Podcasts about antiochus epiphanes

Daniel 11 lays out one of the most intricate prophetic timelines in all of Scripture. From Persian kings to Greek generals, from the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes to the defilement of the temple—every line of this chapter has been fulfilled with remarkable accuracy.Show Notes:This episode covers the historical and spiritual significance of Daniel 11. You'll learn about: The Prophetic Perfect tense and fulfilled timelines The historical rise and fall of Antiochus Epiphanes The abomination of desolation and its parallels in the words of Yeshua How faithful Jews resisted and what we can learn from their courage

Pastor Chris Alford

It's time to start thinning the crowd in the rounds! Darius the Great, Seleucus Nicator, Antiochus Epiphanes, Alexander the Great, Sinatruces I: five enter, only two will make it to the next stage!   You can find the current rounds here! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/final-rounds/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia

THE SO-CALLED silent centuries between the Book of Malachi and the Gospel of Matthew weren't as quiet as we've been taught.This month, the Iron and Myth crew discusses a fictionalized account of Judea's struggle for independence in the second century BC from the rule (and gods) of their Greek overlords by Iron and Myth regular and best-selling author Brian Godawa (Godawa.com), Judah Maccabee Part 1: Abomination of Desolation and Judah Maccabee Part 2: Against the Gods of Greece.  Doug Van Dorn (DouglasVanDorn.com) and Dr. Judd Burton (BurtonBeyond.net) join Brian to discuss the historical and theological significance of the centuries between the Old and New Testaments, focusing on the story of Hanukkah and the Maccabees. We analyze the role of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Maccabean revolt, and the implications of these events on Jewish history and theology.  Our conversation also explores the nature of historical fiction and how it can be approached from a truth perspective, emphasizing the importance of understanding divine authorities and principalities in the context of these narratives. Brian shares how he balances myth and history in biblical narratives, emphasizing the concept of ‘mytho-history' as a blend of mythological and historical storytelling. He explores the role of fiction in understanding scripture, the importance of cultural context, and how integrating non-biblical stories can enhance biblical narratives.

THE SO-CALLED silent centuries between the Book of Malachi and the Gospel of Matthew weren't as quiet as we've been taught. This month, the Iron and Myth crew discusses a fictionalized account of Judea's struggle for independence in the second century BC from the rule (and gods) of their Greek overlords by Iron and Myth regular and best-selling author Brian Godawa (Godawa.com), Judah Maccabee Part 1: Abomination of Desolation and Judah Maccabee Part 2: Against the Gods of Greece.  Doug Van Dorn (DouglasVanDorn.com) and Dr. Judd Burton (BurtonBeyond.net) join Brian to discuss the historical and theological significance of the centuries between the Old and New Testaments, focusing on the story of Hanukkah and the Maccabees. We analyze the role of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Maccabean revolt, and the implications of these events on Jewish history and theology.  Our conversation also explores the nature of historical fiction and how it can be approached from a truth perspective, emphasizing the importance of understanding divine authorities and principalities in the context of these narratives. Brian shares how he balances myth and history in biblical narratives, emphasizing the concept of ‘mytho-history' as a blend of mythological and historical storytelling. He explores the role of fiction in understanding scripture, the importance of cultural context, and how integrating non-biblical stories can enhance biblical narratives. The Gilberts' new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Follow us! X: @viewfrombunker | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbertTelegram: t.me/gilberthouseSubstack: gilberthouse.substack.comYouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelationFacebook.com/viewfromthebunker Sharon's novels Winds of Evil and The Armageddon Strain are available now in paperback, ebook (Kindle), and audiobook (Audible) formats! Get signed copies of the first two books of The Laodicea Chronicles now at GilbertHouse.org/store! Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! The building has HVAC, a new floor, windows, insulation, ceiling fans, and an upgraded electrical system! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at www.GilbertHouse.org/donate. —— Download our free app! This brings all of our content directly to your smartphone or tablet. Best of all, we'll never get canceled from our own app! Links to the app stores for iOS, iPadOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle Fire devices are at www.GilbertHouse.org/app. Please join us each Sunday for the Gilbert House Fellowship, our weekly Bible study podcast. Log on to www.GilbertHouse.org for more details. Check out our weekly video program Unraveling Revelation (unravelingrevelation.tv), and subscribe to the YouTube channel: YouTube.com/UnravelingRevelation. —— Special offers on our books and DVDs: www.gilberthouse.org/store. —— JOIN US AND SPECIAL GUEST CARL TEICHRIB IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For the latest information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Discuss these topics at the VFTB Facebook page (facebook.com/viewfromthebunker) and check out the great podcasters at the Fringe Radio Network (Spreaker.com/show/fringe-radio-network)!

THE SO-CALLED silent centuries between the Book of Malachi and the Gospel of Matthew weren't as quiet as we've been taught.This month, the Iron and Myth crew discusses a fictionalized account of Judea's struggle for independence in the second century BC from the rule (and gods) of their Greek overlords by Iron and Myth regular and best-selling author Brian Godawa (Godawa.com), Judah Maccabee Part 1: Abomination of Desolation and Judah Maccabee Part 2: Against the Gods of Greece.  Doug Van Dorn (DouglasVanDorn.com) and Dr. Judd Burton (BurtonBeyond.net) join Brian to discuss the historical and theological significance of the centuries between the Old and New Testaments, focusing on the story of Hanukkah and the Maccabees. We analyze the role of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Maccabean revolt, and the implications of these events on Jewish history and theology.  Our conversation also explores the nature of historical fiction and how it can be approached from a truth perspective, emphasizing the importance of understanding divine authorities and principalities in the context of these narratives. Brian shares how he balances myth and history in biblical narratives, emphasizing the concept of 'mytho-history' as a blend of mythological and historical storytelling. He explores the role of fiction in understanding scripture, the importance of cultural context, and how integrating non-biblical stories can enhance biblical narratives.

