During the siege Antiochus killed a multitude of Jews and for bad thing to practice their faith, he even threatened them with capital punishment if they attempted to circumcise their male children. On December 16, 167 B.C., he commanded the Jews to offer unclean sacrifices and to eat swine’s flesh or beef penalize by death. Antiochus made the possession of the Hebrews scripture a capital offense. He minted coins that actually bore the title theos Epiphanes, God manifest. What was he saying? He was god, he claim to be god. And it’s really interesting when you read history but that is exactly what Daniel saw. His reign of terror and acts of suffrage did not long however. In 164 B.C. the eleventh year of his rule, he became seriously ill after hearing about the victories of another person. Daniel was given by God a vision made it very, very specific and then God predicted when the Medes and the Persians come then the Greeks will come and he isolated Alexander and then four of his general and that’s exactly what the history books tell us. They did not consult the bible, they just reported history and so as we look back we see what God said actually came true. Ang tawag po dito kasi ang nakalagay ang fulfillment nito will be in the end times, this is called in Bible prophecy a double fulfillment, in other words itong nangyayaring ito already happened but it is a forecast of what will still happen again in a very similar way. If you take a look at Alexander the Great and if you take a look at Antiochus both of them forecast the anti-Christ. This two people represent a lot about the anti-Christ. Si Alexander what was he known for? He represent the power, he was the most powerful, he was the youngest king ever that conquer the whole world kaya ang symbol sa kanya sa chapter 7 is the leopard. In other words he conquered so swiftly. Let’s start observing some of the characteristics that we can see of the anti-Christ. Let’s read from v. 23. Daniel 8:23

"And in the latter period of their rule,

When the transgressors have run their course,

A king will arise

Insolent and skilled in intrigue.

You know that’s the first characteristic that you will find we believe in the anti-Christ, v.23, tells us what? He is extremely intelligent, he is very, very persuasive. It’s a very unfortunate that intrigue has come into the Christian churches. You know wherever you’ll find hierarchies what will you always find? You will always find intrigue. As long as there is a beautiful woman or a handsome man what will you find? Intrigue. That’s the characteristic of the anti-Christ. Anytime you criticize somebody, anytime you do that, then you have shades of the anti-Christ. Pag ikaw nang-iintriga please read your bible there are six things God hates, one of them very high on that list is intrigue. Anytime you are causing divisions, anytime you are instrument of dividing churches then you got on the other side not on your side God on the other and when we become critical that’s when divisions happen when we criticize. Sabi nga nung isang sermon, if you have nothing to say about a person what should you do? Shut up. Daniel 8:24, He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. Madami tayong makikita sa v. 24, the first one I put together was what? You will gain power, how? He will destroy to an extra ordinary degree, he will devastate things. How did this little horn gain power? He will gain power by subduing other. You know the bible clearly tells us who’s the enemy? Ang kalaban lagi natin ay demonyo. Daniel 8:25

He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. You notice this guy you know how he will do it? He will gain power by promising people false security. We believe very strongly that he will be the one, he will cause deceit to prosper when they feel secure. We believe very strongly that this is the man that will produce it, somehow, some place sometime. One of the greatest truths that you will learn about the anti-Christ all anti-Christ, v.24,25 anong makikita ninyo? He will be the enemy of the Jews, he might befriend them for a while pero siya ang magiging kaaway. What is so especial about the Jews they are God’s people and see when you oppose the Jews pag-galit ka sa mga Jews kanino ka galit? Kay God. Many will say I love Jesus but then be oppose to a fellow brother that’s ridiculous. Sabi ni Jesus sa 1John, How can you possibly say you love God if you cannot even love your brother. Once you go against Israel, once you go against God’s people anyone of them you are going against Christ, so please ladies and gentlemen be careful we are all guilty of this in some way shape or form. Sometime as Christians that’s our fault we become too caught and caught righteous as if tayo na lang ang tama, ganon ang dating natin sa iba. So if you oppose God’s people watch out, if you got nothing good to say, shut up. Be good to others. What if not be a better world if we remove the anti-Christ qualities, stop subduing the others, stop trying to overtake, never compare yourself with others, there will always be somebody that looks better than you. In v. 25 what is for sure about the anti-Christ? His rule will be temporary, he will be judge not by man but by God. What I like to do is to teach you how to look at God’s word, always we try to teach our people when you do that, you must now come away with principles. What are principles? Principles are things that you can extract that are general rules, truths that you can apply into your life. So you ask the question always, after I’ve read Daniel 8, so what, what will I learned, what can now I apply in my life? One of the best ways to get principles is not to focus on the anti-Christ but to focus on God, on Christ. Kasi sabi sa Hebrews 12:2, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus" and that’s how you get principles. Now, you just read it, what have you learned about God? God will prevail, God knows the future. Because of what’s happening around us, I’d like to pick up three things about God that I think will impact your life because I know that most of you have problems. When you begin to apply scripture you must yourself, where’s God in this and your starting point is where you are? Do you see yourself in Daniel 8, where are you here and where is God? Who is chapter 8 address to? There are many little things I’d like to share with you as you study God’s word, we have what we call the Hebrew version, You know what happen in Daniel, in chapter 2-7, Daniel is written in Aramaic that is the language of the Babylonians. Chapter 8, it change to Hebrew, the language change to Hebrew hinde na Aramaic why? Well, basically chapter 7 looks at the kingdoms from the Gentile point of view. We believe that chapter 8 begins now to look at the Gentile kingdoms relative to God’s people. Anong impact nito sa mga Hudyo, sa Israel, God’s people and what I believe God is trying to communicate through prophecy is very simple, kasi pag inisip nyo po si Daniel, he was the Jew, he was God’s people where was he? He was in captivity, he was a captive by the Babylonians and then after Babylonians would come what would happen to him? He would be overtaken by the Persians, by the Medes then he would be over run by the Greeks and so forth and so on. Can you imagine what it is to be a slave? To be in captivity, that’s really bad. What I believe the scripture is all about is this, turn to Romans 15, the first truth that we learn about God whenever God does something in scripture is this, in Romans 15:4

