Alright, so before we get started, let's go ahead and uh seek the lord's faith in prayer. Father god, we thank you for this day again to come to your house and study your words. You can enjoy a fellowship meal together to enjoy time with one another. God asked you to be with us tonight as we attempt to unpack some very difficult verses. Some verses that have uh caused much discussion and debate throughout the for the help and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to discern these verses, these prophecies you gave to Daniel. We're grateful for this letter. We're so grateful for the words we've been studying for quite some time now throughout this letter. It will give us ears to hear this evening as we study this portion of your word. In Christ's name I pray. Amen. All right, so to get caught up to where we are today would take us probably a couple more weeks to get caught up to it. But Daniel chapter 10, 11, and 12 is kind of the closing salvo of this letter. And it encompasses the final prophecy given to Daniel. Chapter 10 is kind of the the prelude to it and then leading into what's about to happen in chapter 11 gives us The prophecy itself and then chapter 12 is I guess if you want to use Editorial type terms almost like the epilogue to it or kind of explanation of some things in it where it's told that he shut it up and to seal it but I do want to touch base a little bit on the parts of the prophecy we looked at last week and in regards to how the first half of this prophecy that Daniel was given shows Daniel the Persian Empire, which he was in the middle of at the time, and the rule of the Persian Empire, and how the Greeks were to come in. And we saw this through other dreams and other prophecies before, through the statues, and then through the vision of the beast. But here, he's given this prophecy, and so they recap that up to the time of Alexander the Great, where the kingdom was split four ways. And we've said all that a couple times through other prophecies we've looked at in Daniel's book. And how we talked, as we talked about the Persian Empire, how the Persian Empire, through Xerxes, tried to overtake the Greek Empire before Alexander came to power and came down upon them about 150 years later, and failed a couple of times, documented in some secular movies. After that, that's where there's a little bit of a splitter divide, I'm sorry. After that, then we talk about Antiochus Epiphanes. We've talked about him before as well and how he was a type of Antichrist. He is the one that was ruling and was vicious and hated the Jewish people and came back into the temple and did the first abomination of desolation where he stopped the sacrifice, he set up a statue of Zeus in the temple of God, he slaughtered a pig, he shoved pork in the mouth of the priest and threw pig blood all over the altar there, which we know what that would have done to the Jewish people. And so he was a type of Antichrist that pointed to the final Antichrist that is to come. And like I said, when Alexander came to power and the regions got broken up, and we studied the northern and the southern kingdom as we talked about Antiochus and the Ptolemies and the Seleucids and how they battled with each other. But then you go into starting in verse 36, 35 and 36, where there's a bit of a shift there. And some historians of old try to attach that to Antiochus, but the flow does not really fit with his career. And quite frankly, most modern Commentators, theologians agree that this is speaking of, starting in verse 36, of the Antichrist to come, the final Antichrist that is to come. So starting in verse 36, we did see a little bit of a dispute, but it's a little bit more firm today that people understand that's not Antiochus. This is the Antichrist. This is the coming world ruler. And last week, we spent the majority of our time sharing that this was the case based on the language used and the end times language used. Verse 35 kind of helps us with that, that mental transition. Some of those who have insight will fall in order to refine, purge, and make them pure to the end time, because it is still to come at the appointed time. So he mentions the end time and the appointed time as yet future events. Now, all of this he was giving to Daniel was future to him, but for us, it's all been past. But now it's about to shift to future for Daniel and for us, and what he's about to be shown here. To purge, to purify. He's speaking of the Jewish people here. And we talk a lot of characteristics of Antichrist that are laid out in verse 36 through verse 39, and I'm just gonna hit at a high level some of them before we jump into the verses for tonight. A couple of distinguishing characteristics of the Antichrist to come, the final Antichrist. He does as he pleases. He's an absolute monarch once he comes to power. He's an absolute monarch. He magnifies himself above all gods, lowercase g, all the pagan gods of all the peoples, he magnifies himself above them. He blasphemes the one true God. New American Standard says he says monstrous things. In the original Hebrew, that language is the worst, most vile things that have ever been said about God. He continually spews them out. This is the final Antichrist. No regard for his ancestors, of the gods and the religions and the traditions of his people. No desire, no response to family. And the family is completely dissolved under his power. And we're seeing a lot of that starting to happen right now anyway, a family being dissolved. Why are you saying final