shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury
to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant
the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious
holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help
him. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people: and there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the
book.
The unbiased reader will note that in
describing the 'Great Tribulation' as 'such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time...nor ever shall be' Jesus is
quoting Daniel 12:1. The clear implication is that the 'time
of trouble' or 'great tribulation' in both passages is referring to
the exact same period of time. As noted above, the 'Great
Tribulation' begins with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.
The angel does not detail to Daniel the extent of the time
intervening between the beginning and the conclusion of the 'Great
Tribulation'. Although the extent of this interval is in fact
hinted at in the prophetic language of the concluding time
prophecies of the 1260, 1290, and 1335 days.
-- Daniel 11:36 through Daniel 12:1
Not in Chronological Order --
The student of God's prophetic
word will be confused if they do not discern the proper order or
events given within Daniel 11:36-12:1. In the text they appear
in the following order:
1) A description of the 'Willful King' in
verses 11:36-39. This is generally taken to be a description
of the campaign of the 'Antichrist'.
2) Beginning at verse 11:40 we read 'At
the time of the end' followed by a description of a military
conflict between the Kings of the North and the South.
3) Beginning at verse 12:1 we read 'And
at THAT TIME' (that is, at the 'Time of the End') shall Michael
stand up... and there shall be a time of trouble, etc.
A
comparison of these three events with the way they are described by
Jesus and the apostles shows that Daniel 11:36-12:1 has not listed
them in exact chronological order. Failure to discern this
fact has given rise to many erroneous speculations.
A cursory reading of these passages might
lead one to conclude that the military campaign which is described
beginning in verse 40 is an 'end time' campaign begun by the
antichrist figure described in verses 36-39. This is, in fact,
an incorrect conclusion.
As noted above, according to the words of
Jesus in Matthew 24, the 'great time of trouble' BEGINS WITH THE
PLACING OF THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION. This abomination is
found in Daniel 11:31. This in itself should alert the reader
that the events in the latter part of Daniel 11 through Daniel 12:1
may not be in direct Chronological order. Furthermore, note
carefully the following:
Matt 24:21-24 For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the
elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then
(WITHIN THE TIME OF GREAT TRIBULATION) if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false
Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect.
Jesus predicts the rise of those
who will, by the means of great signs and wonders, deceive many, and
if possible the very elect themselves. It is of the utmost
importance that the student of prophecy note that this is a
deception which arises WITHIN the time of 'great tribulation'.
That is, it arises between the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD,
and our Lord's second coming.
The apostle Paul, commenting
upon the word's of Jesus notes the following:
2 Th 2:3-10 Let no man deceive you by any
means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling
away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,
or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not,
that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now
ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then
shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness
of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with
all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved.
Note that the inspired
apostle also speaks of a deception accompanied by lying signs and
wonders which would precede the coming of Christ. But more
importantly, notice that Paul applies these words to the 'willful
king' described in Daniel 11:36-39. Taking the words of Jesus
and Paul together, we discern the basic sequence of events thusly:
1) The 'abomination of
desolation' (the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD) begins the
'great tribulation' or the 'great time of trouble' mentioned in
Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21.
2) The deception involving
lying signs and wonders begins within this period of 'great
tribulation' and must happen before Jesus returns.
3) This deception is in
fact the 'willful king' described in Daniel 11:36-39
Therefore we simply must
conclude that the events described in Daniel 11:36-39 take place
AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE TIME OF TROUBLE DESCRIBED IN DANIEL 12:1.
Thus we see that the series of events described in Daniel 11:36 -
12:1 are not in direct chronological order as a direct reading of
them would place the rise of the 'willful king' before the start of
the 'great time of trouble' and thus contradict the words of Jesus
and Paul.
Jesus |
|
Paul |
|
Daniel |
|
Revelation |
Then
if any man shall say unto you,
Lo, here is Christ, or there;
believe it not. For there
shall arise false Christs, and
false
prophets, and
shall shew
great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were
possible, they shall deceive the
very elect. (Mat 24:23-24) |
çè |
Who opposeth and
exalteth
himself above all that is called
God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God
sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I
was yet with you, I told you
these things? And now ye know
what withholdeth that he might
be revealed in his time. For the
mystery of iniquity doth already
work: only he who now letteth
will let, until he be taken out
of the way. And then shall that
Wicked be revealed, whom the
Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of
his coming: Even him, whose
coming is after the working of
Satan with
all power and signs and lying
wonders, (2Th
2:4-9) |
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And the king shall do according
to his will;
and he
shall exalt himself, and magnify
himself above every god,
and shall speak marvellous
things against the God of gods,
and shall prosper till the
indignation be accomplished: for
that that is determined shall be
done. (Dan 11:36)
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And
I beheld another beast coming up
out of the earth; and he had two
horns like a lamb, and he spake
as a dragon. And he exerciseth
all the power of the first beast
before him, and causeth the
earth and them which dwell
therein to worship the first
beast, whose deadly wound was
healed.
