December 7- A Whirlwind of Punishment

December 7, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Hosea 6:1-9:17; 3 John 1-15;
Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14

They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. ~Hosea 8:7

Hosea 6:1-9:17

Have you ever had someone wrong you and you could have gotten over what they did, but you are still angry because that person doesn't seem to be sorry for what they did?  It is amazing how healing sorrow and repentance over sin can be in a relationship. Sorrow over having wronged someone is a sign of humility and love. God wants Israel to feel sorry about sin, but that is just not in the cards today.

Unrepentant Israel

God is lamenting that Israel has loved Him with a love that is like the morning mist.  It fades as the sun rises in the sky. God has attempted to slaughter them with His words given by His prophets.  He has hoped to slay their desire to love others, but alas, it has not worked. Like their father Adam, the Israelites have rebelled against God. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, is filled with liars and thieves. People don't seem to realize that God is watching them. Everyone is aflame with lust. They are like a hot oven that heats up while the baker is kneading his bread.

The princes and people who run the government are constantly drunk. They are guilty of plotting and intrigue against one another. They kill their kings and no one consults God for help. 

They mingle with godless foreigners and have become like a half-baked cake, completely worthless.  Further yet, their worship of idols has made them weak like an old man with gray hair and they don't even realize how spiritually weak they have become.

Reaping a Whirlwind:

God declares that Israel has broken His covenant and revolted against His law. Because they have rejected what is good, God is allowing their enemies to chase after them. They are worshiping calves they have created with their own hands. They are like a wild donkey looking for a mate as they try to form an alliance with Assyria. The altars they built to take away sin have become the place where the sinning takes place.

They have planted the wind and now they are going to reap a whirlwind of judgment.

Punishment:

God pronounces what His punishment will be for Israel's unfaithfulness. They will be carried into captivity by Assyria where they will eat unclean foods. Unclean food refers to the dietary laws that Moses had enacted per God's instructions. They will be unable to worship the Lord in the proper fashion. They have ignored the prophets who act as watchmen for Israel. And now they have become as despicable as the idol gods that they worship. Because of this, God will turn away from them and leave them alone.  They will become wanderers among the nations and be a people with no home.  

This has been the plight of the Jewish people for centuries. Although modern Israel is a nation-state, the vast majority of the Jewish people still live scattered among the nations.

Lesson: The Church should learn from the lessons of the Israelites. We should not leave our first love.  The siren call of the world does not compare to the faithful love of Jesus Christ.

3 John 1-15

This is John's third letter and it is a personal letter written to a friend. It is probably written between 90-100 A.D.  John would be a very old man by now. Once again, we see that John is concerned with the preservation of truth. 

John focused in his second letter on the fact that truth trumps love. Now in this third letter he commends Gaius for being faithful and living in truth.  This evidently manifests itself in Gaius providing housing for traveling Christian teachers. We see that not all is well within the Church as there is a man who is trying to influence other people to not house the Christian teachers.

John reminds his friend that behavior matters. Those who do good show that they love God. Those who do evil show that they do not love God.  John encourages his friend not to be influenced by evil.

What would the apostle John say in a letter to you?  Would it be a commendation or a warning?

Psalm 126:1-6

This psalm speaks of planting in tears and harvesting in joy.  That is better than planting wind and reaping a whirlwind!

Proverbs 29:12-14

Fairness is one of God's qualities.  I am thankful for this.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

December 6- Married to Idolatry

December 6, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1-13;
Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11

Superstition, idolatry, and hypocrisy have ample wages, but truth goes a-begging. ~Martin Luther

Hosea 4:1-5:15

Yesterday we saw that God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute. The marriage resulted in one child that was legitimately Hosea's child and two children that were not necessarily his. The humiliation and shame that Hosea must have felt is a vivid image of God's relationship with the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Like Hosea, God was married to a harlot who loved other men.  God also experienced the pain of having his wife produce illegitimate children.  This is in a spiritual sense, of course.

The Lawsuit:

God files His lawsuit against this idolatrous people. His list of complaints are long and specific.  Here they are:

• There is no faithfulness, kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. Vs. 1
• They curse, lie, kill, steal and commit adultery. Vs. 2
• There is violence everywhere. Vs. 2
• Their sin has affected the land and the animals. Vs. 3
• The priests have prevented the people from knowing their God. Vs. 6
• They have exchanged the glory of God for the disgrace of idols. Vs. 7
• The priests are happy when people sin, because then they will bring food to the priest for a sin offering. Vs. 8
• Alcohol and prostitution have robbed the people of their brains. vs. 11
• They consult a piece of wood to tell them what to do and what the future will bring. Vs. 12
• They sacrifice to idols under the trees. Vs. 13
• Their daughters have turned to prostitution and their daughter-in-laws are adulterers. Vs. 13
• Israel is married to idolatry. Vs. 17
• Men finish their drinking bouts and go find a prostitute. Vs. 18
• Their love of shame is greater than their love of honor. Vs. 19

Chapter 5 -Conclusion:

God says in verse 2 that He will settle with all of them for what they have done. He predicts that Israel will stumble under the load of her guilt. When Israel's day of judgment comes, she will be a heap of rubble. She will be crushed and broken by God's judgment. Ultimately, she will be carried off into captivity with no one to rescue her.

As I read God's complaints against Israel, I was struck with how His words could apply to our nation today.  We are also married to the idolatry of pleasure, drunkenness, immorality, entertainment, materialism, and the love of shame, rather than love of honor.

God's covenant relationship with the nation of Israel included the Israelites being able to stay in the Promised Land on the condition that they worship God alone and obey His Laws. This lawsuit is God's proclamation that Israel has broken the covenant of obeying the Law.

The Israelites are an object lesson to all of humanity. Jesus Christ is the bridegroom and His Church is the bride.  Are we as His bride being faithful to our husband? We must reflect upon what we have chosen in our lives.  Have we married ourselves to the false idols of wealth and pleasure?  Or are we married to Christ and committed to His ways?  Are we loyal to our first love? Do we accept that God is just and sin will be judged if it is not forgiven through the blood of Christ?

Lesson: Sin results in judgment from a Just God. God is just. God punishes sin. Jesus Christ came to earth to solve the problem of sin. His death atones for our sins. Obedient living that reflects our love of Jesus should be the result of our marriage to Christ. Chasing after things, materialism, pleasure, and self-gratification represents wandering away from our first love.

