The Daniel Connection--Part Four

             In the last blog, we saw how the saints, the called out ones of the Church, stand in Heaven as a result of the rapture. We saw them seated as the heavenly court and then executing the trumpet/bowl judgments recorded in the books (God’s written Word). The first six trumpet/bowls consumed the Antichrist and his armies gradually. The 7th destroyed them suddenly. [For extra credit, check out this same connection in 2 Thess. 2:8].
            Now let’s look at this from earth’s perspective—from the view of the newly revived Jewish believers who have finally recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Our camera zooms in on Mr. Big Mouth mouthing off against God (Daniel 7:25). “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.”
            Hopefully by now you recognize this as the 3½-year war against Jerusalem that happens at the start of the Day of the Lord, which is when God pours out His wrath against evil, and also coincides with the last half of Daniel’s 70th week. It’s a timely sequence of events—to say the least.
            You may be surprised to learn that the disciples asked Jesus about this timely sequence just before He ascended.  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority (Acts 1:6-7).
            Notice Jesus didn’t say that this time would never come. He simply said that it was not yet time for it to happen. God had other things in store for the disciples—namely, continuing to establish the Body of Christ on the earth. What we really need to notice, however, is the last part of Jesus’ answer--the times and the seasons are in God’s authority only.
            Now let’s check out what “the books” have to say about that statement. Look again at what Daniel says the Antichrist intends to do. He shall intend to change the times and the law, and he intends to do so through that 3½-year war against Jerusalem (verse 25)!
            By now you also know that when the Holy Spirit directed the biblical writers to record a specific phrase, He was very intentional and purposeful. We can’t just look at a phrase and decide what it means in our own mind. No, the Spirit always provides God’s definition. So what does this phrase mean? We have to make the biblical connections to find out.
            Daniel 2:20-21 gives us our first insight. “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” In other words, God determines who is in charge anytime and anywhere. Not the ancient kings. Not Jesus’ disciples. Not the enlightened Church on the earth right now. And certainly not the Antichrist who we shall see rise up shortly.
            This is why the Antichrist is allowed to stay on the earth after the rapture and make war for 3½-years. God uses Mr. Big Mouth as a weapon of His indignation.  He does so partly as a judgment against Israel for missing their visitation at Christ’s first coming and then rebuilding the temple in our time despite Christ’s final sacrifice. God also uses the Antichrist to bring judgment against the Harlot.
            So far, so good. What may throw you, though, is the use of the word saints in Daniel 7. The term literally refers to those set apart to God. Who those people are depends on the context of the passage. Remember, the context here is the 3½-year war against Israel. That is, the Jewish remnant on the earth after the rapture who have finally accepted Jesus as the Messiah. They are now the saints on the earth because we’re up in Heaven with Jesus as the seated court.
            To confirm this, we can turn again to Rev. 12:17, which happens to describe this same time period after the Church is raptured and the Antichrist goes after the Woman’s offspring. Again we see the Jewish remnant who keep the commandments of God (the testimony of Moses) and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Remember this designation—it will come in handy in our next blog.