Daniel chapter 8 and we're looking at the we got to the point where we're looking at Antiochus Epiphanes in his persecution of Israel and his destruction but I'm going to read the whole chapter. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision, and it came to pass when I saw, that I was in Shushan, the capital, which is in the province of Elam, and I saw in the vision I was by the river Ulai. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and I saw, and behold, there stood before me a river, before the river, a ram, which had two horns, and two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward so that no beast might stand before him. Neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will and became great. And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came up from the west in the face of the whole earth and touched not the ground. And the goat had an audible horn before his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran into him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, rage or whatever, and smoked the ram, and break his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him. And he cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him. And there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he goat waxed very great, and when he was strong, the great horn was broken. For it came up, and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of the one of them came forth a little horn which waxed exceedingly great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great even to the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and the stars to the ground and stamped upon them. Yet he magnified himself even to the prince of the host. And by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. And a host was given unto him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it practiced and prospered. Then heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, how long shall the vision be concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot? And he said unto me, unto 2,300 days. Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. And it came to pass when I, even I, Daniel, had seen the vision and sought for the meaning. Then behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ula'i, which called and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. And he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was afraid and fell on my face. And he said unto me, understand, O son of man, for at the time of the end shall be the vision. So we're going to consider verse 17 to the end of the chapter. Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground, and he touched me and set me upright. And he said, behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation. For at the time appointed, the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia. And the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now, that king being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. They're not going to be as great as Alexander. In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of first countenance and understanding, dark sentences shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper in practice, and destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause to prosper in his hand. And he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many. And he also shall stand up against the prince of princes, but he shall be broken without hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which is told is true. Wherefore, shut up thou, up the vision, for it shall be for many days. In other words, it's in the distant future. And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick certain days, and afterward I rose up and did the king's business. And I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. Thus ended the reading of God's holy word. Now we're considering we're up to the point of Antiochus Epiphanes, the little horn that rises up out of the four horns, and he has a lot of similarities with Herod, but this happens before the coming of Christ, and this is to the Jews and for our edification. The angel touching, after touching Daniel and standing upright, and it sounds as though And this is the view of E.J. Young. It sounds as though Daniel fainted before the angel and fell on his face and fainted, not that he was taking a nap. Tells him that the vision is about, quote, the time of the end. Now, this contrary to dispensationalists, especially the older ones like Gabaline and others who all of a sudden jump to this right before the second coming of Christ and start talking about the Antichrist and so forth, does not mean the future tribulation right before the second coming of Christ. Verse 19 indicates the end refers to the time when afflictions in the latter part of the indignation are to happen to Israel. These are afflictions afflicted by Antiochus upon Israel. The word indignation in verse 19 refers to the indignation or wrath of God. Isaiah 10, five and 25 and 26, 20. The period of Israel's oppression and persecution corresponds to the season of indignation. This implies a punishment of Israel for sinning against God. The subject of the present vision is to take place in the last portion of the period of wrath. In other words, when the abominations of Antiochus occur, it will be an evidence that the last time of the period of wrath has appeared. So this is a judgment upon Israel, but it will have a definite end. This would be a great