Jesus Points to Daniel and Confirms His Visions

Shared on October 20, 2024

There is a way to tell if someone truly is sharing a message from the Lord. Watch this week’s lesson as Pastor McCrary takes us through Jesus confirming Daniel’s visions. This lesson teaches us how we can confirm whether someone is being honest or lying when it comes to prophesy and the word of God.

Introduction

Over the past month or so, we have seen and learned about some of the visions that Daniel shared.  Some of those visions pointed ahead to time more closer to Daniel’s time and then further ahead to the latter days.  When it comes to prophets and their prophecy, there is always a question as to whether their prophecy is true or not.  In our lesson this week, we are going to see that Daniel’s visions were certainly not lies and fabrications.

Daniel’s Vision of the Son of Man

In a lesson we had a month ago – Daniel Prophesies the Son of Man – Daniel had a vision that covered a certain period of days.  The period of days Daniel saw were of a “little horn” that spoke pompous (grand) words (Dan. 7:8).  The little horn spoke words against the Most High – that is to say God – and persecuted His saints (Dan. 7:24-25).

In New Testament scripture, we see this person spoken of in Paul’s writing to the Thessalonian church.  The little horn is the one that Paul referred to as the “man of sin” and the “lawless one”, but many of us know him by another name— the Antichrist.  The Antichrist, Paul wrote, wouldn’t rise until the days after the “falling away” (2 Thess. 2:3).

What is the falling away?  The falling away is a reference to what we call the “Great Apostasy”.  The falling away is a complete falling away of faith in the Lord.  This falling away will happen after the rapture of the church by Christ.  After the rapture of the church will come the days at the center of our lesson this week— The Great Tribulation.

After that period of time, Daniel said that he saw One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven (Dan. 7:13).  This was Daniel seeing the second coming of Christ.  Daniel saw the Millennial Kingdom and then he saw the Millennial Kingdom give way to the everlasting kingdom (Dan. 7:14).

Jesus Confirms Daniel’s Visions

In Deuteronomy, Moses prophesied about a Prophet, like him, who would come from the midst of Israel.  To those that may have doubted Moses’ prophecy, he left them a test they could to determine whether or not it was true.  

Moses said, “when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken (Deut. 18:22).”  Moses said that’s just one speaking presumptuously and they should not be feared.  For Daniel’s visions, they started to prove true right away.  

However, the vision of the Ancient of Day, the Son of Man, and the little horn has yet to be fulfilled.  Should those visions not be taken as truth?  This is the point where we will start our lesson because we certainly should take that vision as truth.

Signs of the End

After being shown the building outside of the temple, Jesus told His disciples that one day those buildings would be thrown down (Mark 13:1-2).  This statement then led to a few of the disciples asking Jesus, “When will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled (Mark 13:3-4)?”

Our lesson opens with Jesus pointing to Daniel’s vision.  Jesus said to them, “When you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (Mark 13:14).”  

Now, if you recall from the lesson – Daniel Sees Future Kingdoms – Daniel had another vision but it was fulfilled during Old Testament days.  Daniel had a vision of a king that would rise and destroy; he would even stand against the “Prince of princes” (Dan. 8:23-25).  Antiochus Epiphanes was the king that rose and did those things.  He desecrated that temple by making offerings to idol gods in the temple of God.

Antiochus Ephiphanes was not the Antichrist but was a form of him to come.  So, the “abomination of desolation” being a sign of the end speaks of what the Antichrist will do.  As Paul wrote, the son of perdition – the Antichrist – will exalt himself above the Lord and will sit as God in the temple of God, showing himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:4).  

So, even though Daniel’s vision is of a day that still has not been fulfilled, we should understand that Jesus confirmed Daniel’s vision.  If you think about it, Daniel’s vision of the little horn has the threefold witness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – even more confirmation.  Daniel was given the gift of understanding in all visions and dreams.  All gifts come from above and are given through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:1-7; Jas. 1:16-17).

The Great Tribulation

In the selected scripture of our lesson, we’ll see Jesus go even further in confirming Daniel’s vision of the tribulation.