2 John 1-13

In John's second letter, he is writing a letter to either a lady named Electa in a church and her children or he is writing to The Church, which is elect and chosen by God.  Either way, John's focus is the truth. John is an old man at this time and refers to himself as the elder.

Once again, the Church is told by John to commit to loving the members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Remember that John is the apostle of love. John points out that this is not a new commandment. He defines love as doing what God has commanded us, and He has commanded the Church to love one another.  We see from the Old Testament reading today that the nation of Israel faltered in not loving God. They also did not obey God's commandments, which reflected their lack of love for God.  John warns the Church to love God by being obedient and loving other Christians.

This teaching is subtly different from what many in the modern church teach.  In our day, the focus is often on us loving the unbeliever, rather than the believer.  This has led to the Church focusing a great amount of time, energy, and resources on the unbelieving world.  A study of the New Testament epistles shows that the focus in the early church was to present the gospel to the unbelieving world and then focus resources, time, and energy on those people who accept the gospel of Christ and become part of God's family.  The blessings of being a member of God's family include the love, fellowship, and help of the body of Christ.  I believe we have lost this focus in the modern church.

John goes so far as to encourage the Church to not fellowship with false teachers. They are not to be invited into the Christian's home or be encouraged in any way. Graciousness is to be extended to those who love Christ, not to those who are working against His Kingdom. 

From John's perspective, to be part of God's family is to be in a spiritual clan. There is love, loyalty, and benefits to being part of this clan. God is the Father and we fellowship together with Him. Our reward is to live forever in the presence of His Love.

Are you part of God's family?  Do you love the other family members?

Psalm 125:1-5

Notice how in vs. 4 the psalmists asks God to do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you, but to banish those who are evil.  This follows John's thinking.

Proverbs 29:9-11

This proverb speaks of a wise person taking a fool to court.  This reminds me of God taking the nation of Israel to court. Does He need to take you and me to court?  I hope not.

What are you learning?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

December 5- Go And Marry A Prostitute!

December 5, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21;
Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8

More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. ~Doug Larson

Hosea 1:1-3:5

This year our family was blessed to experience a marriage.  My son married his high school sweetheart in a beautiful ceremony by the sea.  Theirs was a picture perfect event with two soul mates committing to be faithful to one another for the rest of their lives. Today, we begin the book of Hosea.  Hosea is about to get married, but the situation could not be any more different than my son's experience.  You see, God is about to make Hosea's life a living illustration of Himself.  Unfortunately, God is tied to an unfaithful wife at this time in the story, which means that in order for Hosea to be an accurate portrayal of God's experience, he has to marry a prostitute. You know it's a bad day when God tells you to marry a prostitute.

My son and his bride

Background:

Hosea lived about 100 years before the prophet Jeremiah.  He was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam. You may remember that the Northern Kingdom only had bad kings who promoted idol worship and brought Israel to the brink of captivity. Hosea is called by God to show Israel that their unfaithfulness is breaking God's heart. God is a spiritual husband, who is filled with shame and sorrow at Israel's betrayal.  Hosea's name means "salvation"; in another form the name is Joshua and in Greek the name is Jesus. We will explore later how Hosea is also a picture of Jesus.

The Story:

As the story begins, Hosea is commanded by God to marry a prostitute.  The reasoning is that He wants Hosea to experience having children born to him that come from other men. This will illustrate to Israel how they have been unfaithful to God and have committed adultery by worshiping idols.

Let's take a moment to talk about the institution of marriage. In the Bible, marriage is introduced immediately in the Garden of Eden.  When Eve is created in chapter 2 of Genesis she is presented to Adam as a companion to solve his problem of loneliness and to be a partner made from his own flesh.  The idea of leaving one's father and mother and becoming one flesh is central to God's plan. Their intimacy in the marriage bed creates the union that pictures that they are one unit made from the same body. Marriage is the first and most fundamental unit on earth.  Marriage is the anchor on which society is built. 

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, He specifically stated that they were not to make idols to worship and within marriage, they were not to commit adultery (Deuteronomy 5).  The punishment for adultery was death. We learn in the New Testament that marriage was instituted with a mystery connected to it.  That mystery is that marriage represents Christ and His bride, the Church, as explained by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:32. So marriage is not only the fundamental unit of society, it has a deeper spiritual meaning in that it is a living illustration of God and His relationship to the nation of Israel and of Jesus Christ and His relationship to the Church.

Chapter 1:

Hosea marries Gomer, the prostitute, and not long afterwards Gomer is pregnant and gives birth to a son.  God tells Hosea to name the boy Jezreel.  Jezreel means "God will scatter." This boy's birth and naming symbolizes that God is going to scatter the Northern Kingdom of Israel as a punishment for their disloyalty to God. Part of the punishment will take place in the Jezreel Valley.  This valley also plays prominently in the end times, as it is also called the Valley of Armageddon.

Next, Gomer gets pregnant and has a daughter and is told to name her Lo-ruhamah.  This name means "never knew a father's pity" or "not loved."  The implication here is that they are not sure who this girl's father is. It is scandalous to think that Hosea had the embarrassment of having an unfaithful wife who got pregnant by another man.  Lu-ruhamah represents the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who is the child of an idol. God is not going to have pity on this child of questionable parentage and is going to send the Northern Kingdom into captivity.

Gomer is fertile. She has another son. He is to be named Lo-ammi. His name means "not my people."  In the singular this would mean, "not my child."  The father of the second child was in question, but there is no doubt about this child. He is a bastard child.  God's anger is at a zenith and He declares that Israelites are not His people and He is not their God. If this were the end of the paragraph, we could believe that God was through with the nation of Israel because of their adultery, but God has more to say on the matter.

God says that a time will come when He will prosper Israel and make them a great nation. He will multiply them like the sands on the seashore and they will be the children of the living God.  God's prediction of the future includes the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms uniting under one leader and be planted in the Promised Land. In that day, they will all be called "Ammi," which means "My people" and "Ruhamah," which means "The ones I love."  Has this occurred yet?  No.  This is a description of Christ's millennial kingdom on earth.  Israel will be God's people who are greatly loved in that day.

Chapter 2:

It's a good thing that God slips in those reminders about the future, because the nation of Israel is in for a very long time of punishment and indignation.  Their zenith under the line of King David has passed.  They are a divided people who have slumped into idolatry.  God is going to teach them a lesson and it is going to be a long lesson realized over the course of human history. In the book of Daniel, we call it the "times of the Gentiles" or the "seventy sevens/weeks." 

