Folk, as the title suggests, my latest book aims to simplify the book of Revelation. The book will be available through major booksellers, including Koorong, from next month. The importance of this book, and many like it, is due to the season we find ourselves in. Today, biblical prophecy is being fulfilled under our very noses, yet still, most are not aware, therefore not prepared. The book serves as a resource to not only give an understanding of the signs of the times but also prepare others for the things to come.

While COVID continues to cause havoc across the globe some are still ignorant of the season we are living. Recently I challenged a pastor over the many failed prophesies stating COVID would be destroyed and gone forever (according to the Spirit), by March, 29th, 2020. As we all know, COVID was not destroyed and it has not gone away, instead, it is still spreading and increasing in severity, worldwide. The pastor’s response to my question was, ‘How do we know it has not been destroyed. Are we to believe the media and government?’ Anyone doubting the reality of the virus, COVID, only needs to do a little research, perhaps starting with John Hopkins Corona Virus Research Centre: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. As ridiculous as the denial of COVID is the pastor’s inability to handle the Bible was equally evident when justifying failed prophecies.

Apart from the overwhelming evidence provided by universities and research centers around the world, many of us have lost friends and family members the world over. Adding to those numbers is Lomas. Sadly, our friend and ministry partner in Nepal died last week from COVID after battling it for two weeks. Lomas leaves behind his wife and two children. Fundraising is ongoing for his family, if you would like to contribute, let me know and I will point you in the right direction. At the same time Lomas became infected, another friend and pastor in India became ill. He too nearly died, being in a similar position to Lomas. Thankfully he recovered. You might remember, at the beginning of this year I said 2021 would be worse than 2020, and so it is. Yet still, most remain ignorant, even scoffing at biblical prophecy.

Due to the censorship of social media, we are moving away from Facebook, replacing that platform with an app. Shortly we will be going live with our very own app, which will contain podcasts, ministry notes, and updates. Following our weekly Sunday meeting, we will make the notes available to any and all.

Kingdom Seekers’ (Home) Fellowship meets together every Sunday at 5 pm in Broadbeach Waters. The meeting revolves around teaching, fellowship, and food. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to contribute, and even challenge.
For an example of what is taught during the meetings, the notes below are from last week. Every week, after the meeting, I release the notes that members can study the references for themselves, which also serves for accountability purposes. Currently, we are going through the book of Daniel in chronological order, and have been since the beginning of this year. I expect we have another three to six months left before tackling our next book, which will be Jude.
We, at Kingdom Seekers, believe the body of Christ does not consist of one mouth and many ears, but rather many members contributing equally (1 Cor. 12:12-27). If you are not in fellowship and, or are looking for a place to call home, contact me for details.
DANIEL, CHAPTER EIGHT – PART ONE
(vv. 1-14)
‘The Four Winds’
In the previous chapter, Daniel reintroduced the antichrist. The antichrist is reintroduced in chapter seven due to the first mention of him revealed through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter two (vv. 40-41). Like Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s dream foretold of the antichrist to come, albeit Daniel’s vision contained much more information. While chapter seven focuses heavily on the antichrist, Daniel’s revelation of the coming man of sin does not stop there. Chapters nine through twelve have plenty more to say, providing additional information about the end of the age, of which the antichrist has absolute global dominion. Chapter eight alludes to the antichrist but does not directly address him in the same way the other chapters do.
Two years after Daniel’s vision, recorded in chapter seven, Daniel received another (8:1-2), recorded in chapter eight. In the dream, Daniel was in Susa, at the Ulai canal (8:2). From there, he saw a ram with two horns, yet one horn was higher than the other. The higher horn came up after the first. The vision of the ram with unequal horns is similar to the lopsided bear seen in the previous vision (7:5). Like the bear (7:5b), the ram was very powerful, where none could stand up to it, or be rescued from its power (8:4), The bear and the ram are the same, being Medo-Persia, who conquered Babylon, as recorded in chapter five (v. 30) of Daniel’s book, fulfilling prophecy.
