Posted on 08/26/2020 9:36:21 AM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
Four things we dont know about the antichrist are the subject of much speculation. The first is his nationality. It isnt hard to find writers who teach that Antichrist will be a Syrian. The Bible doesnt say he will come from that ancient nation, but some conclude this through reasoning that usually goes like this: Antiochus Epiphanes was a type of the antichrist and he was a Syrian. Therefore, the antichrist will be a Syrian.
Although its permissible to conjecture in these matters to some extent, the problem with this kind of reasoning is that it overlooks individuals of other nationalities who were also a type of the Antichrist. Nebuchadnezzar was a type of the Antichrist, and he was a Chaldean. So why not say the Antichrist will be a Chaldean? Adolf Hitler was a type of the Antichrist, and he was a German. So why not say the Antichrist will be a German? The same can be said for Pharaoh, an Egyptian. We could go on and on, but the point is that maintaining an adamant position in this kind of reasoning doesnt settle the issue.
The second thing we dont know about the Antichrist is whether he will be a Jew or a Gentile (a non-Jewish person). Some say hell be a Jew because the Bible says neither shall he regard the God of his fathers (Daniel 11:37, KJV). Others say he will be a Gentile because this verse has been incorrectly translated and it should read, He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers (Daniel 11:37, NIV). If the correct translation is God, he will come from a monotheistic religion (probably Jewish); if the correct translation is gods, he will come from a polytheistic religion (probably Gentile).
Then there are those who reason that the antichrist will be Jewish because the Jews will accept him as their Messiah and they would never accept a Gentile. Or the antichrist will be Jewish because he will be a counterfeit of Christ and He was a Jew. The late Reverend Jerry Falwell (father of currently embattled Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr.), whose theology was usually sound, got in trouble on this one. He believed the Antichrist will be a Jewand he might have been right, but the fact is, whether the Antichrist will be a Jew or a Gentile is not revealed in the Bible. Those who think he will be are definitely in the minority. Incidentally, one of the complaints against Reverend Falwell was that he was anti-Semitic for thinking like this. On the contrary, Falwell was one of Israels strongest supporters and did much to help the Jewish people.
The third thing we dont know about the Antichrist is his name. We know his number is six hundred threescore and six, but thats different from his name (Revelation 13:18). Several elaborate systems have been developed in an effort to reveal the name of the Antichrist, but they have all been wrong. Some names these systems have come up with are Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan, William Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and several of the popes. These should be seen for what they arejust wild guesses.
In connection with this, lets hasten to add that 666 is the Antichrists number. It isnt a drivers license number, credit card numbers, Social Security number, or any other numbers associated with us. It will not be several billion different numbers for the several billion different individuals. It is his numberone specific number that identifies one specific individual.
The fourth thing we dont know about the Antichrist is whether he is already alive as a person. It seems reasonable that he will have to be a full-grown man when he appears. If the Second Coming of Christ is as close as we and most prophetic scholars think, it makes sense to assume that he is not only alive, but already grown.
What the Antichrist Will Be Like
We can better understand what the Antichrist will be like when he appears by observing a few things about the First and Second Coming of Jesus. The First Coming of Jesus, commonly called His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, occurred while Jesus was riding upon a donkey, a symbol of peace (Luke 19:2838). The Second Coming of Jesus, commonly called the Revelation (the Revelation of Jesus Christ in His power and glory) will take place at the end of the Tribulation period when Jesus returns in righteousness to judge and make war riding upon a white horse, a symbol of conquest (Revelation 19:1121). The first time, Jesus came peacefully as the Lamb of God; the second time, He will come conquering as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (John 1:36; Revelation 19:1116).
This has relevance to what the Antichrist will be like as he carries out his bloody career. During his rise to power, he will present himself as a man of peace. So we might expect the prophets to depict him riding upon a donkey, a symbol of peace, but that is incorrect. John said:
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. (Revelation 6:2)
The Antichrist will ride across the pages of history on a white horse, a symbol of conquest. His eloquent promises of peace will not match his horrendous acts of war. This fictitious christ will present himself as a lamb, but he will really be a wolf in sheeps clothing. When asked about the sign of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus answered:
Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matthew 24:4, 5)
The list of people who have done this is long, but the ultimate false christ will be the Antichrist. Multitudes will think they have met the Messiah, but he will really be the man of sin.