For now, Israel is portrayed as a common whore who should take off her makeup and suggestive clothing. God is going to strip Israel down and leave her naked and thirsty in the desert.  Her children, born from other men, will not be loved by God.  The product of her lust for other lovers and for the benefits of selling herself for more material things will not be embraced by God.

When Israel brings grain, wine, oil, gold, silver and even children to the false god Baal, the One True God of Israel is brokenhearted that the Israelites do not acknowledge that it was God, not Baal, who gave them the grain and wine with which to make a sacrifice to a false god. With righteous indignation, God intends to punish Israel.

Once again, God clarifies in verse 14 that He intends to win Israel back, one day.  He is going to transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. Israel will call God her husband, rather than her master in that day.  God will cause Israel to forget the images of Baal.  In the millennial kingdom of Christ on this earth, even the animals will not harm people. There will be no need for weapons, because everyone will live in peace and safety. Israel will finally know the Lord intimately.  They will not have a need to sacrifice to Baal to cry for rain and good crops, because the Lord will make the produce abundant.  People will cry out, "Jezreel," which means "God plants!"  This time the scattering means scattering seeds to plant for a plentiful crop. Remember that Baal was a fertility god to which ancient people sacrificed and even had sex in front of Asherah poles in order to try to promote abundant crops and rain for the earth.

God will plant a crop of Israelites in that day and raise them up for Himself. This is a promise. God looks forward to fulfilling this promise.  This is His Story.  He is telling us the ending. The people that He called "Not my people," will now be called, "My people." 

Chapter 3: 

With this future in mind, God commands Hosea to get his adulterous wife and bring her back.  Hosea must love her, in spite of her unfaithfulness. The Law in Deuteronomy would call for Gomer to be killed, but God is gracious and merciful. Hosea goes and buys back his wife, who has sold herself into prostitution.  Hosea brings her back to his home and demands that she stop her prostitution. He sets forth a rule that she will not have sexual intercourse with anyone, including him.

What does this picture?  It shows that Israel is going to go a long time without a king, or prince, or sacrifices, temples, priests and even idols.  Israel is in this position in our modern day.  The nation of Israel is still scattered throughout the earth.  She is not unified in her worship of God. She does not have the Temple or daily sacrifices.  She does not have her spiritual husband. 

God promises that in the future, Israel will return to the Lord and to David's descendant, the King (Jesus), and in the last days, they will come trembling back to Him in awe and receive His good gifts.

The illustration of Hosea buying back Gomer beautifully shows how Jesus buys back Israel with his death and resurrection.  Jesus death on the cross pays the debt for their sin and the sin of all of mankind.  During the "times of the Gentiles," you and I are privileged to have Jesus buy us back and pay our debts for the sins we have committed.  In the future, God will collectively do this for Israel as a nation.  It will not be for every Israelite, but because it will be a remnant of the nation of Israel who will accept Christ in the end times, it is a proper picture. The millennial reign of Christ on earth will be for the number of Israelites and Gentiles who turn to their Messiah during the Great Tribulation. The Church will particpate by ruling and reigning with Christ, although some commentators feel that the Church is in heaven during the earthly reign of Christ.

Has Christ bought you back and brought you in to be His spotless Bride?  Jesus is a loving husband, who provides and cares for his loved one. Are you His bride?

1 John 5:1-21

Today, Hosea named his children as a reflection of whether or not Israel was truly God's spiritual children. Now, John deals with how the Church can know if they are truly God's legitimate children.  According to John, if you believe in Jesus Christ, you are a true child of God.

This shows us that in the future those who are of the nation of Israel who become legitimate children of God will do so because of their faith in Jesus Christ the Messiah. John points out that Jesus revealed he was God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross. It is God who provides three witnesses to the fact that Jesus is God's Son. The three witnesses are the Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood.

Jesus is the legitimate child of God and we are adopted into God's family through belief in Christ. If you have the Son, you have eternal life because the Son is eternal life.

The only sin that leads to eternal death is the sin of not believing in Jesus Christ. John reminds believers to keep away from anything that might take the place of God in your heart.  Whatever takes His place is an idol and makes you unfaithful to your spiritual husband.

Do you see how the Bible ties these themes together?  God is your spiritual husband who cares for you and loves you.  He is also your spiritual Father in heaven.  Be true to Him.

Psalm 124:1-8

God protects Israel and all who love Him.  Our help is from the Lord.

Proverbs 29:5-8

Evil people get trapped by sin.  God provides a way out of sin for those who seek Him and love Him.  Do you have an addiction to some sin?  Seek God's help to conquer it.

What are you learning?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

December 4- The Antichrist And The Great Tribulation

December 4, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Daniel 11:36-12:13; 1 John 4:1-21;
Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4

No man ever did, nor ever shall, truly go forth to convert the nations, nor to prophesy in the present state of witnesses against Antichrist, but by the gracious inspiration and instigation of the Holy Spirit of God.  ~Roger Williams

Daniel 11:36-12:13

Now we come to the final prophecy that Daniel receives.  We are no longer in the pre-written history that has occurred in the Persian and the Graeco-Macedonian Empires.  We are looking forward to the end times and the final indignation of the Jews. This is also the final stand of humans against God.  It started with the deception in the Garden of Eden as Satan influenced Adam and Eve to rebel against God. It continued at the Tower of Babel, and it will end with a final world ruler who is possessed by Satan and leads the whole world astray.  This Antichrist is described to Daniel.

Daniel 11:36-44

From prophecy we learn that the Antichrist will be a political figure, but more importantly, he ends up being a religious figure.  He has a second-hand man who acts as a priest and leads the world to worship the Antichrist and place him above all other gods on earth.  The Antichrist is an impostor who attempts to capture Christ's position in the world.  His goal is to be worshiped and to rule the earth. He is the little horn, who tries to be the big horn.  This is just the opposite of Jesus who did not consider equality with God a thing to seek. Christ sought to be obedient to God and as a result, God will give him all authority in heaven and on earth in the end. It is Christ who will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords for eternity. Meanwhile, the Antichrist will succeed in his endeavor until the time of wrath is complete.  Remember, God is in control of what happens on earth and the end times are a judgment on the rebellion of Israel and the wickedness of mankind in general. God allows this blasphemy and rebellion for a purpose. We see that the Antichrist will reward those who worship him and will use his power and ability to parcel land and possessions as a means of gaining and keeping loyalty on the earth.

