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Series Code: DAA
Program Code: DAA018010A
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00:02 Music...
00:25 And we welcome you once again to 00:27 Daniel All Access. 00:29 This is our chapter-by-chapter study 00:33 through the book of Daniel... 00:35 this wonderful complex book which has so much to say 00:38 about the past... the present... and our future 00:42 all housed in this wonderful prophetic book called Daniel. 00:47 We're happy that you joined us 00:48 and perhaps you want to take some notes 00:51 or make some special note of some of the things 00:55 that we're going to be talking about 00:57 because Daniel has so much to say to us. 00:59 Daniel and its companion... the book of Revelation 01:02 ought to be studied in these last days 01:05 because one... they give us our bearings... 01:07 they allow us to see where we are 01:09 as respect to the close of this earth's history 01:11 and affirm for us that we are close... 01:14 yea, very, very close to the second coming 01:17 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 01:19 So, we pray that you've been blessed 01:21 during the previous studies 01:22 and that as we move into this rather complex book and chapter 01:27 that you will again be blessed today. 01:29 Would you join me now as we call upon the Lord in prayer. 01:32 "Father God, we do praise you and thank you so very much 01:37 for the privilege that is ours to study the Word of God. 01:41 We thank you for Daniel and for this wonderful prophetic work 01:46 which gives much evidence of your leading in the past, 01:51 today and in the future. 01:53 Help us as we study, 01:55 grant us the presence and power of your Holy Spirit 01:59 so that we may know and do and be prepared for that day 02:03 when we shall see Christ face to face... 02:07 we thank you Lord, in Jesus' name, amen. " 02:10 Pause. 02:13 The title of our message is: The Train is on the Track... 02:17 The train is on the track 02:19 and we'll sort of unpack that in just a little bit. 02:24 Daniel chapter 11 is among 02:29 the longer chapters in the book of Daniel by far 02:34 it is much more in-depth 02:38 than some of its fellow chapters in this book. 02:41 It focuses on the world that existed 02:46 post or after Medo-Persia and Greece 02:51 and it puts these kingdoms and the succeeding kingdoms 02:55 under a magnifying glass. 02:57 That's one of the keys 02:59 to understanding Daniel's admitted complexity. 03:02 Daniel 11 introduces some new characters... 03:06 it focuses a little tighter 03:08 on some of the old or existing characters 03:11 and it is my belief that it does not alter or change 03:15 and this is important... 03:17 it does not alter or change the scope of our study 03:22 it simply gives us more depth. 03:25 In other words, Daniel takes a deeper look in chapter 11. 03:31 He takes a deeper look... 03:33 it's not a different look... same material... 03:35 just a deeper look. 03:37 Daniel chapter 11 is looking still at the same prophetic 03:42 continuum that we have looked at previously 03:45 and it's wrestling, I think, with the same material 03:49 that we have seen in Daniel chapter 2, chapter 6, 03:54 chapter 7, chapters 8 and 9... there's a pattern there 03:58 that is outlined... 04:00 it continues in that pattern... 04:01 all moving in the same prophetic direction 04:04 including the explanations and the interpretations 04:07 by no less than Gabriel himself and as we said, 04:11 a cameo appearance by the glorified Lord. 04:13 So, when we look at Daniel and we see this pattern 04:18 through this book, this pattern is called... 04:20 you recall... "Repeat and enlarge" 04:24 the pattern is: Repeat and Enlarge. 04:28 Daniel goes over the same material 04:31 and every time he re-covers that material, 04:34 he enlarges our scope 04:36 but in Daniel chapter 11 in particular 04:39 he takes a closer look... a closer examination 04:43 of the same material, so, he repeats... he enlarges... 04:48 and he digs a little deeper in Daniel chapter 11... 04:53 so, to understand... we must, as I said in the title, 04:58 Keep the Train 04:59 on the Track. 05:01 Now, what does that mean? 05:02 The Bible tends not to make radical changes... radical flips 05:08 or unsubstantiated or unanticipated course corrections 05:14 when it is walking you through the narrative. 05:17 So, chapter 11... of all the chapters in Daniel 05:20 has occasioned the most rigorous debate and discussion 05:25 partly because it is so comprehensive 05:28 and it is so exhaustive. 05:30 So, that's why you've got to keep the train on the track 05:34 if you want to understand what he is saying 05:36 and not kind of make sharp move to the left 05:39 or sharp move to the right... 05:40 got to keep the train on the track 05:42 and that will help you understand Daniel 05:44 and also the book of Revelation. 05:46 Since this chapter is so exhaustive and rather long, 05:50 we're not going to take a verse-by-verse exegesis 05:54 or explanation of the book 05:55 what I want to do is rather to observe 05:58 the pattern and direction that we see in Daniel chapter 11 06:03 and this is necessary because parts of Daniel 11 06:07 are not totally fulfilled and there may be some surprises 06:12 coming to this old earth before Jesus comes again 06:16 that are alluded to in Daniel chapter 11. 06:20 Now, Hearers... I remind you this... 06:22 the Biblical understanding 06:23 of the beauty and value of prophecy. 06:29 The Bible says in John chapter 13 verse 19, 06:36 John 13:19 a wonderful text 06:39 "Now I tell you before it come, that, when it does come to pass, 06:44 you may believe... " 06:45 the context... Christ is telling 06:47 and preparing to expose His betrayer 06:51 and Christ is saying, "I tell you these things before 06:54 so that when they do come, 06:56 you can have faith in the God who is leading you. " 06:59 Wonderful passage in John 13:19. 