Bible Believers' Newsletter 122
"We focus on the PRESENT Truth — what Jesus is doing NOW . . ."
ISSN1442-8660
We greet you in the wonderful Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and appreciate your fellowship.
This week's message is an exposition of Daniel chapter 8 in which the Lord begins to reveal the nature and identity of the fourth Gentile world empire that institutes one world government and rules to the consummation. Those who follow this ministry and therefore the ministry of the late prophet, William Branham are encouraged to purchase or borrow a book by F. Tupper Saussy, "Rulers of Evil" . I purchased my copy through his web site where you may taste and see some of the research he has to offer. tuppersaussy.com.
This newsletter serves those of like precious faith. Everything presented should be confirmed personally in your own Bible.Your Brother in Christ,
Anthony Grigor-Scott
Shades of Sun-Tzuan?
Washington DC, May 12, 2000 — Using exceptionally strong language, the Washington DC based National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) condemned the group calling itself Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC).
The Bishop's statement comes as a reaction to the year-long campaign run by CFFC to eject the Catholic Church from the United Nations. Led by CFFC, roughly 450 mostly pro-abortion organizations are calling upon UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to review the status of the Holy See in order to remove it as a Permanent Observer at the UN. Campaign organizers have objected to the pro-life position the Holy See delegation has taken at a number of UN world conferences. (Since the Vatican will shortly rule the world through the UN Mr. Kofi Annan had better watch his "p's" and "q's"). Full Story: .c-fam.org
The Ram, the He-Goat, and the Beast
The visions and dreams of Daniel 7 and 8 were revealed before the revelations of chapters 5, 6 and 9-12. God's revelation to Daniel was progressive wherein each vision confirmed earlier visions and increased the prophet's understanding of forthcoming events through almost 3,000 years of the "times of the Gentiles".
To illustrate, the four divisions of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream in chapter 2 are four successive Gentile empires, but only Babylon is named. They are symbolised as four beasts in chapter 7 and Medo-Persia and Greece are identified by name, whilst chapter 8 reveals the defeat of the Medo-Persian empire by Alexander the Great, the division of the Grecian empire into four, and the vile rule of Antiochus Epiphanes IV of the Syrian province who types the ultimate ruler of the fourth Empire, Rome, and who will be cast into a lake of Fire with his followers prior to the Millennium (Revelation 19:20).
Daniel 8:1-8, "n the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, Daniel, similar to that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram [the national emblem of Persia] which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other [Darius], and the higher [Cyrus] came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward [against Lydia], and northward [against Babylon], and southward [subjugating Egypt]; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great."
"And as I was considering, behold, a he goat [the national emblem of Macedonia] came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes [Alexander the Great]. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and broke his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand."
"Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and in its place came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven". [Ptolemy I of Egypt; Seleucius of Babylonia; Antigonus of Syria, and Antipater of Greece and Macedonia who divided Alexander's empire between them].
Daniel 8:9, "And out of one of them [Syria] came forth a little horn, [Antiochus Epiphanes IV (215-164BC) who was king from 175-164BC], which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land [Judea]".
Antiochus Epiphanes types the leader of the reconstructed Holy Roman Empire in the end-time. Two years earlier Daniel had seen Rome in his Spiritual dream symbolized as an indescribable beast (Daniel 7:7-8, 23-28). Unable to recognize a national symbol, Daniel was troubled because this beast 'wore out' Israel until the consummation. Antiochus types this beast which arose from the sea, became Vatican Rome, aligned with the European Union (EU), and is today extending its influence south to the north African nations bordering the Mediterranean, and east to Cyprus and the Middle East, including Israel.
