Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Living in the Time of the Antichrist - The Message of Daniel 11:32-35




Daniel 11:32-35 has profound things to say about what it will be like during the time of the antichrist. We should expect great deception, false gospels, persecution, treachery and betrayal. We will also see a remnant who “know their God” stand up and perform great deeds for God’s glory. They will shine the light of truth during a dark time and open the eyes of many. Some will stumble and fall, but the Lord will use it to refine and purify them. The end times will be an opportunity to advance the kingdom of heaven like no other time in history. 

Barack Obama Is the AC 

When is the time of the antichrist? We are in it right now. 

I hope you know the identity of the antichrist. If not, please ask God to show you and confirm it. There will be enormous, other-worldly, sinister deceptions associated with this person: The mark of the beast (Rev. 13:16-18), World War III (Ezekiel 38), FEMA death camps (Daniel 11:33) and an alien invasion (Rev. 12:9). Anyone who does not understand who he is will more likely fall prey. Lives and souls are at risk - and the consequences will resonate into eternity. 

God will show you if you ask in faith. Here are some relevant videos and articles: 

The Age of Deception 

When asked by his disciples about the end of the age, Jesus began:

“See to it that no one misleads you.” – Matthew 24:4, NASB

Two or three more times in the following passage, Jesus warned about being misled and deceived. “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

THE END TIMES ARE THE AGE OF DECEPTION! We have to guard against deceptions because falling for them is costly. That cost could be eternal damnation for those who do not come to faith in Jesus Christ. It could be that our lives or the lives of others are cut short. It can affect the soundness of our faith, our testimony and mission and our rewards in heaven. 

To guard against deception, we first have to make sure our hearts are yielded to the Lord. The enemy is expert at playing on our natural desires. If we are not fully yielded to God, it is easy for Satan to mislead us with his tricks and wiles that tickle our ears. We also must learn to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and receive the truth from him. The deceptions of this age will be so great that our natural minds won’t be able to sort them out. We need the supernatural discernment that comes from the Spirit of truth.

There is a deception in play right now that I see many Christians falling for, even those in the “awake” community. The deception is that Donald Trump is a political savior and God is granting America a reprieve.

What I am hearing from the Lord – and what everyone whose walk with the Lord I deeply respect is hearing – is that America is under judgment for its wickedness and rebellion against God. America is a fallen nation that God is handing over to a series of judgments that will culminate in its destruction. It is Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17-18). I know these are hard words, but that is the reality we face.

According to the Scriptures, the only way to soften or defer judgment is for the people to repent of their wickedness and turn back to the Lord in brokenness and humility. Has America repented of its 60 million aborted children and counting, or is abortion still flourishing and even subsidized by our federal tax dollars? Has America repented of its sexual deviancy, or do we continue to produce the majority of global pornography and celebrate every form of gender confusion and sexual deviancy? Has America stopped its endless series of foreign wars to preserve our hegemony and economic dominance – as if destroying millions of lives and toppling societies around the world is okay as long as America can stay on top? Has America stopped stealing from the rest of the world by printing dollars and exporting our inflation, taking advantage of the dollar’s status as world reserve currency and de facto currency for the global oil trade? Has America exposed and rooted out the rampant Satanism in government, banking and entertainment industries, or do blood sacrifices, occult rituals, pedophilia and child sex trafficking continue among the elite in these industries? (Wikileaks and government whistle blowers have been exposing this issue, in addition to witnesses coming forth for decades.)

I’m sorry, but America has not repented and does not deserve a reprieve. Voting for Trump is not a substitute for repentance.

Remember who is in the Oval Office now. Do you really think he is just going to retire to Hawaii and spend his time at the beach surfing? Moreover, the presidential election is not over yet. The electoral college is scheduled to vote later in December. Congress is supposed to count the votes and declare a winner on January 6, and the inauguration is scheduled for January 20. Much is still in play. Stay alert.

