Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 71
ANTI-CHRIST: THE BEAST, THE WICKED ONE – 1
Daniel 9:27 – Revelation 19:11
Okay, it’s good to see everybody in again this afternoon. As you know, we make four programs each taping, and this is the first of the afternoon. We just want to let you know how much we appreciate your letters and your phone calls. My, since we started over in Genesis, we can’t believe the response. We have to remember we’ve got new people coming in all the time and they have never heard our teachings in Genesis before. So we really do appreciate your phone calls, letters, and your financial help. And the prayers! My, how we love it when people write and say, “We pray for you every day.” That’s what has made the program go.
All right, now for those of you here in the studio, you’ve probably already turned back to the reference on the board. We’re going to continue on with what we started four or maybe eight programs ago on “The Day of the LORD.” Those final seven years of Tribulation as we now call it. Today, for the most part, I’m going to be dealing with the personality, the individual, who will be heading up the world’s government and control during those seven years. We’re going to start getting a handle on that in Daniel chapter 9 verses 25 and 26.
By the way, we’ve still got a lot of copies of the one and only book that our ministry has published. It is eighty-eight questions with the answers taken from our program material. Again, it is so well received that we want as many of these to go out as possible. It will be the best $11 you’ll ever spend.
Okay, turn to Daniel chapter 9, and we’re going to find out as much as we can today about what most people realize is the anti-Christ. We’re going to chase all the Scriptures that we can find regarding this individual—Daniel chapter 9. I’ll have it here in a second. We’ll just drop in and read verses 26 and 27.
Now remember, this whole series began back there in verse 24, where we have 490 years of a prophecy directed to the Nation of Israel. Now we know, from the breakdown and history and church history and biblical history that the 483 years culminated with the crucifixion. Then verses 26 and 27 introduce us to the final seven years and this man anti-Christ. All right, beginning at verse 26 of Daniel 9:
Daniel 9:26a
“And after threescore and two weeks (Now, that threescore is 60 and 2, so after sixty two weeks, or 483 years) shall Messiah be cut off, (That’s the reference to the crucifixion.) but not for himself:…” He didn’t die because of anything He deserved, we all know that. Now here comes the clue.
Daniel 9:26b
“…and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;…” Now, that’s where you’ve got to stop and think a minute. The people of the prince – now what does that mean?
The Empire from which this coming prince will be citizen. Now, I hope you all get that. It’s kind of in veiled language. But the “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Temple),” which we know the Romans did in A.D. 70. So, this tells us that this coming prince will come out of a revived Roman Empire.
Now, I’m going to take this slow today, because I know that since the rise of Islam these last 10-15 years, a lot of people are beginning to get kind of queasy on the fact that the anti-Christ is going to come out of the Roman Empire rather than out of the Muslim world. It’s a historical fact that when the Greek Empire disintegrated after Alexander’s death, the Syrian general who ended up in control of Jerusalem was a fellow by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes. This was back around 300 B.C. He had such a hatred for the Jews and their religion, that he purposely went into the Temple and just to infuriate the Jews sacrificed a hog in the Holy of Holies in the Temple.
Some Bible scholars take that as a preview in type of the real anti-Christ, and there is a certain degree of believability in that. But that doesn’t mean that he has to come from Syria. It doesn’t mean that he has to be Assyrian. There are other elements of all this that indicate, I think, that he has be at least part Jew. In other words, the people of Israel would never accept a pure Syrian, I don’t think. I don’t think they would accept a Muslim as their Messiah. But we’re going to be looking at all this as we go through the afternoon.
So right now, in this verse, we understand that this coming prince—we’ve got the names on the board of what he is also called in other areas. He is called all of these and maybe some more. But these are the ones that I could just knock off the top of my head. He is the prince that’s coming here in Daniel. He is also referred to in I John as the anti-Christ. Paul refers to him in II Thessalonians as the Son of Perdition, that Wicked One. What else have we got? Oh, and then the beast, he’s referred to as the beast throughout Scripture because of his bestiality in his ruling the world. So, all of these terms are indicative of the same individual who is going to actually become the worldwide dictator for these final seven years. All right, so now we’ll come back to this verse, this “prince that shall come,” a reference to the anti-Christ who is going to come out of the environs of the Ancient Roman Empire, which we are already seeing being revived with the European Community.
