Tues.’s Devo - Anti-Christs

Read: Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28 Daniel learned that Jerusalem would lie desolate for 70 years while reading the words of the prophets. It was the first year of Darius’ rule. Daniel immediately went into intercession for the people of Israel. He repented for their sins and begged for God’s mercy. He realized all the curses of Deuteronomy had fallen on them for their faults. He asked for help even though he knew they didn’t deserve it. He also knew that God’s mercies were great. *** Even though they had no Temple to do sacrifices, Daniel would pray at the times they normally did sacrifices when they had a Temple. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Daniel was still praying when Gabriel came to him. He told Daniel how precious he was to the Lord and how God heard his prayers. He explained that there would be seventy sets of sevens that God had set apart to atone for their sins. Then sixty-two sets of seven would pass till the an anointed ruler would command to rebuild Jerusalem. This anointed ruler was Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1). He fulfilled this in Ezra 1. Jerusalem would be rebuilt with streets and walls. Cyrus would be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing. Then a ruler would arise and his armies would destroy the city and the Temple. It would end in a flood and war. This would continue until the end. This ruler would make a covenant with the people only to break the covenant halfway through and set up a sacrilegious object in the Temple. A terrible fate would come to this man. *** Antiochus Ephiphenes did all these things to Jerusalem. He offered a pig on the altar and desecrated the Temple. He was the anti-christ of his time. *** Cyrus was also a type of Christ who would also die and seem like nothing was accomplished, but we see all he has accomplished because we live in that future. His few years changed the world! *** Chapter 10 goes back to when Cyrus ruled. It tells of a vision Daniel had that he was standing on the bank of the Tigris River. He saw a man in linen with a gold belt. He shone with the glory of heaven. The men with Daniel couldn’t see anything, but they felt the fear of the Lord and ran. Daniel fainted and fell to the ground. He had to be lifted by the angel. He was told that from the day Daniel began to pray, he had been sent to tell him the interpretation of his dream. He had been fighting the prince of Persia for twenty-one days trying to get through to tell him. Michael came to his rescue who is the warrior angel over Jerusalem and all God’s children. *** Michael would war against this prince of Persia to bring the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece to power. The Angel of the Lord had been standing beside Michael to support him and give him strength since the first year of Darius’s reign. *** This story explains to us why our prayers don’t get answered immediately sometimes and how much warfare is needed to bring in a new kingdom. We are in the middle of that very event. We are closing the reign of evil Luciferians and bringing in God’s kingdom and it is taking much warfare and prayer. We must be patient and constant in our prayers. God’s will will be accomplished. *** In First John, he talks about the anti-christ’s of his day. They had belonged to the churches. They left because they couldn’t take the truth. God’s children know the difference between the truth and lies. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an anti-christ! That is a remarkable statement. Thank God, we have the Holy Spirit that leads us and keeps us in truth and we will not be deceived when we stay in fellowship with the Father and Christ. *** Lord, thank you that we are your children and when you appear, we will be like you. May we remain pure and holy eagerly awaiting your return.