When it turns out that Trump is not a political savior, how will it affect the Christians who put their faith in him? Will they lose their faith? Will they question God because they were led to believe Trump was God’s anointed? Will people feel angry and justified in acting out against the government when the regime defies the will of the people? Will they commit acts of violence, or will false flag attacks be staged and attributed to Christian Trump supporters? You know Obama will use that as a pretext to label Christian right-wingers as terrorists and begin persecution.

This is a trap, folks.

The Time of the Antichrist – Daniel 11:32-35 

When studying end-times Bible prophecies, please bear in mind what the Lord told Daniel:

Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.” – Daniel 12:9

Scripture says the full meaning of these prophecies are hidden until the end times. It is as if God put a time-lock on them so their meaning would only be fully revealed at the opportune time by his Spirit. Why? I can only guess. Maybe He didn’t want us to ever think we have it all figured out and become prideful and stop coming to him for wisdom and direction.

What the Lord showed me about Daniel 11:32-35, I couldn’t fully explain with the words in the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the version I normally use. However, when I looked at these verses in the Septuagint and Complete Jewish Bible in conjunction with the NASB, all the meanings came out. Different translations highlighted different aspects.

By the way, the Complete Jewish Bible is a translation of the Old and New Testament from a distinctly Jewish perspective. I have really enjoyed reading it – and share the translator’s opinion that some of the Jewish/Hebrew context of Scripture is lost in other English translations. The Septuagint was the first translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek between the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C. by 70 or 72 Jewish scholars. Most Old Testament quotations in the New Testament are based on the Septuagint Bible. The early church fathers quoted it and the Eastern Orthodox Church still considers it the authoritative Old Testament text. The Book of Daniel has a unique history in the Septuagint, which you can read here if interested.

Daniel 11:32 

“And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.” – NASB

Those who act wickedly against the covenant he will corrupt with his blandishments, but the people who know their God will stand firm and prevail.” – Complete Jewish Bible 

This is about the antichrist. He will influence people with smooth words, with flattering and coaxing speech, to commit wickedness against God’s covenant. If Obama is known for anything, it is for smooth, manipulative words.

What is the covenant in this passage? The Bible establishes five covenants that God has made with mankind:


1) The covenant with Noah – Promising never again to flood the earth, and that summer and winter, seedtime and harvest, and day and night shall not cease so long as the earth remains.
2) The covenant with Abraham – Promising to make Abraham a great nation, to bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him, to bless all the families of the earth through his, and to give his descendants the land of Canaan.
3) The covenant with Moses – Given at Mt. Sinai, God established his law, the standard for righteousness and right living, with blessings for obedience and curses for turning away from the Lord.
4) The covenant with King David – Promising to establish David’s house, kingdom and throne before the Lord forever.
5) The new covenant in Christ’s blood – “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood,” Jesus said in Luke 22:20. This covenant is the promise salvation and forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is accompanied by the great outpouring of God’s Spirit, which brings power, truth and spiritual gifts. “And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” – Joel 2:28


Which covenant is this passage referring to? In a sense, all of them, but especially the last because it represents the culmination of God’s covenants with mankind.

All God’s covenants – i.e. agreements with and promises to mankind – remain in effect and will be fulfilled. His word endures forever. These covenants are like layers in a cake, each building on the ones before. They are expressions of God’s lovingkindness and righteousness and his agenda for redeeming and restoring mankind to himself. Adam and Eve began in perfection but fell into sin and depravity, which became our inheritance as sons and daughters of Adam. But through his covenants and ultimately in his Son Jesus Christ, God restores us to holiness and communion with him.

And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered.” – Joel 2:32

"Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith." - Galatians 3:24

Therefore, the antichrist, animated by Satan, will stand in opposition to God’s agenda for redeeming mankind. This is what it means to act wickedly against the covenant. He will use smooth words to cause people to oppose the message, i.e. the gospel, and against the messengers, i.e. God’s people, his elect. This will take the form of persecution – onerous laws and targeted enforcement, FEMA camps, Islamic jihad, forced vaccinations with toxic or mind-altering effects, etc. There will also be deceptions and false gospels – transhumanism, disclosure and the alien gospel, a fake alien invasion, Project Blue Beam.

