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Subject: The Antichrist
* THE ANTICHRIST
o FORWARD
o CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION.
o CHAPTER TWO. THE PAPACY NOT THE ANTICHRIST.
o CHAPTER THREE. THE PERSON OF THE ANTICHRIST
o CHAPTER FOUR. NAMES AND TITLES OF THE ANTICHRIST.
o CHAPTER FIVE. THE GENIUS AND CHARACTER OF THE ANTICHRIST.
o CHAPTER SIX. THE CAREER OF THE ANTICHRIST.
o CHAPTER SEVEN. THE DOOM OF THE ANTICHRIST.
o CHAPTER EIGHT. ANTICHRIST IN THE PSALMS.
o CHAPTER NINE. THE ANTICHRIST IN THE PROPHETS.
o CHAPTER TEN. ANTICHRIST IN THE GOSPELS AND EPISTLES.
o CHAPTER ELEVEN. ANTICHRIST IN THE APOCALYPSE.
o CHAPTER TWELVE. THE ANTICHRIST IN REVELATION 13.
o CHAPTER THIRTEEN. TYPES OF THE ANTICHRIST.
o CHAPTER FOURTEEN. BABYLON AND THE ANTICHRIST.
o CHAPTER FIFTEEN. ANTICHRIST AND BABYLON.
o CHAPTER SIXTEEN. ANTICHRIST AND BABYLON. (REV. 18).
o CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. ISRAEL AND THE ANTICHRIST.
o THE ANTICHRIST.
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Typed by: Katherine Sewell ksewell@gate.net
April 1, 1997
This book is in the public domain.
THE ANTICHRIST
-----------------------
Arthur W. Pink
Author of "Gleanings in Genesis", "The Seven Sayings
of the Saviour on the Cross", "Exposition of
John's Gospel", "Why Four Gospels?", etc., etc.
-----------------------
I. C. Herendeen,
BIBLE TRUTH DEPOT
SWENGEL, PA.
THE ANTICHRIST
Arthur W. Pink
FORWARD
The contents of this book were first given out by the author at Bible
Conferences, and then appeared in their present form in Studies in the
Scriptures.[1] As the subject of them is of such importance to students of
prophecy, and as so little has been published thereon, we have deemed it
advisable to issue them, complete, in book form. So far as the writer is
aware, only two or three comparatively brief booklets and essays have
appeared on this particular theme, though to their contents we are indebted
for a number of helpful suggestions.
Our aim has been to present as comprehensive an outline as our space would
allow. Much of what we have advanced will no doubt be new to the great
majority of our readers. Frequently we have been obliged to deviate from the
interpretations of those who have gone before us. Nevertheless, we have
sought to give clear proof texts for everything advanced, and we would
respectfully urge the reader to examine them diligently and impartially.
The subject is unspeakably solemn, and before each chapter was commenced we
lifted up our heart to God that we might write with His fear upon us. To
speculate about any of the truths of Holy Writ is the height of irreverence:
better far to humbly acknowledge our ignorance when God has not made known
His mind to us. Only in His light do we see light. Secret things belong unto
the Lord, but the things which are revealed (in Scripture) belong unto us
and to our children. Therefore, it is our bounden duty, as well as holy
privilege, to search carefully and prayerfully into what God has been
pleased to tell us upon this, as upon all other subjects of inspiration.
Fully conscious are we that we have in no wise exhausted the subject. As the
time of the manifestation of the Man of Sin draws near, God may be pleased
to vouchsafe a fuller and better understanding of those parts of His Word
which make known "the things which must shortly come to pass". That others
may be led to make a more thorough inquiry for themselves is our earnest
hope, and that God may be pleased to use this work to stimulate to this end
is our prayer. May He deign to use to His glory whatever in this book is in
harmony with His Word, and cause to fall to the ground whatever in it is
displeasing to Him.
Arthur W. Pink,
Swengel, Pa.
October, 1923.
CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION.
Across the varied scenes depicted by prophecy there falls the shadow of
a figure at once commanding and ominous. Under many different names like the
aliases of a criminal, his character and movements are set before us. It is
our intention to write a series of papers concerning this one who will be
the full embodiment of human wickedness and the final manifestation of
satanic blasphemy. Many others have made reference to this mysterious
personage in their general expositions of prophecy, but so far as our
examination of the literature on this subject has carried us (and we have
endeavored to make it as thorough as possible) there seem to have been very
few attempts made to furnish a complete delineation of this Prince of
Darkness. We do not know of any exhaustive treatment of the subject, and for
this reason, and also because there is no little confusion in the minds of
many concerning the character and career of the coming Man of Sin, these
papers are not submitted to the attention of Bible students.
For upwards of twelve years we have studied diligently and prayerfully
what the Scriptures teach about the Pseudo-Christ. The deeper we have
carried these studies, the more surprised we are at the prominent place
which is given in the Bible to this Son of Perdition. There is an amazing
wealth of detail which, when carefully collected and arranged, supplies a
vivid biography of the one who is shortly to appear and take the government
of the world upon his shoulders. The very fact that the Holy Spirit has
caused so much to be written upon the subject at once denotes its great
importance. The prominence of the Antichrist in the prophetic Scriptures
will at once appear by a glance at the references that follow.
The very first prophecy of the Bible takes note of him, for in Gen.
3:15 direct reference is made to the Serpent's "Seed". In exodus a striking
type of him is furnished in Pharaoh, the defier of God; the one who cruelly
treated His people; the one who by ordering the destruction of all the male
children, sought to cut off Israel from being a nation; the one who met with
such a drastic end at the hands of the Lord. In the prophecy of Balaam, the
Antichrist is referred to under the name of "Asshur" (Num. 24:22), - in
future chapters evidence will be given to prove that "Asshur" and the
Antichrist are one and the same person. There are many other remarkable
types of the Man of Sin to be found in the historical books of the Old
Testament, but these we pass by now, as we shall devote a separate chapter
to their consideration.
In the book of Job he is referred to as "the Crooked Serpent" (Job
26:13): with this should be compared Isa. 27:1 where, as "the Crooked
Serpent", he is connected with the Dragon, though distinguished from him. In
the Psalms we find quite a number of references to him; as "the Bloody and
Deceitful Man" (5:6); "the Wicked (One)" (9:17); "the Man of the Earth"
(10:18); the "Mighty Man" (52:1); "the Adversary" (74:10); "the Head over
many countries" (110:6); "the Evil Man" and "the Violent Man" (140:1), etc.,
etc. Let the student give special attention to Psalms 10, 52, and 55.
When we turn to the Prophets there the references to this Monster of
Iniquity are so numerous that were we to cite all of them, even without
comment, it would take us quite beyond the proper bounds of this
introductory chapter. Only a few of the more prominent ones can, therefore,
be noticed.
Isaiah mentions him: first as the "Assyrian", "the Rod" of God's anger
(10:5); then as "the Wicked" (11:4); then as "the King of Babylon" (14:11-20
and cf 30:31-33); and also as the "Spoiler" - Destroyer (16:4). Jeremiah
calls him "the Destroyer of the Gentiles" (4:7); the "Enemy", the "Cruel
One" and "the Wicked" (30:14 and 23). Ezekiel refers to him as the "Profane
Wicked Prince of Israel" (21:25), and again under the figure of the "Prince
of Tyre" (28:2-10), and also as "the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal"
(38:2). Daniel gives a full delineation of his character and furnished a
complete outline of his career. Hosea speaks of him as "the King of Princes"
(8:10), and as the "Merchant" in whose hand are "the balances of deceit" and
who "loveth to oppress" (12:7). Joel describes him as the Head of the
Northern Army, who shall be overthrown because he "magnified himself to do
great things" (2:20). Amos terms him the "Adversary" who shall break
Israel's strength and spoil her palaces (3:11). Micah makes mention of him
in the fifth chapter of his prophecy (see v. 6). Nahum refers to him under
the name of "Belial (Heb.) and tells of his destruction (1:15). Habakkuk
speaks of him as "the Proud Man" who "enlarged his desires as hell, and is
as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and
heapeth unto him all peoples" (2:5). Zechariah describes him as "the Idol
Shepherd" upon whom is pronounced God's "woe", and upon whom descends His
judgment (11:17).
