1 John 2:18-25
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
INTRODUCTION:
Everyone is talking about the end of the world
Daniel is about fostering hope and certainty among God’s people
TODAY:
Trust the God who holds the future!
RECAP:
• 4 Beasts
• A Little Horn that blasphemes God and makes war on the saints
• The Judgment of the Ancient of Days and the Book of Life
• The coming of the Son of Man
• The eternal reign of God with His people
• Chapters 7-12 give us the Flow of Human history from the Babylonian Empire to final judgment.
• History will culminate with a final conflict universal resurrection, and the inauguration of the eternal Kingdom of God.
Structure of Daniel 8: (Identical to chapter 7)
• Time Stamp (v.1)
• Vision: a Ram, a Goat, and a little horn (v.2-14)
• Interpretation through an angelic messenger (v.15-26)
• Daniel’s distress (v.27)
The Vision of the Ram:
Daniel 8:3-4
I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. (ESV)
Interpretation:
Daniel 8:20
As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.
The Vision of the Goat:
Daniel 8:5-7
As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
Interpretation:
Daniel 8:21
And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
The Vision of the Great Horn and the 4 Horns:
Daniel 8:8
Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
Interpretation:
Daniel 8:21-22
As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
The Vision of the Little Horn:
Daniel 8:9-12
Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.
Interpretation:
Daniel 8:23-25
And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand.
The Vision of the 2,300 Evenings and Mornings:
Daniel 8:13-14
His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken— but by no human hand.
Interpretation:
Daniel 8:26
“The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”
Foreshadowing Prophecy:
1. Antiochus IV
2. Antichrist
3. The Kingdom of God
APPLICATION:
• Live holy lives in light of his coming.
• Persevere in spite of suffering and persecution.
• Trust the one who knows and controls the future.
• Take comfort that the one who brought every detail of the first coming of Jesus to pass will not fail in bringing the second coming of Christ to fulfillment.
• Are you ready for his coming?