Daniel's Preparation for Babylonian Captivity

Daniel’s Preparation for Babylonian Captivity-His First Sixteen Years in Judah

1.      Born into the Royal Family of Judah (Daniel 1:3, 6) [Daniel: Great-great grandson of Hezekiah/ was of the kings Seed-Ref: Josephus Jewish Historian of the First Century A.D.]

2.      Raised during Great Revival/Reforms of King Josiah one of Judah’s Godliest Kings (II Chronicles 34, 35)

*Idolatry thoroughly purged from entire kingdom (II Chronicles 34:1-7) [Cleansing]  

      *House of the Lord was repaired and amended (II Chronicles 34:8-13) [Construction]

*Book of the Law was found and greatly honored (II Chronicles 34:14-28) [Contrition/Counsel]

*Covenant made by Josiah w/all present to obey Word of God (II Chronicles 34:29-33) [Covenant]     

*Greatest Passover since Samuel the Prophet kept by all (II Chronicles 35:1-19) [Commitment]          

3.      Prophecy concerning the children of Hezekiah provided Daniel/King’s family w/insight (Isaiah 39:6-8)

4.      Knowledge of Scripture/Joseph’s Trials/Testing 1300 years earlier:  

  Illustration: Daniel’s (8) Similarities/Parallels to Joseph                   

  1-Both young (increasing severity of temptation) Hebrew Men

  2-Both captives in a strange land-‘Culture Shock’

  3-Both brought to live in places of high governmental authority

  4-Both gifted by God to have dreams/understand and interpret dreams of others

  5-Both underwent intense moral testing

  6-Both were victorious through multiple trials, troubles, tribulation & testing

  7-Both eventually promoted to honor, glory & powerful positions in government

  8-Both actively used to deliver the people of God

5.      Confidence in being selected/chosen by God to represent Him and Israel (Daniel 1/Isaiah 39:6-8)

Daniel’s Childhood Preparation Produced (8) Outstanding Character Traits/Fruit of the Holy Spirit

1.      Self-control (1:8, 10:3)

2.      Courage (1:12; 5:22)

3.      Integrity (6:4)

4.      Humility (2:30, 10:17)

5.      Vision (7:9,12; 10:5,6)

6.      Holiness/Righteousness (1:8)

7.      Faith (1:12-16; 2:16)

8.      Discipline (6:10)

Daniel’s Godly Appeal to Nebuchadnezzar 

       1.      Appeals with a right attitude (1:12) [Please let us be proved]

    *Not contentious

    *Not condemning

    *Not condescending

    *Not coercive

2.      Offers a reasonable alternative (1:12) [Ten days…give us pulse (Veggies, seeds, grain, lentils) to eat]

3.      Gives final say to his master/not demanding (1:13) [As thou seest, deal with thy servants]

4.      Gives God the opportunity to work in the heart of his authority by his impeccable appeal/testimony

5.      Separation from sin was the key principle Daniel obeyed giving God the opportunity to turn the heart of the king

 There are at least ten similarities and parallels between Daniel and his three companions and the 144 Thousand:

      1. They are prepared for their ministry (Daniel 1:3, 4; Revelation 7:3
      2. They are supernaturally protected by the Lord (Revelation 7:3a, 9:4; Daniel 3:23-28, 6:21, 22)

      3. They are called servants of God (Revelation 7:3b; Daniel 3:26)

      4. They are sons of Israel [Men of the tribe of Judah] (Revelation 7:5; Daniel 2:25)

      5. They refuse to worship an idolatrous image under the threat of death (Revelation 13; Daniel 3)

      6. They are seen with the Lord (Revelation 14:1; Daniel 3:26)

      7. They refuse to be defiled (Revelation 14:4a; Daniel 1:8)

      8. They choose to follow God (Revelation 14:4b; Daniel 3:16-18, 28)

      9. They are without fault (Revelation 14:5; Daniel 6:4)

    10. Their ministry is prophesied (II Kings 20:17, 18; Psalm 11:3; Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5)

     God is right now preparing a generation of young men who will be mightily prepared to face the great tribulation of the Antichrist and the ensuing chaos during the Day of the Lord. Could it be that you are being mightily prepared by God “For such a time as this” ? (Esther 4:14)

Chaplain LEWolfe  www.btmi.org  I-85 Exit 35 SC   McPilot    Stop in, and please pray for our ministry!

Daniel Describes the Antichrist

"Daniel Describes the Antichrist"

Daniel 7:8-25

1. He, the 'little horn' will form a three-nation confederacy which are the 'three of the first horns' (v.8, 24)

2. He will speak 'very great things' and will possess a 'look' appearance 'more stout than his fellows'. (v.20)  

3. He makes war with the saints and prevails against them. v.21 (Revelation 11:7)

4. He shall speak great words against the Most High' v.25 (II Thessalonians 2:4)

5. He 'shall wear out the saints of the Most High' v.25 (Revelation 13:7)

6. He shall think to change times and laws and they shall be given into his hand until 3 1/2 years are up. (v.25)

 Daniel 8:23-25

 1. He will appear in the latter times (Daniel's Seventieth Week) of Israel's history (v.23)

 2. Through alliances with other nations he achieves world influence (v.24)

 3. His peace program helps his rise to power (v.25)

 4. He is extremely intelligent and persuasive (v.23)

 5. He is characterized by Satanic control (v.24)

 6. He is the adversary of Israel and the Prince of princes the Lord Jesus Christ/Messiah (v.24,25)

 7. Direct judgment from God ends his rule (v.25)

 Daniel 9:27

 1. He makes/confirms a covenant with the many (Israel) for one week (7 years)

 2. In the midst of the week he causes the sacrifice to cease, and sets himself up as god in the holy place, he/his    image being the "abomination of desolation" (Matthew 24:15)

