Teachinghearts	The Little Horn (Daniel 7-8) The Antichrist "Explore the Word. Change the World"	Statistics: Time: 80 minutes Print: 16 pages

	Babylon	Medo-Persia	Greece	Rome			Pagan Rome	Papal Rome	Europe			Babylon the Great			Christ
								(Little Horn)			Wounded		The Land of Shinar
											Judgment of Babylon the Great

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Daniel 7 Daniel 8 2 Thessalonians 2
Repetition
Daniel 7 and 8

Background
We postponed the study of the Little horn from Daniel 7 and Daniel 8, and we left the following questions unanswered.

• What power arose in Europe after 476 AD by uprooting three nations?
• How was that power different from the four preceding kingdoms (and the other ten kingdoms)?
• Who or what is the little horn?
• How is the little horn related to the Antichrist of 2 Thessalonians 2?

This power is identified in several prophecies. He carries out a plan of insurrection and mutiny. Everything that is does is a continuation of the actions of Satan.

The Identity of the Little Horn
Political: The Little Horn of Daniel 7
The following points from Daniel 7 will help us to identify the little horn power.

1. Origin in Europe. It came up among the ten horns on the head of the fourth beast. (verses 8, 20, 24). This is the Roman Empire.
2. Powerful after Roman Empire Breaks up. It would arise after the ten horns. (verse 24). Therefore, it would arise after Rome fell in 476 AD.
3. Three Nations Removed in its Rise. Three of the ten kingdoms were displaced by his rise to power. (verses 8, 20, 24) The Bible says "He shall subdue three kings".
4. Different. "He was diverse from the former" (verse 24). So it was different from the previous ten kings. The ten were political organizations only. This little horn would claim authority like God.
5. Human. It would have "eyes like a man" (verses 8, 20). Throughout the Bible, eyes are a symbol of divine intelligence. This horn has "eyes", not of God, but of man. It is guided by human intelligence, human leadership, and human authority. With a man as leader, it usurps God's leadership.
6. Arrogant, Blasphemous. It would have a "mouth speaking great things" and "shall speak great words against the most High" (verse 25). The little horn power would speak great, or pompous things, and would speak out against God.

   Time		Prophetic Time			Real Years
   		Years	Months	Days
   »	Time	1	12	360	360
   »	Times	2	24	720	720
   »	½ Time	½	6	180	180
   Time, Times and half a time		3½	42	1260	1260

7. Rules 1260 Years. It would last for "a time, times and the dividing of times". (verse 25) Understanding that a month in the Bible is based upon a lunar calendar where one month is approximately thirty days. the actual number of years are shown in the table.
   • Revelation 12: 6. Describes this period as 1260 days.
   • Revelation 13: 5. Describes this period as forty two months.
   • Daniel 7: 25 defines a "time" as one year. Seven times passed for Nebuchadnezzar. He acted like a beast for seven years.
   • Revelation 12: 14. Uses similar terminology to define the period of the persecution of God's church, as symbolized by a woman. "Time, times and half a time"
   • Ezekiel 4: 4-6. God shows the principle that in prophetic applications, a day is defined as a year.
8. Persecutes. The little horn power would have dominion and persecute God's saints (wear out the Saints) for 1260 years. (verse 25).
9. Changes Times and Laws. It would "think to change times and laws" (verse 25). The little horn power would be both a political and a religious power. In the context of speaking great things against God, and of persecuting the saints of God, it would also think to change "Times and Laws". The only commandment that deals with time is the fourth commandment which regulates the Sabbath.
10. Destroyed by God. It would be destroyed by God. Therefore, it would be powerful until the Second Coming.
    An enlargement of this prophecy in Revelation 13 shows that it would suffer a temporary downfall before it would conquer the world again.

Religious: Creating a False Sanctuary System (The Little Horn of Daniel 8)

Ministry of Christ Destroyed
Year	History
585	Strict Sunday worship (second Synod of Macon)
593	Purgatory
600	Prayers to saints and Mary
750	Pope speaks for God
788	Worship of images, relics, cross
995	Canonization of dead saints
1050	Mass
1090	Rosary
1139	Celibacy, imposed
1190	Indulgences
1215	Transubstantiation
1215	Priest confession
1229	Bible forbidden for the common people
1311	The Council of Ravena replaced baptism by immersion with sprinkling and pouring
1545	Tradition above the Bible
1546	Apocrypha added to the Bible
1870	Papal infallibility
1997?	An emerging doctrine. Mary as coredeemer, mediator, advocate

Daniel 8 showed the same powers from a more religious context. The main theme of this chapter shows how all these powers attacked God.
There were two phases of the Little Horn in its attacks.

1. Horizontal Attack. The political conquest of Pagan Rome. (Verse 9) toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
   We know from chapters 2 and 7, that the fourth kingdom was the Roman Empire. Here, we get more information describing the political conquest of Pagan Rome in relation to the Mediterranean Sea. Rome conquered the following places.
   • Toward the South. Conquered northern Africa, and Egypt.
   • Toward the East. Conquered Greece, Babylon and others.
   • Toward the Pleasant Land. Conquered Israel.
   Satan Attacks Eve. He corrupted Adam and Eve.
2. Vertical Attack. The spiritual assault of Rome. (Verse 10,12).
   • Caused the stars (righteous) to fall and trampled them.
   • Claimed to be equal with Christ.
   • Corrupted the continual ministry of Christ.
   • Replaced the foundation of the sanctuary.
   • Transgressed.
   • Threw truth to the ground.
   Satan Attacks God. He caused one third of the angels to fall and destroyed the reputation of God with lies and in the end he will fight God in the battle of Armageddon on Mount Zion.

There were several attacks of the little horn during its vertical or spiritual phase. While the symbols used in Daniel 7 were political. Daniel 8 used religious symbols to describe the same period. The attack on His people was not only political, it was also an attack on their religion and their God.

1. Destructive. The little horn caused some of the stars to fall, and it trampled on them. (verse 10). It destroys the mighty and the holy people (verse 24) and shall destroy many. (verse 25). This power would challenge heaven. The stars represent God's people. Daniel 12:3 Genesis 15:5 Deuteronomy 1:10
2. Equal to Christ. The little horn claimed to be equal with, or "magnified himself even to" Christ (verses 11 and 25). The Prince of Heaven is Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 9: 6).
3. Another Priesthood. The little horn subverted the continual ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. (verse 11). The term "sacrifices" is not found in the Hebrew. Because of this, many Bible translators have added this word in italics. The phrase should actually read "the daily" or "the continual". The Hebrew word used in Daniel 8: 11 TAMIYD, means the "continual". It is a word used to describe the continual work and mediation of the high priest.
   And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. (Exodus 28: 30)
   Urim means "lights". It is a synonym for stars. Thummim means "perfect ones".
   Hebrews describes Jesus' "Tamiyd" or continual ministry in heaven.
   The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7: 25)
   
   Jesus is our Only High Priest.
   The New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ is our only High Priest and Mediator.
   Mediator. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2: 5)
   High Priest. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and High Priest of our confession. (Hebrews 3: 1)
   Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have an high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4: 14-16)
   Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. (Hebrews 8: 1)

   Who is our Intercessor? Mary Jesus Jesus is our only Intercessor

   
   The point is that the little horn power took away the continual ministry of Christ as High Priest, by subverting His role as the divinely appointed Mediator who pardons sin. In fact, they not only took away this role, they maligned God in the process. The following quotes are from a book: The Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori. The church has declared that his writings have nothing that is worthy of censure.

   "Sometimes we shall be heard sooner by invoking the intercession of Mary than by praying to Jesus our Savior". (Page 209)

   "her Son, the Judge of the world, cannot bring Himself to condemn the criminals whom she defends", and that (page 193) "when God is angry with a sinner whom Mary takes under her protection, she restrains her Son, that He may not inflict chastisement, and saves the sinner". (Page 282)

   "It is the opinion of many, and I hold the opinion to be true and indubitable, that all God's graces are dispensed through the hands of Mary, and that all the elect are brought to salvation through the divine mother. In conformity with this opinion, it may be said that the salvation of all depends on preaching devotion to Mary, and confidence in her intercession."

