Daniel 9

Bible study with Dr. Chuck Missler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQPqqK09lgY&feature=related
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JESUS POINTED HIS DISCIPLES TO DANIEL 9 AS THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE END TIMES
Matthew 24-25
Mark 13
Luke 21

The 4 disciples (Peter, James, John, and Andrew) asked Jesus 3 questions about the end times
1. When should these things be?
2. What shall be the sign of Jesus's second coming?
3. What shall be the signs of the end of the world?

Jesus opens and closes His response with the same warning: Let no man deceive you (Matthew 24:4)
How do we make sure we are not deceived? Our ultimate refuge is always the WHOLE counsel of God.

Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel (Mathew 24:15-16)
- Who wrote the Book of Daniel? Daniel. How do we know? BECAUSE JESUS SAID SO.
- Jesus also identifies Daniel as a prophet (even though Daniel was never brought up as a prophet -- He was a captive of the Babylonian Empire!)
- Skeptics claim the Book of Daniel simply cannot be written by Daniel because the details of the prophecies were so exact, the book must have been written by someone who was a contemporary of the events. (This inadvertently proves how amazing God is!) To those skeptics, take note that the Book of Daniel was a part of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament that was completed 300 years before the birth of Jesus.

When we see the Abomination of Desolation, we will know it is the end of times (Matthew 24:15)
- Jesus used the term, "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 25:15), which quoted Daniel
- The erection of a pagan idol is always an abomination. What makes it a desolation is by erecting that idol in the Holy of Holies. This happened once in history: Antiochus Epiphanes erected an idol in the Holy of Holies in 167 BC.
- Jesus said when we SEE the Abomination of Desolation, we’ll know it is the end of times. The key word here is SEE. When the Jews see this happening, they should immediately run to the mountains.
- We do not know exactly how we can "see" this occurring, but we know several things: 1) Only the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies, and this occurs only once a year; 2) There hasn’t been a temple since it was destroyed in 70 AD. Therefore, this suggests two things: One, the temple will be rebuilt; and two, this is a major political move. And with our media today, major television companies (e.g., CNN) will capture this for the world to "see."

When the Jews see the Abomination of Desolation, let those in Judea flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:16-20)
- Let those in Judea flee to the mountains. Why only those in Judea (as opposed to New York or anywhere else)? Understand Daniel 9. Recognize the Jewishness of Matthew 24. This is addressing the Jews. Daniel 9 speaks also about the future of the Jews, not Gentiles.
- When the Abomination of Desolation occurs, FLEE and FLEE NOW -- Don't even think about going home and packing. Flee to the mountains immediately.

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) (Matthew 24:22)
How will "those days be shortened"? Those days will be shortened because we now have the technology to create weapons (e.g., WMDs) to wipe out the Earth. This phrase did not mean much back during the civil war. No one can imagine taking down the world with muskets and cannons. But today, we can easily envision WMDs destroying the world in a day.


QUICK REVIEW OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL

Historical Chapters: Daniel 1-6
1: Daniel deported as a teenager (606 BC)
2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (602 BC)
3: Bow or Burn: the Furnace
4: Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride
5: The Fall of Babylon (539 BC)
6: The Lion’s Den/Plot of Magi

Vision Chapters: Daniel 7-12
7: Time of the Gentiles (556 BC)
8: The Ram and the Goat (554 BC)
9: The Seventy Weeks (538 BC)
10: A Glimpse of the Dark Side
11: The Silent Years (in advance)
12: The Consummation of All Things

Daniel 2-7 was written in Aramaic, not Hebrew, because this was written to the Gentiles. This is very unusual because the Bible generally views the world from the Jewish perspective!

Daniel 8-12 switches back to Hebrew, meaning the focus shifts back to the Jewish people.