Daniel 8:10, "And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; [that is, the Hebrew saints—remember Revelation 12:4 where Satan cast them to earth through his deceit? And II Thessalonians 2:7-12 which prophesies how, through his FALSE prophet, he will deceive the Gentiles as he did the Hebrews, and cause ALL to receive the mark of Rome—Revelation 13:1-18]; and it cast down some of the host [Hebrews] and of the stars [Israelite priests] to the ground, and stamped upon them"
We can verify the identity of the host, and the Prince or Captain of the host from Joshua 1:9 and 5:13-15, "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go . . . And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, there stood a Man over against him with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto Him, and enquired, 'Are you for us, or for our adversaries'? And He said, 'Nay; but as Captain of the host of the LORD am I now come'. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, saying, 'What says my Lord unto His servant'? And the Captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, 'Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place whereon you stand is holy. And Joshua did so"
And in I Samuel 17:45, "David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the Name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies or host of Israel, whom you have defied".
Oh my! It was God, Who later manifest in the flesh of Jesus Christ to bleed and die for us, the God of the armies of Israel, Whom they would crucify.
Daniel 8:11-12, "Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host [God]. Antiochus was a prefigure of the incarnate anti-Christ to come], and FROM (NOT by) him the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of [Judah's] transgression, and it cast down the truth [Torah] to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered".
The daily sacrifice was taken away FROM Jehovah, and Antiochus Epiphanes profaned the sacrifice altar by sacrificing a sow and making a broth of its carcass, which was scattered about the sanctuary. He burned the Torah, condemned the Jews to death and desecrated the temple in 167BC, making it a temple to Jupiter Olympium, or Zeus, whose incarnation he claimed to be.
Daniel 8:13-14, "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, 'How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, AND the transgression of the desolation [of the temple], to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, 'Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed".
Many students come to grief on these two verses of Scripture, trying to apply them to Daniel's Seventieth Week and augmenting years for days. The 2,300 evenings-mornings, or 2,300 days in which evening and morning (continual) sacrifices could not be offered, date from the murder of Onias III, the high priest, in 171BC by his own brother, who bribed Antiochus Epiphanes for the position of high priest. It covers the oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes by the Maccabees and Romans, his death of ulcers and worms in 164BC, and the cleansing of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus about 165BC.
Daniel 8:15-22, "And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me one like a Man. And I heard a Man's voice BETWEEN the banks of the River Ulai, which called, and said, 'Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision'. So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell on my face: but he said, 'Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the END shall be the vision".
"Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, 'Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which you saw having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four arose in its place, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. [The four divisions of Alexander's empire will be inferior to the united empire they succeed]".
Daniel 8:23, "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors [the apostate Jews] are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up".
When the Jews reach the fullness of their apostasy, as the Gentiles are today (Romans 11:32; II Thessalonians 2:1-3; II Timothy 3-4), another king shall arise. He will have a "fierce countenance," meaning a strong or insolent face. And "understand dark sentences" — in other words, mysteries, intrigues, and ambiguous speech. He will be the FALSE prophet. This is the fourth and last Gentile world power.
Daniel 8:24, "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own [but by Satanic] power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people"
Revelation 13:4-10, "And they worshipped the DRAGON [Satan] which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the BEAST, saying, "Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him"?
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven" [that's the elect Old and New Testament saints. Through Satanic power he will unite all the churches and religions together to form an image unto Rome that will force EVERYONE to accept his doctrine or at least do his bidding. He will reconsolidate the powers of the ten states which once comprised the Holy Roman Empire, harness US might, and through agreement with the Jews, refinance the US dollar and bring the world's wealth and commerce under his control].
"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints" [at this time, the 144,000 elect and their two prophets (Revelation 12:7-17)], "and to overcome them: Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
If any man has an ear, let him hear. "He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword" (Genesis 9:6; Isaiah 33:1; Revelation 11:18). Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. [The Law of "eye for eye, life for life" (Revelation 6:10-11; 14:12)].
Here Satan is incarnate! And with the power of the Pope's incarnation comes the wealth and worship of the world. The (once) Protestant churches form an IMAGE to Rome, a World Council of Churches, through which the Pope directs his power and exercises control. They enforce his will by the military might of the United States of America, the natural image to Rome.