07:02 Also, we should consider Jeremiah 28:9. 07:08 "... when the word of the prophet comes to pass, 07:11 the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has sent. " 07:16 So, the Bible is simply saying, 07:18 "If the Bible predicts something and it comes to pass, 07:22 then you can have confidence that that word... 07:25 that prophetic message is from the Lord. " 07:27 So, we look now for the patterns in Daniel chapter 11 07:31 for time's sake we'll try to move through 07:36 in... in... in this material in rather... rather great... 07:39 great leaps of time. 07:42 There is a pattern and we're looking at Revelation... 07:46 the seven trumpets... 144,000... 07:48 Revelation chapter 14... 07:50 there are some other prickly passages 07:52 that need to be examined in humility and in sincerity. 07:58 Well, there are parts of Daniel chapter 11 08:00 that fall into that same category. 08:02 So, in the broadest context 08:06 and since Daniel is a rather... 08:09 can I say, "Nuanced look" at the world from Daniel's day 08:14 down to our day... down to the second coming 08:17 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 08:20 So, let's look at it in... in those broad terms. 08:23 Daniel chapter 11 verse 5, 08:28 Daniel 11:1, 3 through 13 08:33 Daniel 11:1 and 2... 08:36 so, let's go back to Daniel 11:1 and 2... 08:40 Daniel 11:1 and 2 examines Persia. 08:43 Medo-Persia but it really emphasizes the Persian half 08:48 of that equation. 08:49 Daniel chapter 11 verses 3 through 13 08:54 examines Greece and Alexander 08:57 and to some extent takes us into the four divisions 09:01 of the Grecian Empire. 09:03 Daniel chapter 11 verse 5 talks about the King of the South. 09:10 Daniel 11 verse 6 talks about the King of the North 09:17 and Daniel chapter 11 verses 7 through 14 09:25 examine Syria and Egypt. 09:27 Daniel 11:15 through 22 we look at 09:32 and are... given to study Pagan... 09:37 that is Imperial Rome 09:38 Daniel chapter 11 verses 23 through 35 09:43 we look at Papal Rome, 09:47 Daniel 11:36 through 39... this is a new insertion... 09:52 a new God, no God, Atheism and Egypt's Spiritual children. 10:00 or dare I say, step-children... 10:02 but really Egypt's spiritual children 10:04 and when we get to that, 10:05 we'll sort of walk you through that also. 10:08 Daniel chapter 11 verses 40 through 45... 10:11 The Reassertion of Papal Authority 10:14 so, you can see, this is a complex book... 10:16 this is a book that has a lot of nuance and a lot of depth. 10:19 Much to study... much to learn in this book of Daniel 10:26 and chapter 11... particularly. 10:30 Now, it is this... this new part of the book 10:35 where we see a parallel... 10:38 let me put it this way... 10:40 If you look at a drop of pond water, 10:43 water from a pond or a stream, 10:45 if you look through that drop of pond water 10:49 through a magnifying glass, 10:51 you will see more than you would see 10:54 if you looked at it through the naked eye 10:57 but if you looked at that drop of pond water 10:59 through a microscope, 11:02 you would scarcely believe 11:04 that you're looking at the same drop of water 11:06 but the fact is, 11:08 that everything that was visible under the microscope 11:12 was there under the magnifying glass 11:17 but your eyes could not see it 11:20 without some additional assistance. 11:23 That's the way Daniel is, 11:25 he gives you that additional assistance 11:28 so that when you're looking at particularly Medo-Persia 11:32 and Greece and the succeeding kingdoms, 11:36 you're looking at it now through a microscope 11:39 even more than a magnifying glass 11:41 and certainly more than the naked eye. 11:44 We can say Daniel chapter 2 is sort of... naked eye... 11:48 but as we move through the succeeding chapters, 11:50 we go under a magnifying glass 11:52 and then when we get to Daniel chapter 11, 11:55 now we're looking under a microscope. 11:58 Now, let me say this and this is important 12:01 because I don't believe any sincere Christian 12:03 will be lost from heaven 12:05 because of a misunderstanding 12:08 or because of their understanding 12:10 of Daniel chapter 11 12:11 if they don't get it perfectly 12:13 but Daniel is a book that needs to be studied 12:17 for our edification 12:18 as we prepare for the coming 12:21 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12:23 The disclaimer is simply this, 12:24 I suspect that Islam perhaps has a role to play 12:31 in the end-time scenario. 12:32 We're looking at... and listening so much about Islam 12:35 as it impacts the world... it is large... it is aggressive 12:39 and it was the Islamic incursions 12:42 back in the 10th and 11th Century 12:46 that really put a halt 12:47 to the unfettered work of the Medieval Church 12:52 but I believe that something is going to play out with Islam 13:01 but we don't know quite what it is 13:02 so that's one of the things that we have to kind of look at 13:04 with humility and see how it's going to play out... 13:08 I don't think that it will be a focal point 13:10 as many Bible students do 13:13 but I think there is a platform that Islam may have 13:18 in the closing scenes of earth's history 13:21 because of its size... because of its aggressive nature 13:24 and we just have to keep our eyes open 13:26 and see how this is going to play out 13:28 as we come closer and closer to the end of this world 13:32 and the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 13:34 Pause. 13:36 I have a high degree of agreement 13:39 with those who talk about the diversity 13:43 and the increased opinions 13:46 of those who look at this chapter 13:48 but when we talk about Islam and some of those things, 13:52 we have to be very careful and to do so with prayer 13:55 because the landscape is a little opaque... 13:58 it is a little murky, 14:00 we don't know quite what Islam is going to do 14:03 and how it's going to figure in the end-time scenario 14:06 but I suspect there is a place for it. 14:09 So we move back to... to Daniel. 