The 4th Beast of Daniel 7 (Part 3 – Heart of the Antichrist)
The entire Book of Daniel is an end-time book. Every story and dream is intended to give insight into the final week…the 70th week (last 7 years leading up to Jesus’ return) of Daniel. Daniel is the “little book” John was handed in Revelation:
Revelation 10:2-4 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, (3) and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. (4) Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them."
Daniel had a similar experience to John. He was given revelation that was for another time. His book has been sealed for this generation, that is what John was seeing, as well:
Daniel 12:4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."
THIS IS THE GENERATION marked by the exponential increase in knowledge. This is the generation of the information superhighway. The Book of Daniel is literally being unsealed before our very eyes, if you know what to look for it is easy to see things that are statistically very improbable happening exactly as they were described to Daniel. For the first time in world history, the pieces are in place for all the events described by Daniel to come together, as it was described to Daniel…like a flood. Once the dam breaks, the water will rise like a flood:
Daniel 9:26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
This isn’t just my idea, or some strange rendering of interpretation. Jesus said the same thing:
Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (38) For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, (39) and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
The sudden nature of the trouble besetting the world is related to the WAY antichrist becomes the beast. Right now, I believe the antichrist is in a leadership role somewhere in the earth. He is a sane yet arrogant man, a regional leader. The Bible is actually quite clear that he is the regional leader of the last “superpower”…the 8th empire in a line of seven previous superpowers, that have been bent on controlling the Middle East…specifically bent on controlling Jerusalem. The previous empires are, in order: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Ottoman Empire (an Islamic Caliphate). According to Revelation, the final…the 8th superpower, will “come out of” the 7th and will be co-opted by the 8th regional leader…who leads the end-time “Harlot Babylon”…described as the wealthiest world power to ever dominate the earth. She sits on many waters including the culture, the politics, the economy, and the religious nature of the earth. If she makes a choice, or if her economy falters, or her political will changes, the whole earth feels it:
Revelation 18:9-11 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, (10) standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' (11) "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
The leader of her is the antichrist, but right now he is just a man with an agenda…the end-time Babylon is riding on him, even though he hates her! He conspires with 10 middle eastern kings (two of which run Egypt and Syria), and he single –handedly replaces three of the 10 kings to advance His own agenda, which is not to grow horns and look like satan..No! He is bent on...drum roll please…saving the world!! What a noble cause! The antichrist actually believes he Is God’s gift to mankind. This brings us to Daniel, and Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream, which Daniel interpreted.
Like I said, the ENTIRE book of Daniel is about the end-times. The second dream Daniel interpreted is a weird dream. It is about Nebuchadnezzar growing in pride to the moment his vast kingdom is stripped away from him, and for 7-years he is given “the mind of a beast.” This entire dream is insight into how the antichrist becomes the antichrist. If we mine it a little, we can get insight into why the end “comes like a flood” as Daniel was told. For right now, it is hard to imagine how anyone as evil as the antichrist is described as being, could be present on earth with no one noticing. Take your most villainous character right now…imagine them for a second….the antichrist is 100 times worse than anyone you could presently imagine, even though he is likely a person some of you are, in fact, imagining. Daniel tells us why his very nature will change in a moment:
Daniel 4:19-27 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies! (20) "The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, (21) whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home— (22) it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth. (this is a picture of the world peace, prosperity, and global reach the last empire will have)
(23) "And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him'; (seven years is the decreed time of judgment for this end time king and empire…the 7 year tribulation is the end-time fulfillment of this)
(24) this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: (25) They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen (he was given the mind of a beast, the antichrist is called a “beast”).
They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. (the entire point of God letting this happen is to redeem people, to reveal saving truth to all who see)
(26) "And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules. (27) Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity." (Repentance is an option until the moment antichrist is given over to himself).
Just 12 months later, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream comes true:
Daniel 4:28-31 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. (29) At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. (30) The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" (31) While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
Nebuchadnezzar went from being a powerful, albeit scary, king, to a beast…in a moment! God gave him what he desired. Nebuchadnezzar was warned that his pride would eventually be answered…if he desired to make himself his own god, God would withdraw his protection over the man’s mind and hand him over to his own defiled desire.
