DANIEL PART IV

    The 11th chapter of Daniel describes the events of the end time and the rise of Antichrist.

Antichrist begins to be described in verse 36 of Daniel 11. As a young man, Daniel was called in by King Nebuchadnezzar to interpret his dream, which ought to be as familiar to you by now as the gospel record.

Daniel interpreted the dream after describing the image as kingdoms that would flow out of his kingdom. The head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian kingdom, to be followed by the Medo-Persian kingdom, to be followed by the Grecian, tho he didn't give them those names, at that time, to be followed by the legs of iron, the Roman kingdom, to be followed by a loose confederation, ten toes of iron and clay, grown out of the feet kingdom, which in Revelation, we learned was yet to come.

He then telescopes this down in later visions of beasts that rise out of the sea of peoples of the earth. These beasts also typify the kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The Lion being Babylon, the Bear, Medo-Persia, the Leopard being Grecia and a nondescript beast, that was difficult to identify, with any known beast, that stomps anything in it's fury, which becomes the Roman Empire, and out of this beast, Rome, comes ten horns. Equivalent of the ten toes, growing out of the yet to come feet kingdom. One symbol, the horns, places rulership, while the other places geographic location.

Just as the body parts on the great image represented empires, that changed from a head of gold; to silver; to brass; to iron, and finally to iron and clay at the feet and toes. The feet kingdom is as strong as iron and as weak as clay, and the kingdoms that grows out of it, the ten toes, are partly strong and partly broken.

He then has a vision of a Ram and a Goat. He concentrates with telescopic precision on two of those kingdoms that he has been prophesying about. The Medo-Persian and the Grecian Empire. And he sees the Grecian Empire, still not identified, at the outset of the vision, but then he begins to get precise, as the interpretation comes from the angel. And this Grecian Empire comes moving so fast, in the symbol of the goat, it seems not to touch the ground.

And again, he sees that Empire break into four parts. Then he sees a little horn come up, in his symbolism on these animals that uproots three. And with that telescoping, you are brought in the unfolding of history, as Daniel describes it, to the Little Horn/Antichrist that will rise in the end, and uproot three of the horns that comprise the latter day reconstitution of the Roman Empire ruled portion of what turned out to be the Moslem Empire.

He will uproot three of those horns, and he will rise out of the area, as Daniel prophesied it, known as the Seleucid portion of the Old Grecian Empire, before it was stamped into oblivion by the nondescript beast, the Roman Empire.

Now, the Roman Empire never extended as far East, as the Grecian Empire did. But, Antichrist will come out of the portion of the Old Grecian Empire, taken over by Seleucia, one of the Generals of Alexander the Great.

He (Little Horn/Antichrist) will be given power, by the kings of this reconstituted Roman area. There will be ten kings in the time of the end, in a loose confederation. That doesn't mean the world is going to be united under ten kings, it just means that somewhere out of the total Moslem Empire that Rome once ruled, ten kings will form a loose confederation, three of them will be uprooted, and the other seven will give him power by reason of their support.

But you will know that you are at the time of the end, when ten kings from out of the Moslem Empire, form a loose confederation and give power to another king, from the Roman ruled section of the Seleucid portion of the old Grecian empire. That person who is given the power from the other seven is Daniel's little horn, Revelation's man on the white horse. Who comes riding on the scene in peace, which doesn't last long, as the beast possesses the benevolent man on the white horse, and turns him into Antichrist!

In the time of these Kings, Daniel says, the events of the last days will begin to unfold. That is what caused many people to think that the European Common Market might be that loose confederation coming together, particularly when Greece became the tenth member of the common market. Of course it has many more than that today.

But, upon closer examination you find that the kingdoms once occupied by Rome in the Mideast are more in keeping with the context of the prophecy. As suddenly, a territory from the Old Grecian Empire is singled out as the origin of the Little Horn/Antichrist.

As the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great breaks up after his death, and splits into four part, we find that two of them, the Seleucid portion, as the strongest, and the Ptolemaic portion, Egypt, being the second strongest, stay at odds with each other throughout history, until the king of the North, Little Horn/Antichrist, finally puts the king of the South, Egypt, down.