Nor is it only in the Old Testament that we meet with this fearful
character. Our Lord Himself spoke of him as the one who should "come in his
own name", and who would be "received" by Israel (John 5:43). The apostle
Paul gives us a full length picture of him in 2 Thess. 2, where he is
denominated "that Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition", who coming shall be
"after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders". The
apostle John mentions him by name, and declares that he will deny both the
Father and the Son (1 John 2:22). While in the Apocalypse, the last book in
the Bible, all these lines of prophecy are found to converge in "the Beast"
who shall ultimately be cast, together with the False Prophet, into the lake
of fire, there to be joined a thousand years later by the Devil himself, to
suffer for ever and ever in that fire specially "prepared" by God.
The appearing of the Antichrist is a most appalling and momentous
subject, and in the past, many well-meaning writers have deprived this
impending event of much of its terror and meaning, by confusing some of the
antichrists that have already appeared at various intervals on the stage of
human history, with that mysterious being who will tower high above all the
sons of Belial, being no less than Satan's counterfeit and opposer of the
Christ of God, who is infinitely exalted above all the sons of God. It
promotes the interests of Satan to keep the world in ignorance of the coming
Super-man, and there can be no doubt that he is the one who is responsible
for the general neglect in the study of this subject, and the author, too,
of the conflicting testimony which is being given out by those who speak and
write concerning it.
There have been three principal schools among the interpreters of the
prophecies pertaining to the Antichrist. The first have applied these
prophecies to persons of the past, to men who have been in their graves for
many centuries. The second have given these prophecies a present
application, finding their fulfillment in the Papacy which still exists.
While the third give them a future application, and look for their
fulfillment in a terrible being who is yet to be manifested. Now, widely
divergent as are these several views, the writer is assured there is an
element of truth in each of them. Many, if not the great majority of the
prophecies - not only those pertaining to the Antichrist, but to other
prominent objects of prediction - have at least a twofold, and frequently a
threefold fulfillment. They have a local and immediate fulfillment: they
have a continual and gradual fulfillment: and they have a final and
exhaustive fulfillment.
In the second chapter of his first epistle the apostle John declares,
"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Antichrist
shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is
the last time" (v. 18). In strict harmony with this, the apostle Paul
affirmed that the "mystery of iniquity" was "already" at work in his day (2
Thess. 2:7). This need not surprise us, for many centuries before the
apostles, the wise man declared, "The thing that hath been, is that which
shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is
no new thing under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9). History works in cycles, but as each
cycle is completed we are carried nearer the goal and consummation of
history. There have been, then, and there exist today, many antichrists, but
these are only so many forecasts and foreshadowings of the one who is yet to
appear. But it is of first importance that we should distinguish clearly
between an antichrist and the Antichrist. As we have said, there have
already been many antichrists, but the appearing of the Antichrist is yet
future.
The first school of interpreters referred to above, have lighted upon
Antiochus Epiphanes as the one who fulfills the prophecies respecting the
Antichrist. As far back as the days of Josephus (see his "Antiquities") this
view found ardent advocates. Appeal was made to the title he assumed
(Epiphanes signifying "Illustrious"); to his opposition against the worship
of Jehovah; to his remarkable military achievements; to his diplomatic
intrigues; to his defiling of the Temple; to his sacrificing of a pig in the
holy of holies; to his setting up of an image; and to his cruel treatment of
the Jews. But there are many conclusive reasons to prove that Antiochus
Epiphanes could not possibly be the Antichrist, though undoubtedly he was,
in several respects, a striking type of him, inasmuch as he foreshadowed
many of the very things which this coming Monster will do. It is sufficient
to point out that Antiochus Epiphanes had been in his grave for more than a
hundred years when the apostle wrote 2 Thess. 2.
Another striking character who has been singled out by those who
believe that the Antichrist has already appeared and finished his course, is
Nero. And here again there are, admittedly, many striking resemblances
between the type and the antitype. In his office of emperor of the Romans;
in his awful impiety; in his consuming egotism, in his bloodthirsty nature;
and in his ferocious and fiendish persecution of the people of God, we
discover some of the very lineaments which will be characteristic of the
Wicked One. But again it will be found that this man of infamous memory,
Nero, did nothing more than foreshadow that one who shall far exceed him in
satanic malignity. Positive proof that Nero was not the Antichrist is to be
found in the fact that he was in his grave before John wrote the thirteenth
chapter of the Revelation.
The second school of interpreters, to whom reference has been made
above, apply the prophecies concerning the Antichrist to the papal system,
and see in the succession of the popes the fac-simile of the Man of Sin.
Attention is called to Rome's hatred of the Gospel of God' grace; to her
mongrel combination of political and ecclesiastical rule; to her arrogant
claims and tyrannical anathemas upon all who dare to oppose them; to her
subtlety, her intrigues, her broken pledges; and last, but not least, to her
unspeakable martyrdom of those who have withstood her. The pope, we are
reminded, has usurped the place and prerogatives of the Son of God, and his
arrogance, his impiety, his claims to infallibility, his demand for personal
worship, all tally exactly with what is postulated of the Son of Perdition.
Antichristian, Roman Catholicism unquestionably is, yet, even this monstrous
system of evil falls short of that which shall yet be headed by the Beast.
We shall devote a separate chapter to a careful comparison of the papacy
with the prophecies which describe the character and career of the
Antichrist.
The third school of interpreters believe that the prophecies relating
to the Lawless One have not yet received their fulfillment, and cannot do so
until this present Day of Salvation has run its course. The Holy Spirit of
God, whose presence here now prevents the final outworking of the Mystery of
Iniquity, must be removed from these scenes before Satan can bring forth his
Masterpiece of deception and opposition to God. Many are the scriptures
which teach plainly that the manifestation of the Antichrist is yet future,
and these will come before us in our future studies. For the moment we must
continue urging upon our readers the importance of this subject and the
timeliness of our present inquiry.
The study of Antichrist is not merely one of interest to those who love
the sensational, but it is of vital importance to a right understanding of
dispensational truth. A true conception of the predictions which regard the
Man of Sin is imperatively necessary for an adequate examination of that
vast territory of unfulfilled prophecy. A single passage of scripture will
establish this. If the reader will turn to the beginning of 2 Thess. 2 he
will find that the saints in Thessalonica had been waiting for the coming of
God's Son from heaven, because they had been taught to expect their
gathering together unto Him before God launches His judgments upon the
world, which will distinguish the "Day of the Lord". But their faith had
been shaken and their hope disturbed. Certain ones had erroneously informed
them that "that day" had arrived, and therefore, their expectation of being
caught up to meet the Lord in the air had been disappointed. It was to
relieve the distress of these believers, and to repudiate the errors of
those who had disturbed them, that, moved by the Holy Spirit, the apostle
wrote his second epistle to the Thessalonian church.
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by our gathering together unto Him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind,
or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as
that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for
that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that
Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as
God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember
ye not, that, when I was yet with you I told you these things? And now ye
know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery
of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth (hindereth) will let,
until He be taken our of the way. And then shall that Wicked One 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, And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this
cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they might believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure
in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:1-12).
