June 28: THE ONLY REAL HOPE (part 1)

But tidings from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. Daniel 11:44

Daniel’s prophecy tells us about the momentum of the king of the North; how he enters and overwhelms nation upon nation (v.40), one after another. And though he posits himself as the world’s religious leader, he also manages to gain the homage of secular atheist unbelievers symbolized by Egypt (v.42). Furthermore, even the unlikeliest among the multitudes of religious people – the Islamic population of the Middle East and the professed Christians of Africa – will follow at the heels (v.43) of this counterfeit religious leader, called the king of the North (v.40). This agrees perfectly with the apostle John’s vision: And all the world marveled and followed the beast (Revelation 13:3b).

With all this success, what sort of news or tidings from the east and the north could possibly cause the king of the north to be disturbed and furious? It is the very message that he has worked for millennia to undermine: the everlasting gospel (Revelation 14:6). With the population of the world at an all-time high, and worldwide communications at a technological all-time high, and ever-worsening conditions around the world, many will finally be awakened to the only real hope that there is. The king of the North is upset because the preaching of the everlasting gospel includes numerous truths that are altered or omitted in the counterfeit gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6-7). These alterations and omissions have been repeated so often that they are rarely questioned in our world.

Jesus spoke of His return as coming from the east, like a sunrise, but with great power: “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:27) Satan does not want the return of Jesus to be described or talked about. In fact, he doesn’t want it to be looked for, longed for, or focused upon. But the central hope of the everlasting gospel is centered upon His return for His people! When Isaiah wrote of the selfish desires of Lucifer, he revealed that Lucifer wanted to be in the place of God: On the farthest sides of the north (Isaiah 14:13b). God’s Spirit led Isaiah to prophesy of Jesus: “I have raised up one from the north… And he shall call on My name” (Isaiah 41:25). God is the true king of the North, so this is where Jesus, the prince of the covenant (Daniel 11:22) comes from.

We must remember that the counterfeit king of the North, the devil’s proxy, gets his power and authority from Satan himself (Luke 4:6; Revelation 13:2,7). And he wants to be worshiped (Matthew 4:9; Luke 4:7). Because he also knows the Scriptures, he will be well aware of the special time-of-the-end sealing when it happens: Then I saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:2-3) To be sealed is to have the law of God written upon your heart (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16). His law is a transcript of His character, and His vision for each of us is His image restored in us – accompanied by the real hope of eternity with Him.

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4