antichrist? Because he's the final antichrist. Is there just one? There's types of antichrist throughout scripture. No desire of women we studied last week. And like we said, that could mean homosexual. That could mean a couple of things. I realized something Diane brought up that I didn't see through my studies that it might just be that he is not swayed by a female in his family, by a woman, he's not seduced, those things cannot happen to him, which would be fitting if he was homosexual, of course, but even in a broader sense. He doesn't desire the feminine qualities that are so needed in our world today. He would honor power, he would honor fortresses, he would honor military might, and really that alone. and he rewards those who acknowledge him and dividends of the land and the spoils. So those are just some characteristics of this, the Antichrist to come. Now let's read the verses for tonight, starting in verse 40. I'm gonna read through and then we're gonna back up and walk through these, because if you're gonna follow along with your Bible, you might as well go ahead and bookmark Ezekiel 38. We're gonna spend some time there tonight, too. And it's just a chapter, it's just a book, right before Daniel, so you don't have to go too far to find it. Let me read these verses that you find in Ezekiel 38. At the end time, the king of the south will collide with him, and the king of the north will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships, and will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. He will also enter the beautiful land, and many countries will fall. But these will be rescued out of his hand, Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. But rumors from the east and from the north will disturb him. And he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful holy mountains. Yet he will come to his end and no one will help him. a very anticlimactic ending to this individual in the words of Daniel. Of course, if you know Revelation, it's not quite as anticlimactic as laid before you right there. Again, though, we see verse 30, at the end time. We studied a couple chapters ago of the 70 weeks of Daniel, and how it's 70 weeks of seven, and those weeks are seven years within a week. And we said that the last week is yet to come. There's a gap between the 69th week and the 70th week. The tribulation is said, as we know, if you know if you're a student of the Bible, it's a seven year period of time. As laid out in many places we looked at several weeks ago, this seven year period of time. He said the end of the age, this is setting the stage for that tribulation. What we've been reading is setting the stage for the final tribulation. And of course, we know that as prior to the return of the Lord Jesus, coming back to earth physically. The king of the south is against him, and the king of the north. Now you remember we studied a few weeks ago the north and the south, we were thinking about the Ptolemy and the Seleucid empires that came out of the Alexander's empire. We're talking about something different now. Actually the Hebrew word used here for north, and the Hebrew word used for north in Ezekiel 38 that we're gonna look at, actually doesn't just mean directly north, it means far north. That's literally what the Hebrew means there. The last week of years in Daniel 9, let's turn back a page or two just for that, just a moment, because just so we refresh this part in our memory, Daniel 9, 27. Speaking of the Antichrist, speaking of that final week, which means week of years, that final seven year period, Antichrist, speaking of Israel, and he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week. But in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate even until the complete destruction. One that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate. Then speaking of Antichrist, setting up a seven-year peace treaty with Israel that is yet to come in that 70th week, which means 77, seven years. And it says he will break it right in the middle. This is in Daniel. We know about that by reading Revelation, but this is in Daniel, this is 2,500 years to where we are now, much less however long the Lord might tarry. That was written about. So when I talk about the treaty, I just want to make sure to bring our attention back to Daniel 9 when we read about that. And he breaks it halfway through. I believe the break to be after the battles we're going to look at tonight. These battles we're going to look at tonight, the battles we just read about in Daniel 11. And I hope to be able to buffet that with enough scripture and historical thought and what's going on in Israel and what's yet to come in Israel to show you why I feel that way. These battles, I believe, are near the end of the Tribulation. Near the end of the middle of the Tribulation, I'm sorry. What do we know is going on in that first three and a half years of the Tribulation? Who has signed the treaty and says he will protect Israel? The Antichrists. There's a treaty in place there. That map's gonna make some sense in a minute, I hope. As we think about this, I want us to turn to Ezekiel for a second, Ezekiel 38. And Ezekiel's a contemporary of Daniel. They were around the same time period. Ezekiel 38, we consider this battle north and south again. And even though the Antichrist is in power, in power, Daniel 11 just told us that these kings will come against him. So there is going to be a rebellion within this empire of his, of north and south. And not just north, but far north. And