We have quoted this passage at length to show that the Day of the Lord
cannot come until after the Rapture (v. 1), after the Apostasy (v. 3), and
after the appearing of the Man of Sin (v. 3), whose character and career
here briefly but graphically sketched. The Antichrist is to run his career
of unparalleled wickedness after all Christians have been removed from these
scenes, for it it under him, as their leader, that all the hosts of
ungodliness shall muster to meet their doom by the summary judgment of God.
Has then, the Wicked One been revealed? or must we still say, as the apostle
said in his day, that while the "mystery of iniquity" is even now working,
there is something "withholding" (restraining), that he should be revealed
"in his time"? The vital importance of the answer which is given to these
questions will further appear when we connect with this description of the
Antichrist given in 2 Thess. 2 the other prophecies which reveal the exact
length of time within which his course must be accomplished. Our reason for
saying this is because the majority of the prophecies yet unfulfilled are to
be fulfilled during the time that the Antichrist is the central figure upon
earth. Moreover, the destruction of the Antichrist and his forces will be
the grand finale in the age-long conflict between the Serpent and the
woman's Seed, as He returns to set up His kingdom.
The dominant view which has been held by Protestants since the time of
the Reformation is that the many predictions relating to the Antichrist
describe, instead, the rise, progress, and doom of the papacy. This mistake
has led to others, and given rise to the scheme of prophetic interpretation
which has prevailed throughout Christendom. When the predictions concerning
the Man of Sin were allegorized, consistency required that all associated
and collateral predictions should also be allegorized, and especially those
which relate to his doom, and the kingdom which is to be established on the
overthrow of his power. When the period of his predicted course was made to
measure the whole duration of the papal system, it naturally followed that
the predictions of the associated events should be applied to the history of
Europe from the time that the Bishop of Rome became recognized as the head
of the Western Churches.
It was, really, this mistake of Luther and his contemporaries in
applying to Rome the prophecies concerning the Antichrist which is
responsible, we believe, for the whole modern system of post-millennialism.
The Reformers were satisfied that the Papacy had received its death blow,
and though it lingered on, the Protestants of the sixteenth century were
confident it could never recover. Believing that the doom of the Roman
hierarchy was sealed, that the kingdom of Satan was rocking on its
foundations, and that a brief interval would witness a complete overthrow,
they at once seized upon the prophecies which announced the setting up of
the kingdom of Christ as immediately following the destruction of the
Antichrist, and applied them to Protestantism. It is true that some of them
did not seem to fit very well, but human ingenuity soon found a way to
overcome these difficulties. The obstacle presented by those prophecies that
announced the immediate setting up of Christ's kingdom, following the
overthrow and destruction of Satan's, was surmounted by an appeal to the
analogy furnished in the overthrow of Satan's kingdom - if this was a
tedious process, a gradual thing which required time to complete, why not so
with the other? If the rapidly waning power of the papacy was sufficient to
guarantee its ultimate extermination, why should not the progress of the
Reformation presage the ultimate conquering of the world for Christ!
If, as it seemed clear to the Reformers, the papacy was the Man of Sin,
and St. Peter's was the "temple" in which he usurped the place and
prerogatives of Christ, then, this premise established, all the other
conclusions connected with their scheme of prophetic interpretation must
logically follow. To establish the premise was the first thing to be done,
and once the theory became a settled conviction it was no difficult thing to
find scriptures which appeared to confirm their view. The principal
difficulty in the way was to dispose of the predictions which limited the
final stage of Antichrist's career to forty-two months, or twelve hundred
sixty days. This was accomplished by what is known as the "year-day" theory,
which regards each of the 1260 days as "prophetic days", that is, as 1260
years, and thus sufficient room was afforded to allow for the protracted
history of Roman Catholicism.
Without entering into further details, it is evident at once that, if
this allegorical interpretation of the prophecies regarding Antichrist can
be proven erroneous,[2] then the whole post-millennial and "historical"
schemes of interpretation fall to the ground, and thousands of the
voluminous expositions of prophecy which have been issued during the past
three hundred and fifty years are set aside as ingenious but baseless
speculations. This, of itself, is sufficient to demonstrate the importance
of our present inquiry.
Not only is the importance of our subject denoted by the prominent
place given to it in the Word of God, and not only is its value established
by the fact that a correct understanding of the person of Antichrist is one
of the chief keys to the right interpretation of the many prophecies which
yet await their fulfillment, but the timeliness of this inquiry is
discovered by noting that the Holy Spirit has connected the appearing of the
Antichrist with the Apostasy: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day shall not come, except there come a falling away (the Apostasy) first,
and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3). These
two things are here joined together, and if it can be shown that the
Apostasy is already far advanced, then we may be certain that the
manifestation of the Man of Sin cannot be far distant.
There is little need for us to make a lengthy digression here and give
a selection from the abundance of evidence to hand, which shows that the
Apostasy is already far advanced. The great majority of those whom we are
addressing have already had their eyes opened by God to discern the
Christ-dishonoring conditions which exist on almost every side. It will be
enough to barely mention the gathering of the "tares" into bundles, which is
taking place before our eyes; the rapid spread of Spiritism, with its
"seducing spirits and doctrines of demons", and the significant and solemn
fact that thousands of those who are ensnared by it are those who have
departed from the formal profession of the faith (1 Tim. 4:1); the "form of
godliness" which still exists, but which alas! in the vast majority of
instances "denies its power "; the alarming development and growth of Roman
Catholicism in this land, and the lethargic indifference to this by most of
those who bear the name of Christ; the denial of every cardinal doctrine of
the faith once delivered to the saints, which is now heard in countless
pulpits of every denomination; the "scoffing" which is invariably met with
by those who teach the imminent return of the Lord Jesus; and the Lacodicean
spirit which is now the very atmosphere of Christendom, and from which few,
if any, of the Lord's own people are entirely free - these, and a dozen
others which might be mentioned, are the proofs which convince us that the
time must be very near at hand when the Divine Hinderer shall be removed,
and when satan shall bring forth his Son to head the final revolt against
God, ere the Lord Jesus returns to this earth and sets up His kingdom. This
then, shows the need of a prayerful examination of what God has revealed of
those things "which must shortly come to pass". The very fact that the time
when Satan's Masterpiece shall appear is rapidly drawing nearer, supplies
further evidence of the importance and timeliness of our present inquiry.
The practical value of these preliminary considerations should at once
be apparent. What we have written in connection with this incarnation of
Satan who is shortly to appear, is not the product of a disordered
imagination but the subject of Divine revelation. The warning given that the
appearing of the Antichrist cannot be far distant springs not from the fears
of an alarmist, but is required by the Signs of the Times which, in the
light of Scripture, are fraught with significant meaning to all whose senses
are exercised to discern both good and evil. The many proofs that the
manifestation of the Man of Sin is an event of the near future are so many
calls to God's own children to be ready for the Return of the Saviour, for
before the Son of Perdition can be revealed the Lord Himself must first
descend into the air and catch away from these scenes, unto Himself, His own
blood-bought people. Therefore, it behooves each one of us to make "our
calling and election sure", and to heed that urgent admonition of the
Saviour "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye
yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord" (Luke 12:35, 36).
CHAPTER TWO. THE PAPACY NOT THE ANTICHRIST.
