The Great Prince

out of the one came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.

We start asking, is there something more dynamic or cosmic about this figure that seems to be participating in this grander enmity between God and Satan from Genesis 3.15. Verse 11,

it became great, even as great as the prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him. and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown, and a host will be given over to it together with a regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.

We see the actions of this little horner approaching upon God himself. He seeks to be great, even like the greatness of the prince of hosts. Now, I believe this is a reference to God. There are angels in Daniel that are called princes. But here, the very fact that he's the prince of hosts, he's the lord of the angels. Also, there's a way in which we see this same figure, I believe, as the prince of princes in verse 25. And I believe it's the same one who's the one who appears as a man who tells Gabriel, one of the hosts, to give an interpretation. It's possible it's an angel, and if so, it's still an angel of the Lord, doing the will of the Lord by the power of the Lord. But I believe here we see one of the horns, a king, an earthly king, seeking to be great over against the prince of hosts, fighting even the prince of princes in verse 25. Antiochus is not named. Boy, does he behave like this little horn. He ruled from 175 to 164 BC. He ruled over Judah. He was very abusive to the people of Judah. He plundered the temple's gold to pay for his own ambitious military campaigns. The way the other Greek rulers imposed their rule upon Israel and Judah was that they would allow them to be an autonomous state. They would allow them to keep Sabbath and circumcise their children and do their religious customs and not have to worship the Greek gods. Well, Antiochus revoked all of this for Israel, for Judah. He actually went so far as outlawing circumcision. He outlawed the possession of the Torah, He outlawed the observance of festivals, and he commanded that they worship gods. We see a very oppressive figure in Antiochus that fits the kind of behavior that is being described here of the little horn. More so regarding the temple being the focus of this vision and understanding, he went into the temple. And we have a difficult time with holy space. We don't really understand holy space. We understand personal space, which probably is our holy space if we think about it. But all of the Old Testament is built upon the idea of holy space. The temple has different compartments in which you have to be invited in by God. And you're invited in as a sinner, and so with great trepidation. Well, Gentiles were in the most outer court of the temple. Well, Antiochus took it upon himself to just march right into the temple, the holy place of God. this greatly offended the Jews. And if that weren't enough, he declared that a pig be burned on the altar of burnt offering. A pig being an unclean animal. The Gentile walking into the temple is one thing, to make a burnt offering to another god with an unclean animal, that is a whole other defilement of God's holy space. He is also one of the first rulers we know of that gave himself divine epithets. He took on this kind of desire to present himself like God. And so we see there, he made himself like the prince of hosts. He ran up against the prince of princes. 13 and 14 is a right response for us to meditate upon as we think about If this is Antiochus IV, the holy ones hearing what will happen in the temple, hearing the holiness of God is being reproached, hearing the defilement of not only God's people being murdered and destroyed, but defiling the very temple of God. Verse 13,

I heard a holy one speaking. And another one, holy one said to the one who spoke,

So Daniel, in this vision, now in response, hears angels communicating with one another.

For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?

You hear the concern that the very holiness of God, the holy space of God is trampled under an unclean foot. The holy offering of God is being defiled. How long an angel ask another angel? But notice, Daniel says the angel said to him,