That loose confederation of kings will come together voluntarily, that's Revelation 6. The Little Horn/Antichrist comes on the scene riding a white horse, a bow with no arrow. Following him, comes the red horse of war. Don't expect Antichrist to conquer immediately. He comes onto the scene as the rising Little Horn, as a man of peace. He comes with flattery, he comes giving things to the people, in his own kingdom, where he comes out of obscurity into power. Then he will uproot three of the ten, and the balance give him power. That's when he (the Little Horn at this time) begins to reveal his true colors.

When the man on the white horse of Revelation 6 comes riding onto the scene, the first seal of the Great Tribulation has been opened by Christ. The opening of this seal reveals the Peacemaker stage of the rise of Antichrist, who is fulfilling the Little Horn role at this time.

He does not fully rise to become Antichrist until that beast, from out of the bottomless pit, the wounded head spirit of Revelation 13, arises to possess him. That occurs at the beginning of the second stage of the final "week" of Daniels prophecy, the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation.

Until then, this peacemaker continues his rise to Antichrist, during the first three and a half years in the area where peace was made. During this time, in a local war, the three dissenters to the peace are uprooted. Then, as the man on the white horse, Little Horn, is wearing a crown, as he is depicted in Revelation 6, a crown given to him in honor, lives in his kingdom at peace in a land that he helped to bring peace to. He, the Little Horn, is depicted as having won this kingdom by flattery, and as being very benevolent as he shares the wealth with his people.

But, suddenly, when he, the Little Horn, is possessed by the beast from out of the bottomless pit, his rise is completed, and is now the person known as Antichrist. He breaks the peace covenant, turns on the Jews, and fulfills that part of the prophecy revealed in Daniel 9:27, and the second half of the Great Tribulation begins to unfold.

That was all review.

Today, I want to pinpoint and develop Antichrist, and where he comes from according to Daniel.

The 36th verse of Daniel 11 begins to describe his traits.

The king (Antichrist) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation (wrath of God) be accomplished; for that, that is determined shall be done.

Now, he'll think he's in control, but he's not! God's going to call all the shots in this end time. Ezekiel saw it as a hook in his jaw, being dragged from place to place to fulfill his destiny.

Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. And in his estate (that is in God's place), shall he honor the god of forces (more literally - the god of munitions - shall worship the god of armaments), and a god that his father knew not with gold and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. In simple terms, he's going to spend a lot of money on weapons.

Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (more literally - thus shall he do in the fortress of munitions), with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

And at the time of the end, shall the king of the South push at him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen and with many ships and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

At the time of the end, the king of the South shall push at him. Now, the King of the North, and the King of the South have been at odds for a long time. That means, this Little Horns kingdom, who was given the power by those left after the uprooting, goes against the king of the south and defeats him.

Egypt and the northern Assyrian portion are in a tug of war through so much of history, that, that's what causes a lot of people to think that this is fulfilled in the conflicts between Assyria and Egypt. No sir! This 40th verse speaks: AT THE TIME OF THE END, and there is a connecting conjunction - AND AT THE TIME OF THE END.

After the traits of Antichrist have been described, the king of the south shall push at him, and the king of the north shall come against him as a whirlwind, with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships, and he shall enter into the country and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land . . . . The glorious land is Israel. At this time, Israel will have been brought back, out of many peoples, and restored to her country.

It goes on: . . . and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape (these what? - these countries) out of his hands, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. So, the news is that Egypt is not going to win the final tug of war with Antichrist. He's going to conquer them.

He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans, and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: because in the latter portion of the Great Tribulation, when the 6th angel pours out his vial, the river Euphrates will be dried up, that the way may be provided for the kings of the east.

It troubles him. Therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him.

There is no chapter and verse in the original, just in the King James. Those who think that the 11th chapter was just added in have got to deal with this. A conjunction starts the 12th chapter. And, at that time (what time? - when he, Antichrist plants his tabernacles in the palace, between the seas and the and the holy mountain - when he turns back from conquering Egypt, having bypassed Edom, Moab and Ammon - when he gets a tiding out of the north and out of the east that troubles him - and he goes forth with fury to destroy), shall Michael stand up, the great prince for the children of thy people.

