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The Society of the Last Days

This is Super Bowl Sunday. Wouldn't it be neat to know in advance who is going to win and what the score will be? How about the game's most valuable player? Imagine how much money you could make if you could predict every detail of tonight's game in advance.

I think we'd all agree that knowing how the world will come to an end is far more important than the Super Bowl. And that's precisely what Daniel gives us in his fourth and final vision. The introduction to that vision is in Chapter 10, the vision is in Chapter 11, and the conclusion is found in Chapter 12. Turn with me to Daniel 11.

Looking at the Context

Last time, in Chapter 8, we learned about Antiochus Epiphanes, the Greek king who persecuted the Jews and desecrated their temple in 169 B.C. He appears again in Chapter 11:1-35, but we are going to skip over most of those verses this morning to get to our main topic.

In verses 1-35, Daniel gives us a great many prophetical details that were fulfilled to the letter in the next 370 years after he wrote it. He describes the times and events of the Medo-Persian and Greek Empires. He gives us exact descriptions of battles and campaigns that were fought among the Greek Kingdoms, and historians will tell you that they happened exactly as Daniel predicted. In fact, the details are so exact, it's uncanny. When God says something will happen, it does, which is the nature of all the promises in the Bible.

The Future King

Everything up to verse 36 has already taken place. Verse 35 describes the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes, and then, without warning, Daniel jumps ahead to the “time of the end.” We know that the phrase “time of the end” always refers to the completion of the “time of the Gentiles” and to the days immediately prior to the setting up of the Millennial Kingdom. So, verses 36-45 correspond to the events in Chapter 12 around the time of the Great Tribulation and the coming of the Kingdom. Let's look at verse 36.

Daniel says that a future ruler will come to power and will “do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god.” This is the very same man we find in Revelation 13:5-7. There he is called the Beast (or the Antichrist). He will rule unchallenged for forty-two months; that's 3 ½ years. He'll have authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. He'll be the undisputed world leader.

World Religion

Along with political power, he'll also influence the world's religions. So much so, that people will turn away from the present world religions to worship him. Think about that! What kind of a man would it take to get Muslims, nominal Christians (the real church is gone), Jews, Buddhists and Hindus to follow him? Imagine the magnetic personality of such a man and the extent of his deception!

How Is This Possible?

As Americans, it's hard to imagine how anyone living in this country, so strongly influenced by the Judeo-Christian tradition, would be willing to embrace such a godless tyrant. But, it's possible when we slowly allow humanism to take the place of biblical truth. On the outside, it may look like the real thing, but the content is conspicuously different. The result is a society that exalts material things and human accomplishments above God. And, that's the way the society of the last days will be. Look at verses 37-39.

Torquemada

Between 1483-1498, a Dominican monk by the name of Tomas de Torquemada was the leader of the Spanish Inquisition. In 15 years time, he managed to burn 8800 people at the stake and penalized 90,000 people for daring to believe differently than Rome. History tells us that thousands of people cheered as he set heretics on fire. The pope and the king of Spain praised his service to God, yet in the end, he had to travel with a bodyguard of nearly 300 armed men, because the common people hated him and wanted to kill him.

How can a “Christian” society stoop so low? Well, in those days tradition and human reasoning had already replaced the truth of Scripture. The door was open to a counterfeit religion.

The Mark of the Beast

The Bible tells us that the society of the last days will have its own religion and god. Revelation 13:8 says that “all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – whose names have not been written in the book of life.” The Antichrist will exalt himself above God and he will commit some of the worst atrocities this world has ever seen. Those who resist him will be jailed or executed.

Revelation 13 also tells us that he will require everyone to wear either a mark on their right hand or on their forehead to signal their allegiance to him. Without that mark, no one will be able to buy groceries, gas, or sell anything for money. That will bring very hard times to those who are waiting for Jesus to return. They will refuse to give him allegiance, so they will not be able to receive the mark. Some think it will be a nearly invisible computer chip embedded in the skin. If that's true, the technology already exists today.

What About Those Who Are Left Behind?

Ever wonder what will happen to those who are left behind when the Rapture takes place? Let's say that a son out of a family of four is left behind. He heard the truth every week at church, but refused to give his heart to Christ. Now he realizes his mistake, so he decides to follow Jesus. What could happen to him?

Most likely, he will become a fugitive. The churches that are left will assume that God judged the “Bible thumpers” when the Rapture occurred, so now they will want to silence anyone who is conservative or takes the Bible seriously. The young man would refuse to worship the Beast, which means he wouldn't get the mark on his hand that would allow him to be able to buy and sell. He has to depend on those who take pity on him and hope they won't turn him in. But he is finally caught and put him in jail. He won't recant, so he is finally executed. Now that's pure speculation, but I think it is certainly possible.

Obama – The Antichrist?

If you Google the word Antichrist, you'll find lots of uncomplimentary pictures of our president. Some people thought President Clinton was the Antichrist. Those on the left thought it was George Bush. Is Barack Obama really the Antichrist?

Obama Isn't the Antichrist

Verse 37 says that the Antichrist will “show no regard for the gods of his fathers.” Some believe the phrase “god of his fathers” indicates that he will be of Jewish descent. That phrase is used numerous times in the Old Testament to describe the God of the Jews. We've already said that no orthodox Jew is going to follow an African-American protestant or a Roman Catholic pope. It's also possible that the “god desired by women” refers to the dream of every Jewish woman to be the mother of the Messiah. The Antichrist will most likely be a Jew, because the Jews are looking for someone within their own ranks to be their Messiah.