Daniel 9:26c
“…destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, (in other words, devastation) and unto the end (of that period of time, the seven years that are left) wars and desolations are determined.” All right, now verse 27.
Daniel 9:27a
“And he (this coming prince, this coming world ruler out of the environs of a revived Roman Empire) shall confirm (or make a covenant or a treaty) with many for one week:…” Now of course, we’ve looked at this verse hundreds of times over the last 15-16 years. The many, I think now, will have to involve the whole Arab world as well as Israel.
And it’s going to be a supernatural thing, because as we’ve witnessed, I guess since at least 1990, how many great men have tried to make peace between Israel and the Arabs? They can get ever so close and it falls apart. Well, it will never happen until God intervenes. It’s going to be a supernaturally done peace treaty. It would never happen without the providential intervention.
This man is going to be the instrument. He is going to bring about a peace treaty between Israel and, not just the Palestinians, but it will include the whole, anti-Jewish Muslim area of the Middle East. Now that includes Jordan and Egypt and probably North Africa. It includes Lebanon and Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and some of those other Muslim countries. They’re all going to come together with this peace treaty with Israel. Today that’s unbelievable. It just can’t be understood in the secular world that the Arabs will ever condescend to make peace with the Jews. But they’re going to when this thing takes place.
Daniel 9:27a
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: (or for that final seven years of this 490 year prophecy. All right, then it says–) and in the middle of the week (or at the end of 3 ½ years) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,…” Or stop. Again I have to stop and get everybody in my listening area to just be logical. Look at it with common sense.
We know Israel hasn’t had a temple since A.D. 70. But now all of a sudden there’s going to be temple worship. That’s what “oblation and sacrifice” indicate, that they’re going, as a result of this peace treaty, to be able to rebuild a temple. You know the Jew will never have a temple that’s not on the Temple Mount. This is unbelievable today that the Arab Muslim world will agree to the Jews building a temple on the Temple Mount. Yes, they’re going to. That’s the supernatural aspect of this treaty.
So, with the Temple rebuilt and the peace treaty that is bringing about that kind of a scenario, now again, use your imagination. What else is this going to involve? Well, just picture Israel for the last fifty years. They have been taxed to the limit. They have been taxed unmercifully. For what reason? To maintain their military.
Now when you stop and think of how a little nation of less than five million, well, they’re about five million now. Think of how they have been able to bring about, probably next to America, the greatest military machine in the world. What does that take? It takes money. I know we have helped them, but they have paid their own dues. They at one time were paying as much as 70% income tax. Now that’s a burden. My, we think it’s awful at 30 or 35%.
When this peace treaty comes about that is great enough and influential enough between Israel and the Arab world so that Israel can put a temple on the Temple Mount, what else is going to happen? It’s going to be an exploding financial restoration, to not only Israel but the whole Middle East.
That’s why I’ve said for the thirty years I’ve been teaching, I do not look for a worldwide financial collapse like we had in the 30’s. I just can’t see it prophetically. Because as we’re going to see after a bit, this man is going to come in with flattery, which means he’s going to promise the moon. In the world we’re living in today, so materialistically minded, what’s the first thing the average citizen of the world today thinks about? Their bank account. Their billfold. That’s all that matters.
My goodness, you even take our presidential elections. What is the primary reason for people to vote? The economy. And people are the same all over today. The whole world is on a financial binge. All right, so I think it’s going to continue right in past this peace treaty where this man is going to promise peace and prosperity, and it’s going to happen.
All right, now in the midst of that financial euphoria, not only are they going to have the Temple, not only are they going to have financial security, but when you’re in that state of affairs, what do you do with your military? Get rid of it! Don’t need it. So they’re going to dismantle that tremendous military machine faster than we did after World War II.