14:12 The Bible tells us that some interesting things 14:16 are going to happen. 14:17 In Daniel chapter 11, we see, where the Bible tells us 14:22 that three more kings 14:24 are going to come upon the scene of action. 14:27 Those kings are: Cambyses spoken of in Ezra 4 verse 6, 14:33 Gaumata... Ezra chapter 4 verse 7, 14:37 Darius the first... Ezra chapter 4 verse 24, 14:41 and Xerxes... in Daniel chapter 11 verses 1 and 2. 14:47 We find that... there are four more kings. 14:49 Xerxes by-the-way is the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther 14:54 and that word always... 14:56 that name always sort of trips me up 14:58 as it does many people 15:00 but it's Ahasuerus... 15:02 as best as I can do with that pronunciation 15:05 from the book of Esther. 15:06 This fourth king, the Bible says, 15:09 will be richer by far than the others. 15:11 He is Xerxes and that name 15:15 when translated through becomes again... Ahasuerus... 15:19 or Ahasuerus from the Word of God. 15:23 He will use his power, his purse and his position 15:27 to stir his Empire up against Greece. 15:30 We touched on that when we looked at Daniel chapter 9 15:34 with this... what seems like a personal animosity 15:37 between the goat and the ram. 15:39 Well, there was a personal animosity 15:43 between the Persian King and Greece... 15:46 and we saw that in Daniel chapter 9 and we see it again. 15:50 This fourth king, Xerxes, as I said 15:52 failed to conquer Greece. 15:55 This was the one who had Vashti as his wife 15:58 and later married Esther. 16:00 He raised one of the largest armies and into history 16:03 they marched into Greece and got, dare I say, embarrassed 16:08 you've heard of 300 Spartans at Thermopylae 16:11 well, that's this whole scenario 16:13 of him trying to conquer the Grecian States... 16:16 the Grecian States united 16:18 and they turned back the incursions 16:23 of the Persian Empire. 16:24 Very interesting story... 16:26 the Greeks dressed in metal and the Persians dressed in cloth 16:32 were no real match for them 16:36 and then, of course, as we said before, 16:37 the Persians were not accustomed to hand-to-hand combat, 16:40 they were more "arrow shooters" 16:42 and, of course, when you're covered in metal 16:43 an arrow's not going to do too much, 16:45 so, even though the army was much larger, 16:48 it didn't do what he had expected it to do. 16:52 A second Artaxerxes called Longimanus... 16:56 he was the one that was responsible for the 457 decree 17:02 that began the start of the 2,300-day prophecy 17:07 and so that's how we bring that in, 17:09 so, remember, that we're establishing 17:13 this magnifying glass pattern. 17:15 We are getting an enhanced view of the Medo-Persian Empire 17:20 that we didn't get in the previous chapters 17:22 slanted of course to the Persian side 17:25 because it was the Persian side 17:26 as opposed to the Median side which was a little more active. 17:30 Then in Daniel chapter 11 and verse 3, 17:32 we pivot now to Greece. 17:34 The Bible tells us about "a mighty king shall arise... 17:39 and rule with great dominion. 17:41 He will do what he wants... 17:44 the Kingdom is broken up... scattered to the four winds... 17:48 and none among his posterity with inherit. " 17:52 Well, that is of course, Alexander 17:54 and his four leading Generals. 17:57 So, in verse 5 we get this new player 18:00 we have to keep the train on the tracks 18:03 and our thought progression has to be linear... 18:08 we're following along... a mighty king... 18:10 kingdom divided... 18:12 his children will not take over... 18:15 he will be divided and scattered to the four winds... 18:18 the only person that fits that is Alexander. 18:21 Alexander's Empire is divided into four sub-Empires 18:25 and we'll come back to that in just a little bit. 18:29 These four sub-Empires were under control 18:33 of his four leading Generals. 18:36 The King of the South is initially Ptolemy and Egypt... 18:43 that's one of the four Generals 18:45 that we're going to be talking about 18:47 and we'll... we'll come back to that in just a moment. 18:51 The King of the North is initially Seleucus... 18:54 another of the four Generals 18:56 that we're going to be talking about. 18:59 Here they are... 19:00 Lysimachus / Cassander Seleucus and Ptolemy. 19:04 Now I put them in that order for a reason... 19:09 I'll explain in just a moment 19:10 but Seleucus or initial King of the North 19:13 Ptolemy... initial King of the South 19:16 and it was these two particular Generals 19:20 that sort of came to the ascendancy 19:22 after the death of Alexander. 19:25 So, we identify right off the bat... 19:28 the King of the North Seleucus... 19:30 the King of the South... Ptolemy. 19:32 Now, I'm identifying them 19:34 in relation to their geographical proximity 19:40 to the Holy Land. 19:41 To the North... Seleucus... 19:43 to the South... Ptolemy and Egypt. 19:47 it is Egypt until after 31 B.C. 19:51 and the Atheistic offspring of those children. 19:57 The four mini empires became two. 20:02 Now, all the Seleucid kings took the name: Antiochus 20:06 and you recall that it was the Seleucids 20:09 that conquered the Holy Land. 20:11 They were in-charge of the Holy Land and North. 20:14 They all took the name: Antiochus. 20:16 Antiochus 1... Antiochus 2... 20:17 Antiochus 3... Antiochus 4... 20:19 Antiochus Epimanes... 20:20 all of these kings took the name "Antiochus" 20:25 there were eight Seleucid kings in all. 20:27 Daniel chapter 11 verses 14 to 25... 29 rather 20:33 identifies a new King of the North 20:36 and we're going to come to that in just a moment 20:38 because there is a Power that succeeds the Seleucid kings 20:43 and, of course, that is Pagan or Imperial Rome. 20:48 So, one of the views that we will see of God's people 20:53 is that they are being assaulted and crushed by a two-sided vice. 20:58 False religion on the one hand 21:02 and Atheistic... 