Yet in the face of all this opposition, a remnant of believers will stand up, show strength and prevail! They will perform valiant deeds to advance the kingdom of heaven. Who will be among their ranks? As the verse states, it will be those who know their God. This is the key. We must draw near to God in humility, learn to hear his voice and follow the leading of his Spirit.

Daniel 11:33 

“And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days.” – NASB

“Those among the people who have discernment will cause the rest of the people to understand what is happening; nevertheless, for a while they will fall victim to sword, fire, exile and pillage.” – Complete Jewish Bible 

There will be a group of believers who have discernment and insight and are able to explain truth to others. This includes the truth about faith and righteousness and reconciliation with God. The Jewish Bible highlights another aspect of discernment. They will also be able to explain to people what is happening. The end times is a period of enormous upheaval, spectacular events and great deception. Most people will be shocked and overwhelmed and fall for the many deceptions unfolding before their eyes. Yet God will preserve a remnant who see through it and can instruct others to help preserve lives and souls.

Continuing with the theme of opposition to the covenant, there will be Christian persecution in the form of violence, burning, imprisonment, theft and displacement. Displacement is a word associated with refugees, and the Jews know it as exile. All these tribulations are happening right now to Christians in the Middle East and are beginning to happen in the Western world too.

We should all expect persecution. Even if you believe in a miraculous rescue of the saints as I do, please don’t let your guard down and think you won’t have to face the trials of persecution. The Scriptures say otherwise – here and in many other places. The doctrine of pre-tribulation rapture is a siren song that lulls Christians to sleep and makes them unprepared for the coming trials. Those who embrace it are apt to lose their hope and faith when things aren’t as easy and pain-free as they were told. 

God is in control, but we have to do our part to make it through these times. The prophecies and warnings in Scripture are not to be ignored. Noah saved his family from the flood by building an ark, Joseph saved the world from famine by storing up seven years of grain, and Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness gathered manna from heaven for that day’s rations. What should we do and how should we prepare? Each of us must go to God in faith to ask and receive an individual, personalized answer to this question.

Daniel 11:34 

“Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.” – NASB

“When they stumble, they will receive a little help, although many who join them will be insincere.” – Complete Jewish Bible 

And when they are weak they shall be helped with a little help: but many shall attach themselves to them with treachery.” – Brenton Septuagint

The Hebrew word כָּשַׁל or kashal appears three times in verses 32-35. The NASB translates this word as “fall,” while the Jewish Bible translates the first occurrence as “fall victim” and the second and third as “stumble.” The Septuagint uses “fall,” “are weak” and “fall.” Like many words in English, kashal has different senses of meaning. This passage in Hebrew seems to have a form of poetic expression where the meaning of kashal shifts subtly with each use. 

Here is a definition of kashal from Strong’s Concordance:

“A primitive root; to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication to falter, stumble, faint or fall: - bereave [from the margin], cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin (-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, X utterly, be weak.”

The root of the word means to totter or waver, as in to go wobbly in the legs. Kashal can mean to fall as in fall victim to persecution, as in the previous verse 33. In the current verse 34, the meaning shifts to: to stumble or to be in a state of weakness, by implication because of the tribulations and persecution. In the following verse 35, the context suggests another shift in meaning to: to stumble due to a moral or spiritual failing.

When they – those who know their God – are weakened in the face of persecutions and tribulations, they will receive a little help. God looks out for his own! No doubt the Lord will send his angels to deliver supernaturally and we will see astonishing events. In this case, the verse seems to refer to help that will come from people in their community. Because immediately after the reference to help is a warning about some of the people who join us: Many will be insincere, hypocritical or, as the Septuagint puts it, treacherous.