Most people don’t have a cognizant realization that God is CONTINUALLY protecting our minds. The enemy is only allowed a limited amount of access to our minds to lie to us. God “keeps us” from delusion. God gives all of his created people some measure of a “sound mind”…even those rebelling against him. Satan would love to delude us all right into our own death as soon as possible, but God prevents it for a season, to allow all who would choose Him the ability to choose Him. But, there comes a day when everyone gets what they want.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, (10) and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, (12) that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Antichrist will be given over to himself, exposed to the deluding lies of satan, in one hour. Many will choose to follow this suddenly deranged man in delusion. When antichrist is given over, satan will whisper sweet lies about power and authority, and the man will become the beast…the antichrist:
Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
There is a specific day this happens: it happens the day that antichrist CHOOSES to be Israel’s new god-man….the day he confirms the peace covenant for Israel. That is the day he promises to be her protector, instead of helping her trust in God…instead of giving his own loyalty to God as he intervenes for Israel…he instead decides to try to BE God to Israel. On that day, antichrist will be given over to his own arrogance and will become “the beast”, God will withdraw the protection of antichrist’s mind, just like Nebuchadnezzar. As he is deluded by his own grandeur, antichrist will slowly reveal his true nature, which will culminate with him breaking his agreement to protect of Israel by instead taking her over, he will set up a statue of himself in the new temple in Jerusalem, and demand to be worshiped…just like Nebuchadnezzar once did:
Daniel 9:27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."
Daniel 3:5-6 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue. (6) Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
Jesus (warning his disciples privately) and Daniel both said “when this happens, the great tribulation starts”:
Daniel 12:1 "At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.
Matthew 24:15-21 "The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) (16) "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. (17) A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. (18) A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. (19) How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. (20) And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. (21) For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.
The reason the end “comes like a flood” is because right now the regional leader looks wonderful. Many will think he is some sort of messiah. He won’t openly hate Jesus…no!...he simply wants to replace Jesus…to be the savior of the world, instead of the currently invisible one. On the day he becomes the antichrist, the day he brokers a 7-year peace treaty for Israel, Christians will have a VERY hard choice to make: tell the world the truth about this man who has suddenly become a beast, or play along and watch many become caught up in the delusion. This man, and those loyal to him, will make it legal to kill and persecute enemies of the state who are speaking badly about the one many consider to be the greatest politician to ever live…this will all happen nearly overnight. This man will have a surveillance network able to track those loyal to Jesus. It will be a very intense time that calls for advanced preparation, we prepare by building cities of refuge by praying day and night (Joel 2/Amos 9/Acts 2). God’s people will not survive by storing guns and food in advance, but by building a secret history of taking risks in God and seeing the Holy Spirit answer with power!
There are many wise ones learning Jesus’ plan and preparing others to endure as faithful and wise witnesses who will bring in the great harvest!
Daniel 12:3-4 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. (4) But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase."
Revelation 10:2-4 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, (3) and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. (4) Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them."
Daniel had a similar experience to John. He was given revelation that was for another time. His book has been sealed for this generation, that is what John was seeing, as well:
Daniel 12:4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."
THIS IS THE GENERATION marked by the exponential increase in knowledge. This is the generation of the information superhighway. The Book of Daniel is literally being unsealed before our very eyes, if you know what to look for it is easy to see things that are statistically very improbable happening exactly as they were described to Daniel. For the first time in world history, the pieces are in place for all the events described by Daniel to come together, as it was described to Daniel…like a flood. Once the dam breaks, the water will rise like a flood:
Daniel 9:26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
This isn’t just my idea, or some strange rendering of interpretation. Jesus said the same thing:
Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (38) For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, (39) and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
The sudden nature of the trouble besetting the world is related to the WAY antichrist becomes the beast. Right now, I believe the antichrist is in a leadership role somewhere in the earth. He is a sane yet arrogant man, a regional leader. The Bible is actually quite clear that he is the regional leader of the last “superpower”…the 8th empire in a line of seven previous superpowers, that have been bent on controlling the Middle East…specifically bent on controlling Jerusalem. The previous empires are, in order: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Ottoman Empire (an Islamic Caliphate). According to Revelation, the final…the 8th superpower, will “come out of” the 7th and will be co-opted by the 8th regional leader…who leads the end-time “Harlot Babylon”…described as the wealthiest world power to ever dominate the earth. She sits on many waters including the culture, the politics, the economy, and the religious nature of the earth. If she makes a choice, or if her economy falters, or her political will changes, the whole earth feels it:
Revelation 18:9-11 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, (10) standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' (11) "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
The leader of her is the antichrist, but right now he is just a man with an agenda…the end-time Babylon is riding on him, even though he hates her! He conspires with 10 middle eastern kings (two of which run Egypt and Syria), and he single –handedly replaces three of the 10 kings to advance His own agenda, which is not to grow horns and look like satan..No! He is bent on...drum roll please…saving the world!! What a noble cause! The antichrist actually believes he Is God’s gift to mankind. This brings us to Daniel, and Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream, which Daniel interpreted.