   Since God cannot change His laws, the beautiful picture of God is that He lovingly protects us from the penalty of His own law by taking the punishment Himself. It is God who protects us from the accusations of Satan and extends forgiveness and reconciliation to us.
4. False Foundation. The "place of his sanctuary was cast down" by the little horn. (verse 11)
   The Hebrew word for "place" in Daniel 8: 11 is MAKOWN, which means "fixed or established place", or "foundation". This same word (MAKOWN) is used in Psalm 97: 2.
   Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne. (Psalm 97: 2)
5. Sin. The little horn's activities are characterized as "transgression" or sin (verse 12). It is going beyond your boundaries, changing or removing the boundaries. Sin is breaking or changing the laws of God, especially the Ten Commandments
6. Abolished the Word of God. The little horn threw truth to the ground (verse 12).
   sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth. (John 17: 17).
   In Daniel we see more details of the approaching apostasy in Christianity. Using a similar picture of a little horn growing strong, he wrote:
   "And he magnified himself even to the prince of the host" (Jesus Christ), and "... it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered." (Daniel 8: 11-12)
   The Bible is clear. The great struggle of the ages is not a battle against atheism and unbelief. Rather, opposition from without only proved to fan the fires of faith. The great apostasy is from within. Satan's great triumph is the corruption of Christianity. The devil has hoodwinked the Christian world. The Antichrist has already come as an historical power in Christian Europe.
7. Controls Other Powers. He will be mighty, but not by his own power (verse 24). So far they have used the power of the state. The Bible also says that they will use the power of Satan (Revelation and 2 Thessalonians 2).

Identity and History of The Little Horn: The Papacy
History gives only one possibility for the identity of the little horn power. The Bible unmistakably points to the Roman Papacy of the middle ages as the little horn of Daniel 7. The Roman Empire finally "fell" in 476 AD Just after the ten kingdoms of Europe arose, a Christian church, the Roman papacy, was established as a state entity. This church state grew over several centuries and rose to prominence in Western Europe. It came into existence exactly when the prophecy said it would and lost its power 1260 years later.

• Three Kingdoms Removed to Establish his Power. Of the ten divisions of the Roman Empire, three of the Germanic tribes were destroyed (uprooted) in Italy by the rise of the Roman papacy. These were the Heruli, Ostrogoths, and the Vandals. This is just as Daniel predicted would happen by the little horn power. The other seven tribes can still be found in Europe today.
  Satan Attacks the Trinity. He made war against the government of heaven.
• Mighty But Not by His own Power. It is a fact that the church used the armies of the state to enforce its laws. It was mighty, without having an army of its own. It has powerful influence over the leaders of the world. There has never been a similar power in history. Here is Pope Clement V's rebuke of King Edward II.

  We hear that you forbid torture as contrary to the laws of your land. But no state law can override [the Church's] canon law, our law. Therefore I command you at once to submit those men to torture. Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Volume 4, page 680.

  In addition, no other current power in history can trace its unbroken succession to such an early time. This will be important to remember in the prophecies of Revelation.
  After the papacy suffered a reversal of fortunes in 1798 it began to be restored to power by the Lateran Treaty of 1929. This is important to the prophecy of Revelation 13 which spoke about the beast power receiving a deadly wound which was later healed. It received this wound at about the time that a new power from a different place, the final world power would be rising. It will use this government in the final persecution.
  Satan and His Demons. He is assisted by a band of evil angels and he has to use human powers to accomplish his plans.
• Rules 1260 Years. He describes the length of the little horn's reign in history and the nature of the apostasy in its attempt to destroy the church.
  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time, times and the dividing of a time. (Daniel 7: 25)
  We have seen that this time period is 1260 years. History shows that the papacy was established in power in 538 AD, by decree of Justinian, when the last of the three kings, the Ostrogoths, was uprooted from Rome. Exactly 1260 years later, in 1798, the papacy came to a temporary end when the Pope was taken captive and died during the French Revolution.
  The following chart illustrates the 1260 years of papal rule from 538 AD to 1798 when Napoleon's general Berthier took Pope Pius VI captive and temporarily ended the union of church and state embodied in the Roman Church.
  

  Satan Rules The Righteous Nation 721 BC 457 BC 2300 days (Daniel 8: 14) Restrained 1335 days (Daniel 12) 1290 days Transgressors Finished Rising to Power 1260 days Persecution 508 AD 538 Pope imprisoned (1798) 1843 2520 Years -	1844	Time of the end Insolent King Persecution

  Satan's Time. Somehow his rule over the righteous last only 3.5 periods of time.
  » Times of the Gentiles. It appears that the Gentiles will rule over Israel about 2520 years, or seven times. From the time the Assyrians captured the ten northern tribes in 721 BC (722 BCE), until the fall of the Papacy in 1798 it was 2520 years. So Satan rules over each arm of the church for 1260 years. Israel and the Jews for 1260 years from 721BC to 538AD and the Christians under Papal Rome for 1260 years.
  » Seven Thousand Years. It appears that Satan will rule the earth seven thousand years. For the last 1000 years he will be king of the wicked dead.
• Persecutes. The Bible says. "... and he shall wear out the saints of the most High". This can only refer to persecution. Historians tell us that as many as 100 million people died at the hands of popes and priests during the dark ages for refusing to recant their faith and accept strict "Catholicism".
  The church organized, instigated or approved of many persecutions in the crusades and the inquisition. These campaigns were an effort to enforce religion on the people.

  The church may by Divine right confiscate the property of heretics, imprison their persons, and condemn them to the flames. Vatican II

  Satan Persecutes. He makes war with the righteous people.
• It is Different. The Bible says this power was "diverse" or different from the powers before it. This was the first time in history that a church - state arose slashing the sword in the name of Christ. It was a combination of spiritual and political power that would rule from Rome in the place of the ancient emperors. It could order nations to do its will without having its own army. It could cause citizens to rise up against their governments. It could put whole nations and regions in fear through its interdicts. This is the power of the Roman Church. No other, little power without an army ever held so much power.
  Satan the Covering Cherub. For the first time a creature tries to rule the creator.
• Arrogant Words (Blasphemes). The sin of the church is the breaking of the first four commandments. This involves the sin of claiming to be God and claiming to forgive sins. The papacy has claimed to forgive sins and that they are god on earth. Here is a list of many quotes that prove the papal claim to these powers.

  And God himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of his priest and either not to pardon or to pardon, according as they refuse to give absolution, provided the penitent is capable of it." Liguori, Duties and Dignities of the Priest, page 27

  » Apotheosis. Apotheosis is the process of raising an individual to the status of god. All problems began with this desire of Satan to have the throne of God and the Antichrist mirrors this desire. One striking fact about the nations singled out in prophecy is that they all began a tradition of making gods out of humans, the original goal of Satan and the very definition of the Antichrist and breaking the first two commandments.
  • Egypt. The Pharaohs were deified in ancient Egypt. In the new kingdom which ruled during the exodus deceased Pharaohs were deified.
  • Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar almost seemed to refer to himself as god, he was immediately struck down with lycanthropy. He thought that he was an animal.
  • Persia. Kings were divine in Achaemenid Persia which is the period beginning with Cyrus the Great.
  • Greece. The first leader who made himself a deity was Phillip II, the father of Alexander the Great. The practice continued with other Macedonian kings. Alexander was deified before his death and so were his four generals. The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt were deified after death.
    » Hero Cults. The Greeks also maintained cults where popular figures were worshipped, even though they were not fully gods. This in not unlike our worship of movie stars, musicians and athletes.
  • Rome (Imperial Cult). By decree of his successor, the senate and popular consent, a dead ruler was recognized as divine. The official offer of cult to a living emperor acknowledged his office and rule as divinely approved and constitutional (Wiki).
  
