Old Testament prophecy can be difficult to fully understand, even when the Bible provides a partial interpretation. Today on Truth for Life, Alastair Begg demonstrates how Daniel's prophetic vision has historical relevance for us today. as well as a future warning and assurance. Yeah Daniel chapter 8 and verse 15. When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it.
And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, Gabriel Make this man understand the vision.
So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end. And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up.
He said, Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation. for it refers to the appointed time of the end. As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece. and the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
As for the horn that was broken in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, A king of boldface. One who understands riddles shall arise. His power shall be great. but not by his own power.
and he shall cause fearful destruction. and shall succeed in what he does. and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand. and in his own mind he shall become great.
Without warning, he shall destroy many. and he shall even rise up against the prince of princes. and he shall be broken. but by no human hand. The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true.
but seal up the vision. for it refers to many days from now. And I, Daniel, was overcome. and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business.
but I was appalled by the vision. and did not understand it. Amen. Heavenly Father, we pray once again for your help. The enabling of the Holy Spirit.
that we might um Do justice to the text of scripture. That nothing will be added that isn't there, that nothing will be accepted that is. They are to be said. Help us to this end, we pray, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
Calvin in commenting on the prophetic element. I wrote as follows If nothing had been predicted, The pious, that is the people of God in this time era, the pious would have glided gently downwards to despair. in consequence of their heavy afflictions. And If this had not been predicted, they would have thought themselves deceived by the splendid promises concerning their return. But when they perceived everything occurring.
according as they had been opportunely forewarned. And this became no slight solace. in the midst of their woes. In other words, God, in His grace and in His kindness, provided this vision.
so that Daniel could record it. recording it, sealing it away, so that at the appropriate time when people were turning to this material, they would understand that God was in control. We left things largely at the beginning of verse 9, and therefore we need to proceed apace. Out of the four kingdoms, or the four horns, came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great towards the south. And it is this individual who is then described for us in the passage that we've just read.
It is, of course, helpful that we have the interpretation. which we've just read. But of course we have to deal with our interpretation of the interpretation. And that's where, of course, it gets a little daunting. But you will see that in verse five, this particular individual, this little horn, by his cunning he makes deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great.
And the conflict which is then described Is no longer a conflict that takes place, if you like, on the human plane between one empire and another. but it is the conflict, if you like, between humanity and divinity. It is the conflict that lies at the heart of all conflict in the world, where man in his rebellion against God succumbs to the advances of the evil one and seeks to fly in defiance of God. And the animosity of this little horn this individual is focused directly on the people of God and in the place of God. You will notice that it says that his animosity extended even to the beautiful land, toward the glorious land in verse 9.
In other words, the place of God's dwelling. God was going to take his people, remember, into a land flowing with milk and honey. It was the beautiful land, the land of God's appointing. It's referred in that way as the same in Ezekiel, for example, in chapter 20. And so the animosity is directed to God's place.
And the animosity is directed towards God's people. Verse 10. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. These symbolic poetic images need to be taken as they are.
Some of you may remember from your childhood a song that we would sing as children. All the jewels, precious jewels his loved and his own. And the picture again of the children of God as jewels in a crown, the picture of God's people as stars, the picture of God's people as a vast host that is represented on earth. And the greatness of this individual, whom we've already identified as Antiochus Epiphanes, he became great. His mind extended even up into the highest heavens.
And as it were, he goes up to that realm and casts these people down. And there is nothing that is beyond his defiance. Verse 11, it, that is this little horn, became great, even as great as the prince of the host. A reference to God himself. What does it mean?
Well, it means that he deified himself. He had coins printed that had on them Theos. Epiphanies. God manifested. And he identified himself amongst his people in his day as a very manifestation of God.
Not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but Zeus. If you want to know what Zeus looks like, he says, if you want to know how powerful Zeus is, then simply look at me. Every coin you take out of your pocket points in this direction. And the Prince of the Host himself was challenged by this arrogant, blasphemous individual. Incidentally, arrogant blasphemy is a mark of man's opposition to God.
When in comedy, such as it is, if we may refer to it as such, when in comedy and in politics, In the arts. In the Arrogance of science. Man exalts himself. He falls in line with the activity of this individual. And you will notice here that as he establishes himself, the regular burnt offering was taken away.
In other words, he went into the temple, which history records. He stole the treasures of the temple. He forbade the Jews to conduct their worship. He built a pagan altar on the place of the altar of God, an altar to Zeus. And in the place where the Jewish people would offer the morning and evening sacrifices, he even brought in a pig to have it sacrificed on the altar of Zeus, to say to everybody involved, this is what I think of your God, this is what I think of your worship, and I want to show you how strong and mighty I am.