Like I said, the ENTIRE book of Daniel is about the end-times. The second dream Daniel interpreted is a weird dream. It is about Nebuchadnezzar growing in pride to the moment his vast kingdom is stripped away from him, and for 7-years he is given “the mind of a beast.” This entire dream is insight into how the antichrist becomes the antichrist. If we mine it a little, we can get insight into why the end “comes like a flood” as Daniel was told. For right now, it is hard to imagine how anyone as evil as the antichrist is described as being, could be present on earth with no one noticing. Take your most villainous character right now…imagine them for a second….the antichrist is 100 times worse than anyone you could presently imagine, even though he is likely a person some of you are, in fact, imagining. Daniel tells us why his very nature will change in a moment:
Daniel 4:19-27 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies! (20) "The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, (21) whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home— (22) it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth. (this is a picture of the world peace, prosperity, and global reach the last empire will have)
(23) "And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him'; (seven years is the decreed time of judgment for this end time king and empire…the 7 year tribulation is the end-time fulfillment of this)
(24) this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: (25) They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen (he was given the mind of a beast, the antichrist is called a “beast”).
They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. (the entire point of God letting this happen is to redeem people, to reveal saving truth to all who see)
(26) "And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules. (27) Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity." (Repentance is an option until the moment antichrist is given over to himself).
Just 12 months later, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream comes true:
Daniel 4:28-31 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. (29) At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. (30) The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" (31) While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
Nebuchadnezzar went from being a powerful, albeit scary, king, to a beast…in a moment! God gave him what he desired. Nebuchadnezzar was warned that his pride would eventually be answered…if he desired to make himself his own god, God would withdraw his protection over the man’s mind and hand him over to his own defiled desire.
Most people don’t have a cognizant realization that God is CONTINUALLY protecting our minds. The enemy is only allowed a limited amount of access to our minds to lie to us. God “keeps us” from delusion. God gives all of his created people some measure of a “sound mind”…even those rebelling against him. Satan would love to delude us all right into our own death as soon as possible, but God prevents it for a season, to allow all who would choose Him the ability to choose Him. But, there comes a day when everyone gets what they want.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, (10) and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, (12) that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Antichrist will be given over to himself, exposed to the deluding lies of satan, in one hour. Many will choose to follow this suddenly deranged man in delusion. When antichrist is given over, satan will whisper sweet lies about power and authority, and the man will become the beast…the antichrist:
Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
There is a specific day this happens: it happens the day that antichrist CHOOSES to be Israel’s new god-man….the day he confirms the peace covenant for Israel. That is the day he promises to be her protector, instead of helping her trust in God…instead of giving his own loyalty to God as he intervenes for Israel…he instead decides to try to BE God to Israel. On that day, antichrist will be given over to his own arrogance and will become “the beast”, God will withdraw the protection of antichrist’s mind, just like Nebuchadnezzar. As he is deluded by his own grandeur, antichrist will slowly reveal his true nature, which will culminate with him breaking his agreement to protect of Israel by instead taking her over, he will set up a statue of himself in the new temple in Jerusalem, and demand to be worshiped…just like Nebuchadnezzar once did:
Daniel 9:27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."
Daniel 3:5-6 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue. (6) Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
Jesus (warning his disciples privately) and Daniel both said “when this happens, the great tribulation starts”:
Daniel 12:1 "At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.
Matthew 24:15-21 "The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) (16) "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. (17) A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. (18) A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. (19) How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. (20) And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. (21) For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.
The reason the end “comes like a flood” is because right now the regional leader looks wonderful. Many will think he is some sort of messiah. He won’t openly hate Jesus…no!...he simply wants to replace Jesus…to be the savior of the world, instead of the currently invisible one. On the day he becomes the antichrist, the day he brokers a 7-year peace treaty for Israel, Christians will have a VERY hard choice to make: tell the world the truth about this man who has suddenly become a beast, or play along and watch many become caught up in the delusion. This man, and those loyal to him, will make it legal to kill and persecute enemies of the state who are speaking badly about the one many consider to be the greatest politician to ever live…this will all happen nearly overnight. This man will have a surveillance network able to track those loyal to Jesus. It will be a very intense time that calls for advanced preparation, we prepare by building cities of refuge by praying day and night (Joel 2/Amos 9/Acts 2). God’s people will not survive by storing guns and food in advance, but by building a secret history of taking risks in God and seeing the Holy Spirit answer with power!
There are many wise ones learning Jesus’ plan and preparing others to endure as faithful and wise witnesses who will bring in the great harvest!
Daniel 12:3-4 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. (4) But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase."
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