  » The Pantheon of Gods: Popes and Saints. The Romans adopted the Greek religion and gods into their culture between 500 BC and 313 AD. The church in turn adopted all the titles and organizational structure of the Roman religion after 313 AD. Truly the prophecy is correct when it identifies the Roman power as a mixture of bronze and iron (Greek and Roman).
  • Gods. The Romans adopted the Greek gods. The Greeks had a god for almost every aspect of society.
  • Deification (Dead Gods). After the Roman senate made gods of certain people, they embarked on a marketing campaign to popularize the new god. The Romans honored the new god by building a temple, columns,making images on coins and statues and starting a formal cult following. They may even name cities, sports events, gardens and other public places and buildings after them.
    The Business of Making Saints. The power and attributes of God are spread out among various people, living and dead. The church has a process of creating saints out of respected dead people that is the same as this process of deification. The saints have special access to God and so have intercessory powers like Christ. The priests also have power to forgive sins. After the bishops and popes give their approval, each saint is then given a problem, place or area of life over which they have control and influence. The living can pray to them to obtain protection and answers to prayers using this influence with God.
  • The Roman Imperial Cult (Living Gods). Augustus Ceasar began the practice deifying the living. He transformed the republic to a religious monarchy. Prior to this, deification and cult status were offered to the dead. It is ironic that when God became Man that it would happen during the reign of a man who made himself God. Augustus is a type of the Antichrist.
    » Imperial Dynasty. It also allowed living Emperors to associate themselves with a well regarded lineage of divine rulers from which unpopular or unworthy predecessors were excluded (Wiki).
    The Papal Imperial Dynasty. The closest modern equivalent is the papacy. The prophecy about the man that is worshipped at the end of time has many similarities to this practice.
    The Image to the Beast. It appears that the generation that will see the Second Coming of the Messiah may also have a religious-state ruler who makes himself a living god like Augustus did in the generation that witnessed the First Coming. However, his model of god is Satanic.
  • Vestal Virgins. A highly honored cult of women who had taken a vow of chastity. Their duty was to keep the sacred fire of Vesta burning and baking the sacred salt cakes used in ceremonies. Vesta was the god of the sea.
    Celibacy: Priests and Nuns. Nuns appear to be the equivalent of the vestal virgins and the priests are the male counterparts. While celibacy is a rare gift in the church given at the will of the Holy Spirit, it has been given this Roman cult status in Catholicism.
  • Baptized Paganism. We have long claimed that when the Romans adopted Christianity as the official state religion and the church received power and rejected its Jewish roots, that Christianity changed to accomodate Rome. Its structure, organization, rituals were changed by repurposing the Roman temples, statues, titles and festivals. The names were changed, but the religion remained overwhelmingly Pagan.
    The Statue of Zeus. Some claim that the church never removed the pagan idols from the temples when Christianity became the official religion. Instead it kept them and gave them the name of saints and apostles. The statue of Zeus was supposedly renamed Saint Peter.
  
  » The Contamination of the Doctrines. Let us see how this affected the Judeo-Christian faith.
  They actually advocate keeping the commandments that guide the activities between humans but their customs and traditions actually break the first four commandments which define the proper worship and respect for God. By these actions they are trespassing because they are usurping territory that belongs exclusively to God and assigning them to ordinary men.
  1. One God. Their worship practices dishonor God in the person of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
     • Worshipping Saints (Demi-Gods). The process of making saints is the same as the deification of the dead by the Pagan Romans. These definitions merely serve the purpose of incorporating Pagan idolatrous practices into the faith. It dishonors the Holy Father in heaven.
       » Pope (Pappa, Holy Father). These titles for the priests and the custom of going to God through intermediaries dishonors the Father and Jesus, our only intermediary.
       Our Father in Heaven. Do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. (Matthew 23: 9)
     • Eucharist (Sacrifice of the Mass). They claim to have God (Christ), in the form of the bread under their control to do as they will. In their doctrine of the celebration of the mass they symbolically crucify Christ repeatedly, a sign for which Moses was punished when He distorted this symbol.
       The Sin of Moses. Moses was banned from the Promised Land at its borders and Joshua took them in.
       » Murdering God. This is a great sin because when Christ was sacrificed once for all, He testifies that He gave His own life and did not charge this crime to humanity. Therefore, if we crucify Christ after this we are responsible for claiming to have the power and the right to murder God.
     • The Vicar of Christ (Representative on Earth). We are all representatives of God, but this claim to be as "god and earth" standing between God and the people magnifies the human role to an idolatrous status. This title dishonors the Holy Spirit Who is the representative on earth.
     
     Their worship practices honor other people in only the way God should be honored. The church denies this by saying that they have three levels of worship or honoring a person.
     • Latria ("Adoration"). Worship belonging to God only.
     • Hyperdulia ("Veneration"). Worship belonging to Mary.
     • Dulia ("Veneration and Honor"). Worship belonging to saints, angels and relics. John was forbidden from bowing before an angel (Revelation 19: 10).
  2. No Idols. Their worship practices are indistinguishable from idolatry. They bow to statues and relics and kiss them. Relics are physical objects that have a connection to Jesus, the apostles and the saints.
     • First Class. These are body parts of the people (bones, ashes, blood, hair, sweat, teeth, nails).
     • Second Class. The objects that touched the people (clothes, chains, house, cup, wood, nail).
     • Third Class. Modern objects that have touched a first or second class relic. These may be sold.
       » A Den of Thieves. The selling of third class relics is a form of merchandizing and trade in the church that dishonors the name of God and extends the practice of idolatry to the most ordinary things made with human hands and widens the gap between God and men that Jesus closed.
     You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them ... (Deuteronomy 5: 8-9)
     Honoring Mary and the Saints (Hyperdulia and Dulia). Since they pray to saints and bow and kiss their statues or relics, the outward expression of worship is idolatry by any definition, name or form. The church is playing a symantic word game with the meaning of the word "worship".
     The Mark of the Beast. This prophecy is about apothesis of the living in the last days. The church makes demi-gods out of the dead. Now it even describes the papacy with god-like authority. In the future it will make a god from the living. This power to make gods out of the living explains the events in the last days.
     And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would speak and cause as many as as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (Revelation 13: 15)
     Humans are made in the image of God. The final wicked are made in the image of Satan, the dragon.
  3. Name of the Lord. They encourage calling on the name of Mary and saints for answers to prayer. Since 2007, the official policy is turning the church back to ignorance and darkness.
     • Traditional Mass. The mass will be said in Latin with the back of the priests towards the people.
     • Sanctuary. The sanctuary is the place where God establishes His name. While the Protestants are looking forward to a rebuilt temple with animal sacrifices again, the church is seeking to build an earthly temple to which men should look. Both are looking back to undo work that has been finished.
     The bible forbids all communication with the dead. So you should not be making requests of dead saints.
     Praying to the Dead. There shall not be found among you ... a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 18: 10-13)
  4. Sabbath. They changed the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday with the help of the Roman government.
  
  Satan Covets the Throne of Heaven. He curses God and is trying to usurp God's throne.
• Changes Times and Laws. The nature of his deception is aimed at the law of God:
  Daniel says, "... and he shall think to change times and laws". (Daniel 7: 25)
  The papacy has taken responsibility for changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday by its own authority.

  The Pope has the power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ." "The Pope has the authority and often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ." Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcopal Caption (The Pope can modify divine law.) Ferraris' Ecclesiastical Dictionary.

  When someone meddles with God's law, he is meddling with God. His law is an expression of His character and claim as Creator. The Bible tells us that Jesus was God in the flesh. If anyone had a right to change God's law, Jesus did. Yet Jesus warned:
  "Do not suppose that I have come to do away with the law or the prophets. I have not come to do away with them but to enforce them. For I tell you, as long as heaven and earth endure, not one dotting of an "i" or the crossing of a "t" will be dropped from the law until all is observed." (Matthew 5:17-18 from the Goodspeed Translation)
  
  » A Law about Time. Daniel says "he would think to change times and laws".
  Pagan and Papal Rome changed many laws and laws that governed religious and secular time.
  • New Year. The earth celebrated the beginning of the new year at the spring equinox, around March 25. Then in 46 BC, the Romans changed the beginning of the year to January 1. In 1582, the Roman church and all Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar which changed the new year to January 1. In 1752 England and the Protestant lands adopted these changes. The actions of Pagan Rome were only a shadow of what the papacy would do. This type of change does not interfere with the actual arrival of the seasons that is connected to religious rituals. Rome cannot change the natural order. However, by disconnecting the first month from the arrival of spring, Rome was destroying an important symbol.
  • Month. It was no longer determined by the phases of the moon in the calendar reform of 46 BC. Rome changed the calendar from lunar to solar. This obscured the religious significance of the signs in the heavens.
  • Day. The new day began at sunset since creation. Rome changed the beginning of the day to midnight.
  • Passover. The rituals and the day were changed and substituted with Easter. In an attempt to separate from the Jews, the three important feasts were forgotten and the times were actually substituted with Pagan rituals such as Easter and Halloween and Christmas.
  • Sabbath. Papal Rome changed the holy Sabbath to Sunday. It changed the natural order and the ritual.
  There is only one commandment which God tells us to remember in relation to time. This is not because the others are not important. It is because He saw the day when the Christian church would forget it. It also is because it is the special sign that He is the Creator and the giver of rest in our lives. In remembering the Sabbath, we are, in fact, remembering Him. God said in the fourth commandment:
  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: In it you shall not do any work ... : for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and sanctified it." (Exodus 20: 8-11)
  History tells us that the Roman Church was instrumental in the departure over time from remembering the Sabbath as commanded in the fourth commandment. The church acknowledges her role in that. Read the history of the change.
  
  Satan Changes Time and Laws. The Antichrist is merely copying the behavior of his father.
  • The Curses. The wages of sin is death by separation from God, not torture.
    It was Satan and his evil angels who gave us the curses (Galatians 3: 19). These punishing laws were against us (Colossians 2: 14, 16 - 17).
  • Goat Time. The sanctuary shows two competing times operating during the Plan of Salvation.
    • Solar Time - 30 Days - (Goat Hair Covering). It has 30 days per month and 42 periods for the wicked. There will be no sun to give light or to mark time in the new earth (Revelation 22: 5).
      The Sun: (Prophetic Time). Even in prophetic time, the solar time of "months" describes only the work of the evil, while the time of "days and times" represents the experience of the righteous.
    • Lunar Time - 28 Days - (Linen Covering). It has 28 days per month and 40 periods for the righteous. The new moon and Sabbath will be kept in the new earth (Isaiah 66: 22-23).
      The Moon: A Natural Sabbath Counter. Lunar time marks off the Sabbath, because each phase occurs approximately every seven days. It may have originally occurred every seven days.
      If the phases of the moon marked the Sabbath, it could be seen universally as a special day.
      Then for the first time, the Sabbath could be seen as having a natural and moral basis like the other nine commandments.
    Solar time completely obscures the Sabbath cycle while lunar time might count the Sabbath. So from the beginning of sin, Satan was attacking the Sabbath for some reason.
• A False Foundation and False Sanctuary.
  The little horn would destroy the sanctuary. Pagan Rome destroyed the sanctuary in the fixed place in Jerusalem in 70 AD. Papal Rome is trying to destroy the fixed sanctuary in heaven which is not a building but God (Revelation 21: 22). Together, they destroyed the fixed ceremonies of the church, Passover, Seder and the Sabbath. The Church of Rome teaches that Peter is the foundation stone. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the foundation stone.
  A Foundation of Apostles and Prophets. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief corner stone. (Ephesians 2: 19-20)
  
  A Foundation on Christ. And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God. You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in scripture: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and He who believes in Him will not be disappointed". (1 Peter 2: 4-6)
  Key Point: God's Real Sanctuary is in Heaven. (Hebrew 8:1,2) The little horn threw it down to the earth (Daniel 8:11). It redirected man's attention to an ornately constructed, earthly counterfeit with ordinary sinful men as the intercessors.
  Satan's Counterfeit Foundation. The heavens are described as God's tabernacle for the sun (Psalm 19). Satan blasphemed God's tabernacle or those who dwell there (Revelation 13: 6). So changes to the heavens to accommodate the curses changed the established foundation of heaven.

The Ideal Monthly Cycle and the Ideal Week
1	2	3	4	5	6	Sabbath		Sabbath Festival
-	-	-	-	-	-	-		1		First Crescent
1	2	3	4	5	6	7		8	First Quarter		-
8	9	10	11	12	13	14		15	Full Moon		Passover, Succos
15	16	17	18	19	20	21		22	Last Quarter		Shemini Atzeret
22	23	24	25	26	27	28		1	New Moon		Rosh Chodesh

Changing The Sabbath Foundation
Why does Satan hate the Sabbath to such a great extent that he made the Antichrist change our accounting of time and causing confusion?
This reason was so important, that the rotation of the earth around the sun changed to accomodate it.
It is so important that Satan changed the year, the month and the beginning of the day to obscure its effect.
It is so important that it is the final issue at the end of time.
Satan is trying to prevent the world from seeing the Sabbath and keeping Sabbath at all costs. Why?
In a world where there is no night, it is the moon that marks the days and the phases that mark the Sabbath.

• Changing the Fixed Order. Since the creation, God guarantees the sun, moon, day, year, seasons and signs in the heavens. He did not guarantee that the week or the month would be faithfully kept by the heavens.
  Days and Years. Then God said, "let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years". (Genesis 1: 14)
  Changing the fixed order has serious consequences for the covenants with the rest of the planet.
  • No Sun, Moon or Stars (Jeremiah 31: 35-37). Israel will not longer exist as a nation that serves God.
  • Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 11: 21). Israel owns the land if there are heavens above the earth.
  • Exclusive Monarchy and Priesthood (Jeremiah 33: 20-21). They will change if there is no night.
    The covenant is so strong that even a temporary global simulation of a change precedes major civil changes. The supernatural darkness at the crucifixion changed the priesthood. The 18 month global darkness around 535 AD preceded the rise of the papacy. Total lunar or solar eclipses seem to herald great revolutions.
  
  God can change the rotation of the moon around the earth to accomodate the curse and still keep His covenant.
  Confusion. The Lord will send upon you curses, confusion and rebuke ... (Deuteronomy 28: 20)
  The changes to the moon and the changes instituted by Rome confused the Sabbath.
  • Day (Midnight). It confused the start of the Sabbath.
  • Month (Solar). It confused the importance of the month as a natural counter for the week.
  • Moon (Not Exactly 28 Days). This shifted by about half a day, so that the sign of the week was obscured.
  