Following Medo-Persia is Greece, which is seen in the next verse, symbolised by the male goat who came from the west across the face of the whole earth (8:5). Although the ram was powerful, where none could stand up to it or be rescued from its power (8:4), one did! The male goat was faster than the ram (and bear), so fast, in fact, its feet did not even touch the ground (8:5). Due to the speed and strength of the goat, the ram was powerless against it. More so, the ram was powerless due to a divine transfer of power; God raises up one power (horn) and then later replaces it with another (2:21, 7:6). At the appointed time, the goat rose to power fast (8:8); and with great wrath it defeated the ram, there was no one to rescue it (8:7-8). Whereas before, there was no one to rescue anyone from the ram (8:4). However, the goat’s reign was short-lasting in the current state. The conspicuous horn between its eyes (8:5) was broken and replaced by four more conspicuous horns (8:8). In a like manner where the ram is paralleled to the bear of chapter seven (v. 5), the goat is also likened to the leopard of chapter seven (v. 6); the leopard had four heads, and the goat ended up with four horns. The heads and horns represent four kings or rulers (7:24). The goat defeated the ram, namely due to its speed (8:5), which is characteristic of the leopard seen in chapter seven (v. 6).
Out of the four horns grew another, a little horn, which grew exceedingly great (8:9). As mentioned in chapter seven, part one, the little horn represents an insignificant or humble beginning (cf. 7:8). Like with the appointed time of the ram and the goat, where none could be rescued from them, the same will be true of the next (8:9-10). The little horn will think so highly of himself; he will even go up against God by killing the saints (8:9-10), even claiming to be God, (not a god), (7:20-21, cf. 2 Thess. 2:4).
Chapter eight reveals that the little horn focuses on the glorious land (Israel), particularly Jerusalem, where the temple is located (8:9-12). Like with the bear and the leopard of chapter seven being symbolised as the goat and the ram of chapter eight, the little horn of chapter seven is similar to the same little horn of chapter eight. Similar, but not the same!
Essentially, the vision of chapter seven has been repeated in chapter eight, with a slight difference, which will be fully addressed later. Briefly, however, the difference between the vision in chapter seven and eight is, the little horn in chapter seven is the antichrist to come. In contrast, the little horn in chapter eight is a type of antichrist that prophetically points to the actual antichrist. The antichrist-type of chapter eight foreshadows the end time antichrist, who will be revealed in and through the tribulation (cf. 2 Thess. 2:6-8). Antiochus IV Epiphanes historically fulfilled the antichrist-type seen in chapter eight. To qualify that statement, the difference between Antiochus and the antichrist is a distinction seen with each period allowed to operate. Antiochus was given two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings (8:14), while the antichrist will be given two thousand, five hundred and twenty (7:25). Additional evidence of the distinction, separating one from the other, will be provided in the following section.
Again, although the visions of chapters seven and eight were similar and were given only two years apart (8:15), Daniel had difficulty understanding them (8:15, 27) and was unable to interpret the visions (7:16, 8:15). Interestingly, on this occasion, it seemed that Nebuchadnezzar, the forgetful, had a better memory than Daniel. When Nebuchadnezzar received a similar dream (chapter 2) to Daniel’s (chapters 7 & 8), some twenty years later, he remembered it well enough to replicate the image of the head of gold, representing him, with the golden image, of himself, that the whole world was to fall down and worship (chapter 3). Again, as with chapter seven, in chapter eight, the angel Gabriel provides the interpretation (8:16-26). Before moving on to the interpretation, however, it is worth first considering the four winds.
As with the similarities mentioned above, there is yet another from chapter seven to chapter eight, which involves the four winds (7:2, 8:8). The four winds of heaven are mentioned three times in the book of Daniel (7:2, 8:8, 11:14). Zechariah also mentioned them (Zech. 2:6, 6:5). The events revolving around the four winds, that the prophets saw through dreams and visions, are seen again through John’s revelation (Rev. 7:1). The difference between Zechariah’s prophecy and John’s is that in John’s vision, the winds were being held back, while in Zechariah’s, they were being sent forth. The theme of Revelation, chapter seven, revolves around salvation proclaimed through the sealed Jewish evangelists (vv. 3, 17). Jesus also references the winds (Matt. 24:31, Mk. 13:27), which refers to salvation. At the end of the seven-year tribulation, Jesus will return to rescue the remaining saints from the ruling antichrist in the same way He rescued Daniel and his friends (3:29, 6:27) from the antichrist type, Nebuchadnezzar. During the tribulation, none will be rescued from the antichrist outside of the sealed Jewish evangelists (Rev. 7, 14). In the same way, none could be rescued from the ‘wind carrying’ ram or the goat; the antichrist will also be an unstoppable force, that is until Jesus returns.