21:06 Atheism, rather, on the other. 21:09 Now, the Ptolemies in the south 21:12 or in Egypt 21:13 ruled for many, many years... 21:15 about 168 years. 21:16 You've heard of this name before Cleopatra... 21:18 this is Cleopatra number 7. 21:20 She was a Ptolemy or part of that dynasty in Egypt 21:24 that we see as the King of the South. 21:28 Daniel 11 reveals a squeeze play as we've said before. 21:34 False religion and Atheism... 21:37 False Religion in the north and Atheism in the south. 21:42 and these two forces will oppose each other... 21:45 sometimes join each other 21:47 and sometimes join each other in fighting God's people 21:50 but throughout the years there's this "Squeeze Pay" 21:53 "Squeeze Play" rather 21:54 of False Religion in the north and Atheism in the south 21:57 all coming against the people of God. 22:02 Pause. 22:05 Ptolemy is the initial King of the South 22:09 and the Seleucids are the initial Kings of the North. 22:13 We're... we're... we're... sort of begging that point 22:16 because what happens is you had four Generals 22:20 and the four Generals become two. 22:23 Lysimachus overthrows Cassander 22:27 and then Seleucus, King of the North, 22:30 kills Lysimachus in a war of expansion. 22:33 So, very quickly, the four become two. 22:37 You got Seleucus in the north, you got Ptolemy in the south, 22:40 and the four become two. 22:42 So, you've got a King of the North 22:43 and a King of the South 22:45 and this is further justification 22:47 for the understanding of Ptolemy as the King of the South 22:51 and the Seleucids or the Antiochus Dynasty 22:55 as the initial kings of north. 22:57 Now, you notice this... this gets kind of complex... 23:00 it gets kind of involved 23:01 and that's because Daniel's giving us this deeper look... 23:04 this closer look... 23:05 we don't get these names in Daniel chapter 2. 23:07 We get the arms and chest of silver 23:12 and we get the thighs of brass 23:14 but we don't the names... we don't get the king 23:16 so Daniel 11 is giving us this little closer look... 23:19 it's putting these kingdoms under a magnifying glass 23:22 so that we not only know what is going on... 23:26 we know who are the players and the actors, 23:28 King of the North... King of the South... 23:31 within decades after the death of Alexander, 23:33 as I said before, these four kingdoms 23:36 or four sub-Empires become two 23:40 and Ptolemy in the north, Seleucus in the south. 23:45 Now, a little detail... 23:46 we'll try to run through this very quickly, 23:49 In chapters 11:6... chapter 11 verse 6... 23:52 alludes to Ptolemy the 2nd... the Expansionist. 23:56 Antiochus the 2nd... King of the North... 23:59 leaves his wife Bernice who is a daughter of Ptolemy... 24:04 a little inter-marriage there... 24:07 and marries, rather, Bernice... 24:09 he leaves his wife, Laodice who then subsequently 24:15 has Bernice assassinated and her son 24:18 and then poisons Antiochus, you got all this intrigue. 24:22 Bernice's brother, Ptolemy the 3rd, travels north, 24:26 overthrows Syria, in the battle that follows, 24:29 Antiochus the 3rd... King of the North 24:32 and Ptolemy the 4th... King of the South 24:36 meet at the battle of Raphia in 217 B.C. 24:40 Ptolemy wins... 24:41 16 years later, Antiochus the 3rd comes through 24:44 and defeats Egypt so you've got this interplay, 24:46 back and forth... back and forth 24:47 inter-marrying, murder, 24:50 intrigue, death... back and forth, 24:52 King of the North... King of the South... 24:54 King of the South... King of the North... 24:55 King of the North over King of the South 24:57 Antiochus... Ptolemy... back and forth 24:59 for about 168 years. 25:02 That's all played out and explained in Daniel chapter 11 25:05 verses 11 through 13. 25:08 Now, Daniel turns to a new power, 25:10 we've got to kind of scoot along here 25:12 because time is getting away from us 25:13 He turns to a new power in verse 14 through 29... 25:18 which assumes the role and identity 25:21 of King of the North, 25:23 now, we've got to keep the train on the track... 25:25 so, when you want to know who the new King of the North is 25:28 simply look for the kingdom that supplants the Seleucid Kingdom. 25:32 Who comes on the scene of action after the Seleucids are gone? 25:37 That is, of course, Pagan Rome. 25:40 The new power is Pagan Rome. 25:43 Where is Rome in relation to Israel? 25:46 It is north... it is north west but it is also north 25:50 because it conquers just about everything in that area 25:53 so it's north, 25:54 so, when you're looking for the new identity 25:56 of the King of the North, it is Pagan Rome. 25:59 The Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Empire 26:03 as we said, lasted about 168 years. 26:06 Near the end, Cleopatra 7... she is a Ptolemy 26:10 so she's female but she's King of the South 26:14 bears a child for Julius Caesar nicknamed Caesarion. 26:18 She then bears three children for his successor Mary Antony. 26:24 Now, we move now into the age of Roman domination. 26:30 As I said... Cleopatra... one child for Caesar 26:35 three for Mark Antony. 26:37 Pause. 26:39 The King of the North is Pagan... then Papal Rome. 26:45 Rome annexed Egypt 26:48 under the first true emperor called Octavian 26:53 or Caesar Augustus. 26:54 He defeated Cleopatra and Mark Antony 26:59 at the war in 31 A.D. 27:03 at a battle called, The Battle of Actium. 27:06 Octavian defeats the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra 27:11 and really, from that time on Egypt is a Vassal State, 27:14 it is not really a country standing alone anymore... 27:19 it's part of the Roman Empire and gets swallowed up 27:21 as part of the Roman Empire. 27:24 So, the new King of the North becomes Pagan or Imperial Rome 27:28 and the King of the South now has to change 27:32 because Egypt as a stand-alone country 27:35 no longer exists. 