Our Present Age

and how it will end

 

Chapter 16 – The Antichrist and the Beast

The word “Antichrist” is not found in the Book of Revelation, but it is understood by most people that the Antichrist will be a powerful leader who rises into power during the final tribulation period. Most Bible scholars would agree that the son of perdition of 2 Thessalonians 2 is the Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2 :3-4 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day 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 of God, showing himself that he is God.

Daniel 11 describes a confrontation that will occur between several 2 kings, the king of the North against the king of the South. There are several kings who rise to power as the king of the North, but then a king will rise into power described as “a vile person”, who will “come in peaceably and seize the kingdom by deception”.

Daniel 11:21-23 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably and seize the kingdom by deception. With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. And after an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.

After an alliance is made with him, he will “act deceitfully” and gain even more power and “do what his fathers have not done”. The fact that “his fathers” and “forefather” are being mentioned here indicates that this person could very well be of Jewish descent.

Daniel 11:24-27 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. Both these kings' hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.

This king of the North is then seen “returning to his land” and “shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage”. Verse 28 further supports that the Antichrist is from Israel as Daniel states that he will “return to his own land”.

Daniel 11:28-31 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land. At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. For ships from Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.  And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

In verse 31 we see the Antichrist set up “the abomination of desolation” in the sanctuary fortress. We can know that when the Antichrist sets up the abomination of desolation in the holy place, God will “shorten those day”, otherwise “no flesh would be saved.”

Matthew 24:15-22 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight 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; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

The Antichrist is going to “come in peaceably” at first, but then he will be revealed as “the man of sin” and the “son of perdition” who will sit as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. In the Book of Revelation he is described as a “beast coming up out of the earth” who will appear to be as a lamb who speaks as a dragon.

Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

This verse begins to paints the following picture for us:

1.     Because he is a beast, he is most likely not fully human.

2.     Because he is seen coming up out of the earth could mean that he either comes up from a subterranean part of the earth, or that he rises up into power from out of the earth.

3.     Because he has two horns like a lamb could mean that he comes looking like the Messiah.

4.     Because he speaks like a dragon means that he will speak the words of the devil.

Therefore it could be reasonable to conclude that this Antichrist will be a demi-god/Nephilim type of being that has been waiting for his time to rise into power and then one day revealed as the “man of sin” and the “son of perdition”. As he rises into power, he will come looking like the Savior of the world, but the words that he speaks will be inspired by Satan. Rev 13:12 tells us that he will exercise all the authority of the first beast that rose to power before him (the house of Satan working as a hive mind), and he will also cause the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast.

Rev 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Now we need to identity “the first beast” that rises to power before him.

Rev 13:1-3 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world marveled after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast while saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

This passage paints the following picture for us.

1.     Because this beast is rising up out of the sea means it rises up from the world.

2.     Because this beast is comprised of 7 heads, it signifies it is comprised of either 7 leaders, or 7 ruling powers that are working together as one beast system.

3.     Because it has 10 horns and 10 crowns means that it has been granted complete power and complete authority to rule over the nations of the world.

4.     The fact that one of its heads has been wounded to death but is healed, could represent that one of its ruling authorities will appear to have come from the dead, possibly Hitler’s Fourth Reich.

5.     The nations of the world will begin to worship the dragon (which is the House of Satan), which gave power to this beast.

The Book of Revelation describes a satanic trinity comprised of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. The dragon we know is Satan and the false prophet we know is the Antichrist, but who is the beast? We can know that the beast is made up of living entities because it will be thrown “alive” into the lake of fire on the Last Day.

Rev 20:10 And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

If the beast is not the Devil, then it must be comprised of some type of demonic beings. We know that the beast of Revelation has 8 heads, and that it will rule the world and the world will worship it.

Rev 13:3 And all the world marveled after the beast, and they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast. And they worshipped the beast while saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

This beast system will come speaking all manner of blasphemy against God, meaning it will come with many false gospels and teachings in order to turn everyone away from the only true saving Gospel.

Rev 13:5-6 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

This beast system will make war against Christianity and will be successful in destroying it. All the unsaved of the world (the tares, or goats), will begin to worship the beast system.

Rev 13:7-8 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The Antichrist will cause everyone in the world to worship the beast system.

Rev 13:13-14 He performs great miracles, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those miracles which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

The Antichrist will perform many miracles; he will heal the sick, and probably also bring the dead back to life. He will command fire to come down from heaven, meaning he will be able to command fallen angels to shoot fire down to the Earth in order to prove to the world that he possesses incredible power, and thus he will deceive those who dwell on the Earth.

Rev 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

The Antichrist will use advanced technology to create what I believe will be a holographic image of the beast. The image will be able to speak by means of artificial intelligence, and anyone who does not obey and worship it, will be executed.

Rev 13:16-18 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Rev 13 tells us that the mark of the beast is the number of a man, 666. Could it be that the mark of the beast creates transhumanism? Which means that any one who accepts it has been granted immortality?