Daniel Chapter 8

3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. - 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4.

Daniel 8 is a complex chapter full of rich imagery and prophesy that speaks near events and end times events simultaneously this is the law or concept of dual reference, meaning, that some prophecy tends to speak of events that are separated by time, as though they were not, and that they have an immediate or near meaning as well as a distant one. Gabriel the angel here that explained the prophecy to Daniel said that this vision was about the end of days. However, we also see it fulfilled in striking detail throughout history. (Alexander the Great, Antiochus IV Epiphanies, the Maccabean conflict) Yet, just as we have types of Christ found in scripture, it is also true that we have many types of ‘antichrist’. In fact, 1st John 2:18 says, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”. We are in the last days, and as such we must guard ourselves from dissection. A characteristic of the antichrist is to oppose the truth, “and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered” (Da 8:12) “Through his cunning, He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;…” (Da 8:25)

Read Daniel 8:1-27. Discuss the imagery and what sticks out to you. As 1st John shows there are in fact ‘many antichrists’ What does this mean? What is an AntiChrist?