That is the designation of Michael - he has an assignment, as a supernatural angelic being, his particular assignment, the people of Judah and Benjamin and Levi of that southern kingdom. Daniel is of that group, and it is to Daniel that Michael is referenced as "thy Prince" and the Price of thy city, Jerusalem.

Now, at that time shall Michael stand up. There is going to be war in the heavenly's now. The Little Horn/Peacemaker/Antichrist has ridden in.

Go to Revelation 6. The Little Horn/Peacemaker/Antichrist has ridden in. I referenced it, but I would like to read it. The church has been raptured, the final week of Daniel's 70 weeks of years begins.

And I saw when the Lamb (that's Jesus, so don't confuse him with the one that's going to ride the first white horse) opened one of the seals - a clock ticking, waiting to be turned loose in the plan of God, sealed up, clear back in Daniels day - God gave him a glimpse of the full 70 weeks of years - 69 to the cut off of Messiah, a 70th week - since the subject was "thy people and thy holy city - Jerusalem"- no sense in talking about what goes on between the 69th and 70th week to Daniel - other portions of scripture give us that.

Daniel has prayed for God to answer his word - Daniel had read, that Jeremiah, receiving from the word of the lord, the prophecy of their bondage, had also prophesied seventy years. Daniel, from the books, saw the seventy years. Daniel understood that we are to pray according to the will of God, and asked God to do what he had already said He'd do, so he prayed. Twenty one days he prayed.

The angel arriving, as we have already taught, and pointed out, told him that he had heard his prayer, twenty one days earlier, but the Prince of Persia, the evil supernatural agent of Lucifer, demon force, the real ruler behind the Medo-Persian Empire, had resisted him.

But, this angel talking to Daniel says, Michael, thy Prince, the Prince of thy city, Jerusalem, he helped me, and he is over there, to paraphrase it, in a holding action, against the evil Prince, that resisted my coming, that I might come and give you the answer to your prayer.

Daniel's prayer had to do with his people, Judah, Benjamin, Levi, the Kingdom of David. The three tribes, if we include the Levites, that had been carried into bondage by Nebuchadnezzar. That is the only subject of Daniels seventy weeks.

So, when Messiah is cut off, and Messiah goes from those brethren of His that rejected him, and the door way of Grace opened to the Gentiles - the 69th week, and God's dealing with the Gentiles is another subject.- when they come to the tribulation, the Church is gone. Now God returns to unfinished business, sealed up for those people, His people, and the events surrounding His people, the Jews.

I saw the Lamb open the first seal, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts (living ones) saying come and see. And I saw, John speaking, and behold a white horse and he that sat on him had a bow.

Antichrist simply means, substitute Messiah, Antichrist simply means substitute deliverer. An answer to the Jews problems, other than God, and answer to a world problem, other than God. He doesn't come in wearing a Halloween ogres mask, he comes on a white a horse, and a crown was given unto him - he didn't take it, it was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer.

All these verses say the same thing. The kings give him his kingdom initially. When He's opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say come and see. And there went out another horse that was red, and was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword.

Now, these are symbols. He comes on the white horse, and power is given to him. War follows. Now that's where we were in Daniel. And at that time, when the war horse comes forth, he's moved to conquer Egypt. He has taken the countries en route, except Edom, Moab and Ammon.

Now, tidings out of the North and tidings out of the East cause him to go forth with great fury. Chapter 12 At that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince that standeth for thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, and everyone one that shall be found written in the book.

Now, I've heard at least a hundred sermons preached based totally upon the little phrase, "written in the book". Because there's a Lambs book of life, and because our names are written in the Lambs book of life, those that are redeemed, out of every nation, called the Church, the subject is not the Church.

The subject is the Jews! Thy people! It's not even the converted Jews that convert to Christ, as we think of a completed Jew in the Church world as we know it today. It's a Jew who may come to know who his Messiah really is. But, it's one who comes to know it after the Church is gone, when God is dealing with His people.

There is more than one book, in the book of revelation. When I get to the teaching on Revelation, one of my messages will deal with the books in the book of Revelation. Just because names are written, everyone that should be found "written in the book", doesn't mean that's the same book, of that of the Church redeemed, those whose names are found written in the Lambs book of life.