27:36 You see, the depth... the layers that Daniel is taking us through 27:40 he's giving us much more of a microscopic look 27:43 at what's going on or what is happening. 27:47 So, either Pagan or Papal Rome 27:51 is part of the King of the North. 27:54 We see now again the Squeeze play... 27:57 false religion in the North 27:59 and Anti-God Atheism in the South. 28:04 Now, that encourages us to tap the brake just a little bit 28:07 to try to be a little judicious here 28:10 because the narrative gets very, very involved 28:14 as we mentioned the King of the South 28:18 changes as does the King of the North. 28:22 We mentioned Actium 28:24 where the Roman Empire annexed Egypt 28:27 and Mark Antony and Cleopatra are defeated... 28:31 and Egypt ceases to exist as a stand-alone country. 28:36 We have to adjust our sights 28:39 to identify the King of the South. 28:42 In Revelation chapter 11 and verse 8, 28:45 Scripture speaks about spiritual Egypt 28:49 because of her opposition to God's people historically 28:54 as outlined in Exodus chapter 5 verse 2. 29:00 So, when we're looking now at the King of the South, 29:04 you can't look at Egypt as a country anymore, 29:07 you've got to look at her spiritual sons and daughters. 29:11 So, prior to A.D. 31 in the Battle of Actium... 29:15 Egypt was a nation physically opposing God's people. 29:19 After A.D. 31, the King of the South now 29:23 is the "Spiritual Children" of Egypt. 29:28 Those who have that anti-God Atheistic mindset 29:33 as we saw in ancient Egypt. 29:37 So, Daniel 11 shows the people of God now 29:40 assailed by this Squeeze Play... false religion and Atheism 29:46 and as we've noted... our starting point is A.D. 31. 29:51 Now, let's move on. 29:53 In 1798 something happened. 29:59 Let me go back and just walk you through that. 30:02 In the north, Pagan Rome was succeeded by Papal Rome. 30:11 Both opposed the people of God. 30:16 Papal Rome had an almost 30:19 unfettered sway and control of Europe 30:22 from 538 A.D. to 1798 A.D. 30:29 or 1,260 years of what Daniel 11 calls "The Appointed Time. " 30:38 History informs us that in that year 30:42 the dominance of the western world by the Papacy 30:47 came to its end. 30:48 How did that happen? 30:50 In 1798, French General Berthier at the orders of Napoleon 30:57 took the Pope prisoner 30:59 and the 1,260-year reign of the Papacy in Europe 31:07 came to its end. 31:10 That reign of power... sometimes called the Dark Ages 31:15 or the Middle Ages came to an... an end. 31:20 The Pope's capture ended the times, time and 1/2 a time 31:26 1,260-year rule of the Papacy. 31:29 Pause. 31:31 583 to 1798 as predicted in Daniel chapter 7 verse 25. 31:39 We talked about that when we went through Daniel chapter 7. 31:42 Daniel 11:35 mentions the "time of the end" 31:46 or "the appointed time" 31:48 that "appointed time" was 1798... 31:50 it was at that time in that year 31:53 that Berthier took his action 31:56 and the church's unfettered reign came to an end. 32:00 What replaced it was something kind of sad. 32:05 Atheism replaced it 32:07 as the "Age of Reason" 32:10 and, of course, this took place in France. 32:12 Really a horrible time. 32:14 For the first time in the history of the world, 32:16 a country outlawed religion... 32:19 voted Christianity out... 32:21 said, "We're not going to have any more faith... 32:24 any more churches... any more praying... 32:26 any more worship of... of God... " 32:28 it was a political move 32:32 by the King of the South 32:35 so the new King of the South now is France... 32:38 a spiritual daughter 32:40 an ideological daughter of Egypt 32:44 against God's people... against the people of God 32:47 and so, Atheism and all its tentacles now rears its head 32:52 and if you look at Europe today, 32:54 so much of it is a part of the fallout 32:57 of what happened so many years ago in 1798. 33:03 Verse 38, "a God which his fathers did not know" 33:08 very, very important text, 33:10 it's talking about this God of Atheism that was ushered in 33:15 by the French in the year 1798. 33:20 Brand-new god... a god that its fathers did not know. 33:23 What kind of God is it? It is no God. 33:27 It is a decision by the French people 33:29 to have no God... 33:31 to make a god of reason... 33:33 to make a god of their own mindset... 33:36 to make a humanistic god... 33:37 but they weren't going to worship 33:40 the God of heaven anymore 33:41 and this mind-set has gone down through the years 33:46 and really, Europe is a very secular place even to this day. 33:50 There are men and women and young people 33:53 who are trying to serve the Lord 33:55 but there is much secularism there 33:57 and much of it had its beginning... 34:00 it's genesis in 1798 when the French people said, 34:03 "We will not have God to be our God anymore. " 34:07 Verse 38 of Daniel chapter 11 calls it, 34:10 "a god which his fathers did not know" 34:14 so, it's part of the spiritual legacy of Egypt 34:18 and as such France or Atheism 34:21 as espoused by the French Government 34:24 is the King of the South. 34:26 It's kind of interesting that 34:29 for a while the King of the North 34:30 went and captured the King of the South 34:34 but both of them historically have had their unity 34:41 in being against God's people. 34:43 so, I'm looking at some of the names I have here. 34:47 Georg Hegel 1797 called the Father of Atheism. 34:51 Charles Darwin 1837, 34:53 Karl Marx and Communistic Atheism 1843 34:57 and so, to this very day 34:59 it has settled into the hearts and minds of so many. 35:03 The great German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche 35:08 very famous name... 35:12 he said in 1882, "God is dead" 35:19 and so, even on television today you've got Ron Reagan who says, 35:24 "There is no God, there is no heaven, 35:27 there is no hell. " 35:28 Pete Singer... Michael Martin... 