Chronological Order of Events
1: Daniel deported as a teenager (606 BC)
2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (602 BC)
3: Bow or Bum: the Fumace
4: Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride
7 (prophecy): Time of the Gentiles (556 BC)
8 (prophecy): The Ram and the Goat (554 BC)
5: The Fall of Babylon (539 BC)
6: The Lion’s Den/Plot of Magi
9 (prophecy): The Seventy Weeks (538 BC)
10 (prophecy): A Glimpse of the Dark Side
11 (prophecy): The Silent Years (in advance)
12 (prophecy): The Consummation of All Things


DANIEL 9: THE INTERRUPTED PRAYER
- Daniel 9:1-19, Daniel started his prayer
- Daniel 9:20-23, Gabriel interrupted Daniel’s prayer by visiting him
- Daniel 9:24-27, Gabriel gave Daniel the prophecy of the 70 weeks

Daniel started his prayer (Daniel 9:1-19)
"In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years" (Daniel 9:2).

Jeremiah 25:11-12
This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever."

Jeremiah 29:10
This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place."

Daniel took Jeremiah LITERALLY (not allegorically!) and was able to calculate that the 70 years of captivity were almost up. He was excited, but he didn't just sit back and relax. He was proactive in his preparations, and he prayed! He prayed not just for himself but for his people and his people’s land!

Why?

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Gabriel interrupted Daniel’s prayer (Daniel 9:20-23)
Daniel wasn't done praying but was interrupted by Gabriel. Gabriel is one of the archangels. There are 3 named archangels in the Bible: Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer. Gabriel, whenever he’s mentioned in the Bible, is always announcing something about the Messiah. Michael is always presented as a warrior, fighting on behalf of God. And Lucifer, well, he’s Satan. Enough said.

“Evening sacrifice” (Daniel 9:21)
During Daniel’s time, there was no Temple. There would have been no scheduled evening sacrifice. Yet, we can see that in Daniel’s mind, there is still a Temple, and he continues to worship the Lord even though there was no physical temple. There is a lot to be learned from Daniel’s reverence to God!

Gabriel gave Daniel the prophecy of the 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24-27)
- Daniel 9:24, The Scope
- Daniel 9:25, The 69 Weeks
- Daniel 9:26, The Interval
- Daniel 9:27, The 70th Week

Daniel 9:26 is the longest interval in the Bible! It’s been going on for 2000+ years, and it’ll keep on going until Jesus returns!


THE SCOPE (DANIEL 9:24)


The "seventy sevens" result in the consummation of 6 things
1. To finish the transgression
2. To make an end of sins
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness
5. To conclude/seal up the vision and prophecy
6. To anoint the most holy place, the Holy of Holies

The scope of these things are completely conclusive (because at the end, when this is over, it will bring the end of sins). Yet, its fulfillment is not conclusive. That is, the 70th week has not yet been fulfilled.


"Weeks"
- Weeks of Days: Example, Sabbath is on the 7th day (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:11)
- Weeks of Weeks: Example, the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-16)
- Weeks of Months: Example, Nisan to Tishri (Exodus 12:2; Leviticus 23:24)
- Weeks of Years: Example, the sabbatical years for the Land (Leviticus 25:1-22, 26:33-35; Deuteronomy 15; Exodus 23:10-11; 2 Chronicles 36:19-21)

Here, in Daniel 9:24, the “weeks” is weeks of years.

The Jews "owe" God seventy sevens (2 Chronicles 36:22)
The Jew were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years because God told them that they owe him seventy, through Jeremiah. Through studying the Book of Jeremiah, Daniel was able to calculate down to the day of when that 70 years would be up.

Hence, we see Daniel praying in Daniel 9, because he knew the 70 years of Babylonian captivity was almost up. (And we know from history, that indeed, after 70 years of Babylonian captivity, Persians came and conquered the Babylonians.)

On a bigger picture, however, the Jews have failed to keep Leviticus 25 for a total of 490 years -- The Jews failed to keep the sabbatical year for the land that occurred on every 7th year for a total of seventy weeks of seven. In the text, "week" represent weeks of years. Thus, 70 weeks of years = 70 x 7 years = 490 years.


THE 69 WEEKS (DANIEL 9:25)

From the commandment to restore Jerusalem to the arrival of the Messiah the King was prophesied to be 69 weeks of years (483 years).