False Prophet Revealed (audio) David Eells – 4/13/25 Who is the False Prophet and how may we identify him? Experience and the Word have taught me concerning prophecy that if the majority of God's people believe something, it must be wrong. God hides His truths in dreams or visions that are parables so that the false prophets and carnal Christians cannot see them. Let's read Mat 13:10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. But privately He explains them to His disciples Mar 4:33-34 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it; 34 and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things. He hides things from the wise and understanding (of this apostate religious system) and reveals them to babes. Luk 10:21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. Notice that “disciples”, meaning, learners and followers, get to partake of the hidden manna. Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. And Pro 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. John's Revelation was given to him as a parable of Jesus. If it were literal, the false prophets would know what is going to happen and that is contrary to Jesus' own words. When the disciples were young and under the law they did not recognize the false prophets. As a matter of fact, they respected them! And so it is today! I want to show you who have eyes and ears, who the false prophet is and what his work is. The False Prophet is a corporate body of religious leaders that, to the trained eye resemble those of Jesus' day. In all of Jesus, Peter, and John's writings outside of the Book of Revelation, the warning is that false prophets (plural) would come. In Revelation, false prophet (singular) is used, but in an allegory. Since Jesus said in the end time that Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; …  We read that many false prophets shall arise; verse 11 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. And verse 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Then the false prophet in Revelation is a symbol of a corporate body like the rest of the characters in Revelation are; the beast, the woman, the harlot, the bride, etc. It's the only way that Jesus and John can both be right. You might say, “David, aren't you sharing the secrets with the false prophets?” Have no fear; they are too proud to admit they have passed on the lie of the traditions of men and repent. Moses prophesied the coming of the true prophet and the false prophet. Deu 18:15-22 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. The true Prophet of course, is the Son of God Jesus Christ. He is the Spirit that is in His true corporate body. (1Co 15:45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.) He is the head of His body the Church which is female (Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.). Jesus' headship is manifest physically through the 5-fold ministry (Eph 4:11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;). The senses of the head correspond to the ministers. For example: the prophets are the eyes (Isa 29:10 For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered.) – Evangelists are the mouth (the ministry to those outside of the body), Teachers are the ears (1Ki 3:9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people? 12 behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart;) “Understanding” here is the Hebrew word for “hearing”. Soloman heard answers from the Lord.  (1Ki 10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not.). It takes the 5-fold ministry to raise up others into the head (Eph 4:15 but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;). We can see a false headship in these days because of the Nicolaitan error which Jesus hates according to (Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate., and verse 15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.) That false headship is that the pastor usurps the authority of the rest of the 5-fold ministry to be the head of the church. The Spirit of Christ is manifest through the 5-fold ministry to lead His body, the church. So also the spirit of antichrist is identified in (1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.). This spirit is manifested through men as a false prophet to lead his body the harlot. The false prophet also has a female body, the corporate harlot, who receives not the seed of the true husband. These do not confess Jesus, the Word, which was given in the beginning. Confess here is a word meaning “to speak the same as”. The false prophet body cannot say what Jesus said. Christ sows His seed, which is the true Word, as we read in His parable in Mat 13:18-23 Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.) The true Prophet, Jesus, always sows the Word. The false prophet cannot confess Him. In Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Here we see a false lamb who speaks for the dragon. We see the head of the false prophet with two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as the dragon beast. Also in verse 5 and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies (meaning, to speak against); and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months. In verse 15, we see the body (harlot) of the false prophet. Rev 13:15 NENT And it was given to her to give a spirit to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Bible Numerics shows a perfect pattern for “her” in the ancient manuscripts and in the most accurate New Testament, the Numeric English New Testament by Ivan Panin. There is no pattern in “he” or “it”. Numerics show beyond a shadow of a doubt which manuscript is right and where. As the harlot of Judaism caused Jesus to be crucified, so will the harlot of Christianity cause His body to be crucified. Let me show this another way. In 1Ki 18, Ahab represents the beast with ten horns, for he ruled over the apostate ten tribes, who worshiped the image of the beast (the golden calf). Ahab's wife, Jezebel, killed the saints and prophets. Compare this for relationship in Rev 17:1-3 …saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. There she is ruling by the ten horned beast again.) Jezebel is a clear type of the harlot in (Rev 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.) She, like the harlot, was guilty of the blood of the prophets and of the saints. (1Ki 18:4 for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) (2K 9:7)(Rev 18:24) In Rev 17:16 when the Beast is through using the harlot, he devours her. Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire. And so it is with Jezebel in (1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.). The true ministers of God are fed at the Churches table (1 Cor 9:13,14) and the false prophets (corporately the false prophet) are fed from Jezebel's table (1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table.). The false prophets of Baal and the false prophets of the Asherah represent the two horns of the false prophet in Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Find out who the two horns of Baal and Asherah represent in modern times, and you will know who the corporate false prophet is. These two go back to the tower of Babel and were originally Nimrod in (Gen 10:8-10) and his wife Semiramis, the false virgin Asherah. When Nimrod died and Semiramis became pregnant claiming that Nimrod had become the Sun God, Baal, who then by virgin birth was reborn as her son, Tammuz, the false son of God. Then of course, the Babylonian worshiped the false Father, Son and Virgin about 2,300 years before the true Virgin birth. Semiramis probably knew of the prophecy in Gen 3:15 concerning the virgin birth. This false scenario is still worshipped in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. At the dispersion at Babel this legend went throughout the World and these three were given different names in different cultures, many of which are in the Bible. The golden calf in Egypt was a symbol of the Father (Baal) in the Son. Pharaoh's title meant Great Temple of the Sun God. Sun images all over the world and in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches symbolize the false Son. The Israelites, with their golden calf thought they were worshiping “YHWH” or “Elohim”, the true God, but it was Baal. One horn, the 450 prophets of Baal represent those who teach another Jesus. This is the apostate protestant ministers. The other horn is the 400 prophets of the Asherah or those who worship the virgin. This is the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and many others that are into Mariolatry. Mary is my sister and I love her but she is not the mother of God according to (Rom 1:3) concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (In Genesis Jesus was called the “seed of the woman”, who was Mary, the seed of David.) 4  who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord. Here we see Mary is the mother of Jesus' flesh, which is “Son of Man”. His spiritual man was “Son of God” (Verse 4) and born of God. John 3:6 says, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. The false prophet has always been the head of the harlot, and she sitteth (present tense) on 5 world empires that are fallen but still present in Rev 17:10. These were never Christian: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media Persia, and Greece. The corporate leadership of all false Christian religions is the false prophet. Emperor Constantine was head of the early Roman Empire or beast as Daniel 7:7 describes it. Rome was the great beast devouring all the beasts before it (Dan.7:23). Much like the world is today, his kingdom was divided because of much religious faction. Because of Babel there were, to the untrained eye, similarities between the pagan religions and Christianity. In order to unite his empire, Constantine decided to capitalize on these similarities and merge paganism with Christianity. Through the temptations of bribery and power, the backslidden leadership of Christianity gave in. Constantine gathered together at his round table religious leaders of every sect and gave them a position of authority. This corporate false prophet was to advise him and exercise authority over his religious empire. He presided over their councils and put down individual theological differences for the sake of unity. “That which hath been is that which shall be” (Ecc 1:9). Our modern-day revival of the Roman beast, the United Nations, has within its body the whole earth (Dan 7:23) and is doing exactly what Constantine did to unite the earth. The “World Conference on Religion and Peace” was a gathering together under the U.N. of all sects of religious leaders from all over the world to bring unity to religion and hopefully the world. This corporate false prophet with the authority of the U.N. has created a corporate one world religion called the United Religions (the U.R.). Once, when I was teaching on the false prophet several years ago, a brother came into the meeting who had just received a confirming dream. Let me share that with you. Mark W. Dream  (David's notes) I went to church and to the altar to get delivered from smoking. There were many people up front. I knew that the pastor was walking toward me to get away from someone who smelled like smoke, and I thought, “I hope he doesn't come down here because I smell like smoke too”. Just then, my sister came to me very happy and said, “Oh, it's OK now, look over there.” I looked over and saw this man light up a cigarette. There were some booths and a sign that read “smoking section”. People said, “You don't have to quit because now we can smoke in church”. I said, “No, I want to quit smoking.” (Spiritually, smoking is to partake of an unclean spirit because “breath” and “spirit” come from the same word in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Smoke is an unclean breath. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a prison [booths] of every unclean spirit...” Rev.18:2) Then the scene changed, and I saw on TV that everyone was rejoicing because a great agreement had been made to have “one church”. I saw that the agreement was two stacks of paper (two horns of the false prophet), but nothing was written on them. (This is a sign that everyone will drop their doctrinal demands, which in the case of Christians is truth, in order to have unity - Jude 3,4). Then I went to this extremely big church. I couldn't even see the other end of it (This is the U.N. corporate apostate church). I happened to open the wrong door, and I saw inside a giant ministers' conference. (The corporate False Prophet) They were being shown a film on how to scan barcodes on the foreheads of their congregation with a beam of light without them knowing it. (The spiritual mark of the beast given by the false prophet abusing the light of the word.) More interpretation: This is the corporate two horned false prophet who makes merchandise of the people of God (2 Pet 2:1-3) and the Word of God (2 Cor 2:17 in Greek) and marks those belonging to the Beast in their foreheads (or minds Rom 8:5-6, Rev 13:16). Remember in Jesus' day, the “respectable” religious folks who walked after the mind of the flesh cast their vote against him. They were followers of a “respectable” group of ministers who gave them that mind using the light of the word. Remember that 10 out of the 12 tribes and their ministers worshiped the beast (golden calf) and had his mark in their foreheads (mind) and hand (works). The false prophets are the ones who war against this Word the most. It's an honor to have these against me as they were against my Lord Jesus. They protect their prestige, authority, position, and bank account. Draw close to God and His Word so you may be able to recognize them. Daniel 3:4,5 says, “Then the herald cried...peoples, nations, languages... fall down and worship the golden image (of the beast).” This word, “herald” is the only Greek word in the text at a time before Greek became a world language. It is the same word used in the New Testament for preacher. The command to worship the image (Rev 13:14,15) will come from the pulpits in the form of a deception so strong that, “if possible, even the elect would be deceived” (Mat 24:24). If the truth weren't hidden in the parable of Revelation, there would be no strong delusion. In Daniel 3:7, all worshipped the image, even the Israelites except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three wouldn't bow because they wouldn't eat of the beast's food (word) and wine (nature) and be defiled (Dan 1:5-16). If you receive the word and nature of a Babylonish false prophet, you too will be defiled and bow down (Mat 15:6-20). In Constantine's court, there sat the senate of secular rulers over the countries under his control. These foreshadowed the ten horns in Daniel's vision of the end time Roman Empire (Dan 7:7). The ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings (end time secular rulers), who have received no kingdoms as yet, but they receive authority as kings, with the beast for one hour (Rev 17:12). The horn represents power for it is the weapon of the beast. A king without his kingdom has no power. These kings gave their kingdoms to the beast in (Rev 17:17). From among these kingdoms in Constantine's day arose the religious rulers. They were different, for they were a corporate body of religious leaders from among all the kingdoms. This is exactly what Dan 7:8,24) says. The little horn came “up among” the ten and was “different from the former” because he was a corporate religious body among leaders of corporate secular bodies. Now, the little horn is the false prophet of Rev 13 is easy to see because it had eyes (Dan 7:20), which makes it a prophet (Isa 29:10). He had “a mouth that spake great things” (Dan 7:20) and made war on the saints (verse 21). This identifies the false prophet who was given to the beast in Rev 13:5-7 for the false prophet is the beast's mouth to religious people. In Jesus and Constantine's time, the corporate false prophet kept the people in line for the beast (Rome) because of the threat of loss of position (John 11:47,48). It was this corporate false prophet who was guilty of the blood of Jesus, the Apostles and prophets (Mat 23:29-36). Pilot, representing the Roman beast, did not want to kill Jesus. This is the way it will be in our day. The false prophet Sanhedrin was afraid the Romans would come and take away their position if they didn't put down the Jesus rebellion. Another type of the little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes in 175-164 B.C.. He came up among the horns of the division of Alexander the Great's kingdom and was king of Syria, which means “lifted up”. I emphasize that this king of the “lifted up” was a type because many believe that the history of his acts in Daniel are literally speaking of the end-time antichrist. Daniel prophesies what is clearly now history in chapters 8:9-14, 23-26 and 11:21-39 regarding Antiochus, but he is also a type and shadow of what is to come. His compelling interest was to subject God's people to himself, much like the false prophets of today. He “magnified himself” (Dan 8:25) above all the gods of the Harlot and “the one desired of women” (Dan 11:37) - Jesus was desired of seven women who are the church in Rev 1:11. Isa 4:1  And seven women (the Church) shall take hold of one man (Jesus) in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name (In their rebellion against the Word, they still wanted to be called Christians.); take thou away our reproach. The false prophet, Antiochus deposed the Jewish high priest Onias 3 and usurped his place. Many today usurp the position of Jesus as head. If you permit a person to exalt themselves or their teaching above Jesus and the Scriptures, they become to you a false prophet. He will even use the Word to paint an image in your mind of a false Jesus (2 Cor 3:18), which is none other than the image of the beast (spoken of later). Antiochus, in his position as “lord of God's heritage” then sacrificed a son on the altar and sprinkled the Holy Place with the swine's broth. He cast down many of God's people and caused them to lose their position in the heavenlies like the end time saints (Dan 8:10, Epe 2:6, Rev 6:13). He took away the continual burnt offering (Dan 8:11, 11:31) in the end time will be in the middle of the tribulation or seventieth week of Daniel when the mark is given. (Dan 9:27). We are the sanctuary or temple of God (1 Cor 3:17). Our old life is the continual burnt offering (Rom 12:1) as we take up our cross and follow Jesus and lose our old life (Mat 16:24,25). It is a burnt offering because in the midst of the fiery trial (1 Pet 4:12, Mat 3:11,12) when we obey God, the flesh burns up (2 Cor 4:16,17). If we walk after the mind of the flesh and take the mark, the burnt offering ceases (Dan 8:12). We are to be as gold and silver refined in the fire by burning up the impurities of flesh - Mal 3:2,3. Many will follow the example of Antiochus and sacrifice the Son. Heb 10:29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God.  They follow the false prophets and are defiled, turning back to their sins (2 Pet 2:1-3, 18-22). These are they who give up their life of sacrificing their flesh in the fiery trial in the middle of the tribulation and take the mark of the beast (Rev 13:5-7, 16-18 and Dan 9:27), having been deceived by the false prophets. If you allow the false prophets to identify the mark of the beast and the image, you will not be able to see it when it comes. The Pharisees and Sadducees could not identify the true Image of God, Jesus Christ. What makes you think that they could today? It is not the visible Image and Mark of the beast that you should fear, but the invisible. This is how it can be a deception. Any physical mark can only be put on one who has the spiritual mark already. It will identify these people as members of the body of the beast. Antiochus also set up a statue of Jupiter in the Holy of Holies. He, like the little horn of Ahab's day, Jesus' day, Constantine's day, and the U.R. of our day, gives to the people a false Image of God. Even among Christians, you will notice there are different ideas about who Jesus is, what His nature is, what His teaching is, and what His attitude is toward us. Much of this leads people to worship another Jesus, which is an abomination. Become familiar with the Jesus of the Bible, the true Image of God (Heb 1:3, Jn 1:1). The tip of the little horn starts in the leadership of the U.R., but like Mark W.'s dream, it shows that it goes all the way down to the man in the pulpit. All of them together are the false prophet, the head of the harlot. “Be not many of you teachers, my brother, knowing that we shall receive the heavier judgment” (James 3:1). Now, I'd like to share a few more revelations with you that reveal the end-time false prophet.   War, False Prophet, Harlot, Mark, War Below are two dreams on these subjects East and West War in the Middle East Bill Steenland - 11/14/2014 (David's notes in red) I dreamed there was a lion and a white tiger fighting one another very fiercely with a lot of back and forth, while rolling around on the ground. (I think the white tiger represents Russia, Iran, India, and China [Eastern nations] going to war with the “lion” [Britain, America, Australia, Canada, Europe and NATO].) (The lion with eagle's wings in Daniel is Britain and her lion cubs with the US and its air power. Siberia is part of Russia. The white Siberian tiger represents Russia.) (I was watching Putin in this video, and the Lord said to me, “The white tiger!” Why hadn't I seen it before? We are really seeing the fulfillment of this dream now. This topic is huge in the book Hidden Manna for the End Times, now that I think about it. We are really seeing the posturing and coming war that is shown in that dream now, with all the lines being drawn in the sand over Europe and Asia. (Ultimately this war that the Deep State has tied to start many times, to distract from their evil, will come to pass but I for one have fought for peace.) As the lion and the tiger fought, the scenery and the settings were changing. It was as if they were rolling back and forth in the Middle East from the mountains to the desert to more mountains, back to a dry parched setting like a desert and then a combination of the two. It was as if they were rolling around, fighting each other across the whole Middle East. This is the strange part: There was a black car following them everywhere they went. (This is the Satanic Deep State powers that be, the banksters, with money invested on both sides of the war, as always.) All I knew was that they were in the Middle East and that it was a huge power struggle for territory. At the end of the dream, I saw a black man in full-blown black Masonic attire with a black plate that had a golden pyramid on it. (D.S. Masonic powers that be.) The eye was not floating over the pyramid. It was one that has always represented Lucifer (The antichrist spirit who will once again rise up in Revelation 13 and control the Beast and finally bring their war between East and West to make money off of both.). (Masonic agenda is unfolding; their god Lucifer is the “all-seeing eye” over the Beast one world government.) The black plate was hanging on his chest (the breath/spirit/demons of the Beast). He was standing in the middle of these two fighting animals as they fought, but he was much bigger than the cats. He was kicking his toes into the ground on each side, as if one foot or toes was the lion and the other foot was the tiger. He would kick his toes into the ground one at a time toward the other foot. (End-time fulfillment of the 10 kingdoms from Daniel 2, known as Nebuchadnezzar's image or dream.) (The two feet of the image of the Beast in Daniel's revelation are the end-time Eastern Roman Empire, which Russia is the head of, and Western Roman Empire, which the US is the head of. The clay is nations that were not a part of the original Roman Empire seed, typed by the iron. This Roman Empire is the sixth head that was smitten unto death which is revived. Satan and his earthly representatives, the Deep State powers that be, are kicking their pawns back and forth in the Middle East. The pawns of the U.S. and Russia have also always had their pawn nations that they prefer to fight through, supplying weapons, logistics, trainers, etc., so that they are not personally drawn into a nuclear world war. [Although nukes may be used in this war, it is not the full-scale nuclear war that will come at the end of the tribulation, as seen in Bill's other dream below.] They have engaged in this covert warfare for many years, and it will continue because it makes money for the powers that be and decreases populations, plus it keeps the nations under control. I would say the big black man is the world Antichrist Beast ruled by Satan.) Dan.2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. (Islam is invading the nations by the DS to bring division.) 44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (This begins with the Man-child reformers.) 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. In the dream, I knew the black man over the big cats was Tiger Woods, the pro-golfer. (Tiger has a family heritage from many nations and represents the world beast like the Dan 2 vision of the world beast.) He is like the melting pot of nations and religions melted into one. Tiger Woods spent most of his life standing on grass, playing golf. (This war of back and forth is like a golf game to them. Life is cheap.) Here are a few details from Wikipedia about his multinational family tree: Woods was born in Cypress, California, to Earl (1932-2006) and Kultida (Tida) Woods (born 1944). He is the only child of their marriage; however, he does have two half-brothers, Earl Jr. (born 1955) and Kevin (born 1957), and a half-sister, Royce (born 1958), from the 18-year marriage of Earl Woods and his first wife, Barbara Woods Gray[14]. Earl, a retired lieutenant colonel and Vietnam War veteran, was of mostly African American, as well as Caucasian, and possible Native American and Chinese, ancestry[15]. Kultida (née Punsawad), originally from Thailand (where Earl had met her on a tour of duty in 1968), is of mixed Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry[16]. He refers to his ethnic make-up as “Cablinasian” (a syllabic abbreviation he coined from Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian).[17]. Woods' first name, Eldrick, was coined by his mother because it began with “E” (for Earl) and ended with “K” (for Kultida). His middle name Tont is a traditional Thai name. He was nicknamed Tiger in honor of his father's friend, Col. Vuong Dang Phong, who had also been known as Tiger.[18]. The name Eldrick is an English baby name. In English, the meaning of the name Eldrick is “old/wise ruler”.   False Prophet, Harlot, Mark, Nuclear War Bill Steenland - 06/22/2015 (David's notes in red) The dream started off where I was in a big city, like New York or Philly. I had a large white tablet in my hands. There were two guys who were working on it, but we were talking about the mark of the Beast. The guy was talking about the basics of where it goes and so on. The second man was sitting on the step. He had a really faraway look on his face, like he had spent a long time looking at the physical properties of the mark. He sat down on the step and just kept saying, “It's so much more than a mark”, over and over. Then he said, “Calling it just a 'mark' doesn't do it justice. It's much more than that”. (I found out later in that dream the mark will have currency on it as an incentive to take it after a total global economic meltdown.) I looked back at the tablet. I knew that in the dream, when I looked down at the tablet, I could see anything I wanted to or any place I wanted to and that I could be there by looking at this tablet. (It means the Word of God written upon the tablet of our hearts, which gives spiritual insight and discernment. 2Co.3:2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; 3 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh. Maybe that is why when I looked at the tablet later in the dream, I could see future events and see into the spiritual realm. 1Co.2:10 But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.) I was watching a video of a beach as I walked around with the tablet. Then I found myself there on the beach at a resort. I was walking around this beach next to the resort. (Fellowshipping with Abraham's seed, the children of faith. God told Abraham that his children would be as the sands of the sea. Heb.11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised: 12 wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable. Rom.4:11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them.) (The promised seed, the Man-child Isaac, would bring forth the great multitude of fruit, just like in these end times.) While I was walking around, I saw an old friend whom I knew was caught up in confusion, walking around, too. In the dream, I knew that I had a room at this beach resort. I went to my room and relaxed on my bed (representing resting in the promises of God). I pulled out the tablet and I saw a picture of Benny Hinn. He was wearing a red shirt. (Red represents sin, as in the “man of sin”: 1 John 3:4,10.) (Isa.1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.) He looked very effeminate; there was make-up on his face (I.e. what you see is not what you get) and he had his arms out, as if to present something. I noticed there was a witchcraft book in front of him. (1Sa.15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king.) 1Co.10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. There was a table with a whole bunch of objects in front of him that were being used in witchcraft to send curses. (Those infected with Kundalini and who practice false signs and lying wonders are sent out to deceive God's people. God is the one allowing it. 2Th.2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Jesus warned of false leaders. Mat.24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. The word for “false Christ” is pseudochristos or false anointings. (When God does signs because of the faith of His people but the signs do not confirm the life and word of the minister, they are false signs and lying wonders: Mar.16:20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen. Deu.13:1 If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (another Elohim or Jesus'), which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.) They have another Jesus because they received another Word and another spirit. This scripture explains why he was performing witchcraft in the dream: Gal.1:7 which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema (accursed). When people receive another Word, they can receive this working of error mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 3:9-11. Kundalini is a huge working of error that the Harlot Church is going under. Like in the dream, they say they serve God but are in rebellion and witchcraft. When people pray and fellowship with people who are serving these Kundalini spirits, they open themselves up to this working of error because, frankly, they are praying with a witch, and they get slimed with this curse from Galatians that they are under. Here is a call of God to leave these false teachers and churches: Isa.2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah. 6 For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines (Kundalini has been named the false prophetic movement for good reason), and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. (They have joined the Eastern religions through Kundalini spirits.) 7 And their land is full of silver and gold (Benny Hinn is reportedly worth $60 million. (Somebody is not eating while these kind surfeit and care not for the needs of others. Ecc.5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? Isa.56:11 Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.), neither is there any end of their treasures (prosperity message); their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. (His Rolls-Royce and private jets.) 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands. (This type builds a false temple made with man's hands, which God says He does not inhabit. Act.17:24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.) Isa.10:1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness; 2 to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right that widows may be their spoil (Their ministries are funded by the poor and the fatherless whom they rob. Benny has promised to these poor people that if they give him $1000, God will multiply it. (When God is teaching His children to give, He may honor their faith but not a greedy leader.), and that they may make the fatherless their prey! (Those who have no true spiritual fathers but are hirelings.) 3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? (What will they do when the Lord comes manifested in the Man-child ministry to bring justice?) Back to Bill's dream: There was a book on the table in front of him. As I looked at the book, I heard a news broadcast in the background. The female broadcaster said these words: “Benny Hinn has a new social media program to join,” like Alex Jones has, and another name that was mentioned but was blanked out. (I believe it was a reference to Facebook. I believe these social media programs are the hive mentality of corporate bodies of people who are under the deception of certain spirits. For instance, Facebook is vanity and self-promotion. Benny is obviously Kundalini and the Harlot Church. As I looked at the book, I heard the famous singer Katy Perry singing these lyrics: “I hear that the mark of the Beast is coming and I want one”. (Katy is a perfect symbol of the Harlot Church who will take the mark of the Beast. She is also being used as a type of the Harlot spirit that cause the falling away and, finally, the mark of the Beast.) 1Ti.4:1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. (The Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12 was for seven days, representing the tribulation. Anyone who ate leaven during that time was cut off from the people of God, so we must come out from them now. This will be a great falling away of the people who are cut off.) Next, there were two aliens in my room. They were demons. I knew in the dream that the Harlot Church who rides the Beast was rolling out another deception: aliens. I immediately turned the tablet off, and the demons left. Then I had an open vision while there on my bed. I was looking at a world destroyed by a nuclear war with Russia and a total global economic collapse. (The war between East and West is bound to end this way.) Joe.2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The pillars of smoke mentioned in Joel could be the mushroom cloud pillars of nuclear war. That word “pillar” can also be translated as “column” that could stretch from the earth to the heavens, literally. I was looking at a soldier and a young boy of about 14 years old. The sun was not giving its light, like the scriptures mention. I saw the boy with the mark of the Beast in his hand; it was glowing in the dark while in his hand. It was slightly curved in shape, like a banana. (Representing the fruit of the wicked? A crescent shape?) It was glowing green and yellow. The boy was thinking the following words in his head, and I heard them very clearly. As he looked up at a totally destroyed world, he thought, “We don't ever have to worry; we are safe. The government knows where we are at all times and will be here shortly to help us”. (Notice he had the mark before the nuclear war came and he was programmed to trust in Antichrist.) Rev.13:16 And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead; 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark (In the dream, I knew that this mark had electronic currency on it.), even the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six. (We who refuse the mark will be in the wilderness with God our supplier.) Dan.9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing (or pinnacle) of abominations shall come one (abomination = the mark) that maketh (them) desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate. (In the midst of the week, many so-called Christians will take the mark as sons of perdition in the temple of God's people. This mark is an abomination that makes them desolate, which means devoid of God.) As I watched the boy, I knew that people would take the mark for many reasons, but one reason is that there will be currency given to the recipient so he can survive. I came out of the vision and said to myself, “I need to find my old friend”. I knew in this dream that there were a lot of people who needed to hear this warning: Rev.18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. And 2Co.6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, 18 And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.   False Prophets Revealed Rex Veron - 11/29/2004 (David's notes in red) I believe this is an end-time dream. (This dream is as seen from God's perspective of the false prophets who have put on their deceptive show to deceive the people as to their true nature and false teaching.) I saw a mouse standing in front of a medium-sized congregation, preaching and teaching. It stood up on its hind legs and was the size of a small terrier dog; it had the face of a man. The face was nondescript and no one I knew. (The false prophets standing in the pulpits of God's people are indeed very small in spiritual stature and the vilest of beasts attempting to depict themselves as men of God. As in a plague, they are the carriers of spiritual disease that have brought spiritual and physical death to multitudes.) It had a red broad brimmed hat with little gold tassels hanging from the brim. (They attempt to glorify their own thinking, but underneath is still hidden the brain of a spiritual mouse. The red color here is an attempt to appear to have blood-washed thinking but instead, it is sinful thinking. Isa.1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.) It wore a red vest with some tassels hanging from the edge. (They attempt to glorify their own heart, which is not covered by the blood but the sin of the fallen nature. Underneath their show is the heart of a spiritually small beast.) It wore red pants with tassels hanging from the bottom of the pant legs. He had jester-type shoes with a little gold bell on each end of the toe curl. (They love to bring attention to their walk by ringing their own bell when they put on a show to be seen of men. However, before God and those with understanding, they are seen as jesters who walk crooked as the curled toes depict.) It had a stubby tail like a bulldog with a gold cover on it that was flattened out and looked like a spoon upside down. (As unclean dogs, they are dung eaters and that which should be left behind, as Paul pointed out, and flushed is glorified by these apostates and fed to the people as doctrine.) The people kept saying, “We can't stand this any longer, he needs to be made to be quiet, get rid of him”. (When the people begin to awaken, they become dissatisfied with the religious show and want more of God and His Word to sustain them.) I went to the front, picked him up and took off his hat, his vest, his pants, and I started to put him down. (It is here that the true ministers are able to uncover the false thinking, heart and walk of these apostate leaders.) Then I heard a voice saying, “You must take his shoes off and the golden tail, as well. You cannot turn him loose with those on”. (It is necessary to also reveal the apostates' evil walk and despicably unclean doctrine that the righteous will forsake.) I then took his shoes and golden tail off and set him on the floor, and he vanished. (When the truth is revealed, they become nothing in the eyes of God's people, as their yoke is broken off of them.) Turning back to the people, they were quiet and at peace; nothing was said. While still dreaming, I thought the entire scene strange and was wondering about it when I heard, “Get up and write the dream down”. I awoke, wrote it down and meditated about it and then I went back to bed.   False Prophet & Son of Perdition G.C. - 12/2007 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was watching a scene go down. There was a line of people shuffling forward toward a podium. There were two men at this podium: a father and a son. (In real life, I know them.) The father was dressed in full Masonic priest regalia and was wearing what seemed to be a pope-like hat. The son was on his left hand, and he was dressed like a normal person. Many who only see the letter of the parable in dreams would think this father to be the pope, but this is not how parables work. Like the pope is the “holy father” over the Catholic, meaning “universal” Church, so this father represents a corporate False Prophet over a world body of apostate religions. Many of these very visible leaders are also Masons. Judas, who was called the Son of Perdition, sold the body of Christ to the Sanhedrin, which was this corporate False Prophet in their day. Likewise a corporate Son of Perdition hidden in the body of Christ today will betray them. This way, both people in this parable represent a corporate body today. I watched in horror as the father was giving the mark of the beast to the people in line. (Rev.13:16) And he (the False Prophet) causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead.) As soon as the people received the mark they instantly transformed into a wild pig and leaped straight into a furnace off to the side of the podium. (2 Pet. 2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed. (Php.3:18) For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly (like wild pigs), and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things (mark in the forehead). I considered what was taking place and tried to warn the people about the furnace (of the great and terrible day of the Lord and Hell itself), but they seemed not to take heed to what I was saying. They were willfully taking this mark as if under strong delusion. It was horrible. Note: Although in real life I worked for this father, he had NEVER called me before. All the business matters were usually handled through his son. After I woke from the dream, the father called me on the phone! He asked me to come to his office to have a meeting with him and his son. So that was a sure confirmation from the Lord. They are merely figures the Lord used to show me something in the dream. They own their own company and are in the business of buying and selling (Just like the “merchants of Babylon” who “make merchandise of you”). The father's name is ROLAND, meaning “renown throughout the land”. This reminds me of the men of renown or giants of old. We have giants today, too: the megachurch pastors of the apostate church. The son in real life is a lukewarm Christian who is given to drunkenness (which is spiritually like the Son of Perdition).   Discernment Delivers from False Prophets Jay N. - 06/09/2008 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in a class with several other students. We were in this big room which looked rather like a gymnasium, and I remember thinking and missing my friends from other classes, whom I remembered were now long gone away. David Eells was our teacher, and I was standing next to him. (A type of the David man-child reformers.) David was telling me that the previous night, there was a party at his next door neighbor's house and he didn't get much sleep. (God's people giving into lasciviousness have truly caused me some loss of sleep.) He was casually dressed, like a sports teacher or a trainer. (We have to train the people of God to get in shape for the contest to come.) Standing next to him, I could see his profile, and I noticed he was wearing a patch or a piece of wool over his nose, like he had a nose job, or even more, it looked to me like something he was wearing to filter the air he was breathing. (This nose filter represents the ability to discern good from evil. The nose gives discernment to the mind that is neither seen nor heard. Wool over the nose represents having the true clothing or actions of sheep, which filter out the false spirits, which is the meaning of “breath” in Hebrew.) The next thing I remember was a tall man entering the room, accompanied by a woman. (The tall man is seen in many dreams as the corporate false prophet and his companion is the harlot church.) They were dressed in suits and looked to me like teachers. The man came and was standing next to me, and I knew they were there to acquire some students for themselves. (They will seek through lasciviousness, meaning a license to excess, to draw aside disciples of Christ.) I tried to ignore him since I could tell what his intentions were, and then he pointed his finger at me. I looked around for David but couldn't see him. (We will face temptation alone.) I turned to the man and looked at his face for the first time. He was so tall, almost all the way up to the ceiling; I remember feeling the pain in my neck as I was struggling to look at his face. (His great size represents a corporate body of people.) He was nicely groomed, with curly hair and he had bright grey, watery eyes. (They tend to see things in grey, not black or white, as in wrong or right.) Being determined, I told him that I was not going with him because David was my teacher. As I was saying these words I was getting weak. I remember being hardly able to say that last word, “teacher”, but I succeeded. He looked shocked and very offended because obviously he had the authority to choose from the class as he liked, and he looked at the woman (harlot?) with disbelief. He looked back to me, trying to put some kind of smile on his angry face, and then I woke up. (The Sanskrit meaning for “Jay” is “victory”. Although tempted, Jay obviously represents those who gain the victory over the false prophet and harlot because of their training in discernment. We are told that the Word exercises our senses to discern good from evil: Heb.5:12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for fullgrown men, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