  » The Moon: An Unexpected Gift. When the heavenly courses changed, God built a sign into it. One extra lunar month and day were added to the year (29 days).
  » The Pregnant Year. This sign may be seen in this prophecy from Revelation 9.
  The Hour, Day, Month, Year. And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9: 15)
  However, it is definitely seen in the 12 tribes that are actually 13. The thirteenth tribe is the priests. This sign pointed to the great High Priest, Jesus Christ. He would be inserted into the world during the full moon to give us rest.
  » The Trampled Moon. Let us look at the prophecy in Revelation 12 from another view point. It shows that the earth is being guided by the sun and the twelve stars, while the moon is being trampled under her feet.
  • Clothed with the Sun. It represents the light from God in the darkness, but somehow it is mostly attributed with worshipping the sun.
  • Crown of Twelve Stars. It represents the twelve tribes who are the foundation of the nation of God, but in the heavens it might represent the twelve constellations of the zodiac which prophesy about the time table of the Plan of Salvation but has somehow become objects of worship in astrology.
  • Moon Under Her Feet. The moon represents the church reflecting the light from God. However it is a foundation that is being trampled just like the Sabbath (Isaiah 58: 13).
  As she flees from the seven-headed dragon, she most likely has her clothes and crown, but leaves the moon behind. So the Antichrist has usurped all the signs of heaven by astrology and sun worship, but tramples on the moon.
• Why is Sabbath Important? It is the sign of the covenant, a promise of rest. It is marked by the heavens, if the course of the moon is unaltered. In a world without night, the moon marks the cycles of the week.
  » The Sabbath: A Sign of Covenant Rest. The signs that pointed to a covenant of rest were replaced by signs in the curse that pointed to death.
  We would be cut off (circumcision). We would eat flesh and drink blood (seder). We would die (sacrifice).
  In His mercy, God took all those signs of the curse on Himself and tells us not to fear, but the psychological damage is done. It is easier for us to be daily reminded of the curse than to remember the gifts of rest, cleansing and resurrection, especially when we must actively take steps to remember. We must choose to believe God (faith). We must choose to remember the Sabbath. We must choose to be baptized.
  God allowed it, but He told us to "Remember the Sabbath" because the signs would no longer remind us. So just as the moon counts the Sabbaths, the church must count the Sabbaths because the church is symbolized as the moon to a sin darkened world. They reflect the light of the Sun and they give light in the darkness and they count the Sabbaths.
  » The Sabbath: Built in the Natural Order. The lesson on the Salvation Science in the Sanctuary demonstrates that even the Periodic Table shows that the elements in the seventh period are those that need rest. The Sabbath heals our bodies, it will also heal our relationships with God and each other. World peace might break out.
  » 144,000. One item of interest is that over 6000 years, two extra days each month is 144,000 days. This information might simply be a coincidence, but perhaps the Plan of Salvation gave Satan 144,000 extra days (400 years) to make his case and God gets to commission 144,000 people to make His case at the end.
• Why Does Satan Hate The Sabbath? It is the day when all creation makes an exodus to honor God.
  It is the day that most reminds him that he is not God and he does not have the throne or the glory that he covets. He is consumed with jealousy and hatred and being a covering cherub was pouring salt on his wounded ego. He is as jealous of God as Haman was of Mordecai. As the covering cherub, he resented standing next to God and saying, "Holy, Holy Holy" as much as Haman resented parading Mordecai through the streets and shouting his praises (Esther 6: 6-12).
  So, if he can erase the day, or silence any corner of the universe and go to sulk there on that day or misalign the signs so that the day is forgotten, then he would because his enemy is not being praised.
  So the last thing he wants to see is this rebellious corner of the universe praising God on Sabbath. This is why Sabbath worship is an issue at the end of time. He first made it seem inconsequential and amoral by first removing the visible signs of its importance.
  The Jews believe that if one Sabbath is kept perfectly then God would come. Perhaps they are correct.

The Antichrist Revealed

The Insolent King.
In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have finished, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform its will. He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. (Daniel 8: 23-24)
Daniel says that a terrible king will arise in the last days of their rule, even after they are finished. So, although they are finished, it is still the time of their rule. This is when their most dangerous king emerges. He will use the same resources of His ancestors.
Powerful. He will be mighty by using the powers of another. The church will use the United States and the European Union. Just as the prophecy of Daniel sometimes refers to the rule of one person, I believe that this will be the last pope and president.
Destructive. He will destroy the church in the final persecution.

The Antichrist.
At this point, we need to consider the parallel predictions in the New Testament regarding the experience of the Christian church and the coming of Antichrist. Scholars have traditionally applied this to the book of Daniel 7. But the imagery of being restrained, then rebuilt in Babylon comes from Zechariah 5.
Paul wrote warning believers of the coming Antichrist and his apostasy:
The Man of Sin. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (the second coming of Jesus) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God (the church), showing himself that he is God."
Restrained. And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
Revealed. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming. (2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4, 6-8)

1. Apostasy. Paul warns of a falling away. The Greek for "falling away" is APOSTASIA which means literally "a falling away or departure from the purity of faith", or "an apostasy."
2. Betrays God. The term "son of perdition" is given only one other place in Scripture, to describe Judas Iscariot, who betrayed our Lord. In other words, the popular Christianity would get caught up in a landslide apostasy and betray the essentials of the gospel while maintaining an outward form and profession of faithfulness.
3. Lawless. The Bible says this leader would be a man called the "man of sin". In the original Greek, the phrase is "the man of lawlessness". Paul teaches here that he would stand in opposition to the law of God.
4. Cloning God. The Bible says he sets himself up in the temple of God, as God. In Ephesians 2: 19-22 Paul tells us that the temple of God is a symbol for the Church (made up of the believers). Paul teaches that this man of sin would actually take his "seat" of political authority in the church. And he would claim for himself the prerogatives of God.
   Revelation 13 gives more detail on the final attempts to mutiny against God and set up a new sanctuary with new laws and a new covenant as an image that must be worshipped.

Paul warned the church at Ephesus of the coming apostasy:
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. (Acts 20: 29-31)
Paul warned about three things:

1. External Forces. First, opposition from without. The damage of wolves as they attacked the sheep. He also saw satanic persecutions that would attempt to destroy the church. Yet the church would still survive.
2. Internal Apostasy. The second problem would be more serious. This is Apostasy from Within. Men would arise speaking perverse ("crooked" or "twisted") things.
3. Starts in Paul's Time. Third, the beginning of apostasy would come quickly. Paul said, "Of your own selves shall men arise." John says the same thing.
   And every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is not from God; this is the spirit of the Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. (1 John 4: 3)

The Return of The Evil Woman

Tree		Tree Cut Down for Seven Periods of Time								His Appointed Time of Return
Lion		Bear		Leopard	Terrible Beast		Little Horn	Judgment		Power Restored
Babylon		Persia		Greece	Pagan Rome		Papal Rome	Communism		1981	Papal Rome	Babylon the Great
-	Zechariah		Woman under a lead cover				Temple rebuilt by 2 women				Sits in the Temple in Shinar
-	Daniel 8		-				Transgressors Finished				Latter Part of Rule		Insolent King
-	Revelation 13		-					1798	Wounded		Healed	Image to the Beast
-	2 Thessalonians		Restrained		Falling Away		Man of Sin Revealed				Sits in the Temple of God
			-			The Antichrist (The False God)							The Image (Idol)

The Return of Babylon • The Great Tree. • Rules a Short Time. • The Dragon. • The Healing. • The Lead Cover Removed. • Ancient and Modern Babylon. • The Antichrist Revealed. • The Return of the Little Horn.

Many other prophecies predicted the return of evil to the temple of God and the return of Babylon as Babylon the Great. Most of these prophecies center on the political return of Babylon. The prophecy in Zechariah even predicted that Babylon would return as an object of worship after a period of being subdued. It combined both the religious and political nature of the revived Babylon.
By the time of Paul, Rome was still restraining the power even though it had already begun to gain power. From the text it appears that it would rule after the restraints were removed until the Second Coming. Only the Catholic church claims such a succession of power from the apostle Peter. Only it has existed in a continuous rule from the time of Rome until the present time.
And no one will disagree that it is a power that has emerged, consolidating its political power and influence among the nations and their heads of state. Islam does not have this long history or this current influence.

Revealed In His Time.
The political prophecies show that Babylon would return after 2520 years. This is their appointed time. The religious prophecies show a return in these stages.

• Restraints Removed. After the collapse of Rome, it gave the western empire to the pope.
• Wounded. It would lose power temporarily until the temple (the spiritual church) was rebuilt.
• Healed. The church is healed at the same time the restraints are removed from the political arm of Babylon. So that all restraints are removed from all the enemies of God at the same time and they became Babylon the Great in the Land of Shinar. This is why we will see much more than the United States building military bases in Iraq and Israel. The Catholic church will also gain a foothold in these places. According to the prophecy of Zechariah, the religious power is put in place after her supporters rebuild her new temple. This "temple" is built in Babylon, not Jerusalem.
  » The Tigris and Euphrates River. These two rivers have an important symbolic role at the end of time. The entire world is seen prophetically as the Land of Shinar, lying between these two rivers, the Euphrates in the south and the Tigris in the north. In the sixth plague the waters of the Euphrates dry up so that Babylon can be overthrown. However, in the end, when the forces of Babylon gain power, events appear to be also centered around the Tigris river. In Daniel 10: 4 and 12: 5-6, Daniel was sitting by the Tigris river with the heavenly messengers when he had a vision about the abomination of desolation at the end of time. The magnificient United States embassy is on the bank of the Tigris river.
  » The Mountain in Jerusalem. Perhaps the official presence of the church will be in Jerusalem because the world is also seen as symbolically gathering in Jerusalem for a great decision. An understanding of the migration patterns clears up the mystery. During the autumn season, on Yom Kippur, as the harsh winter is approaching the world will migrate south from Babylon to Jerusalem to choose the scapegoat who is the Antichrist.