Decrees to Rebuild Temple/Jerusalem
1. Cyrus, 537 BC (Ezra 1:2-4)
2. Darius (Ezra 6:1-5, 8, 12)
3. Artaxerxes, 458 BC (Ezra 7:11-26)
4. Artaxerxes, 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:5-8, 17, 18)

Those who have been following my blog posts on the minor prophets that I recently went through by following Pastor Terry Gray’s teachings would remember that the rebuilding of the Temple was very difficult during Ezra’s time. However, it set the stage for Nehemiah, who was able to set it going with more success. Why is this significant? The first 3 decrees dealt with only the rebuilding of the Temple. Only the last decree, issued during Nehemiah’s time, dealt with the rebuilding of the Temple AND Jerusalem! Furthermore, Daniel said it himself that he knew of the times by referring to Nehemiah’s documentation, so that ought to also authenticate the event.

Thus, the commandment to restore Jerusalem is the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus, issued on March 14, 445 BC.

How many days in a year?
- The Bible used 360 days in a year (Genesis 7:24, 8:3-4; Daniel 9:27, 12:6; Revelation 11:2-3, 13:5)
- Ancient calendars were also based on 360-day years: Hebrews (obviously) Assyrians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Chinese, Mayans, Hindus, Carthaginians, Etruscans, Teutons, etc.

The Coming of Messiah was prophesied to the EXACT DAY
Coming back to Daniel 9:25, where he prophesied that from the commandment to restore Jerusalem to the arrival of the Messiah the King was 483 years or 173,880 days (483 x 360), we could calculate when Jesus officially presented Himself as the King of Jews (Zechariah 9:9): A day where Jesus personally arranged for His presentation to take place! (Prior to this day, when the crowd would urge Him to be their King, Jesus would slip away saying His time had not yet come.)

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry occurred on April 6, 32 AD, exactly 173,880 days after the decree! Gabriel’s margin of error was ZERO! Gabriel told Daniel the PRECISE day that Jesus would present Himself as King and Messiah!

The Triumphal Entry and the Rocks that Never Cried Out (Luke 19:38-40)
- Luke 19:38 quotes Psalms 118
- The Pharisees were worked up about this, telling Jesus to rebuke His disciples (Luke 19:39). Why? The people were just singing Psalm 118. However, the Pharisees knew that when the people sang Psalm 118 under those circumstances (with Jesus riding in on a donkey), they were declaring Jesus their Messiah, the King. And since the Pharisees refused to believe that Jesus was indeed their King, they naturally thought Jesus wouldn’t want His disciples to blaspheme God’s name and thus wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples! Never did it occur to them that perhaps the people knew what they were talking about, that perhaps Jesus IS the KING!
- Jesus therefore answered, “I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).

Judgment Declared (Luke 19:41-42)
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as he approached it, saying, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

Jesus expected His people to KNOW this day would be THE day, because Gabriel had been so precise. But they didn’t. And so, they’ve had their chance. Moving forward, the Israelites would be forever blinded UNTIL the fullness of Gentiles would come in (Romans 11:25).

Jesus continued, “The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

And indeed, 38 years after Jesus said that, millions died from a siege, while others died of famine. And of course, in 70 AD, Jerusalem fell. Why did Jerusalem fall? “Because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you,” said Jesus to His people!

Jesus held His people to know prophecy! They may not know the exact day (thought that information was precisely given to them), but they should have at least recognized the circumstances. And because they didn’t, their city was destroyed!


THE INTERVAL (DANIEL 9:26)

The Messiah will be killed (karat)
Jesus will be killed, not for Himself, but for us.

"People of the prince shall come"
This phrase describes the Romans and the Antichrist (We know it’s Romans because they destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple 38 years after Jesus was crucified, in 70 AD -- See my notes on Revelation 17-18 for details)

There are two parts to the Roman Empire: Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire (Isaiah 10, Micah 5)

According to rabbinical teachings, the Messiah had to be executed prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD (Yalkut, Vol. II, 32b, p. 79, Nazir edition), and the Messiah had to exit Jerusalem before 33 AD (Midrash Berishit, p. 243, Warsaw edition). For the Jews who still refuse to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, who else but Jesus Christ fulfilled all the prophecies between 33-70 AD?

This interval is also mentioned in other scriptural passages
Luke 4:18-20 (cf. Isaiah 61:1-2, take care to note where Jesus stopped reading and commented what He had fulfilled in the people’s presence that day); Revelation 12:5-6; Isaiah 54:7; Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:10-11; Acts 15:13-18; Micah 5:2-3; Zechariah 9:9-10; Luke 1:31-32, 21:24.