What can the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes teach us about the future? In Daniel 11, his brutality, deception, and persecution of God's people mirror what the Antichrist will one day unleash.

Could a ruthless ruler from history foreshadow the coming Antichrist? Today on InGrace, Jim Scudder will talk about Antiochus Epiphanes, who emerges as a chilling prototype of the future world leader who will deceive and oppress many.

How does Daniel's vision of Antiochus Epiphanes point to the rise of the Antichrist? Don't miss this episode as Jim Scudder uncovers the prophetic connections that prepare us for what lies ahead.

What can we learn about the Antichrist from the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. Join Jim Scudder on InGrace as we explore the parallels between Antiochus and the coming Antichrist, revealing God's plan for ultimate victory.

We look at Maccabees 1 & 2 to learn about Antiochus IV and the accounts of those martyred under his reign.

Video available of this episode! Follow this link: https://youtube.com/live/ye6GWXH564A?feature=shareWhy did God want Ezekiel to see this future Millennial Temple of Jesus' thousand-year kingdom?Why does it go into such painstakingly precise (and often “boring') detail?And how was Antiochus Epiphanes able to charge into God's Holy of Holies without dying all those years ago?AND- what does any of this stuff about Ezekiel's vision of a future temple have to do with our lives today? You'll find out the answers to all those questions today on the Cross References podcast!If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.comIf you're looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel's visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I'm glad you're here, and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Antichrists never win. When a man proclaims himself to be God, he belongs in a mental health facility, not on the throne. But when he rises to a position of power, we can count on two things happening: He'll try to exterminate the Jews, and he will come to a bad end. The prophecy in Daniel 11 fits Antiochus Epiphanes pretty well. And it will fit one more Antichrist as if it were tailor-made. We'll talk about history, and future history today with Jim. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS01132025_0.mp3Scripture References: Daniel 11 & 12

In this sermon, Pastor Dorrell unpacks the final chapters of the Book of Daniel, highlighting the historical battles between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires, culminating in the notorious rise and defeat of Antiochus Epiphanes. The sermon connects these ancient events to prophecies concerning the Antichrist and the ultimate spiritual battle of Armageddon. It emphasizes the role of prayer, spiritual warfare, and the hope found in God's control over history. Believers are urged to seek wisdom and live with the assurance of a heavenly reward, reminding us of God's sovereignty and the promised victory over evil.Eastland is a Place to Belong Eastland Baptist Church is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are a welcoming and close-knit family community that loves to care for each other through the Church. We strongly believe in loving and supporting each other and our neighbors. Our members don't just attend our Church; they feel a strong sense of belonging. Join Us Find service times and our location at https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/join. Connect with Us Website: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastlandbaptisttulsa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastlandbaptist To support the ministry of Eastland Baptist Church, tap here: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/give.

Send us a textCan historical figures predict the future? Join us as we uncover the eerie parallels between Antiochus Epiphanes, the ancient king who persecuted the Jews and declared himself a god, and the prophesied Antichrist. Through an in-depth examination of the books of Daniel and 1 Maccabees, we explore how Antiochus's tyrannical actions serve as a precursor to the future Antichrist's intent to manipulate religious laws and traditions. We'll discuss the significance of the Maccabean Revolt, the rededication of the Temple, and the celebration of Hanukkah, all against the backdrop of Antiochus's oppressive reign. These historical narratives provide intriguing insights into how today's shifting societal norms might be laying the groundwork for future events that mirror these ancient prophecies.In a world where truth seems ever elusive, we confront the concept of the spirit of the Antichrist in contemporary society. Can the powerful deceptions foretold in biblical prophecy mislead even the elect? We emphasize the crucial role of discernment through the Holy Spirit to navigate these treacherous times. Despite the prophetic rise of the Antichrist, we find comfort in the timeless vision from Daniel 7:9-10 of the Ancient of Days, seated on a flaming throne, affirming divine sovereignty over all world events. This episode is a call to vigilance, urging listeners to hold steadfast to their faith and the divine promise that awaits those who eagerly anticipate God's kingdom.Support the show

Messianic Apologetics editor John McKee reviews whether or not Antiochus Epiphanes actually committed the Abomination of Desolation.

This episode is part 14 in a study of the book of 1 Maccabees. In this chapter another son of Antiochus Epiphanes, comes back and starts another civil war. Jonathan and the Jews have to decide which side to support. https://thebiblestudypodcast.com/1-maccabees-10-another-civil-war/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As winter approaches, the twinkle of festive lights heralds the season of joy and reflection. In 2024, this season offers an extraordinary convergence, where Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, and Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, align perfectly on the calendar. Hanukkah, meaning "dedication," commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in 165 BC. The festival's origin lies in the Maccabean Revolt against Hellenistic domination under Antiochus Epiphanes. This revolt led to the miraculous victory and subsequent cleansing of the Temple, commemorated by the lighting of the menorah. Lighting the menorah is a central tradition, where each candle signifies hope, divine presence, and the miraculous sustenance of the Jewish people. The lights are not functional, but symbolic—a reflection of God's enduring presence and an inspiration to live in His light. Christmas marks the incarnation of Jesus, the true Light of the world: God took human form to bring salvation to humankind. It begins with the Advent season—an anticipation of Christ's birth and eventual second coming—and proceeds into the Christmas Day festivity and beyond. From December 25th to January 6th, the "12 Days of Christmas" celebrate significant Christian figures, such as Saint Stephen, John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents. These observances call Christians to reflect on faith's steadfast examples and draw inspiration for modern life. So, we invite you to ponder the intersection of light in both traditions. The menorah's glow during Hanukkah parallels the advent candles flickering in Christian homes, together casting away darkness and embodying hope, joy, and divine presence. This confluence also finds roots in the Gospel of John, where Jesus is described celebrating Hanukkah—affirming His identity and mission as the Light of the world. The festival's themes of dedication and light resonate with Jesus' role, drawing believers to reflect on personal dedication as a living temple of the Holy Spirit, meant to illuminate God's glory. In both Hanukkah and Christmas, the invitation to "dedication" runs deeply. Hanukkah celebrates the Temple's rededication; likewise, Christmas calls for personal dedication to faith in Christ for salvation and sanctification. This convergence is an opportunity to rededicate by living out values that reflect the love and light of God. Together, as we light the menorahs and adorn Christmas trees, let us celebrate the connections between Hanukkah and Christmas, cherishing the light that shines through both of these sacred traditions. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas! Don't forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don't miss out! It's at https://www.gospelspice.com/store THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Psalm 74 Worksheet The heading of Psalm 74 says that it is a “contemplation of Asaph.” Last time I made a big deal about how 12 Psalms are ascribed to Asaph. This does not necessarily mean he wrote them all – it could be that the “________________ of Asaph” wrote some of them just as the sons of Korah did. That would seem to fit the content of Psalm 74, which sure sounds like it is referring to the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 BC. Psalm 74 is a _________________________ lament over destruction suffered at the hands of enemies, and a prayer for God to do something about it. Taking our “___________________” Questions to God V. 1-11 Taking our questions to God helps us process what has happened and sets the stage for trusting Him and “________________________” our situations to Him. Talking to God helps us go forward even when “why” is not answered. Often when the psalmists ask God to remember they are also helping themselves remember God's ______________________. By faith they know that God will respond to the humble and repentant pleas of His people. Deuteronomy 30:1-10 Or if your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this Temple, then hear from Heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their Fathers. -2 Chronicles 6:24-25 It is good and proper to take time to lament the enemies destruction of what was built up for God's ________________________. These verses certainly fit with Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the Temple in 586 B.C. The same thing happened again AD 70 under the Romans. Some of it relates to the desecration of the Temple in 167 B.C. Verse 9 does make this Psalm a little harder to place in 586 B.C. – Many prophets were active before, during and after Jerusalem's destruction. And Jeremiah was able to say the captivity would last 70 years (Jer. 29). Perhaps this does take us back to Asaph prophetically writing generically about future events. That would be a good _________________________ to Psalm 73 that told how much going to Temple helped give perspective. That would make these words helpful in not taking the Temple for granted. No matter what circumstances we face we still ____________________ our God V. 12-17 In Revelation 4-5 we read of saints always praising God in Heaven for being the Creator and Redeemer – and we see that in these verses as well! Leviathan is a reference to great and powerful sea monsters that can swallow people up. Here it is a reference to enemies of God. Even as God's people face new Leviathan's like Nebuchadnezzar and Antiochus Epiphanes, this Psalm reminds them of God taking care of past Leviathan's like _____________. Verses 16-17 are great reminder verses of the ____________________________ of God. The Psalmist asks God to deal with the enemy V. 18-23 The Psalmist knew that God would ultimately judge those who _______________ God's people. For the day of the Lord upon all nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you. -Obadiah 1:15 Verse 20 is well worth meditating on – The dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty. But even there God can ____________________________, as He did in Nineveh after Jonah's preaching. The Psalm ends with the Psalmist pleading – “God, your _____________________ is at stake – judge your enemies and save Your people!” Don't miss that the Psalmist is not asking God to help him take vengeance on the enemy – He is asking God to act based on His own honor and glory. The Glory of God is the great ________________ of the Bible. God is glorified through the salvation of repentant sinners. But He will also be glorified through judging unrepentant sinners who act selfishly on earth.