Although God allows the Antichrist to have power on earth, it is not without conflict. Both the south and the north come against him. Some say that the south is Egypt and the north is Syria or some say this is Russia. The Antichrist will invade various lands and sweep through like a flood. It appears that some of the Arab nations will escape, represented by Edom, Moab, and Ammon which are modern day Jordan, but Egypt will not. Neither will Africa escape the rule of the "man of sin." (vs. 42).

Daniel 12:1-13

Daniel is once again shown that behind the curtain of earth's history is an angelic war that takes place on the behalf of God's people. The nation of Israel is protected by an archangel named Michael.  It is Michael who is powerful enough to come up against Satan. Remember that Satan was God's greatest angel until he fell. During Israel's Great Tribulation on earth Michael is in heaven fighting for their survival.  Epic. We learn that certain Jews have their names written in the book of Life.  Please note that at this time there are also believing Gentiles written into the Book of Life, but God is explaining the story of the Israelites to Daniel at this moment. Michael rescues those who are written in to be rescued.  It is at the end of the Great Tribulation that the Old Testament saints (believers in the coming Messiah) will rise from the dead to participate in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ on the earth (vs. 2).

In verse 5, Daniel is taken back to the banks of the river and to the original vision of Christ in linen.  Two men in the vision ask Christ how long it will be before these events take place. Christ designates that it will be time, times and half a time.  This is the 3 1/2 years of tremendous trials on earth and particularly for the nation of Israel once the Antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel.  Persecution beyond belief breaks forth at this time.

Daniel asks the Lord how it will finally end. The Lord answers that it is for the future. Daniel is not given the exact time in the future, but he is given some reasons for these events.  Here they are:

• Many (believing Jews and Gentiles) will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials.
• The wicked will continue in their wickedness and will not understand.
• The wise will know what it means.

He is then told that the 1290 days that are specified in which the image of the beast, which is a sacrilegious object that desecrates God's Temple, is allowed to remain are the 3 1/2 years of the last half of the Great Tribulation.  1290 days is actually 30 more days than 3 1/2 years.  No one is quite sure why there are an extra 30 days calculated.  There is also a question as to what the 1335 days are for those who wait.

Daniel is told that he will die and be raised in the end to receive the inheritance set aside for him.  What a beautiful promise from the lips of the God to whom Daniel has worshiped and prayed his whole life. Daniel is reassured that there is eternal life.  He is also reassured that he will see Christ reign on this earth.

Are you on board with God's story?  The Church will be in a different place during this Great Tribulation.  This indignation is not for believers who come to Christ during the age of grace.  We will be in heaven during this time on earth.  The Rapture or the "catching up" of the saints, which is described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, is when the dead  in Christ, who are those who believed in Christ after His death and resurrection on earth, are raised from the dead and meet up with the believers who are alive on earth at the time and are caught up to be with the Lord.  It is the absence of the Church on earth as salt and light that helps usher in the Tribulation period. Also, see 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 for a description of believers being changed in a moment into immortality. Please, also consider 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

The Tribulation is a completion of God's work with the nation of Israel.  It is their final punishment, indignation, and purification. After this time, God restores His people (a great majority, but not all) and fulfills His promise to rule them on the earth through the line of David.

There are other interpretations of Scripture and the end times that include the Church going through the Great Tribulation.  I do not think that Scripture supports that position.  Postmillennialists believe that there is a period of universal peace on earth that may or may not last one thousand years.  They also are divided as to whether or not it begins abruptly or gradually. Some see it as in the future, while others thinks it is gradually occurring. They believe that a some point in the present, the Kingdom of God overcomes the kingdoms of this world.  Through good works and the influence of the Holy Spirit, Christ is reigning now on earth according to the postmillennialists.  Postmillennialists also believe that the Church endures some sort of Tribulation as part of bringing in the return of Christ to the earth.

The Amillennialists do not believe that there will be a physical earthly reign of Christ. They also do not hold to the thousand years being literal. They believe that the promises made to the nation of Israel are fulfilled by Christ and the Church during this age. They believe that Satan is no longer free to deceive the nation because of the Holy Spirit on earth. 

I do not believe that you can read the words given to Daniel about "his people" and "the people of the holy covenant" and not recognize that God distinguishes between the nation of Israel and the Church.  His plan includes both groups.  His story unfolds to seamlessly tie up all loose ends.

Are you able to relate God's story to other people? Do you know which interpretation of the end times you believe?  Can you support your beliefs with the Bible?

1 John 4:1-21

John warns his audience that they must test the spirits to see if they are from God.  We have seen in our reading of the Bible that there are varying spirits in God's creation.  There are good spirits and evil spirits.  They war for our souls.  How can you tell which type of spirit is teaching you in a given situation?  A spirit that is from God will acknowledge that Jesus became a human being. John is saying that the concept is that God (the Messiah, Savior) has come in the flesh.  This is the crux of Christianity.  Immanuel is "God with us."  That is what Jesus Christ is, God with us, who died for us and pays for us the penalty of sin.

John confirms to believers that the Holy Spirit is stronger than the other spirits of fallen angels/demons. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth, rather than the spirit of deception. 

Once again, John goes back to his theme of love.  Love conquers all fear.  Because God loved us first, we are obligated to love one another. Remember that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but will have eternal life. This love is what makes us confident for the day of judgment, which will surely come for all people. We love because He first loved us.

Does this describe you?  Has love cast fear out of your life?



Psalm 123:1-4

Here is the Lord enthroned in heaven. Have mercy on us, Lord.  We look to You to see how we should act. As the story unfolds, we must always see God on His throne in Heaven.

Proverbs 29:2-4

It is good to have godly leaders.  Wicked leaders bring sorrow.  The earth will really experience this under the Antichrist.

What have you learned?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

December 3- Prewritten History

December 3, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 3:7-24;
Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 29:1

Anybody can make history; only a great man can write it.  ~Oscar Wilde

Daniel 11:2-35

What if I was able to tell you who the next president of the United States would be? Better yet, what if I could give you details about our future allies and the wars that we would fight as a nation?  It would be amazing, right?  Today Daniel is given such detailed information on the history of the Gentile empires that will rule the world directly after his death that some people have decided that the book of Daniel was written at a later time by someone else.  These prophecies are detailed and read like a history book.  Legend has it that Alexander the Great had this portion of the book of Daniel read to him during his conquests and he recognized himself in the words. The book of Daniel confirms the idea that the Word of God, which was written by God's chosen people the Jews, reveals the Creator of the Universe and the history of mankind which He controls.