And he doeth great wonders, so
that he maketh fire come down
from heaven on the earth in the
sight of men...
(Rev 13:11-13)
And the beast was taken, and
with him
the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, ...
(Rev 19:20) |
Comparison showing
that Jesus' warning of a coming deception involving lying signs
and wonders is also Paul's 'Man of Sin', Daniel's 'Willful
King', and the Two-Horned Beast (False Prophet) of Revelation
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A period extended from the time of Rome's rise to imperial military
status to the end of the age culminating in Armageddon and Christ's
second coming.
'The Time of the
End' is a long period extending from the time that Rome became a
conquering military power (changing from a republic into an Imperial
State) and finally planting itself as the controlling power in the
land of Israel.
Christians seem to be confused and there is
constant debate as to what constitutes 'the last days' or 'the time
of the end'. But the scriptures answer this question
unambiguously. The 'time of the end' is marked in scripture so
that the Jewish nation would recognize that they were approaching
the time of the Messiah's appearance, as well as the time when the
new covenant would be established and the old order and covenant
would be swept away. It was also in this period that the
'great time of trouble' (Dan 12:1, Matt 24:21) would begin.
It is plain that the New Testament writers wrote authoritatively
that they were then living in the 'last days' and the 'time of the
end'. Many Christians seem to ignore these references or
believe that the apostles were mistaken. They were not.
Heb 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us
by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom
also he made the worlds ...
1Jo 2:18 Little
children, it is the last time: and as ye have
heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many
antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
Jud 1:16-18 These
are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts;
and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's
persons in admiration because of advantage. (17) But, beloved,
remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles
of our Lord Jesus Christ; (18) How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should
walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Jam 5:3 Your gold
and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a
testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have
laid up your treasure in the last days.
1Pe 4:7 But the
end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of
sound mind, and be sober unto prayer:
Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way,
Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the
time of the end.
Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me,
Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the
time is at hand.
A
comparison of these scriptures allows for no other conclusion than
that the 'Time of the End' was already present even in the first
century. This period extends through the Gospel Age until our
Lord's second advent.
The
scriptures detail when God's people would know that the 'Time of the
End' was upon them. See The Battle of Actium below.
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Roman military conflict between Octavian and Marc Anthony and
Cleopatra of Egypt (31 BC).
The Battle
of Actium ended the Second Triumvirate of Rome, also ending the era
of the Roman Republic and leaving Octavian (later Augustus) as the
sole ruler of the Roman Empire. This event is important
because it marks the transition from Rome's 5th to its 6th form of
government (see The Seven Heads).
This war is also
significant because its events are detailed in the prophecies of
Daniel 11 in order to signify when God's servants would know that
the 'Time of the End' was upon them.
Dan 11:40-12:1 And at the time of the end
shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the
north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots,
and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into
the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter
also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be
overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom,
and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall
stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of
Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the
treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious
things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at
his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north
shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury
to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant
the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious
holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help
him. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall
be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation
even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
The words
'...at the time of the end' mark a transition in the text from the
series of kings described up through Daniel 11:39. Here the
angel breaks off and begins to describe when God's people would know
that the 'time of the end' was upon them. Note that the events of
Daniel 11:36-12:1 do not run in direct Chronological order. (See The
Great Tribulation - Jewish) It is an error to try to place the
military campaign described in Daniel 11:40-45 in the future.
Note that the scriptures are clear that the 'time of the end' had
already begun in the first century (See The Time of the End)
Concerning the Battle of Actium the online Wikipedia Encyclopedia
says:
The
Battle of Actium was a naval battle of the Roman Civil War
between Mark Antony and Octavian. It was fought on September 2,
31 BC, near the Roman colony of Actium in Greece (near the
modern-day city of Preveza), on the Ionian Sea. The fleet of
Octavian was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and the
fleet of Antony supported by the fleet of his wife, Cleopatra,
queen of Egypt. The battle was won by the forces of Octavian,
whose victory led him to become the Princeps Augustus, later
considered to be the first Roman Emperor: for this reason the
date of the battle is often used to mark the end of the Roman
Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. (emphasis
mine)
The
scriptures predicted these events with the greatest detail.
Marc Anthony in league with Cleopatra of Egypt pushed against
Octavian (the King of the North) in an act of war. Octavian
came against them with 'chariots, horseman, and MANY SHIPS (as this
primarily became a naval battle). Rome as an empire went on to
overthrow MANY countries including Judea.
But
note in particular that these verses were to have a fulfillment when
Egypt still remained a nation of great wealth and influence. Surely
such a description could hardly apply to Egypt today. However,
Egypt in the first century BC most certainly was a nation of
tremendous wealth and glory as described here. One striking
prediction of the prophecy is that 'Edom, Moab, and the chief
children of Ammon' would escape. Understanding these to be
descriptive of the indigenous people to the east and south of Judea,
the prediction was fulfilled with startling accuracy as these people
were never subdued by the Romans.
These
events then begin the 'time of the end'. It was into this time
that our Savior was to be born. It was in this time that
Jerusalem would be destroyed and the old order and covenant would be
swept away It was in this time that the 'great tribulation'
would begin.