This interval has been defined
Luke 19:42 until Romans 11:25 (Israel, as a nation, will be blind to the Truth until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in)

This interval is the period of the Church, an era that was kept a secret in the Old Testament (Matthew 13:34-35; Ephesians 3:5-9)
- The Church was born at Pentecost (Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 1:5, 11:15-16).
- There were prerequisites for this interval to take place: 1) Atonement of sins by Jesus (Matthew 16:18-21); 2) Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:20-23); and 3) Ascension of Jesus into Heaven (Ephesians 4:7-11)


THE 70TH WEEK (DANIEL 9:27)

The Antichrist will ENFORCE a treaty
"He" = the Prince shall come = the Antichrist

The Antichrist enforce a covenant (peace treaty). This does not mean he will sign it. He may sign it or just simply enforce, say, the Palestinian covenant that is giving Israel right to the Land. The start of this treaty defines the beginning of the 70th week.

This peace treaty appears to restore Jewish sacrificial ceremonies for atonement of sins
The Antichrist would maintain that peace for a 7-year period. However, in the middle of this week of years (i.e., 3 1/2 years), he would cease these ceremonies.

"He shall cause sacrifices to cease" suggests that there will be a Temple, that the Jews would be allowed to go back to the Levitical system. 

The greatest dilemma for the Jews today is that they have no remedy for sin! The Book of Leviticus says clearly that without the shedding of blood there is no remedy. Today, Israelites do not have the Temple, and they do not have the opportunity to shed blood. They have no remedy and yet they are completely conscious of sin -- Quite the dilemma! 

This progression of event essentially resembles the time when Antiochus Epiphanes erected an Abomination of Desolation in 167 BC. Jesus, in his briefing, makes reference to this, a historical event that had occurred 2 centuries earlier. Yet, Jesus was speaking of it prophetically. Jesus is talking about a repeat of that kind of an event! There has never been a repeat of Antiochus Epiphanes' deeds to this day.

Feast of Dedication
- Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:2) occurred in the Autumn
- Zerubbabel’s Temple (Ezra 6:15-16) occurred in the Spring
- The Rededication of the Temple occurred in the Winter, during the 25th of Kislev. This was the Feast of Dedication that John referred to in John 10:22. This is the Feast of Dedication that took place during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. This is not a feast of Moses. It's not in the Old Testament. It celebrates an event that occurred between the two Testaments. The Holy Spirit mentions it here because Jesus would allude to Epiphanes’ Abomination of Desolation to show that a similar event will take place in the future.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes
- Made Torah reading punishable by death
- Slaughtered a sow on the altar
- Erected an idol to Zeus in the Holy of Holies (The Abomination of Desolation, Matthew 24:15), which resulted in the Macabbean Revolt

The Macabbean Revolt
- Spanned 3 years
- Threw off the yoke of the Seleucid Empire
- Rededicated the Temple on the 25th of Kislev, 165 BC, which to this day is celebrated as Channukah (John 10:22)
Daniel 9:24-27 are aimed at Israel
- Israel and the Church have different origins, missions, and destinies.
- Replacement Theology denies Israel its place in God’s plan (Romans 9-11). Worse, it makes God a liar. It is also the basis for anti-Semitism.

The “70 Weeks of Daniel” deal specifically with Israel
- Gabriel made that clear up-front.
- Paul always dealt with God’s people in 3 categories: Jews, Gentiles, and the Church (1 Corinthians 10:32)


MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH

In the Bible, the concept of a "mystery" is something that was not previously revealed until God provided understanding of it through His prophets.


Jesus told His disciples that He was revealing things that were not revealed before ("mysteries"), aka things not foretold in the Old Testament (Matthew 13:11)
What were these mysteries? One of them was the about the Church, a mystery that Paul had the privilege to reveal it.

It was Paul's privilege to reveal the Mystery of the Church (Ephesians 3)
Contrary to popular misunderstanding, it was never true that the Gentiles cannot be saved, or that God only intended the Israelites as His people. God has provided salvation to the Gentiles since the Old Testament. The idea behind "Israelites as God's people" was that the Israelites were supposed to be God's representatives on Earth, exemplifying God's provision and love so that through them, everyone can be saved.