Here is what Christ tells Daniel about the future. The prophecies in chapters 10-12 of Daniel fill in some of the details of how the metallic image of chapter 2 of Daniel and the beasts seen in chapter 7 of Daniel affect human history. This also helps establish what goes on during the Seventy Sevens or Seventy Weeks that Daniel was told about. Because this information is so vital to mankind and for the nation of Israel, in particular, it is no wonder that Satan tried to block this information from getting to Daniel by angelic warfare.  Daniel is about to get further understanding of the Persian and Greek empires. He will also get information about what will happen to the Jews during the time between the Old and New Testaments.  This is a time of great travail for the Jewish people. Both Syria and Egypt make this a very bad situation for the Israelites. It is at this time that Antiochus Epiphanes, who is a foreshadowing of the end times Antichrist, rises up and persecutes the Jews beyond anything that anyone else on earth has done, including Hitler.  Okay.  Are you ready to dig deeply into details?  Here we go!

Daniel 11:1-4

Daniel is given information and prophecy about four Persian kings who will rule the Persian empire, and a  mighty king who will rise up and accomplish all that he sets out to accomplish. This king's power is broken and divided up into four parts. The empire is not ruled by the mighty king's descendants. This is prewritten history, folks!  Here is the corresponding actual history that occurred:  The four Persian kings were 1) Cambyses, 529 B.C. 2) Pseudo-Smerdis, 522 B.C. 3) Darius Hystaspis, 521 B.C and 4) Xerxes, who invaded Greece in 480 B.C. Xerxes was defeated and this ended the Media-Persian Empire. This Xerxes is probably the King Ahasueras in the book of Esther.  The mighty king that rises up after this is none other than Alexander the Great, who came to power in 335 B.C. and headed up the Graeco-Macedonian Empire. He was probably the greatest military strategist to ever live and he was a world ruler. His inglorius end came when he drank himself to death at the age of 32. After that, his kingdom was divided by four generals. Cassander took Macedonia; Lysimachus took Asia Minor; Seleucus Nicator took Syria and the rest of the Middle East; and Ptolemy took Egypt to the South.  These families all ended up warring against each other.  This is what the next section of prophecy explains.

Daniel 11:5-20

In this section of Scripture, the king from the south is from the family of the Ptolemies. The kings of the north would be from the Seleucidae. We are in approximately 250 B.C.  Ptolemy of Philadelphus of Egypt gives his daughter, Berenice, in marriage to Antiochus Theos of Syria. Antiochus was already married to Laodice, but he divorces her.  Ptolemy of Philadelphus dies after two years, so Antiochus puts away Berenice and brings back his first wife, Laodice. This woman poisons Antiochus and orders the death of Berenice and her son.  Laodice then puts her own son, Seleucus Callinicus, on the throne.

In verse 7, one of Laodice's relatives becomes a king in the south who raises an army, defeats a king in the north, and brings back booty of gold and silver to Egypt. This is fulfilled in Ptolemy Euergetes,  who was Berenice's brother.  He captured Syria and seized a fort.  It is recorded that he returned to Egypt with four thousand talents of gold, forty thousand talents of silver, and twenty-five hundred idols. Scripture was literally fulfilled.

There is continual warfare between Egypt and Syria at this time. Israel is caught in the middle and is taken captive by one side or the other continually.  Many Israelites die and experience untold suffering at the hands of both the north and the south.

Verses 15-16 speak of a king from the north who comes and takes a stand in the glorious land.  This "glorious land" is Israel. History records that Antiochus the Great defeated Egypt in a decisive victory and caused much suffering for Israel. Over 125 years of history are fulfilled and mentioned in Daniel's prophecies.  For further study of this the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia is a good reference.


Antiochus the Great makes a treaty with Egypt and gives his daughter, Cleopatra, to Ptolemy Epiphanes in marriage. Antiochus the Great then turns his face to the Greek Isles and begins to come against not only the Ptolemies, but also Lysimachus in the west. At this time, Rome begins to rise.  This would be the "the commander from another land," who puts an end to Antiochus the Great's insolence.  The successor who sends a tax collector is Rome.  The Romans were known for being the best tax collectors in the ancient world and perhaps the best in history with the exception of the modern American tax system.

Daniel 11:21-33

Now we come to a description of Antiochus Epiphanes who was seen as the "little horn" in chapter 8.  He is one of the kings in the line of the Seleucidae. He came to the throne in 175 B.C. He was a man who gained his power through flatteries and a program of peace.  His rise will mirror what the rise of the "Man of Sin's" rise will look like in the future. Although he was quick to flatter, Antiochus Epiphanes was also quick to deceive. A high priest named Onias III was deposed and killed by the devices of Antiochus. Antiochus had a successful campaign against the king of Egypt, which made him very wealthy.  His second campaign into Egypt was not successful because the Roman navy stopped him. 

Antiochus came against Jerusalem in 170 B.C., where over one hundred thousand Jews were slain. This is when he took away the practice of the daily sacrifices at the Temple and set up an image of Jupiter to be worshipped.  He offered the blood of pigs on the altar, which was an abomination to the Jews.  This is a foreshadowing of what the Antichrist will do during the Great Tribulation.  He will set up an image of himself to be worshipped in the Temple.

Verses 33-35 deal with treachery in Israel, faithful teachers who are persecuted, and the fact that God is using this period in history to refine, purify, and cleanse his people until the time of the end.

Are you surprised that Daniel was given prewritten history?  Does this blow your mind? How does that change your perspective on the Bible and on God?

1 John 3:7-24

John argues that behavior matters and how a person behaves is an indicator of whether they belong to God's family or to Satan's family.  Loving other Christians is one of the major keys to determining to which family one belongs.

Cain is given as an example of a person who did not belong to God's family, but was jealous of his brother who was doing what was right.  Having no love in your heart is a sign of spiritual death.  This love is to go even so far as to giving up your life for other Christian brothers and sisters. 

If you have enough money to live well and then do not share your excess wealth with others who are in need, do you really have love?  Our actions must back up our beliefs and our words.

Confess if you have a problem with this, and after confession, come boldly to God with your requests. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee that God lives in us.

This are convicting passages from the Apostle John.  Do you love others deeply?

Psalm 122:1-9

This psalm reflects love for the people of God.

Proverbs 29:1

This proverb reminds us to accept criticism if we do not want to be broken.

