Propchecy of Daniel

Book of Daniel Prophecy: End of Days Bible Study of the Prophet Daniel

By H. L. Nigro

Many people think that biblical prophecies about the end of the world and the Battle of Armageddon are "a Christian thing." You know, for religious fanatics and other societal oddballs. But end-times prophecy is not just a Christian thing. It's a Jewish thing because many of the most well-known New Testament prophecies were foreshadowed by the Old Testament prophets centuries before the birth of Christ.

Many of today's best known prophecies, including the rise of the Antichrist and the Battle of Armageddon, were recorded by the prophet Daniel in the sixth century B.C. Daniel wrote his prophecies during the 70 years that the people of Israel were held captive in the land of Babylon.

Daniel served as part of the royal court of King Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned in Babylon from 605 - 562 B.C. The prophecies came in the form of dreams, both the king's dreams and Daniel's dreams. For most of the details, Daniel was given the interpretation, but not all. Fortunately, we can look back with the benefit of history, and the clarification of later scriptures, and can often see clearly what Daniel could not. Ironically, this, in itself, was one of the prophecies Daniel recorded (Daniel 12:4,9).

In this article, we will look at several of the key dreams and what their prophecies mean for Israel and the rest of the world in the years before Armageddon. Keep in mind that each of these prophecies is not meant to stand alone. It is only once we have looked at all of the prophecies that a clear picture of the Bible's account of the end of world history begins to form.

The Dream of King Nebuchadnezzar

The first prophecy, which is recounted in Daniel chapter two, sets the broad framework for the rest of the prophecies. In this chapter, Daniel is called to reveal the interpretation of a dream that has been troubling King Nebuchadnezzar. As the king slept, he saw a great statue (Daniel 2:31-35) with a head of fine gold, a chest and arms of silver, a belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

But then, as King Nebuchadnezzar watched, a stone was cut out of a mountain "without hands" and struck the image on its feet, breaking the statue in pieces:

"Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:35).

What to make of such a strange dream? Daniel is not left to wonder. He is given the following interpretation: The four parts of the statue - the gold head, the silver bust, the bronze belly and thighs, and the iron legs - are four kingdoms. Those kingdoms are as follows:

The first kingdom is King Nebuchadnezzar's own kingdom of Babylon for, Daniel is told, "the God of heaven has given [Nebuchadnezzar] a kingdom, power, strength, and glory" (v. 38).

The Babylonian kingdom reached its peak during Daniel's time.

After Babylon "shall arise another kingdom, inferior to yours..." (v. 39).

This was Medo-Persia, which conquered Babylon in the fifth century B.C. The story of the conquest is told in the fifth chapter of Daniel, in which King Nebuchadnezzar's successor, King Belshazzar, sees mysterious fingers writing on the wall. Daniel is called to read the writing, in which God rebukes King Belshazzar for his pride and commits the kingdom of Babylon into the hands of his enemies, the Medes (Daniel 5:1-26). It is from this story that we get the phrase "the handwriting is on the wall."

After the second kingdom, Daniel is told shall arise "...another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth" (v. 39).

This prophecy was fulfilled approximately three centuries after Daniel's death. At this time, Medo-Persia was conquered by Greece, which rose to worldwide power in the third century B.C. Just as Daniel foretold, this third kingdom was known for its extensive use of bronze.

The fourth kingdom is somewhat different from the previous three:

"And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others."

While not specifically identified, there is little question that this kingdom is Rome, which conquered Greece sometime between 250 � 30 B.C. At its height, the Roman Empire comprised almost all of the Western world known at the time, including most of Europe, the Middle East, Egypt, and North Africa. In addition to its size, Rome was notorious for its cruelty.1

Portions of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Yet to Come

Now we turn our attention to the portions of this prophecy that have not yet been fulfilled. It is important to keep in mind that, because the early parts of this prophecy were fulfilled so precisely, we can expect the latter portions to be fulfilled just as precisely.2

First, the stone. God tells Daniel that this represents a fifth kingdom, a kingdom that is God's alone. This kingdom will arise at the end of world history and, in one powerful stroke, smash all worldly power and bring the earth under God's sovereign control: "And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (v. 44).

Note that God's kingdom brings down the demise, not just of Rome, but of all the kingdoms before it. Considering Rome's size and scope, it is clear how this could happen. Working backwards, we recall that Rome swallowed Greece, which swallowed Medo-Persia, which swallowed Babylon. Thus, when the kingdom of God brings down Rome - which the book prophesies will be revived in the future as a confederation of modern nations - it will bring down the nations that once comprised ancient Greece, ancient Medo-Persia, and ancient Babylon, as well.

This will culminate at the battle of Armageddon.

But what of the feet that are partly iron and partly clay? Daniel's writes, "Where as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided, yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile" (v. 42).

Daniel is told that this refers to a version of the Roman Empire that is comprised of a federation of 10 kingdoms, some of which are strong and some of which are weak. More details about this confederation are given in subsequent dreams, where we see that, while the ancient form of the Roman Empire (the legs) has been fulfilled, this latter form made up of the 10-nation federation is yet to come.

God concludes His revelation by assuring Daniel, "The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure" (v. 45).

When seen in light of the 70 Weeks prophecy of Daniel 9 (below), combined with the fact that Daniel's second, third, and fourth visions all refer to the empire of Rome as being in power immediately before Armageddon, it becomes clear why Christians are looking to "a revived Roman Empire." This is also why many people point to the European Union as being so key to end-times prophecy, since, two thousand years after the demise of ancient Rome, the E.U. is now comprised of countries that largely recreate Rome's occupied lands. Indeed, the E.U. is based on the "Treaty of Rome."3

Daniel's First Dream

King Nebuchadnezzar's dream is an important framework for all end-times prophecy. This framework becomes more clear as we look beyond King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and investigate Daniel's series of end-times visions. These include two dreams and one visit by a heavenly being, who answers Daniel's question to God about what will be the end to his people Israel (Daniel 9:4-18).

In the first dream, Daniel saw four great beasts coming up from out of the "Great Sea," which many biblical scholars believe refers to the Mediterranean Sea:

The first beast was like a lion, and it had eagle's wings (Daniel 7:4).

The second beast was like a bear. It was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth (Daniel 7:5).

The third beast was like a leopard, which had four heads and four sets of wings (Daniel 7:6).

The fourth beast was "dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong." It had huge iron teeth, and it devoured everything. It made war with God's people and broke them into pieces.

Almost immediately, the parallels to King Nebuchadnezzar's dream are obvious. As in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel is told that the four beasts refer to four kingdoms (v. 23-27), and there can be little doubt that they are the same four described earlier. Thus�

The lion refers to Babylon, the regal and majestic kingdom.

The bear refers to Medo-Persia, which was stronger on one side than the other (the Medes were stronger than the Persians).

The third beast, the leopard, refers to Greece, which swept across the world with rapid ferocity under Alexander the Great, then divided into four kingdoms (the leopard's four heads) after Alexander's death.

The fourth kingdom is Rome, which is again pictured as a cruel and fierce iron monster.

In this vision, however, we are given the additional details about the fourth kingdom. We are told that it will severely persecute God's people to the point of death and, as a race, almost to the point of annihilation. This is exactly what we see in the annals of history. Rome's persecution and oppression of Israel during the first century was merciless, and its destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 resulted in the massacre of more than one million Jews. The Roman Empire also comprised what would eventually become World War II Germany, which under the rule of Adolph Hitler would slaughter six million Jews.

This dream also takes a closer look at the future manifestation of Rome, which is pictured here as being comprised of ten horns, or nations, corresponding with the ten toes of iron and clay from King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Then, according to the prophecy, another horn, a little horn, comes up from among the ten. This little horn plucks three of the other horns out by the roots. "And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words" (Daniel 7:7-8).

This takes the 10-nation confederation of the revived Roman Empire and puts a human face on it. Of the 10 leaders of those 10 nations, there will be one who comes up from among them and stands out from the others. His ambition for power will cause the demise of three of them.

As in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel's first dream concludes with a vision of God on the fiery day of judgment. The heavenly court comes into session, the books are opened, and God's judgment falls. The little horn, or the arrogant leader from the Revived Roman Empire, is slain and his body is thrown into the fire of eternal judgment:

"And behold, One like the Son of Man [the biblical term for the Messiah], coming with the clouds of heaven.� Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14).

Fulfillment of Daniel's First Dream Yet to Come

The persecution of the Jewish people was fulfilled, in part, in the first century during Rome's oppression of Israel. However, just as the prophecy of the 10 toes (kingdoms) from King Nebuchadnezzar's dream awaits fulfillment in the future, the worst of Rome's persecution of Israel is also future. The Bible calls this time of persecution "Jacob's Trouble," or "the Great Tribulation," and it will be of greater ferocity than ever seen in history. It will be greater than the Roman persecution in the first century and, tragically, even greater than the Holocaust.

Of this time, Jesus said, "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight [from this leader and his bloodbath] may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved" (Matthew 24:19-22).

We are given many more details about this terrible period throughout the Bible (Jeremiah 30:7, Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21, Revelation 6:9-11).

Daniel is also given many more details about the future 10-nation confederation. It will be exceedingly powerful and completely overcome the people of God. God tells Daniel that the little horn will be arrogant, pompous, and cruel. He will magnify himself against God and will persecute the people of God mercilessly until God Himself comes to save them (v. 22).

This ruler will not be allowed to have dominion indefinitely. As in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel's dream foretells that the fourth kingdom's dominion will be cut short by God's sovereign hand and that the kingdom of God will be established throughout the earth. At this time, God's judgment will be poured out, culminating in the battle of Armageddon. The kingdom will be wrenched from this wicked ruler's grasp and he will be sent into eternal damnation.

The little horn also plays a key role in New Testament prophecy, where he is called "the Antichrist" and "the beast" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10, 1 John 2:18, Revelation 13:1-9). Although the Christian Church did not exist at the time of Daniel, the New Testament records that the Antichrist's persecution will extend beyond the Jewish people to include the Church (Matthew 15:21, 1 Peter 4:12-13, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 13:7), which has been grafted into Israel through faith in Israel's Messiah, Jesus Christ (Romans 11:25).4 The Antichrist also plays the central role in the book of Revelation.

Building Up to Armageddon

Sometime later, Daniel has a second dream, and this dream gives us even more detail about the reign of the Antichrist (Daniel 8:17). In this dream, Daniel sees a ram, representing Medo-Persia, which has two horns (two kings). A goat, representing Greece, attacks the ram with such ferocity that it breaks off both horns. The ram is subdued, and as the goat grows, its single horn (one king) is broken and replaced by four horns (four kings). However, one of these horns grows much faster and greater than the other three (Daniel 8:3-14).

By now, it becomes clear that this little horn is the same little horn from Greece, as in the earlier dream, which plucks the other three horns (kings) out by their roots. Indeed, this little horn grows ever more powerful and comes down against the people of God in the Holy Land. Here, we see overlap with Daniel's first dream of the four beasts, and as in the first dream, the little horn exalts himself against God and begins to persecute God's people. But in this dream, we see that he also takes away the sacrifices from the temple in Jerusalem and that the sanctuary of God will be "cast down." We also see this description in Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15.

Yet, for a time, God allows the little horn to prosper because of Israel's long history of transgressing against God, forsaking the covenant He established with Moses and serving other gods: "Because of the transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered" (Daniel 8:12).

A heavenly visitor, who provides the interpretation of the dream, then identifies the little horn as arising in "the latter days" and at "the time of the end." He also describes Israel's future period of tribulation as being  "in the latter time of the indignation" (v. 19).

We are then given one of the most detailed and horrifying descriptions of the Antichrist in the Bible:

"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. 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 [the Messiah]. But he shall be broken without human means."

The fact that the little horn will be broken "without human means" closely parallels King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, in which the fourth kingdom (Rome) is destroyed by a stone "cut out of the mountain without hands" (thus, when the Apostle Paul referred to Jesus Christ as the "chief cornerstone" in Ephesians 2:20, the symbolism was very clear); and Daniel's first dream, in which the fourth beast (Rome), will be broken, "not by human hands," but by God Himself.

It is also worth noting that Daniel is told that this evil leader prospers, "not by his own power." In 2 Thessalonians 2:9 and Revelation 13:2, we are told that the Antichrist receives his power from Satan himself.5

But how can the fulfillment of this vision be in the future, as it tells us in v. 23, if the kingdom of Greece was overthrown by the Roman Empire? In antiquity, it was. But today, the four ancient "kingdoms" of Greece - Macedonia, Egypt, Syria, and Thrace - exist as the modern-day nations of Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Although no longer world empires, these four "heads," or in Daniel's second dream, "horns," are once again nations in their own right. Thus, as biblical prophecy implies, the Roman Empire will be "reborn" as a confederation of strong and weak nations at the time of the end, and the Antichrist will be both from one of kingdoms of Greece and, at the same time, be part of the revived Roman Empire.

The 70 Weeks Prophecy

When will all of this occur? And how does it relate to the end-time prophecies of the New Testament?

For this, one must understand the final end-times prophecy given in the book of Daniel, the 70 Weeks prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). In this prophecy, Daniel is told that God has determined 70 Weeks, or periods of seven years, to bring the world to Armageddon: "70 Weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy" (Daniel 9:27).

This period of 70 Weeks, or 490 years, is broken into two parts: a period of 483 years, which concluded with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in A.D. 33; and one, final seven-year period that leads up to Armageddon. This is where Christians get the seven-year "tribulation period," which is more accurately called "the 70th Week of Daniel":

This final, seven-year period will begin when the Antichrist signs a seven-year treaty with Israel. In fact, the revealing of the Antichrist's identity, the final merciless persecution of the Jews and Christians during the Great Tribulation, and the return of the Messiah all occur during this last seven-year period. The entire book of Revelation is devoted to the details of this terrifying time.

This is why the Christian world is watching so closely what is going on in Israel right now. They are watching for a world leader who will sign a treaty with Israel for the precise period of seven years. When he signs this treaty, they will know that the Antichrist has arrived. At the end of this seven years, God Almighty will arrive in the sky and bring an end to the rule of man and usher in the long-awaited earthly kingdom of God.

The Arrival of the Messiah

Compare the descriptions of the arrival of the Messiah in Daniel 2, 7, and 8 with the description given in the New Testament:

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:11-13).

Just as recorded in Daniel 7, this is followed by the Messiah's conquest of the Antichrist, who is thrown into the lake of fire. Compare the two descriptions:

"I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame" (Daniel 7:11).

"Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet�These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20).

At this time, the 70th Week will be concluded. For Israel, this will be a time of joy, for the scriptures tell us that the Israelites who are left after the judgment of God will return wholeheartedly to the worship of their king (Zech. 13:8�9, Ezekiel 36:20�28, Romans 11:26). Thus, the temple will be cleansed and Jesus will rule and reign over His kingdom, accompanied by Old Testament saints and New Testament believers who have been born again under the New Covenant by the blood of Christ.

This is also why the Christian world is closely watching for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. According to Daniel's prophecies, the Antichrist will stand in this temple and declare himself to be God, or as God (Daniel 8:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:4), and bring an end to the sacrifices (Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15). For this to occur, the temple must be rebuilt. And indeed, efforts are already in progress.6

Final Pieces of the Puzzle

Where is the Christian Church during all of this? The book of Daniel was written before the mystery of the Church was revealed (Romans 11:25); thus, we should not expect to see the Church mentioned in these prophecies. However, we know from the plethora of references in the New Testament to the fiery trial that will come upon the Church immediately before the Second Coming of the Messiah, as well as the clear timing revealed in the New Testament scriptures, that the Church will also undergo the testing and refinement of the Great Tribulation (1 Peter 4:12-17, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 12:17).

There is a difference, however. Unlike unbelieving Israel, the Church - which is composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers in Israel's Messiah - will be delivered before the final outpouring of the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9), since the Church is not part of the transgression or the indignation (Daniel 8:12, 19, Daniel 9:24-27). This deliverance will come at the bodily return of Jesus Christ just after the midpoint of the 70th Week.

Here is the exciting part for believers. At the height of the Antichrist's persecution, Jesus will come in the clouds, snatch up His children, and take them to safety in heaven (Matthew 24:30-31, John 14:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians. 15:52) while the rest of the world watches in wonder:

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain [after the Great Tribulation] until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

This is what is commonly called "the rapture of the Church," and has been the subject of many books and movies, including the popular Left Behind book series and movie by the same name.

Thus, Daniel, while written more than 2,600 years ago, is a very current book. Its prophecies span centuries, yet they are unnervingly accurate. And we can be assured that, as accurately as they were fulfilled in the past, those prophecies yet to come will be just as precisely fulfilled. This is why we must waste no precious time in getting to know our Messiah, the soon returning King, Jesus Christ, who at His first coming was the Suffering Servant, but in His Second Coming, will be the Lion of the Tribe of Judah -the King of kings, who will rule and reign forever.

About the Author

H. L. Nigro is author of the end times prophecy book, Before God's Wrath, published through Strong Tower Publishing. This book examines the rapture question from the scriptures (both Old and New Testament). It is very well documented and includes many charts that compare parallel passages in the scriptures. It is endorsed by Marvin Rosenthal, President of Zion's Hope. According to Mr. Rosenthal, "Each month I receive dozens of articles and manuscripts to evaluate or endorse for publication. I do not endorse what I am not genuinely enthusiastic about. I am enthusiastic about this book. Within its pages, the readers will not find speculation or sensationalism. However, they will find a powerful and convincing presentation for the chronological sequence of the Lord's second coming and its practical implication for the believer." A highly recommended book!

R.L. Deem

References 

 Ironically, it was the Romans who invented the punishment of crucifixion, a slow and excruciatingly painful death in which the condemned was first tortured with whips and scourges, then nailed to a cross of rough hewn wood with iron spikes through the wrists and feet. It was this form of torture that killed Jesus Christ in the first century.

 The fact that those prophecies were fulfilled so precisely has caused some scholars to question whether they were really written in the sixth century B.C., as the book claims. However, we have the witness of the author himself (Daniel 12:4), which is considered to be strong evidence in ancient writings. Mainstream biblical scholars further attest that 1) the accuracy of the book's historical information, 2) the form and style of its Hebrew and Aramaic passages, and 3) the unanimous testimony of ancient tradition all confirm that the book was written, as it claims, by Daniel while living in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar (Nelson Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, c. 1997, p. 1416).

 Not all prophecy scholars accept this interpretation. By tracing the lineage of Noah's sons Ham, Shem, and Japheth from Genesis 10, Robert Van Kampen has developed a theory that the eighth and final beast empire of Satan, the 10-nation confederacy of Revelation, will be entirely of Japhethic decent (from the line of Japheth). He argues strongly that this beast empire, which will be led by the Antichrist, must be determined by ancestry, not geographic location. According to this line of reasoning, the "people of the prince who is to come" are Germanic/Russian, since this is the ancestry of the peoples who formed the power base of ancient Rome (The Sign, Ibid., pp. 117�141).

 Despite the common belief throughout the Jewish community that Jesus is "the Gentile's Messiah," Jesus, a Nazarite Jew, fulfilled every prophecy regarding the Messiah. He was from the tribe of Judah, of the lineage of David, born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, was preceded by the "voice crying in the wilderness" (John the Baptist), and in the time of His ministry healed the sick, lame, and blind as the Old Testament prophets declared. He then died the death described in Isaiah 53 and became the Passover Lamb, the perfect sacrifice for mankind's sins. Although Jesus, Himself, declared that His ministry was first to "the lost tribes of Israel," after Israel's rejection of Him, Jesus gave instructions to His disciples, all of whom were Jews, to take the gospel to the Gentiles, fulfilling Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, 60:3.

 Indeed, it is Satan who inspired all four kingdoms and gave them their power to persecute God's people. This is why Revelation 13:2 describes Satan as a beast rising up out of the sea (cf. Daniel 7:3), with the body of a leopard (Daniel 7:6). The feet of a bear (Daniel7:5), and the mouth of a lion (Daniel 7:4). Not only does Satan give the Antichrist his power, but he is also the power behind all four of the beast kingdoms, which have tried to stamp out God's people throughout history.

Many believe that, in order for this to occur, the Muslim Dome of the Rock must be destroyed. This is not necessarily the case, since the original temple site may exist about 150 yard south of the Dome of the Rock, allowing for ample space for the temple to be rebuilt without disturbing this Muslim site.

Haven :1 hell:1000

During a tragic Near Death Experience, A conservative Presbyterian Pastor named Yong Park was taken to Heaven and Hell. He was shown why some saints are richly rewarded in Heaven, while others have no reward; why some saints have magnificent Mansions in Heavens, while others live in small Community homes. He was shown why, after serving the Lord his whole life, his house was still small and unfinished. He also witnessed how gruesome Hell was, and why so many Christians wound up there; and what sins we must repent of. Pastor Park's testimony is a wake up call to the Church, it will encourage those who are serving Jesus faithfully, it will strengthen your resolve for Jesus, and will bring the Fear of God to those who are not living Holy.

In 1987, Reverend Park had died from high blood pressure. But by the grace of God, his life was extended for another 20 years. However, for the first four years, he was not able to speak due to his condition. He was about 50 years old when he had come back to life. During his death, the Lord showed him Heaven and Hell.

 

I want you to know if you are arrogant and prideful, you will bring curses upon yourself. I had a mega church of 5000 members but I was struck down by God due to my arrogance. Now I fear God. (James 4:6)

I used to own property worth about 150 million US dollars. I owned five luxury cars. But after my death experience, I gave it all away. Please remember, salvation cannot be achieved by your possessions but through faith. And now I plead to the deacons, elders, and the other leaders in their churches to serve your pastors with all your heart.

On December 19, 1987, after I had finished my lunch and while I was resting, I began to feel excruciating pain, it was so unbearable that I felt as though I was going to die. Then I lost consciousness. I woke up four months later in a vegetated state, and my doctor told me that I would eventually die. All my body parts were mangled very badly from the paralysis. And my family had never allowed any of the church members to visit due to my horrible appearance. Then I finally died.

When I died, I saw two people enter my room. But these people had entered into my room through the wall. I screamed, “Who, who are you!! My house will crumble down if you do that!!” Then one said, “We are angels descended from Heaven. We are from God’s kingdom.” A brilliant light shinned from the angels.

The angel to my right introduced himself. “I run errands for Jesus in His kingdom. Jesus called me and commanded me to go down to the Earth. He commanded me to take you to Heaven. You are dead. But since your family cries out with so much sadness, He desires to grant you a little more time to live. But for now, He desires to show you Heaven and Hell. He will show you and you will witness to the people of the Earth. May the number of people who end up in Hell be decreased and the number of people going to Heaven increased through your testimony. This will be your mission. God instructed us to tell you not to delay. If you delay, you will not be able to visit Heaven and Hell.”

Then the angel to my left said, “The moment you were born and until the moment you had died, I had been with you.” At that time, I did not understand what the angel had meant. Now I know. He was my guardian angel. So I said, “I cannot go! I will not go! I am a pastor! I cannot meet the Lord in this physical condition. I want to see Him as a healthy person. I would probably be receiving more rebukes than compliments from the Lord. I am prideful and arrogant and now I am cursed and sick. How am I able to enter Heaven? I am so scared. Please go back to Heaven and ask the Lord to heal me. Then come back and take me to Heaven through my dream. Please ask for mercy on my behalf.”

But the angels were not listening to my arguments. They took my clothes off and said that they were too filthy to be wearing in Heaven. They then clothed me in a white gown. (Zech 3:4)

They grabbed my hands and we flew straight up to Heaven. We flew through the clouds and as I looked down, I saw the Earth becoming smaller. They let me go near an endless Golden Street. I saw a brilliant shining light, too bright to look directly at. I said, “Where is the light coming from?” “It is from Heaven” the angel responded.

I thought, “Wow! It is huge!” I saw groups of people in white gowns flying ahead. “Who are they?” I asked.

The angel replied, “They are the ones who had served God faithfully and trusted in Jesus by obeying and following the lead of the Holy Spirit with all their heart. Their bodies are dead on Earth. They are now the souls heading toward Heaven.”

The other angel continued, “There are twelve gates in Heaven. When a saved soul comes to Heaven, they must enter through one of those gates.” We were standing in the south gate but it was closed. As we were waiting, I asked the angel, “Angels, why is this gate not opening?”

The angel replied, “It is because you are not singing the Heavenly worship song.” (Psalms 100:4)

I asked, “Angels, I was very prideful and arrogant and as a result I was cursed with sickness. I am not good at singing Earthly worship songs. How am I able to sing Heavenly worship songs when I had never heard it before?”

The angel replied, “You are correct. But you must still prepare yourself to worship. You are a prideful person but prepare to sing.” The angels began to sing. As they sang, I began to sing with them. It became natural to me, and we entered in.

The scene of Heaven was indescribable. I can’t describe Heaven with my Earthly words. I said, “Lord! Thank you so much! Even though, I was very prideful and arrogant and cursed with a sickness, You have still brought me to Heaven to show me around.”

I then heard the voice of God, “My beloved Pastor Park, Yong Gyu, I welcome you. You have made a long journey here.” His voice was overflowing with love and tenderness.

I replied back crying in tears, “Lord,….” The angels immediately said, “you have been a pastor for 20 years. Do you not know your scriptures? There are no tears in Heaven. Please stop it!” I was not even able to cry. (Rev. 21:4)

The Lord then asked me five questions.

“How much time did you spend reading the Word (bible)?

How much did you give of offerings?

How many times have you evangelized to people?

Did you tithe properly?

How much time did you spend in prayer?”

I could not answer the fifth question. The Lord rebuked me for the fifth question.

“After you had become a mega church pastor, you had become very lazy with prayer. Being busy is no excuse to Me!” I had to repent of it later. “The angels will show you many places in Heaven and of Hell. Look around as much as you desire. You will leave after witnessing many different places in Heaven and Hell.” But the Lord did not allow me to see His appearance.

The angels first took me to three different places in Heaven.

In the first place, I saw little children living together.

The second place was where the adults lived.

The third place was where the souls had barely made it to Heaven. Even though they made it to Heaven, they had made it shamefully.

Many people had asked me how old the little children were. They appeared like kindergartens. They were not the little boys or girls as we would know of gender. Each child had their own angel to accompany them.

In Heaven, most of the souls will have their own individual home. (John 14:2) However, there were some who did not have homes. I will explain this later. Moreover, the children did not have their own individual homes either. I asked, “The children are also souls, why do they not have their own homes?”

The angel replied, “Just as the people on Earth require materials to build their homes, we in Heaven also need materials to build here. When a person serves the church and others faithfully unto the Lord, those deeds will become materials for a person’s home in Heaven.

When the materials are provided, the angels assigned to build a saint’s home will go to work on constructing it. The children who are below the accountability age have not built up any materials to build a home. In other words, they did not have the time or chance to earn their rewards/materials. This is why they do not have homes.”

I continued with my questions, “What shall I do on Earth to provide more materials for my home?”

The angels replied, “There are seven things one must do to build up their materials to build their home.

The first is their accumulation of worship and praise to God.

The second is their time spent reading the bible.

Third, their time spent praying.

Fourth, their time spent evangelizing to people.

Fifth, one’s offering to the Lord.

Sixth, their obedient tithes to God.

Lastly, their time spent serving the church in any way.”

These are the deeds or works of obedience in which one accumulates materials for their Heavenly home. If one is lacking in these areas, they will have no materials to build their home.”

There were numerous people in Heaven without homes. Many who did not have homes were actually pastors, deacons, deaconesses, elders, etc. I asked out of curiosity, “Where do the children live then?”

The angels replied, “They live here.” As I looked around, they were gathered throughout the garden of flowers. The garden of flowers was so beautiful and the fragrance was out of this world. The scene was beyond what I could describe with my words.

The second place was for faithful adults. There is a difference between salvation and rewards. This place had so many homes. The homes were built with beautiful gems and rare stones. Some of the homes were as high as the highest skyscrapers on Earth. Those people who had faithfully served the Lord while living on Earth had their homes built with beautiful gems and rare stones. In this particular place, all the people looked around the age of 20 to 30 years old. There were no men or women in regards to gender. There are no sick, old, or lame people.

I once knew an elder named, Oh, Im Myung. He had died at the age of 65 years old. He was a very short man, as tall as 2nd graders in elementary school. He had suffered from a rare disease called rickets. However, when it came to the bible, he was a PHD. He had written many commentaries. I met him in Heaven, and there he was tall and handsome. He was no longer sick but healthy. Heaven is a very wonderful place!! I am so full of expectations! Please believe what I am saying beloved people!

The third place was for those who were shamefully saved. (1 Cor. 3:15) This particular village was enormous in size, several times bigger than the second place, where the homes were made of gems and rare stones. I arrived at this place at great speed, riding a golden chariot. It was very far from the other beautiful places I saw in Heaven.

I asked the angels, “I see great wilderness and fields. Why do I not see homes?” The angel replied, “What you are seeing are homes.”

I saw huge wide flat houses, which reminded me of a large chicken coop or some type of warehouse. These homes were not glorious, but shabby. This village and homes were for the souls who were shamefully saved. There were numerous large sized shabby looking homes. This village is several times bigger than the place where rewarded souls reside.

The angel said, “Do you see the two large homes, one to your right and one to your left?I answered, “Yes, I do see them.”

The angel said that he wanted to show me those two houses specifically. He said, “The right home is for those who were pastors on the Earth. The left home is for those who were elders on the Earth.” As we arrived to the front of the two homes, I noticed they were humongous. My jaw dropped. When we opened the door and entered, my first impression was, ‘chicken coop.’ Instead of thousands of chickens living in their coop, I saw souls. The angels advised me to observe very carefully because I would recognize some famous pastors from history. It was true. I recognized many pastors from history. I specifically picked out one pastor and asked the angel, “I know that Korean pastor! I know how famous he was and the work he had done for the Lord. Why is he here? I do not understand.”

The angels answered, “He never provided any building materials for his home. This is why he is living in a community home.”

I asked out of curiosity, “How did this happen? Why did he not have any materials?” The angel answered, “While he was a pastor performing the functions as a pastor, he had loved to be complimented by the people. He had loved to be honored. He had loved to be served. There was no sacrifice and servitude on his part.” This particular pastor was greatly honored in Korea and is an icon within the Korean Christian history. But he had no reward!!

You Pastors out there, please listen! You have to lead people to more than just Sunday morning services. You must visit them in their homes. You must take care of the poor, the lame and old. The pastors who have served without sacrificing their lives and loved to be honored have no reward in Heaven. (Matt 23:5-12)

After I had witnessed this scene in Heaven and after I had come back to the Earth, I immediately gave all of my possessions away including my five luxury vehicles. Our life is but a moment. In the bible, the average life is about 70 to 80 years old. But it is only God who knows when a person will die. Anyone can die before the age of 70 or 80 years old. I had decided to give everything away, even my clothes. The people I saw had received salvation in shame. They were pastors, elders, deacons, and lay believers. There were multitudes of elders and deacons in this flat shabby home. But of course, it is much better than Hell. However, why would anyone want to enter Heaven in such a way? I will not end up in that shameful place. Their clothes were even shabby.

What are the requirements for Christians to receive such beautiful homes in Heaven? First, we have to evangelize to as many people as possible. How should we evangelize? The angel told me, “Assume there is an unbeliever who does not know the Lord. The moment you decide to evangelize to that particular person, the building materials for your homes will be provided. As you unceasingly pray for their salvation, more building materials are provided. You must continue to check up on them, visiting them and continue your evangelizing. This will add more materials to your home. If a person says he/she cannot make it to church because they do not have nice clothes, then you must provide them with some. If the person says he/she does not have a bible, you must provide one. If a person says he/she does not have glasses to read, you must provide it for them. You must provide whatever you are able too so this person can be led to the Lord. Those who live in the best homes are those who had evangelized many times.”

The angel then escorted me to the place where the saints lived in nice homes. This is where saints who had evangelized much lived. It felt like downtown Heaven.

In Christian history, there are four people who have the biggest and most beautiful homes. The angel showed me the home of American evangelist D.L. Moody, British Pastor John Wesley, an Italian evangelist, and Korean Evangelist Pastor Choi, Gun Nung. These four people have the largest homes in Heaven. These four had spent their whole lives evangelizing to people even through up to the time of their deaths.

Within the Korean believers, there was a lay believer who had a large home. This lay believer had built many church buildings with his all his possessions. He had given three thousand bags of rice to the poor. He secretly helped thousands of pastors and leaders with their finance. He helped students studying theology or in bible school with their tuitions. He had also taken in a pastor (65 years old) into his home and took good care of him. His own church had kicked him out.

I heard an angel shout, “The materials are coming!” I questioned the angel to my right about the materials and he told me, “These materials are for a deaconess from a small church who is from the country. In fact, she receives materials every day. Even though she is poor, she comes to early morning service each day. She prays for 87 church members daily. When she finishes praying, she cleans up the church.”

I heard another angel shout, “Special delivery! The daughter of the deaconess has given what little money she had to her mother. However, the deaconess did not spend it on herself. She bought five eggs and two pairs of socks for the church pastor. Even though it may appear to be a small offering, she had given all she had for the day. This became special materials for her home in Heaven.”

Second, those who also have a large home are those who have built church buildings or other buildings for Kingdom purpose with their possessions and resources.

In Heaven, I also met an elder named Choi. Among all the Korean elders and deacons who are in Heaven, he had the most beautiful home. His home was much higher than the tallest building in Korea. Choi had built many churches in Korea with his wealth.

I asked the angel, “How about my house? Is it in the process of being built? The angel said, “Yes it is.” I begged to see my house. But they told me it was not allowed. I continued to beg and after some persistent begging, the angels said that the Lord will now allow it.

We entered the chariot and traveled very far to another place. I was full of expectation. I asked, “Where is my house?” The angel replied, “It is over there!” But it looked as though the place was only a foundation, only ready for development. I cried out, “How could you do this to me? How could this be happening? How can my house be in a developing zone? Surviving the Korean War, I sold my only home to build a church. This church eventually grew to five thousand members. I wrote many books inspired by the Holy Spirit. One book became a best seller. With the proceeds from the books, I built Christian schools. The school birthed 240 pastors. During tenure as the dean, I had given out over 400 scholarships to over 400 poor children. I have built homes for the widows to live in. This all cost huge amounts of money. So how could this be? Why is my home in a land development? I am so upset!”

The angel replied sternly, “You do not deserve to live in such a beautiful nice home in Heaven because you have been honored by people countless times. Every time you had built or done something good, you were praised by people. You were even honored by the secular news. Therefore, all your works are in vain.” (Matt 6:1)

I looked at my home in the development zone. It was located in the middle of three other homes. It only had three stories. The house had many small rooms on the first two floors. I asked the angel, “Why do I have such small rooms?” The angel answered, “These rooms are for your sons and daughters.”

“I only have four children,” I replied. The angel responded, “No, they are not for your Earthy children, but for the ones you had evangelized and are saved.”

I loved it! I asked, “Where is my master bedroom?” The angel said that it was on the roof. That bothered me. My room was not even finished. In an angry tone I said, “It is so small! Why is it so difficult to finish?” The angel replied, “You are not even dead. We cannot finish your home or rooms because we do not know if more materials will be provided. Do you understand?”

When we entered my room, I saw two certificates hanging on my wall, so I went to read them. The first certificate described when I was 18 years old living in an orphanage. On Christmas day, I was on my way back to the early morning church service. I had seen an elderly man shivering on the street. I took my jacket off and gave it to him. That deed had given me a reward in Heaven. The second certificate described the same incident but it was for buying some bread with the little money I had for the elderly man. The amount is not the issue. The act must be accompanied by genuine faith. The dollar amount has no significance.

We left the place and headed back out. During the ride, one of the angels asked, “Are you sad? I will tell you how to have a beautiful home built. The Lord said when you go back to the Earth, you must go to tell the people about Heaven and Hell as you have witnessed. Second, the Lord desires you to build a place to gather elderly female pastors and evangelists who do not have places to go or live. If you truly faithfully do these things, you will have a beautiful home.”

Hell

The two angels escorted me to Hell. They said, “Now you will visit Hell.” You have no idea the enormity of Hell. I kept shouting, “It is so big! It is so big!” This is the place where souls who are cursed and receive eternal damnation are placed. It felt like Hell was a thousand times larger than the Earth. Half of Hell was colored red and the other half was pitch dark black. I asked the angels, “Why is this part red?”

The angels replied, “Do you not know? It is burning sulfur. The other half is darkness. When people sin and end up here, they will be tormented from both sides…There are multitudes of churches on the Earth and many of the churches are filled with many people. However, most of them are not true Christians. They are but church attendants. The true churches will firmly believe in Heaven and a Hell. The lives of many Christians are in chaos because they do not firmly believe in Heaven and Hell. When one soul enters Heaven, one thousand cursed souls enter Hell. The rate of Heaven and Hell is 1 to 1000.” (Matt 7:14)

I am a Presbyterian pastor and a well-known speaker. I have graduated from one of the largest theological school in Korea. I never believed those Heaven and Hell stories. But now, I am one who writes such experiences to testify to others. Although you may believe you are a Christian, if you live your life according to the will of demons, you will end up in Hell!

The first place I saw was a place of burning sulfur. You can’t even imagine how hot the fires of Hell are. No one can bear the intense heat.

People in Hell say three statements.

First, it is too hot and they feel like dying. (Luke 16:24)

Second, they are so thirsty and feel like dying.

Third, you will hear many asking for water. (Zech 9:11)

It is eternal! Many people say we are free in Christ and they live their lives as they desire. I asked the angel, “Those who are in here, what have they done?” The angel answered, “The first group is unbelievers.” Those who had not evangelized to their own family must repent!

The angel continued, “The second group is those who believed in Jesus, but did not repent of their sins.” We must repent of our sins and must confess to the Lord. We must not sin. Just giving lip service is not repenting. With a contrite and earnest heart, we must repent!