"I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall
come in his own name, him ye will receive" (John 5:43). These words were
spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the occasion on which they were uttered
and the connection in which they are found, invest them with peculiar
solemnity. The chapter opens by depicting the Saviour healing the impotent
man who lay by the pool of Bethesda. This occurred on the Sabbath day, and
the enemies of Christ made it the occasion for a vicious attack upon Him:
"Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He
had done these things on the Sabbath day" (v. 16). In vindicating His
performance of this miracle on the Sabbath, the Lord Jesus began by saying,
"My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (v. 17). But this only served to
intensify their enmity against Him, for we read, "Therefore the Jews sought
the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said
also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God" (v. 18). In
response, Christ then made a detailed declaration of His divine glories. In
conclusion He appealed to the varied witnesses which bore testimony to His
Deity: - the Father Himself (v. 32); John the Baptist (v. 33); His own works
(v. 36); and the Scriptures (v. 39). Then He turned to those who were
opposing Him and said, "And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.
But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in My
Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name,
him ye will receive" (vv. 40, 42, 43). And this was immediately followed by
this searching question - "How can ye believe which receive honor (glory)
one of another, and seek not the honor (glory) that cometh from God only?"
(v. 44).
Here is the key to the solemn statement which begins this article.
These Jews received glory from one another; they did not seek it from God,
for they had not the love of God in them. Therefore it was that the One who
had come to them in the Father's name, and who "received not glory from men"
(v. 41) was rejected by them. And just as eve's rejection of the word of
God's truth laid her open to accept the serpent's lie, so Israel's rejection
of the true Messiah, has prepared them, morally, to receive the false
Messiah, for he will come in his own name, doing his own pleasure, and will
"receive glory from men". Thus will he thoroughly appeal to the corrupt
heart of the natural man.
The future appearing of this one who shall "come in his own name" was
announced, then, by the Lord Himself. The Antichrist will be "received", not
only by the Jews, but also by the whole world; received as their
acknowledged Head and Ruler; and all the modern pleas for and movements to
bring about a federation of the churches and a union of Christendom,
together with the present-day efforts to establish a League of Nations - a
great United States of the World - are but preparing the way for just such a
character as is portrayed both in the Old and New Testaments.
There will be many remarkable correspondences between the true and the
false Christ, but more numerous and more striking will be the contrasts
between the Son of God and the Son of perdition. The Lord Jesus came down
from Heaven, whereas the Antichrist shall ascent from the bottomless Pit
(Rev. 11:7). The Lord Jesus came in His Father's name, emptied Himself of
His glory, lived in absolute dependence upon God, and refused to receive
honor from men; but the Man of Sin will come in his own name, embodying all
the pride of the Devil, opposing and exalting himself not only against the
true God, but against everything that bears His name, and his deepest
craving will be to receive honor and homage from men.
Now since this parallel, with its pointed contrasts, was drawn by our
Lord Himself in John 5:43, how conclusive is the proof which it affords that
the Antichrist will be a single individual being as surely as Christ was! In
further proof of this 1 John 2:18 may be cited: "Little children, it is the
last hour: and as ye heard that Antichrist cometh, even now hath there
arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour" (R.V.).
Here the Antichrist is plainly distinguished from the many who prepare his
way. The verb "cometh" here is a remarkable one, for it is the very same
that is used of the Lord Jesus Christ in reference to His first and second
Advents. The Antichrist, therefore, is also "the coming one", or "he that
cometh". This defines his relation to the world, - which has long been
expecting some Conquering Hero - as "the Coming One" defines the relation of
the Christ of God to His Churches, whose Divinely-inspired hope is the
return of the Lord from Heaven.
Nor does this by any means exhaust the proof that the coming Antichrist
will be a single individual being. The expressions used by the apostle Paul
in 2 Thess. 2 - "that Man of Sin", "The Son of Perdition", "he that opposeth
and exalteth himself", "the Wicked One whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of His mouth", "he whose coming is after the working of Satan" - all
these point as distinctly to a single individual as did the Messianic
predictions of the Old Testament point to the person of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Now, in accordance with these texts, and many others which might be
quoted, we find that all the Christian writers of the first six centuries
(that is all who make reference to the subject) regarded the Antichrist as a
real person, a specific individual. We might fill many pages by giving
extracts from their works, but three must suffice. The first is taken from a
very ancient document, entitled "The Teaching of the Apostles", which
probably dates back to the beginning of the second century: -
"For in the last days the false prophets and the destroyers shall be
multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be
turned into hate. For when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and
persecute and deliver up one another; and then shall appear the
world-deceiver as Son of God, who shall do signs and wonders, and the earth
shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do lawless deeds such as
have never yet been done since the beginning of the world. Then shall the
race of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be offended and
shall perish, but they who have endured in their faith shall be saved under
the very curse itself".
Our second quotation is taken from the writings of Cyril, who was
Bishop of Jerusalem in the fourth century:
"This aforementioned Antichrist comes when the times of the sovereignty
of the Romans shall be fulfilled, and the concluding events of the world
draw nigh. Ten kings of the Romans arise at the same time in different
places, perhaps; but reigning at the same period. But after these, the
antichrist is the eleventh, having, by his magic and evil skill, violently
possessed himself of the Roman power. Three of those who have reigned before
him, he will subdue; the other seven he will hold in subjection to himself.
At first he assumes a character of gentleness (as if a wise and
understanding person), pretending both to moderation and philanthropy;
deceiving, both by lying miracles and prodigies which come from his magical
deceptions, the Jews, as if he were the expected Messiah. Afterwards he will
addict himself to every kind of evil, cruelty, and excess, so as to surpass
all who have been unjust and impious before him; having a bloody and
relentless and pitiless mind, and full of wily devices against all, and
especially against believers. But having dared such things three years and
six months, he will be destroyed by the second glorious coming from heaven
of the truly begotten Son of God, who is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the
true Messiah; who, having destroyed Antichrist by the Spirit of His mouth,
will deliver him to the fire Gehenna".
Our last quotation is made from the writings of Gregory of Tours, who
wrote at the end of the sixth century A.D.: -
"Concerning the end of the world, I believe what I have learnt from
those who have gone before me. Antichrist will assume circumcision,
asserting himself to be the Christ. He will then place a statue to be
worshipped in the Temple at Jerusalem, as we read that the Lord has said,
`Ye shall see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place'".
Our purpose in making these quotations is not because we regard the
voice of antiquity as being in any degree authoritative: far from it; the
only authority for us is "What saith the Scriptures?". Nor have we presented
these views as curious relics of antiquity - though it is interesting to
discover the thoughts which occupied some of the leading minds of past ages.
No: our purpose has been simply to show that the early Christian writers
uniformly held that the Antichrist would be a real person, a Jew, one who
should both simulate and oppose the true Christ. Such continued to be the
generally received doctrine until what is known as the Dark Ages were far
advanced.
It is not until we reach the fourteenth century (so far as the writer
is aware) that we find the first marked deviation from the uniform belief of
the early Christians. It was the Waldenses, - so remarkably sound in the
faith on almost all point of doctrine - who, thoroughly worn out by
centuries of the most relentless and merciless persecutions, published about
the year 1350 a treatise designed to prove that the system of Popery was the
Antichrist. It should however be said in honor of this people, whose memory
is blessed, that in one of their earliest books entitled "The Noble Lesson",
published about 1100 A.D., they taught that the Antichrist was an individual
rather than a system.
Following the new view espoused by the Waldenses it was not long before
the Hussites, the Wycliffites and the Lollards - other companies of
Christians who were fiercely persecuted by Rome - eagerly caught up the
idea, and proclaimed that the Pope was the Man of Sin and the papacy the
Beast. From them it was handed on to the leaders of the Reformation who soon
made an earnest attempt to systematize this new scheme of eschatology. But
rarely has there been a more forceable example of the tendency of men's
belief to be mouled by the events and signs of their own lifetime. In order
to adapt the prophecies of the Antichrist to the Papal hierarchy, or the
line of the Popes, they had to be so wrested that scarcely anything was left
of their original meaning.
