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2 Thessalonians 2:8 – “…and then the lawless one will be revealed…”
The name Antichrist is easily recognizable, even in the secular world. This arch enemy of Christ is profiled in Revelation 13, providing a behind-the-scenes preview of Satan’s Tribulation henchman. It is difficult to limit the amount of information on this person without becoming too academic because the Bible says a lot about him. Antichrist will be empowered by Satan to rule over the last kingdom of men, persecute believers, and defy God--and he will be the last eminent human leader to do so. To know the enemy is to be prepared to stand against him to glorify our Lord.
Antichrist will be allowed by God to have dominion, for a brief time, over the earth. But this dominion is not because Satan has power to defeat God because he cannot; it is to exhibit God’s sovereign control of Satan even when Satan is allowed to use every device at his disposal. Antichrist’s brief reign is to demonstrate the believers’ ability to take victory in every circumstance, even unto death [2 Corinthians 10:4]. Our weapons of warfare are spiritual, not human.
In this Prophecy Chat, we will take a close look at the man who is often called the political Antichrist. However, the second man in Revelation 13, The False Prophet, is significant to Antichrist’s rise to power. To understand the political power structure of Satan’s false kingdom of the end times, the two men must be viewed together, like a tag team. In many ways, The False Prophet is even more insidious because he uses religion and man's trust in a false faith to destroy truth and put humanity in bondage. A more detailed profile of The False Prophet will come later.
Revelation 12:17-13:1
The Antichrist and the False Prophet are the last two of the Seven Performers of chapter 12. We begin at the end of chapter 12 because it flows seamlessly into the next: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.”
Although some manuscripts say “I” meaning John stood on the shore [sand] of the sea, most manuscripts read “he stood,” referring back to the Dragon or Satan. Chapter 13 then moves directly from Satan to Antichrist. This makes more sense to the passage because we left Satan in chapter 12 thrown down to the earth after losing the war in heaven [12:9 and 12]; and then he is further thwarted when he fails to destroy the remnant fleeing to the wilderness place of protection. Now, we see him focusing his efforts to destroy believers through a human leader. Satan takes his last stand on “the shore of the sea” meaning he takes a position in the midst of the nations of his world.
Dr. McGee states that both SEA and NATIONS are symbolic of Gentile world nations, which indicates that the political Antichrist will probably be a Gentile. A Gentile is any one of a race other than the Jewish race. This includes even the Arab nations which are from the same Semitic root as the Jews but are not of the same tribe chosen by God as was the tribe of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Arabs can trace their heritage back to Abraham but cannot claim lineage with Isaac and Jacob.
Revelation 13:1-10 – Introductory Material
MacArthur believes “rising up out of the sea” represents the Abyss or Pit, the haunt of demons from verse 11:7. Rather than Satan indwelling Antichrist as many believe, MacArthur sees this verse as Satan summoning a powerful demon from the abyss, who then activates and controls the beast who is Antichrist and his empire.
| * Antichrist is also called “the Beast out of the sea” as opposed to “the Beast out of the land” who is the False Prophet. Antichrist is the sixth Performer of the Tribulation.