Christians in Hell

I then saw many pastors, elders, and deacons in Hell. I asked the angel, “I know them. They had served God faithfully while on the Earth. They had died some time ago. We all had thought they were in Heaven with God. But now, I see them all in Hell and they are crying out that it is so hot! Why are they here?” There were so many pastors, elders, deacons and all other lay believers.

The angel answered, “Pastor Park Yong Gyu, a person can appear to be a true follower of Christ on the outside but God knows the heart.

THEY DID NOT KEEP SUNDAYS HOLY. IN FACT, THEY HAD LOVED TO MAKE MONEY ON SUNDAYS. (Jer. 17:27)

Many of the deacons and elders had criticized the sermon of their pastors.(PS. 105:15) (Num 12:8-9)THEY DID NOT TITHE PROPERLY. (Malachi 3:9)THEY DID NOT PRAY.

They had not evangelized to people at all. (Ezekiel 33:6)

Many of these elders and deacons had harassed their pastors and would come against their authority. They had interfered with the pastor’s duty and business. (Num. 16)On their death beds, they thought they had done a good job so they did not repent of those things. This is why they were thrown in the fires of Hell.”

I then saw a king and a prince who were had first persecuted Christians in Korea. This king and prince beheaded many of the firstbelievers in Korea. They were placed in the center, which was the hottest place of all. I also saw Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, and a famous pastor from North Korea named Pastor Kang, and a famous Japanese hero, and many more.

Then we arrived at an extremely dark place, too dart to see where to step. I shouted, “Angels! Angels! It is so dark! How can I see anything?” The angels patted my shoulder and said, “Just wait a little bit.”

Within a few moments, I was able to see a countless number of naked people. All of them had insects crawling all over their bodies. Not an inch was spared as their whole bodies were completely covered with insects. The naked people attempted to drive the insects away gnashing their teeth. I asked, “What did these people do as they lived on Earth?”

“They are those who have criticized and back stabbed each other. They were not careful of what they had said to one another.”(Matt 5:22)

I saw the demons piercing and stabbing the stomachs of the people with sickles. Their screams were unbearable to me. I asked my escort, “Angels, what did these people do as they had lived on the Earth?

“These people had jobs, houses, and families but they did not give to God. They did not help the poor, their churches, or other Godly purposes. They were very stingy and greedy. Even as they encountered the poor, they ignored them and did not care. They only cared for themselves and their families. They were well clothed, fed, and had a comfortable life. This is why their stomachs are pierced for their bellies were full of greed.” (Proverbs 28:27)

It was a very frightening scene. After witnessing such a scene, when I got back to the Earth, I gave all of my money and possessions to others. Salvation cannot be earned with money or property. It is by faith. Hell is an unbearable and miserable place. It is eternal torment!

I also saw people who had their heads hacked off by a very sharp saw. I asked the angel, “What did these people do to deserve such awful torment?” The angel replied, “Their brains were given by God to think good and beneficial things. But these people had thought of filthy things. They thought of lustful things.” (Matt 5:28)

Next I saw people being stabbed and cut into pieces. The sight was horrible. I asked, “What about these people? What did they do to be tormented in such a way?” The Angel replied, “These were elders and deacons who did not serve their churches. In fact, they did not even want to work or serve! The only things they had loved were to receive and receive from the flock.” (Zech 11:17) (Hosea 6:5)

I saw the elders, deacons, and other lay believers tormented by the demons. The demons made a hole in their tongues and placed wires through the tongues of one another. Then the demons dragged the people with the wire. I asked again, “What did they do on Earth?” The angel answered, “They had committed four different types of sin.

First, they had criticized their pastors. They would speak negative things about their pastors. They were back biting and ridiculing their pastors.”

(James 3:6) (Matt 12:37)

I plead with those who have committed such acts to REPENT, REPENT!!

The angel continued, “Second, they insulted the church with their words. They had harassed other Christians to the point where even the faithful ones were affected and they stopped attending church and even caused some to stop believing. They did all they could to stop faithful Christians from doing God’s work. These wicked ones caused many faithful to stumble. Lastly, there are spouses who drank alcohol and were abusive to their family members.”

I saw demons piercing men and women in their stomachs with a very huge sharp nail. I asked, “What did they do?” The Angel replied, “These are men and women who had lived with one another but were not married. These are guilty of abortions as they also got pregnant. They had never repented.”

I saw another group of people. The demons were slicing their lips as if one thinly slicing meat or vegetables. I asked, “Why are these people tormented in such a way?” The angel said, “These are sons, daughters, son in laws, and daughter in laws who had talked back to their parents. All they had to do was say, ‘I’m sorry’ instead of making things worse. Many of them had used abusive language. They had attacked their parents with harsh language. They were rebellious. This is why their lips are being sliced.”

Brethren, we are all going to die one day, but we don’t know when that will be. Please be prepared. Being prepared is to go to Heaven. When we go is not the issue. Please forgive each other as frequently as necessary if you need too. Repent and repent and do it all day long if you have too.

My beloved brethren, I used to ignore such testimonies. I was a conservative Presbyterian pastor who ignored such things. But now, I must witness and testify to you what I have seen. Please do not hesitate to live a holy life. Please avoid this miserable torment and judgment. Be saved! Do not live for your flesh but submit to the Kingdom of God. Please pray for those who do not know Jesus. Evangelize and bear fruit. Please pray early in the morning and keep Sundays HOLY. Please tithe to the Lord properly. Accumulate your rewards in Heaven and not in this Earth. I pray and bless you in the Almighty Name of JESUS!

By Pastor Park, Yong Gyu