This episode is part 8 in a study of the book of 1 Maccabees. Judas has more success, but not everyone does. Antiochus Epiphanes, who started all the trouble, dies in a foreign land of disappointment. https://thebiblestudypodcast.com/1-maccabees-5-6-failures-death-of-a-king/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 23Dominus regit me1The Lord is my shepherd; *I shall not be in want.2He makes me lie down in green pastures *and leads me beside still waters.3He revives my soul *and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.4Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I shall fear no evil; *for you are with me;your rod and your staff, they comfort me.5You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *you have anointed my head with oil,and my cup is running over.6Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.Psalm 27Dominus illuminatio1The Lord is my light and my salvation;whom then shall I fear? *the Lord is the strength of my life;of whom then shall I be afraid?2When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who stumbled and fell.3Though an army should encamp against me, *yet my heart shall not be afraid;4And though war should rise up against me, *yet will I put my trust in him.5One thing have I asked of the Lord;one thing I seek; *that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;6To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *and to seek him in his temple.7For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; *he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwellingand set me high upon a rock.8Even now he lifts up my head *above my enemies round about me.9Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblationwith sounds of great gladness; *I will sing and make music to the Lord.10Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *have mercy on me and answer me.11You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *Your face, Lord, will I seek.12Hide not your face from me, *nor turn away your servant in displeasure.13You have been my helper;cast me not away; *do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.14Though my father and my mother forsake me, *the Lord will sustain me.15Show me your way, O Lord; *lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.16Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *for false witnesses have risen up against me,and also those who speak malice.17What if I had not believedthat I should see the goodness of the Lord *in the land of the living!18O tarry and await the Lord's pleasure;be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *wait patiently for the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Lessons1 Maccabees 1:1-28New Revised Standard Version Catholic EditionAfter Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated King Darius of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become king of Greece.) He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth. He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations. When the earth became quiet before him, he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up. He gathered a very strong army and ruled over countries, nations, and princes, and they became tributary to him.After this he fell sick and perceived that he was dying. So he summoned his most honored officers, who had been brought up with him from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive. And after Alexander had reigned twelve years, he died.Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. They all put on crowns after his death, and so did their descendants after them for many years; and they caused many evils on the earth.From them came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in the one hundred thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.In those days certain renegades came out from Israel and misled many, saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles around us, for since we separated from them many disasters have come upon us.” This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king, who authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.When Antiochus saw that his kingdom was established, he determined to become king of the land of Egypt, in order that he might reign over both kingdoms. So he invaded Egypt with a strong force, with chariots and elephants and cavalry and with a large fleet. He engaged King Ptolemy of Egypt in battle, and Ptolemy turned and fled before him, and many were wounded and fell. They captured the fortified cities in the land of Egypt, and he plundered the land of Egypt.After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred forty-third year. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures that he found. Taking them all, he went into his own land.He shed much blood,    and spoke with great arrogance.Israel mourned deeply in every community,    rulers and elders groaned,young women and young men became faint,    the beauty of the women faded.Every bridegroom took up the lament;    she who sat in the bridal chamber was mourning.Even the land trembled for its inhabitants,    and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.Revelation 19:1-10English Standard VersionAfter this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,“Hallelujah!Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,    for his judgments are true and just;for he has judged the great prostitute    who corrupted the earth with her immorality,and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”Once more they cried out,“Hallelujah!The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying,“Praise our God,    all you his servants,you who fear him,    small and great.”Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,“Hallelujah!For the Lord our God    the Almighty reigns.Let us rejoice and exult    and give him the glory,for the marriage of the Lamb has come,    and his Bride has made herself ready;it was granted her to clothe herself    with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 27O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

A strange transition takes place in the text as Daniel shifts from our past to our future, from the history of Antiochus Epiphanes to the prediction of the man of sin.

Antiochus Epiphanes emerges as the new ruler of the Kingdom of the North. Is he a type of antichrist? Is he antichrist himself?

Fr. Mike draws our attention to the descriptions of wisdom found in our readings for today and reflects on the beauty of wisdom's feminine nature. He also discusses the death of Antiochus Epiphanes and offers two perspectives on reconciling God's role in suffering. Today's readings are from 2 Maccabees 9, Wisdom 7-8, and Proverbs 25:1-3. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

By Scott Ashley in Gatlinburg, Tennessee 2024 - October 18, 2024 - Will a temple be rebuilt in Jerusalem before Jesus Christ's return? What does the Bible say? Members should come away from this with an understanding of the purpose of the red heifer sacrifice, Israeli Jews' attitudes toward the sacrifice and rebuilding a temple (both pro and con), how Antiochus Epiphanes ended sacrifices and defiled the temple, and how this is a type of end-time events as foretold by Jesus Christ and the apostles.

In this message, we'll look at Daniel's near-term vision concerning Antiochus Epiphanes as the foreshadow of the Antichrist to come. We'll consider how this prophecy encourages and emboldens God's people to press on in faith and obedience to Jesus Christ.   Scripture: Daniel 8:1-27

Fr. Mike illustrates the story of Eleazar and the abandonment of peace terms between the Jews and the Greeks. He also recognizes the pain that children and family members who don't follow the Lord can bring about, and uses wisdom from Sirach to address this prevalent struggle. Today's readings are 1 Maccabees 6, Sirach 16-18, and Proverbs 22:17-21. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Welcome to the Maccabean Revolt period! Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to introduce the tenth biblical period in our journey, which begins with the Greek oppression of the Jews under Antiochus Epiphanes, and ends with Herodian rule of the Holy Land. Jeff and Fr. Mike walk us through the key events of this period, highlighting the zealous response of the Maccabean family, the celebration of Hanukkah, and the heroic martyrdom of Jews who would not betray their religious identity in the midst of persecution. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

A @Christadelphians Video: Description: The history of the Greeks taking over from the Empire of Persia. The very detailed chapters of Daniel, are clearly explained with frequent references to history. Despite the many wars the Middle East has endured, battles are prophesied in which the Lord Jesus will arise to take control, save his people, and resurrect the dead saints. # Summary This presentation delves into the prophecy of the King of the North and the King of the South from the Book of Daniel, highlighting their historical contexts and fulfilments over centuries. It underscores the accuracy of biblical prophecy and its relevance to understanding geopolitical events. ### Highlights - [

The Son Unveiled in Me Galatians 1:10-17 by William Klock As I was digging around in our crawlspace this week, I found my 1970s Tupperware lunchbox full of my old Star Wars action figures.  Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan and Darth Vader have these neat little light sabres hidden in their arms that slide out when it's time for them to duel.  At one point I had Luke's X-wing fighter and I was remembering putting him in the cockpit and flying around the house, looking for the Death Star's thermal exhaust port.  Luke might have been in the cockpit, but I was going to destroy the Death Star and save the galaxy.  As the week went on I was thinking about our text from Galatians 1and particularly Paul's background.  I started wondering what sort of games and role-playing young Paul would have engaged in?  Who were his heroes?  Based on what he tells us about himself and from what we know of First Century Judaism and of the Pharisees, it isn't too hard to imagine Paul playing with his brothers or his neighbourhood friends and taking on the part of, say, Phinehas, Aaron's grandson.  When the men of Israel were enticed into sexual sin and idolatry by the pagan women of Peor, Phinehas, in an act of holy zeal, ran the ringleader through with a spear, pinning him to the ground along with his Midianite paramour.  Or maybe Elijah.  Even though it seemed that everyone in Israel had turned to pagan idols, Elijah dared to confront the prophets of Baal.  On them mountain top, Elijah taunted them and made fun of their god, then—again with holy zeal—called down fire from heaven.  Or Mattathias, the zealous priest who sparked the Maccabean Revolt.  Antiochus Epiphanes offered him the title “Friend of the King” if he would offer a sacrifice to the Greek gods.  Matthias refuse, but another priest offered to make the sacrifice in his place.  Matthias slaughtered that people-pleasing priest on the altar and called on everyone who was zealous for torah and the covenant to join him. These were the heroes of the Pharisees and all the other faithful in Israel in the days of Paul.  In light of that, it's ironic that the people in Galatia have accused him of being a “people pleaser”, because that's exactly what Paul—in his old days—would have called any Jews who weren't as zealous as him in keeping torah.  Of course, it's the false teachers in Galatia who are being the real people pleasers, but Paul won't say that until the end of the letter. So let's start where we left off last Sunday, with verse 10 of Galatians 1.  Paul has written some pretty scathing words to the Galatians.  He's outlined the essentials of his gospel and he's pronounced a curse on anyone who teaches anything else.  And now he writes: Well now, does that sound as though I'm trying to make up to people—or to God?  Or that I'm trying to curry favour with people?  If I were still pleasing people, I wouldn't be a slave of the Messiah.   It's a safe bet that when you hear someone warning about false gospels and pronouncing curses on those who teach such things, you're not dealing with a people pleaser.  Paul makes that clear.  And then he turns the accusation back on them.  “If I were still pleasing people,” he writes.  As much as Paul the Pharisee had devoted his life to going after the people pleasers who compromised torah in order to curry the favour of the gentiles, well now, from the perspective of life in Jesus and the Spirit, that old life of his turns out—ironically—to have been a life of people pleasing.  He was a slave to them even though it didn't seem that way at the time, but now he's a slave to the Messiah and his only interest is in faithfully proclaiming his message and pleasing the God who sent him. But Paul needs to explain himself a good bit more, so he does something that he doesn't do very often: he tells them—and us—about himself.  Whenever Paul does tell one of these before and after stories, it's always to end with Jesus.  He does this in Philippians 3 to make the point that for the sake of Jesus and the gospel he's given up his privileges.  What he says here comes to a climax later in Chapter 2 as he passionately declares that “I am crucified with the Messiah” so that “I through the law died to the law” because “the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me.”  In the end, none of this is about Paul.  It's about Jesus and the only reason Paul writes any of this is to defend against the charge that his gospel is of human origin and, therefore, in some way deficient.  So he begins in verses 11 and 12: You see, Brothers, let me make it clear to you: the gospel announced by me is not a mere human invention.  I did not receive it from a human being, not was I taught it; it came through an unveiling of Jesus the Messiah.   Literally, “I would have you know, Brothers”.  This is important.  Paul first defended his apostleship.  He was commissioned directly by Jesus himself and he speaks for Jesus and no one else.  Now he defends his gospel.  It's not something he cooked up himself, nor is it something he got second-hand from others. This is worth spending a little time parsing out.  The gospel that you and I know and preach came to us from others.  It was passed down from our parents and grandparents, from our Sunday school teachers and pastors, maybe from a preacher we watched on TV or a book we read.  But somehow all of us here are believers in Jesus the Messiah because someone else proclaimed the good news about him to us and now we—I hope—proclaim it to others.  Even if we first encountered the gospel through the pages of scripture, it came from some other person.  Maybe from Matthew or John or even Paul, but from someone.  Part of the work of the Spirit has been to see that this gospel has been preserved and passed down from one person to the next faithfully.  Even if you or I get it wrong, the Spirit-inspired scriptures are there to set it right again.  But Paul's point is that he didn't get the gospel from another human being.  If he'd got his gospel from someone else—even from Peter or James—it's always possible he got something confused or wrong in the transmission.  If he'd got it from another human, then it's possible their accusation could stick.  So Paul stresses: “I didn't get it from anyone else.  It wasn't taught to me by anyone else.  The gospel came to me directly through an unveiling—he uses that word apocalypse, the same one John uses to describe his “revelation” of Jesus—the gospel came to Paul through an unveiling of Jesus the Messiah.  In other words, Jesus, who was raised from the dead and now enthroned in heaven, suddenly and unexpectedly became visible to Paul.  God's future was revealed to Paul in the present and it changed everything, because Paul now can't help but see everything in light of this Jesus whom he knew to be crucified and now knows with absolute certainty, has risen from the dead.  Brothers and Sisters, the reality that Jesus rose from the dead changes everything.  It changed everything for Paul.  It should change everything for us.  It's the lens through which we should see everything. Paul surely must have told the Galatians the story of his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.  They already knew the details so he doesn't recount them all here.  It's that they've forgotten why that day was so important to Paul, so in the next five verses he explains why that event was so important.  He writes in verse 13: You've heard the way I behaved when I was still within “Judaism”.  I persecuted the church of God violently and ravaged it.  I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age and people.  I was extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.   Paul's giving them a before and after portrait of himself.  This is the “before”.  Think of Paul when Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming the good news about Jesus.  He held people's coats so they could throw stones.  A few years later he sought out authorisation from the Jewish officials so that he could actually hunt down these Christians and bring them in for “justice”.  Paul wasn't fooling around.  It helps us understand why and it helps us understand what Saul of Tarsus was all about if we understand what he means here by “Judaism”.  To us “Judaism” means a religion the same way we think of “Christianity” or “Islam” or Buddhism” as religions.  But in the First Century no one thought that way.  Paul certainly didn't think of “Judaism” over against “Christianity”.  Paul uses this uncommon word Judaismos that seems to have been coined by the author of 2 Maccabees.  It doesn't just refer to a set of beliefs and practises in the sense that modern people think about a “religion”.  Instead, it describes the Judeans who were loyal to Jewish faith and practise, who actively promoted and advocated these traditional ways of Jewish life, and who actively defended it against the Pagans and, especially, defended it against those Jews who would compromise it for the sake of the pagans—people pleasers. As he says, he was “zealous” for those ancestral traditions.  He was out to purify the Jewish people: to fend off pagan influences, to get his fellow Jews to take a stand for the covenant, and to bring compromisers and people-pleasers to heel.  Paul had grown up with these values.  His heroes were the men of the past who were also zealous for the Lord and for his law.  There are various writings from that time period that give us a sense of how Paul would have thought.  One of the best is the opening chapters of 1 Maccabees, where we read about Mattathias and his rebellion against the Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes.  As I said before, Mattathias was a priest, and when the Greeks tried to entice him to offer a sacrifice to their gods, he refused.  When another of his fellow priests agreed to offer the sacrifice, Mattathias had had enough.  He killed that priest right there on the altar, along with the Greek official.  His rebellion went up not just against their pagan Greek rulers, but against any of their fellow Jews who were compromising the ancestral traditions in order to get along with the pagans.  Mattathias' speech meant to rouse his fellow Jews to action, focuses on the long line of Jewish heroes who were loyal to the Lord's covenant, from Abraham right down to what was the present day.  Mattathias emphasised especially Phinehas and Elijah.  The later rabbis did the same.  Phinehas had run a spear right through the compromising Zimri and his pagan paramour.  Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal before he slaughtered them and called on the people of Israel to purge pagan influence from the land.  The Maccabees called on that same tradition about two centuries before Jesus, when they went up against the Greeks and against their own people who would compromise with the pagans.  This is what Paul is talking about when he says he was zealous for the ancestral traditions.  I ran around the backyard with Luke Skywalker in his X-wing to destroy the Death Star.  If Paul had grown up with action figures, he'd have had a Phinehas with “real spear action” and an Elijah playset where he could build an altar and call down fire from heaven on the prophets of Baal.  He might have had a little Mattathias, a sword in one hand to take on the Greeks and a knife in the other to circumcise the Jewish people pleasers.  This is the zealous background that drove him to persecute the church.  Paul knew that Jesus had claimed to be the Messiah.  He knew that Jesus had been crucified.  And he didn't believe the tales for one second that Jesus had been raised from the dead.  As far as he was concerned, Jesus was dead and that meant he couldn't be the Messiah and all these Jews claiming to follow a dead Messiah, well, they were going to undermine the faith and practise of God's people. It's also worth noting how Paul refers to the “church of God”.  It's literally “assembly of God”.  Paul likes to use this phrase to distinguish the church from the Jews and from the Greeks.  He borrows it from the Greek version of the Old Testament, which talks about Israel as the “assembly of Israel”, “assembly of the Lord”, or “assembly of God”.  And Paul's point in using it to refer to the church is that now this multiethnic body of Jews and gentiles—now it is the assembly of God.  And not just the local assemblies, but it makes the point that they're all part of this bigger thing, this bigger assembly. So Paul looks back to his past life and reminds the Galatians who he was.  He was zealous for the traditions of his ancestors.  Not just that, but he was no novice.  He was a diaspora Jew, but he wasn't like some others who knew just enough of the ancestral customs to get by.  He was steeped in it all and he was utterly devoted to it—again, to the point that he actually sought out permission from the Jewish officials to hunt down Christians in Damascus.  And, of course, that's when everything changed for Paul. He goes on in verses 15-17: But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, was pleased to unveil his son in me, so that I might announce the good news about him among the nations—immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood.  Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me.  No, I went away to Arabia, and afterward returned to Damascus.   This is another point in Paul's story where we have to be careful.  As modern people we read this and we think about it in terms of Paul “converting” from Judaism to Christianity.  Again, that's a very modern understanding of “religion” that didn't exist in Paul's day.  Paul never stopped being zealous for the God of Abraham, for the law and the prophets, and the promises of God.  He was a faithful Jew and as a faithful Jew he longed for the coming of the Messiah.  He prayed for the coming of the Messiah, for the Lord to come and rescue his people and set the world to rights.  It's just that when it came to Jesus—well—the idea of a crucified Messiah was blasphemous.  That's why he hated Christians and persecuted them.  But then the risen Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and it changed everything.  Because suddenly Paul knew that all the stories about Jesus having been raised from the dead were true.  He'd been wrong.  The impossible had happened.  The Jews and the Romans had killed Jesus, they—just as Paul had been doing—ruled him a false Messiah, but then God raised him from the dead and, in doing that, God vindicated his son.  That meant that Jesus really was the Messiah.  The God of Israel proved it.  And for Paul this meant that all the stories he'd grown up with, all the promises of God he'd longed to see fulfilled, all of it, all of them were fulfilled in Jesus. Again, Paul uses that word “unveiled” again.  This same God who had set him apart in his mother's womb, this same God who had called Paul by his grace—think of that as Paul personalizing what Jews thought of themselves as a people chosen and called by God's grace to be his people—this same God of Israel had now unveiled his son. And as Paul writes this, if you know the Hebrew scriptures, it's really obvious that he's telling his story in a way that will make people think of the old prophets, especially Jeremiah and Isaiah.  Jeremiah wrote about the Lord knowing him and calling him before he was even formed in his mother's womb.  And when Isaiah writes about the servant—the one who in some places embodies Israel and in other places stands over against the people of Israel—Isaiah writes about the Lord forming him in the womb—calling him and naming him, giving him his prophetic vocation—before he's even born.  I think Paul calls back to the calling of Jeremiah and to Isaiah's servant, because when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus he gave him just this sort of divine calling…like the servant, the Lord “formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him”.  And as the Lord said to Jeremiah, “I appoint you a prophet to the nations” and to Isaiah, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” So these people in Galatia are claiming that Paul has forsaken the faith and traditions of his people, but what Paul is saying in response is that, one, it was Jesus himself who called him to this work and, two, that he has in no way forsaken the faith and traditions of his people.  To the contrary, he knows those traditions well and in light of this revelation that Jesus really is Israel's Messiah, then this good news isn't just for Israel…it's for everyone.  They think that Paul, in going to the gentiles—or maybe better in the way he's going to the gentiles—they see him as a people pleaser who is disloyal to the faith and Paul's saying that, no, it's just the opposite.  His message to the gentiles is the fulfilment of that faith—the fulfilment of Israel's calling and of the law and the prophets.  Paul had thought that being zealous for the law meant opposing Jesus, when in fact, in light of Jesus having risen from the dead, being zealous for the law means being zealous for Jesus and even taking this good news to the gentiles. This transformation in Paul and in his thinking points to another thing we might miss—or, in some cases, that's obscured by some translations—but Paul says that God unveiled his son in me.  We might expect him to say to me, but that's not how he puts it.  It's in me and I think Paul chose his words—as always—very carefully.  It's not just that God commissioned Paul to proclaim the good news about Jesus to the nations, as if it was just about what he said.  It is that, but I think Paul's key point here is that Paul himself has become a sort of embodiment of the gospel.  This Pharisee who was zealous for God, but in such a way that it made him zealous in his hatred for the gentiles and any Jews who might compromise with them, this Pharisee has been so transformed by the unveiling of God's son in Jesus, that his zeal for God has been turned upside-down—or maybe we should say, right-side-up—and now that zeal is taking him to the nations with that good news. Now, it took Paul a good while to work this out.  Meeting the risen Jesus forced him into a massive paradigm shift in his thinking and even his identity.  He had questions.  Big questions.  But he stresses he didn't go to “flesh and blood” to ask his questions or to get help sorting it all out.  Again, people were accusing him of having a human-made gospel and Paul reiterates that it not only came directly from Jesus, but even in sorting it all out for himself, he went to the Lord, not to other people.  Specifically, he says, he didn't go up to Jerusalem.  That's what most people probably would have expected him to do.  That's what I would have done, if I were in Paul's shoes.  That's where Peter and James were.  They were the chief apostles and the leaders of the church.  They'd been wrestling with all this good news stuff for a while already.  They were the ones who had spent years with Jesus himself.  They had the answers. But instead, Paul says he went to Arabia—in First Century geography, that meant Mount Sinai.  Why did Paul do that?  Because, again, he knew the prophets.  This time Paul echoes the story of Elijah.  If you're a First Century man of zeal, it makes sense to follow in the footsteps of Elijah—one of the greatest heroes of zeal. Think of the story of Elijah.  After the events on Mount Carmel and Elijah's slaughter of the prophets of Baal, King Ahab was angry.  Elijah was forced to run and hide, so he ran to Mount Sinai.  It made sense.  That was the place where the Lord had made his promises to Israel.  So Elijah went there.  He was tired.  He was depressed.  Despite all the Lord had done through him, Elijah was done.  He'd lost hope.  He went there to tell God as much.  He'd done everything he was supposed to do and—he thought—he'd failed.  He declares to the Lord, “I have been very zealous for the Lord of Hosts.”  (Notice how much that sounds like Paul.)  But the Lord wouldn't let go of Elijah.  He wouldn't accept his resignation.  Instead, he sent him to the wilderness of Damascus (again, sound familiar?) and there Elijah would be given the task to anoint a new king and a new prophet. So Saul of Tarsus, zealous for the Lord, on his way to Damascus, is met by the risen Jesus.  It was the most natural thing in the world, for Paul, to go from there to Mount Sinai, to take his zeal to the Lord, and to wrestle with the God of Abraham—to work it out until it all made sense again in light of Jesus the Messiah.  And from Mount Sinai, Paul says, the Lord sent him back to Damascus (just like Elijah) to announce the new king: Jesus the Messiah. So Paul's point is that after he met Jesus, he didn't go to Jerusalem—as his enemies seem to think he did.  He didn't go to work this all out with the original apostles.  He went, as Bishop Wright puts it so well, “he went off to do business with God, and he came to do business for God.”  And this business was to announce to the whole world that this Jesus, who was crucified and risen, Israel's Messiah, is the world's true Lord.  Paul includes these echoes of the old prophets to show how rather than being a betrayer of Israel, he's actually smack in the middle of God's Israel-shaped promises.  In calling back to Elijah, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, he's making the point that if anyone is being disloyal to the God of Israel or to the covenant—well—it's definitely not him.  The real betrayers are those who reject God's calling of Paul and his commission to take the good news of Jesus to the nations. That's as far as I'll go today.  There's a bit more to Paul's introduction and his telling of his own story, but we'll look at that next week.  So what does this mean for us?  Brothers and Sisters, notice again how everything for Paul is about Jesus the Messiah and how Jesus's resurrection from the dead is the lens through which he sees everything.  It ought to be the same way for us.  We need to be clear about what the gospel is and then we need to live in that gospel, live in this story with Jesus as its centre.  The gospel is the good news that this Jesus who was crucified has been raised from the dead and that he's the world's true Lord.  His death for sins has won the victory over sin and death and inaugurated God's new creation.  Brothers and Sisters, that's the story, that's the reality we need to live with and to live in.  Consider how it reshaped Paul.  He was zealous for the Lord, he was zealous for the covenant, he was zealous for the scriptures—for all the right things, but in the wrong way.  Meeting the risen Messiah didn't mean throwing it all away; it meant refocusing that zeal through a different lens—through Jesus.  For others—I'm thinking of those who came from a zealously pagan background—inhabiting the gospel was different in that it meant throwing everything away.  Or maybe it meant seeing the world, seeing life, seeing others through the new lens of Jesus rather than the lens of the old pagan gods or their old sinful ways of life or through the corrupt systems of the present evil age.  Inhabiting the gospel and reorienting ourselves and our lives around Jesus isn't an easy thing to do.  Even Paul had to go to Sinai for three years to wrestle with the reality of the risen Jesus.  But however hard it is and however long it may take, Brothers and Sisters, it's essential that we do this—we personally and we the church.  Part of being gospel people—of being slaves of the Messiah, as Paul puts it—means taking every thought captive to Jesus the Messiah and filtering it through this gospel lens.  Every thought, every value, every priority, every act, every bit of our zeal and turning it over and turning it inside-out, deciding whether we keep it or throw it away or rethink it in light of the good news about Jesus the Messiah. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, as you've unveiled your Son in Paul, you have also unveiled him in each of us.  We pray now for the grace to be faithful to this gospel calling and this gospel life—that your Son, Jesus, would truly be unveiled to everyone around us by the gospel work you are working in us by the power of your Spirit.  Keep Jesus, his cross, and his resurrection always before us, keep our eyes focused on him, and by your Spirit, help us to truly live in your good news.  Through Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Let's move on from the Greek philosophers and get to Alexander the Great (actually a Macedonian). This will carry us into the early part of what we refer to as "The 400 Silent Years", the era between the last Old Testament prophets and the coming of Christ. Daniel's prophecies, Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes, Hanukkah, the Maccabees, and more! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haltingtowardzion/support