This is the 144,000. God's got them already picked out. 144,000 that He is going to seal in the forehead, before He releases the demons out of the bottomless pit, to bring excruciating pain and suffering for five months on this earth. Before he unleashes those four demon angels chained by the River Euphrates. These are the 144,000, that comprise the man child, which I haven't had a chance to teach on, but will, in succeeding messages, in the book of Revelation that are caught up. All that is timed in the events surrounding Michael standing up.

Satan is dislocated out of heaven, and relocated on earth, and Michael is going to be there to do it. And, God is going to pick up the 144,000 whose names are in the book that applies to them, and they will be caught up, and God has already provided a way of escape for the mother, the nation Israel, re-gathered, that is in Israel, and if they flee to Edom and Moab and Ammon, the place prepared for them, the Devil that is now limited to the earth is going to breathe out of his mouth a flood to go after them, but God will open up the earth and swallow it up, as God provides a hiding place in the wilderness, having taken the 144,000, the man child, up there with Him, they'll appear up there with the saints in succeeding chapters.

Having taken them up, the Devil only has the woman, the nation, to persecute, and they will be delivered because God provided a place of deliverance for them.

There is a lot dislocation going on! The Devil is going to be dislocated from Heaven, the man child is going to be dislocated from earth, and the woman is going to be dislocated from Jerusalem. And the Devil is going to be located on earth, and God help the people that are going to be here.

Before I tie this all together in revelation, let me read on in Daniel 12, so you get the whole picture.

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 same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book

Now some ask, how did the 144,000 get up there? I mean you find them in the 7th chapter. The seals of the sixth chapter started with that white horse, following that came the horse of war, the third sealed turned loose the black horse of famine, the fourth seal turned loose the pale horse, of death and hell, the fifth seal opened the door for martyrdom, as people began to see the light about this one that came first on a white horse, the sixth seal brought earthquakes and the sun became black and the moon became as blood and the stars of the heavens fell on to the earth, then comes a parenthesis, before the seventh seal.

That parenthesis is a message. An angel is ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Now, the Church is gone, but there are some servants that He's going to seal. And I heard the number of them which were sealed and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all of the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Nepthalim, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph and Benjamin, 144,000, 12 tribes, God knows exactly who they are.

Those 144,000 having been sealed are spared in the 9th chapter. The seventh seal is then opened and there is silence in Heaven in the 8th chapter.

Following the seven seals, come seven trumpets. The first trumpet brings fire and hail mingled with blood upon the earth, and third part of the trees are burned up and the green grass. Second angel, a mountain burning with fire cast into the sea, and a third part of the sea becomes blood and a third part of the creatures therein are destroyed.

Third angel sounds his trumpet and a great star from heaven called wormwood falls burning as it were a lamp, and it fell on a third part of the rivers and the fountains of waters and a third of them dried up and were made bitter.

Fourth angel sounded his trumpet and a third part of the sun was smitten and a third part of the moon and a third part of the stars.

Then an angel flying through the heavens saying Woe, Woe, Woe to the inhibitors of the earth for reason of the voices of the three angels which are yet to sound.

Now, these are happenings that are God's doings. All the time Antichrist rode his white horse out there, putting his kingdom together, trying to figure out what all these happenings are. Now this angel says woe, if you think this was bad, wait till you encounter the next three.

Fifth angel sounded and I saw a star from heaven fall into the earth, and to him was given a key to the bottomless pit, he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace, and out of the pit come those demon locusts.

To them was given the power to torment. They should not hurt the grass of the earth, the fourth verse says, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men that have not the seal of God in their foreheads. The 144,000, sealed with a visible seal, later to be called the name of God.

These demons will be able to see that seal, and they are not to hurt them. But they are still on earth, still in the Tribulation at that point It's the failure to distinguish between this 144,000 and God's returning in the 70th week to deal with His people, the Jews, to distinguish them from the Church, that has produced most of the confusion about when does the Rapture take place.

There are lots of Raptures. Get that in your mind, and you can straighten things out. There are lots of Raptures. Rapture simply means catching away. It's a generic word to describe catching away.

Enoch was raptured. Elijah was raptured. The Church is going to be Raptured before the Tribulation starts. God now turns to the 70th week dealing with His people, the Jews. Yet, on this earth, clear to the 5th angel, when these demons are running around, clear to the 6th angel is the 144,000 on this earth.

