Have you ever wanted to know exactly what would happen tomorrow? In today’s anxious world, almost everyone wants to know the future so they can be prepared for what’s to come. Stock market investors illegally pay millions just to learn where share prices might go. Sports teams send out scouts to determine how their rivals might play in the big game. Still, it seems the information they glean is never rock-solid, is it? You certainly can’t bank your life on it!
But did you know that two books of the Bible—Daniel and Revelation—have stunning track records in accurately predicting the future? Though written thousands of years ago, their pages offer stunning, detailed insights into what our tomorrow will bring.
In the book of Daniel, an Old Testament prophet had a ringside seat at the court of the world’s most powerful nation; in Revelation, an apostle of Jesus wrote from a squat cell on a prison island in the Mediterranean. Neither one had access to the Internet, of course, but they had something even better: a direct connection to the God of the universe. And He told them both exactly what the future would bring! No, the prophecies these books contain won’t make you rich on Wall Street or at the racetrack, but they will help you go through this life more confidently and securely.
Here’s something else you should know: The books of Daniel and Revelation are like siblings; though they were written centuries apart from each other, they are closely related. In fact, Revelation is a key that unlocks the mysteries of Daniel—and vice versa. Both speak about earthly and heavenly events leading up to the end of time; both describe strange beasts in similar ways. So while their apocalyptic symbols might seem difficult to understand at first, when you allow them to work together, you discover that you can know the future better than most anyone!
Let’s take a closer look at these two amazing books, Daniel and Revelation …
Daniel Predicted the Rise and Fall of Future Empires —and Got It Perfectly Right!
In the fifth century bc, God revealed to Daniel an unbroken chain of global empires that would exercise incredible power over vast swaths of the world—yet they would then fall away. Through a giant statue seen by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, Daniel revealed an amazingly detailed snapshot of the future. This image was made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay, and these revealed the rise and fall of the empires of Babylon (gold), Medo-Persia (silver), Greece (bronze), Rome (iron), and modern-day Europe (clay). History affirms that these predictions found in the book of Daniel, made hundreds of years before the events happened, came true. This means that you can trust God’s book!
Amazingly, both Daniel and Revelation describe a power that would arise from the fall of Rome and attempt to dominate the world …
Daniel and John Reveal a Religious Power that Would Influence the Whole World
Daniel chapter 7 introduces the “little horn,” a power that would rise up after the fall and breakup of Rome and would seek to control religious observance worldwide by political force; it would also claim the place of God here on earth. We’re told that the Little Horn would “speak pompous words against the Most High [and] persecute the saints of the Most High” (v. 25).
Revelation chapter 13 calls this same power “the beast out of the sea” (v. 1). We know they are the same because they have the same qualities: “He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God. … It was granted to him to make war with the saints” (vv. 6, 7).
Did you know this power is now active in the world today and that millions have already joined it? And very soon, genuine Christians at the end of time will face unrelenting pressure to abandon their faith and join this beast from the Sea.
Daniel and Revelation Reveal an Ongoing Cosmic War Between Satan and Jesus
Before Earth was created, war broke out in heaven. Satan and a third of the angels rebelled against God, launching a great controversy between good and evil—a struggle that will culminate in Armageddon here on our world.
Daniel chapter 8 discusses this universal conflict in detail, revealing that the Little Horn would ultimately be broken by a supernatural power. Daniel 9 then offers a staggeringly detailed prophecy of the first coming of Jesus Christ, the one who would crush the Little Horn.
Revelation chapters 12, 13, 20, and 21 describe these battles in detail, depicting the eradication of evil, sin, and even death from our world. Daniel revealed that a stone “cut out without hands” (Daniel 2:34) would strike the image that represented these world empires and destroy it. This stone, which represents God’s kingdom, “became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (v. 35)—meaning His kingdom would stand forever!
Spiritual Conflict Gives Way to Jesus’ Return
The conflict between good and evil seen in Daniel 8 will soon come to a dramatic climax, events that are detailed in Revelation chapters 12–14. Satan will unleash all his fury onto a world that God still sustains in His mercy. All humanity, the saved and the unsaved, will experience this conflict. The events will be fierce and troubling—panic, war, disease, death, and destruction, much of which will hit suddenly and unexpectedly.
But “those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12) will emerge victorious. God will not forget His people. In Revelation 22:7, Jesus promises, “Behold, I am coming quickly!” And He will come to save His people and establish a new and eternal paradise.
Friend, God has revealed tomorrow’s headlines so that you can be prepared for what will come. Now is the time to ensure your heart is right—so that He will come again for you!
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Our study guide Right on Time! Prophetic Appointments revealed offers a life-changing look at the timely prophetic messages given in book of Daniel and the message for you today. Download your free copy at Time18.AFTV.in.