Thrive Harbor Thrive Ministries

Spanning two chapters, the final and longest prophecy in Daniel surveys what will happens to the Jewish people under the Persians and the Greeks, before abruptly skipping ahead to the end of the world. Why the jump? Because once again, Daniel is learning that earlier periods of history foreshadow later ones—in this case, the rule of the Antichrist just prior to Christ’s return.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Daniel 8:19; 9:26; and 11-12.

Dean Kershner, a field director for Gospelink, has served Christ around the globe. He joins Thrive to share a special message about heeding the call of Christ to go into all the world with the good news of the gospel.

The second half of Daniel is filled with vivid predictions of the end times. But it’s not just the predictions that are vivid—it’s the way they’re delivered! Daniel’s final prophecy is conveyed to him by an awe-inspiring figure, who reveals to him an invisible world of good and evil spiritual beings. For this reason, Daniel 10 provides one of the clearest glimpses of the unseen realm that lies behind our material world.

This message was given by Alan Jones, pastor of Firebrand Church in Port Orchard, WA. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Daniel 7:14; 10; 1 Corinthians 15:24; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Deuteronomy 32:8; Genesis 3; Job 1; Genesis 6:1-4; Zechariah 3; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12; 20; Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28; Ephesians 6:12; Ps 82; 1, 6-8; 89:5-7; and 1 Chronicles 12:32.

So far Daniel has learned that before God restores Israel’s kingdom, they will be ruled over by a succession of Gentile empires, culminating with a final end-times ruler called the Antichrist. But how long will this period last? In Daniel 9, God reveals to Daniel a 490-year timeline for Israel’s restoration. That timeline includes the destruction of the Antichrist—and most importantly, the coming of an “Anointed One” who will die and rise again.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Daniel 2:10-11; 7:25; 9; Isaiah 46:10; John 13:19; 2 Peter 1:19; Jeremiah 25:8-9, 11; Leviticus 25:2-5; 26:27-28, 33-35; Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Ezra 1:2-4; 6:6-12; 7:12-26; Nehemiah 2:5-6; Zechariah 9:9; Luke 19:42; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4; Revelation 13:1-15; and Matthew 24:15.

As God reveals to Daniel what will happen to his people in the future, he teaches him the “ABCs” of how to interpret Bible prophecy—especially the role of typology. A type is a historical thing or person that foreshadows a future thing or person. And so, in Daniel 8, we’re introduced to a figure known to history as Antiochus Epiphanes. A cruel pagan king who reigned between 175-164 BC and remembered today in connection with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, Antiochus Epiphanes is a type of the Antichrist. Like the Antichrist, Antiochus was an arrogant blasphemer who desecrated the temple, oppressed the people of God—and eventually was defeated.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Matthew 24:21, 29; Daniel 7:25, 28; 8; 12:1; Revelation 7:14; and Jeremiah 30:7.

From the seventh chapter of Daniel onward, we’re given a progressively zoomed-in view of the future—and in particular, an end-times ruler the Bible calls “the Antichrist.” Who is this figure, where is he spoken of in Scripture, what will he do, and how will he be defeated? As chapter seven speaks into these questions, it also points us to how the prophecies of Daniel point us to the hope of Jesus.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include John 10:10; Mark 14:62; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8; 1 John 2:18; 4:3; Daniel 7; 9; 11; Revelation 13; John 16:21; and Matthew 24:8.