How will we know who the Antichrist is?
For hundreds of years, the religious world has been fascinated and fearful of the Antichrist. People have come up with many wild guesses and fanciful theories as to who the Antichrist is, but that is all they are –wild guesses and fanciful theories. The term ‘antichrist’ is a Biblical term and so it stands to reason that we must look to the Bible to identify the Antichrist. The term means ‘instead of Christ’, or in ‘place of Christ’, so obviously the Antichrist must be some person or entity which seeks to stand in the place of Jesus Christ and to take for itself the worship and service that belongs only to Him. Logically, therefore, we should look within the Christian church to find him. With this in mind, we have now narrowed the field considerably when seeking to know who the Antichrist is.
Who does the Bible say the Antichrist is? It informs us that the Antichrist in some form or other has been with us since sin entered this world. The first Antichrist was Satan who rebelled against the government of God. See Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-17 and Revelation 12:7-9.
The history of the Old Testament reveals how Satan has continually warred against God by seeking to destroy His people. He has used one world empire after another in his attempts to crush true religion. But after the time of Christ, Satan changed his tactics, and instead of the attacks against God’s people coming from without, they now came from within the church of God. The Antichrist established himself within its ranks.
The apostle Paul helps us to identify him. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10, he warns, “Let no man deceive you by any means; for that Day (the second coming of Christ) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple (church) of God, showing himself that he is God . . . The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved”.
“The falling away” refers to apostasy within the Christian church. This church was established by Christ on the foundational principles set forth in His sermon on the mount (Matthew 5, 6 and 7). A ‘falling away’ indicates a departure from these principles of love to God and to our fellow man. Certain ambitious leaders of the church endeavoured to grasp political power to enforce their dogmas. The use of force is directly against the teachings of Christ and is a sign that a church has lost the power of the Holy Spirit. Feeling its lack of authority over the people, the church then endeavoured to unite with the power of the state. Such an illegal union is called spiritual adultery in the Bible, and a church which forms this union is referred to as a ‘harlot’ or ‘prostitute’. Read Revelation 17 where the end-time Antichrist, BABYLON THE GREAT, is depicted as a harlot woman (a church) riding a beast (a political power that commits fornication with her).
Most of the prophecies which reveal who the Antichrist is are found in the books of Daniel and Revelation where his characteristics and activities are illustrated by a variety of symbols. In Daniel 7 and 8, the Antichrist power is symbolised by a ‘little horn’ and in Daniel 11:40-45 as the ‘King of the North’. In Revelation 13:1-10, the same power is described as a beast (a political-religious power) arising from the sea, and in Revelation 17 as a prostitute power known as Babylon the Great. In each case the identifying marks are very similar.
We will look at the identifying marks of the Little Horn power of Daniel 7 and compare them with those of the Sea Beast of Revelation 13. From these identifiers you be able to see who the Antichrist is.
But first you must read Daniel chapters 2 and 7. These chapters describe the rise and fall of various nations which impacted God’s people over the centuries. In chapter 2 these kingdoms are depicted as metals of decreasing value. In Chapter 7 as fierce beasts of prey, or kingdoms, which gain power by military conquest. The names of the first three world empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece are given by the angel Gabriel himself. This is so that we will not make a mistake in identifying the fourth beast. History clearly reveals that the Roman Empire followed that of the Grecian.
The prophecy goes on to reveal that the Roman empire would eventually be fragmented into 10 kingdoms, symbolised as ‘horns’, which would form the basis of Modern Europe. According to Daniel 7, three of these kingdoms would be uprooted by a Little Horn religious power which would unite with the power of the state to rule Europe for over 1,000 years. All this is an accurate portrayal of history.