Revelation 13:11-18, "And I beheld ANOTHER beast coming up out of the EARTH; [Unlike the beast of Revelation 17 which "sat upon many waters," symbolizing the Gentile multitudes, this beast arose in the new world] and he had two horns like a lamb [representing civil and religious power], and he spoke as a dragon [Satan]. And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him [Rome], and causes the earth and them who dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed".
[The first beast incorporates all the evil attributes of the previous three Gentile world empires. Imperial Rome was mortally wounded but was revived at the First Nicea Council of AD325 where Constantine united the NOMINAL Christians with the pagans to transform it into what would become the Holy Roman Empire of the Catholic church whose leader will "stand up against the Prince of princes" (Christ) in the time of the end. Herein the Eastern and Western divisions of Rome, represented by the iron legs of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, became mixed with clay].
"And he [the USA] does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men [the atomic bombing of Japan], And deceives them who dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast [unite the religions]; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live."
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed".
[The times of the Gentiles will go out as they came in. Once again there will be a union of church and state, with FORCED worship to the image of a man. As Israel's denominations united with the Roman State to crucify the Son of Man, the two horns of Rome's image, the beast from the land, unite Gentile denominational and US Civil powers to crucify unto themselves the Son of God afresh].
"And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let he who has understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six".
This mark in the head means to receive the DOCTRINE of the world church system, which is Trinitarianism, etc., The mark in the hand is to obey the WILL of the world church. With this great power, the church systems will persecute the true Bride. This image will try to keep the Bride from preaching and teaching. Her ministers will be forbidden to give comfort and truth to the people who need it. But before the antichrist (in person), takes over this complete world system of churches, the true church will be taken from this world, to be with the Lord. God will catch away His Bride for the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
In the time of unprecedented natural catastrophe that marks the close of the Gentile dispensation, Satan is cast down to earth and incarnates the Pope. After their "wilderness journey" (Revelation 12:7), the apostate denominations and the nations will cry for a king like Israel at the end of his journey in the wilderness (I Samuel 8:5). They'll plead tobe ruled by this Papal 'prince of peace'. Through the auspices of the UN the Pope will bring peace, and one world government.
It won't be just the denominations and the USA behind him. Revelation 17:12-13, 17, "And the TEN horns which you saw are TEN kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings [the royal houses of Europe known as the "Black Nobility" will rule] one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast . . . For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled". [Or unto the consummation].
These ten horns or powers correspond to the ten toes at the END of the times of the Gentiles symbolized in the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. They were the ten divisions of the Imperial Roman empire: Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Seuvi, Alemanni, Anglo-Saxons, Heruli, Lombards and Burgundians.
Daniel said, "In the days of the union of THESE kings, shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall NEVER be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people [because its citizens have eternal Life], but it shall break in pieces and CONSUME ALL these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:42).
Daniel 8:25, "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".
The Gentile dispensation terminates with a massive upset of nature. Los Angeles and 1,500 by 3-400 miles of California will sink beneath the Pacific; the 'Pacific ring of fire' will erupt sending massive tidal waves sweeping over islands and coasts, and the Mount of Olives will split, demolishing the Mosque of Omar on Mount Zion.
This will be America's darkest hour. With Russian support, the Muslim nations will attack Israel. The Bible says men's hearts will fail for fear of nuclear a holocaust after Russia attacks and invades mainland USA. The world's religions will unite to stop communism, and the nations that once formed the ten divisions of the Holy Roman Empire will agree to give their power to Rome via the UN headquartered in New York.
The monetary system will collapse at the close of the Gentile dispensation but Vatican policy will establish an agreement with the 'Jews' to refinance the U.S. dollar for the love of money is the root of all evil. Thus 'craft' or manufacturing will "prosper in his hand," and "Who can make war with the beast?" The Pope will bring peace through this New World Order, and 'by peace, will destroy many." Israel's two prophets, their 144,000 elect and all of the 'saved' will be martyred.