And so, the Mystery of the Church is not at all about "Gentiles are also saved" -- As noted above, there was no mystery about that. Old Testament prophets knew God saves the Gentiles.

What was a mystery about the Church to the Old Testament prophets but revealed in the New Testament was the following
- The Church has a body (Ephesians 3:3-9)
- The Holy Spirit indwells in every believer (Colossians 1:26-27) -- This did NOT happen until AFTER Jesus ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:9-11)
- The Church is the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32)
- The Church will go through Harpazo (Rapture) (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)
- The Church is distinguished from the Jews and the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 10:32)

These concepts blew Paul away. He knew what the Holy Spirit was, but the perpetual indwelling of the Holy Spirit? This was not true for the Old Testament saints! The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was true only for the Church! There was no indwelling of the Holy Spirit before the Church, there there will not be any indwelling of the Holy Spirit when the Church is removed.

The Church is distinguished from the Jews and the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 10:32)
This distinction evaporates from Revelation 4 and on.

Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21)
This is the period of time from Nebuchadnezzar to the Antichrist -- An era of Gentile dominion on Earth.

The Fullness of the Gentiles
It is not the same as "the Time of the Gentiles" -- Here, there is a number in mind. Once that number is reached, the Church will be raptured, sending the Earth through the Tribulation.

Once the Church is removed, God deals with Jews and Gentiles as in the Old Testament times
This is why after Revelation 4, the Bible switches back to a Hebrew perspective. The distinction between Jews and Gentiles reemerges after Revelation 4.


Prerequisite for the Church to take place (Luke 24:45-49; Acts 1:1-11)
- The atonement of sin: Jesus died on the Cross
- The resurrection of Jesus
- The ascension of Jesus



ORDER OF EVENTS (2 Thessalonians 2)

1. The Rapture occurs (2 Thessalonians 2:3) (Some argue this is talking about the Apostasy. Missler believes this is talking about the Rapture)
2. The Restrainer is removed (2 Thessalonians 2:7)
3. The Man of Sin is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
4. The Day of the Lord comes

2 Thessalonians 2
Paul is upset because there had been false teaching that led the Thessalonians to think either they have been mis-taught, or they have missed the Rapture. Paul thus reminds them what he had taught them. "The day of the world shall not come unless there is a falling away first." -- Then, the restrainer is removed. And THEN shall the wicked one be revealed.

The Rapture precedes the Tribulation
- The 70th Week is defined by the covenant enforced by the Coming World Leader (Daniel 9:27).
- The Great Tribulation is the last ½ of the 70th Week.
- The Coming World Leader cannot be revealed until AFTER the Ratpure (2 Thessalonians 2:6-9).

Israel and the Church are dealt with separately
This is why the Rapture will take place before the Tribulation.

If not, then how do we explain the following:
1. We (the Church) are promised we will not experience God's wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3, etc)
2. How can the Bride come with Jesus if Jesus is coming for them?
3. Who will populate the Millennium? If at the end of the Tribulation, everyone is either given our resurrection bodies (which will no longer experience death) or cast into Hell, who would be left to populate the Earth during the Millenium as prophesied (and will have bodies that will still experience death)?
4. Who are the sheep and goat judgments of Matthew 25
5. How do the virgins of Matthew 25 buy oil without the Mark of the Beast?

Each question above is a study on its own. This list of questions is not exhaustive. My purpose for listing these questions is to encourage us to think about what we have learned throughout the Bible. When we consider only certain verses and become quite myopic about those verses, it is very easy for us to take them out of context and misunderstand the message. However, when we evaluate verses based on the ENTIRE Bible, it becomes much easier to see which piece of the puzzle should go where. The Bible is meant to be studied as a WHOLE and analyzed as a WHOLE. ALL the pieces MUST fit perfectly together. Why? Because God's message is perfect and whole. If we find a piece and don't know where to fit it, the clue can be found within the Bible. This is why every time we go through the Bible, we can continue to find gems and nuggets of information. God's knowledge is that deep and that wide -- and He has shared it with us.