for 2300 evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful

The question is over how this tyrant is seeking to rule over God's people with harshness in an ungodly way. To defile the very things of God. And notice verse 14, there's a real answer. The answer has significant mystery to it. But the most important thing is this defilement is temporary. It will end. How long is excruciating sometimes, but it ends. It will not always be this way. Evil will not always reign. God will bring restoration. There are different ways of interpreting these days. It could be 1150 days, that's three years and two months. And it's referring to the burnt offerings. At morning and evening, the 2300 is the burnt offering that happens at the end of the morning and the evening, and that would be cutting it in half, or it's the full 2300 days of morning and evening. The key is it's temporary. How you interpret that, Matt, depends on what you think it refers to. Is it the full defilement of just the offering, or is it the fullness of the Roman or the Greek Empire? Here's one thing it can't mean. Those days cannot mean years. Now that might be like, well, of course not. There was an entire movement called Millerism in the 19th century of America, saying that these days refer to years, and so they predicted that Christ was gonna come back in 1844, and obviously that was wrong. As I said, we wanna make sure that we are very clear on what scripture says, and if you wanna know what Millerism is, you can Google later, We'll be clear that he's not predicting when Christ is coming back, he's answering the very important angelic question, how long will God's place be defiled? And it comes to an end. Importantly, the abuse of God's people is a great concern, but the focus on the holiness of God is the angel's primary concern. This vision is significant only if Daniel is written in the 500s. Just making clear we understand that. Many say this book couldn't have been written until after Antiochus because it just sounds so much like Antiochus. There's no way Daniel could have known that. So it has to be a later date. It has to be in the 100s after all these things took place because it's just so accurate in telling history that has not yet unfolded. But if that's true, this is a meaningless book. The only reason you would deny that Daniel was foretold what would happen in such amazing detail is that the God who rules over all, the God who created time and rules over time and knows everything that will happen is foretelling to the people who will be in the promised land and will suffer greatly, they'll understand God is still in control. The Ancient of Days still sits on his throne. The reason this is written is that there won't be confusion of God and his power and his holiness. It would be meaningless if this were written as the more liberal scholars would declare it is much, much later after the fact. What God is giving here is kind. He's letting people know beforehand what will happen. And these are going to be the silent years when this happens, when there's no canonized book given to us from this time period. But Daniel is receiving a word that's going to make him sick in bed for days so that those people who are suffering through it can stand courageous in faith in God who said this is what would happen. God has shown himself in the present day of Daniel. God is showing himself that not only am I able to save you in a foreign land with these foreign kings, I will save you in my land when foreign kings defile my holy place. God is providing for his people. So it's written for Daniel, but it's really written for people who are not born yet, and their parents aren't even born yet. A people who will be in the promised land and who will experience these things. I believe this is also written for us. We should be able, from this passage, to look back and see how powerful God is, and how kind God is, and how caring God is, and it would make us want to listen. Are there warnings we should be meditating upon as Christians because of how God gave this warning that was so helpful? I encourage you to consider the warning Jesus gives his disciples in John 15. He assures the disciples that the world has hated him and that because the world has hated him, they will also hate the disciples.

A servant is not greater than his master.

The hatred of the world is against God and since Jesus is God's own son, he has come down to do the will of God. The world has hated him. And as we seek to follow him, the world will hate us. And he makes it very clear. Troubles will continue. Do not be surprised. In John 16, four, he says, remember this when it comes. I foretold, I foretold that when the world persecutes you, remember, they hated me, they'll hate you. As the disciples there in the final discourse, Jesus already predicted three times, I must suffer before receiving the glory. And the disciples didn't get it. How so are we to still not get there's a suffering that precedes glory. That doesn't mean we go looking for the suffering. It doesn't mean we're always expecting it, but it means we're not supposed to be surprised by it. Church, our calling is to to seek to glorify God in the midst of blessing, prosperity, and in the midst of persecution and trouble. We are elect exiles. This is not our land. This is not where we belong. We have been called up into the very presence of God. We are now his holy people. We're told not to be conformed to the world, the world that hates God. But we're called to love God. And because of that love, the world will hate us. As sure as Christ has completed his mission and is the right hand of the Father, we must seek to be faithful and obedient to him until he returns. We must be built up. Believer, are you growing more courageous in faith? There's a significant question here in the midst of thinking about persecution. We're way too casual. and seeking comfort in our own culture and context. The call of a believer by faith is not to remain somewhat cowardly. No, the call of the Christian of faith is to grow up more confident in God, so that we would be more faithful and more courageous. There will always be wars and rumors of wars, and there's wars right now. There's all kinds of dangers. Christian, we can be faithful because God has made his promises and he's shown himself to be true. One of the startling things, I thought about what this means and how to connect it. Turn with me to Revelation 21. Revelation 21 is this incredible picture of what heaven will be like, what eternity will be like. And it's somewhat difficult to think about eternity because we're such temporal people. God will be with us. We will be his people? What stands out over and over again in Revelation 21 is what is not there. The best way to describe heaven in many ways is what's not there. There's no more tears, there's no more death, there's no more sun, there's no more temple. But notice in chapter 21, another description of what is not there. I'll begin in verse six.

And he said to me, it is done. I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son.

There's a great promise of God bringing us into his own life in eternity. But, verse eight,

as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, the murderers, the sexual immorals, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars. The portion will be in the lake that burns with fire, and so forth, which is the second death.

