The End Of Time

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Friday May 8, 2009

We saw yesterday that, according to Jesus Christ, the prophecy about Antiochus in Daniel 11:21-45 also applies to the antichrist. We looked at verse 21 yesterday, but the rest of what is written in Daniel 11, until the end of the antichrist in verse 45, will happen during the great 7-year tribulation period. It will happen as certainly as the rest of Daniel 11 has come to pass already!

In Daniel 12:5-11, answers are given about the length of time allotted to the activities of the "vile person" presented to Daniel in 11:21-45.

Daniel 12:5-11 (NIV)
5. Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
7. The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
8. I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" 9. He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
11. "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days."

Daniel 12:11 tells us that the climax of the career of the antichrist occurs just 1,290 days before the end of the age. This limits the events of Daniel 11:31 onwards to a period of about 3.5 years, and tells us that the beginning of the 7 year tribulation period happens 3.5 years before that; meaning Daniel 11:22 is at the start of the 7-year tribulation period.

According to verse 7, "all these things" will be completed (including the resurrection of the dead in Daniel 12:1,2) by the end of that final 3.5 year period.

It is important to note in Daniel 12:1,2, WHEN the resurrection (and the rapture) happens:

Daniel 12:1,2 (NIV)
1. "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people- everyone whose name is found written in the book- will be delivered. 2. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."

The antichrist comes to his end in Daniel 11:45, and we know from the book of Revelation that he comes to his end on the Day Of The Lord! The Day Of The Lord is at the END of the 7-year tribulation, and Christ's millennial reign on earth begins right then!

Yet Daniel 12:1 goes BACK in time to BEFORE the "time of distress" begins, and tells us that THAT is when the resurrection happens!! It plainly tells us that "everyone whose name is found written in the book" WILL BE DELIVERED.

In order to be delivered from something, there has to be peril ahead to be delivered FROM! Yes, the rapture will happen right before the great tribulation, and the antichrist will gain WORLD power at the time Christians are raptured:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (NIV)
15. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

This rapture that Paul tells us about happens right before the antichrist is "revealed" to the world:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 (NIV)
1. Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2. not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
4. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5. Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6. And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
7. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
8. AND THEN the lawless one will be REVEALED, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

The word "revealed" in both verse 3 and verse 8 is "apokalupto"; which means "to take off the cover, or disclose"!!!
In other words, the antichrist will already be on the earth, but will not be generally revealed to BE the antichrist until the church is "taken out of the way". Although I've shown this in previous Daily Words, I'll re-run the one on the rapture on Monday.

Have a great weekend!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the Daily Word Archives at:
http://www.jimseekamp.com

To subscribe to the Daily Word, send an email with the subject "SUBSCRIBE" to mailto:dailyword@jimseekamp.com

If you wish to unsubscribe, please send an email with the subject "UNSUBSCRIBE" to mailto:dailyword@jimseekamp.com

To have Jim Seekamp speak at your church or group meeting, email him at: jimseekamp@jimseekamp.com