What are you seeing?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

December 2- Preparation, Prayer, Prophecy, And The Plan

December 2, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6;
Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28


Daniel 9:1-11:1

We've been getting to know Daniel for the past days and we have learned that as a teenager he was set aside by the king of Babylon to be an adviser to the king because he was good looking and intelligent.  As we have watched this man grow, we have also seen that he is wise and chosen by God for important work.  Today, we get some insight into how Daniel became so wise.  We see that his gift of intelligence is exercised by reading and studying God's Word. 

Preparation:

As our reading begins, Daniel has been studying the Word of God.  Remember that one of the main jobs of God's chosen people, the Jews, was to provide the Holy Scriptures to the world.  It is through the nation of Israel that God's story is revealed.  Daniel is a man of faith, who understands that in order to realize God's purposes for all of mankind and all of history, he must study the Scriptures.  Today, he has been studying the writings of the prophet Jeremiah.  In Jeremiah's prophecy, Daniel sees that the Israelites were to be in captivity for seventy years.  You may remember that we are told in 2 Chronicles 36:21 that Israel would go into captivity for seventy years in order to give the land the Sabbath rests that the Jews neglected to give it for 490 years.  The seventy is 7 sets of 70 year periods.  God had commanded that every seventh year, the Jews were to allow the land to lay fallow and not plant it.  This mirrored God's rest day in creation and foreshadows the rest from work to please God that we receive in Christ. They had neglected the Sabbath rests of the land and the Year of Jubilee, which was to be celebrated every 50th year.

Prayer:

Daniel is making connections with regards to what this all means for the Israelites.  He is prompted to pray fervently for Israel to be forgiven of their sins, for himself to be forgiven of his personal sins, and for God to resolve His relationship with Israel after this time of captivity and restore the city of Jerusalem, send the Messiah, solve the problem of sin in the world, and set up his earthly kingdom.  Wow.  Daniel believes that God's punishment for Israel's disobedience and rejection has been completed in this seventy year period. Studying God's Word leads to fervent prayer for God to act upon His promises.  Is this true of you when you study God's Word?

Prophecy:


His fervent prayer results in an immediate visit from the angel Gabriel.  God needs to clarify for Daniel that the seventy years of captivity is not the end of Israel's time of punishment and indignation.  There is actually going to be seventy sevens before the end of the story.  Israel's future earthly kingdom will not come until a much longer period of history has passed.  Daniel is much loved by God.  This amazing man of faith is given the keys to the future.  He is told details about the kingdoms that will rule during this time of the Gentiles.  He is told that the Messiah will die and appear to have not accomplished anything.  He is told that a vicious world leader, who is an Antichrist, will make the Temple desolate during a time of great suffering for the Jews and the inhabitants of the earth, and after these things, Christ will return and set up his earthly kingdom and create a kingdom that will last forever.  Amazing.  Let's look at some details.

The Plan:

In Daniel 9:24, Daniel is given the information that for the Jews (your people and the holy city) there will be seventy sets of seven before the following things are accomplished:

• The rebellion is put down. This refers to Israel's rebellion against her God.
• Put an end to sin. The national sins of Israel will be over.
• Guilt for sin is atoned for. This is for Israel and Gentiles, through the death of Jesus.
• Everlasting righteousness is received. Jesus returns to set up the earthly kingdom for the Jews.
• This prophetic vision will be confirmed. All Scriptural prophecies fulfilled at this time.
• The Most Holy Place will be anointed. God will dwell in the Holy of Holies in a restored Temple see Ezekiel 41-46

Daniel was hoping that the Messiah would enter the rebuilt Jerusalem after the seventy year captivity and the end of sin on earth would be realized through the Jewish Messiah, who would save all of Israel.  Daniel is about to learn that God has a broader plan.

Specifically, Daniel is told that seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven must pass from the time that a decree that Jerusalem be rebuilt is issued to when the Anointed One of Israel comes (verse 25).  Mathematically, that is 7 X 69 = 483 years. Let's talk about this.  The Jewish prophetic calendar was based on a 30 day month and a 360 day year.  This prophecy deals in segments of 7 year periods.  This is what the "sevens" is referring to.  In the year 445 B.C., Artaxerxes (during the 20th year of his reign, see Neh. 2:1-8) decreed that the city of Jerusalem be rebuilt.  Please note that there were a number of decrees that were given to have the Jews leave captivity and return to Jerusalem for rebuilding, but this second decree by Artaxerxes fits the calendar of prophecy that Daniel is given. 

With this decree, the first set of seven sevens takes us 49 years into the future to 397 B.C.  This would be where the Old Testament writings end with the book of Malachi and would fulfill the prophecy that  Jerusalem would be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, but under perilous times.  There were very perilous times for the Jews right up until the end of the Old Testament writing and even in the intertestamental years.  From Malachi to the time that Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey for His triumphal entry there will have been 62 sets of seven years or 434 more years.  So from the time that Jerusalem is rebuilt to the time that the Messiah enters Jerusalem is going to be 434 more years. This is a total of 483 years from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the arrival of the Jewish Messiah, also called the Anointed One.

One more way to look at it is that Daniel is given a look at the seventy weeks that make up the times of the Gentiles.  God is allowing Daniel to see that Israel's punishment is not finished with just the seventy years of captivity in Assyria and Babylon.  The prior dreams and visions of the metallic statue and the beasts that come forth from the sea laid out the story of the Gentile nations that would rule the earth until the Messiah comes back to set up an earthly kingdom for the Jews.  This vision of the seventy weeks explains the precise time that the Messiah will come for the first time.  The first 69 weeks (sets of seven years) strictly deals with Jerusalem being rebuilt and the Messiah coming to earth for the first time. 

Let's look at what Daniel is told about what happens once the Messiah comes.  In verse 26, Daniel is told that after that period of 483 years, the Anointed One is killed and appears to have accomplished nothing.  There you have it, folks!  The Jewish people were warned in advance that their Messiah would be killed the first time he came to earth. Daniel is told that a ruler will rise up and destroy the city of Jerusalem after the Messiah is killed.  This was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Titus, the Roman, sacked Jerusalem.  We are now into the 70th seven or the 70th week of Daniel.  Some say that there is a gap of an unknown period of time before this last set of seven years occurs. What is a mystery to Daniel, the Jews, and to all of the earth's inhabitants is the knowledge about how long before the 70th week is going to occur. The 70th week is the 7 years of the Great Tribulation.  This Great Tribulation is the 70th seven/week that ushers in the Messiah's second coming.

