The King is Coming

The king is coming. He’s not a good king, but bad doesn’t even begin to describe him. This king is ruthless and skilled in intrigue. He will successfully cause outrageous destruction in everything he does. He will destroy the powerful, along with the holy people. Under his reign, deceit will prosper. He’s cunning, influential, not a man of humility, but one who exalts himself, even above God.

In chapter 8, Daniel records a vision that he can not completely understand, even after the angel Gabriel explains it to him. It involves a ram, a goat, and a horn that throws truth to the ground. What Daniel gathers is this: his people, already exiled to a land not their own, living under one godless king after another, now have an exceedingly wicked king on the horizon. Daniel is overcome by his vision and lays sick for days. And while this prophetic vision found fulfillment in the distant past*, in the future it will be fully fulfilled by Antichrist. That awful king? He’s still yet to come.

If you think about all of this for very long, you may start to despair. When is he coming? How bad will things be? And how bad will they get for ME? There are many rabbit holes we can go down when we contemplate a coming Antichrist. While there is a terrible king coming, we don’t have to be terrified because we are people of the true King. He’s different in every regard.

He’s not cunning and influential.  In fact, He had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire Him (Isaiah 53:2)

He’s not ruthless but has compassion on all he has made (Psalm 145:9).

He’s not here to destroy humanity but to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

Our King is not self-exalting but humble. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)

Salvation, glory and power belong to this King because His judgements are true and righteous (Revelation 19:1).

Jesus is the King who will break the Antichrist. He holds the keys to death and hell and He is coming again! On that day, He will be with us to wipe every tear from our eyes, and the death and destruction from every evil king- every antichrist- in history will be no more. No more death. No more grief, or crying or pain.

Church, let us comfort and encourage ourselves with the truth, no matter how dark the days get. And like Daniel, may we rise and be about the King’s business.

-Natalie

*For an overview of the past fulfillment of Daniel 8, see https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/daniel-8/