"The coming Man of Sin had to be changed into a long succession of men.
The time of his continuance, which God had stated with precision and
clearness as forty-two months (Rev. 13:5), or three years and a half, being
far too short for the line of Popes, had to be lengthened by an ingenious,
but most unwarrantable, process of first resolving it into days, and then
turning these days into years.
"The fact that, in the 13th chapter of the Apocalypse, the first Beast
or secular power, is supreme while the second Beast or ecclesiastical power
is subordinate, had to be ignored; since such an arrangement is opposed to
all the traditions of the Roman system. Also the circumstances that the
second Beast is a prophet and not a priest, had to be kept in the
background; for the Roman church exalts the priest, and has little care for
the prophet. Then, again, the awful words pronouncing sentence of death upon
every one who worshipped the Beast and his image, and receives his mark in
his forehead or in his hand (Rev. 13), seemed - and no wonder - too terrible
to be applied to every Roman Catholic, and, therefore, had to be explained
away or suppressed" (G. H. Pember).
Nevertheless, by common consent the Reformers applied the prophecies
which treat of the character, career, and doom of the Antichrist, to Popery,
and regarded those of his titles which referred to him as "that Man of Sin,
the Son of Perdition", the "King of Babylon" and "the Beast", as only so
many names for the head of the Roman hierarchy. But this view, which was
upheld by most of the Puritans too, must be brought to the test of the one
infallible standard of Truth which our gracious God has placed in our hands.
We must search the Scriptures to see whether these things be so or not.
Now we shall hold no brief for the pope, nor have we anything good to
say of that pernicious system of which he is the head. On the contrary, we
have no hesitation in denouncing as rank blasphemy the blatant assumption of
the pope as being the infallible vicar of Christ. Nor do we hesitate to
declare that the Papacy has been marked, all through its long history, by
impious arrogance, awful idolatry, and unspeakable cruelty. But,
nevertheless, there are many scriptures which prevent us from believing that
the Papacy and the Antichrist are identical. The Son of Perdition will
eclipse any monstrosities that have sprung from the waves of the Tiber. The
Bible plainly teaches us to look for a more terrible personage than any
Hildebrand or Leo.
Undoubtedly there are many points of analogy between Antichrist and the
popes, and without doubt the Papal system has foreshadowed to a remarkable
degree the character and career of the coming Man of Sin. Some of the
parallelisms between them were pointed out by us in the previous chapter,
and to these many more might be added. Not only is it evident that Roman
Catholicism is a most striking type and harbinger of that one yet to come,
but the cause of truth requires us to affirm that the Papacy is an
antichrist, doubtless, the most devilish of them all. Yet, we say again,
that Romanism is not the Antichrist. As it is likely that many of our
readers have been educated in the belief that the pope and the Antichrist
are identical, we shall proceed to produce some of the numerous proofs which
go to show that such is not the case. That the Papacy cannot possibly be the
Antichrist appears from the following considerations: =
1. The term "Antichrist" whether employed in the singular or the
plural, denotes a person or persons, and never a system. We may speak
correctly of an anti-Christ-ian system, just as we may refer to a Christian
organization; but it is just as inadmissible and erroneous to refer to any
system or organization as "the Antichrist" or "an antichrist", as it would
be to denominate any Christian system or organization "the Christ", or "a
Christ". Just as truly as the Christ is the title of a single person the Son
of God, so the Antichrist will be a single person, the son of Satan.
2. The Antichrist will be a lineal descendant of Abraham, a Jew. We
shall not stop to submit the proof for this, as that will be given in our
next chapter; suffice it now to say that none but a full-blooded Jew could
ever expect to palm himself off on the Jewish people as their long-expected
Messiah. Here is an argument that has never been met by those who believe
that the pope is the Man of Sin. So far as we are aware no Israelite has
ever occupied the Papal See - certainly none has done so since the seventh
century.
3. In line with the last argument, we read in Zech. 11:16,17, "For, lo,
I will raise up a Shepherd in the land which shall not visit those that be
cut off, neither shall seek the young ones, nor heal that that is broken,
nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat,
and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the Idol Shepherd that leaveth the
flock! The sword (of Divine judgment) shall be upon his arm (his power), and
upon his right eye (intelligence): his arm shall be clean dried up, and his
right eye shall be utterly darkened". "The land" here is, of course,
Palestine, as is ever the case in Scripture with this expression. This could
not possibly apply to the line of the Popes.
4. In 2 Thess. 2:4 we learn that the Man of Sin shall sit "in the
Temple of God", and St. Peter's at Rome cannot possibly be called that. The
"Temple" in which the Antichrist shall sit will be the rebuilt temple of the
Jews, and that will be located not in Italy but in Jerusalem. In later
chapters it will be shown that he Mosque of Omar shall yet be replaced by a
Jewish Temple before our Lord returns to earth.
5. The Antichrist will be received by the Jews. This is clear from the
passage which heads the first paragraph of this chapter. "I am come in My
Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name,
him ye will receive"; but the Jews have never yet owned allegiance to any
pope.
6. The Antichrist will make a Covenant with the Jews. In Dan. 9:27 we
read, "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for a week". The one
referred to here as making this seven-year Covenant is "the Prince that
shall come" of the previous verse, namely, the Antichrist, who will be the
Head of the ten-kingdomed Empire. The nation with whom the Prince will make
this covenant is the people of Daniel, as is clear from the context - see v.
24. But we know of no record upon the scroll of history of any pope having
ever made a seven-year Covenant with the Jews!
7. In Dan. 11:45 we read, "And he shall plant the tabernacles of his
palace between the seas, in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to
his end, and none shall help him". The person referred to here is, again,
the Antichrist, as will be seen by going back to v. 36 where this section of
the chapter begins. There we are told, "The king shall do according to his
will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and
shall speak marvelous things against he God of gods, and shall prosper till
the indignation be accomplished; for that that is determined shall be done".
This is more than sufficient to identify with certainty the one spoken of in
the last verse of Dan. 11. The Antichrist, then, will plant the tabernacles
of his palace "between the seas", that is, between the Mediterranean and the
Red Sea. By no species of ingenuity can this be made to apply to the pope,
for his palace, the Vatican, is located in the capital city of Italy.
8. The Antichrist cannot be revealed until the mystic Body of Christ
and the Holy Spirit have been removed from the earth. This is made clear by
what we read in 2 Thess. 2. In verse three of that chapter the apostle
refers to the revelation of the Man of Sin. In verse four he describes his
awful impiety. In verse five he reminds the Thessalonians how that he had
taught them these things by word of mouth when he was with them. And then,
in verse six he declares "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be
revealed in his time". And again he said, "For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only He who now letteth (hindereth) will let until He be taken
out of the way". There are two agencies,then, which are hindering, or
preventing the manifestation of the Antichrist, until "his time" shall have
come. The former agency is covered by the pronoun "what", the latter by the
word "He". The former, we are satisfied, is the mystical Body of Christ; the
latter being the Holy Spirit of God. At the Rapture both shall be "taken out
of the way", and then shall the Man of Sin be revealed. If, then, the
Antichrist cannot appear before the Rapture of the saints and the taking
away of the Holy Spirit, then, here is proof positive that the Antichrist
has not yet appeared.
9. Closely akin to the last argument is the fact that quite a number of
definite scriptures place the appearing of the Antichrist at that season
known as the End-Time. Dan. 7 and 8 make it plain that the Antichrist will
run his career at the very end of this age (we do not say this
"dispensation" for that will end at the Rapture), that is, during the great
Tribulation, the time of "Jacob's trouble". Dan. 7:21-23 declares, "I
beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against
them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints
of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom".