The prophecy skips forward in time and in verses 26 and 27 Daniel is told about the last three years of the Great Tribulation and is given a description of the Antichrist's dealings and deception with the nation of Israel. Here are some specifics:

• The end will come with a flood, and war, and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
• He (the Antichrist/world leader at the time) will make a treaty with the people (Israel) for one set of seven (seven year period).
• But after half the time (3 1/2 years),  as a climax to all of his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler.

Daniel is being shown that the Antichrist will make a deal with Israel for the seven year period of the Great Tribulation that he reneges on after 3 1/2 years.  He sets up an idol of himself in the restored Temple and requires that all people on earth worship him.  We will study this further in the book of Revelation.  This is allowed by God for a time as part of the indignation and punishment of the nation of Israel, but in the end, God will put an end to this defiler and restore the nation of Israel, as promised to the prophets of old.

Another Vision:

Daniel had a vision that came to him after he had spent three weeks in mourning.  He was aware of God's future plans of hardship and trial for his people.  In this vision, Daniel sees Christ, himself. Christ comes to warn Daniel about war.  Not just war on earth, but the heavenly wars that will go on to bring about God's kingdom on earth.  This vision is reminiscent of Paul's Damascus road experience. Daniel has companions with him, but they do not see Christ. When Daniel sees Christ, he faints. Daniel is revived and is told that he is greatly loved by God and that he must stand up and listen. He is also told to not fear and to be strong.

The next section is quite remarkable because this part of the vision explains to Daniel that there is a hierarchy of angels, who participate in warfare that goes on between evil angels/demons and good angels.  Daniel learns that the nation of Israel has an archangel assigned for their protection whose name is Michael.  Here is the hierarchy of the angelic realm as described by the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians 6:12:

• Thrones- archangels like Michael and Gabriel
• Dominions- are cherubim and seraphim
• Principalities, which are the generals of the hosts of angels
• Powers- they are the privates or low ranking angels and serve as guardian angels (Hebrews 1:4)

God's angels are organized and Satan's fallen angels are also organized.  These two groups are in constant warfare over the souls of men, and specifically, over the survival of the nation of Israel.

Daniel learns that there has been spiritual warfare between God's angels and the powerful demon angels, who are called the princes of Persia and Greece.  These princes of Persia and Greece are warrior demons, who spiritually influence the unbelievers of earth dominating during the "times of the Gentiles" in human history. Christ tells Daniel that he has relied on the help of Michael, Israel's archangel, to get through and get this message to Daniel.  What an amazing revelation.  Preincarnate Jesus is seen in the book of Exodus and in the book of Joshua fighting as the Commander for Israel as they approach the Promised Land.  Here we see that Jesus fights in heaven for the preservation of Israel during the "times of the Gentiles," prior to his coming to earth. It should not surprise us that Jesus chooses to work in cooperation with the arch angel Michael to preserve the nation of Israel.  Jesus works in cooperation with his Church on earth, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring salvation to individuals.  Jesus fights for the preservation of his holy ones throughout history. He works through you and me to draw people to himself.  This is the nature of our God.  He is relational.  He is a team player.  He is the author of community. He is a warrior for our souls.  He is the Commander and Chief of the universe.


We will read more from this message to Daniel tomorrow.

What do you make of all of this?  God is busy controlling the unseen forces in the universe and rolling forth His Story on earth.  Does this surprise you? 

1 John 2:18-3:6

John tells his listeners that the last hour is here.  Well, we just learned from Daniel that the last hour or the interlude before the final seven years is a long period of time.  John is correct in what he has said.  John confirms that the Church has been informed that the Antichrist is coming.  He also confirms that many antichrists exists and an antichrist is any person whose spirit rejects Jesus as Lord.

Believers are to remain faithful to the truth, even during this last period of earth's history.  Because the Holy Spirit is inside of the believer in Christ, the believer has a constant teacher of truth within themselves. Christ is returning to the earth again and John encourages believers to fellowship with Christ, so that they can have courage in the face of seeing the Lord and not feel shame in his presence.

God loves us so much that He considers us His children. John looks forward to seeing Christ as he really is at his second coming.  This is the vision that Daniel saw, Christ as he really is. Scripture promises that one day, we will be like him.

Is the Story starting to make sense to you?

Psalm 121:1-8

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  The Lord keeps you from all evil and preserves your life.

Proverbs 28:27-28

Care for the poor.  This is God's heart.

What are you noticing?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

December 1- Three Horns

December 1, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17;
Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26

The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world...is to clearly see poetry, prophecy, and religion all in one. ~John Ruskin

Daniel 8:1-27

As we read through the book of Daniel, it is amazing to see future historical events and named individuals who God gives to Daniel in dreams and visions as prophecies, but from our perspective, these prophecies are fulfilled history.  Part of the wonder of the Christian religion is the fact that through the Scriptures, the world is given an outline of history as it pertains to God's story of his holy people, Israel, which also includes accurate information about secular history.  The Word of God is accurate and true.  These amazing fulfilled prophecies are a testimony to this fact.

Today, Daniel is given a vision that fleshes out the prior dream, but focuses on two of the kingdoms that are coming during the "times of the Gentiles."  Not only this, God reveals the nature of the future "man of sin," who is the Antichrist, by showing Daniel two other world leaders, who foreshadow the Antichrist in human history.

As our reading begins, Daniel is given a vision, instead of a dream.  He is taken to the city of Susa and is by the Ulai River.  Two things are interesting about these facts.  First, when Daniel is taken to Susa, the city at this time is of no significance.  It is out in the desert and not important to the Babylonian Empire.  We know from history that Susa becomes a major royal city in the Persian Empire.  As a matter of fact, both Esther and Nehemiah are in the city of Susa in the future.  The Hebrew word that is used for river in describing the Ulai River is not the normal word for river and implies that it is not a natural river.  Archeology has proven that the Ulai River was actually a large man-made canal that ran through Susa.  Amazing. 

One other point that should be made is that the first seven chapters of Daniel are written in Aramaic.  These prophecies are given to the Gentile world about the gentile influence in the world.  From chapter 8 of Daniel and forward, the book is written in the Hebrew language.  This is because starting with today's chapter, the book of Daniel focuses on the impact that the "times of the Gentiles" has on the Jewish nation/people of Israel in particular.  It is written in Hebrew so that the Jews have a warning in their own language that their time of indignation/punishment during the "times of the Gentiles" will include much suffering and hardship.  The prophecies indicate that God will rescue Israel in the end, but that does not prevent the trampling down of the Jews throughout history until Jesus returns to rescue them. This is God's story.