Lawless.
Both powers that are Babylon the great have no respect for the law and reign as absolute monarchs.

• Religious (Catholic Church). They changed the law of God and made up their own.
• Political (United States). The presidents use signing statements to exempt themselves from the laws that they are signing, to stop investigations, to prevent oversight and do whatever they want as absolute monarchs.

The War and Peace Broker.
And through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace he shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8: 25)

• Craft Prospers. He is the typical underhanded politician, wheeling and dealing and brokering in the lives and fortunes of billions. He uses his wealth and power and influence and lies to get his wishes through bribery, blackmail and coersion.
  » Sin Prospers. Their policy or beliefs makes the commission and relief of sin a pharmaceutical dispensing system. The removal of sin is a business asset. If you sin, the priest will tell you how many prayers to say and what works to do. If you wear certain amulets you are guaranteed a place in heaven. If you do certain acts it does not matter what sins you commit in the past or future, you will be guaranteed a place in heaven without going to purgatory because you have been granted an indulgence giving you a license to sin.
• Destroys By Peace. At the end of time one will come who has great influence around the world through his words, power, connections and influence. The world will be "at ease" or trusting of this personality.
  ... he will destroy many while they are at ease [secure] ... (Daniel 8: 25)
  But his intentions are not peaceful and his efforts will not bring real peace. He is a crafy liar who has his own personal agenda. He will do and say anything to accomplish his will to be the premier authority on earth.
• Magnified in His Heart. He thinks that he is important. He believes he is equal to God.
• Stands Up Against Christ. He is the Antichrist. His work among the nations will not be with the approval of God.
• Broken Without Hand. His punishment will not be by human agencies. God will destroy him.
  Crushed by a Rock. You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
  Crushed By the Kingdom of God. In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people, it will crush and put to an end all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
  Crushed at the Second Coming. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made know to the king what will take place in the future ... (Daniel 2: 34, 44-45)
  And the devil that deceived them was cast in the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20: 10)

The Transgressors
The Greek Transgressors. In the latter part of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. ... He will destroy many while they are at ease, He will even oppose the Prince of Princes ... (Daniel 8: 23)
Another popular interpretation states that this little horn is Antiochus IV Theos Epiphanes, ruler of the Greek empire from 175-164 BC. Although he is a type of all the forces that would desecrate the sanctuary he cannot be the interpretation for this prophecy for these reasons.

• Rome. All previous prophecies attempted to tell the story of four major world empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome). This prophecy begins with the Persians and then the Greeks (Daniel 8: 20, 21). So we can only assume that the next power must be the Romans. The Romans did not exist as a nation so it was never named, it was described as the little horn. Rome is even shaped like a protruding horn and a penis.
  • Augustus Caesar (The Living Human God). He magnified himself to be god. It is amazing that the man who initiated the system to worship living men as god, was the ruler under whom the Messiah, the only real human God, was born.
  • Destroys Holy People. Titus and Hadrian were the worst offenders. Titus killed 1.1 million and destroyed the temple. In his attempt to unify worship in the empire, Hadrian killed 580,000, enslaved many others, exiled Israel and removed all traces of the Hebrew religion, replacing it with Pagan temples and idols.
  • Temple Abomination. Constantine, Theodorus, and the Papacy are the worst offenders. They corrupted the religion of Abraham and Moses by contaminating it with paganism and then making it the official state religion. Hadrian obliterated all signs of the Hebrew religion, replacing it with idols and pigs.
  • Man of Sin. The man of sin at the end of time commits all these sins in his attempt to unify all religions.
• End of Greek Rule. In fact, the interpretation of the prophecy says that this insolent king shall arise at the end of the rule of the four kings and that this power will rule when Christ, the Prince of princes, was here.
  • Ptolemy. The Greek rulers in Egypt. They sold the office of high priest between 242-174 BC.
  • Lysimachus. He was killed by Seleucus in the Battle of Corupedium.
  • Cassander (Murderer). He murdered the entire royal family of Alexander.
  • Seleucus. They ruled Judea and the east and took over the northern kingdoms of Lysimachus and Cassander. In 175 BC Selecus, king of Syria, plundered Jerusalem and murdered many Jews.
    » Antiochus IV Theos Epiphanes (Idolatry). In an attempt to force the Jews to accept the Greek gods and culture, Antiochus looted the temple, sold the priesthood by accepting bribes and took it away from the family of the Levites. He sacrificed a pig on the altar and placed the statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies and desecrated the temple so that worship stopped. He forbid Sabbath worship and circumcision, even building gymnasiums where men walked around naked. Circumcised men would stand out. He also destroyed their scriptures until the Maccabean revolt ended his rampage. The Jews called him Antiochus "Epimanes" which means "mad man".
  Rome ended the rule of the Greeks in 168 BC in the battle of Pydna during the reign of Antiochus. The Greek transgressors had run their course. So, although the Greeks were not the insolent king called the little horn, they were the transgressors who placed an abomination in the sanctuary, causing the Jews to make an alliance with the Romans.
  The abomination by the Greek religion was also incorporated into the Roman religion and eventually infiltrated the Christian temples.
• Second Coming. If we apply this little horn to one of the rulers in the divided Greek empire, then the prophecy leaves out Rome and places the Greeks as the rulers who will be broken by a divine act at the Second Coming.

Characteristic		Babylon	Greece	Rome
		Nebuchadnezzar	Antiochus	Pompey	Pilate	Titus	Hadrian	Papacy
Craft Prospers		Jealous leaders plot to destroy Jews	Accepts bribes	Bribery, murder, intrigue, plotting and scheming, political marriages of convenience, traitors were all a part of the Roman succession to power				Promotes those who cooperate
Destroys Those at Ease			-
Magnified in His Heart		Said he was the greatest	Named himself "God manifest"	The Caesars believed they were god on earth. Imperial Cult. While the senate gave god status to popular people at death, Augustus started a cult to the living emperors.				Vicar of Christ
Stands Up Against Christ		Defied YHWH	Defied YHWH	Defied YHWH	Arrested Christ	Persecuted	Persecuted	Persecutes
Destroys Holy People		Exiled the Jews	Killed Jews, leaders	12,000 killed	Christ	Sanhedrin massacred. 1,100,000 dead	580,000 dead. Jews exiled	100 million Martyrs
Temple Abomination		Destroyed the temple, took the treasures and tried to make the Jews worship a golden idol	Desecrated the temple and stopped sacrifices	Desecrated temple in 63 BC by entering the Holy of Holies and made Hyrcanus the high priest	Killed Christ	Destroyed the temple in 70 AD, took the treasures	Built temple to Jupiter	Sits in temple as god
»	Idol		Statue of Zeus				Jupiter	Image of the beast
»	Unclean		Sacrificed pig on the altar		The tenth legion which was assigned to Judea had a pig as emblems		Pig images	-
»	Sabbath		Banned				Banned	Changed
»	Circumcision	Castrated	Banned		Cut off Christ	Genealogy records lost	Banned	-
Sodomy		-	Cultural homosexuality and pedophelia was prevalent among the Greeks. Every young boy was expected to take an older male lover until he was married. The Roman emperors adopted this Greek behavior. Tiberias and Hadrian were homosexual pedophiles and the Catholic church has a serious problem
Revolt		Zedekiah	Maccabean	-	-	First Jewish revolt (66-70)	Bar Kokhba (132-135)	Protestant
Broken Without Hand		Became Mad. Persian defeat	Epipames "Mad man". Disease	Beheaded	Murder, suicide	-	-	Second Coming

We can learn from the past and understand how the Antichrist will operate by looking at these models of behavior. These actions were similar to what the Romans did under Pompey, Augustus, Tiberias Caesar, Titus and Hadrian. During the life of Christ several people acted to fulfill these symbols on behalf of Rome (Herod, Tiberias, Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas and Judas).
All these despots had one thing in common. They were a type of the work of the abomination that destroys the sanctuary. They are the Antichrist in spirit. The final Antichrist will have all their characteristics combined.