measure of comfort to those living in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes to know the persecution has a definite end. It will come to an end. God will end it. It also would stir the people to self-examination and repentance so they could reject syncretism with Greek culture and religion and maintain a healthy antithesis against the pagan powers. It is important to note that Antiochus could not have persecuted the saints if Jehovah had not permitted him to do so. It's right in the text. He had power against Israel because God put this power in his hand. The text is clear. God's providence put that sword into his hand by which he was enabled thus to bear down all before him. Note, we ought to eye and own the hand of God in all the enterprises and all the successes of the church's enemies against the church. They are but a rod in God's hands. Now the Church is beginning to be persecuted in the Western nations over homosexuality, which will get progressively worse. It's the Church's fault. In addition, there are times when persecution of the Church is a direct result of sin. This oppression was intended to bring repentance. In Isaiah 42, 24, we read this. Who gave Jacob for plunder? And Israel to the robbers. Was it not the Lord? He against whom we sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, nor were they obedient to his law. Not always, but many times persecution comes because of sin. The great transgression of the Jews after the captivity, when they were cured of idolatry, they never practiced idolatry ever again, but they had their other problems, was a contempt and profanation of the holy things. Snuffing at the service of God, bringing the torn and the lame for sacrifice, as if the table of the Lord were a contemptible thing. And to read about this later, look at Malachi 1, 7 and 8. And we note that even the priests were guilty of bringing lame and bad animals in Malachi 2, 1, and 8. And there were other injustices occurring. But one of the central problems was, hey, I've got this cow over here who's all messed up. He's got disease. He's sick. I'll offer that for a sacrifice and get rid of him. That was the attitude of the Jews that brought on this judgment. And therefore, God sent Antiochus to take away the daily sacrifice and cast down the place of his sanctuary. So it's an inappropriate judgment. You're going to treat my sacrifices like this? Well, I'm going to take them away for three and a half years. Now, the message has been lost to a certain extent among most modern churches because they have been duped into accepting pluralism and concepts of neutrality. We have to learn from this. We have to not adopt this attitude of compromise and pragmatism and pluralism. And thus, they think there is safety in modern political polytheism. Let's be friendly with the secular humanists. Let's compromise with them. And we see today prominent evangelical pastors basically saying, let's be nice to the homos. Let's not condemn homos. And we see this with the fellow in Saddleback Church down there in Los Angeles. And the big, huge church, I believe it's in the Chicago area or Illinois, they have a gay that is a sodomite, a sexual pervert deviant, conducting their worship service. They also think that covenant sanctions for breaking and ignoring God's moral law were something that only applied to Israel. This is one of the frequent critiques or condemnations of the theonomy movement. And I think it's one of the good things about theonomy, the teaching of theonomy, is that Christ still smashes nations who mock him and mock his law. They generally do not believe that such sanctions that were brought on the church by Antiochus, epiphanies can happen in this era. That's in the Old Testament. That doesn't happen anymore. Well, such thinking is radically unscriptural and dangerous. If current trends in the Western nations continue, we are on the verge of a new era of persecution as statists and antichrists seek to impose secular humanistic laws on the church. Look at Europe. Europe is being totally afflicted now with militant Islam as a disease. That's one affliction. That's one judgment. But as far as economic chaos, you haven't seen anything yet. So get ready. God is not mocked! When the West and the mainline churches rejected the Word of God, And from the 1880s to the 1920s, we got the Great Depression and World War II. God is not mocked. Does the modern church at large deserve a chastening persecution? And the answer, tragically, is yes, it does. It certainly does. Since the 19th century, most churches in the United States and Europe have abandoned the true gospel for the Armenian heresy. The old Puritan view of the law, which is the biblical view of the law, has been abandoned. Evangelicals and even many Reformed churchmen speak of God's Old Testament laws as if it was barbaric and evil. They do. Most modern Reformed thinkers speak of the moral laws outside the Ten Commandments as either too harsh were at best optional. And that's true. This is how the conservative, what are considered conservative Reformed churches talk about God's law today. Westminster East put out a whole book against theonomy, and they weren't criticizing the really bad things about theonomy. the corruptions in worship, the tendency to neglect the first table of the law, and all the weird things that go on. They weren't criticizing that. They were criticizing it for the good things. How dare they think that God's moral laws in the Old Testament should be applied to society? How dare they? They're dangerous. Most modern reform thinkers speak of the moral law outside the Ten Commandments as either too harsh or, at best, optional. How can a nation be discipled under Christ the King if they reject his laws for humanistic laws masquerading as natural law? How can we have a just nation, a godly nation, a nation discipled under Christ if we don't teach his law? Can one receive Christ as Lord while rejecting most of his laws for society? Now the Ten Commandments are a summary of the moral law. The details, explanations, applications, and appropriate punishments are found outside of the Ten Commandments. If a law is ceremonial, it has been fulfilled in Christ and no longer applies. Yes, we agree. That's true. If a law is positive but applied to all the nations by God, in the Old Testament, for example, incest. sexual intercourse during the menstrual cycle, the day of the Sabbath, etc. Then it has binding authority today. It has binding authority today. Laws that were positive but not applicable outside of Israel are not binding today. Because churches reject most of the moral law, the United States has not been properly discipled by Christ. It's not enough to receive Jesus as Savior, you have to receive him as Lord. You have to adopt his law. People have been taught a very reduced concept of biblical ethics, especially regarding the first table. Because the vast majority of churches in the United States today reject the Old Testament penalties attached to those moral laws, the case laws, and even speak of them as harsh and negative, the heinous of various sins that are crimes has not been properly taught as well. It's necessary to teach people how evil God views homosexuality. It's an abomination. It deserves death. It's not something that can be excused. It's not something that can be overlooked. It deserves death. Such deficiencies on the part of conservative churches have helped contribute to the ethical decay of America. Now, fundamentalist Muslims understand that a nation that is not really a Muslim nation until it adopts Islamic law. And you talk to these fundamentalist Muslims, and they all say, we're working for Sharia. We want every nation to be a Muslim nation and adopt Muslim law. Communist atheists and radical leftists understand that one's worldview should shape one's law. They want an atheistic, radically anti-Christian law order. And that's what Obama is pressing forward. Sodomite rights. Abortion on demand. And on and on and on. No death penalty for murder. State theft. Masquerading as welfare programs. But while various atheists and sodomites changed the law in America, Christians are speaking of tolerance, neutrality, democracy, and old-fashioned family values. A large percentage of evangelicals vote for Democrats in every election. Something like over 40% voted for President Obama, a man who believes in abortion and sodomite rights. They vote for them even though their policies are anti-Christian and satanic to the core. So the modern church, with rare exceptions, deserves to be punished. It deserves to be chastised by God, as Israel was. So Jehovah does not reward compromise and apostasy, does he? He permits secular humanists to gore the church when it is disobedient. And this message of this chapter of Daniel is crucial. That's why God put it in there. The persecution occurred because of their sin. The remnant will learn and will repent. The rest will fall away and side with pagan tyranny. Also, there's a very dangerous and foolish idea that probably flows from pragmatism and a desire for unity based on compromise. That offenses against the first table of the law, such as corrupting the worship of God, covenant breaking, Sabbath desecration, and so on, are trifles. They're not really that bad. While second table offenses, such as, are considered very serious and merit the church's attention. Is the offering of human inventions in worship, or will worship as Paul calls it, Colossians 2.23, man-made holy days, non-authorized songs, rock groups, entertainment, and popish liturgies, any worse in God's sight than the offering of lame animals for sacrifice. Okay, God's written a hymn book, he's given it to us, it's perfect, it's inspired, it's fully balanced theologically, it's the best thing ever written, and he gives it to the church, and the church says, no, I don't want that. We're gonna make up our own little songs. Modern Reformed Churchmen have their Puritan reprints, their Puritan conferences, and they speak often of their love of the Puritans. But the truth is they hate the Puritans and would treat them like dirt and drive them out of their churches if they were alive today. That's the truth. Reminds us of Jesus speaking to the Pharisees, how they decorate, they talk about how great the prophets were and how great these great Old Testament saints were. The truth is they would persecute them. They hate it. A John Knox, a George Gillespie, or a Samuel Rutherford would not last a year in the OPC, the PCR, or the RPCNA. I honestly believe that. I honestly believe that. Because they were not compromisers, and they hated sin, and they would not tolerate corruption. Now, why do I believe this is absolutely true? Because these men did not equate love, harmony, and unity with doctrinal pluralism, and accepting blatant doctrinal errors and corruptions in worship. Remember, the Parliament of Scotland made it a crime to celebrate Christmas, where you'd be put in jail. And if you didn't repent of that, you'd