In the vision Daniel sees a ram with two long horns.  One horn is longer than the other. The ram butts everything out of its way to the west, north, and south.  No one can stop the ram, until a goat appears from the west, crossing the land without appearing to touch the ground. The goat charges the ram breaking off both of its horns.  It knocks the ram down and tramples it. The goat becomes powerful and its large horn breaks off.  In its place, four prominent horns grow and face the four directions of the earth. One of the horns, which was small becomes very great.  It extends to Israel and the power of the little horn reaches into heaven and attacks even heavenly armies.  The army of heaven is restrained from stopping this horn, even though he is blaspheming God and stopping daily sacrifice at God's Temple.  This is allowed to go on for 2300 days, which is a little over six years.

Next, we see that the angel Gabriel is sent to explain the vision to Daniel.  This is the first time that Gabriel is introduced in Scripture.  We see him again when he tells Zachariah that he will have John the Baptist as his child and then again when Gabriel announces to Mary that she will be the mother of the Messiah.  Gabriel is the mighty angel of God, who is the messenger and spokesperson for God.  The only other named angels in Scripture are Michael, who is an arch angel/head warrior, and Satan, who was the most perfect and beautiful angel ever created, but was filled with pride and rebelled against God. 

Gabriel clarifies to Daniel that these visions relate to the end times in the future. Daniel faints at this point.  Gabriel revives him and explains that Israel is to go through a time of wrath.  The Tribulation actually means indignation.  This is the time of God's indignation against the nation of Israel for rejecting Him as their God and for their sin and their disobedience to His Law. The indignation lasts throughout the "times of the Gentiles" and culminates in the final indignation, which is the Great Tribulation on earth.  This period is for their chastening and purification.

Notice that there are always horns on the creatures that represent kingdoms.  The horns represent powerful leaders of the kingdoms.

Here is Gabriel's explanation:

• The two horns on the ram represent the kings of Media and Persia.
• The shaggy male goat is the king of Greece.  The first king is the large horn that is very powerful.
• The four prominent horns that replace the large horn are four kings that will replace that first king.
• None of these four will be as great as the first.
• From them a fierce king will arise who is a master of intrigue. He will become very powerful, but not from his own power.  He will cause great destruction and be very successful.
• He will devastate the holy people/Jews.
• Deception is the tool through which he catches people off guard.

• He will even fight the Prince of princes.

History shows us that indeed, Media and Persia are the next great empires of the earth.  Daniel wrote this prior to the Medes conquering Babylon.  The ram in the vision only moves to the west, south, and north.  This is true of the Medes and Persians.  They did not attempt to conquer the far east.  They only moved in the other directions. After the Persian empire, Alexander the Great is the Greek king, who is the large horn of the shaggy goat.  Alexander was unstoppable at this time, and just as the vision indicates, he trampled down the Persian empire.  Alexander was stopped only by his own alcoholism, which caused his death in Babylon at the young age of 32. 

After Alexander died, the Greek Empire was divided up between four generals: Cassander, who took Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachus ,who took Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey; Seleucus, who took Asia and all places east except Egypt; and Ptolemy, who took Egypt and North Africa.

Now, a little horn is described as coming out of this third kingdom, the Greek Empire.  This is not the same little horn that was seen in Daniel's dream that is covered in eyes and is boasting.  This little horn is a foreshadowing of that future little horn. This horn comes out of the Seleucid dynasty in Syria. His name is Antiochus Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus the Great. He comes to the throne in 175 B.C. and makes an attack on Jerusalem. This anti-Semitic monster tries to exterminate the Jews and is stopped by the Maccabean revolt.  This little horn sets up an image of Jupiter in the Temple in Jerusalem.  It was the first abomination of desolation spoken of in Scripture.  This abomination will occur again in the end times under the Antichrist.  Antiochus Epiphanes also had pig broth poured over the holy vessels in the Temple.  His contempt for the Jews was epic.

Although this man challenges God, he is allowed to capture Jerusalem and reigns for 7 years. We see that God considers this spiritual warfare, as well as physical warfare. The man was more than likely demon possessed.  The title he chose for himself was "Theos Epiphanes," which means "God manifest."

Judas Maccabeas, a priest, also known as "the hammer", drove out the Syrian army and cleansed the Temple after its pollution.  The Jewish Feast of Lights celebrates this victory.

It is clear that this little horn is a projection of the future little horn, who will war against Jesus Christ in the future after the Great Tribulation period.   It is no wonder that Daniel has a physical and psychological reaction to these devastating visions.

God's call and hand upon Israel is a mystery to behold.  To whom much is given, much is required. 

The three horns are Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes, and the future Antichrist.  We do not yet know his name.  But all of these men are used by God to chasten the Jewish people for their sin and disobedience to God.  Any Gentiles who do not follow God are also chastened under these men.  This is the meaning of this vision. 

How do you react to seeing God fulfill prophecy?  Do you believe there will be a future Antichrist on this earth?

1 John 2:1-17

In Matthew 18:3 Jesus explains that true followers of God must change and become like little children.  This means being trusting of God and willing to absorb all of His words and ways.  Little children are little imitators.  One must be careful what is said and done in front of children, because they will copy what they see.  Jesus wants us to copy him like little children would.

Today, John calls his listeners little children.  He call upon these children of God not to sin, reminding them that Jesus pleased God with his life, and as a result, he was worthy to be the sacrifice for our sins.

Obedience to Christ is a key way to clarify that you belong to God. Imitation of Christ is key for the Christian.  This means loving other Christians.  Do not fool yourself into thinking you love God, if you hate His Church on earth.  Do you have bitterness toward Christians as a whole? Do you despise all things Christian?  If so, you may be wrong about your own salvation.  Christ loved people who were flawed.  He had grace and mercy toward others.  Do you? Do I?  Self examination is warranted.

John breaks into a short poetic interlude to remind the children of God to acknowledge that Jesus is from the beginning and we have won the battle over Satan through Jesus.  Therefore, we should not love the world.  This would mean our lives are not marked by lust for physical pleasure, lust for all that we seek to obtain, or taking pride in possessions.  Ouch.  We need to monitor this in our lives. These attitudes are not from our heavenly Father.

John reminds us that this world is fading away. Finding God and doing His will is what brings us to everlasting life.

How's this working for ya?

Psalm 120:1-7

Take your troubles to the Lord.  He will hear you and answer your prayers.

Proverbs 28:25-26

Don't be greedy.  Trust in God.

What did you notice as you read today?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton