Big Idea - What is going to happen next? The world is in great turmoil, and we want to know how it is going to end. Will things get better, or will they get worse? For Daniel and the Israelites living in exile in Babylon, that was just as pressing a question. God had made covenant promises to Abraham that his descendants would be like the sand of the sea, they would possess the Promised Land, and they would become a great nation, the kingdom of priests. God fulfilled all those promises, but the Babylonian captivity had brought an end to all of that. Was God finished with His covenant people? Or did God still care for them and have a plan for them?

In the first half of the book of Daniel, we see God's faithfulness in caring for Daniel and his friends. Their faith is severely tested, but when they trust in God, He was more than faithful to rescue and save them. The second half of the book is a series of visions that Daniel received. These focus on how God will continue to be faithful to His covenant people. He is not done with them. He has a plan, and He will not abandon His chosen ones. But, the visions also reveal that Israel will continue to rebel against God and be unfaithful to Him. This results in periods of great judgment and tribulation. In the vision of Chapter 8, God shows Daniel a vision of the people of Israel restored to their homeland and the temple rebuilt. But, there will come a time of rebellion when people turn away from God, and there is great suffering as God allows them to suffer a period of great judgment. But, the period of tribulation is limited to seven years. The vision gives accurate and detailed accounts of how history will unfold. First, the ram. This is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians would burst on the scene, and they will become the great world power. Then, the goat. Greece will rise to power by the hand of a swift and powerful conqueror who will defeat every enemy he encounters. His kingdom will be divided into four. This pictures with amazing accuracy the rise of Greece under Alexander the Great, and the subsequent division of his kingdom under four generals. Finally, the little horn. From one of the four kingdoms will rise a ruler who will bring great persecution to the Jews and Jerusalem. He will be a tricky and powerful ruler who will come against the holy ones and cause many to suffer and die. Then he will come against God Himself, the temple, and the Jewish religion. His oppression of the Jews will last 7 years, but then his rule will quickly end. That is, God will bring it to an end. This predicts with amazing accuracy the reign of Antiochus Epiphany.

Looking back, we can see how perfectly this vision was fulfilled in every detail. But, it is part of a bigger vision of history that Daniel's other visions encompass. Antiochus is a type or a pattern that will repeated again in history. Many like him have come and gone, but at the very end, there will be one more, and the one will be the worst. He is the little horn of chapter 7, who is the Anti-Christ. We can take away a couple of important lessons from this vision. First, God knows the future, not because He has a crystal ball by which He can look to what is coming next. Rather, He is sovereign over history. He is in control of what is going to happen because He is the one who raises up kings and kingdoms, and He is the one who brings them to an end. Evil rulers have come to power in Jewish history, but also now - in the Middle East, Russia, Myanmar, Nigeria, etc. And they come against God's people, often with violent persecution and hatred. In part, these rulers are instruments of God's judgment on the wicked, but God's holy ones get caught in the cross-fire. Like Daniel, it is a time of testing for those who follow God. Will we remain faithful to God even in times of great tribulation? During those times, we need to double our resolve to follow God and trust Him as Daniel did! Because it won't last forever. From Antiochus Epiphany to the final Anti-Christ, all are stopped short of their evil assaults by the rescuing hand of our mighty God. When we suffer, we need to keep in mind it won't last forever, God will bring it to an end! In the meantime - be faithful! Christ has overcome the Evil One, death, the grave, and sin. He has risen and reigns on high. Evil still exists in this world, but there is coming a day when it will be fully and finally defeated, so trust in Jesus and keep your eyes on Him!