The Nature of the Antichrist.
The subject of the identity of the Antichrist is as famous as his number (666). There are many theories as to his nature. One popular theory says that he will be born as a Jew who will ascend to power. The prophecy gives several clues about his nature in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-8.

• Man of Sin. The Antichrist is a male as the masculine pronouns suggest.
• Long Life. Paul says that he was being restrained in the days of the apostles so that he will be revealed "in his time". However, Paul connects him to a movement called "the mystery of lawlessness" which existed at that time. The requirement of a long life can only be fulfilled by an angel or a human dynasty. There are no 2000 year old human beings and no 2000 year old monarchies except, the church of Rome which claims an unbroken lineage up to the apostle Peter. The language suggests that Satan is not only the force of evil that supports this power, but that at some point he will come to head this institution and all religions.
• Unveiled. The prophecy suggests the force behind lawlessness will be unmasked and personally revealed. His time of revelation is the end of time, at the Second Coming.
• Nationality. The Bible does not specify his nationality. The only clue we have is that he will emerge from the Roman empire which was centered in Rome and spread over many nations from Western and Central Europe to North Africa and the Middle East. He is most likely from Rome, but Greece is pictured as the goat.
• Christian. He sits in a leadership position over the church as a kind of supreme figure (2 Thessalonians 2: 4).
• Jerusalem. He must appear in Jerusalem for the final selection (Daniel 11: 45).

Is he a human or is he Satan or is he the son of Satan? Is he Satan in human form?

The Two Goats on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

Day of Atonement Lord's Goat Scapegoat Banished to Earth Thrown from a Cliff Judas Barabbas Popes Second Coming Empty Earth Third Coming Killed Cast Lots Restrained Revealed Destroyed Judgment

The law on Yom Kippur reveals Satan's legal right to physically present himself to the world and may help us to understand the puzzle of the nature of the Antichrist. The entire time from the crucifixion to the Second Coming represents the events on the Day of Atomement. Here the drama of the two goats is played out on the earth.

• Lord's Goat (Christ). The Lord's Goat is the Christ (Messiah) Who shall save the people from their sins. The Man who would become the Lord's goat was born as a human. 33 years later, in a universal drama set at the temple in Israel, Jesus Christ was selected as the goat to be killed and several human scapegoats were set free.
• Scape Goat (Antichrist). The Scapegoat is the Antichrist who causes the people to sin. So, if the Lord's Goat could be born as a human, then could the scapegoat be born as a human? Not necessarily. Jesus had the opportunity to be saved or lost when He was born, so the Lord's Goat was born as a human. However, Satan can no longer be saved no matter in which form he is presented. If he was born as a human he would have no opportunity for salvation because he is already sentenced to death. This state of being would break God's own law and oath to the children of Adam that "whosoever will can be saved". Satan cannot be born as a human. So how can Satan visibly appear.
  • Possessed Humans. By choice, most humans accept the values of Satan. They can fulfill the role of those who do the work of the Antichrist. But these people who are attracted to Satan can go a step further and ultimately be possessed by Him. Looking at the symbols we see that Judas and Barabbas and a succession of human leaders seem to represent the human form of the scapegoat because they represent the attributes of Satan.
    Satan: Murderer and Liar. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8: 44)
    Satan: Insurrection. And there was war in heaven, Michael and His angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world; He was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12: 7,9)
    They are the scapegoat because in their leadership roles they are actually destroying the reputation and work of Christ through the character of Satan. They were selected by popular choice or a lottery.
    • Judas (Betrayer, Liar and Thief). Judas the betrayer and liar, was chosen by the priests.
      But Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples who was intending to betray Him, said, "Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii and given to poor people?" Now he said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put in it. (John 12: 4-6)
      Jesus said that Satan entered Judas. This was how Judas became a stand-in for the Antichrist.
      Satan Possessed Judas At the Anointing by Mary. And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Jesus. (Luke 22: 3-4)
      Satan Possessed Judas At the Passover Seder. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore the Lord said to him, "What you do, do it quickly" (John 13: 27)
      Son of Perdition. "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. (John 17: 12)
      Both Judas and the Antichrist were called "son of perdition".
    • Barabbas (Insurrection and Murderer). Barabbas the murderer, was chosen by the crowd.
      The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. (Mark 15: 7)
      And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23: 25)
    
    » Working for the Antichrist. At the end of time, the final powers who will clear the way for the appearance of Satan will be guilty of betrayal, insurrection, lying and murder. They will use their military power to cause regime changes, assassinate world leaders while lying to the public about their behavior and about the character of those whom they murder. Through sanctions, embargos and blockades they will use their economic power to force nations and individual people to do their will.
  • Human Clones, Test Tube Babies and Borgs. The first test tube baby was born in 1978. In 2009 someone claimed to have made several unsuccessful attempts to clone skin cells. Since the dawn of genetic engineering we are faced with the possibility of human-like creatures incubated in a mechanical or foreign womb. If a baby was not born of a woman through the womb or made completely from manufactured DNA, or from current cloning and genetic engineering techniques, can such a person meet the test of the origin of the Antichrist? It would still be immoral for God to exclude a class of human people from the Plan of Salvation because other evil humans try to build their own genetic Tower of Babel. The Bible says that God saves man and beast. There is room for God to save a clone who chooses to submit to God. No matter the provenance of the genes, it is God who gives all creatures the breath of life. So, a cyborg is not automatically the vessel of the Antichrist.
  • Angel of Light. In the form of a benevolent, supernatural being he can quickly demand global attention.
    Supernatural Appearance. For such men are false prophets, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11: 13-14)
    So the answer is that since Satan has been banished to the earth, he has used a series of human stand-ins to accomplish his goals while he is being restrained from a visible appearance. But the Yom Kippur law guarantees that both the Lord's Goat and the Scapegoat will have an opportunity to appear in Jerusalem before the people.
    At the end of time he will appear in person at the moment when the world stands at a crossroads. We will choose life or death by choosing the principles of Jesus Christ or something else.
    
    » Revealing the Antichrist. Before Satan appears as the last Antichrist, he will have a human advocate making arrangements for his appearance. The forces of the Antichrist will try to capture and rule Jerusalem and try to have dominion over the people of God. Like Judas, these people will not think that they are working for Satan. They think that they are doing the will of God. Judas thought that he was forcing Christ to live up to His potential and then he would be a powerful, influential figure with Christ. He never expected the crucifixion. Such are the fortunes of those who believe that the end justifies the means and that their status puts them above the law or gives them the right to make laws that sanction their sins.
  
  » Scapegoat Banished to Earth. After the Lord's goat was selected, the Scapegoat was banished to the earth. So Satan still had the formal right to corrupt the earth. He organized the principalities and powers on earth through whom he would work. While he was restrained, he was corrupting the sanctuary. At the end of time, he appears to deceive the world in the form of a supernatural being as an angel of light sitting in the corrupted temple.
• The Greek Goat. The Greek empire is associated with the works of Satan. It is a corrupting influence that spreads throughout Rome. In Daniel 8 the goat (Antichrist) attacked the ram (Christ). He is the real conspicuous horn of whom Alexander the Great was just a type. After the return of Babylon the Great, the Ram attacks and captures the goat at the Second Coming.