Daniel Chapters 10-12: Final Visions and Prophetic ChaosIn this special Q&A episode of Sacrilegious Discourse, husband and wife team take on the final, bewildering chapters of Daniel—Chapters 10, 11, and 12. Join us as we dive deep into the chaotic visions, historical contexts, and the perplexing prophecies that make up Daniel's final vision. Buckle up for a wild ride through ancient history and apocalyptic predictions!We start by recapping the final vision given to Daniel in Chapter 10, where he mourns for three weeks and encounters a shiny celestial being. We discuss the possible reasons for Daniel's mourning, including the few Jews who returned from exile and the opposition faced in rebuilding the temple. We also delve into the identity of the mysterious man in linen, speculating whether he could be an angel, Jesus, or another divine entity.In Chapter 11, we navigate through the intricate power struggles between the kings of the North (Syria) and the South (Egypt). This chapter is a rollercoaster of alliances, betrayals, and wars, all while the Jews are caught in the middle. We break down the historical context, shedding light on figures like Antiochus Epiphanes and the Ptolemies, and how these prophecies were likely written centuries after the events they supposedly predict.Finally, in Chapter 12, we explore the "time of the end," where Daniel's vision culminates in a resurrection, a final judgment, and the ultimate triumph of God's people. We question the origins of these apocalyptic visions and their impact on modern religious beliefs, from the concept of the Antichrist to the idea of an ineffable divine plan.From discussing the absurdity of forced prophecies to the intriguing yet baffling historical context, we dissect these chapters with our signature blend of skepticism and humor. Whether you're here for the theological critique or just the laughs, this episode has a bit of everything.Visit us at: SACRILEGIOUSDISCOURSE.COM and join us on Discord, where we interact the most AND have live episodes every Wednesday: https://discord.gg/VBnyTYV6nC Join Acast+ to enjoy our podcast adfree! https://plus.acast.com/s/sacrilegiousiscourse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Chapter 11: North vs. South, and the Abomination that Causes DesolationIn this episode of Sacrilegious Discourse, husband and wife dive into the chaotic and convoluted events of Daniel Chapter 11. Buckle up as we navigate through a whirlwind of historical conflicts, prophecies, and political intrigue that span centuries.We kick things off by recapping Daniel Chapter 10, where Daniel had a vision (not a dream this time) involving a shiny man with a lightning face and torches for eyes. This celestial being, detained by the Prince of Persia and rescued by the angel Michael, sets the stage for the apocalyptic visions that follow.In Chapter 11, we encounter a prophetic narrative that covers the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms, primarily focusing on the power struggles between the kings of the North (Syria) and the South (Egypt). This chapter is a rollercoaster of alliances, betrayals, and wars, all while the Jews are caught in the middle, suffering the consequences of these grand geopolitical games.The narrative becomes particularly dense and confusing, with pronoun abuse and vague references making it hard to follow without a cheat sheet. We break down the historical context, shedding light on figures like Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes, AKA, the "abomination that causes desolation"—a term that refers to the desecration of the Jewish temple by Antiochus.From discussing the absurdity of conquering gods to the detailed yet baffling prophecies, we dissect the chapter with our signature blend of skepticism and humor. Whether you're here for the theological deep dive or just the laughs, this episode has a bit of everything.Visit us at: SACRILEGIOUSDISCOURSE.COM and join us on Discord, where we interact the most AND have live episodes every Wednesday: https://discord.gg/VBnyTYV6nC Join Acast+ to enjoy our podcast adfree! https://plus.acast.com/s/sacrilegiousiscourse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talk 39 Mark 13:1-23 Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple Welcome to Talk 39 in our series on Mark's gospel. Today we're looking at chapter 13:1-23 where Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple. We'll deal with verses 24-37 next time. This is a difficult chapter, not least because of the strong convictions some Christians hold about it, but my intention is not to make dogmatic assertions about how it should be interpreted, but to point out some of the problems of interpreting it and to see what key lessons we can learn from it for ourselves today.   As we shall see, despite the NIV heading, Signs of the End of the Age, much of this chapter is not about the second coming of Christ, but about what Christians should do leading up to the destruction of the temple in AD70. That is not to say that none of the chapter relates to the second coming, but I want to confess at the outset my own personal scepticism about using passages like this to try to predict when the Lord may return. This is based on three things:   Firstly, the Lord himself said in verse 32:   No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.   Secondly, he also said in Acts 1:7, just before he ascended into Heaven:   It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. Jesus told his disciples not to be concerned with such things but to get on with the task of world evangelisation.   And thirdly, my scepticism is based on the fact that so many attempts to calculate the timing of his coming have proved wrong. It's not only the Jehovah's Witnesses who have made predictions which they have been compelled to recalculate, but sincere Christians like William Miller, a Baptist farmer, who, based on his understanding of Daniel's prophecy, was convinced that Jesus would return on a particular day in 1842 and then readjusted his calculations to the same day in 1843. He later admitted that he was wrong but said that, if he had his time all over again, he would still have arrived at the same conclusion!   And even in my own lifetime I have seen Christians making radical changes to their lifestyle,  based on events taking place in and around Israel, as those of you who may remember the Six Day War may remember. But, having expressed my scepticism, let me now make it clear that I certainly do believe in the return of the Lord Jesus! In Acts 1, immediately after Jesus had told the disciples that it was not for them to know the timing of his coming, we read in verses 9-11:   After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."   His return will be personal, physical, and visible. Of this we can be certain. But it's not for us to know when. So, with all this in mind let's now make a start on our passage in Mark 13. We'll begin by considering two difficulties that make this chapter particularly hard to interpret, before looking at the historical context in which it is set.   Interpreting the passage The first problem arises from the two questions the disciples ask Jesus in the opening verses.     1 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" 2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"   So, in verse 1, one of them draws Jesus' attention to the size and beauty of the temple, to which Jesus replies in verse 2:   Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."   Then Peter, James, John and Andrew ask him privately,   When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled? (v4).   So, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and the disciples ask him when it's going to happen and what sign there will be. Notice that here there is no reference to the second coming of Jesus. However, it's clear from Matthew's account that his disciples clearly connected very closely the destruction of the temple with the return of the Lord, because they ask him they ask him: When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3).   So, in his reply, Jesus is answering two questions, which in the disciples' minds are closely related, one about the destruction of the temple and the other about the second coming. But when we try to interpret the passage, it's not always clear which parts of Jesus' answer relate to which of these two questions. What does seem clear is that much of Jesus' answer related to the destruction of the temple and not to the second coming. How much, if any, refers to the second coming is a matter of debate. But more of that later.   The second difficulty that arises when we seek to interpret the chapter is deciding which parts are to be taken literally and which are to be taken symbolically. Although much of the passage is, in my view, clearly to be understood literally – for example it's hard to see how let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (v14) can be interpreted symbolically – some verses must surely be intended to be understood symbolically or metaphorically.   For example, as we shall see next time, the stars will fall from the sky (v25) can hardly be taken literally any more than the moon will be turned into blood in Acts 2:20. Such expressions need to be understood as symbolizing cataclysmic events the like of which have never been seen before. But how can we decide which way to understand any given verse? Literally or symbolically? Part of the answer at least lies in the historical context in which the passage is set.   We began by saying that what Jesus says in this chapter is in answer to questions about the destruction of the temple, which the disciples associated with the return of the Lord. To me much, if not all, of Jesus' answer relates to the destruction of the temple, indeed, of Jerusalem itself. So what do we know from history about this?   The historical context It all began in a single year when in AD 69 four Roman emperors succeeded one another, each time with violence, murder and civil war. In AD 70 Titus, the adopted son of Vespasian, the last of these emperors, entered Jerusalem, burnt the temple, destroyed the city and crucified thousands of Jews. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us how, during the siege of Jerusalem, people were starving and ate their own babies to stay alive, how they fought each other for scraps of dirty food, and how more Jews were killed by other Jews than by the invading Romans. If you want to learn more about this, just google AD70 Siege of Jerusalem.   Examining verses 5-23 Bearing in mind, then, the horrific events that would take place in AD 70, let's now attempt to solve the riddle of which verses refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and which, if any, refer to the second coming. We'll begin with verses 5-23 which, it seems to me, refer mainly  to the years  leading up to and shortly after the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, although some may possibly have a wider significance. I say this because of the immediate context. Jesus has predicted the destruction of the temple and is now replying to the disciples' question in verse 4: When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled? (i.e. the destruction of the temple).   Jesus' answer in verses 5-23 contains warnings about what was shortly to happen and instructions on what they should do which can be summarised as follows: ·      Watch out for deceivers (vv. 5-6, 21-22) ·      Don't be surprised by international turmoil and natural disasters (vv. 7-8) ·      Expect to be persecuted (vv. 9-14) ·      Take appropriate action when the time comes near (vv. 16-23). Watch out for deceivers (vv. 5-6, 21-22) 5 Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.   21 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible.   Of course, the verses could refer to any time in church history including the period leading up to the Lord's return, but, bearing in mind the context in which they are set, it seems that Jesus' primary intention was to warn his disciples about what would happen in their own lifetime.   Don't be surprised by international turmoil and natural disasters (vv. 7-8) 7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.   It's easy to assume, as many have, that these things are to be taken as signs of Jesus' near return, but again the context suggests otherwise. In fact all these things have been happening throughout church history, and are certainly very evident right now, but Jesus does not say the end is near. He says the end is still to come. And as we shall see next time, at the end of the chapter Jesus says you do not know. We won't know when he is coming, and that's precisely why we need to be ready!   Expect to be persecuted (vv. 9-14) 9 "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.   Again, all these things could be said of almost any period in church history. They were certainly relevant during the lifetime of the disciples and no doubt will be right up until the time of the Lord's return, so there is no need to see them as exclusively relevant to the second coming. But there are two things in this passage I feel I need to make special comment on, as in people's thinking they are usually associated with and seen as signs of the second coming.   The first is in verse 10, where Jesus says, The gospel must first be preached to all nations. The Greek word for first is proton. This can mean either first in time or first in importance, or both. The immediate context in Mark, where Jesus is talking about his disciples being persecuted as they witness for him, suggests to me that he is stressing the importance of preaching the gospel whatever happens.   And, of course, this is applicable throughout the church age and is something Jesus emphasises in Acts 1:6-8. This is so important that the end will not come until the gospel is preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (Matthew 24:14). So this verse does have a very real application to the second coming, but Jesus is stressing the importance of worldwide evangelisation rather than seeing it as a sign of his coming!   The second is in verse 14 where Jesus says: When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.   So what is this abomination that causes desolation? It was first prophesied in Daniel 9:27 and is believed by some to have been fulfilled in 168 BC when Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the temple altar. However, since this took place before the coming of Jesus, it cannot be what he was referring to which was yet future.   Bearing in mind the context it's far more likely that Jesus was referring to what happened in AD70 when the Roman general Titus placed an idol on the site of the burnt-out temple just a few years after the destruction of Jerusalem. That, of course, does not rule out the possibility of another fulfilment in the future, but in my view the Bible is by no means clear about this, and it would be unwise to be dogmatic.   Take appropriate action when the time comes near (vv. 15-23). 15 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.   At the time of the destruction of Jerusalem the danger was imminent. Jesus' instructions are specifically related to that situation. The basic message is, Get out quick! Don't let anything delay you! You will never have seen anything like it! Things are going to be terrible! Don't let anyone deceive you or distract you! But now it's time for me to summarise my understanding of how these verses apply to us today: 1)     Because these verses apply initially to the period before AD70, they contain some specific instructions (e.g. vv. 15-18) that relate only to that period. 2)     However, since what the disciples were about to experience then were only the beginning of birth pains (v. 8), it follows that similar things would continue to happen throughout the whole church age and that, with the exception of the specific instructions I have just referred to, the broad principles of what Jesus was teaching continue to be relevant to us today. 3)     Because what Jesus is teaching here has been relevant throughout church history, there is no need to see the whole passage as relating directly to the second coming. 4)     The parts that do appear to have a bearing on it must not be interpreted as signs, something which Jesus makes clear in the closing verses of the chapter, as we shall see next time.