just a glance at the map, that little J is where Jerusalem is, and some of those countries up there are far north indeed. Ezekiel 38. And the word of the Lord came to me saying, son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, thus says the Lord God, behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal. That Well, let's look at some of these countries just for a moment. And Roy just brought something up that I was going to bring up anyway, but there's more added to it today, apparently. Kind of a treaty that's been signed between two countries that are mentioned in these prophecies right here themselves. Rosh, to the far north there. Well, let's back up. Gog and Magog. Gog is really just a title, apparently. It appears as if it's a title. And Magog is this area over here on the right. It's kind of called the Stans. Most of that was part of the former Soviet Union. You have Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkestan, these stands, they're called. That's that area of the world, as if you go back to Genesis and look at the table of nations, as they call it. In Ezekiel 38, it says, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Rosh is directly above that. I don't know if you can read who Rosh is, or know your geography enough to know it's Russian. There's a little bit of debate on the Mishek and Tubal. Most will say that it's Turkey, modern Turkey, and that's where I lean towards. Tubal, Gomer, Beth, Togormah, we'll talk about all them in just a minute, they're all considered part of that area of Turkey. But there are other commentators that say that those two words I just mentioned, Mishig and Tabul, are actually where the name Moscow comes from and Tobolsk in Russian. Moscow is that other, where you see the M there, which we know both of those places to be in Russian. The point that we were talking about just a moment ago with Roy is that Now, don't take what I'm about to say to mean that this starts tomorrow, OK? I'm not trying to say that. But Iran, about three days ago, and Russia, who have always been in cahoots anyway, started talks about signing some kind of pact to send drones, weapons, modern warfare equipment to Russia in their fight against the Ukraine. Apparently, to say that, you said they were gratified, basically, right? That's been gratified. But these nations, Iran, which is Persia, has signed this agreement with Russia to provide them with all this military equipment. Again, don't take what I just said. I mean, the tribulation starts tomorrow, okay? I'm just telling you what's going on in the world today compared to what we read at Daniel and what these countries, who these countries are. Look down at verse five and six. You see, you didn't say anything about Persia yet. In Ezekiel 38, look at five and six. Persia, Ethiopia, and put with them, So those countries are with them in this final battle, in this battle to come. Put, you might see, is this darker blue, purple area down here. That's Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Northern Africa. It's that part of the world. It's Put. If you want to know where some of these names come from, you can go all the way back to Noah and his generations, to his grandsons and great-grandsons. We're not going to go through all that detail tonight, but that's where that all comes from. Think about that. Ethiopia is in the south. Put is Libya, Algeria, and Morocco. Look at Ezekiel 38a. After many days, you'll be summoned in the latter years. In the latter years, as end times taught, you will come into the land that restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. But if people were brought out from the nations and they're living securely, all of them There's a lot wrapped into that long verse. One of which is, in 1948, when Israel was made a nation again, Jews were summoned to come from all nations back to Israel. That has happened. It happened in 1948. There are other verses that talk about that happening. And they've come from the sword. Think about everything that's happened to the Jews throughout the years. But they're back in the land now. There was a long period in history where they were not back in the land where this prophecy could not happen yet. Not that we're limiting God, but he is limiting history by what he said, by what he decreed, by his sovereignty. When this king come from the north and the south, Israel has been reestablished. Israel has been reestablished. Look at 10 and 11. Thus says the Lord God, it will come about on that day that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan. You will say, I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates. Stop right there. We talked last week and maybe the week before about how Israel, since they've been back in their country, they've been on, people walk around the streets with assault rifles around their strapped around them legally because of the fact the Palestinian conflict and all the Arab nations that want to destroy them, they are not an unwalled city and unprotected city right now. What point in history have they been? They haven't been. What point in the future will they be when this pact is signed with the Antichrist, who they don't know is the Antichrist at the time, and he says, I will defend you. I will protect you. It's hard for me to fathom, knowing some of the Jews I know and knowing the history of Israel, the Jews saying, we will absolutely trust you to protect us. That's not in their nature. But there's some supernatural influence going on here, some satanic supernatural