The Ram And The Goat - Daniel 9

The central message of this sermon is that human attempts to establish a unified global empire through violence and cultural assimilation are ultimately futile and will ultimately give rise to a more powerful and sinister force, which is a precursor to the ultimate evil figure known as the Antichrist. This idea is advanced by examining the book of Daniel's depiction of the five world empires and their characteristics, with a focus on the Medo-Persian empire and its successor, the Greek empire under Alexander the Great and his successors. The sermon highlights how these empires' attempts to impose their culture and values on others lead to rebellion against God and the eventual rise of a more powerful and oppressive force that makes war against the saints. This understudy or precursor to the Antichrist is seen in Antiochus Epiphanes, who attempted to Hellenize Judah and claim divinity for himself, but ultimately failed. The sermon suggests that this pattern will repeat itself until the ultimate Antichrist appears. The takeaway from this message is that human efforts to establish a unified global empire through violence and cultural assimilation are ultimately doomed to fail and will only lead to greater darkness and oppression.