Dan. 8:19 places his course (see 8:23-25) at "the last end of the
indignation", i.e. of God's wrath against Israel and the Gentiles. Dan. 9
shows that he will make his seven-years' Covenant with the Jews at the
beginning of the last of the seventy "weeks" which is to bring in "the end"
of Israel's sins and "finish the transgression" (9: 24). If the time of the
Antichrist's manifestation is yet future then it necessarily follows that
Rome cannot be the Antichrist.
10. The Antichrist will deny both the Father and the Son: "He is
Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22). This
scripture does not speak of virtual, but of actual and formal denial. But
Rome has always maintained in her councils and creeds, her symbols of faith
and worship, that there are three persons in the Godhead. Numerous and
grievous have been her departures from the teaching of Holy Scripture, yet
since the time of the Council of Trent (1563 A.D.) every Roman Catholic has
had to confess "I believe in God the Father...and in the Lord Jesus
Christ....and in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, which
proceedeth from the Father and the Son".
As a system Romanism is a go-between. The "priest" stands between the
sinner and God; the `confessional' between him and the throne of grace;
`penance' between him and godly sorrow; the `mass' between him and Christ;
and `purgatory' between him and Heaven. The pope acknowledges both the
Father and the Son: he confesses himself to be both the servant of God and
His worshipper; he blesses the people not in his own name, but in that of
the Holy Trinity.
11. The Antichrist is described as the one "who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as
God sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thess.
2:4). This is what the popes have never done. Not even Leo ventured to deify
himself or supersede God. The popes have made many false and impious claims
for themselves; nevertheless, their decrees have been sent forth as from the
"vice-gerent" of God, the "vicar" of Christ - thus acknowledging a Divine
power above himself.
12. In Rev. 13:2,4 we read, "And the beast which I saw was like unto a
leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth
of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great
authority...and they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast".
By comparing these verses with Rev. 12:9 we learn that the Dragon is none
other than Satan himself. Now by almost common consent this first beast of
Rev. 13 is the Antichrist. If, then, Romanism be the Antichrist, where, we
may ask, shall we turn to find anything answering to what we read of here in
Rev. 13:4 - "And they worshipped the dragon, which gave power unto the
beast".
13. This same 13th chapter of Revelation informs us that the Antichrist
(the first Beast) shall be aided by a second Beast who is denominated "the
False Prophet" (Rev. 19:20). The False Prophet, we are told "exerciseth all
the power of the First Beast before him, and causeth the earth and them
which dwell therein to worship the First Beast" (Rev. 13:12). If the First
Beast be the Papacy, then who is the False Prophet who "causeth the earth
and them which dwell therein to worship" her?
14. Again; we are told that this False Prophet shall say to them that
dwell on the earth "that they should make an image to the Beast, which had
the wound by a sword and did live" (Rev. 13:14). Further, we are told, "And
he had power to give life unto the image of the Beast, that the image of the
Beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the Beast should be killed" (Rev 13:15). Where do we find anything
in Popery which in anywise resembles this?
15. In Dan. 9:27 we are told that the Antichrist "shall cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease". And again in 8:11 we read, "Yea, he
magnified himself even against the Prince of the host, and by him the daily
sacrifice was taken away". If Romanism is the Antichrist how can these
scriptures be made to square with the oft repeated "Sacrifice of the Mass"?
16. The dominion of the Antichrist shall be world-wide. The coming Man
of Sin will assert a supremacy which shall be unchallenged and universal.
"And all the world wondered after the Beast" (Rev. 13:3). "And power was
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (13:7). It hardly
needs to be pointed out that half of Christendom, to say nothing of
Heathendom, is outside the pale of Rome, and is antagonistic to the claims
of the Papacy. Again; in 13:17 we read "No man might buy or sell, save he
that had the mark, or the name of the Beast, or the number of his name": and
when, we ask, has any pope exercised such commercial supremacy that none
could buy or sell without his permission?
17. The duration of Antichrist's career, after he comes out in his true
character, will be limited to forty-two months. There are no less than six
scriptures which, with a variety of expression, affirm this time
restriction. In Dan. 7:25 we learn that this one who shall "think to change
times and laws", will have these "given into his hand until a time, and
times, and the dividing of time": that is, for three years and a half - cf.
Rev. 12:14 with 12:6. And again in Rev. 13:5 we are told, "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" (Rev. 13:5). Now it is
utterly impossible to make this harmonize with the protracted history of
Romanism by any honest method of computation.
18. In Rev. 13:7,8 we read, "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 face of 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". Here we are expressly told
that the only ones who will not "worship the Beast", i.e. the Antichrist,
are they whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. If then the
pope is the Antichrist, all who do not worship him must have their names
written in the Lamb's book of life - an absurdity on the face of it, for
this world be tantamount to saying that all the infidels, atheists, and
unbelievers of the last thousand years who were outside of the pale of Roman
Catholicism are saved.
19. In 2 Thess. 2:11,12 we are told, "For this cause God shall end them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness". The
context here shows that "believing a lie" means accepting the claims of the
Antichrist. Those who believe his claims will "receive him (John 5:43), and
not only so, they will "worship" him (Rev. 13:8); and 2 Thess. 2:12 declares
that all who do this will be damned". If, then,the pope is the Antichrist,
then it necessarily follows that all who have believed his lying claims,
that all who have received him s the vicar of Christ, that all who have
worshipped him, will be eternally lost. But the writer would not for a
moment make any such sweeping assertion. He, together with thousands of
others, believes firmly that during the centuries there have been many Roman
Catholics who, despite much ignorance and superstition, have been among that
number that have exercised faith in the blood of Christ, and that lived and
died resting on the finished work of Christ as the alone ground of their
acceptance before God, and who because of this shall be forever with the
Lord.
20. That the Antichrist and the Papacy are totally distinct is
unequivocally established by the teaching of Rev. 17. Here we learn that
there shall be ten kings who will reign "with the Beast" (v. 12), and act in
concert with him (vv. 13,16). Then we are told "these shall hate the Whore
(the papacy), and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her
flesh, and burn her with fire" (v. 16). Instead of the Antichrist and the
Papacy being identical, the former shall destroy the latter; whereas, the
Antichrist shall be destroyed by Christ Himself, see 2 Thess. 2:8.
Perhaps a word of explanation is called for as to why we have entered
into such lengthy details in presenting some of the many proofs that the
Papacy is not the Antichrist. Our chief reason for doing so was because we
expect that many who will read this paper are among the number who have been
brought up in the belief which was commonly taught by the Reformers and
which has prevailed generally since their day. For those readers who had
already been established on this point, we would ask them to please bear
with us for having sought to help those less fortunate. Our next chapter
will be one of more general interest, for in it we shall discuss the person
of the Antichrist - who he will be, from whence he will spring, and what
marks will serve to identify him.
CHAPTER THREE. THE PERSON OF THE ANTICHRIST
In our last chapter we pointed out how that the Antichrist is not a
system of evil, nor an anit-Christian organization, but instead, a single
individual being, a person yet to appear. In support of this we appealed to
the declaration of our Lord recorded in John 5:43; "I am come in My Father's
name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye
will receive". Here the Saviour both compares and contrasts the Man of Sin
with Himself. The point of comparison is that, like the Saviour, he shall
offer himself to Israel; the contrast is, that unlike Christ who was
rejected by the Jews, the false messiah shall be "received" by them. If,
then, the Antichrist may be compared and contrasted with the Christ of God,
he, too, must be a person, an individual being.
Again; we called attention to the expression used by the apostle Paul
in 2 Thess. 2: - "That Man of Sin", "the Son of Perdition", he that opposeth
and exalteth himself", "the Wicked One whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of His mouth", "he whose coming is after the working of Satan" - all
these point as distinctly to a single individual as did the Messianic
predictions of the Old Testament point to the person of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Assured, then, that "the Antichrist" signifies a specific
individual, our next concern is to turn to the Scriptures and learn what God
has been pleased to reveal concerning this Personification of Evil.
I. THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE A JEW.
The Antichrist will be a Jew, though his connections, his governmental
position, his sphere of dominion, will by no means confine him to the
Israelitish people. It should, however, be pointed out that there is no
express declaration of Scripture which says in so many words that this
daring Rebel will be "a Jew"; nevertheless, the hints given are so plain,
the conclusions which must be drawn from certain statements of Holy Writ are
so obvious, and the requirements of the case are so inevitable, that we are
forced to believe he must be a Jew. To these `hints', `conclusions' and
`requirements' we now turn.
1. In Ezek. 21:25-27 we read: "and thou, profane wicked prince of
Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the
Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the
same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn,
overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more until he comes whose right it
is, and I will give it him". The dispensational place and scope of this
passage, is not hard to determine. The time-mark is given in v. 25: it is
"when iniquity shall have an end". It is the End-Time which is in view,
then, the End of the Age, when "the transgressors are come to the full"
(Dan. 8:23 and cf. 11:36 - "Till the indignation be accomplished"). At that
time Israel shall have a Prince, a Prince who is crowned (v. 26), and a
Prince whose day is said to be come when iniquity shall have an end". Now,
as to who this Prince is, there is surely no room for doubt. The only Prince
whom Israel will have in that day, is the Son of Perdition, here termed
their Prince because he will be masquerading as Messiah the Prince (see Dan.
9:25)! Another unmistakable mark of identification is here given, in that he
is expressly denominated "thou, profane wicked Prince" - assuredly, it is
the Man of Sin who is here in view, that impious one who shall "oppose and
exalt himself above all that is called God". But what should be noted
particularly, is, that this profane and wicked character is here named
"Prince of Israel". He must, therefore, be of the Abrahamic stock, a Jew!
2. In Ezek. 28:2-10 a remarkable description is given us of the
Antichrist under the figure of "the Prince of Tyrus", just as in vv.12-19 we
have another most striking delineation of Satan under the figure of "the
king of Tyrus". In a later chapter we hope to show that, beyond a doubt, it
is the Antichrist who is in view in the first section of this chapter. There
is only one thing that we would now point out from this passage: in v.10 it
is said of him "Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised", which is a
very strong hint that he ought not to die the deaths of the "uncircumcised"
because he belonged to the Circumcision! Should it be said that this verse
cannot apply to the Antichrist because he will be destroyed by Christ
Himself at His coming, the objection is very easily disposed of by a
reference to Rev. 13:14, which tells of the Antichrist being wounded to
death by a sword and rising from the dead - which is prior to his ultimate
destruction at the hands of the Saviour.
3. In Dan. 11:36,37 we are told, "And the king shall do according to
his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god,
and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper
till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be
done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers". This passage, it is
evident, refers to and describes none other than the coming Antichrist. But
what we wish to call special attention to is the last sentence quoted - "The
God of his fathers". What are we to understand by this expression? Why,
surely, that he is a Jew, an Israelite, and that his fathers after the flesh
were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - for such is the invariable meaning of "the
fathers" throughout the Old Testament Scriptures.
4. In Matt. 12:43-45 we have another remarkable scripture which will be
considered briefly, in a later section of this chapter, when we shall
endeavor to show that "The Unclean Spirit" here is none other than the Son
of Perdition, and that the "house' from which he goes out and into which he
returns, is the Nation of Israel. If this can be established, then we have
another proof that he will be a Jew, for this "house", which is Israel, is
here termed by Antichrist "my house". Just as Solomon was of "the House of
David", so Antichrist shall be of the House of Israel.
5. In John 5:43 we have a further word which helps us to fix the
nationality of this coming One. In speaking of the false messiah, the Lord
Jesus referred to him as follows, "Another shall come in his own name". In
the Greek there are four different words all translated "Another" in our
English versions. One of them is employed but once, and a second but five
times, so these need not detain us now. The remaining two are used
frequently, and with a clear distinction between them. The first "allos"
signifies "another" of the same kind or genus - see Matt. 10:23; 13:24;
26:71, etc. The second, "heteros", means "another" of a totally different
kind, - see Mark 16:12; Luke 14:31; Acts 7:18; Rom. 7:23. Now the striking
thing is that the word used by our Lord in John 5:43 is "allos", another of
the same genus, not "heteros", another of a different order. Christ, the Son
of Abraham, the Son of David, had presented Himself to Israel, and they
rejected Him; but "another" of the same Abrahamic stock should come to them,
and him they would "receive". If the coming Antichrist were to be a Gentile,
the Lord would have employed the word "heteros"; the fact that He used
"allos" shows that he will be a Jew.
6. The very name "Antichrist" argues strongly his Jewish nationality.
This title "Antichrist" has a double significance. It means that he will be
one who shall be "opposed" to Christ, one who will be His enemy. But it also
purports that he will be a mock Christ, an imitation Christ, a pro-Christ, a
pseudo Christ. It intimates that he will ape Christ. He will pose as the
real Messiah of Israel. In such case he must be a Jew.
7. This mock Christ will be "received" by Israel. The Jews will be
deceived by Him. They will believe that he is indeed their long-expected
Messiah. They will accept him as such. Proofs of this will be furnished in a
later chapter. But if this pseudo Christ succeeds in palming himself off on
the Jews as their true Messiah he must be a Jew, for it is unthinkable that
they would be deceived by any Gentile.
Ere passing to the next point, we may add, that it was the common
belief among Christians during the first four centuries A.D., that the
Antichrist would come from the tribe of Dan. Whether this will be the case
or no, we do not know. Gen. 49:17,18 may have ultimate reference to this Son
of Perdition. Certainly Dan is the most mysterious of all the twelve tribes.
II. THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE THE SON OF SATAN.
That Satan will have a son ought not to surprise us. The Devil is a
consummate imitator and much of his success in deceiving men is due to his
marvelous skill in counterfeiting the things of God. Below we give a list of
some of his imitations: -
Do we read of Christ going forth to sow the "good seed" (Matt. 13:24),
then we also read of the enemy going forth to sow his "tares" - an imitation
wheat (Matt. 13:25). Do we read of "the children of God", then we also read
of "the children of the wicked one" (Matt. 13:38). Do we read of God working
in His children "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13),
then we are also told that the Prince of the power of the air is "the spirit
that now woreth in the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). Do we read of
the Gospel of God, then we also read that Satan has a gospel - "Another
gospel, which is not another" (Gal. 1:6,7). Did Christ appoint "apostles",
then Satan has his apostles too (2 Cor. 11:13). Are we told that "the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10), then Satan
also provides his "deep things" (see Greek of Rev. 2:24). Are we told that
God, by His angel, will "seal" His servants in their foreheads (Rev. &;3),
so also we read that Satan, by his angels, will set a mark in the foreheads
of his devotees (Re. 13:16). Does the Father seek "worshippers" (John 4:23),
so also does Satan (Rev. 13:4). Did Christ quote scripture, so also did
Satan (Matt. 4:6). Is Christ the Light of the world, then Satan also is
transformed as an "angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14). Is Christ denominated
"the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Rev. 5:5), then the Devil is also referred
to as "a roaring lion" (1 Peter 5:6). Do we read of Christ and "His angels"
(Matt. 24:31), then we also read of the Devil and "his angels" (Matt.
