BY Ken Blue
Daniel saw the “little horn” that took power from the ten kings and noted his ardent blasphemies against God. “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things” (Daniel 7:8). (See verses 11, 20-25; 11:36-45.) His big mouth will be shut!
He is permitted to continue his reign for three and one-half years, after which, the Lord Jesus Christ will come and take the kingdoms of this earth to Himself. This fact is repeated throughout the book of Revelation. (See also Daniel 12:7; 11:12:6, 14; 17:10.)
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, (Jews) 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.” (Revelation 13:7-10).
- “No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, name, or number (Rev. 13:17). On the surface it might seem that these statements prove Antichrist will be a world ruler, killing all on earth who do not take his mark, name, or number. But, the contrary is true because “all” in these passages is simply a figure of speech — synecdoche — in which a whole is put for a part, as we would say, “Everyone in town,” or “the whole country.” If the United States would make a law that “all men” of all nations, and tongues must register on a certain day or be killed, we would naturally understand the law to apply only to all people of all nations and tongues who are under the government of the United States, not to the people of these nations and tongues who are under other governments. The word “all” is used in a limited sense hundreds of times in Scriptures (Gen. 6:17; Josh. 6:21-25; 2Sam. 6:5,15; 1Ki. 11:16-17; Mt. 3:5-6; Lk. 2:1-3; Rom. 1:8; 10:18; Col. 1:23; etc.). Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments of the Authorized or King James Version Text.
The events here are at the three and one-half year point in the Tribulation. The Antichrist has been at war with the surrounding nations for the first three and one-half years and has ruled from Babylon (Isaiah. 14:4-17). After he conquers the ten nations within the old Roman Empire and establishes his own kingdom, the eighth, (“And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition” (Revelation 17:11), He moves his capital from Babylon to Jerusalem. There he desecrates the temple, defies the God of heaven, and seeks to destroy all who serve God and Jesus Christ.
He turns his hatred on the Jewish saints within his kingdom, especially those in Jerusalem. He is permitted to overcome them and all others within his kingdom. (See verses 15, 16; Daniel 7:21; 8:24; 11:35-45; 12:1, 7; Matthew 24:15-22.) These passages confirm that the Jews are the objects of the Antichrist’s wrath, and that his activities will be confined to the area of the old Roman Empire.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.