* There are more than one hundred passages of Scripture describing the Antichrist’s origin, nationality, character, career and global conquest—an indication of God’s intention to expose and warn. The term Antichrist does not appear here but appears in first and second John [1 John 2:18-22; 4:3; and 2 John 7]. * ANTI-Christ: The prefix “anti” in connection with the Antichrist can mean either AGAINST [in opposition to] or INSTEAD OF [in place of]. Is he the great enemy of Christ, or is he a false Christ? If he is mistaken as the Jewish Messiah, a false Christ, would the Jews accept a Gentile as the Jewish Messiah? And yet, Antichrist will appear to protect Israel by making a covenant with them—the treaty foretold in Daniel 9:27 that will begin the seven-year Tribulation. * Larkin and McGee speculate that the political Antichrist will most likely be a Gentile because he rises “from the sea” of humanity. LaHaye believes one man could be both against Christ and a false or counterfeit Christ. But the prophecies could be fulfilled by the two men together. The Religious Antichrist, The False Prophet, could be a Jew because he comes “from the land,” and the land usually refers specifically to Israel. He could be worshipped as Messiah while the Political Antichrist would be turning the world against the true Messiah. Together, they are Satan’s ANTICHRIST. [Ref. LaHaye, McGee, Larkin] * The political Antichrist is believed by most scholars to be Gentile for these reasons: 1. He leads a European union of Gentile nations [Daniel 7:8-24]. 2. His covenant with Israel promises Gentile protection for Israel [Daniel 9:27]. 3. His rule is part of the “times of the Gentiles” and their domination over Israel [Luke 21:24]. |
| * Ice affirms that a core element of end time prophecy relating to the tribulation is the Biblical prediction that there will be a revived form of the fourth of the four Gentile kingdoms predicted in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. Rome was clearly the fourth kingdom as confirmed by history. It follows that some form of that kingdom will be revived during the tribulation, the “ten toe” stage. Daniel 7, Revelation 13 and 17 specify that Antichrist’s authority is manifested through a ten-nation confederacy that will comprise this global government The ten regions are ruled by ten kings under Antichrist’s headship. The reunification taking place in Europe since the turn of the last century are an indication that God is preparing the world for just such a configuration as predicted thousands of years ago in the Bible. |
| * In Daniel chapter 2, the fourth Gentile kingdom of history, Rome, is described as two legs of iron ending in feet partly of iron mixed with clay [Daniel 2:33]. The Roman Empire disintegrated into a Western and Eastern leg before it broke up. However, the East survived for a thousand years or more, so at the time of the New Testament, at least sixty percent of the Roman Empire was land now under Muslim control. When Roman territory is revived in the latter days and becomes the political base for Antichrist, it will re-unite in a confederacy of ten units, the toes of the vision.
* The most popular view of the last several decades is that the Antichrist will likely arise from the Western leg of the Roman Empire because the West has been the most powerful territory of old Rome since W.W.II. However, in developments as recent as 2011, an unprecedented upheaval in the Middle East is giving rise to speculation that the old Eastern leg of Rome may produce the Antichrist. If this is so, Antichrist may be Arab and/or Muslim. * Governments are shifting as radical Islamic organizations are forging footholds in nations surrounding Israel and throughout the African and Asian continents. If The Antichrist were Islamic, his signing of a peace treaty with Israel [Daniel 9:27] could represent the elusive “peace in the Middle East” that world leaders claim would solve all the world’s problems. Such a peace treaty would not only mark the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel, the Tribulation, it may be Satan’s greatest deception. Isaiah 28:18 calls this treaty Israel’s “covenant with death.” Man's attempts at peace without reverance for God are doomed to end in the worst war the world has ever seen. |
| * John MacArthur believes the similarities between Islamic beliefs regarding their Mahdi [Islamic Messiah] and The Antichrist support his view that they are the same person.
* The coming of the Islamic Messiah is promoted in particular by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khameini and Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad. Iran is behind much of the unrest in the Middle East through their terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, in order to establish a new Caliphate and prepare the way for the Mahdi. They believe the Mahdi will arise amidst great chaos; therefore the current unrest is a means to hasten his coming. [CBN News, World, March 2011-“Iranian Regime Video Says Mahdi is Near.”] |
The Biblical Antichrist = The Muslim Messiah [Mahdi]
The Biblical False Prophet = The Muslim ‘True Jesus’
The Biblical Messiah = The Muslim Antichrist
| * John MacArthur believes the yet future war predicted in Ezekiel supports his view that the Muslim Mahdi will be the Antichrist. He believes the “Gog” of Ezekiel 38 is this Islamic Antichrist and that the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 is part of the War of Armageddon during the Tribulation: “In Ezekiel 38’s description of the Antichrist Gog, you have a listing of eight nations that will be a coalition for the Antichrist. All eight of those nations are Muslim nations, ringing the Mediterranean all the way to Libya. Could the ‘sea’ that the Antichrist rises out of be the Mediterranean? In Revelation 17:9-11 it talks about six nations, then seven, then eight. The seventh nation could be the Turkish Ottoman Empire which lasted five hundred years and didn’t fall until the modern era. The Turkish empire was the ‘last caliphate’ which ended in 1923, and they are currently awaiting the ‘restoration of the Mahdi’.” Iran or Persia is a prominent player in the Ezekiel war; and Iran is currently conspiring to re-establish a caliphate in the Middle East.
