1. Visions of the end
Daniel had some incredible visions of the future and events that are going to happen to the land of Israel.
They are all involved in Nebuchanezzar’s dream about a statue.
- Gold is the kingdom of Babylon
- Silver is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians (Daniel names them 70 years before they appear in Daniel 8: 20)
- Bronze is the kingdom of Greece which is named 250 years before they become a power. (Daniel 8: 21
- Iron is the Romans empire which is not mentioned by name.
Two kingdoms not talked about yet
- Iron and clay mixed together
- Rock smashing into the feet of the statue destroying it and bring it to dust.
Prophecy is a proof that the Bible is inspired and that we can trust it.
Daniel 11 has 135 prophecies in it and many of them have already been fulfilled.
ON LINE EXTRA: Some of the prophecies of Daniel 11
Daniel 11 Vs 2 4 kings of Persian
- Cambyses
- Hystaspes
- Pseudo Smordis
- Xerses
Xerses Attacks Greece and is defeated (This is the battle of the 300)
Vs 3, 4 Greece and Alexander the Great
Vs 5, 6 Battles between Egypt and Assyria
Ptoolemy II Pharaoh of Egypt had a daughter Bernice. She married Antiochus II of Syria. This would bring peace but Antiochus II did not like Bernice and when Ptolemy II died Bernice was put away so he could remarry his original wife Laodice. Laodice was jealous of Bernice so she poisoned ehr and all of her servants.
Ptolemy III sees that his sister was murdered and he is enraged enough to attack and defeat Syria.
These are just a few of the prophecies fulfilled in Daniel and it goes much deeper but we must go on.
Because of this track record, we want can trust what is still ahead of us in the future.
2. The Ten Toed Kingdom
Daniel 2: 41 – 43 The feet and toes you saw that were a combination of iron and clay show that this kingdom will be divided. 42 Some parts of it will be as strong as iron, and others as weak as clay. 43 This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But this will not succeed, just as iron and clay do not mix
The history of Europe is the attempt to form this ten toed kingdom. European history is filled with alliances and wars, but it will eventually come together to form a ten nation alliance (The ten toes)
- Most powerful kingdom the world has ever seen (Daniel 7: 7 devouring all other kingdoms)
- Short lived kingdom as it will only last seven years (Daniel 9: 27)
- Ruled by one man
- Terrible beast with no description (Daniel 7: 7)
- Small horn that utters loud blasphemies (Daniel 7: 8, 11)
- Do as he wants over the whole world (Daniel 11: 36)
- John has a vision of him and gives him a name Antichrist (1 John 2: 18)
3. Spirit of Antichrist
This person will be a culmination of who we are today.
1 John 4: 3 f a prophet does not acknowledge Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist. You have heard that he is going to come into the world, and he is already here.
Antichrist means instead of Christ or another Christ.
As a society we have steadily pushed Christ out of the public arena replacing Him with another savior.
We have done this ourselves as a church too.
We know God but have lost the fear and wonder of who he is.
- David said he pants for God like a deer pants for water
- David desire one thing, that he could dwell int he house of the Lord all the days of his life.
We have traded these longings for things that do not satisfy
We fear people more than we fear God.
4. The Coming of the Mountain
Daniel 9: 24 – 26 “A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to put down rebellion, to bring an end to sin, to atone for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. 26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing
Daniel is telling us the exact day Jesus will come into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday
ON LINE EXTRA:
Nehemiah 2: 1 – 8 tells the story of the rebuilding of Jerusalem that Daniel prophesied.
It happened in the month of Nissan in the 20th year of king Artaxerxes.
- He came to power in 465 B.C.
- Twentieth year of power would be 445 B.C.
- If the date is not mentioned we can assume that it is the first day of the month. March 14 445 B.C.
- It took seven weeks (which represent years to build the kingdom or 49 years.
- Daniel mentions 69 weeks or 483 years
A Jewish calendar is 360 days so 483 years X 360 days = 173, 880 days
March 14 445 B.C. + 173,880 days = April 6 32 A.D. this is the day Jesus came into Jerusalem only to be killed 4 days later with everyone thinking he died accomplishing nothing.
Luke 19: 42 Jesus is looking over Jerusalem and says “If you had known the day” Jesus was talking about the prophecy of Daniel.
Killed like he has not accomplished anything, but in actuality He has come to restore all things to himself
Acts 15: 16 – 17 Afterward I will return, and I will restore the fallen kingdom of David. From the ruins I will rebuild it, and I will restore it, 17 so that the rest of humanity might find the Lord, including the Gentiles
In restoration, he will bring all things back into order until he rules over all the earth. This is the vision of the rock growing into a mighty mountain.
We are in need of Jesus to restore His rightful place in our own hearts and lives.
No promises that we can’t keep anyway, but a desire for him to become God over our lives again