influence going on here too, where they will agree to this. So verse 11, this coming down there against Israel has to happen in the time when Israel's like that, based on prophecy. And let me stop there again. to think this Antichrist has come to power and basically controlled all of what the Roman Empire used to be. Down in that area, Antichrist signed a pact with Israel that he would protect them for seven years. Consider those nations up there on that wall again. Outside of Russia, what do almost all the rest of, if not all the rest of the nations, what do they worship, who do they worship, what is their religious practice? Islam. What does every Should I typecast or not? What does the majority of Muslims think of Israel and want to do with Israel? Watch the modern demand. Absolutely destroy it. So sometime in the future, there's going to be enough of these coalitions to come together and say, we're going to get them now. They've dropped their defenses. They're depending on somebody else. We're going to come after them. That's hard for us. The prophecy alone should kind of make some chew bumps start popping up. But the fact that Israel would be in a state like that, there's some of the greatest fighters in the world, some of the most brilliant people in the world, some of the best technology in the world, best military in the world for a country the size of basically New Jersey. Of course, God's hand has been on them. but God has also been purifying them and persecuting them and doing these things to them throughout history also. All those nations coming against them, I can visualize it. It's really hard to see them backing off. Yeah. That would be super powerful. Absolutely. So this northern king goes against Israel, against this peace treaty. And if you sign a treaty with someone, we see what's going on around Ukraine, right? Where the UN says, If you step over this border into Poland, what does that bring? The full force of all the nations that you enter upon them, because the treaty, the contract they have together. Similar thing, if he's got a contract with them, they attack this nation, the Antichrist, he has to go in and fight against it, fight for them. But let's go to verse 16. And you will come up against my people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against my land. Who is directing all this? God is. I will bring you against my land so that the nations may know me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, oh God. God's directing this, the latter days. Verses two, six, 15, we have to see this Northern Persian alliance. Verse five says that Persia, which is now Iran, Cush, Putt, North African Arab Alliance, they're all in cahoots together. I mean, that's almost perfectly surrounding them if you take out the Southeast region, which we're gonna hear about in just a minute, that apparently nobody really cares about in this time period, the yet future. Back to Daniel, 1140. King of the South will collide with him. The King of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, with many ships, and he will enter countries that were floated and passed through. Again, the end of this proxy is just so, just bang, bang, bang, where he didn't go into a lot of detail. He had to go elsewhere to get some of the details. Don't get wrapped up in the chariots and the horses and stuff. That's just a modern, whatever the modern warfare machines are of the time. Contemporary battleground. But at the end of this, what does it say? This is almost nondescript what it says. How's the response? And he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. Antichrist wins. He wins here. But if you know Ezekiel, God is really the one that defeats these enemies by sending things upon them, and stopping them, and fire, and these other things. After the defeat and retreat, what happens? Daniel 11. Guys, this isn't yet the final battle. We're not even to the midway. We're right near the midway point of the tribulation. Because he would not happen to come to the rescue where you're not still in treaty with him. Verse 41, he will also enter the beautiful land, and many countries will fall, but these will be rescued out of the sand, Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. That's the southeast region that you don't really see any specific coloring up there. A lot of desert land, a lot of camels, a lot of oil. So I'm not sure why that doesn't play in, but apparently it's not playing into this at that time. Gone electric. Gone electric. I'd love to hear you say that. It's still possible. It's possible. With that, we can almost see what's moving right now. Yeah. So after the defeat in their retreat, he enters the promised land. And many countries will follow. So this battle is major. And like I mentioned, even though he takes credit for all this, God's hand is at work on his defeat of all these nations. Ezekiel 39. You, son of man, prophesy against God and say, thus says the Lord God, behold, I am against you, O God, Prince of Rosh, Meshach and Jeboah, and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up in the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows with your right hand, from your right hand. You will fall in the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you. I will give you as food to every kind of predator or bird, the beast of the field. You will fall on open field for it is I who have spoken, declares the Lord God. And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlines for safety. And they will know that I am the Lord. My holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore, and the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. And he says, behold, the time is coming. So even though it may look as anti-Christ, God is at work in this as well, as he always is. Verse 42 of Daniel 11. Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. So apparently, see Egypt is not part of that coalition according to Ezekiel apparently, but here in Daniel 11 he said he's gonna go get them too. Remember what I said his worship was and what he loves? Power, fortresses. So he continues to stretch his tentacles out. This has been a major battle that's been won to defeat all these countries, so why stop there? Remember when we studied about Alexander? What upset him? When he realized he'd gone as far as he could in conquering and he sat down and cried and said, I don't see anything else more to conquer. But there's satanic influence going on here too, supernatural satanic influence going on here too. Comes against other countries, extends the old empire even further and he takes Egypt back. Verse 43, but he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. I didn't look at other translations, does another translation say something different at the very end of that verse where I just read we'll follow at his heels? in the original Hebrew, the the language used there would be synonymous with the way we would use would be upon his his train like the train of a dress. You know, I might maybe like the train of a wedding dress or the train of a king's robe as it flows out. It's It's kind of a symbolism there of what's going on. At this point, it seems like he's in control. There's nothing we can do against him. We're just gonna follow in lockstep is what the board is saying. We know sometime in the tribulation, the mark of the beast comes into play. We also know in this first part of the tribulation that he apparently lets versions of false religion to take place, even so, a false church, which is what we call the harlot, the whore of Babylon. She's still active at this time, which is basically the false church. This is probably the time he destroys the religion, though. Think about the power he's accumulated up to this point. Thinking, who can stop me now? This is probably the time where we're at the midpoint, where the abomination of desolation is about to take place. This is probably when he devours, as Revelation tells us, the harlot, the false church. When this happens, what do we know when the abomination of desolation takes place, which follows shortly thereafter? So, Revelation 6 through 18 unfold, right? So, does that mean that temple will be destroyed? At that time, he sets himself up in the temple, right? Right. No, but Ezekiel. Ezekiel talks about the temple being built again, even with sacrifices. I don't get off on that rabbit trail. Yeah. Maybe we'll discuss that later, but this temple is not the temple that Ezekiel talks about at the end of Ezekiel. It's a millennial temple, right? So is this temple destroyed at this time? Is it destroyed at this time, at the time of the final Antichrist, or? Yeah. I thought we were talking about another temple then all together. I don't know if the temple was destroyed at the end of AD or the temple at Ezekiel. Well, there's yet to be a temple built. Yes, yes. So it'll be destroyed. One that will be built during the Pentecostal time will be destroyed. The first part of the tribulation? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think so. I mean, is that what you think too, or are you just... No, I'm just curious about it. I just got through reading Ezekiel, and I don't want to go off, but the Millennial Temple, which he gives all the dimensions and everything, there's sacrifices being made then and that's what toke me off. Yeah, it is confusing. I know exactly what you're talking about. Because Christ is. Yeah, he's there. Yeah. So I don't know. Anyway, this is not going to work. Yeah, yeah. But but yeah, I think it has to be destroyed again. He talks about it. Somebody's got to answer to that. I just don't know. Not me. Not tonight. I haven't looked at it in a while. I know what you're talking about, though, because it is confusing the very fact that Christ is there and the temple is there. That is confusing. But that's not the part of the prophecy we're talking about yet. We're not to the millennium yet in this. So, Revelation 6-18 starts to unfold. What's going on in Revelation 6-18? The wrath of God is being poured out. Right? The seals are broken. The trumpets are blasted. The bowls are poured out. Yeah, this part right here is where you have a lot of different people go a lot of different ways on what they think here. And many of them can pull scripture from here and there and defend their certain positions. But you come back together with the abomination of desolation and it becoming God's wrath, not God using men to inflict punishment, but it's God's wrath. Yeah, yeah, yep, yep. Verse 44, though, But rumors from the east and from the north would disturb him. And he would go forth and with great wrath destroy and annihilate many. So what's going on here? Well, apparently the rebellion wasn't completely squashed. This isn't a large period of time there. From the east, we're thinking about Persia again, more than likely. Iran, modern day Iran. To the north again, to the far north. So apparently he stamped out the southern one. Pretty good, because they're following along on his train, remember? They're in lockstep now. There's still some rebellious attitude up there. He hears the rumors there. What happens now? He decimates them this time. Destroy and annihilate many. The prophecy does not use that kind of language the first battle. It's overthrowing, overcoming, going through the land. He says annihilate and destroy here. A little bit different language. He sets up, verse 45, he sets up camp between where? The seas and the holy mountain. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful holy mountain. Let's stop right there because then it changes a little bit again. Where's that? What are the seas that Daniel would have been talking about? What are the seas he would have recognized? The Mediterranean is the easy one, right? And the Dead Sea. So what's the mountain? Mount Zion, Jerusalem. Back to build this one with the temple. That's where he sets up camp at. Now, you must be careful to separate any other red left behind or watch the left behind boobies, but all that goes on there, what the Bible actually tells us. We don't have anything in this that talks about the mortal wound that the beast takes and is brought back. We don't have anything here that talks about the two witnesses that are He can't do anything to them and finally they're struck down and they rise back up. We don't have any of that in this, so we don't want to read that into it, although that stuff is happening in the backdrop of what's going on in the end times. Were we in Revelation, we'd go into it a little bit deeper. But this is just giving us a broad brush stroke. And we're looking at some of the finer details of it. This, to me, seems to be near the end of the Tribulation here because of what happened after this next part in this verse. He will come to his end and be slain. Let's look at 2 Thessalonians. Look at the rest of that verse first. Yeah, he will come to his end and no one will help him. That's pretty quick. I mean, it's in Daniel 8. 2 Thessalonians 2. I was gonna read this verse to you, but I wanna back up a little bit. I'm gonna read from one on down. Now we request you, brethren, with regards to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure, or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter, as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come." He said, don't think it's come yet. This is first century Christians. It has not happened yet, he's telling them. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first. Falling away, the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. That is the antichrist, the final antichrist, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. This is the guy we've been talking about the past three weeks. Same one. Do you not remember that while I was with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed? This speaks to the question Malia asked earlier about when I kept saying the final antichrist. We studied a while back, I think in 1 John actually, there are many antichrists that have gone out into the world, we're told. That's lowercase a, the spirit of the antichrist has gone out into the world. There have been several. types of Antichrist in the world. This is the final culmination of all the evil you can think of. You think about the most evil people you can think of in the history of this world. He is all of them times however many times you can say. It's all culminated in him. And you know what restrains him now? What restrains the spirit so that in his time he will be revealed? We know what restrains it. God restrains it. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of his coming. When he comes back, he's doing away with it. Now, there's confusion here. Maybe not in your mind, but maybe a little bit in mine. Turn to Revelation 19.20. We got a little bit of time. Y'all just hold on 20. I'm gonna read from 11 out of 20. And I saw heaven open to behold a white horse. And he who sat on it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written on him which no one knows except himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it he may strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, and he will tread the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh he is the name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. That is the Lord coming back. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, come assemble for the great supper of God. Verse 18. so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of commanders, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great. These armies that Antichrist will assemble to come against the Lord at the end times, a battle we have not looked at, but he tries to come against him, it's no battle at all. When Jesus comes back, he's coming back as conquering king, and he will destroy them. And the birds, he calls the birds the feast of the flesh of these kings and these rulers and these mighty men. Verse 19, and I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against him who sat on the throne and against his army. So he assembles this army to fight. And the beast was seized and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, but which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with ripstone. Are you confused that they were seized and thrown into the lake of fire with brimstone, and yet in Second Thessalonians he says he will slay them with the sword of his mouth? Have you ever considered if there's anything there that you wrestle with? I see some eyes like I don't think people made that connection before maybe. That's kind of the way I