In the period of Great Tribulation, Jesus warned that those in Judea should flee to the mountains.  Jesus said that those on a housetop shouldn’t leave it (Mark 13:15).  Jesus then said, “woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days (Mark 13:17)!”  Those days would be so terrible that one shouldn’t want to be raising a child.

Jesus said, “For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be (Mark 13:19).”  I think about all the afflictions and tribulations this world has seen, even to this day, and my mind is blown away at how much worse things will be during the Great Tribulation.

These thoughts remind me of what Paul wrote when he spoke about the Antichrist.  Paul wrote about how the mystery of lawlessness was already at work during his day (2 Thess. 2:7).  Though lawlessness was, and still very much is at work today, it is being restrained by the Lord.  There will be a day when the Lord will permit the man of sin to be revealed in his fullness and it won’t be good.

Persecution of tribulation saints

In his vision, Daniel saw that the saints were not only persecuted by the little horn, but they were given into his hand (Dan. 7:25).  The phrase “given into his hand” is a phrase you will find in Old Testament scripture.  For example, when Joshua stood before Jericho, the Lord said to him, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand (Josh. 6:2).”  That spoke to Jericho’s certain fall to Joshua and the children of Israel.

The phrase of something being given into one’s hands, especially used in this manner, speaks to certain doom for those being given.  To be clear, the doom that I speak of is that of certain death.  In his vision, Daniel saw the persecution and death of the saints of the Most High.

During the period of Great Tribulation, there will be some that will begin to believe in the Lord.  Those that do become sincere believers during that period will be known as Tribulation Saints.  As bad as that period will be, the tribulation saints will be a light in the dark.  Those saints will help those who are in need of food, drink, clothes, and shelter – they will care and love.

Sadly, those that care and love – move in the manner of Christ – will have it more rough than we believers do today.  It will be more rare to see people helping others during that day and those that do help will be punished.  I do think, because of scripture, that many of those saints will be killed and mocked by the Antichrist and those who fall for his deceptions.

The Second Coming of Christ

As rough as the Great Tribulation will be, Jesus confirmed Daniel’s vision of the tribulation not being forever and ending with the coming of the Son of Man.

Jesus warned that there will be rumors of His return as many false christ will rise and say that they are Christ (Mark 15:21-23).  Jesus said that the Great Tribulation will come to an end with the sun, the moon, and stars being darkened (Mark 13:24-25).  Then, “they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory (Mark 13:26).  I repeat, this is a confirmation of Daniel’s vision coming from God by way of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit which also rested with Christ (Matt. 3:16).

Something that is fascinating to me about His second coming is what is written next in Mark’s gospel.  We are told that Jesus will send His angels, and gather together His elect from around the world (Mark 13:27).  Why is this fascinating to me?

In the Parable of the Persistent Widow, Jesus asked a question that speaks to His second coming.  In that parable, Jesus spoke of a widow that sought justice for her from the one that killed her husband (Luke 18:3).  Sadly, there was a judge that initially would move to get justice for her.  However, the judge eventually relented because of her persistence (Luke 18:4-5).

Jesus shared that parable in teaching about one never losing heart but continuing in faith and being prayerful (Luke 18:1).  At the end of the parable, Jesus asked, “when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8)?”  Think about, Jesus’ second coming will come at a period of time where those saints will be killed left and right.

The question is whether or not there will be any faithful believers in the world when He comes again?  I do believe that there is a chance that there will be some tribulation saints that make it through that period.  Jesus taught that they will be gathered from all corners of the world and take part in the Millennial Kingdom.

In fact, in Matthew 25:31-33, there is a separation of the sheep from the goats at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.  To be clear, the sheep being separated from the goats will be those Tribulation Saints that still remain in the world (Matt. 25:34-36).  All of us of the church age, will already be with Christ and take part in the Millennial Kingdom.

So, again, Daniel’s visions were very and are very true – they have been confirmed by the Lord.  While Daniel’s visions may seem terrifying, we should also see them as visions of hope.  In life we will have tribulation but we should not worry because victory has been promised (John 16:33).  In that promise there is peace and everlasting life with the Lord.

Thank You For Visiting New Found Faith

Sign up to our newsletter today so that you can stay up to date with New Found Faith