be fined sorely. And then finally, your property would be taken away. You know where they got the idea for doing that? From the Scottish Church. They got that from the Scottish Church. The point of learning about the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes is not simply to learn about the status threat to the church or to have hope of deliverance from persecution as important as these things are. They're critical. But it also gives us a crucial lesson regarding the church's disobedience and covenant sanctions. Let us never forget this lesson for those who do not learn from inspired history will likely fall into errors much like the Jews of old. And those errors repeat themselves throughout history. Pragmatism syncretism, pluralism. Today, if you don't hold to those things, you're unloving. What a jerk. And we're accused of being legalists because we don't celebrate Christmas. And I just tell people that, look, if you can show me Christmas in the Bible, I'll celebrate it. Right now, every week, in obedience to scripture, I celebrate the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and rule of Christ every single Sunday. So I don't need a Christmas day made up by the heathen and the Roman Catholic Church. We have plenty of holy days. There will be indignation and sanctions even for sins and errors that the modern church finds perfectly acceptable. There's this attitude today, well, if the church finds these sins acceptable, then they're okay. The church doesn't mind if we innovate in worship. The church doesn't mind if we celebrate pagan papal holy days. The church doesn't mind if we're pluralistic and we allow all sorts of heresies and errors into the church. They call that love. Well, it's not okay with God. Don't fall into that trap, that foolishness, that's so acceptable today. In verses 20 to 22, the angel tells Daniel the meaning of the beasts. And he's very brief, because he wants to get to Antiochus. The ram which you saw having the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia, verse 20. Note that the angel says that Media and Persia are one empire. This is an explicit refutation of those scholars who want to make media sound the second kingdom and Persia the third kingdom. They're not, they're the same kingdom together. God tells us that the fourth beast of the fourth kingdom is definitely Rome and not Greece. And then verse 21, and the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between the eyes is the first king. In the Hebrew, the word Javan is used for Greece. This is the name Ionian by which the Greeks were known to the Hebrews. Genesis chapter 10, two and four, Isaiah 66, 19, Ezekiel 27, 13. Every competent scholar regards the broken horn as Alexander the Great who died at the age of 32. Once again, the factual nature of the Book of Daniel, the accuracy of the prophecy is mind-boggling. There's nothing like that in any other sacred book. There's no other sacred books in the world. They're not really sacred because they're man-made. They're satanic. There's nothing like that in any of the Hindu or Islamic or any other things where we have proof that the Bible is the Word of God. We have no proof that any of those other books are the Word of God. In fact, quite the opposite. They're the work of men. As to the broken horn, and the four that stood in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power, verse 22. These are the four kingdoms established by Alexander's generals. And none of these kingdoms ever came close to possessing the power of Alexander, and the text tells us that. The interpretation regarding the beasts and four horns is very brief, but the main focus is on Antiochus and the coming persecution. Once again, we must reflect on the perfect historical accuracy of the prophecy. This evidence of the inspiration and infallibility of scripture is overwhelming. And those who do not see this fact are blind and hardened in their rebellion against God. The Bible is the Word of God. If you don't believe that, there's something seriously wrong with you because it's easy to prove. In verse 23, we are told that in the latter part of the four kingdoms, the guilt of the syncretizing and apostate Jews will become full. Many of the Jews succumbed to the Hellenizing influence. And by the way, historically, we look over colonization throughout history. And the Greeks were the most successful at imposing their culture on other nations. And even the Romans imitated the Greeks. Probably the second best one in history would have been the British. A lot of what goes on in India today, they learned from the British, but not like the Greeks, where the religion was even adopted. And I remember in seminary, we studied this in detail, and at the time of the Jews living near Antiochus Epiphanes, there was even surgical procedures done by their version of doctors where men, Jewish men who wanted to be more like Greeks, had surgical procedure to make it look like they were not circumcised. That's how obsessed they were with becoming like Greeks. We must remember that the Greeks, their nude baths, and of course they performed sporting events in the nude. And they regarded circumcision as a gross mutilation. Many Jews were ashamed of their heritage and religion. At this time, Antiochus arises who has fierce teachers, who understands sinister schemes. And this is a fitting description of Antiochus, a master politician and diplomat. He was a supreme con artist who used deception to get and maintain power. And like