Wed.’s Devo - The Kingdoms of the World

Read: Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26 Daniel had this vision during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign. He saw himself at the fortress of Susa which was the Persian capital. He was standing beside the Ulai River. He saw a ram with two horns standing beside the river. These represented the Media and the Persian kingdoms. Cyrus, the Persian was more mighty than Darius, the Mede. A male goat appeared from the west and crossed the land so swiftly that his feet didn’t touch the ground. This was Alexander the Great. Though Alexander had a small army, they were united and conquered the much greater army of Persia. In the height of Alexander’s power he died of a fever while in Babylon. Four kingdoms took his place. Seleucus was in the east and ruled over Syria, Babylonia and Media. Cassander in the west was over Macedon Thessaly, and Greece. Ptolemy was in the south over Egypt and Cyprus. Lysimachus was in the north over Thrace, Cappadocia and northern parts of Asia Minor. The small horn that arose from one of them was Antiochus Epiphanes, who rose up from Greece. He was the antithesis of the New Testament ‘Antichrist’. He waged war on the Jews canceling their daily sacrifices. It was the sins in Israel which gave rise to the Greek Antichrist. Some Jews had adopted Hellenic customs, erecting theaters, and regarding all religions alike, sacrificing to Jehovah, but at the same time sending money for sacrifices to Hercules. This will be the state of the world when the last Antichrist appears. Antiochus had an extraordinarly love of art, so he built grand temples. He wished to substitute Zeus Olympius for Jehovah at Jerusalem. He identified himself with Jupiter, making it his aim to make his own worship universal - a one world religion. He was so mad that he was called Epimanes (maniac) instead of Epiphanes. None of the previous world rulers, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Cyrus, Artaxerxes Longimanus, had systematically opposed the Jews' religious worship. That is why God sent prophets to prepare them for Antiochus. The struggle of the Maccabees was a fruit of Daniel's prophecy. Judas Maccabeus was the leader of a family that opposed Anitochus and his total takeover of their religious rights. He and his family stand for the Body of Christ on the earth. They were small but they had God on their side. Antiochus was the forerunner of the final Antichrist, standing in the same relation to the first coming of Christ that Antichrist does to His second coming. Antiochus died of worms and ulcers on his way to Judah to take vengeance on the Maccabees. This is a picture of what will happen to the Antichrist of the future. He will not prevail over the Church. In First John we are told to love one another. As children of God, we know that our sins are forgiven. To those who have matured in their faith, the fathers of the faith, we know Christ existed from the beginning. Like young men, we are strong and the word abides in us enabling us to overcome the wicked one. As children, we have know the love of our Father. John commands us not to love the world. If we do love the world, then the love of the Father is not with us. He explains that in the world there are many antichrists. This just proves that it is the end of the ages. The ones who do not stay in the faith were not of us in the first place. But we are led by the Holy Spirit and are shown all things. We have the truth and it doesn’t deny Jesus or the Father. The reward of faith is eternal life. If we abide in Him, then we will not be ashamed for him at his coming. Lord, we want to stand firm in our faith and endure until the end. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that leads us to You.