Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule:
Daniel 7-8
Daniel 7:21-23
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
Daniel 7 clearly lays out the rise of the Antichrist during the Tribulation period. It is clear that just as the kingdoms that were prophesied to rise and did, this Antichrist will arise and rule on the earth.
The lion in verse 4 pictures and prophesied the rise of the Babylonian empire. The bear in verse 5 is the Medo-Persian empire that rose under Xerxes. The leopard in verse 6 is the Grecian army that became a world empire under Alexander the Great. The monster in verse 7 is a picture of the great Roman empire that ruled the world for 700 years. It was the Roman empire that was in power when Christ was crucified and when the early church was born. It was during the rule of Rome that many apostles and disciples were martyred, the church scattered, and the gospel was spread throughout the world.
In verses 21-23, we find the rise of the revised Roman Empire under the leadership of the Antichrist. He will make war with the saints and prevail over them. This is clearly a description of the coming persecution for the church during the Tribulation Period. The Bible does not say that there will not be persecution for the church before the rapture, but the church as we know it will be raptured and yet those saved during the Tribulation will be severely persecuted. The 10 horns are 10 rulers during the Tribulation period who obviously have not received their kingdoms, but will rule in submission to the Antichrist. (Rev. 17:12-17) The Antichrist will enjoy world totalitarian power until he meets King Jesus who comes to defeat him at the revelation or better known as the second coming of Christ. God has everything under control and it is happening according to plan and right on time!
Prayer Requests:
Personal
- Lord, please help me to keep my eyes on you and off myself and the world around me.
- Lord, please help me to appreciate and long for the rapture as you rescue your children out of this world.
- Lord, please help me to be a beacon of light for those who are lost as I share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Political
- Representative Scott VanSingel
- Representative Van Woerkom
- Senator Curt VanderWall