Pastor Jim Hammond| May 22, 2022

Recap:
This past weekend, Pastor Jim continued teaching on Daniel chapter 9. The detailed prophecy in the second half of this chapter covers a lot of ground; this weekend, Pastor Jim focused on that 70th week from Daniel’s prophecy. Currently, we are living in the dispensation of the church, and this is in the interval between the 69 weeks talked about in last week’s message and week 70. Week 70 is the tribulation, where the rise of the Antichrist begins.

Dive Deeper:
Consider for a moment what will happen on this earth after the rapture of the church. News outlets will be looking for a reason why millions of people disappeared. They will be attempting to find the thread of what happened, if there is danger to people left on earth, and what story this phenomenon could be spun into.

Then, a great orator will come onto the scene declaring peace. Perhaps this orator will have an answer for the disappearance of millions. His notable moment will be when he ushers in a peace agreement in the Middle East that has been unheard of. Of course, this person is the Antichrist who we see throughout the prophecies of the Scripture. Some of the Jews may even hail this person as Messiah, which means the Antichrist could be Jewish! We will know for sure as these events eventually take place.

The Antichrist will have a moment where he receives a deadly wound, and he will be raised to life again by the false prophet. Consider how miraculous that would look to the world! The deception will be great during this time. Israel will think it is safe with the Antichrist around, but his true allegiance will shine through when he attacks and destroys Israel. Right before complete destruction, Jesus will arrive on the Mount of Olives and destroy the temple that the Antichrist desecrated. It will be the beginning of Jesus’ millennial reign on earth!

Read About It:
Daniel 9:24–27 KJV
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Matthew 24:15–21 KJV
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Revelation 13:1–18 KJV
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think people will be so quick to follow the Antichrist?
2. Can you see the deception in the world today that will only be amplified during the Tribulation?
3. Why might some Jews mistake the Antichrist for the Messiah?