Sun.’s Devo - The Horns -

Read: Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26
In the third year of Belshazzar’s reign Daniel had a dream. He was transported to Susa which was not a significant city then but was gong to become the capital of Persia after the reign of Cyrus. As Daniel was standing beside the Ulai Canal he saw a ram with two horns. The two horns were the Medes and the Persians. The longer horn was the Persians which, under the reign of Cyrus, the Persians became more powerful than the Medes. He was represented as the ram in this vision and the bear in the previous. Cyrus came from the east and conquered the land north, south and westward.
Then a goat rose up with a prominent horn between his eyes (vs 5). This was Alexander the Great. He conquered the massive Persian army with his very small army then he was murdered (“broken off”; vs. 8.) Four leaders rose up from every direction: Seleucus - east; Cassandra - west; Ptolemy - south and Lysimachus - north. Out of Greece arose Antiochus Epiphanes, an Old Testament Antichrist. He was insane and loved the arts. He wanted to erect a statue of Zeus to replace Jehovah in Jerusalem. He identified himself as Juniper and wanted everyone to worship him. He made himself the ruler of Jerusalem and Egypt by craft. He ended up sacrificing a pig on the altar of the Lord thus desecrating the altar. He died of worms in the end.
Everything that happened during that time was a precursor of what will happen in the end.
The kingdom that will crush the Anti-christ will be God’s kingdom. Many will be deceived by the Anti-christ but a remnant will remain faithful to God. Just like Alexander’s little army won over the Persian army, God’s people will prevail against the devil’s kingdom. God will destroy the Anti-christ and set up his kingdom on earth where Jesus will be king.
In John we read that we don’t have to sin, but if and when we do, we have an eternal sacrifice that has paid the price for our sins and the sins of the whole world.
If we claim to live in Christ then we must walk as Jesus did. This may sound impossible but all things are possible through Christ. We are called to come up higher and love our brothers, defeat the devil and know the Father.
Lord, this is our desire: to love as you loved, walk as you walked and know as you know.