  Babylon Persia Greece Rome Babylon the Great Ram Scapegoat Magog Satan Attacks Christ Persecution Second Coming Millennium Armageddon

Judgment
The Roman Church prospered during the middle ages, just as the Bible had predicted. It prospered until something dramatic happened in Heaven. As shown in Daniel 7: 8-14 and Daniel 8: 13-14, a judgment scene is seen taking place in heaven. Dominion is taken away from the little horn power at the end of the 1260 years, and Jesus is given:

1. Dominion. First, dominion is given to Jesus. The Roman Church exercised religious dominion. Therefore, Jesus reasserts his dominion over faith. This points to the reemergence of God's trodden truths after 1798. Daniel 12 predicted this when it said that "knowledge would be increased" and that he would give "wisdom and understanding".
2. Glory. Second, glory is given to Jesus. This calls to mind worship in Revelation 14:6-7, where Christ is pictured restoring a true knowledge of God (as the Creator God) and of true worship.
3. Kingdom. Third, Jesus receives a kingdom. God's kingdom is comprised of those He rules over. In Luke 22: 28-30 Jesus called the New Testament church His kingdom. Daniel 7:14 indicated that Christ's kingdom is returned to Him after a heavenly judgment scene. The kingdom is a movement made up of every nation and tribe of planet earth. No doubt Jesus had Daniel 8: 10-13 in mind when He quoted the prophet Daniel on the Mount of Olives before His crucifixion.
   "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come. So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) ..." (Matthew 24: 14-15)

So the Bible indicates in Daniel 7 that we are to look to Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary, after 1798, to reassert His power to gather a people who will take the Gospel to all nations of earth.

Finding the Antichrist in History.
Before Christ, the forces of evil were arrayed against the nation of Israel. After Christ, Israel was cut off and Christ became the stump and root from which the new Israel would grow. Consequently the forces of evil were arrayed against Him. That is why this evil resistance movement is called Antichrist.

Babylon Persia Greece Rome Rome Papal Rome 1600 1827 Persecution Second Coming Praetorist, Futurist, Historicist Praetorist No Fulfillment Futurist Rapture Anti-Israel Wild Beasts Attack Historicist

Where in the World is the Antichrist? There are three major prophetic interpretation that basically agree about the fulfillment of prophecies before Christ. However, they differ greatly in their understanding of history after, especially in their attempt to identify the time and appearance of the Antichrist.
The praetorist and futurist views, proposed by two priests as part of the counter-reformation, deflect the identity of the Antichrist away from the middle ages, conveniently leaving that period of history ruled by the papacy as a prophetic dead zone where no prophecies were being fulfilled.

• Praetorist (Antichrist Came in the Past). Around 1600s, Jesuit Luis de Alcazar (1554-1630) proposed that prophecies were fulfilled by pagan Rome in the past and that Nero was the Antichrist.
• Futurist (Antichrist is in the Future). In the early 1600s, Monk Francisco de Ribera (1537-1591) proposed that the Antichrist is a future supernatural person who will exist in the last 3.5 years and all the chapters after Revelation 4:1 are fulfilled after the church is raptured.
  It remained a Catholic teaching for over 220 years until it began to spread among Protestants in Dublin in 1827. It became more popular when it was printed in the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. Edward Irving introduced the secret rapture and Margaret MacDonald introduced the two stage coming of Christ after a vision in 1830. Then John Nelson Darby popularized it more and introduced the secret rapture and the "Gap theory" by separating the last seven years from the 490 year prophecy. Hal Lindsey made it even more popular in the book, "The Late Great Planet Earth".
• Historicist (Antichrist Exists from Christ to the End). The "spirit of Antichrist" existed since the time of the disciples (1 John 4: 3) and will continue to work until the end of time. The view that prophecy is continuously unflolding until the end of time was held by Daniel, Jesus and the early church fathers.
  700 years before futurism took hold among Protestants, the Waldenses have identified the Papacy as the Antichrist and the church of Rome as the "Babylon of the Apocalypse" since at least 1100 AD.
  This interpretation was taught by early church fathers and others such as Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Napier, the Waldenses, the Hussites, Dante and the reformers such as Wyclif, John Huss, Martin Luther, Zwingli, John Calvin, Melanchthon, William Tyndale and John Knox.

Repetition and Enlargement
This power and its activities are important in both the prophecies of Daniel, Revelation and the apostles. Therefore it is often repeated. Since the prophecy is about one power and not a succession of powers, the repetition and enlargement centers around the characteristics and activities of this power.

Daniel 7		Daniel 8	2 Thessalonians 2	Revelation	Zechariah 5
Little Horn			Antichrist	Woman and Beast	Ephah Woman
Came up among the ten horns		-	Was restrained in Paul's day	Appears after the breakup of Rome. 7 heads and 10 horns	Woman sitting in an ephah under a lead cover
3 horns pulled up		-	-	-
Eyes like a man		-	Son of destruction	666 (number of a man) (13:18)
Mouth speaking great things (verse 11)		Magnified himself to Christ. Stands up to the Prince of princes. (Verses 10-11)	Acts as god. Speaks perverse things	Blasphemes. Daniel 11: 36-37; (13: 5-7; 17: 3)
		Took away the continual and destroyed the sanctuary in heaven	Sits as god in the temple, exalts himself above all that is worshipped	Revelation 13. Forces the world to commit idolatry
Changes times and laws		Causes craft to prosper	The lawless one. Apostasy. Corrupts the church	Revelation 13. Changes the first four commandments
1260 years	Time, times and the dividing of time	-	-	Daniel 11: 33 (many days); Revelation 11: 3 (1260 days); 12: 6 (1260 days); 12:14 (3½ times); 13: 5 (42 months)	Cover removed
Made war with the saints		Destroys the mighty and holy people. Destroys many by peace	Son of destruction	1260 year persecution. (12: 13)	This is wickedness
				A second persecution. Revelation 12: 17; 13: 15-17; 17: 14
Different from other kingdoms		Mighty but not by his own power	Religious power	Woman rides the beast (17: 3)	Two women
			Activity of Satan	Uses a new power (13: 12)
Power Restored		A king arises in the latter part of their rule	Man of sin revealed	Wounded (13: 3)	Covered again
				Healed (13: 12) Was, is not and will come. (17: 8)	Cover removed. Temple built
			Satanic power, signs and false wonders	Revelation 13: 14	Lifted between earth and heaven. Sits on a pedestal in Babylon
Is removed by God (verse 26-27)		Broken without human help	Destroyed in the Second Coming	Revelation 19-20

The Science of The Christ and Antichrist
The law of Conservation of Momentum says that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". The Antichrist does the same thing as Christ in the opposite and perverse way.

• God Becomes Man (Man Becomes God). So at the time God was incarnate and came as a Man, Augustus Caesar was forming the Roman imperial cult to deify a living god-man.
• God is the High Priest Intercessor (Man is Intercessor). After Christ became the intercessor between God and man, the church instituted a new system in which man interceded for man.
• God on the Throne (Antichrist on the Throne). Only God can combine the office of priest and king. Yet the Antichrist sits in the temple of God on the throne of God.
• The Good Shepherd and The Wolf. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, but the wolf takes their life. The wolf persecutes and tears the sheep apart.
• Other Spiritual Counter-Insurgencies. An examination of history shows that for every major movement of God to establish an important foundation for the covenant, Satan established his own organization.
  Hinduism was started around the time of the exodus when Israel was formed (2728 BC). The other major eastern religions were formed at the time Israel was in Babylonian captivity (609-539 BC). Zoroastrianism (618 BC), Buddhism (535 BC), Shinto (500 BC), Taoism (440 BC) and Janism (420 BC). Islam arose in 610 AD after the church fell into apostasy in 538 AD.

Even in particle physics there are particles and antiparticles which annhilate each other. The Antichrist annhilated Christ at the crucifixion, but he will be annhilated at the final judgment.

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Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2: 15 Copyright   Updated : September 18, 2004. May 2010 Credits: Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Patterson (January 2008) 1. See our reference page. for additional credits. http://www.historicism.com/misc/pedigree.htm