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. I believe that the first thing we need to learn about God is that God is a God of Hope, he always wants to give his people Hope. So in Chapter 8, is the beginning I believe of the Hope chapter, where the Jews were in captivity the pagans were ruling over them and so God gives them this vision. But even if this bad things are happening to you even though the pagans are in control, even though the anti-Christ seem to be winning do you know that their rule will one day end and who will take over? God, God’s kingdom will prevail. You know to be under for pagan regimes is not encouraging. And so ang ginagawa ni God I believe here is that times of trouble when you are in the midst of suffering you got to know that God is a God of Hope and where will you begin to find this hope? According to Romans 15:4, That through the perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures where will you find it? In scriptures. Sabi sa v. 5, "Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Jesus that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. while the devil cause his intrigue God wants us to encourage one another even in times of suffering and the way you encourage others when they are in suffering don’t say, "Okay lang yan pare!" kasi hinde okay, how do you do it? You put out a way of hope. God is a God of Hope. If you’re experiencing bad times do you know the predictions in the end times? Would it be good this end times, would it be good days? No!, this will be come evil days, people will be killing one another. The bible will be persecuted, God’s people will be persecuted slowly but surely. The bible is therefore written for people who are in the midst of suffering. Turn to Romans 5:3-4

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; [4] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; do you know that hope cannot come unless you have persevered, if you have not persevered there will be no hope. If you persevere there will be inside your heart developing in there hope, and hope does not disappoint. Why? Romans 5:5, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. How does God give the Jews hope in Daniel 8? I’d like to comment on that that our God is not only hope, He is a God of great detail. I want to show you, In prophesy something so fantastic you fall of your chair and you’ll never see it if you read your bible a few times, you will never see it until you study your bible well. Example, just in v. 2 it’s a nothing verse right? You look at Daniel 8:2

And I looked in the vision, and it came about while I was looking, that I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision, and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. Now, pag binasa mong ganon yon, you just move to the next verse, that’s not how to study God’s word, you’ll missed so much. Let’s do a little study, what do we know? Nakita daw niya yung vision, where was he? He was in Babylon, he was kind of transporting, to this place called Susa. You know what Jesus said, "I lives on every words that He in." there is no word in the scripture that is not important. Sabi dito you’ll never find the treasures easily you have to go and dig, that’s you get study bibles so forth and so on. You know when Daniel was writing this Susa was a nothing town, Susa was the smallest place in Elam and yet according to this basically in the Hebrew it is a palace, so there was a palace in Susa? Do you know what happen in Susa? It became the capital of the Persian. There was a great, great palace built there some 38 years after Daniel saw it. Where do you find it, why is that important? Turn to Esther 1:2

in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was in Susa the capital, You got that? So si queen Esther she was in the palace in Susa, you also find that in Nehemaiah. It is in Elem. God is a God of detail. The Hebrew word that you use was a very abnormal word it is the only time it is used in the bible. Basically there are two words for Hebrew for river. You know this bible is so accurate in detail, this is thousands of years before and then Daniel saw it, God show it to him what would exactly happened that they will be a canal in this little town and that there would be a palace in it and it would be the capital of Persia is incredible. You know God is a God of Detail, God cares about the littlest things, God’s word is accurate to the ends degree. So what if he’s a God of detail, how does that apply to me? Turn to Matthew 10:29

"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Do you see what He’s saying? napakaliit na insignificant na ibon na binebenta ng dalawa sa isang centavo, buy one take one free, yung napakaliit na ibon yon, not one of them will fall to the ground without God knowing. Look at Matthew 10:30, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. What does that tell you about God? God cares for his people, God cares for you. Sabi niya dito, Matthew 10:31 "Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows. No matter what is happening in your life please look to God, He cares about you, He is a God of details and you know God’s word is very, very accurate. There is nothing more accurate than God’s word. And you read now Matthew 10:32-33

"Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. [33] "But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.