BEWARE OF BETRAYAL! People in our community will betray us. Jesus gave the same warning regarding the end times:

You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends; some of you they will have put to death; and everyone will hate you because of me.” – Luke 21:16-17, Complete Jewish Bible

The extreme pressure of events, combined with satanic deceptions, the darkness within humanity and the influence of the antichrist, will force a stark separation between those who know God and those who do not, between the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats. We are being warned that this will foment into hatred, hypocrisy and betrayal against us.

This problem is made worse by the literally millions of victims of government-sponsored mind control and satanic ritual abuse in the world. These people have been subjected to horrific abuse in order to fracture their personalities and create programmable alters or alternate personalities that reside in their subconscious minds (i.e. dissociative identity disorder). The presenting personality is not even aware that the alters exist or what they do. When triggered, the alters can commit horrible acts and, after switching back, the presenting personality is not aware of any of it. It’s unbelievable stuff, but does exist. If you want to learn more about this topic, I recommend this SRA/DID video training series

These are days when we really need to listen to voice of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to be fearful or paranoid or hide in a cave. But we need supernatural discernment. If the Spirit moves us to avoid a person, group, place or event, we should do it without hesitation. Even if everything seems fine on the surface, we don’t know what is happening behind the scenes or in the hidden parts of people’s hearts. Or if He moves us to connect with a certain person, we also should do that. Appearances can be deceiving, good or bad. We need the penetrating eyes of God’s Spirit to lead us around the traps and snares.

Daniel 11:35 

“And some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.” – NASB

“Even some of those with discernment will stumble, so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time.” – Complete Jewish Bible 

Verses 32 and 33 already established that those who know their God and have insight will face persecution and stumble. Then why does this verse single out some of those with insight and say they too will stumble, to the effect that they become refined and purified? And why does the Complete Jewish Bible use the phrase “even some,” as if to say it is unusual or surprising this would happen? Again, Christian persecution will be the norm, so this shouldn’t be surprising.

It doesn’t quite make sense, unless this verse implies a different kind of stumbling – as in stumbling into sin, deception, faithlessness or despair. I believe that is exactly what this verse is talking about. The tribulations and deceptions will be so intense that even some with discernment will stumble morally and spiritually. We are all human, fleshly and fallible, so in that sense this isn’t a surprise.

But the good news is that God will use this to refine and purify us. It will be humbling and painful, but God is our faithful redeemer and He will use it for our good in the end. It will become part of our growth in Christ. To me this is reassuring and brings to mind Romans 8:31:

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Because the end has not yet come. We have to see this all the way and endure to the end!

Conclusion 

The end times are an exceptional period, like no other in human history. From the creation of Adam and Eve until the return of the Messiah, this is the greatest time to shine the truth and advance the kingdom of heaven:

And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” – Daniel 12:3

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear upon you. And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” – Isaiah 60:1-3

APPENDIX: Daniel 11:32-35 Full Quotations 

"Those who act wickedly against the covenant he will corrupt with his blandishments, but the people who know their God will stand firm and prevail. Those among the people who have discernment will cause the rest of the people to understand what is happening; nevertheless, for a while they will fall victim to sword, fire, exile and pillage. When they stumble, they will receive a little help, although many who join them will be insincere. Even some of those with discernment will stumble, so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time." - Daniel 11: 32-35, Complete Jewish Bible 

“And the transgressors shall bring about a covenant by deceitful ways: but a people knowing their God shall prevail, and do valiantly. And the intelligent of the people shall understand much: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, and by captivity, and by spoil of many days. And when they are weak they shall be helped with a little help: but many shall attach themselves to them with treachery. And some of them that understand shall fall, to try them as with fire, and to test them, and that they may be manifested at the time of the end, for the matter is yet for a set time.” – Daniel 11:32-35, Brenton Septuagint

And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days. Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. And some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.” – Daniel 11:32-35 NASB