Thurs.’s Devo - The Anti-Christ

Read: Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28 When Daniel learned that God meant for Jerusalem to stay dormant for 70 years, he fasted and cried out to the Lord. He confessed the sin of Israel and Judah as if he was just as guilty as the most wicked. He stood in the gap for his nation. He told the Lord that He was fair in just in his judgment. They deserved everything that happened. They had broken everyone of his laws and all the curses had fallen on them as a result. Daniel prayed for mercy. God’s messenger, Gabriel came to Daniel and to tell him that the moment he began praying, God heard and he was sent to give Daniel insight and understanding. Gabriel showed him what would happen for the next 70 years up until the Messiah came. Antiochus Epiphanes was the one who would set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration in the temple. He waged war on the Jews and sacrificed a pig on the altar in the Temple. He was the final anti-christ that precipitated Christs first coming. In the third year of king Cyrus’s ruleDaniel had been fasting and praying. He saw a man in a linen garment with a belt that was of gold. He immolated the glory of the heavens. The men with Daniel saw it too but ran in fear. Daniel stood alone looking at this marvelous man. When he spoke, Daniel fainted to the ground. The man touched him and he revived and stood up at his command. He told him to not be afraid because God had heard his prayer. The heavenly man had been fighting the spirit prince of Persia and finally had to have Michael come and help him prevail. When he returned he would finish the fight with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia and then the would spirit prince of Greece would come. This meant that the kingdom of Persia had to be defeated first spiritually for the new Grecian kingdom to rise up. Michael would help him who was the spirit prince of Israel. John explains the spirit of anti-christ. It is any leader who denies the Son. Jesus is the way to the Father. If you have Jesus, you have the Lord. When you accept Jesus as your Lord, then you also have the Holy Spirit. As children of the Lord, we walk in righteousness. Lord, thank you for your glorious power and the way you manifest your glory on the earth. May your kingdom come.