I said before, there's amazing similarities between him and Herod. He shall be a king of fierce countenance, insolent, and furious, neither fearing God nor regarding man, understanding dark sentences, or rather, versed in dark practices, the hidden things of dishonesty. He was a master of all the arts of dissimulation and deceit, and knew the depths of Satan as well as any man. And he was wise to do evil. Sadly, this description fits many of today's politicians in the United States. Evil men and women attain office by being habitual liars. They'll say anything to get elected. That's the people that are voted into office today, most of them. They're appraised for their ability to manipulate and deceive the ignorant and foolish masses. They are wise to do evil, and their main principle or philosophy of life is to attain and maintain power. This is what we are living under today, and the greatest proponents of it are Hillary Clinton and President Obama. One minute they're opposed to homosexual marriage, then when the people seem to be more in favor of it, they switch positions. People, if you're old enough to remember, a lot of the Southern Democrats used to be anti-abortion. Al Gore was totally anti-abortion. But then when public opinion shifted on that, they shifted on that. They don't really believe in anything. They don't really believe in anything. They're wicked. Well, let's look at Antiochus' power and persecution of the saints in verses 24 and 25. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. He shall destroy fearfully and shall prosper and thrive. He shall destroy the mighty and also the holy people. Through his cunning, he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule, and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the prince of princes, but he shall be broken without human means. Now in verse 24, we are told that Antiochus will be mighty in power, but that these attainments of power were not autonomous, but according to the providence of God. The text emphasizes, once again, that he's where he is because God put him there. Remember Jesus to Pilate? The only reason you have power is because God gave you power. It came from above. He has this power. He's going to persecute the Jews because God gave him that power. His destruction of his political and religious enemies are remarkable and are successful to an extraordinary degree. Antiochus rose to power from seemingly insurmountable odds, and to keep that power he was ruthless and exceptionally cruel. He was one of the most successful kings in the various expeditions who ever lived. Few, if any, rulers were able to exploit the Jews with such inhuman deeds, and yet seemingly not lose leadership among his own people. Although Antiochus must forever live in infamy, As one of the most despicable characters who ever lived, we must recognize his ability to implement every evil thought that came to his twisted mind. It calls to mind Adolf Hitler, whose rise to power from 1920 to 1933, and then he had complete success until the winter of 1941. He was an uneducated man. He was a corporal in World War I, but he was a great speaker, and he was very deceitful and a great liar. and wicked. Same with Antiochus. He was able to kill many leaders and rulers. And he used cunning and intrigue to kill his own political enemies. And worst of all, he will destroy the holy people, that is, the saints of God. So he's an idolatrous megalomaniac who has no regard for sacred things and the true followers of Jehovah. Now remember, when people persecute the church, they think they're doing good. What makes persecuting tyrants so supremely evil is their willingness to slaughter true believers to achieve their ends. And they think they're doing it for society's good. In verse 25, his description continues. He uses cunning or cleverness and a dishonest, deceitful manner to achieve his own ends. He exalts himself in his heart and his thinking, as all tyrants do, making himself as God. and making up his own law. Once again, wicked leaders believe they oppress the godly because they believe they are wiser and more deserving of praise than God. They know what's better for society than God does. They know what's better for society. They reject God's law and implement their own law. He will destroy many in their prosperity. War and violence is not only destructive of private property, but it wreaks havoc on the economy. While he was in Egypt on a campaign, and I noted this earlier, a false rumor circulated in Palestine that he was dead. The people of Israel will feel with great joy. And when he learned of this delight, their delight, with the news of his reported death, he came to Jerusalem immediately, laid siege to it, and in three days killed more than 40,000 people. In addition, he took at least as many captives to be sold as slaves. He found his way into the Holy of Holies of the temple, and he caused a pig, a sow, to be offered in sacrifice on the altar. Sacrifices ceased for three and a half years as Jupiter, where Zeus was worshipped in the temple. And sacrifices were made, not to Jehovah, by the Jews, but by the Greeks and by compromisers to Zeus. Antiochus will even rise up against the prince of princes. This refers to God himself, who in verse 11 was described as the prince of hosts. In almost identical language is used to describe Jesus Christ a number of times in the book of Revelation. By attacking God's own people and by taking over the use of the temple for heathenism, Antiochus was attacking