Now, for those of you that are as old as I am, and that’s getting up there, how many people did we have in the military at the end of World War II? Who wants to venture a guess? Fourteen million. See, Ike is well read. We had fourteen million people in our military at the end of World War II. How long did it take us to discharge them and send them all home? A few months. Just a few months. All right, now I use that as an example. Israel is going to do the same thing. The moment this peace treaty is signed, Israel is going to just simply park their fighter aircraft. They’re going to park their tents. They’re going to discharge their military people, and they’re going to get busy getting rich! Enjoying life. They’ve finally got the peace that they’d been looking for.
All right, that in turn brings us back to Ezekiel 38. Now, I’m just projecting. I’m not guaranteeing that this is all right out of Scripture. But with Scripture as a background, I can make a projection that this is what could logically happen next. All right, if Israel is going to dismantle their military, they’re going to wait upon the Western European Nations, and America will probably be involved. They, too, are going to guarantee Israel’s peace and safety. And they dismantle their military – now, what’s happened to their defense system? It’s gone.
All right, now back to Ezekiel 38, the chapter that we’ve looked at over and over, where we have the big northern invasion of Israel headed up by Russia. Now, if you watch the news at all, what’s happening more and more between Russia and Iran? They’re coming closer and closer together. As much as we try to stop Iran from their nuclear activity, the Russians undermine us. They’re just going to pour whatever the Iranians need in order to keep the thing going.
All right, in Ezekiel 38 it comes to a head. I have taught, for as long as I’ve been teaching prophecy that this will be in the first year or so of the seven. I’ll show you why. First, before we get into that part, let’s see how that this Russian confederation, which will include most of the Muslim world—the Lord says in verse 8.
Ezekiel 38:8a
“After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years (This is at the end time.) thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword,” Well, that’s a reference to the little land of Israel. After all the wars that Israel has fought to maintain their nation’s statehood, and they have been having to fight for it almost constantly since they became a Nation, including just this past summer.
Ezekiel 38:8b
“…and is gathered out of many people, (Now we know that there are Jews in Israel from almost every nation under heaven today.) against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: (Because when Israel was out of the land, it became a desolation.) but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.”
Ezekiel 38:9-10
“Thou (this Russian coalition) shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 10. Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:” Now, here’s my key verse, the next one.
Ezekiel 38:11a
“And thou shalt say,…” In other words, the military planners up there in the Kremlin are going to be looking at all the details, and they’re going to just be exuberant. These Jewish people are sitting there with no military capability. They’ve dismantled everything. But that isn’t the language of about 600 B.C. What’s the language? Walled villages.
Ezekiel 38:11
“And thou (the Russian leadership) shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages, (Now, in language of antiquity, that just simply means they had no defense. They’re sitting there like ducks on a pond.) I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, (My goodness, militarily I guess they’re at rest. They’re too busy making money. They’re too busy having a good time because of that peace treaty.) all of them dwelling without walls, (They’ve been guaranteed that no one will be able to hurt them.) and having neither bars nor gates,” To keep the enemy out. Russia is going to say, we go—
Ezekiel 38:12a
“To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited,…” Well, that’s Israel. It was a total desolation until after World War II. I’ve used it over and over where old Mark Twain was traveling over there in the 1860’s and he said he would never want to live here. It’s a desolation. Not even the weeds of the desert will grow here! He saw no living thing. Nothing! Why? It was totally desolate until the Jews started coming back after World War II.
So, all of this indicates, then, if I can bring you back now to Daniel 9, that when this peace treaty is signed at the very opening days or hours of this final seven years, this humongous personality will start all of this.
I have to think of my early years on the television program. In the early 90’s, we were on the big six-foot dish. Where’s Gary? Is he around here? I’ll never forget when I was still taping over in the old studio and on the way out Gary said, “Les, come in here.” He was office manager. And he said, “World Harvest has just signed up for a satellite with those big six-foot dishes and we’ve got to get you on there!” So we did. We got on the big six-foot satellite fairly early. One of my first responders was a Jewish young man out in California who picked us up on that six-foot dish.