35:30 Richard Dawkins... Stephen Hawking... 35:33 all brilliant... all prolific writers... 35:36 many teaching in our schools and universities 35:39 but all possessed of the one self-same belief 35:43 that there simply is no God 35:47 and of course, the Bible says, 35:49 "The fool has said in his heart, 'there is no God. '" 35:51 And "The fear of the Lord... " Proverbs 9:10 35:55 "is the beginning of wisdom. " 35:57 How many people are there... famous people... famous names 36:01 that you know that are Atheistic? 36:03 Katharine Hepburn, Sigmund Freud, 36:06 Clarence Darrow, 36:08 Andrew Carnegie, 36:09 Mark Zuckerberg, 36:10 all brilliant... all accomplished... 36:14 all very talented... 36:15 but all believing in their hearts that there is no God 36:19 either Agnostic... most Atheistic 36:22 and I say again, Psalm chapter 14 and verse 1, 36:26 "The fool has said in his heart, 'there is no God. '" 36:31 How very, very sad. 36:34 Pause. 36:35 Psalm chapter 9 verse 10. 36:38 "And those who know Your name and put their trust in You; 36:42 For you, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. " 36:45 And I'm so glad that even though there are so many 36:49 who don't believe in God, 36:50 God has not abandoned this world 36:53 and God has not abandoned His people. 36:56 France, by vote of Government, voted out religion 37:01 here's the date... November 26, 1793. 37:08 She issued a decree 37:11 abolishing all religion. 37:15 They threw the Bibles into the streets... 37:18 they cursed the name of God... 37:21 and yet Daniel sees a resurrection of this North power 37:27 even though Berthier took him off his throne, 37:30 Daniel says that this King of the North 37:34 is going to be resurrected 37:36 as far as power and authority is concerned 37:40 and an attempt is going to be made again 37:43 to dominate the world 37:45 and that was done with the signing of the Lateran Treaty 37:49 in February 11... on February 11, 1929. 37:55 Papal Sovereignty was re-established 37:58 and Papal authority was re-asserted 38:02 across the globe. 38:04 So, though there was a time when the King of the North 38:09 sort of "took his lumps" as it were, 38:12 that was healed... that wound was healed... 38:15 and in 1929 the Papacy was given the Vatican States 38:20 and other Papal Estates, 38:22 it became a free-standing self-governing entity. 38:26 Once again Eastern Europe fell under the curtain of Communism 38:31 which has only recently been lifted, 38:34 and the Muslim world has again asserted itself 38:38 and time will not allow us to examine that line of thought 38:43 save to say that in these last days the Bible says, 38:47 "All the world will wonder after the beast... " 38:51 a quote from Revelation chapter 11 38:54 which lets us know that many things are going to happen 38:57 as orchestrated by this Papal Power 39:01 which has re-asserted itself 39:03 and again is taking its place as a religion 39:07 that is intent on world domination 39:11 and control of the spiritual lives of men and women 39:15 across this earth. 39:17 Pause. 39:19 Daniel chapter 11 verses 40 to 41 39:22 allows us to understand that the King of the North's 39:27 involvement in the fall of Communism 39:30 and that influence has moved through to the world of Islam. 39:36 Now, this is very, very interesting 39:38 that it was the... the United States President 39:46 Ronald Reagan in particular 39:49 in connection with the Vatican that really was influential 39:56 in the... how can we say the bringing down 39:59 of the Iron Curtain and Communism back in the '80s. 40:03 So, this again is the King of the North 40:06 and the United States 40:08 doing something to influence the whole world. 40:11 This scenario is countenanced and included in verse 42 and 43 40:18 of Daniel chapter 11 40:20 which echoes the record 40:22 as found in Revelation chapter 13 verse 3 40:25 that the world will wonder after the beast 40:29 and that there will be this joining 40:31 of Protestantism and Catholicism 40:34 to dominate religion around the world. 40:39 This beast again is King of the North 40:42 remember we said that the continuum is 40:46 Pagan or Imperial Rome as King of the North 40:50 followed by Papal Rome as King of the North 40:55 as we move down through this earth's history. 40:59 As we come to the end of time, 41:02 as we move to the end of this earth's history, 41:07 we will see again this establishment... 41:09 this pressure by the King of the North 41:13 to try to do what it can to control 41:16 not only what we think but how we pray 41:20 and how we believe 41:21 and our worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 41:24 What is interesting that as we come down 41:27 to the end of Daniel chapter 11, 41:29 the Bible makes some very startling claims 41:32 that lets us know that we are very, very close 41:35 to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 41:37 Let's look at Daniel chapter 11 and I'm reading verse 44. 41:42 "But the news from the east and the north shall trouble him: 41:47 therefore he shall go out with a great army 41:51 to destroy and annihilate many. " 41:53 Many see this as Islam and incursions of the Islamic world. 41:58 "And he shall plant his tents... plant the tents of his palace 42:04 between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; 42:08 yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. " 42:14 As we get down to the end of time, 42:16 we're going to see wars and rumors of wars 42:20 and a troubling of the waters of religion 42:23 and these powers that have held sway for so long 42:28 will give way 42:30 to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 42:33 and as this King of the North runs into these powers 42:37 the Bible says... there's not going to be anyone to help him 42:39 because it's time for this power to come to its end 42:44 and then the next thing that we will see 42:47 and that we will know 42:49 will be the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 42:55 Pause. 