Three reasons why Daniel gives this prophecy in chapter 8: 1. To prepare God's people for persecution. 2. To warn them of the general trend of history. 3. To show that Antiochus Epiphanes will be defeated completely in the end.

Daniel 8:1-8 (ESV)1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)Acts 17:11 (KJV)Daniel 8:15-27 (ESV)Antiochus EpiphanesAntiochus IV assumed the title Epiphanes meaning, “illustrious” and alluding to deity. The ancient Jews twisted his name into “Epimanes” meaning, “madman.”Matthew 24:15 (ESV)Ephesians 1:20-23 (MSG)1. We Are To Praise God!1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)2. We Are To Equip The SaintsEphesians 4:11-16 (NKJV)Colossians 1:28 (NKJV)Ephesians 5:22-23 (ESV)3. We Are To Disciple and EvangelizeMatthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)Mark 16:15 (NKJV)The dangers of an imbalanced churchA church that over-emphasizes worship at the expense of teaching of Scripture and evangelism will end up with inadequate Bible teaching for the believers, who will remain shallow in their understanding of Scripture, as well as in their understanding of the nature and purposes of God.A church that over-emphasizes evangelism at the expense of teaching and worship is in danger of neglecting the teaching of the Word and the worship of God. The church will end up with immature Christians who emphasize growth in numbers but lack true spiritual growth in their own lives.A church that over-emphasizes the equipping of believers at the expense of worship and evangelism easily minimizes the importance of worshipping God and reaching out to others. It will soon become ingrown and stagnant, for new believers are the lifeblood of the church!Revelation 12:11 (NKJV)2 Corinthians 1:2-5 (MSG)

Pastor Scott Ardavanis preaches a sermon from Daniel 11 verses 21 through 35 on prophecy and Antiochus Epiphanes.

Apart from an opening survey of modern study of ancient Jewish history, which emphasizes the foundational role of German-Jewish scholars, the studies united in Ancient Jewish Historians and the German Reich: Seven Studies (de Gruyter, 2024) apply philological methods to the writings of four of them: Heinrich Graetz, Isaak Heinemann, Elias Bickerman(n), and Abraham Schalit. In each case, it is argued that some seemingly trivial anomaly or infelicity, in a publication about such ancient characters as Antiochus Epiphanes, Herod, and Josephus, points to the way in which the historian constructed, and revised, his understanding of the Jews' situation under Greeks or Romans in light of his perception of the Jews' situation under the Second or Third Reich. The collection also includes a study that focuses on a Jewish medievalist, Philipp Jaffé, and unravels the indirect but inexorable process that led from a scholarly feud about the editing of medieval Latin texts, in the 1860s, to the “Berlin Antisemitism Dispute” (Berliner Antisemitismusstreit) of 1879–1881, which is commonly viewed as the opening act of modern German antisemitism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Apart from an opening survey of modern study of ancient Jewish history, which emphasizes the foundational role of German-Jewish scholars, the studies united in Ancient Jewish Historians and the German Reich: Seven Studies (de Gruyter, 2024) apply philological methods to the writings of four of them: Heinrich Graetz, Isaak Heinemann, Elias Bickerman(n), and Abraham Schalit. In each case, it is argued that some seemingly trivial anomaly or infelicity, in a publication about such ancient characters as Antiochus Epiphanes, Herod, and Josephus, points to the way in which the historian constructed, and revised, his understanding of the Jews' situation under Greeks or Romans in light of his perception of the Jews' situation under the Second or Third Reich. The collection also includes a study that focuses on a Jewish medievalist, Philipp Jaffé, and unravels the indirect but inexorable process that led from a scholarly feud about the editing of medieval Latin texts, in the 1860s, to the “Berlin Antisemitism Dispute” (Berliner Antisemitismusstreit) of 1879–1881, which is commonly viewed as the opening act of modern German antisemitism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies

Apart from an opening survey of modern study of ancient Jewish history, which emphasizes the foundational role of German-Jewish scholars, the studies united in Ancient Jewish Historians and the German Reich: Seven Studies (de Gruyter, 2024) apply philological methods to the writings of four of them: Heinrich Graetz, Isaak Heinemann, Elias Bickerman(n), and Abraham Schalit. In each case, it is argued that some seemingly trivial anomaly or infelicity, in a publication about such ancient characters as Antiochus Epiphanes, Herod, and Josephus, points to the way in which the historian constructed, and revised, his understanding of the Jews' situation under Greeks or Romans in light of his perception of the Jews' situation under the Second or Third Reich. The collection also includes a study that focuses on a Jewish medievalist, Philipp Jaffé, and unravels the indirect but inexorable process that led from a scholarly feud about the editing of medieval Latin texts, in the 1860s, to the “Berlin Antisemitism Dispute” (Berliner Antisemitismusstreit) of 1879–1881, which is commonly viewed as the opening act of modern German antisemitism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Apart from an opening survey of modern study of ancient Jewish history, which emphasizes the foundational role of German-Jewish scholars, the studies united in Ancient Jewish Historians and the German Reich: Seven Studies (de Gruyter, 2024) apply philological methods to the writings of four of them: Heinrich Graetz, Isaak Heinemann, Elias Bickerman(n), and Abraham Schalit. In each case, it is argued that some seemingly trivial anomaly or infelicity, in a publication about such ancient characters as Antiochus Epiphanes, Herod, and Josephus, points to the way in which the historian constructed, and revised, his understanding of the Jews' situation under Greeks or Romans in light of his perception of the Jews' situation under the Second or Third Reich. The collection also includes a study that focuses on a Jewish medievalist, Philipp Jaffé, and unravels the indirect but inexorable process that led from a scholarly feud about the editing of medieval Latin texts, in the 1860s, to the “Berlin Antisemitism Dispute” (Berliner Antisemitismusstreit) of 1879–1881, which is commonly viewed as the opening act of modern German antisemitism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Apart from an opening survey of modern study of ancient Jewish history, which emphasizes the foundational role of German-Jewish scholars, the studies united in Ancient Jewish Historians and the German Reich: Seven Studies (de Gruyter, 2024) apply philological methods to the writings of four of them: Heinrich Graetz, Isaak Heinemann, Elias Bickerman(n), and Abraham Schalit. In each case, it is argued that some seemingly trivial anomaly or infelicity, in a publication about such ancient characters as Antiochus Epiphanes, Herod, and Josephus, points to the way in which the historian constructed, and revised, his understanding of the Jews' situation under Greeks or Romans in light of his perception of the Jews' situation under the Second or Third Reich. The collection also includes a study that focuses on a Jewish medievalist, Philipp Jaffé, and unravels the indirect but inexorable process that led from a scholarly feud about the editing of medieval Latin texts, in the 1860s, to the “Berlin Antisemitism Dispute” (Berliner Antisemitismusstreit) of 1879–1881, which is commonly viewed as the opening act of modern German antisemitism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simple Faith for a Complex World. Today, Pastor Michael is drilling down on the complexities of modern life.  We like complexity until it becomes overwhelming, but it is a real part of modern day-to-day living.  God did not make a world that was overly complex.  He put people in a situation that was pretty idyllic and low-key.  But we, starting with Adam and Eve, pretty much messed that one up!  Now more than ever, we wish for a simple life, that world that God created before disease, sickness, and bad fortune.  But: Good news! The same God who created that simple life is going to bring it back. But we're in the messy middle right now, and it's a struggle.  So lets jump into the study: We're with Jesus in this lesson from the book of Mark, where He talks about the end times.  “Let the reader understand” is important in this passage, probably inserted by the author Mark for future generations.  Herein, they're talking about the Abomination of Desolation, which is when someone in authority reaches the end of the sacrifices in the temple in an abominable way, causing desolation, happening in the middle of a covenant.  This prophecy has three fulfillments to it.  Two are partial and temporary, and one is complete and forever. In the first fulfillment, Antiochus, a truly evil man, entered an altar and sacrificed a pig in their temple, defiling it utterly. Eventually, the temple was cleaned and restored. When Jesus arrived, the temple was humming along. Hannukah came about during this restoration, an interesting historical fact.  The second fulfillment, also partial, occurred during Roman times.  Revolts were now occurring against the Romans, and so in marches the Roman army right into Jerusalem, and they knocked down the temple, disrupting the sacrifices, which is still not occurring to this day.  The ultimate fulfillment is the third one, the AntiChrist, who will broker the seven-year covenant. Seemingly, a peace treaty will be made with Israel and its neighbors, and the temple will be rebuilt. He will then break that covenant at the halfway mark and will defile the temple yet again.  A complex world calls for a simple faith—a faith that is thought out, reasoned through, and returns to simplicity.  We're in the middle, and it can be overwhelming, but God will make it simple again! You CAN trust God! (CSB Bible Notes) 13:14 The abomination of desolation is drawn from Dn 9:27; 11:31; 12:11 (cp. Mt 24:15) and was used to describe the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC (see the apocryphal book 1Macc 1:54). Jesus's reference may be to some event prior to AD 70 or to the “man of lawlessness” (2Th 2:3-10; cp. Rv 13:1-10,14-15). Mark did not identify the location for standing where it should not be, but Matthew (Mt 24:15) said “in the holy place,” meaning the temple's sanctuary (cp. 2Th 2:4). Verses can be found in Mark 13: 14 - 23. Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.  