The bow was a weapon of war and a symbol of military power in Johns day. The Antichrist will appear with a bow in his hand, but he will have no arrows. This is like carrying a gun without bullets. The Antichrist will have weapons of war, but he will act like he is unarmed. Daniel said, by peace shall [he] destroy many (Daniel 8:25).
A crown is worn by people who earn or inherit the right to wear one, but the Antichrist will not earn or inherit the right to wear his crown. It will be a gift from the wicked power brokers of the world. What a terrible mistake! The worlds gullible politicians will empower a leader without doing the all-important background check. Some will think they are crowning a godly man, but theyll be elevating a fake with a very dark side. The Bible says this fraud will ascend out of the bottomless pit (Revelation 17:8). That is the gruesome, subterranean abode where God is holding the very worst of Satans demonic spirits. It makes one wonder what kind of background this man will have. Considering his origin, it must be filled with terrible atrocities.
The World When the Antichrist Appears
When addressing this subject, the Apostle Paul used the phrase perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1). Perilous times include war, and one of the signs of the last days that Jesus talked about is wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6). While the Antichrist is negotiating peace and consolidating his power, God will release a second horse and rider. John said:
There went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Revelation 6:4)
The second rider will bring war to the earth. God will allow him to do this to show the world that the Antichrist is not the true Prince of Peace, Jesus.
Perilous times also include economic disaster. While the Antichrist is boasting about having solutions to the worlds problems, God will release a third horse and rider. John said:
I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. (Revelation 6:5, 6)
The third rider will bring economic collapse to the world. God will allow him to do this to show the world that Jesus Christ, not the Antichrist, is the true Bread of Life. Food will be so valuable it will have to be weighed on scales before its sold. Money will be so worthless that what a man earns in one day will purchase barely enough food for the survival of one person.
Despite all the terrible consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, financial and otherwise, it seems that America, and perhaps the entire world, has forgotten that a good economy is a blessing of God and not a benefit of having the right kind of politician in office. This moral confusion will be disastrous in the days to come.
Perilous times also include starvation and sickness, and two more signs of the last days Jesus talked about are famine and pestilence (Matthew 24:7). God will release a fourth horse and rider that will fulfill this dire prophecy. John said:
I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:8)
The Lord of Heaven will allow this horse and rider to come on the scene to show the world that Jesus Christ, not the Antichrist, is the Great Physician. One-fourth of the worlds population will die as war and economic disaster spreads like wildfire, triggering hunger and disease on every continent.
Most conservative Christians believe the perilous times Paul prophesied have arrived. Looking around at the ungodly characteristics of mankind, its difficult to see how the Christian attuned to truth given in 2 Timothy 3 could come to any other conclusion.
Perhaps the top scholar today in the pre-Tribulation, pre-Millennial view of Bible prophecy, Dr. Thomas Ice, writes further about Antichrist and his number-one assistant, the False Prophet.
While I think it may be possible that the False Prophet (Rev. 13:1118; 16:13; 19:20; 20:10) could be a Jew (I am not saying that I necessarily think he will be), there does not appear to be any Scriptural grounds to think that the Antichrist will be of the tribe of Dan nor of Jewish descent. It appears that he will be a Gentile and will arise from within the Revived Roman Empire. In the middle of the tribulation he will take his seat in Israels rebuilt Temple and claim to be God Himself (2 Thess. 2:4). His career will be a short-lived seven-year period for which he will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire upon Christs return to planet earth (Rev. 19:20; 20:10).[i]
As the Fourth Reich rises, there will arise at the same time a call for peace and safety from the troublous times that generate fear among earths inhabitants. The final Führer will emerge from the sea of humanity to take by force control of world power. He ultimately will proclaim himself to be God.
It is the call for peace and safety at a certain moment in the end of days that will give this deceptive man of peace the steps leading to his place upon the stage of world history. His rise will culminate in the most brutal dictatorship ever to be suffered by the people of this planet. Here is what the Apostle Paul prophesies about that time:
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:13)
Left Behind!
Paul, as a Holy Spirit-inspired prophet, said that at a timeone that he could not or would not divulgethere will come the day of the Lord. It will come suddenly and without announcement, like a thief in the night.
This break-in upon the human conditions of the time, Paul prophesied, will take place when there, as mentioned earlier, will be that great call by the fearful for peace and safety. People will be willing to embrace any leader who seems to offer answers to the desperate times in which they are embroiled.