interpret it. I really do interpret it that way. we hear of catching the elective fire, it's like dying without ever finally dying. I just didn't know. When I read both of those, I wanted to see if anybody had any hangup about that or thought about those two verses. He will destroy you. He will be destroyed. They come to make war. Jesus comes back with his army of The heavenly host behind him, he opens his mouth and destroys him. This should come as a surprise to us. God spoke and everything was created. Don't you think for a second he can come back and destroy all of his enemies by not even having opened his mouth. In the midst of this, some of the things that are going on in the midst of this, In that last three and a half years, for sure, part of it goes for the whole seven years. There's 144,000 Jewish witnesses that are preaching the gospel. They've been preaching it for quite some time to the brethren. I'm going to step into the waters of chapter 12, just the first three verses. We're not going to go deep into it. We'll start back next week. We'll come back to the start of these verses, if I do believe. But I just want to kind of talk about them just for a moment. Chapter 11 ends so abruptly. I mean, it's just like a heartbreak on that chapter. Verse 12, just the first three verses. Let me read them. I might speak to them just a little bit. Now, at that time, Michael, the great prince, who stands guard over the sons of your people, who is led by the Jews, will arise. There will be a time of distress which has never occurred since there was a nation until that time. And at that time, your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake. These to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 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. The reason I wanted to dip our toe in this before next week, when he says, now at that time, this is not just the very end time, this is during that time period, Michael stands guard. He will arise. and he's wanting to give Daniel, this is gonna be a time of distress like the world has never seen. Think about the atrocities that have been brought against the people of Israel, the Jews throughout history. None of that will compare to what's gonna happen in this time period. These atrocities are gonna be so beyond that. The whole world will face something they haven't seen. Some of the things that I wrote down that will be happening Revelation 16, 19 kind of talk about all this, but just kind of whet your appetite for next week. War, famine, a quarter of the earth's population dies. This is in that second part, that three and a half year period. The collapse of heavenly bodies, a third of the earth is destroyed. A third of the sea is destroyed and all sea creatures that are in that. A third of fresh water is contaminated. A third of it's caused the lights of heaven, the stars are no more. Demons are released back upon this earth that have been caged. Sores, water contaminated, scorching heat, hailstones bigger than you can ever imagine. All these things are gonna be happening in this concrete. You can't die, you wanna die. Hide yourself, hide people behind themselves. Let us, before we close, Speaking of these times, the Lord Jesus addressed these times as well, did he not? Matthew chapter 24, starting in verse 15, and we'll close. The first 14 verses, he's telling his disciples about his future return, his coming back to this earth. Picking up in verse 15, here's what he says to them. When you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, let the reader understand, then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever's on the housetop must not go down and get the things out that are in his house. Whoever's in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days. But pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath, for there will be a great tribulation such as has not occurred. since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days have been cut short, no life would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. And if anyone says to you, behold, here is Christ, but there he is, do not believe him. For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I've told you in advance. So if they say to you, behold, he is in the wilderness, do not go. Or behold, he's in inner rooms, do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes and even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. Then he says this, but immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the son of man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of men on earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming in the clouds of the sky with great power and great glory. He will send forth his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together, electing the four winds from one of the sky to the other. Jesus says it will be worse than you can ever imagine. Don't believe all the false stuff that you hear. This has to come into place before he comes back. Let's pray. Father, God, we thank you. Thank you for your word. We are so grateful for the prophecies we read about that have already taken place are done with such pinpoint accuracy that we know your hand is upon them and we can trust the future prophecies will come to fruition just as you said. Brothers, you give us great comfort to know that we are in your hands, that we are looking forward. We're looking forward to being in your presence physically. Lord God, we just ask that you come quickly. In Christ's name I pray, amen.