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Roman conquest of God's people and the temple whether Jewish or
Christian
The 'abomination desolation' is a term
used by our Lord and the prophet Daniel to describe the tyranny of
the fourth kingdom (Rome see The Four Kingdoms) in destroying God's
people and eventually setting itself up in place of God's kingdom.
In comparing Matthew 24 with Luke
21 we see how Jesus clearly defined the 'abomination of desolation':
Matt 24:15, 21 When ye therefore shall see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:)... for then there shall be great
tribulation
etc...
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed
with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
This 'abomination of desolation' was
clearly to begin with the Roman armies surrounding and subsequently
destroying Jerusalem and the temple. This was the first act in
a series of events in which Rome would seek to replace the true
worship of God. It would however be a mistake to limit the
'Abomination of Desolation' solely to the events of 70 AD when the
Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish Temple.
As Henry Grattan Guinness states:
About sixty years
later (after 70 AD), the Jews had sufficiently recovered from
this crushing blow to rise afresh in revolt against the Roman
power, and then Hadrian completed the work of their dispersion
among all nations of the earth. He made the whole country of
Palestine a desolation, expelled all its remaining Jewish
inhabitants, forbade the Jews on pain of death even to approach
Ælia Capitolina, the Roman city erected on the site of
Jerusalem.
Likewise commentator Adam Clarke
writes:
But in this war (132
AD) they had fifty cities demolished, nine hundred and fifty of
their best towns destroyed, and eighty thousand men were slain
by the sword; and in the end of the war, a.d. 136, were banished
Judea on pain of death; and thenceforth the land became
desolate.
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Cataclysmic political, religious, and social upheaval marking the
cutting short of the tribulation upon God's elect and preceding the
'Day of the Lord' circa 1797-1798AD
In his work 'Observations on Daniel
and the Apocalypse of Saint John' Isaac Newton wrote concerning
prophetic language that:
In the heavens, the
Sun and Moon are, by interpreters of dreams, put for the persons
of Kings and Queens; but in sacred Prophecy, which regards not
single persons, the Sun is put for the whole species and
race of Kings, in the kingdom or kingdoms of the world politic,
shining with regal power and glory; the Moon for the body of the
common people, considered as the king’s wife; the Stars for
subordinate Princes and great men, or for Bishops and Rulers of
the people of God...
In interpreting the language of the
Sixth Seal of Revelation 6:13-17 the student of prophecy would do
well to heed Newton's system of interpretation. In interpreting the
symbolic of Revelation there seems to be a tendency for commentators
to descend into a strict literalism when it comes to the
events surrounding the era of the Sixth Seal. This has given
rise to much error.
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Seven 'Mountains' upon which the
apostate Harlot Church sits, or Seven 'Kings - i.e. forms of
government through which Rome would pass from its inception to the
time it goes into perdition beginning with the 'Day of the Lord'
Revelation 17:9-11 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The
seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And
there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the
other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a
short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the
eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Nearly all 19th century protestant
scholars immediately recognized that Rome, as the city on seven
hills is clearly designated in this passage.
The seven heads are also seven 'kings', that is, forms of government
through which Rome would pass. These are:
1) The Reign of Latin Kings 2) Consuls 3) Dictators 4) Decemvirs 5) Military Tribunes
6) The Reign of Emperors beginning in 31
BC with Augustus Caesar
Of these, five had fallen in John's
day, and the sixth (the imperial form) was then reigning.
7) The divided or 'Late Empire'
after the death of Theodosius in 395 AD.
It was also in this very year that the
first of seven 'Trumpet Judgments' began to fall upon the Roman
Empire. This seventh 'head' or form of government was only to
last a 'short space'; and indeed, devastated by the first four
Trumpet Judgments the western Roman Empire fell to barbarian hoards
in less than 100 years.
There is also designated an 'Eighth
King' which is undoubtedly to be connected with the 'Beast' of
Revelation 13 which had a deadly wound but yet lived. This
eighth form of government is said to be 'of the seven'. It
therefore is one of the forms which had existed prior to John's
receiving of the Revelation in 95AD.
8) The Revival of the Latin Kings
and Kingdom
Adam Clarke rightly notes:
And the beast, that
was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and
goeth into perdition - That is to say, the Latin kingdom that
has already been, but is now no longer nominally in existence,
shall immediately follow the dissolution of the seventh form of
Latin government; and this dominion is called ογδοος, an eighth,
because it succeeds to the seventh. Yet it is not an eighth head
of the beast, because the beast has only seven heads; for to
constitute a new head of the beast the form of government must
not only differ in nature, but also in name. This head of the
beast is, therefore... one of the seven. Consequently the form
of government represented by this head is the restoration of one
of the preceding seven. The restored head can be therefore no
other than the regal state of the Latins, or in other words the
Latin kingdom... But the beast in his eighth state, or under his
first head restored, goeth into perdition. No other form of
Latin Government shall succeed...
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