The Revelation 6 rider on the white horse will set in motion his own version of the Final Solutiona Fourth Reich that will, when full blown in its virulence and destruction, overshadow the evil perpetrated by the Nazis and their Third Reich.
The only saving grace in this is that whereas the Third Reich lasted twelve years, the Fourth Reich will last no more than seven. Antichrists rule of terror will be ended as promised in the prophecy we looked at previously:
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. (2 Thessalonians 2:89)
Paul prophesied that when the world is in perilous times and becoming so dangerous that there is a cry for peace and safety, the Day of the Lord will break into the situation like a thief in the night. The Day of the Lord will be Gods judgment beginning to fall on a rebellious, God-opposing generation. Jesus put it this way in the Olivet Discourse:
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (Luke 17:2830)
God will have had His fill of the evil perpetrated by humanity and Antichrists genocidal actions against Gods chosen people, the Jews. Jesus, who is God, will be revealed to the world, secretly, by completely disrupting all who live on earth. He will call to Himself all of Gods peoplethose who know Christ for salvation through being born again as the Lord said and as Paul wrote, regarding the gospel of grace. (Read John 3:3 and Romans 10:910.)
All others living on the planet at that instant will, within a short period, begin to suffer a fate many times worse than those who were targeted for Hitlers Final Solution. They will have been left behind to undergo Antichrists unadulterated evil straight from the mind of Satan.
For Christiansagain, those who have accepted Gods Son, Jesus Christ, as their Saviorwill be instantly and forever in Heaven with their Lord. To the world, it will have been a thief-in-thenight break-in, but for believers, it will be an electrifying moment of jubilant gathering as Christ fulfills His promise:
In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:23)
The final Führers Final Solution will have begun; the family of God will have been removed, out of harms way.
There are many questions about this man who will be Antichrist. The following are some of those questions and our answersbased, we believe, on what Gods Word says about the first beast of Revelation 13.
Will the Antichrist be a Jew? The main argument against him being be a Jew is that he comes out of the sea of Gentile nations, according to Revelation chapter 13. This, against the second beast coming out of the land, indicates he will emerge onto the world scene out of Israel. The second beast may well be an apostate Jew or a Pope in our view of these verses. Could the Antichrist be a Muslim? We doubt it. There are a number of reasons we believe this, but the one that resonates most is based on historical timeline factors. Bible prophecy tells us that the prince that shall come is of the people who will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Jewish Temple on Moriah). The people who did that were the Romans (current seat of the Vatican). There might have been other ethnic and nation-types of peoples within the ranks of the Roman legion who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70, but the overwhelming constituency of that force was from in and around Rome itself. Certainly, Vespasian and his son Titus were born in, and/or lived in areas immediately around, Rome.
Islam didnt come into being until a few centuries later. The eastern legs capital, Constantinople, likewise. Timeline wise, an eastern Antichrist is out of the question, in our opinion.
Antichrist is referred to as the Assyrian, of course, in Gods Word, so that implies the Middle East. We believe that he might well be of Middle Eastern extraction genetically, but likely born and raised in the area of Europe implied by the the phrase people that shall come (KJV).
Further, the argument that Antichrist will be Muslim because Islam uses beheading as a means of execution, the same method prophesied to be employed by the beasts regime in Revelation 13, is weak. The Roman Empire of Pauls day used beheading. Paul, himself, died by that method centuries before Islam was invented.
Will the Antichrist be killed and resurrected from the dead? Not really. Christ alone holds the keys to death and Hell. Antichrist is Satans man, and God certainly would not use Satan or anyone to raise anyone from the dead without it being a part of His Holy will. Such evil certainly would never be in Gods will. This will be one of many facades perpetrated by Antichrist. Thats not to say the Lord doesnt allow evil to run its course in many casesbut always under His absolute control. So it will be with this false resurrection. The word used to describe this resurrection uses language that implies it will be a deception: I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death (Revelation 13:3a, emphasis added). This reads as if the point of death is not actually reached, we think.
God will allow people who have rejected His offer of salvation through His Son to come under strong delusion so that they will believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2). The false resurrection from the dead (healing of the deadly wound) will be part of that lie, which will encompass quite a bit more than most have imagined, we suspect.