 3. And that determined (his destruction by God) shall be poured upon the desolator

Daniel 11:23-45

1. The covenant he makes with Israel guarantees peace and protection, but  it is a product of deception. (v.23)

2. In time of peace he conquers areas which were not conquered before, distributing the spoils, devising schemes, but his downfall will come. (v.24)

3. He tries to conquer Egypt "the king of the south" with a great army but without success (v.25)

4. He will return to Israel and be against the holy covenant he made with Israel. (v.28)

5. He again heads toward the south but a naval power, probably Italy, will come against him. He returns and fulfils the Lord's prophecy concerning the "abomination of desolation." (v.30, 31)

6. He does according to his will, exalting and magnifying himself above every god, speaking against the God of Heaven, prospering until the appointed time of being rendered useless by the Lord Himself. (v.36)

7. He shows no regard for the gods of his fathers, or for the desire of women, many believe he is Jewish and therefore this refers to the Messiah, as women desire to be the mother of Messiah. (v.37)

8. He instead honors the god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know, which is in reality Satan himself. (v.38)

9. He goes to war with the help of Satan and is successful giving honor to those who worship him, giving them rule over many. (v.39)

10. The king of the south (Egypt) and the king of the north (Syria) will come against him with great forces, but he will pass through     conquering even though Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon will escape.(v.40, 41)

11. He will have success over the land and possessions of Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia will also be under his dominion. (v.42, 43)

12. But tidings out of the east (Euphrates 200M) and north (Russia) troubles him increasing his fury destroying multitudes. (v.44)

13. He will set up his headquarters between Jerusalem (Holy Mountain) and the Mediterranean Sea (v.45a)

14. He will be utterly destroyed by the Lord in the end, and no one will come to his help. (v.45b)

Chaplain LEWolfe  www.btmi.org  I-85 Exit 35 SC   McPilot    Stop in, and please pray for our ministry!

The Saints of Daniel Chapter 7

The Saints of Daniel Chapter Seven

     In this chapter Daniel is told of a group of saints that will face the Antichrist at the end of the age. He is assured that these saints will be victorious through it all:

‘But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.’ (Daniel 7:18)

     Then in (v.21, 22) the angel tells him of a future conflict the saints will have with the ‘horn’[Antichrist]:

‘I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.’

     John, in Revelation 13:7 is told of this same end of the age conflict: ‘And it was given unto him [Antichrist] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them’ agreeing with Daniel’s prophecy while giving much additional information on the Antichrist and his end of the age assault on God’s people.

     Daniel continues in (v.25):

‘And he [Antichrist] shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they [the times and laws] shall be given into his hand until a time and times and a dividing of time [3-1/2 years].’

     In summary, this chapter tells us that there will be saints on earth who will face the vicious persecution of the Antichrist during the beginning of the last 3-1/2 years but in the end they will be victorious possessing the kingdom because of the Lord’s intervention by rapture and His eventual crushing defeat of the Antichrist and his armies at Armageddon.

     The sequence of events concerning the saints continues in (11:31) beginning with the ‘abomination that makes desolate’   indicating that we are at the mid-point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week with the Antichrist being revealed with his vicious unparalleled persecution of the saints about to begin.

     The passage continues in (11:32-35):

‘And such as do wickedly [apostate Jews] against the covenant shall he [Antichrist] corrupt by flatteries; but the people that do know their God [the saints] shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the people [the saints] shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall they shall be helped with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for an appointed time.’

     These verses reveal that there will be those saints who understand and will be ‘strong and do exploits’ instructing many about the truth of the Lord which will bring intense persecution and martyrdom to many of these who are faithful to the Lord speaking the truth to those who are lost with these fiery trials bringing the power of purity to those who endure.

     Daniel chapter 12 shows the saints final sequence in (v.1-3):

‘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 time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered [rescued], every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them  that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.’

     These three verses unfold a sequence of events giving Daniel vital information on how the Lord rescues His people out of this most intense and unparalleled time of affliction at the hands of the Antichrist. These saints are now shown to be delivered, literally rescued out of the trouble by the Lord Himself coming as He promised to rapture His saints.

     This same sequence is shown in Matthew 24:15-31 when ‘the abomination of desolation’ starts the Antichrist’s vicious and unparalleled persecution of the saints during the first part of the last 3-1/2 years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week in (v.15-22) which the Lord shortens when He comes to rapture His saints.

     After giving warnings concerning false Christs, prophets, and miracles during the last 3-1/2 years of the Seventieth Week in (v.23-28) the Lord continues the sequence in (v.29-31):

‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give  her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of  heaven to the other.’

     On the same day the Lord shortens the great tribulation, He gives the sign in the heavens indicating the Day of the Lord is about to begin (Joel 2:30, 31) and then He comes to rescue the saints by rapture (Matthew 24:30, 31). This same sequence is shown in (Daniel 12:1, 2) and continues showing another group that remain: ‘And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.’ (Daniel 12:3)

     The book of Daniel and the book of the Revelation indicate that there will be those who remain after the rapture and continue on through the time known as the Day of the Lord when God pours out His wrath upon an unbelieving world in the process purifying 1/3 of the Jews and bringing them as a nation to salvation at the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel. (Isaiah 59:20; Romans 11:25; Revelation 14:1-5)

     So, during the beginning of the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the Antichrist will make war with the saints and wear them out until the Lord intervenes by rapture eventually defeating him and his armies at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21) which is the final event of the Day of the Lord.

Chaplain LEWolfe  www.btmi.org  I-85 Exit 35 SC   McPilot    Stop in, and please pray for our ministry!