The seventh trumpet blows in the 15th verse of the 11th chapter. Now there are seven vials to be poured out, that is in the second half of the seven year tribulation period. Just before, there appeared a great wonder in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

She being with child, cried travailing in birth, and pain to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his HEADS. His tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven as it cast them to the earth and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

She brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was CAUGHT UP unto God and His throne.

That scepter of rulership has never departed from the house of Judah, it is given to Jesus, the king of Kings, that we, the Church and all in Christ, will rule throughout eternity, likewise, throughout the millennium.

As I say, we have a lot to say about the man child - the child was caught up! That's rapture. That's all rapture means, catching away. Her child was caught up, unto God and to His throne.

The 144,000 are not mentioned in the 12th chapter. The 144,000 deals not in symbol. The 144,000 is exact! To that degree, the JW's are correct, only problem is, they aren't in it! The blood lines aren't there. Even the sons of adoption had to be adopted by Jacob, the grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

The 144,000 are genealogically determined, and only God can unravel that tree. There is no symbol in that 144,000. There's 12,000 from each tribe. How come there isn't 11,000 from Gad, and 13,000 from Asher? Because God said 12,000 from each. He is going to get exactly what He intends to get. There is no symbol involved.

In the 12th chapter, we're speaking a symbol. There has to be a symbol for the nation, where the occurrence of the nation is described without symbol. The woman is the symbol of the nation. The child is a portion, smaller than the nation, that comes out of the woman. The 144,000 will be in Israel re-gathered. He's not going to seal one over here in China, and one down in South Africa, another one over here in Bolivia, I don't care what the genealogy is, He isn't going to seal one up in Iceland another one down in India. There's going to be 144,000 in a reconstituted nation, Israel, the mother, and their going to be sealed. That's your man child. I will prove it later.

There is no description in the 12th chapter of the catching up of the 144,000, because symbol has been substituted in the 12th chapter. The woman is the nation, the dragon is Satan, he doesn't look like that dragon. The seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads, in symbol, simply says, he was the real ruler, crown being the symbol of rulership. He was the real ruler of all of the seven kingdoms that oppressed the people of God.

It's not a literal man child, that's where they break the symbol down. They want woman, the nation, to bring forth a literal man child on to the stage of history, so they can support the doctrine that Christ is that man child.

He doesn't need this verse; Philippians 2 is much better than this. Having been obedient unto death, God gave Him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus is Lord to the Glory of the Father.

This man child is the 144,000.  The 7th chapter, the 144,000 are sealed, the 9th chapter, the 144,000 are still here, and there is no symbol in the 9th chapter, those demons are not symbol. That's the way they are going to look. The locusts are not symbols.

I'm sorry, I don't care what some Bible teachers are saying about poor old John not knowing how to describe helicopters, those are not helicopters, they're demons. They can see! Can you imagine, a big old army helicopter spraying napalm, which is what some people think this is a symbol of, looking with binoculars, saying turn it off, there's one with a seal on his forehead? That's not symbol, that's literal demons running loose to torment!

There followed by 200 million more.  I heard a preacher once preach that he had made an astounding discovery, that Russia had more horses than any other nation, trying to find a natural explanation to these 200 million horsemen that are going to come in the latter part of the 9th chapter.

Demon forces! Don't ask me where they've been. It just says they're bound somewhere, four of them, the leaders, at the River Euphrates, I don't know where they get the other 200 million, but the Bible describes them in that way, and there isn't any horses running loose in Russia that looks like this one. If there were, Siberia would be a whale of a lot warmer than it is with that stuff blowing out of their mouths.

Don't make a symbol where no symbol is meant. And don't make substance, reality, historic fact, out of symbol. Don't start with symbol and have it produce the man child. The man child is symbol, the dragon is symbol, the woman is symbol. Understand that, and you will understand how the 144,000 get up there.

The 7th chapter they are sealed. In the 9th chapter, they are not to be touched by these demons. In the 14th chapter, I looked and lo a Lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand having His fathers name written in their foreheads. That chapter is Mount Zion in Heaven. From the 7th to the 9th to the 14th chapter, we find that they are sealed, then protected and then they are up there. How did they get there?