It's always stood out to me that cowards are listed. It just stands out as a sorcerer's sexual immorality. That makes sense. Those who are continuing to practice sin, but cowards and faithless. Praise God that he saves cowards. There should be a louder amen. Praise God he saves cowards. Praise God he does not leave us to be cowards. We can be strong and courageous, not in ourselves. That would be foolish. No, strong and courageous in God and his promises. When you believe in Jesus Christ, you are connecting yourself to now be present with. And in possession of the greatest power this world has ever known is God's power. That's what takes us out of being cowards and makes us courageous. There's a warning there of cowardliness, which is faithlessness there in Revelation for the eternity of our souls. How long would this kind of problem exist? the kind that Antiochus has given, the little horn. And let's just be very clear, he represents the Antichrist, and the Antichrist will continue. And it's pretty devastating to think about all the different ways in which there's been rulers that have opposed the church, and Christ has kept his word to the church. The gates of hell have not prevailed. Christ and his kingdom continue. Our second point, how great is our God? How great is our God? How long? Important question. In light of that question, we have to look at how great our God is. And it's chapter 8, verses 3 and 14. The understanding of it, we see the greatness of God in just his ability to know everything. That's great. Our God is not surprised by anything. Our God knows everything. There is a power to foretell with such detail. He is the Lord of all the heavens and the earth and all time. The greatness of God is that he knows this and reveals it. Verse 15, again, 3 to 14 is God giving a vision. It's a terrifying vision. The angels themselves, how long? Daniel then, in verse 15, he wants to understand it. Now, if you've been with us, remember back in chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a vision. And he was going to kill everybody because they couldn't give him the answer or the interpretation. And then finally, Daniel says, I'll do it. And he wants to make sure Nebuchadnezzar knows, I do not have any power of my own. I can only tell you what God has made known. God is the revealer of mysteries. And here we see God is a revealer of mysteries. Daniel, he's the one receiving the vision. First person, I, Daniel, have received this. I don't understand it. I want to understand it. And God speaks. I believe here, the one having the appearance of a man, that sounds very much like the figure we saw in chapter seven, who goes before the Ancient of Days. He seeks to understand this figure who speaks with a human voice, that appears a human. He orders Gabriel, the angel, the one of the host, to answer him. I believe we see here a divine figure because he's the prince of the host. He's able to order the host. He's the one who has all authority. God commanded understanding and, well, Daniel receives more information. It does say at the end Daniel doesn't understand it yet. Daniel certainly would not have the same understanding we have being on the other side of the events that have taken place. There's a way in which I believe Daniel still just overwhelmed by the idea that people go back to the land, and then this will happen to them, and this will happen to the temple? Verse 24, again, we see the chief villain focused in on that little horn. And notice that the way Daniel describes what's taking place is important.

His power shall be great, but not by his own power. he shall cause fearful destruction, and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men, and all, and the people who are the saints,

that is God's people.

By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great, without warning he shall destroy many.

Now, what does it mean that his power is on his own? That could be a demonic influence. It could be, here we see again, there's more of a cosmic battle taking place. Some think it's his cunning that is not his own power, as if it's not his military strength, but he's clever, he's deceptive, he's manipulative. One of the greatest ways to destroy people, being manipulative and clever. It's very matter-of-factly stated. This is a really bad movie script. Really not a lot of action that would entice you. This is not entertaining. But a very matter of fact, he is great, his power is great, and he uses all that power to destroy, to destroy, to destroy. And then there's a turn. And he shall even. Notice there the language. And not only will he destroy the saints and the people and many, but he'll even rise up against the prince of princes. He'll even rise up against God. And notice what will happen.

He shall be broken.

That's a pretty simple declaration that's absolutely amazing. Our author has gone in to describe how great, terrifying, and destructive this little horn is. And then he rises up against the Prince of Princes And it's just absolute. There's no battle. There's no fight. There's no challenge. The prince of princes is seated with all authority and all power, not threatened whatsoever. It's just matter of fact, the little horn who's destructive will be broken. It's absolute. Very similar to what we saw in chapter seven. Just the judgment fire of God will flow out and boom, he's dead, it's done. No effort. He just breaks him. It's absolute, it's clear, it's not by the human hand. God does not need the military might to break him. He breaks him with his own very power. He who brings great destruction is just immediately, finally, Broken. How long? Not forever. As important as we go through suffering and as we might ourselves experience persecution, as we ourselves could be overwhelmed with fear of what's going on, it's not forever. Every evil power will be broken. God's kingdom is forever. We must see the burden of how long, and that there is a number given for the days of that persecution, but that isn't the end of all persecution. Notice verse 26, this is it.

Division of the evenings and the mornings, that has been told is true, it's sealed up, and it refers to many days from now.