And by making it impossible for the faithful priests to bring these morning and evening sacrifices, he took away the regular burnt offering.
Now this activity is recorded in the first book of Maccabees. Don't go out and buy yourself one, but even on your computer you'll be able to get some help. But you remember the Maccabean rebellion and Judas Maccabeus and the great hammer of the opposition as he was referred to. And in the book of Maccabees, this activity described here in these verses is the abomination of desolation. That's how Judas Maccabeus recorded it.
And in fact, you will remember when we did Mark's Gospel that Jesus actually uses that very phrase, referring to when you see the abomination of desolation. And on that occasion, we said to one another, I wonder what that means. And I'm not sure we ever really answered it properly.
Well, it doesn't get any easier, and verse 12 is a difficult verse. And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression.
Now, is this the transgression of Antiochus Epiphanes and his hordes, or is this the transgression of the people of God? I'm going to take it that this is the transgression of the people of God. You may do with it as you please. But it seems to make sense in this respect. that in Deuteronomy God warned his people very, very clearly.
You must obey my law. You must do as I tell you. If you disobey my law and you go your own way, Your disobedience will bring you into bondage, will bring you into captivity. The people of God disobey his law and they are brought into bondage. The bondage that is described for us in the opening chapters of Daniel, where they find themselves victims of the overthrow of the Babylonians.
Your enemies will be conquering over you when the Lord raises his hand against you. That's what he says in Deuteronomy. And so the people of God then, in the context Of the return of the exile, if we just think about it for a moment, when they are given the privilege of going back to Jerusalem. They are then going to be confronted with an amazing choice. Because the activity that is described here, which will happen then.
Will make them decide: either I'm going to go with Antiochus, Epiphanes, and do what he says. Or I'm going to oppose him. And I'm gonna die. I'm going to die as a result of my commitment to God, to His law, and to His word. And once again, the record records that not a few of the Jewish people.
said to themselves, Listen. What's the big deal? There's no problem about us compromising on a few things. And as a result, they then broke the law of God, they despised his covenant, and they tried to settle down. Two The invasion The world's system represented there within the context of their own realm.
Now Just a slight aside here for a moment. In other words, The challenge that the people of God faced having been torn out of Jerusalem and transplanted into a foreign world. was actually in the end easier to face. Than what they encountered being back in the apparent security of Jerusalem. when the invasion took place right in there.
We tend to think, of course, that the great challenge towards the people of God is the challenge that comes outward from the secular society impinging upon us and doing all these things. But in actual fight, the greater challenge that we face is a challenge that comes to us internally. And their sorry predicament, as in chapter 9 in Daniel's prayer makes clear, was as a result of their sin. When we get to chapter 9, Daniel prays to the Lord my God, and I made confession, saying, O Lord, the great and awesome God, we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, turned, rebelled, turned aside from your commandments and your rules. We haven't listened to your servants, the prophets.
We are absolutely up the creek. And the reason that they were in that predicament is described for us here. The truth of God then is cast to the ground, his sanctuary is overthrown, and it is a picture here again of what Antiochus did. He went in and he took the scrolls of the Torah. and he shredded them, he had his soldiers shred them and burn them.
He said, This is your law, and this is what you want to do. Let me show you what I'm going to do with that.
So he takes the Torah and he destroys it in front of the people and he sets it to fire. The truth of God is being trampled on the ground. And The question inevitably arises, and Daniel has the opportunity to overhear a couple of holy ones having a conversation. Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, But Daniel's ear is attuned to a conversation. Incidentally, and just in passing, it's an indication, isn't it, that the course of history is not fully comprehensible even by the heavenly court.
Even the angels, the angels don't know everything. And so they're asking one another, how long do you think this is going to go on? The angels actually don't know quite a lot of things. Remember in 1 Peter it says that concerning Jesus when he comes, and the prophets are looking forward to it. And in 1 Peter 1, it says, And even angels long to look into these things.
And they look down and they're saying, wow, what's going on here? And there's a wonderful old song. That one of our elders gave to me. He's gone up to the realm of the angels now himself. But it goes like this: There is singing up in heaven, such as we have never known.
as the angels sing of victory and the Lamb upon the throne. But when we sing redemption's story, they will fold their wings. For angels never knew the joy that our salvation brings.
So the angelic beings are having a conversation with one another. And they're not discussing why it's happening, they're actually discussing how long it's going to happen. It's a bit like Psalm 11. How long, O Lord, will you forget me? Forever.