God himself. Now remember the book of Acts. Saul, Saul, why are thou persecuting me? When you attack the saints, you attack Christ. When Isis murders Christians, Isis is attacking Jesus Christ, and Isis will be crushed. The only reason Isis is given power is because the West is so anti-Christ right now. God raised up Islam to punish the Aryans in North Africa and the Middle East and Asia Minor. You deny the divinity of Christ, you're going to be hit by armies. Now God's raising up Islam and all sorts of things to punish apostates and wicked Christians, wicked nations. By attacking God's own people, and by taking over the east of the temple for heathenism, Antiochus was attacking God. Those who attack God are doomed to utter destruction. Now we must remember that Satan, a spiritual being obviously, cannot attack God directly. He doesn't have the power to attack God, because of his absolute power and authority. Therefore he focuses his attention on attacking the church. And one of the best ways to do that is through a godless civil magistrate who believes that he is God. And this is the pattern in the Old Testament. Egypt, Babylon, Antiochus, Rome, of course, the Herods who were allied with Rome. And it's the pattern through history. This method of attack has been repeated throughout history. It reminds us once again. Why we should be extra diligent in orthodoxy. Remember God, what God did to the Aryans in North Africa. You have to remember all in North Africa used to be Christian. The whole Middle East used to be Christian. Asia Minor used to be Christian. Now it's all Muslim. And those were the same areas where Aryanism had the victory. Where Aryanism was heresy, God judged them. So we need to be extra diligent in orthodoxy and obedience as well as making every effort to disciple whole nations. If nations adopt Christ's law, they're not gonna do this, are they? Even though Antiochus attacks God by attacking his people and taking over the use of the temple, his efforts are futile and end with his own destruction. He shall be broken without human means. Antiochus was not killed by a Jewish shoulder or a spy. Rather, he was slain by the immediate power of God. The account of his death is recorded in 2 Maccabees 9. While vowing fresh cruelties against the Jews, he was smitten with a fatal and invisible stroke. An incurable pain of the bowel seized him. Something strange happened. Here's what it says in Maccabees 9, verse 9. The writer says here, the ungodly man's bodily swarmed with worms, and while he was still living, in anguish and severe pain, his flesh rotted away. And because of this stench, the whole army felt revulsion at his decay. Remember Herod, when the people praised him as God, and God struck him with worms? died a miserable death. God will bring honor to his own name and vindicate his own sovereignty and law and his own son Jesus Christ. His people had been abused, his holy temple desecrated. Thus, Antiochus shall be broken, not by human scheming, but by divine power. God abused Antiochus to chasten his erring people, but woe unto the man that kills God's saints. God destroyed Babylon, you read the prophets. Why did God destroy Babylon? Because Babylon destroyed Israel. Even though God had Babylon destroy Israel, they had to suffer the consequences. He died a horrifying, miserable death, and we's cast directly into the pit of hell. See, we don't have to rely on human power. We have to be faithful. The killing of Antiochus by God should strengthen our faith in Jehovah's love and care for his people and cause us to look to him and his promises during times of persecution. And we're entering, I believe, a new period of persecution in the history of the church because the church has been so unfaithful. They've allowed Satanists and sodomites and feminists and secular humanists to capture the robes of society. The answer to persecution is repentance and faithfulness, not compromise and pragmatism. The modern churches by and large have sought to accommodate themselves to our anti-Christian state and have not maintained a full antithesis to idolatrous statism. That is why The message of R.J. Rushdini and others, and I'm not talking about the kooky things, the good things that the Puritans taught, is so necessary today. It is crucial. We will be victorious. God will break the horn that attacks the Church. But we have to be faithful. We cannot compromise. We have to teach the whole counsel of God, including God's law, including the Great Commission. Yes, we're here to plant churches. Yes, we need to evangelize. Yes, we need to plant many churches. The ultimate goal is that the civil magistrate and the judges and everyone would submit to Christ and bow before him and kiss the sun, lest he be angry. That is our goal. Now, I've run out of time. I have a verse or two left. We'll have to just wait till next week, but keep this in your mind. For the modern church, the modern reformed churches don't understand what's going on. Pragmatism won't save. Compromise is not the solution. Faithfulness, repentance is the solution. Let us pray. Father, we give you thanks for this wonderful message that you've given for our benefit. Lord, bring reformation. that the church would cast off all these human additions and all these traditions and all this unbiblical nonsense, that we would return to the Westminster Standards and the covenants and be obedient to your holy word. Help us, Lord. Bend our hearts. Give us faith, for your word is true. In Jesus' name, amen.