Where will the Antichrists headquarters be located? This question is difficult to answer. He is said to make Rome his seat of power. He is said to make Babylon his headquarters. Yet, Jerusalem and the Templein the Holy of Holiesis where he will take up residence and demand worship. It may very well be that in the earliest part of his coming to power, Europe (the revived Roman Empire) will be the geographical area where he derives his growth as a politician/leader and his ultimate political power. Babylonwhether the actually rebuilt Babylon or another power centerwill be the geographical heart as well as the evil spiritual headquarters while his satanic megalomania grows. Then, the final place he resides is in Jerusalemwhich, after all, is called spiritual Babylon by the Lord Himself for allowing evil to reside within its confines.
Is the Antichrist alive today? Based on the geopolitical, socioeconomic, geophysical, and religious exigencies on the scene today, we believe he almost has to be alive now. Israel being front and center, in the bulls eye of the Middle East peace process directed by the international community and surrounded on all sides (except the Mediterranean side) by enemies who have blood-vowed to erase them from the earthas well as being the object of disdain for practically all nationsmakes Antichrists nearness almost guaranteed.
End Times Ping
Good read about the son of perdition.
PM me if you wish to be added/removed.
Maranatha!
His name is Jose and he’s a Puerto Rican Buddhist who lives on 92nd and 5th in Brooklyn.
Its Obama
You mean it’s not Hillary?
Well, the pope certainly fits the bill for the False Prophet.
Hitler: born in Braunau am Inn, Austria; raised in Leonding, a suburb of Linz, Austria. Family was originally from an area near the Austrian-Czech border. Needed an obscure legal maneuver to gain German citizenship. Never won a free election in Germany.
Beethoven: Born and raised in Bonn, Germany. Family mave originally been Dutch. Moved to Vienna for professional reasons.
On a serious note just because his presidency has come and gone it doesn’t mean he can be ruled out.
I actually seriously believed during his reign that he was the Antichrist or satan himself.
I would not be surprised at all if either turns out to be true
Thanks for the post. We indeed live in perilous times and as I talk with people, they just don’t get the reality of “end-times”. Many preachers and Sunday School teachers have been amiss when it comes to teaching Bible prophecy.
He sure does!
Can’t think of anybody else today who even comes close to that part.
On a serious note I pretty much believe everything you do I just I’m not so concerned when it comes. The big thing is to be prepared for death at any moment with a clean soul or at least one clean enough to get into heaven.
I will have enough on my plate just making that standard.
Oso end of days will be pretty darn brutal for most of us at that will include me.
I am not being one of the first brought up to heaven.
and if this is what you enjoy discussing I think that’s great. It’s a lot better than discussing pornography or sports where the players hate America or a million other less important or even sinful subjects
That doesn’t mean I will stop making joking comments at your expense :-)
but know it comes from a place of complete insecurities :-)
What the Antichrist could screw up to. Obama was so in love with himself that I think he got derailed on his plans.
but let’s be honest the only one out there not stupid enough to give away the entire plan of the left and evil is Obama. He is the only one saying stop showing all your cards.
Don’t count him out just yet
That he can so blatantly and easily lie and be someone convincing is a telling sign.
Maybe he is not convincing to us but he is convincing to many many millions
Like when he said he would consider his administration a failure if the Iran deal didn’t come out in Israel’s favor
if Hitler was still alive he would be in second place as the person most hating Israel.
Next to the SCOTUS, and its legalization of abortion (1 billion lives taken), Mohammed and Islam are in second (300 million lives). Mohammed is my best guess at to who THE antichrist is/was. Christ himself explained there will and have been many others, though FWIW.
The Bible says nothing about a person being “the antichrist.”
It mentions the spirit of antichrist being out in the world. Democrats are all in with it.
Does not occur in Revelation like everyone assumes.
If that's indeed the case then the antichrist is alive and well right now.
Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD!
What will the Day of the LORD be for you?
It will be darkness and not light.
It will be like a man who flees from a lion,
only to encounter a bear,
or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall,
only to be bitten by a snake.
Will not the Day of the LORD
be darkness and not light,
even gloom with no brightness in it?
What I do know about the antichrist, having woke up to this during Covid, is that he will have a much easier time than I ever would have thought. Watching lemmings take orders from officials as if they can breathe laws with no legislature is a sneak preview as to how it will go down.
I never could have imagined it would be so easy, I would have fought the notion of a charismatic one world government figure tooth and nail. Not today.
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