The term ‘four winds’ is a metaphor describing an event covering the whole earth and the heavens (Jer. 49:36). As mentioned previously, the word ‘wind’ is also translated, ‘spirit.’ The same Hebrew word (rûaḥ) as seen in Genesis (1:2), referring to God. Whenever the four winds are mentioned in the Bible, it refers to a time of great trouble (Ezek. 37:9, Dan. 7:2, Zech. 2:6).
For example, the four winds (Zech. 6:5) that Zechariah was referring to (Zech. 2:8, 6:2) are the four apocalyptic horsemen, of which the antichrist is one, seen again in John’s revelation (6:1-8). The activities of the four apocalyptic horsemen will be carried out by men yet driven and influenced by spirits (demons). For example, the antichrist is a literal man, as established previously, yet will be led and empowered by Satan (a spirit being). The same is true for each of the kings (horns) referenced by Daniel (7:17), with the last still yet to come, who is the antichrist (7:23-25).
The importance of understanding the above mentioned comes with the recognition of the spirit world, which is often overlooked. In fact, the spirit world is almost forgotten by most churches today, who are instead fixed and focused on worldly materialism. Witches, however, have a much better understanding and appreciation of the unseen yet very real spirit realm, like the magicians’ (sorcerers) did of Daniel’s day. The so-called ‘wise men’ (sorcerers) of Daniel’s day are mentioned numerous times in chapters two, four, and five of his book.
Contrary to sorcerers, even known today in some circles as ‘Christian’ clairvoyants, true wisemen, of a biblical standard, are those who fear God and understand the signs of the times, and seasons of God concerning the end times biblical calendar (cf. Matt. 2:1), Having discernment (cf. Phil. 1:9, Heb. 5:14) and understanding (cf. 1 Chron. 12:23, Dan. 2:21, 2 Tim. 3:1) of the times is, however, even available to the ungodly when tuned into the spirit realm (cf. Est. 1:13). The difference is, the wise, in Christ, not only recognise and understand the signs of the times (12:10), being very much aware of the spirit realm, but also warn others, preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sin (Lu. 24:47, cf. Dan. 11:33, 12:3). Still, the wise are not immune to the predicted trouble, the birth pangs, ushering in the return of Jesus Christ (11:35, cf. Rev. 2:9-10). The future trouble will affect everyone across the entire globe, as predicted by the metaphor, ‘four winds.’ In fact, the whole world is already under judgement, evident with recent events, which will only intensify (i.e., birth pains) as the day draws nearer to Jesus’ return.
In sum, the reference to God sending and holding back the four winds (spirits) supports His absolute sovereignty over heaven and earth. Four times Daniel references ‘the appointed time’ (8:19, 11:27, 29, 35), which states, God, and God alone controls what happens, when, where, how, to who, to what degree, and for how long. God is in absolute control, never man, and not even the devil. Again, and as always, the current events, and those to come, are orchestrated by God, designed to bring about salvation through repentance, that humanity would know God and make Him known. When we overlook the signs of the times, we neglect the point and purpose, which is the danger of being eschatologically ignorant. Those scoffing at end times teaching bear the fruit of ignorance, leading towards and fulfilling the great end-time apostasy (2 Thess. 2:3).
Right now, the winds are being held back, but soon, very, very soon, they will be released upon the earth, which will result in the coming tribulation, revealing the antichrist, as seen by Daniel and John. When the antichrist is revealed, he will be given absolute, global dominion for seven years before Jesus returns. When Jesus returns, He will defeat the unstoppable antichrist and take away his dominion. In the limited remaining months/years left, the wise are very much aware of the things to come and the season through the signs of the times. Making the most of the remaining days (Eph. 5:16), the wise warn others, turning many to righteousness (Dan. 12:3). Fools, and scoffers, on the other hand, ignore and even dismiss Bible prophecy.