And the answer that is given is the answer that Daniel himself was seeking. It's interesting, they're talking to one another, and then verse 14 it says, and he said to me, Of course, it was Daniel that needed the answer to the question. And here we go, for 2,300 evenings and mornings, and then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state. How are we to understand 2,300 evenings and mornings?
Well, There are a number of ways that we can go at it. Two are the largest possibilities. If the number refers to days, i.e., 2,300 days, then that comes out to approximately six years and four months, somewhere in the region of seven years, not quite seven years. Therefore, it would actually cover the entire period of Antiochus Epiphany's fiendish onslaught against the people. If It refers, because of the strange way it's put, actually to the morning and the evening sacrifices.
And I'm inclined to this view, although Most people who are significantly brighter than me are not.
So that helps you, I think, to decide whether you want to go with me or not. I'm inclined to the fact that there's so much mention here of the sacrifices in the temple and them being depleted and everything. If it then refers to the morning and evening sacrifices, then 2,300 becomes 1,150 days. 1,150 days puts it in the realm of around three years. which would be the period of time.
Of the abomination of desolation, the violation of the temple precincts by Antiochus and his soldiers.
Okay?
Now With that said, We're only at verse 15.
So hurry up. When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man, and I heard a man's voice. Calling out, Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.
Well It's a wonderful thing, isn't it? This is God, He speaks to Gabriel, and Gabriel has the responsibility given to him. And I take it that this is our friend Gabriel, whom we know from elsewhere. And As a result of what he begins to say, Even the encounter with him in verse 17, Daniel, when he came, was frightened and he fell on his face.
Well, that's not a very good start, is it? You want to know what's going on, and you get the messenger sent to you, and then you just collapse in fearfulness. But he said to me, understand, O son of man, all lowercase, don't get confused with the phrase son of man, it simply means you're a man, you're not God, you're nothing close to God. Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end. And again in verse 19, behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.
Now This is no time for falling asleep, and yet in verse 18, he fell into a deep sleep. I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground.
Now, the reason for this is not because of the length of Gabriel's message, but the nature of Gabriel's message, unlike Um would be true for some of the rest of us.
Now, th the the whole thing really turns, doesn't it, on this question of the end. As soon as people see the word end, they go immediately to the end, right? And all of a sudden, we're at the end of the age. It's the return of Jesus and everything else. Of course, ultimately, the end is the end.
But the question is, is this the end to which this passage is referring? I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation. That indignation is that abomination, that violation, that situation that has now been created within the temple of God.
Now It's up for you folks to decide. You're sensible people and you have to read the Bible for yourselves, right? It is common to read this reference to the end as referring to the end of the age at the return of Jesus Christ. If that is correct, then what this vision actually envisages is the time of the final Antichrist. This points to that time.
But I don't believe it refers to that time. that the end to which it's referring concerns the destruction of Antiochus, which will be a foretaste of the final destruction of the Antichrist. himself. And the character sketch that is given of this man, verse 23 and on, and at the latter end of their kingdom when the transgressors have reached their limit, here we have this description of this individual. And when you read the description, you find that this description could apply to more than one political leader from the history books of the world.
because these features that we now see are common in the kingdoms that are radically opposed to God's word and to God's people. You're listening to Truth for Life with Alastair Begg. He left us with a bit of a cliffhanger. We'll hear the conclusion of the message tomorrow. In the meantime, we want to let you know about a couple of great books that can help you better understand who Jesus is.
what He's Done to Reconcile Us to God, and the ongoing roles He plays in the life of every believer. The books are titled Christ and His Threefold Office, and Christ humbled yet exalted. These books are revised versions of a classic work by Puritan author and minister John Flavell, called The Fountain of Life. Flavil was deeply acquainted with sorrow, suffering, and loss, and yet he found comfort, and even joy, in knowing Jesus and his promises. In the book Christ Humbled Yet Exalted, Flabel takes a close look at Christ's incarnation and ministry, as well as his death, resurrection, and ascension, and he explains why these events are significant in our lives.
In the second book, Christ and His Threefold Office, Flavill explains how salvation is revealed by Christ as a prophet. procured by him as a priest, and applied by him as king. Each chapter of these books ends with several key takeaways, questions to consider, and lessons you can apply to your day-to-day life as you gain a deeper realization of all that Jesus has done for us and all He continues to do as well. The two book bundle is yours when you donate to support the Bible teaching ministry of Truth for Life. You can give securely online at truthforlife.org slash donate or call us at 888-588-7884.
Thanks for listening. Are you, like Daniel, overwhelmed by his prophecies of spiritual conflict and suffering? Join us tomorrow as Alistair prepares us to recognize and resist the schemes of the Evil One. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