And so today, given the passage, I cannot jump into every detail of the passage, but what I do want to do is take a broad sweep of the passage and bring out the primary thrust of what Jesus wants us to take away as we discuss the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the end of times, his second coming. And just want to say this comes in between ... We have community groups that meet every week. They discuss the sermons. And we do know when the end of times get brought up as people gather over the word, there's often confusion, disagreement. And so I'm trying to bring us to a simple, clear understanding of this chapter after maybe some people are coming out of last week with a little bit of confusion. I say Pasture Jan's presentation on those verses, I was chewing on it all week, was masterful from my studied perspective as someone who somehow had the blessing to go to seminary and read books for three years. But yeah, we're trying to bring clarity on this topic and bring out the main thrust.Let me read God's word. Mark 13 verses 24 to 27 to start us off. Mark 13 verses 24 through 37. "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will be falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. From the fig tree, learn its lesson. As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near at the very gates. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the son, but only the father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge each with his work and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore, stay awake. For you do not know when the master of the house will come. In the evening or at midnight or when the rooster crows or in the morning. Lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all. Stay awake. The grass withers and the flower fades but the word of the Lord remains forever."Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come to you today living in a world full of wars and rumors of wars. Full of much conflict and confusion. Today we come to you with thanksgiving, that you have given us your word, the rock, the one, the only true place that a person can firmly stand. We pray that as we open your word, that it would bring courage to our hearts and strength to our feeble bodies. That we would go from this place renewed and invigorated to serve you and to face whatever may come in our lives with hope that you are behind it and that you will be with us through it. Grant us your peace and steadfastness for the journey to come. We come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.It's been a really special year with my middle child. My daughter, Clara. She's been three years old. She'll be four in a couple of months. And what's been really fun to experience with Clara in the season of life at three and a half is her engagement with holidays. Moving from age two to three throughout the past year now and closer to four, she started to remember her celebration of holidays in the past and to start look forward to celebrating them again in the future. And so with Christmas last year, six months out, five, four, three, two, one months out from Christmas, she was talking about Christmas all the time. She was asking, "Is Christmas today?" Just waking up and asking that several months out, multiple days a week. Asking how soon it will come. And she was planning to receive presents of course. And thankfully she was planning to give presents, not just receive. And because we couldn't celebrate it at the time, she was wrapping presents and giving them to her stuffies well in advance of the day.And Clara's excitement for the day was contagious. But more than that, her excitement and expectations around that day gave her a superpower. It gave her a willingness to endure anything that came her way until Christmas Day came. What was most amazing prior to Christmas occurred on Christmas Eve. And if you remember that Christmas Eve, it was a Sunday this year and so we had one service here at Mosaic and after service we packed up my Honda Odyssey. And I don't call it a minivan. It's just that great. It's an Odyssey. A very special vehicle. Minivan, Odyssey life is not as bad as its rep gets sometimes. But we packed up our Odyssey. And the miracle of the day that Clara's expectation around Christmas brought her through was that she endured a seven and a half hour ride from Boston to my parents' place outside of Philadelphia without a stop. And she was perfectly peaceful, perfectly content because she knew what was about to come. She knew that Christmas was tomorrow. She knew that she was going to celebrate Jesus' birthday. She knew that she was going to receive presents as part of that celebration. She knew that she was going to give presents. She was going to spend the day with her loved ones. We don't get to see my parents, my siblings that much. She knew that there was going to be a feast.And so Clara was ready to endure anything. So seven and a half hours. Even if it was just the five-hour trip, which is the fastest time you can get between here and Philadelphia, if she stayed peaceful for that amount of time, that would've been the Christmas miracle and the expression of her superpower. And Clara's fascination with the end and the reward that came with it helped her through her present situations. It gave her resilience to face anything as her hopes and expectations where she knew what was about to come as we formed them, as she reflected on her experiences that we gave her at Christmas in the past.And so I've thought about this. What's refreshed my mind had me thinking about this in recent weeks really the past couple months is her birthday's in a couple of months. And so since Christmas there's been a lot of waking up, "Daddy, is my birthday today?" And just a repeat. So she's been blowing out fake cakes and giving presents to her stuffies in preparation as she waits that day. I discussed Clara's typical childish fascination with Christmas and her birthday as an illustration. I bring it up for a couple of reasons. First, I mentioned this fascination to point out her childlike faith. We are going to speak in a specific topic on Christ's return and the end of times. But before we do that, I want to remind us of a broader principle of the kingdom of God that Jesus mentioned earlier on in Mark. What Clara exhibits around the day of Christmas, the expectations and hopes around it that we formed and set for her, she exhibits childlike faith. It's a sure fact that it's going to be as good as she thinks it is. And we need to have such faith as we walk through life and the kingdom.Mark 10: 14 and 15 says, "Let the children come to me. Do not hinder them. For to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." So Clara expects us to deliver on Christmas and her birthday, and that gives her superpowers to endure what is to come. And we as Christians, the Lord tells us of a specific day like the end of times and Christ's return as the same day. And we need to let him form our expectations around that topic. And there are going to be details that are not going to be perfectly clear. There are going to be questions around that day. And we can get lost in the pursuit of those answers. We can rest upon what the Lord has made clear in setting the expectations for us around that day. We can have childlike faith that our heavenly father has told us what we need to know as the day of the Lord comes. So we need to have childlike faith as we open up this topic a little bit more.But further, I want to just say Clara's fascination with Christmas ... We're in a topic today that there's a lot of fascination as we discuss the end of times. And while Clara's experienced her fascination with Christmas and her hopes and expectations around it, it's something that gives her joy, it gives her stamina, it gives her hope to face the present as she waits that day. Unfortunately, this topic on the day of Christ's return, it's something that really breeds the opposite response in us. A lot of times we naturally as Christians, we're interested in this day. For surely we await the benefits that come with the moment of Christ's return. We can't wait to be free. See this creation, see our flesh free from the power and influence of Satan. Free from the power of influence of sin. We can't wait to see an end natural disasters and wars. But we tend to take up this topic as a church and it really breeds a lot of anxiety and paranoia. It's because we're trying to go beyond what the Lord has told us and as he set our expectations in scripture.And so without a doubt, there's a fascination within the church about the end of time and when it will come and the manner in which it will come. It rarely leads to any good. And if anyone has been in the church for a while, I just want to elaborate on this. A lot of people, if you're in a church for a month or a year, you know the tendency for Christians. At a Christian gathering, people might be talking about faith, repentance, belief, obedience to Jesus Christ, how to apply just God's word to day-to-day life. But the end of times gets brought up and one little detail, one little hint of it, and it can derail the whole discussion. Everybody knows if you've been in a church with small groups ... We have community group here at Mosaic where we discuss the sermons together, God's word together. Everyone knows that experience of like, oh no, someone ... Conversation's been going, been fruitful, vibrant. Someone just brought it up. They did it. Maybe at that point, a couple of people in that conversation who have very passionate views on the end of times and the timing of it, they dominate conversation and it really becomes this a draining discussion and that everybody leaves more confused and really just too drained to go honor Jesus for the rest of the evening or the next day.And all people in the church know this tendency. And we Christians, we know that debates and conversations, they lead to real division normally. The talk on these topics can lead brothers and sisters to separate from brothers and sisters instead of continuing to gather as the people of God. And most Christians, they do know someone who got obsessed with figuring out the details about Christ's return. Who started losing their grip with reality. Who lost focus on working out their salvation with fear and trembling one day at a time. And in the end, maybe they just stumbled for an extended season or in the end they lost their faith altogether as they got lost in these details.Furthermore, we know there are whole in the Christian world ... And maybe some of you don't know this stuff. But as pastors we do engage a lot of these instances in our ministry. We know that there are whole churches and conferences and gatherings of supposed believers who meet not to praise God, not to preach his gospel, but to promote specific teachings, primarily promote specific teachings on the end of times. That's what they're gathering around. I've heard of several people giving large chunks of money to ... Or essentially their whole retirement savings saved for decades to supposed prophets who claim to elucidate the details of the timing and manner of Christ's return. In our day anybody can start teaching and give their take on YouTube, on social media. There's a tendency in the church today, there's people who will listen to these teachers at the cost of heeding the words of their pastors, their brothers and sisters in Christ and who they're gathering with in day-to-day real life.I've spoken to a few Christians who you dig into the details of their lives and they profess faith in Christ, but they have not read the gospels or most of the New Testament aside from the book of Revelation because they're reading the apocalyptic literature and verses of the Old Testament prophets and Revelation primarily. And this stuff happens. In a city like Boston who could get lost in that stuff? No. These are common tendencies.And so at Mosaic, if you've only been with us for two weeks, we've talked about ... We'll now take up this topic two weeks in a row. And you might think we have an unhealthy fixation on this topic, but I assure you we're taking it up as it naturally has come up in our scripture as we are going verse by verse through Mark. But before I go through it, I want to say at our church a little commentary, we generally are not guilty of unhealthy fixation on the end of times across our membership. We're not marked by neglect of coverage on the topic. We're facing it today. It's easier to skip over these chapters. As a pastor, we're here to face it as it's been brought up in our history in the text. We're not marked necessarily by widespread anxiety and paranoia that comes with fixation. If anything, at Mosaic, we're guilty of a tendency to think that the end is near because something bad happened in our personal lives or in society as a whole. And it leads to a distractedness that tends to decrease our level of day-to-day faithfulness a little bit. So 2020 Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Palestine death and health scares, cultural and political tensions. These tend to lead us to say nonchalantly and perhaps ignorantly that things are getting worse. It's clear. The end is near. And may we say that just a little naively or truly ignorantly.We continue to just carry forth our day-to-day responsibilities with some faithfulness. But I think even beneath that a tendency in our body is more of a hopeless spirit of resignation. When we face calamity, hardship in our lives, trials personally or internationally and nationally, we can assume a hopeless spirit of resignation that, oh, there's so much brokenness around us. Who am I as an individual to bring Jesus' light and redemption through my day-to-day faithfulness? And we still do the thing, do what we think God is calling to us but not with belief that he can use us to redeem brokenness in the world around us, in the relationships, in society through our small efforts. And so today you'll see that Christ has a word for engaging such circumstances for us as the natural disasters, the trials of society. And so yeah, we're going to see what that word is.And there's no question that this fascination with the end of times, it doesn't stop at the church. The world has wrestled with it. Again, everything I've mentioned from 2020 to 2024 I think it's safe to say we all have seen a lot more headlines talking about is this the end of society as a whole? Are things getting worse? Is America facing its doomsday? Is the current banking system a potential collapse? What's that going to lead to? There's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of worry. There's always an ancient calendar. In 2012, the Mayan calendar ended. I remember articles around that. You think of year 2000 going into the new millennium, there's a lot of, is the world going to end? It just gets brought up whether there is seeming reason to appeal to or not. So there is a widespread fascination with the end. And really it normally leads to anxiety, fear, and paranoia and faithlessness. Especially when we start mining the details of what the Bible has a say about it.So Jesus today as we open up chapter 13 again, he speaks to the disciples about the end. And I want to say very clearly he has one easy message in this chapter that we want to focus on primarily as we study it. Stay awake and be ready. The theme sentence of this chapter, Christian lives shall be marked by steadiness and readiness as they await Christ's return. Christian lives shall be marked by steadiness and readiness as they await Christ's return. This message, you can find it just by appealing to the specifics of a few verses. Verse 33 Jesus says, "Be on guard, keep awake." Or perhaps I can claim that this is the theme of the chapter as the chapter ends in verse 37 by saying, "And what I say to you, I say to all. Stay awake." All of this chapter, it's pointing to the call for Christians to exhibit a steadiness, a coolness, a calmness as they face challenges, trials, conflicts, natural disasters in this life and readiness as they ponder the end of times. And so he declares, "Don't waste your time reading into all the things that could deceive you or prevent you from faithfulness to him in the things of God in day-to-day life." So stay awake and be ready.Verse 31 says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." The world is going to fall down around us. We shouldn't be shocked when it happens. It's been happening throughout history. The Roman Empire, it did fall. Imagine how people fell when that truly fell. It's going to happen around us. It's happened throughout history. It'll keep happening. Everything will pass away but what will remain are Jesus' words and his assurances. And I want to pause right here. Think about the things. If they passed away, what are those things whose passing would shake you? In me It's honestly like news of what's happening in my small suburban town outside of Philadelphia. When I see the culture shaking, the schools shifting in my heart, it really stirs me to the point of almost hopelessness or God, what's happening here? When we think about America, are there major societal shifts? Are we heading in a bad direction? When we face political tensions. We've gotten upcoming election this year. When we face potential shifts in our country, does it stir us? Do we begin to question God's faithfulness to us in such moments? Jesus says we need to trust him.I was at the Inter Miami verse New England Revolution soccer game last night to see Lionel Messi and a couple of his former Barcelona players. It was my first time at Gillette Stadium. And part of it is to show my son, wow, look at this man who has used what God has given him and mastered it. But part of it is to say to my son, "Look, this man, he is going to die one day. I hope he doesn't have a great spiritual moral failure before all of us. I hope he professes his imperfections and faith in Jesus at some point and I do pray for him." But Messi's going to pass away and Gillette Stadium is going to pass away or they're going to blow it up. And I want them to so that they get rid of the turf field and put in a grass field because professional sports should be played on grass.But these figures of society, these people, these institutions, they're all going to fall. And how will that move you? What will your response be? Jesus says the only thing we place our faith in is his word. Everything will pass, but we are to trust his assurances. And so verse 13 in our chapter, the one who endures to the end will be saved. We place our hope in Jesus and his works and his promises. That's where our hope lies. So Jesus is saying broadly in this chapter, be ready for the end to come right now. Be ready for the end every moment of every day. Don't misuse your time getting lost in the meaningless things of the world. Don't misuse your time obsessing over predictions, dates, the left behind stuff, the book series, the movie series. Jesus comes when you don't know. So be ready. At every moment of your life be steady and be ready.And so I'm going to draw this point out as I try to speed through the chapter today. Chapter 13. I'll revisit some of the verses from one through 23 and glean over them. But it's all to remind you this point. Christian lives shall be marked by steadiness and readiness as they await Christ's return. I'm not going to necessarily pull out specifics of where I get that theme. You're going to have to come with me as I just keep emphasizing it. And I think it's important. This is a topic that's been convoluted, confused throughout church history, even within our own body. And we have to just get what is primary. And this is where we build our foundation and thinking on the end of times going forward. So chapter 13, we have Jesus falling of the temple, Jerusalem, the sign of the fig tree, a call to be ready. Let's try to explain it. What's Jesus talking about here? How do I come to this emphasis on steadiness and readiness?So let's step into this situation with the disciples. The day is still Tuesday. On that Friday, Jesus is going to be crucified. Jesus and his disciples have been in the temple most of the day. It's probably late afternoon. Jesus decides it's time to go. It's very likely this is Jesus' last time in the temple. And while they're walking away from the temple, one of his disciples is overcome with awe. They were admiring the size, the glory, the structure of the temple. And it really was a sight to behold. It was gargantuan and grandiose, huge and intimidating in its size and in its extravagance and ancient wonder of the world. And King Herod put a ton of money into it for several decades. We're talking in the billions of our current dollars. And so this temple, it's huge. It's ornate. The temple grounds and courts, they covered about one-sixth of the city of Jerusalem at the time. The individual stones that were used to build the temple were gigantic.Josephus, one of the historians of the day wrote down the size of the stones that they were about 45 feet by 15 feet by 18 inches thick. One stone. You could go and look at a stone that size and just be in awe. So these stones are massive. Ornately decorated. The text begins with a disciple saying, "Teacher, look at the size of these stones. Look at the majesty of the temple of Jerusalem. The whole city. Isn't this amazing?" Jesus says, "You see this giant beautiful building. You see this city. You see these massive stones. Not one stone will be left standing upon one another. This whole city is going to be destroyed."And this would've been a shocking statement. Definitely awkward silence afterwards. And it's shocking, especially when you consider the sides of these stones, saying not one will be left standing on another. And then they walk. Jesus says this, and they walk through the city of Jerusalem, they walk to the Mount of Olives to an elevated area where they sat down and they have another great view of the city. And as they thought about Jesus' pronouncement of the destruction of the temple, its complete devastation, the devastation of the city, they begin to naturally ask some questions. One asked in verse four, "Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" And so there's a lot more behind this question than first appears. The disciples regard this temple as a fixed structure. They look at it, they think this thing could last forever.They couldn't imagine its destruction. And so immediately they're tying the destruction of this temple with the end of the world. For surely that's the only way and time that it could be destroyed. And so with the question in verse four, they're not just asking when is the temple going to be destroyed, but how do we know that the end is near? This is affirmed in Matthew chapter 24 verse three where they ask in a parallel passage, "Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" So they're asking, when will the temple be destroyed? When will Jerusalem be destroyed? That's one question. When will we know it's time for your return? When will the end come? That's what the disciples are asking in Mark as greater clarified in Matthew. They're seeking answers.And Jesus in response, he gives them a long, seemingly complicated answer. And the first part of his answer is a warning to not be led astray. Verse five, Jesus says, "See that no one leads you astray." In the NIV translation, "Watch out that no one deceives you." The disciples are assuming all of this is going to happen very soon based on Jesus's words. So they're eager. They're eager for the end to come. And as a result they're going to be tempted into reading into every little sign. So Jesus is anticipating that and he's given them some instructions to not be led astray. So in verse six he says, "Many will come in my name saying I am he and they will lead many astray." So he's saying, "There is definitely going to be a time where a lot of people say that they're sent by me or come in my name or bring greater revelation, greater word of God beyond what I've said."He says, "Don't be surprised. Don't follow them. Don't put your trust in them." And in the first century, history is captured. There's a lot of ... And scripture captures some of it. There are a number of false messiahs who appeared and they had followings, but in time they proved to be false prophets and the false prophets that they were. And it still happens today. It's happened all throughout history and it still happens today. Joseph Smith, a relatively recent false teacher, he started Mormonism. He said that Jesus appeared to him in 1820 in his backyard and he told him that all existing churches had turned from the gospel. And after that an angel of God appeared to him and essentially gave him a new source of revelation, a new word for man, true followers of Christ, the Lord to follow. And Jesus, which conflicts with our Bible, the 66 books of the Bible, Jesus is telling us, don't follow this kind of guy.More recently, I grew up in 90s public school hearing about David Koresh and the Branch Davidians who in the 80s and 90s said that he was one who was going to establish the Davidic kingdom. And so these figures keep appearing throughout history and we can't be so eager for the end to come that we follow anyone who is essentially pronouncing Jesus' return or new age in Christ. Jesus warns us about these men. Don't follow them. And then he goes on to warn them about something else. Next, he talks about disasters and wars. He says in verse seven, "And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place but the end is not yet." So he's saying, don't be deceived by natural disasters and wars. Don't be so eager for the end to come that you read into all these things.When you hear of hurricanes, tsunamis, wars, rumors of wars, don't claim this is the end. Don't just bluntly ignorantly claim things are getting worse. Verse eight says, "For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains." So we shouldn't be shocked by such events. We shouldn't be distracted by these events and drop faithfulness in day-to-day life. So many people read into these events and conclude that the end is near but these things have been happening since the beginning. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. We think we're so unique as a generation, but like a lot of these things ... Not like. A lot of these things have been happening throughout history. Nothing new under the sun is happening in 2024. Even with Russia and Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, as I've mentioned earlier, nothing new is happening in 2020. Is what we've experienced recently more dramatic and traumatic than what has been dishonoring to God throughout history, through previous societal collapses, wars and earthly disasters.Just pausing about World War I, World War II is what we're facing right now really worse than that? The societal and cultural drama, severe natural phenomena, they've always been occurring. And it is. We should be heartbroken when we see it, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions that this means that the end is near and imminent. We lament the occurrence of these events. We long for Jesus to come back to put an end to them. But we don't get obsessed with finding specific meaning in them as they relate to the end of times. Third thing that Jesus warns us about is in verses nine through 13. I don't think I put them up on the slides, I'm going to skim through them. He says, "Don't be deceived by the persecution that you faced. The people of God are going to suffer. Just because you're persecuted doesn't mean that the end is near." Jesus tells them plainly that they're going to be flogged and judged by governors and authorities. They'll be hated as the gospel goes forth. The gospel divides. It has two effects. It draws people in as you stand on it, preach it and stand on it and it draws people away. It's a stench that they reject. They don't want to hear it. They harden their hearts against God.It divides even families. In verses 12 to 13, he elaborates that man will kill his own brother over Christianity, a father a child. Children will kill their parents. Christians will be killed by their own family members, but they are not specific signs that the end is near. These things have been happening, they'll continue to happen. So this fascination with the end should not cause us to look upon these three categories of just travesty as false teachers, natural events, wars and killing within families.They should not cause us to say immediately the world is coming to end. And Jesus is telling when these things happen, when people believe them, when people start taking others and saying, this is the end, a lot of people are led astray. We should not be led astray. And so we engage it. We engage it with a steadiness. We're not shocked by their occurrence. Verse 10, he's saying, "We live in the period of last days." But before the Lord returns, what we focus on is one thing. Verse 10. And the gospel must be first proclaimed to all nations. So this is going to take some time. It's taken 2000 or so years so far and we're not done yet. If you really want the world to come to an end, don't focus on reading into all of the events. Instead, focus yourself on applying the gospel to your own heart in a deeper way each day. Then when you do that, think about and pray about how the Lord could use you to transform your neighbor's heart. Then think about how he can use you to transform every country, every culture, every community, tribe, person, and do this work with much patience, humility, sobriety and self-control as things of the world are rising and falling around you.Jesus is saying, be steady, be ready. Be ready for a long race. Don't follow the likes of Joseph Smith, Joe Schmo who says he comes in the name of the Lord in desperation. Don't read into all the current events. Don't expend all your energy on that. There's an opportunity cost to spending time on this stuff at the cost of faithfulness to Jesus and loving God and loving your neighbor day-to-day. Focus on right now. That's what Christians are called to do. How can I be salt and light where the Lord has placed me right now with every relationship I have with every office he's called me to as a single, as a married, as a parent, as a worker, as a neighbor. How do I run faithfully and steady? Stay awake. This is what Christians are called to.And so I emphasize that. We're called to be steady. Called to be ready. The second part of Jesus' answer goes to verses 14 to 23. This section is the direct answer to the disciples question about the destruction of the temple. So Jesus before prophesying about anything that will happen in the future in this section, he's making a statement about the destruction of the temple. Remember the disciples asked him, when will the destruction of Jerusalem occur? And so he's given an answer. Jesus begins verse 14 with a cryptic statement. It's using terminology from the book of Daniel. He says, "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be ..." Another translation says when you see the desolating, sacrilege, when something holy or sacred is profaned. When you see that you know the end is near. And so he's talking about the end of Jerusalem here first and foremost.Pastor Jan on in his second half of his sermon, he talked about there is a two-fold nature to prophecy that we see in scripture where first and foremost, a prophetic statement typically has that prophetic statement in the day. And that's what I'm saying. These verses 14 to 23 are talking specifically about the near the fall of Jerusalem in the near term, short term. Pastor Jan did open up the topic a little further to say there's abomination of desolation statement. Is this a statement for the future? And he talked primarily about what continues as a spirit. We are not saying history captures. There's a couple of points in time where we saw Gentiles in 168 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes, a Roman general captured Jerusalem. He went to the temple and he profaned it by offering sacrifices to Roman false gods in the temple. And so a lot of people that is an abomination of desolation.Furthermore, history talks about after the Romans in this siege of 70 A.D. that I'm going to talk about in detail in a little bit. After they conquered Jerusalem and the temple, they did offer sacrifices to their gods in what remained of the temple space. But one of the things that Pastor Jan on really tried to focus us on is that the greatest travesty, the greatest abomination of desolation that ever occurred in history was done by those who were supposed to be the chosen people of God. The Jewish authorities, the Sanhedrin, the high priest rejected Jesus Christ, the anointed one, the son of God who showed who he was through his miracles, through his word, through his faithfulness and sacrifice and obedience. They rejected him. And for 40 years, what did they do? They rejected him so much to the point, the very presence of God, the word incarnate, they rejected him to the point that they conspired with their enemies, the Romans to send him to the cross. And so this destruction of Jerusalem that happened in 70 A.D. four decades after Christ, for four decades, they stood with hardness of heart against their standing on Jesus Christ. They desolated the perfect spotless land of God and the rejection of him.And what perhaps the continuation of that is anyone who claims that he was wrong. He was not who he said he was. In the local church, in authorities, religious authorities, those who reject Christ are in a way profaning what is holy in rejecting Jesus. And so this abomination of desolation ... Pasture Jan on goes in more detail. But specifically these verses, let me take us back, they're talking about the destruction of Jerusalem.When the holy temple is desecrated Luke chapter 20 verses 20 to 21 also adds to this phrase, when you see the city surrounded by armies flee. So when you see the temple being desecrated and you see the city of Jerusalem surrounded by armies, run as fast as you can run. This is verses 14 23. Don't pack up your belongings. There isn't any time. When you see these things run. Hopefully you're not pregnant. Hopefully it's not winter because that'll make the flee harder. Jesus is speaking very directly here about the destruction of the temple and he's warning his disciples about ... He's given warnings about how it'll happen. Mark verse 19 talks about it's a calamity tribulation that the world has never seen before. So 40 years after this discussion between Jesus and the disciples on the Mount of Olives again in year 70, the Romans completely demolished Jerusalem. The temple and Jerusalem. Josephus, the Jewish historian, recorded details of this event.He tells us that in response to a Jewish uprising in year 66, the Roman army laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Romans built a high wall around the city. Almost every tree within miles of the city was cut down to build the wall, transforming the landscape of Jerusalem into a desert. And the Romans dug a deep trench all around the city. No one could get in, no one could get out, no food or water could be brought in. Any Jews who tried to flee Jerusalem were captured and crucified and placed on top of the wall for everyone to see. After four years of this, tens of thousands of Jews, sometimes 500 plus a day, who tried to escape were crucified on the wall. Just absolutely horrific. And the people who were left inside that were dying of starvation. Eventually the Roman army did breach the walls of Jerusalem and they slaughtered the surviving Jews and burned the entire city, including the temple.Josephus estimated that during the Roman siege of Jerusalem, over 1.1 million people were killed, mainly Jews, and that another 97,000 were captured and enslaved. And the temple, there's a lot of theories about why was every stone broken down. There's a theory that there was just such animosity through this long conflict that the Romans just with vehemence just wanted to sack the Jews. Sack the city. So in their anger, they destroyed every last stone. There's also theories that the gold all over the temple and perhaps in the homes there's gold in the walls, that they were seeking the treasure. There's a theory that they did burn the temple as part of the process and some of the gold melted into the cracks between the rocks. So perhaps that drove them to destroy each stone. But we do find history shows us that Christ's prophecy in verse one, verse two, "Do you see these great stone buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." That happened. So think about the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Greece. The Romans didn't destroy it. We can still see it today. But the Romans actually, they initially wanted to preserve the temple, but they found they're just losing too many soldiers. So that's when they set fire to it. But not one stone was left upon another just as Jesus said. Even the foundation was taken up.So this verse 13, chapter 13, the first section is about warning to not be deceived, be steady as you face deception. This section, it talks about the destruction of the temple before anything else. The third section of Jesus' answer starts in verse 24, and this is our primary text for the day, and I'm going to try my best to speed through. He's transitioning from what is going to happen in the temple to discussion on the end of time and the coming of the son of man. So Jesus is answering the disciples questions about the timing of Jesus' return. When are you going to return? When's the last day coming? This is where Jesus answers that."But in those days," verse 24 to 27, "after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and then the moon will not give its light and the stars will be falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken and they'll see the sun of men coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven." So all of this ... This is crucial to understand the passage. All of these verses here in the third section of the chapter state that God's power will be seen in an unmistakable way at the end of times. It will be very distinct from what we see upon war and travesty in our current times.An earthquake, a tsunami, a hurricane. Don't think those are things that will usher in the end. Those are small compared to what's going to happen in the end. He says you're going to see stars fall from the sky, the sun go dark. Jesus, the son of man will come in the clouds with power and glory. Angels probably visibly will be gathering the Lord's people. When you see God's power coming like it never did before in an unmistakable manner, that is the sign that the end is here. The end is imminent. That's what we watch for the end. And in the middle of this display of power, he's going to, as the skies break down, natural disasters that we've never seen before, the sun of man, in a split second, he'll appear. He'll come in the clouds and everyone is going to see him and they're going to know it's him. There's not going to be a question, who is this guy? Is this him? Should I follow him? Maybe I can keep eating right now. No. It's like we're going to know it's him.Christ is going to return and the fullness of his glory and he will complete the work that he began. He'll send his angels to gather all of his people, all the elect. Those who have received him by grace through faith. We as Christians can look forward ... As we understand this, as he returns and he is going to gather in his elect, we can look forward to this day if it happens in our lifetime. Like my daughter Clara looks forward to Christmas and her birthday, we can look forward to it. It'll be a good day for us. If we're dead, when that day happens, our sleeping bodies will rise and be united with our resurrected souls for ever. This is the great hope of the people of God, the elect. For those who are in Jesus Christ. This is the end of the present time, the current order of creation before Jesus makes all things new unblemished by sin and the enemy.So in the first section, don't be deceived. In the second section, temple will be destroyed very soon. The third section, Christ will return in glory in the midst of an unmistakable display of God's power. And now the last section, this section is a little different than the first three. The first three are primarily predictions. Jesus is telling the disciples when these things will occur in response to his questions. This is more prescriptive. Jesus is telling them what to do.The first part of this section, it's verses 28 to 31. It said ... This is very important to understand this passage. It said specifically with regard to the destruction of the temple, not the end of times. So he tells them, learn the lesson from the fig tree, verse 28. "From the fig tree, learn its lesson. As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves you know that summer is near. So also when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near at the very gates." When you see these things happening, army surrounding Jerusalem, the temple desecrated, you know that destruction of the temple and Jerusalem is right around the corner. It will happen. As sure as you know, summer will happen when the fig tree puts out its leaves. So in an agricultural society, they would've understood when the fig tree is putting out its leaves, summer is coming. When these things happen, be assured the temple Jerusalem is going to be destroyed. That's verse 28 to 31. Be ready. And Jesus assures them that this destruction of Jerusalem will happen before this generation passes away. In verse 31, he says, "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place."So those who are alive right now, right then at the moment that Jesus is teaching, some of them will still be alive. That generation will be alive to witness the destruction of Jerusalem. He's given them the prescriptive order to be steady, be ready, flee when that time comes. They'll experience it or witness it. They need to be ready for it. And so this is crucial to the understanding of the text. And then in verse 32, he transitions to talk about the end of time again. His return. He says, "But concerning that day or that hour ..." Verse 32 literally begins, "But concerning that day or that hour ..." Another period of time, another moment in time. We're now speaking about the end of time Jesus second coming. He assures them, no one knows when that day or hour will come. Verse 32. "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the son, but only the father." No one knows when the end will come. Nobody knows when the day or hour will come. Nobody will be able to predict it or narrow it down to a time or a day. Nobody knows.Jesus even says that only the father knows when Christ will return. Not even the angels. Not even himself. And I don't know how that can be. This is a big question of the Trinity and just the recesses of how the Father, the son, the spirit relate. And we can't really answer that question right now. We take Jesus' word for it as the word of God, but we take now practical application. If Jesus doesn't know, then why are we in the church, in the world spending so much time trying to figure the timing and specific manner of this day out? If Jesus doesn't know, we're not going to figure it out. If we don't know the time, but Jesus gives orders ... We don't know the time, but Jesus, he gives us orders of prescription, a command for followers to await the last day, the day of his return by being steady and being ready. And that's what verses 33 to 37, that's how he closed the chapter."Be on guard. Keep awake for you. Do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey when he leaves his home and puts his servants in charge each with his work and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake For you do not know when the master of the house will come. In the evening or at midnight or when the rooster crows or in the morning. Lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake." So when you see that unmistakable display of God's power, you will know that the end is upon us. Jesus is saying, be ready for it. Don't be found sleeping. We need to expect and anticipate that moment without getting fixated upon the details of when it will be. The timing of it. When the end comes, when he does return, what does he want to see? He wants to see us awake and faithful. He needs to find us focused living by faith following him. Be ready for Christ's return by running the race steadily and faithfully. We don't chase the buzz about the end of time. We don't speculate about dates and predictions. We don't over-read into current events. Instead be ready. That's Christ's orders. That's his prescription. And what do we do day-to-day? We do what God is called us to do. We're about that task.He may return in a day or 10,000 years. Whenever he does, we need to be found ready. And so we live by faith, have our eyes fixed on Jesus, the only savior, our only king, the true prophet. We don't get drawn into the temptations of the world thinking, I can do this stuff and before I die or Christ comes, I can repent. We don't function like that. It could be today. We need to be ready. Furthermore, a lot of Christians are so obsessed with the end of times because they think that it'll wake people up to start living for Christ. That's why people have the signs out on the streets. They're trying to essentially scare people. Hey, the end is about to come. Repent. It's not all out of bad motives. They think if we know it's near, then it'll make us start living in the right way.But I asked if you knew that the end was in a year, would that change the way you live the next year? If you're a Christian in Christ today, it really shouldn't. You should be living this day, this moment, this year as if Christ is going to return in the very next moment. We're always being ready. We're always awake. We're not going to get focused on not getting caught sleeping, not scrolling around through TikTok shorts, YouTube media shorts, living just slovenly, slothful lives. We focus on the work that he's called us to. We say, "Lord, what would you have me do today?" And we seek faithfulness to and the power and blessing of his spirit as we try to do it for his glory. The return of Christ, it means both judgment and salvation. For those who are spiritually sleeping, those who are not following Christ, it will be a time of judgment and his wrath will crush you worse than the destruction of Jerusalem. And it's a destruction that you will not be able to flee. It will be worse than anything you could imagine.The good news is that what's amazing is that all you need to do to avoid such wrath is trust that Christ went to the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, your rebellion against him. The crucifixion scene of Mark in chapter 15 states that Christ faced darkness, an unnatural supernatural darkness in the middle of the day for three hours on the cross. Three hours of supernatural darkness as he drank the cup of God's wrath for all of the elect. After he drank that cup, drank the full wrath, the full punishment deserved, he shouted in victory and breathed his last.If you believe that he did that for you, you can be a saved and avoid the wrath of God at the last day. For those whose eyes and hearts are already fixed on Christ, who trust in him for the forgiveness of their sins, who follow him as Lord and Savior, this day will be a day of joyful salvation. It'll be like a great holiday, a holy day, the holiest of holy days that we look forward to where we will be gathered into the fullness of his glorified presence. Perhaps I dare say we should look forward to it like a small child looks forward to Christmas or a birthday for it will be, in a sense, a new birthday where we're gifted with our resurrected eternal bodies free from the influence of Satan and power of sin. If we pause like Clara to revel and meditate on the and gifts to come that's ahead on that day that are mentioned in Scripture, we would be willing to endure any hardship to get to that day. And so I ask, what kind of day is it going to be for you? Are you ready? Are you awake? Is your life marked by steadiness or steadfastness of faith that when Jesus does appear in an unmistakable fashion that you know have assurance that you'll be gathered by the angels or do you face death, darkness, wrath?Our world, even the church, it's guilty of speculating over the end of times, but Jesus says don't get caught up in it. Jesus says, "Watch, be steady, be ready. And in the meantime, may God, may he be glorified in all that you do." And I haven't talked too much about what that means practically speaking. What does it mean that God may be glorified as we're steady and ready one day at a time trusting him, awaiting his return with patience and self-control? I'm going to close by reading 12: 9 through 21 as this makes our daily tasks clear. This is what Christians do as we await Jesus's return.Romans 12: 9 through 21. "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful and zeal but fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own say. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink for by doing, you'll heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, we just come to you with humility to say that in our impatience, in our faithlessness, in our fear of man, fear of physical pain, fear of death, Lord, we confuse and conflate your promises about your presence with us through trials, through tribulations. We confuse and conflate just the joy, the reward that's ahead of us with Christ's return. Lord, we just pray forgive us and Jesus and help us to leave here steadfast in faith, knowing that you will be with us, whatever is to come in this life individually in our lives or as greater society rises and falls. Lord, give us faith that when we step out to honor you, that you can use us to bring redemption. Bring your grace, bring your mercy to the brokenness around us. Let us never grow weary of doing good for your glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Fr. Mike draws our attention to the descriptions of wisdom found in our readings for today and reflects on the beauty of wisdom's feminine nature. He also discusses the death of Antiochus Epiphanes and offers two perspectives on reconciling God's role in suffering. Today's readings are from 2 Maccabees 9, Wisdom 7-8, and Proverbs 25:1-3. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Fr. Mike illustrates the story of Eleazar and the abandonment of peace terms between the Jews and the Greeks. He also recognizes the pain that children and family members who don't follow the Lord can bring about, and uses wisdom from Sirach to address this prevalent struggle. Today's readings are 1 Maccabees 6, Sirach 16-18, and Proverbs 22:17-21. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Welcome to the Maccabean Revolt period! Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to introduce the tenth biblical period in our journey, which begins with the Greek oppression of the Jews under Antiochus Epiphanes, and ends with Herodian rule of the Holy Land. Jeff and Fr. Mike walk us through the key events of this period, highlighting the zealous response of the Maccabean family, the celebration of Hanukkah, and the heroic martyrdom of Jews who would not betray their religious identity in the midst of persecution. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

As we begin reading the first book of Maccabees today, Fr. Mike highlights the severe persecution against the Jews and the desecration of the Temple led by Antiochus Epiphanes. We also begin our journey in the book of Sirach today and learn about the fear of the Lord, clinging to the Lord in trials, and the importance of honoring our parents. Today's readings are 1 Maccabees 1, Sirach 1-3, and Proverbs 21:29-31. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.