The present peace, or ease and prosp erity was needful to sedate us with 'human rights' and material comfort. This peace has morally destroyed our once Christian Western civilization. Through US foreign policy (corrupted and misdirected by John Foster Dulles) and the CIA (corrupted under his brother Allen), we have cheated and lied, bought and sold individuals and nations, "destroying many". We also sold our own birthright and Satan now occupies the place where the character and nature of God should reside.
I Thessalonians 5:1-3, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, "PEACE and SAFETY"; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape".
Brother Branham said we've tried to 'buy' the friendship of the heathen and communist countries with our foreign aid. But when we can no longer afford to pay these bribes, we'll discover they never were our friends. Had we sought reference to and identification with God's word, we would know that God placed ENMITY between us and these people. And that enmity is still there (Genesis 3:15).
Yes indeed, God has sent us "strong delusion," and we've believed the SAME lie Satan used to deceiveEve. "Oh, God's a GOOD God, He loves ALL men, and Jesus died for EVERY man. You're ALL Christians, who regard Jesus as the Christ. ALL religions acknowledge the SAME God and Father of ALL". But He does not, and they are not.
Satan will unite the non-elect against the revealed Word, and they will believe his lie. They'll form a world-wide confederation and crown his earthly representative as their king. He'll bring peace. He'll make an agreement with the 'Jews' and restore material prosperity. But after three and a half years, when he has the world's resources in his control, he'll break his agreement. Then Armageddon will set in, destroying all life.
Daniel 8:26-27, "And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it".
The vision is true. Remember, from the going forth of the command of Cyrus to restore and to build Jerusalem, only 490 years of 360-days were determined to Israel until the Millennium. Let's read Daniel 9:25-27, "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. [After 49 years, Jerusalem was rebuilt]. And after threescore and two weeks (that's 434 additional years) Messiah shall be cut off, [and He was] but not for His personal gain or blame: and the people of the prince that shall come [Rome] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary [Titus was the Roman 'prince' who fulfilled this prophecy (Matthew 24:1-3, 14-21]; and the end thereof shall be with a flood [of enemy troops], and unto the end of the war desolations are determined".
"And the prince out of Rome shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [7 years—here's the incarnate Pope]: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [which will have been restored] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate [just like Antiochus Epiphanes], even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate".
As the Spirit of Christ returned after Calvary to build His Church, this antichrist spirit returned to establish his FALSE church. He began by inspiring men to the "deeds of the nicolaitanes"—establishing a clerical hierarchy between God and the laity. The deeds gained acceptance among the FALSE vine and became legislated as the "doctrine of the nicolaitanes". The antichrist spirit was crowned with a triple crown in the person of the Pope, or FALSE prophet. Once the TRUE Vine is mature and ready to manifest the Sons of God, Satan will incarnate the Pope, thereafter known as the beast. But like Judas, he's a deceiver. His claim to power is proven by SIGNS, experiences and physical works WITHOUT faith, and contrary to the revealed Word.
For the Pharisees 'seeing is believing', because they have no faith. By the eyes of faith, or a clear understanding, God's elect 'see' His Word coming together and producing Its promises (Hebrews 11:1).
Jesus promised false anointed ones and false prophets would arise in the days of His 'parousia', which commenced with the revelation of the Seven Seals in 1963. He said these will be renowned for their great signs and wonders (Matthew 24:24). Paul said this would be in the time of the apostasy of the churches (II Thessalonians 2:3, 9-10). He said a seducing spirit among clergy who were reprobate concerning the apostolic faith, would impersonate God's genuine prophet as Jannes and Jambres impersonated Moses (II Timothy 3:8-16). Jesus said these wonders would be so convincing, people would unite in a World Council of Churches against the very God they claim they love (Revelation 13;13-14).
Brethren, it's the Word from Genesis to Revelation. It's Faith in that Word, or perish (Acts 3:23). Daniel's vision was "shut up" until "the days of the Voice of the seventh angel" when "the mystery of God was finished" (Revelation 10:7). Once you have the revelation, "prophesy again before many peoples and nations and kings".nl122.htm