Jesus Christ and Antichrist (3 of 3)‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back to the final segment of our three-part study of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ our Lord and the revealing of the end-times worldwide tyrannical dictator – Antichrist…

 

Jesus Christ and Antichrist

 
Over and over again, God told Daniel that "the saints of the Most High" – Jewish believers and their Gentile converts – would be crushed by the Antichrist, the "little horn" (see Daniel 7:8) and "the king [who] shall do according to his own will" (see Daniel 11:36).

Darkness Before the Dawn

This was very hard on Daniel – and should be on us as well!

As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed – Daniel 7:28

But, thanks be to God, the spiritual darkness of the Great Tribulation will soon be followed by the Light of the World – our Lord Jesus Christ – who will rescue His people and inaugurate the Kingdom! Someone has said that the darkness is deepest just before the dawn and so shall it be at His Second Coming.

The Great Tribulation

But how long will this time of incomparable global darkness continue? Daniel heard two angels ask the Lord:

How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? – Daniel 12:6

The answer?

It shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished – Daniel 12:7

That means three and one-half years, as explained in Dan. 9:24-27 and Revelation 11:2-3. It will be the last half of the Seven Year Transition period that follows the Rapture of the church and it will end with the glorious Second Coming of Christ.

Daniel's last question would surely be ours as well:

My lord, what shall be the end of these things? – Daniel 12:8

God's answer was:

Many (saints) shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand – Daniel 12:10

The 1,290 Days and the 1,335 Days

Now comes a special revelation – taught nowhere else in the Bible! After the Antichrist establishes his "abomination of desolation" (see Daniel 12:11) in the middle of that seven-year period. A period of 1,290 days takes place (see Daniel 12:11). We know that the Lord will return after 1,260 days because Revelation 12:6 and Revelation 13:5 provide these details. Instead of 1,260 days, however, we are told that there will be 1,290 days. Could the answer be that the Lord will set aside those 30 days to purge and purify the Temple for His people to use during the Kingdom age?

Godly King Hezekiah postponed the Passover one month (see 2 Chronicles 30:2,15) in order "to cleanse the house of the LORD" (see 2 Chronicles 29:15) and "because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves" (see 2 Chronicles 30:3) following the abominations committed by his father Ahaz.

"Likewise, Judas Maccabaeus and his army went to great lengths to cleanse the Jerusalem Temple of the abominations of Antiochus Epiphanes in 164 B.C." – John C. Whitcomb, Daniel, Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1985, p.168

But now, the last detail.

Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days – Daniel 12:12

Here is another 45 days. Before the Kingdom can officially begin, all unbelievers must be removed. How awesome!

When the 371 days of the Genesis flood finally ended, only believers were alive. Indeed, as our Lord explained, the unbelievers:

…did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be – Matthew 24:39

The very first to be removed from the world will be the Antichrist and his demonic team at Armageddon (see Revelation 19:17 & 20:3). Next, the unbelieving leaders of all Gentile nations - "the goats" of Matthew 25:32 and Joel 3:1-3 will follow.

Then, any Jews who are still "rebels" will be removed. And finally, by the 1,335th day, any man "in the field," and any woman "grinding at the mill," who still rejects the Savior "will be taken (to judgment)" (see Matthew 24:40-41 & Luke 17:34-35) – the exact opposite of what will have already taken place at the Rapture of the church seven years earlier.

Thus, what the Lord Jesus Christ said will finally be accomplished:

But he who endures to the end (1,335 days after Antichrist's great blasphemy) shall be saved – Matthew 24:13

Daniel had heard enough. "But the wicked shall do wickedly" – especially the Antichrist. However, praise God "...the wise shall understand" (see Daniel 12:10).
Darkness before the dawn! Antichrist is coming, yes… But then comes the True Christ! The Father will give Him:

"an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away" – Daniel 7:14

Closing thoughts:

Revival. What is true revival?

Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ... True Biblical revival begins in our own hearts, then in our minds, followed by our deeds.

Here are a few questions to ponder as we live out our faith within our degrading, anti-God culture:

Are we discipling others – actively?  

Are we praying for our own brethren, our own pastors, our leaders – and nations?  

When was the last time we prayed to have opportunities to share our faith – faithfully?  

When was the last time we took the opportunity – when it was given to us?  

Who has visited the sick or helped the poor – within our own church assemblies?  

Who has engaged a brother or sister in Jesus Christ and helped them learn to read and understand the Word of God – regularly?  

Who has walked with another brother or sister in Jesus Christ – through to spiritual fruit and maturity?

These are questions we as Christians must seriously consider as we seek to grow in the Grace of God, serving Him and others – while there is still time...

Amen. Thank you Lord Jesus!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!


We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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