42:56 In studying the book of Daniel particularly Daniel chapter 11, 43:02 you've got to it at... in very small steps 43:07 one at a time and keep the train on the track. 43:11 What you have to do is try as best you can to make... 43:16 you know, I was listening to a... 43:18 a lecture by a doctor to a number of doctors 43:21 and he said, 43:23 "If... if you hear hoof prints behind you, 43:26 don't expect to see a zebra... expect to see a horse" 43:31 and what he was saying basically is, 43:34 "Don't look for the wild or sensational, 43:37 try to follow the line of trajectory 43:39 that has already been established 43:41 and that is very, very crucial 43:43 when you're trying to understand 43:46 what Daniel is trying to say to his people... 43:50 what Daniel is trying to say to you and to I 43:53 and as you keep the train on the tracks, 43:56 it tends to make sense. 43:58 You're looking at Medo-Persia, 44:00 you're looking at a series of kings that are on the throne, 44:06 these are literal kings. 44:07 These are not bears or beasts, these are kings 44:10 of a particular country. 44:11 That country is succeeded by Greece. 44:16 We see again, a literal country 44:18 with a literal ruler called Alexander the Great. 44:21 Then there is this division to the four winds. 44:25 Well, we go through history, where did that happen? 44:29 The Generals of Alexander took over... upon his death. 44:32 The Bible says that his children will not inherit. 44:36 Alexander had no successors 44:38 so Lysimachus, Cassander, Seleucus and Ptolemy 44:42 took over the kingdom. 44:43 The four Generals became two through expansion 44:47 these were not buddies... 44:49 these were war-like men and so they conquered each other 44:52 they fought others... 44:53 when they had no others to fight... they fought each other 44:56 so now we've got two sub-kingdoms 44:59 one in the north... one in the south... 45:01 the northern king was... 45:05 or the northern kings formed the Seleucid or Antiochus Dynasty, 45:11 they became King of the North. 45:13 In the south there was but one set of rulers for 168 years 45:17 they were the Ptolemies 45:19 they became the King of the South. 45:21 Cleopatra was a Ptolemy 45:25 so if you keep it linear, you can see 45:27 that it makes very, very clear sense. 45:30 All right, now, the Seleucid dynasties... 45:32 the kings called Antiochus were overtaken by the Romans. 45:38 The Romans were the next Empire in line, 45:43 they became King of the North. 45:46 In the south, the Ptolemies... also overtaken by the Romans, 45:51 Egypt in 31 A.D. ceased to exist as a nation 45:56 at the Battle of Actium 45:58 so now, the King of the South has to change 46:01 because Egypt is not there anymore 46:03 so if you keep the train on the tracks 46:05 it becomes very linear... it makes sense. 46:07 All right, in the north, Pagan Rome takes over 46:11 followed by Papal Rome. 46:14 In the South, the jump is made... 46:18 the leap is made from Egypt 46:22 and for the next 1,260 years 46:26 the King of the North is in the ascendency. 46:29 It has its way... it does what it wants. 46:33 It is the Papal manifestation of... of Rome 46:38 and for 1,260 years... from 538 to 1798 46:43 there, of course, is 1,290 years from 508 to 1798. 46:48 In 508 Clovis became a Catholic King of France 46:54 and the Goths were obliterated 46:57 and so the Catholic Church as a free-standing entity 47:00 really came into existence in 508... 47:05 in 538, the Pope crowned Charlemagne 47:09 and assumed the power and ability to take control of kings 47:16 to crown kings... to give them their legitimacy. 47:19 So you could take the 508... 1,290 years to 1798 47:24 the 538... 1,260 years to 1798 47:28 and it follows through. 47:30 In 1798... the time that the Bible calls, 47:33 "The Time of the End" takes place 47:37 and the Pope is taken off his throne 47:40 and is stripped of his power 47:44 by General Berthier... Napoleon's General 47:48 so, now the King of the North comes to a... a halt 47:53 by the king of the south 47:56 but that power is restored 47:58 and it's very, very linear 48:00 if you keep the train on the track. 48:03 The King of the South now is Atheism 48:07 or the belief that God does not exist 48:10 or that there is no God... 48:12 again, train is on the track so it becomes very, very simple 48:16 even though it's nuanced and you're taking a tight look, 48:20 it's very, very simple 48:23 when you keep the train on the track. 48:25 All right, in 1929, 48:29 the wound that is spoken of in Revelation 48:32 or this "taking away of the power of the King of the North" 48:36 is restored by the Lateran Treaty 48:38 and the Papal Church assumes again its former role 48:44 as a dominant power in Western Europe. 48:48 In the wake of all this tragedy, 48:52 the idea of Communism and Atheism 48:56 spreads across the Continent. 48:59 It first took its place... and we first saw it there in 1798 49:04 time of the end... the appointed time... 49:06 when France as a country voted God out of existence. 49:11 "There is no God" they said 49:13 and the Goddess of Reason or humanity 49:15 or human thinking was prayed to, 49:18 the Bible calls this 49:20 "a god which their fathers did not know" 49:23 so, Daniel chapter 11 is not as complex 49:26 as one would appear to see it as... 49:30 as long as you keep the train on the tracks 49:33 and you look at it step by step 49:35 and step by step it becomes certainly not simple 49:40 but it makes sense and it does act up... 49:44 add up rather as we look at it all together as a whole 49:50 but taken in several different parts. 49:52 Now we come down to our day today. 