The 12th chapter told it in symbol. The 12th chapter sees the man child caught up so that Satan cannot destroy him when he gets down here, limited to this earth. The 144,000 were sealed and protected from the demons and will be dislocated, removed to Mt. Zion, and Satan is finally limited down here.

But, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, Daniel also told us what happened if you don't stick to one verse. And at that time, (right back at my starting point) Michael shall stand up, the great prince that standeth for thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was, since there was a nation, even to that same time.

What is that time of trouble? Let me go on - right back to revelation 12. She brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up unto His throne. God picks the child up, the 144,000.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days. Isaiah, in prophecy, shows a watchman, on watchtower in some border village in Israel. And he looks across, in prophecy, and say, who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Basra? The answer comes back, I that speak in righteousness. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, the watchman says. I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people, there was none with me, then he unfolds the year of vengeance is come.

Where is Edom and Basra? That place prepared! How did it get prepared? He shall enter into the glorious land, 41st verse, 11th chapter, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape (be delivered) out of his hands, even Edom, Moab and the children of Ammon. God prepared that place.

Back to revelation 12:6. The woman fled into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there, 1260 days.

Now, I want you to see the capsule way in which this story is told. He tells in one summation, the nation Israel, the man child born, the child caught up, the woman flees. That's a cameo backdrop. Now He's going to fill in the details.

Because the woman flees in the 14th verse, as he now introduces the detail into the cameo backdrop. The cameo backdrop, the woman, Israel, produces the child out of herself, the child is caught up, the woman flees, but that is a cameo backdrop, it is not a prelude.

You don't have verses 1 through 6 done and finished and then start verse 7. Verses 1 and 6 are the background, if you paint it like a picture because it's symbol. You paint the background, now you put the detail on the background. This is the detail. While Israel is there, and the child has been brought forth under a time of persecution and travail which is the symbol of travailing in birth as this child comes froth, and as the separation is occurring and as the people have seen the false messiah rise, and as the seals are opened and the trumpets are blown, and suddenly, the 144,000 are sealed.

See the birth in broad cameo, and the processes of birth, the shaping and coming forth of 144,000 in the midst of travail. The demons have been unleashed - that's the backdrop. Let's put Antichrist back in to Daniel 11 & 12. While this is going on, Antichrist and the king of the south are in a tug of war. The king of the south raises up and Antichrist has moved across the land and Edom and Moab and the children of Ammon have been missed. That's the backdrop.  That's the whole landscape.

What's going on up in Heaven? Put this right into the cameo backdrop. There was war in Heaven. Daniel said at that time Michael will stand up, while Antichrist is zooming down on Egypt, and hearing the tidings that disturb him. And while the seals have opened and the trumpets have blown and the 144,000 have been brought forth and sealed, during a troubled time for Israel, same time Michael stands up.

And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place anymore in Heaven, and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world, he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice say, (where?) In Heaven now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him, (Who?) the brethren who had been accused. They're up there in Heaven. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved their lives unto the death, therefore rejoice, Ye Heavens, and Ye that dwell in them, nobody else, Rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them, that includes the Church, the saints that have been raptured, Old and New Testament, those that were raised, all ready in Heaven with their Lord. That includes the Man Child, that's been caught up, therefore the 144,000 are up there now, everybody in heaven, as Lucifer is cast out now, he no longer can come into those courtrooms of heaven.

Therefore rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them, but there is still an earth here, there is still everybody else left. There is still the woman, the nation Israel. Now the 6th verse had her fled already, no, that's the cameo background. Now we're filling the details in.

Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, that includes Antichrist, that includes the Kings of the earth, that includes the kings of the east, for which the River Euphrates will be dried up, to make room for them to come into the plain of Megiddo for the final battle of Armageddon, that includes the Nation Israel, but it does not include the man child, he's caught up, doesn't include the 144,000, they were the man child, they're caught up, doesn't include the Church, they went up with John, in the 4th chapter.

Woe to the inhabitors of the earth and of the sea, for the Devil's come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time, And when the Dragon was cast onto the earth, he persecuted the man child? Is that what it says? NO! He persecuted the WOMAN that brought forth the man child. Man child has been caught up, 5th verse.

The cameo background gave us that. All the time Michael is working them over. He persecuted the woman, the Devil did, and to the woman were given two wings. Now, we get the detail for verse 6. The woman fled into the wilderness. Now we get the detail.

To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle which she might fly into wilderness, into her place. No, no eagle wings are going to sprout on the Jews. This is symbol! If they are going to put helicopters and airplanes in, this is the place to do it.

This symbol - that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place where she is nourished for a time, times and half a time from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth, water as a flood.

Immediately, those who confuse symbol with fact, have the serpent, which is a symbol of the Devil, not the devil at all, casting real water, running down those canyons as they flee down the Jordan Rift.

The serpent is a symbol, the Devil doesn't look like either the serpent or the dragon, and the flood is a symbol. Whatever it is, be it, armies under his control, or be it some of these demons, the flood that goes, is symbol, and the Devil sends them that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

And the earth helps the woman. The earth opened up her mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of it's mouth. Again, that's symbol. I don't know how it occurs, but that's symbol. The result is the same as when the earth opened up and swallowed up those worshiping the golden calf, or the Egyptian army being swallowed up by the red sea.

And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed. Not everybody will be smart enough to flee to Edom, Moab and the land of the children of Ammon. Some are going to stick it out and hold the fort in Jerusalem.

The Devil pursues the woman, the flood is swallowed up by the earth, and however that symbol expresses itself, his hoard is swallowed up and the woman escapes to the place prepared as the 6th verse says.

He now goes back to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandants of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That means that there are some of the remnant that are not going to go with the Jews as they flee down to that hideout in the wilderness, they are not a part of the sealed that were caught up with the 144,000, man child. The seed that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, he's going to make war on them.

Now, chapter 13 lays another cameo of symbol. Now we have seen this before, but I want to treat it differently next time.

God in the Psalms and in Isaiah and in two of the minor prophets focuses on Edom and Moab and the children of Ammon. He tells them, when they see His people at their gates, don't do what they did in the past. Particularly the decedents of Esau. Don't do what you did in the past. Gloat.

God speaking, When you see my city Jerusalem under siege and My people fleeing; in the past when Nebuchadnezzar threatened God's people, the children of Esau, with enmity in their hearts against the children of Jacob would rejoice, and as the people would flee, they'd shut up the gates and the valleys, and leave them exposed where they would be hunted down like animals by the enemy. The prophets say, when that day comes, you will have another chance to get on my good side, and when you see My people gather at your gates, Open UP and let them in!, because therein you'll be saved.

I'm saying the same thing in each class. Why am I communicating with these messages? I'm not just titillating intellectual fancy, or telling scary stories about the end times, no, I'm just trying to weave one simple thread, because we won't be here. I'm trying to weave one simple thread.

God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent. Hath He said, and shall he not do, or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good.

He says in Jeremiah, I will hasten my word to performance. I get worried when I hear that I am scaring people with this word. What's the matter with them? If they are not in Christ, they ought to be scared, but if you're in Christ, you have nothing to fear. You have nothing to worry about.

It's what Paul said to the Thessalonians. They got all worked up, and they had hot shot bible teachers coming around, and they said that they were speaking for Paul, and that they were carrying a letter from him, and they were saying: you poor old saints, the tribulation is come, and Antichrist is on us. There are people saying that today!

Paul said: Let no man deceive you, by any means. We beseech you brethren by the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the blessed hope, I told you about that, and our gathering together unto him. On the basis of what I taught you while I was with you, I told you that was our hope! To live expecting it, for in a moment you'll be changed and caught up, and this hope purifies us. So be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit - yes - some would come around and claim to be speaking in the spirit - nor by word or by letter as from us.

So, if someone shows up saying, listen, I got a letter from Paul here, and it says, we're going through the tribulation, don't you be shaken. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first.

Now I know how much the church world is divided on this, but I will stand my guns - pull out your translations, and get out your Greek, and understand, that rapture is not a New Testament word, except where the word is used, translated rapture, where Philip was caught off the Gaza Strip showing up instantly in Azotus. There he was baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch, then there he wasn't, and in the next scene he was in Azotus. Acts says he was caught away. Now whether it is falling away, catching away, caught away, caught up, the removal from one place to another - dislocation to be sure are the words being translated by the King James translators.

Just as literally you can say, because there are some people who look for a great falling away from the gospel, it becomes a private way to interpret the dark ages as fulfilling this. There is always on this earth, men falling away from God, and then falling into God.

The only thing the Greek is saying here, and Paul is making sense of it. I mean what kind of precision is it going to give these poor Thessalonians Christians, to say, the man of sin, that great day the people are troubling you about, the wrath of God can't come unless the falling away comes first.

Well, the first time some of your relatives backslide you go into a paranoid fit, because that becomes an ambiguous condition proceeder to the end. Every time a preacher goes bad or every time a church gets in trouble, an exodus of a congregation, that's too ambiguous.

Paul wasn't comforting them with some salt water taffy, that you can stretch and pull and fit into any thing. Paul was giving troubled Christians precision!

Don't let anybody fool you! Don't let them come talk in the spirit! Don't let them come with fancy words! Don't let them come with a letter from me! By ANY MEANS! Get your head together and see, this man of sin cannot come till a dislocation occurs. Till a precise occurrence. A falling away, or a catching away, that's not the Greek, that's the English.

Why was Paul talking falling away in the 3rd verse and catching away in the 7th verse. I now all the JW doctrine on this, but with their record of being wrong, why build your faith on that?

Rutherford didn't live long enough to correct all his errors. God's prophets are long gone, and Paul too, but they don't have anything that needs to be corrected. They just keep being proven right.

The seventh verse and the third verse are talking about the same thing. And in both cases, there is a condition precedent to the end coming, to the Antichrist coming, to the man of sin coming, to the wrath of God being poured out.

These Thessalonians have a blessed hope - don't let anybody stir you up - I'm going; to give you a sharp clear sign. Now Jesus gave sharp clear signs to the Jews. This will happen, but the time is not yet, then this will happen, but the time is not yet, and you shall know when the end is even at the door, and the signs that Jesus gives point to the end when Jesus comes as King of Kings.

When that's even at the door as it is now, we who need something to happen before that, better be on our toes. Paul gave equal precision to the church. It hadn't been formed yet, the mystery of the Church was saved for Paul to tell the people. Jesus was talking to his disciples and to the house of Israel.

Now, Paul is talking to us, the Church: We beseech you brethren by the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering unto him. First verse takes us to the argument that there is going to be a gathering together unto Him.

Third verse says, let no man deceive you by any means except there come a dislocation first, and that man of sin be revealed. Third verse establishes a dislocation, first verse specifies it, it's an assembling unto Him.

Seventh verse, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he that now letteth, that's King James, the literal is, he that now hinderith will hinder till he be taken out of the way. All three of those verses are on the rapture, that's the subject of the Thessalonian letter.

Then, and then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and consume with the brightness of his coming. Now that ought to tell you something. The chapter opens with the necessary prelude to the man of sin being revealed, the gathering together unto Him. He can't be revealed with out the dislocation and the removal of that which hinders him.

After that gathering and removal and taking out of the way occurs, which is the Church going up, then the man of sin can be revealed. He came on the scene in the 6th chapter of revelation, then the Lord will destroy him with the brightness of his coming, and we will be in that brightness with Him when He comes.

The message is that God keeps His word and forces the streams of history to flow His way.

I repeat it, cast your care on me, your care is my constant concern, God speaking. The New Testament writer put it in the 3rd person, cast your care on Him, for your care is His constant concern. Same God who is showing that He keeps His word here, said: I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

I'm teaching to lay a foundation of faith! How do we get faith when we don't have it? Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, where that word is shown to be forever settled in heaven.

When God says it, He does it. Well, it's equally true of the little statements as well as the big statement. It's equally true of those of us that He cares for, from this vast scope of God ordained happenings. Shift the pendulum to Jesus saying, the hairs of your head are numbered, and He sees the sparrow fall.

How much more will he look out for you when He sees the sparrow fall? I teach one message, God keeps His word and His word is in Control! He is looking for people who will take Him at His word!

Next class, I want to tie all this together and demonstrate that the prophecy of Daniel is appearing on today's stage of history and what that means to us, the Church.  Remember this entire end time awareness Bible Study is available on CD-ROM

 

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this is the end of part IV

go on to Daniel part V