Come to find out, he was a student in a yeshiva. Now, if you know what yeshiva is, that’s where they teach young Jewish men. And we had quite a few conversations there for a little while, but we had one that always stuck with me. He said, “Now, Les, you’re talking about a Messiah that’s going to be Deity.” And I said, “Well, yeah, it’s going to be the Son.” He said, “No, that’s not what we think at all.” I said, “Well, what do you think?” He said, “He’s just going to be a superman. He’s going to be super intelligent. He’s going to have super military capability. He’s going to be a super economist. He’s just going to be a superman, but he’s going to be a man.” All right, who was he really thinking about? The anti-Christ. That’s what he’s going to be. He’s going to be a superman. All right, now let’s finish Daniel 9 verse 27, again. Then we’ll look at a few more verses here in Daniel.
Daniel 9:27b
“…in the middle of the week…” That will be at the end of the first three and a half years. After we’ve had all this euphoric activity in Israel, especially, rebuilding the Temple and reestablishing Temple worship. Their economy is just roaring, and they are living life to the full. You know, I’ve got to give the Jews credit. Do you know of any race or nationality of people that can enjoy life more than the Jews? Huh-uh. They have always had the capability of living life to the full, even when they were under persecution. Well, can you imagine what it will be like when the Nation comes under the prosperity and the peace treaty that guarantees their safety? Why, it’s going to be unbelievable!
All right, so in the middle of the week, this super-man anti-Christ is going to go into that Temple and do much like Antiochus Epiphanes did three hundred years before Christ. He’s going to one way or another desecrate and defile Israel’s Temple. It’s whatever you want to think, but it’s something that’s just reviling. It’s rotten to the core. It’s awful. That’s what he’s going to do to the Temple.
Daniel 9:27c
“…in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, (He’s going to so completely defile it that a Jew wouldn’t even think of stepping inside ever again, and it’s going to stay that way.) even until the consummation, (or the ending of that last three and a half years, or the seven) and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
It will remain desolate until the seven years are completed. All that has been determined in prophecy as we’ve been looking at the last several programs, and we’ll look again this afternoon…all that has been determined will be poured upon the desolator, This man anti-Christ and the wrath of God will one day be poured upon him.
All right, now let’s just get a few more descriptions of this fellow here while we’re in Daniel. Turn up to Daniel chapter 11, if you will. Daniel chapter 11 and come on over to verse 36. Now again, Daniel, like most of the writers of prophecy, will skip periods of time and then leap clear to the end of time. All right, now here in verse 11 we feel that he is referring to this man anti-Christ at the latter days, at the end of the seven years.
Daniel 11:36a
“And the king (Another reference to this man anti-Christ, he’s the world ruler.) shall do according to his will; (He won’t listen to a parliament or a congress. He’s going to be a total dictator.) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god,…” In other words, all the religions of the world that may have their particular object of worship, he’s going to put himself above them all. And he’s going to do it with force.
Daniel 11:36b
“…and he shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, (In other words, the God of Scripture, the God of Israel) and he shall prosper (In other words, he’s going to succeed at everything he does. He’s a superman, remember?) until the indignation be accomplished: (Which is another word for the seven years, he’s going to get away with everything until those seven years come to an end.) for that which is determined shall be done.” All the things in this seven years are going to come to pass, now verse 37.
Daniel 11:37a
“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,…” Now, this is another reason I feel he has to have some Jewish blood, because I cannot understand the Nation of Israel accepting this guy as a Messiah if he were not a Jew.
Now, I haven’t got time now in this half-hour, but in the next half hour I’m going to show you why I think they’re going to accept this man as the true Messiah. I’ll show you a verse of Scripture. But for now, just take my word for it that they are recognizing this man as their God-sent Messiah even though he will not regard the God of Israel.
Daniel 11:37
“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, (That about tells you what he is.) nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.”
What does that tell you? The guy has all the earmarks of a total dictator. He has nothing but pride for himself.