49:54 We are at the close of this earth's history, 49:58 we are at the very toes of the image 50:00 that we spoke about in Daniel chapter 2 50:02 and by the grace of God 50:03 we know that Christ is coming very, very soon. 50:07 These kings that have had sway down through the centuries 50:11 the Bible says, "They're going to come to an end 50:14 and no one will be able to help them. " 50:17 You see, the truth is, God sets kings up 50:20 and God takes kings down. 50:22 God orders the lives of men, countries and events 50:26 and nothing can withstand the power of our God. 50:31 We look at the history of the kings 50:33 some served God... many did not 50:36 but the truth is, 50:37 all earthly kingdoms will come to an end. 50:40 All earthly potentates will have their end. 50:43 King of the North... King of the South... 50:46 Atheism will have its end. 50:49 The bowing and praying to monarchs and potentates 50:54 and popes will have its end. 50:57 You see, in these last days, 50:59 one of the things that is touched on in Daniel 51:01 but spoken of clearly in Revelation 51:04 is the idea of which God is God? 51:08 Who do we worship? 51:10 Why do we worship? 51:12 Where do we worship? 51:14 When do we worship? 51:16 All of these questions will soon be answered 51:20 when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes. 51:23 But we must answer these questions for ourselves 51:26 before the Lord comes. 51:28 We must make our calling and election sure. 51:32 We must decide... who is our God. 51:34 Who we will worship. 51:36 When we will worship. 51:38 Why we will worship 51:40 and how we will worship. 51:42 God is asking His people to make those decisions 51:46 and that's why a book like the book of Daniel 51:49 and a chapter like chapter 11 is so important 51:52 because it gives us a view of life and this earth's history 51:59 and the interplay between God and man 52:02 over the centuries 52:03 and orients us in such a way that we can know how to live, 52:08 how to serve... what's coming... 52:10 what has gone before 52:12 and how near we are to the second coming 52:15 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 52:18 Kingdoms come and kingdoms go, men come and men go, 52:24 but God remains the same forever 52:27 and His Kingdom will be without end... 52:30 that day is coming so very, very soon 52:33 and I'm sure as I stand and look at the Word of God 52:38 that you along with me 52:41 want to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 52:44 The time is not far hence. 52:46 Christ will come soon... 52:49 He will stand and make His kingdom sure 52:53 and by the grace of God 52:54 we shall be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 52:58 So, that's Daniel chapter 11... a wonderful chapter... 53:02 a complex chapter... 53:03 but one that gives us a view of what God has done... 53:09 of what God is doing... 53:11 and what God is sure to do 53:14 as we come down to the end of this earth's history. 53:19 May I encourage you to stay on the Lord's side... 53:23 to pray daily... 53:25 to stand with the Lord daily... 53:28 to make your calling and election sure... 53:31 to walk with Him daily... 53:33 to give Him your life 53:36 and accept from Him the Holy Spirit 53:38 which will prepare your hearts and minds for the day 53:42 when Christ will come again 53:44 and that you be not deceived, 53:46 that you will walk with Him always 53:49 and that by His grace when He does come, 53:53 you will be part of His everlasting Kingdom. 53:56 Pray with me now if you will. 53:58 "Gracious Father, we thank you and praise you 54:03 for the power and grace and goodness and glory 54:08 that you have given us. 54:09 Thank you for Daniel chapter 11, 54:12 thank you for the book of Daniel. 54:15 Thank you Father that we can know of a surety 54:19 that Christ is coming soon 54:21 but more than that, 54:23 we can know of a surety that you will be the victor. 54:28 We can know by the power of your Spirit 54:32 that Jesus is coming soon 54:35 and that we can be part of that glorious day 54:39 and that glorious company. 54:41 We see now, Lord, the interplay of men 54:46 and women and kingdoms 54:49 and kings... and spiritual entities. 54:52 We know that God sets up and God takes down, 54:58 that God rules and overrules in the affairs of men and women 55:04 and as we've looked at the machinations 55:08 of the King of the North 55:10 and the King of the South 55:11 and the things that they have done, 55:13 as we look at the rise and fall of Empires... 55:17 of kings... and the glory thereof, 55:21 we know that every king and every knee 55:25 and this old world must one day give way 55:28 to a kingdom that shall have no end 55:32 and a King who is above all kings. 55:35 On that day, Lord, 55:37 may we be part of that number... 55:40 that company that hails you as Lord and eternal King, 55:47 we want to be saved... 55:49 we've looked at the record of the past, 55:52 we look at our lives now 55:54 and we look at what is sure to come 55:57 and we ask dear Father that you may be pleased 56:02 to grant us entrance into your kingdom... 56:05 to be saved along with the saints of all ages... 56:09 to be sons and daughters of Jesus Christ 56:12 throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, 56:15 this is our prayer... 56:18 this is our desire... 56:20 this is our pledge to you... 56:23 and we praise you and thank you 56:26 in the worthy name of Jesus, amen and amen. " 56:32 We'll see you next time... 56:34 we've got two more chapters to look at, 56:38 we're going to combine them... chapter 10 and chapter 12. 56:42 Chapter 10 is preparatory for chapter 11... 56:45 and then chapter 12 is the epilogue 56:49 of this very, very fine book, 56:52 so we're going to combine those two... 56:54 ten and twelve... 56:55 in a wonderful display of the goodness of our Lord. 56:59 Daniel All Access... stay tuned... 57:02 we'll see you again soon... 57:04 chapters 10 and chapter 12... 57:07 the title: Touched by an Angel. 57:10 God bless you, we'll see you then. |
Revised 2019-01-21