So this is where, again, it's for a different people that Daniel has received this. Bring us back to a passage we read, I believe, with Daniel 7. Psalm 2. The nations rage against God and His elect. And He sits. He's not threatened. And the Son, the anointed Son, if He asks the Lord for the nations as in His inheritance, what does He do with them? He breaks them with a rod. We do not fear these other nations. We do not fear these great rulers. Do they have great earthly power? Yes. Will God bring and have an absolute final victory for all those who oppress and attack his people? Absolutely. Again, it's simply that he breaks them. Empires come. Empires go. The word of the Lord stands forever. Kings will come. Kings will go. Our Lord and God and King is the right hand of the Father. His kingdom is forever. There'll be wars and rumors of wars, but God is in absolute control. Nothing happens outside of his own power. God's people will be threatened, mistreated, some even murdered. God is with us. God is for us. God will vindicate all those who are treated with evil. God's people, we're told to pray for kings for a reason. In the pastoral epistle, Paul commands that we should be praying for kings so that we can live a life under the king that allows us to be faithful. A different kind of prayer is whenever there's a king who is oppressive, abusive, The kind of prayer we would pray for the people of Haiti right now. That these gang leaders and those bringing this absolute chaos, that they would have a swift, absolute judgment. That they would be broken. For the well-being of the humans living in Haiti to not be under that kind of fear and abuse. When there is a ruler who is abusive and seeking to destroy lives, there's other prayers. We pray for absolute judgment for God to break them, and we pray for our own governing authorities that we would be able to live that simple life of faithfulness. We have to stop pretending this world's some kind of a playground just for our prosperity. It's a war, there's enmity. This continues, praise God it's not as bad as it was in our Antiochus, here, right now. But we pretend it's a playground. We don't see the importance of the church being militant, longing to be the church at rest. And when I say militant, it doesn't mean we're taking up our own strength and our own power for our own purpose. No, it's we're seeking to live faithfully, persevering by the very power of God. And well, that power is most experienced and known in prayer. If you think about this passage and who God is, it's a prince of princes who simply just breaks evil. We will meditate Friday on Jesus as the Lamb of God. This is what we all need to believe. We must believe. The only way anyone can be forgiven of sin, the only way any of us can stand in the very holy presence of God is that Jesus as the Lamb of God died on the cross for our sins so that we can be forgiven. We must be forgiven. If you're here and you've not believed in Jesus for forgiveness, you must believe in forgiveness or you will face God who will bring a great judgment against your sin. The only salvation is Jesus Christ. This passage isn't about Jesus the Lamb as much as it is Jesus the Lion of Judah. See, the gospel has many aspects. There's many ways in which God brings about a salvation for many problems. This is really Christ the victor. Christ who has all power and uses all of his power for the good of his people. First by dying on the cross to forgive us, but then bringing justice and protection. Justice for those who treat his people with evil. Jesus is the King of King and the Lord of Lords. He has all authority and uses all of his authority for good. That's important for us today as we think about what day it is in the calendar. It's Palm Sunday. That's the day of Jesus' last entrance in his earthly life into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey representing his coming in peace, being praised, the son of David, the king on high, Hosanna. As we think about that today, he willingly orchestrates his entrance into his city where he knows he's going to die by the hands of the people he came to save. Willingly. Eagerly for us. But in perfect power. He's orchestrating everything that's going to happen as the king. He looks over Jerusalem and he weeps for the city. that he's made him promises to. He goes to the temple and he cleanses it from how the priests themselves have brought defilement in the way they're charging for sacrifices. It went before Pilate. Pilate asked him, do you not know who I am? And Jesus makes it very clear. Any authority you've got has been given to my father. perfect power and confidence and courage because he knows who he is as a son of God and what he's going to do, and he has all power. He died, and in the power of his death, he breaks the consequence of sin and death, and he rises in absolute victory to give us new life. As we meditate upon this ability to break evil. We're never hopeless. We're never hopeless. Christ has all authority and all power. But as a warning, it's amazing how Western culture seems to like to confuse or replace God with a state. The church and state relationship, that's always a, seems to be a confusing matter. That's not new. Israel wanted a king like the king of the nations. Israel wanted chariots and trusted them. Israel wanted to look to Egypt for help. The church cannot depend upon the state to do the will of God. Let's be very clear. The kind of state we have greatly impacts how the church is able or functions underneath it. This is to be more straightforward. Ministry in the U.S. looks very different than the ministry in China. Why we pray for our governing rulers. We don't pretend there's nothing of consequence or substance, but we also don't believe the state somehow has a power to help us do our will or the will of the Father. As we conclude, we don't always get the answer as to why evil happens. That's not the question we even have in the text, but it's a question we should ask. Why? The question's good, how long? What we get from God's word is much more important. Who is God, and what is he like? Who is God, and what is he like? The God who has all power uses his power for the good of his people. He breaks evil. and calls to himself the people who believe in him to save them. The most important way we can prepare for whatever does lie ahead is to draw close to him who has all power. Will you pray with me? Father, we thank you, Lord, for your word that You show how powerful you are. You show how kind you are. We thank you that we see your mercy, that you're the God who promises yourself to a people, to save sinners even like us, to save cowards like us, to show how you can make us courageous by faith in you and what you've done. Lord, help us to be made ready. To be afraid of that warning you give is not to deny you who has the power of the body and the soul in light of those who might make threats to the body. May we know how to fear you so that we have wisdom to trust you, to deny ourselves, to carry a cross, and to follow Christ our Savior. In his name we pray, amen.