“Daniel declared, ‘I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea…'” Daniel 7:2-3
Science fiction and fantasy are not modern inventions. God gave the prophet Daniel Rowling/Tolkien-esque visions 600 years before Jesus. What do these terrifying beasts represent? Thankfully God also gave Daniel the interpretation:
“These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.” Daniel 7:17-18
The kings and nations of the earth are powerful, and use their power to conquer and subjugate people. This is the history of the world – conquest, devastation, slavery and death. Eventually, no matter how powerful one nation is, another ruler comes along who is stronger and the new “beast” conquers and kills the old. The details in Daniel’s prophecy are so clear and specific as it related to the rise and fall of nations that liberal scholars and skeptics have long believed that Daniel’s book had to be written after the events it describes. This PBS article, for example, assumes the date of 164 B.C. because of the details about Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.) that Daniel includes.
Evangelicals, however, have no problem believing the historical Daniel who was carried off into Babylon in the first wave of exiles (605 B.C.) was the author of this book, being given by God a preview of what was coming and a strong reminder of the sovereignty of God over the nations of man. Jesus explicitly told his followers to study Daniel in order to understand what was coming in the time of great tribulation.
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Matthew 24:15-16
What was this desolating abomination? It involves a specific ruler described as a “small horn” who speaks blasphemies against God and exalts himself above all.
“As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law, and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.” Daniel 7:24-25
“And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many.” Daniel 8:23-25
“And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” Daniel 9:26-27
“In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries… He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.” Daniel 11:21, 33-36
These prophecies from Daniel exactly describe Antiochus Epiphanes who attacked Jerusalem in 168 B.C., slaughtering tens of thousands of Jews, setting up a statue of himself and demanding worship as a god. It was the oppressive reign of this tyrant that provoked the Maccabean revolt in which the Hanukkah miracle took place. Biblical prophecy often works this way – with an initial fulfillment providing a pattern of expectation for the ultimate fulfillment still to come. Epiphanes (which means “God manifest”) shows us the kind of ruler to watch for. Nero was like this. So were Domitian and Vespasian. So were Hitler and Stalin and Mao. Were these all antichrists? Yes, they fit the pattern, opposing God and God’s will, exalting themselves and oppressing many. But the real thing is still to come.
“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God… The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” 2 Thes. 2:3-4, 9-10
“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” 1 John 2:18
It should not surprise us that the enemies of God are everywhere, organized and strong. Anyone who opposes Jesus and His kingdom is an “antichrist” in that sense. Keep in mind that the devil does not know when the Great Tribulation will begin, so he is always preparing candidates to become the actual Antichrist. In fact, this is the primary work the devil is always doing – deceiving people to exalt themselves above everything else and to build their own kingdoms that reign over others.
Mixed into these sobering prophecies there is good news. Daniel speaks repeatedly of “the appointed time,” and the “decreed end.” The frightening beasts that crawl out of the sea are given power and authority, but only for a time. The Antichrist will be like that. He will be given power and authority – but only for a time (apparently somewhere around 3.5 years). And then:
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.” Daniel 7:9-11
We know how the story ends.
“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.” Revelation 19:19-20
Jesus wins. The beast will be ferocious for a season. And his fury will be all the more terrible because he knows how short his time is and how certain is his doom. So let’s be sure not to give in to fear about the antichrist or the tribulation. Rather, let’s focus on the glorious supremacy of Christ – who has told us the end from the beginning, and who will conquer all of his enemies with the word of His power.