The Little Horn – Daniel 7 |
|---|
1. It would arise out of the Roman empire (7:8). |
2. It would be a ‘little’ kingdom – a small nation geographically (7:8)
|
3. It would rise to dominance after the 10 divisions of Europe were established by 476 AD (7:24). |
4. It would ‘pluck out by the roots’ three opposing political powers as it rose to supremacy. These three horns were the Visigoths, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoth. The power of the last of these horns was broken by 538 AD (7:8).
|
5. It would be different from the other 10 kingdoms (7:24). The other horns were secular political powers, but the Little Horn developed a religio-political system of government.
|
6. It would have ‘eyes like the eyes of a man’ (7:8). Evidently a man would be at the head and in control of this power and would speak for it. It would not be a democratic government. |
7. It would speak blasphemies against God (7:25), ‘a mouth speaking pompous words’.
According to the Bible, blasphemy is either claiming to forgive sin (Luke 5:21) or claiming to be God (John 10:33). |
8. It would be in power for ‘a time and times and half a time’ (7:25) or 1,260 years.
The book of Revelation helps us to unravel Daniel’s symbolic language here. Revelation 13:5 refers to this same time as 42 months. 42 months X 30 (there were 30 days in a month in ancient Scripture) equals 1260 days. In Revelation 11:2 and 3, 42 months are also equated to 1260 days.
By comparing Revelation 12:14 with 12:6 we find that ‘time, times and half a time’ again equals 1260 days. A time = 1 year; times = 2 years; half a time = 6 months. Together they add up to 1260 days.
A day in prophecy is symbolic of one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6). Therefore 1260 days equals 1260 years.
The Little Horn would dominate the political and religious life of Western Europe for 1260 years.
|
9. It would attempt to change times and law (7:25). The Amplified Bible says ‘the law’ – the law of God.
Changing God’s law is unthinkable, yet here Daniel is predicting that this political power would enter the religious arena and attempt to alter even the law of God. |
10. It would persecute God’s people. This ‘Litte Horn’ power would ‘persecute the saints of the Most High’ (7:21, 25). Those who disagreed with the blasphemous claims of the Little Horn would be cruelly persecuted and put to death. |
The Sea Beast – Revelation 13 – the End time Antichrist.The beast from the sea and the beast from the land in Revelation 13 combine to form Babylon the Great of Revelation 17. The Sea Beast (vv. 1-10) is the religious power, and the Land Beast (vv. 11-18) is the political power with which it unites to enforce the mark of the beast. The description given of the Sea Beast in 13:1-10 combines features of the Medieval Antichrist with more ‘up to date’ information which helps to identify it as the same power resurrected to its former supremacy. |
1.The beast from the sea is a fully matured religious power that incorporates all the major political features of the four kingdoms that preceded it – Greece, Medo-Persia, and Babylon (13:2). |
2. The dragon, Satan, the original antichrist, is the manipulating power behind the scenes (13:2; 12:9).
|
3. This power received a ‘deadly (mortal) wound’ after its political reign for 1260 years came to an end in 1798 (13:3). |
4. The Bible predicts that this ‘wound’ would be healed (13:3) and as a result the whole world would be amazed and follow the dictates of the beast. The nations of this world will say, ‘Who is able to make war with him?’ (13:4). |
5. Like the ‘Little Horn’, this beast is also a blasphemous power (13:5, 6), but even more so. It not only blasphemes against God, but also His name, His tabernacle, and all who dwell in heaven. |
6. He continues for 42 months, or 1260 days/years (13:5). The 42 months refers us back to the Medieval Antichrist and confirms that this is the same power, but in a revived form. The Medieval Antichrist reigned for 1260 years from 538 to 1798, when its political power was taken away during the French Revolution. |
7. It was, and will be again, a persecuting power (13:7). See also 13:15-17. The Land Beast will provide the political clout to enforce the mark of the beast, and together they will make ‘war with the saints’. |
8. It will eventually have authority over the whole world, ‘over every tribe, tongue, and nation’ (13:7). But only for a short time. See Revelation 17:7-18. |
9. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, and ultimately Satan, the power behind the beast (13: 4, 8). The only ones who will not worship this beast power are those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (13: 8 and 22:19). |
How will we know who the Antichrist is? A careful and prayerful study of Daniel and Revelation, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, will clearly reveal the identity of this persecuting power.
For more information on the antichrist please visit this website: https://www.amazingfacts.com.au/ and check out the Free Offers. There you will find a fact-filled booklet entitled ‘Who is the Antichrist?’ It will help you to understand and identify the antichrist and answer any questions you may have.
