HE SHALL DESTROY WONDERFULLY
Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Daniel 11:21 ¶ And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. 24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
After the four world-wide Gentile kingdoms have been established and then overthrown by each succeeding kingdom through war and armies, there comes one who conquers also by lies and deceit. The name of this “vile person” was Antiochus Epiphanies. For that same Hebrew word “peaceable” in Daniel 11:21 and 24 is elsewhere translated, “in thy prosperity” in Jeremiah 22:21. And it is listed as “and abundance,” in Ezekiel 16:49. Therefore this “vile person” shall destroy also through prosperity and abundance.
But we do not think that either of these are wrong. In fact, we Americans strive hardily to obtain both every day! But that is because we are greatly deceived by covetousness and greed. Let us read that Ezekiel verse alone with it’s following verse concerning the sin of Sodom. – But some would say; “The sin of Sodom? Oh Preacher, we all know that the sin of Sodom was homosexuality!” And that narrow view is part of our deception! Consider this:
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. Here the sin of Sodom is listed as “pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness.”
Modern day Christendom has been so blinded as to think that THE ONLY two sins in all the world are homosexuality and abortion! But the Holy God states here that Sodom’s first listed sin was “pride!” It is the very first sin listed in the seven things which the Lord hates! Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. And this king, this “vile person,” was guilty of all these sins.
Antiochus Epiphanies knew that to add abundance and prosperity to the human heart would steal their hearts and minds away from God! Think about it! Read the inditement God listed as the sin of Sodom in Lot’s day, and also in Noah’s day. For because of these things God destroyed every human being, every animal, and every creeping thing, and even the fowl of the air. (Genesis 6:7) And here is listed out the sins of those days:
Luke 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
The only inditement listed for the destruction of the entire human race, (except for the 8 souls in Noah’s family), is eating and drinking, and marrying! But are we not all guilty of these also? Sure we are! But what is so wrong with that? It’s what this inditement does not include. It implies to us that nobody had any awareness of God! Humans became like the beasts of the field. Just eating and breeding! There was no God consciousness! Wake up America! Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
This “vile person” was inspired and infilled by Satan to bring down the people of Judea by luxury and abundance! And that is what’s going on in America today! And this brings in all the other evils. 1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Do you know who it is that the Lord Himself stated was hard for him to get into the kingdom of God? – It is the rich man! Matthew 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And even those Americans who are considered poor, are actually rich when compared to others in other nations! And in striving to be rich we are eagerly working to eliminate ourselves from the salvation of God. For the cancer of true Christianity is ambition!
It is not the largeness of one’s bank account that impresses the Lord. But it is the largeness of one’s pure heart concerning their possessions. Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury ( that is, her destitution and lack), hath cast in all the living that she had. The rich men only gave a contribution that would not affect their livelihood. But she gave that which was needed to sustain her life. And although her gift was much smaller in the financial amount, God considered it far greater in its representation of her love for Him.
So we can see that this king who “destroyed wonderfully” could do so by prosperity and abundance. For being rich gives a false sense of security! Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
One rich man, in a false sense of security, hoarded up his goods in determining to build greater barns, lost his soul in that very night! Luke 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
And the next time we see a rich man he is in hell, realizing his sin. For only there did he finally ‘lift up his eyes’ to think beyond himself! Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
One of the things that can destroy the scriptures out of the heart is listed as, “the deceitfulness of riches.” And it has certainly done so in present day America. Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
And what of those wealth seekers who also are devout moralists? Their legal works cannot save them when they are sinfully attached to their possessions. Here is an account of a strict moralist who seems to have lost his soul due to his love of money. Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
The human heart cannot successfully contain a true love of God if it contains a love of this world and its possessions! 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon is the evil influence of riches.
The hearts of those in both Lot’s and Noah’s days were full of the love of the world, with the absence of the love of God! But that is not just past history! That is also a future condition! Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. This condition shall also be the downfall of America! No matter how religious or even how moral she strives to be, if her heart is filled with the love of money, it shall destroy her as the root of all evil! (See 1 Timothy 6:10 listed above.)
In seeing all that was against the true believer the Apostle Paul asks the question, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” And we need to know just who it was that stood up against this “vile person” and brought him down from deceiving the Lord’s true people. The answer is listed above in Daniel 8:25. Here is the last part of that verse: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. The Amplified Bible reads, “but he shall be broken up and that by no [human] hand. He shall be so deceived that he shall even think to stand up against the Lord Himself! Therefore it was a direct act of the Lord God that destroyed Antiochus Epiphanies. History informs us that he died insane in Persia, which is modern day Iraq.
The Apostle Paul answers his own question of who would be his deliverer. Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so it is with all believers, throughout all the ages! Christ alone is our protector. He alone is the One who brings the wicked to their just reward.
He defeated Satan and all his forces at Calvary. His death both destroyed Satan and delivered the believers! Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Consider these verses: 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Pastor Gene Breed
January 23, 2020
