Daniel 8:23-25

Daniel 8:23-25 (ESV):  “23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand.”

We are warned by John that many antichrists have already come into the world (1 Jn 2:18), but in the end, the final Antichrist will arise. He will deceive the whole world and make war against the saints—and even against the Lord Himself at His return. But fear not, for he is a defeated foe!

Daniel was given a prophecy with both a near and far fulfillment. Antiochus Epiphanes was the near fulfillment; the final Antichrist will be the far fulfillment. The former wreaked havoc to a degree, but nothing like the latter will. He will be great—but not by his own power. He will be empowered by Satan himself (2 Thess. 2:9). He will bring fear and destruction like nothing this world has ever seen. He will take antisemitism to another level, for he hates the God of Israel and His people.

Have you noticed the rise of antisemitism in our culture today? That is because the spirit of Antichrist is on the rise. The world is being conditioned for the final act in God’s redemptive plan. Time is of the essence, for the age of grace is coming to a close. May God give us boldness and fill our hearts with overwhelming love for the unredeemed so that we cannot help but share the Gospel. Let it be so!

Father, thank You for prophecy and for the Spirit who gives us understanding. Lead us, while there is still time, to share with those who need to hear. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen and amen!