* It should be said that the Roman Catholic Church, with the support of contemporary Popes, have sought through diplomacy and alliance, a restoration of the Holy Roman Empire on the foundations of old Rome. The Catholic Church has long believed that restoration of the Roman political empire would be the means to restore the strength of the Catholic Church in the West. Such efforts are the basis for the speculation that The Antichrist will arise out of these western alliances because the Vatican, the EU, the UN and other supporters of global government are looking for a one-world global leader to see their aspirations come to pass. The Bible reveals that if such a leader does rise to the top of the political ladder of globalism, and he is the one who signs a peace treaty with Israel only to break it after three-and-a-half-years, he will not be a great world leader--he will be The Antichrist of prophecy. |
| * Tim LaHaye states “The Antichrist will be the most incredible political leader the world has ever known.” [LaHaye, p. 25] Arthur W. Pink [The Antichrist, p. 77] agrees. He notes that Satan has had generations to study fallen human nature in order to choose a man who can dazzle people by the attraction of power, knowledge, and fame. We have only to look at Hollywood’s heroes to see how easily man can be seduced by outward beauty and star quality.
* CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ANTICHRIST AS DESCRIBED IN SCRIPTURE: 1. intellectual genius [Daniel 7:20] 2. oratorical genius [Daniel 7:20] 3. political genius [Daniel 11:21] 4. commercial genius [Daniel 8:25] 5. military genius [Daniel 8:24] 6. administrative genius [Revelation 13:1-2] 7.religious genius [2 Thessalonians 2:4] |
OTHER TERMS FOR ANTICHRIST:
| * Daniel 11:36-45 – “the willful King; he will do as he pleases” – He will be arrogant, with delusions of godhood like Satan.
* Daniel 7:8; 8:9-12 – He is called “the little horn,” indicating he will begin his political career as a little fish in a big pond. But, he will “uproot” three greater Kings or powers to gain control of the end-time confederation. Will he use persuasion, diplomacy, or an inner coup? * Daniel 8:23 calls him a “king of fierce countenance or “fierce face.” His features are angry and/or determined. He will not be a man people will wish to cross. * 2 Thess. 2:3-11 – Above all, he is “the man of sin,” “the son of perdition,” and “the lawless one.” After the mask is taken off, he is an evil, lawless and immoral man. * Daniel 11:37—He will be irreligious, showing no regard for “the gods of his fathers” or traditional faiths. He will also show no regard for “the desire of women.” MacArthur says he may be a homosexual. Others think this has reference to the desire of Jewish women to be the mother of the Messiah, so he would have no regard for the Messiah of Israel. Instead, he will honor a “god of fortresses,” that is a god of power and might. This is a god whom his fathers did not know, which may refer to power as in modern technological power. Antichrist will honor this “god” with gold, silver and all his treasures. He may invest all his fortune into military armaments of the newest technology in order to control the world through military dominance. This passage also speaks of his buying off allies by appointing them to positions of authority and giving them land, possibly the land of Israel as politicians are trying to do today. * Zechariah 11:16-17 – He is “the false [worthless] shepherd” of Israel. Instead of tending the sheep, Antichrist will destroy and abuse them. The Lord says “Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!” The Lord will destroy Antichrist’s strength [arm] and intelligence [eye] when He returns. [Daniel 7:9-14; 24-27; 8:23-25; 2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:20; 20:10] |
When Antichrist sets himself up as God in the re-built Temple in Jerusalem, he declares war with the one true God, and Christ returns to take up the challenge. It is the final showdown. Praise God! We are on the winning side. Next time, Rev. 13 verse-by-verse.
In the next chapter, John’s narrative provides a character sketch of Satan’s most well-known villains of history, the Antichrist and the False Prophet.
In Him We Wait, Work, and Watch,
[Luke 12:35-59]
Sharon
[Prophecy Chat is a commentary of current events in light of Bible prophecy. Sharon L. Clemens is an evangelical, premillennial, dispensational teacher of eschatology. She can be reached for comment or questions by e-mail at farmgrove@frontier.com]
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