The Religion of the Last Days

Verses 38-39 further describe the religion of the last days. To “honor the god of fortresses” indicates that the Antichrist will handsomely reward both rulers and nations who join forces with him or help him militarily. The Antichrist will masterfully combine materialism, militarism and religion into a one world-wide movement.

The Religion of the Soviet Union

There's a good example of this phenomenon during the days of the Soviet Union. The State became God. The God of heaven was replaced by people and things. Leaders such as Lenin and Stalin took His place. Their pictures were hung in every office and public place. Materialism, combined with militarism, served a religious function of liberating the world from the evil of capitalism. We know that with the right conditions and right leader, it could happen again.

Propaganda Against Believers

In 1984, the film, The Silent Scream created quite a stir. A PBS broadcast showed the film with opposing views. The first half was against abortion and was presented by conservative Christians. The pro-abortion part was from women's organizations and liberal ministers.

After seeing the film and hearing the facts, there really wasn't much the second group could say to legitimize abortion. The facts spoke for themselves. That's when the pro-abortion side resorted to name calling and character assassinations.

Conservative Christians, in their words were “unloving, inhuman, and insensitive,” because they were forcing their religious views on others. That's how it starts - when God's Word is replaced by human reasoning and conservatives are presented as criminal and dangerous.

The “Crime” of Evangelicalism

I saved an article written 30 years ago in a German magazine. This is what a student, who was in his seventh semester of theological studies at a German seminary at that time wrote:

“After seven semesters of protestant theology, a clear picture has emerged. No professor ever missed a chance in at least one of his classes to warn us about evangelicals. Oddly enough, none of those men had ever talked with an evangelical Christian or heard one speak. An entire generation of theology students has been immunized with this hostility. In fact, I get nervous about attending some of the sessions because we are regularly insulted and made fun of. To them, Paul was just a futuristic heretic, Jesus was just a man, our Judeo-Christian heritage is one of many religions, that evolved from Animism into Monotheism. God is a product of our imagination, and the Bible is a book like any other. In the end, those who leave our schools are people with little or no faith in God.”

Intellectual minds in Europe today are ready to accept the religion of the Antichrist. Many here in the United States are ready as well.

The Last World War

Daniel 7, 8, and 9 tell us that the Antichrist will invade the temple and break the treaty of peace he had made with Israel. Daniel 11:40-45 describes how that will take place. Let's look first at verses 40-43.

The last “world war” will begin with a battle between the armies of the Antichrist and a country south of Palestine. A skirmish will break out somewhere in north-eastern Africa. The Antichrist will move south through Palestine to do battle. He'll overrun Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia. Suddenly, an army from the north will attack him (possibly Russia) and he'll head back north toward Jerusalem.

The Desecration of the Temple

During the Tribulation a large number of Jews will become believers through the ministry of the 144,000, and it appears that many of them will be in Jerusalem. When they refuse to worship, the Antichrist will attack them. That's also when he gets word about more unrest in the East and the North. Look at verses 44-45.

The Battle of Armageddon

Revelation 9:16 tells us that an army of nearly 200 million will advance from the East. China has an army that large, so many assume that China could play the main role in that final battle. Three armies, one out of the East, another from the North, as well as the forces of the Antichrist will collide with each other near Jerusalem in the valley of Armageddon. Shortly thereafter, Christ returns.

The Aftermath

According to Daniel 12:1-3, three events will take place after He comes. First, the defeat of the Antichrist. Second, the Old Testament saints and those killed by the Antichrist during the Tribulation will rise from the dead to enter the Kingdom, and third, those Gentiles, who survived the Tribulation, will be brought to judgment. We'll look at those events next week, but before we close, let me draw your attention to 12:11-12. There's something here you shouldn't miss.

Remember that Daniel and Revelation tell us repeatedly that the last half of the Tribulation will last 1260 days, or 42 months, or 3 ½ years. Yet, verse 11 talks about 1290 days. Why the extra thirty days?

The Purification of the Temple

The Bible tells us that Christ's return will take place 1260 days after the Antichrist sets up his abomination. We know the temple will be in a state of disrepair. Some suggest that those 30 days could be needed for the purification of the temple, similar to what King Hezekiah did in 2 Chronicles 30. He postponed the Passover 30 days for the sake of purification, because the priests hadn't consecrated themselves.

The Judgment of the Nations

But there's yet another number. Verse 12 talks about an additional 45 days beyond the 1290 days: “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of 1335 days.” Many assume those extra forty-five days are the time that Christ will take to judge the living nations and determine who is worthy to enter His Kingdom. If that's the case, exactly 1335 days after the Antichrist and his false prophet desecrate the temple, the Kingdom era on earth will begin. All living Jews will believe along with all the Old Testament saints who have been raised from the dead will enjoy it's splendor. And, after the Judgment of the Nations, all the believing Gentiles that are alive at the end will enter the Kingdom as well.

Conclusion

Our society is looking more and more like the society of the last days, but that's no reason to run and hide or bury our heads in the sand. God is in control and nothing happens that is outside his sovereign plan. We need to guard ourselves from undue political speculation and today's prophets of doom. As long as we have breath, we have a job to do. We are the church. We are to be God's salt and light to those who God brings into our daily lives. And, that remains our job 24/7 until Jesus comes to take us home.

Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 3:11-12 that current events should cause us, all the more, to “live holy and godly lives, as we look forward to the Lord's coming.” Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”