March 20, 2011
Daniel Series

THE LITTLE HORN WITH THE BIG MOUTH

                ‘I, Daniel was exhausted and lay ill for several days.  Then I got up and went about the king’s business.  I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.’  Daniel 8:27

I. THE PROPHETIC MEANING OF THE VISION

                ‘Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision  to be fulfilled, the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot.”  He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be consecrated.’  Daniel 8:13-14

                ‘The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.  The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.  In the later prt of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise (the little horn).  He will become very strong, but not by his own power.  He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.’  Daniel 8:20-24

1. A RAMPAGING RAM:  The Medo-Persian Empire

                2. A UNI-HORN GOAT:  The Greek Empire Under Alexander The Great…

                3. THE FOUR HORNS:  The Four Generals Who Divided Alexander’s Territory

                4. THE LITTLE HORN:  Antiochus Epiphanes IV

                                ‘A rebellion or abomination that causes desolation…’

II. THE PERSONAL MESSAGE OF THE VISION…

                1. Alexander is A Picture Of Worldly Greatness… Marked By Personal Failure

       ‘He who is slow  to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.’   Proverbs 16:32

                                ‘What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?’ 
                                Mark 8:36

                2. The Antiochus Of History Is A Picture Of The Antichrist To Come

                                 ‘Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by                                                                  Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads let him  understand).’  Matthew 24:15

                     ‘Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is  worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’  2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

                                ‘Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt                                       himself in his heart.  He shall destroy many in their prosperity.  He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.’  Daniel 8:25

                                                ‘..But  he shall be broken without human means..’

                                                ‘And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the  Lord will consume with the breath of  His mouth and destroy with the  brightness of His coming.’  2 Thessalonians 2:8

                3. Daniel Is A Picture Of Consistent Service During Tough Times

                                ‘And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the                                       king’s business.  I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.’  Daniel 8:27