The Great Tribulation lasts time, times, and 1/2 time
Matthew 24:21-22
Daniel 12
- “Time” = 1 week of years (Daniel 7:25, 12:7; Revelation 12:14)
- This period of time is also known as 3 ½ years (Daniel 9:27; 12:7), 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), 1260 days (Revelation 11:3; Daniel 12:6)
- This is the most documented period of time in the Bible
The Tribulation is a “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). The Tribulation will affect all, but the focus is on the Israelites.
- During Jesus's briefing (Matthew 24), where He defined the last 3 1/2 years as the Great Tribulation, Jesus was quoting Daniel 12.

Hosea 5:15
"Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me."

This Scripture shows that Jesus has left His place in Heaven. Otherwise, how could Jesus "return" to His place, if He hadn't left it in the first place? Why did Jesus leave His place in Heaven? To become man so that He could die in our place and wash us of our sin! Today, Jesus has returned to His place in Heaven and will return ONLY WHEN the Israelites earnestly seek Him. There are several prerequisites for Jesus's return, and one of which is for Israel to petition for his return, to acknowledge him in a corporate sense.


TITLES OF THE ANTICHRIST

- Seed of the Serpent (Genesis 3:15)
- Idol Shepherd (Zechariah 11:16-17)
- Little Horn (Daniel 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25)
- Prince that shall come (Daniel 9:26)
- Willful King (Daniel 11:36)
- Beast (Revelation 11:7; 13)
- False Prophet (Revelation 13)
- Antichrist (1 John 2:22)
- Lawless One (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
- Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
- One come in his own name (John 5:43)
- Son of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Characteristics of the Antichrist
- Intellectual genius (Daniel 7:20; 8:23; Ezekiel 28:3)
- Persuasive orator (Daniel 7:20; Revelation 13:2)
- Shrewd politician (Daniel 11:21; Daniel 8:25)
- Financial genius (Revelation 13:17; Ezekiel 28:4-5; Psalm 52:7; Daniel 11:38, 43)
- Forceful military leader (Daniel 8:24; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 13:4; Isaiah 4:16)
- Powerful organizer (Revelation 13:1-2; 17:17)
- Unifying religious guru (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:3, 14, 15; Psalm 10:52, 55; Isaiah 10:11, 13-14; Jeremiah 49-51; Zechariah 5; Revelation 18)
- Zechariah 11:17 is the only Scripture describing his physical characteristic

Is the Antichrist a Jew or a Gentile?
- He will be the Son of Satan (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 27:1; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Revelation 13); Satan can give the Antichrist his powers because Satan currently runs this world. Satan used his powers to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). The difference between Jesus and the Antichrist is, Jesus conquered Satan's temptations. It's interesting to note that Jesus did not challenge Satan's ownership of the world -- It would not be much of a temptation if Satan was bluffing about himself being the prince of the world.
- Some believe this leader will be a Jew: 1) Scriptures referred to him as “another Jewish leader of the same kind” (allos, not heteros) (Ezekiel 21:25-27; 28:2-10; Daniel 11:36-37; John 5:43); 2) He will be received by Israel (John 5:43; Psalm 55).
- Some believe this leader will be a Gentile, because he will be a Roman Prince (among other reasons).
- The Antichrist is really two players: Revelation 13 shows that he is both a political leader and a religious leader as a duet.

The Antichrist will survive a head wound
Revelation 13:6
Zechariah 11:7
Will the Antichrist really die, or will he just get wounded? Does this really matter? What matters is that he will be healed and the world will wonder.


BOOK OF DANIEL VS. BOOK OF REVELATION
- The Lampstands = The Churches (Revelation 1:20): The Lampstands are in Heaven when John arrives (Revelation 4:5).
- The 24 Elders are identified as the Redeemed (Revelation 5:9-10) and worship before the Lamb receives the Scroll.
- Once the Scroll is opened, THEN the judgments proceed, ushering in the Tribulation. That is, BEFORE the Judgments are poured out on Earth, the 24 Elders, representing the Church, are already in Heaven.
- The Tribulation begins as the Judgments are revealed. Then, the 70th Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27) is detailed in Revelation 6-19.