25:41). Did Christ work miracles, so also will Satan (2 Thess. 2:9). Is
Christ seated upon a "Throne", so also will Satan be (Rev. 2:13, Gk.). Has
Christ a Church, then Satan has his "synagogue" (Rev. 2:9). Has Christ a
"bride", then Satan has his "whore" (Rev. 17:16). Has God His "Vine", so has
Satan (Rev. 14:19). Does God have a city, the new Jerusalem, then Satan has
a city, Babylon (Rev. 17:5; 18:2). Is there a "mystery of godliness" (1 Tim
3:16), so also there is a "mystery of iniquity" (2 Thess. 2:7). Does God
have an only-begotten Son, so we read of "the Son of Perdition" (2 Thess.
2:3). Is Christ called "the Seed of the woman", then the Antichrist will be
"the seed of the serpent" (Gen. 3:15). Is the Son of God also the Son of
Man, then the son of Satan will also be the "Man of Sin" (2 Thess. 2:3).
Is there a Holy Trinity, then there is also an Evil Trinity (Rev.
20:10). In this Trinity of Evil Satan himself is supreme, just as in the
Blessed Trinity the Father is (governmentally) supreme: note that Satan is
several times referred to as a father (John 8:44, etc.). Unto his son, the
Antichrist, Satan gives his authority and power to represent and act for him
(Rev. 13:4) just as God the Son received "all power in heaven and earth"
from His Father, and uses it for His glory. The Dragon (Satan) and the Beast
(Antichrist) are accompanied by a third, the False Prophet, and just as the
third person in the Holy Trinity, the Spirit, bears witness to the person
and work of Christ and glorifies Him, so shall the third person in the Evil
Trinity bear witness to the person and work of the Antichrist and glorify
him (see Rev. 13:11-14).
Now the Antichrist will be a man, and yet more than man, just as Christ
was Man and yet more than man. The Antichrist will be the `Superman' of whom
the world, even now, is talking, and for whom it is looking. The Wicked One
who is to be revealed shortly, will be a supernatural character, he will be
the Son of Satan. His twofold nature is plainly declared in 2 Thess. 2:3 -
"That man of Sin, the Son of Perdition". In proof of these assertions we ask
for a careful attention to what follows.
1. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
Seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel"
(Gen. 3:15). It is to be noted that there is here a double "enmity" spoken
of: God says, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman", that is,
between Satan and Israel, for Israel was the woman that bore Christ (Rev.
12); "And between thy seed and her seed". Observe particularly that two
"seeds" are here spoken of; "Thy seed" (the antecedent is plainly the
Serpent) and "her seed", the woman's Seed. The woman's Seed was Christ, the
Serpent's seed will be the Antichrist. The Antichrist then, will be more
than a man, he will be the actual and literal Seed of that old Serpent, the
Devil; as Christ was, according to the flesh, the actual and literal Seed of
the woman. "Thy seed", Satan's seed, refers to a s specific individual, just
as "her seed" refers to a specific Individual.
2. "In that day the Lord with His sore and great and strong sword shall
punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent, even Leviathan that crooked Serpent;
and he shall slay the Dragon that is in the sea (Isa. 27:1). To appreciate
the force of this we need to attend to the context, which is unfortunately
broken by the chapter division. In the closing verses of Isa. 26 we hear God
saying, "Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors
about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the
indignation be over past" (26:20). These words are addressed to the elect
remnant of Israel. Their ultimate application will be to those on earth at
the end of this Age, for it is the time of God's "indignation" (cf. Dan.
8:19 and 11:36). It is the time when "the Lord cometh out of His place to
punish the inhabitants of the earth, for their iniquity: the earth also
shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain" (26:21) -
notice "iniquity", singular number, not "iniquities". It is their
worshipping of Satan's Man which is specifically referred to. Then,
immediately following we read, "In that day the Lord...shall punish
Leviathan the piercing Serpent". The connection, then, makes it plain that
it is just before the Millennium when God shall punish the Crooked Serpent,
the Antichrist. Now the very fact that the Wicked One is here denominated
"the piercing and crooked Serpent" hints strongly that he will be the son of
"that old Serpent, the Devil".
3. In the first two sections of Ezek. 28 two remarkable characters are
brought before us. The second who is described in vv. 12-19 has received
considerable attention from Bible students of the last two generations, and
since the late Mr. G. H. Pember pointed out that what is there said of "the
king of Tyrus" could be true of no earthly king or mere human being, and
must outline a character that none but Satan himself (before his fall) could
fill[3] this view has been adopted by most of the leading Bible teachers.
But little attention has been paid to the character described in the first
ten verses of this chapter.
Now just as what is said in Ezek. 28 of "the king of Tyrus" can only
apply fully to Satan himself, so, what is said of "the prince of Tyrus"
manifestly has reference to the Antichrist. The parallelisms between what is
said here and what we find in other scriptures which describe the Son of
Perdition are so numerous and so evident, that we are obliged to conclude
that it is the same person which is here contemplated. We cannot now attempt
anything like a complete exposition of the whole passage (though we hope to
give one later) but will just call attention to some of the outstanding
marks of identification:
First, the Lord God says to this personage, "Because thine heart is
lifted up, and thou hast said I am a god, I sit in the seat of God" - cf. 2
Thess. 2:4. Second, "Behold thou art wiser than Daniel" - cf. Dan 8:23, and
7:8, "Behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of men, and a mouth
speaking great things", which intimates that the Antichrist will be
possessed of extraordinary intelligence. Third, it is said of this
character, "With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten
thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures" 9v. 4- cf.
Psa. 52:7; Dan. 11:38).
Sufficient has been said, we trust, to show that under the figure of
this "prince of Tyrus" we may discern clearly the unmistakable features of
the coming Antichrist. But the particular point we would make here, is this,
that as Satan is termed "the king of Tyre", in the second section of this
chapter the Antichrist is referred to as "the prince of Tyre". Antichrist,
then, is related to Satan as "prince" is to "king", that is, as son is to
the father.
4. In Matt. 12:43 the Antichrist is called "The Unclean Spirit", not
merely an unclean spirit, but "the Unclean Spirit". We cannot now stop and
submit the evidence that it is the Antichrist who is here in view, for this
is another passage which we will consider carefully in a later chapter. But
in the writer's mind there is no doubt whatever that none other than the
Beast is here in view. If this be the case, then we have further evidence
that the coming One will be no mere man indwelt by Satan, but a fallen
angel, an evil spirit, the incarnation of the Devil.
5. "Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye
will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
this own; for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44). Here is still
another proof that the Antichrist will be superhuman, the offspring of
Satan. In the Greek there is the definite article before the word "lie" -
the lie, "the Lie". There is another passage in the New Testament where "the
Lie" is mentioned, namely in 2 Thess. 2:11, where again the definite article
is found in the Greek, and there the reference is unmistakable.
A threefold reason may be suggested as to why the Antichrist should be
termed "the Lie". First, because his fraudulent claim to be the real Christ
will be the greatest falsehood palmed off upon humanity. Second, because he
is the direct antithesis of the real Christ, who is "the Truth" (John 14:6).
Third, because he is the son of Satan who is the arch liar. But to return to
John 8:44; "When he (the Devil) speaketh (concerning) the Lie, he speaketh
of his own". His "own" what? His "own" son - the remainder of the verse
makes this very plain - "for he (the Devil) is a liar and the father of it",
i.e. of "the Lie". The Lie then, is Satan's Son"!
6. "That day shall not come, except there come a falling away (the
Apostasy) first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition" (2
Thess. 2:3). Nothing could be plainer than this. Here the Antichrist is
expressly declared to be superhuman - "the Son of Perdition". Just as the
Christ if the Son of God, so Antichrist will be the son of Satan. Just as
the Christ dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and just as Christ
could say "He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father", so the Antichrist
will be the full and final embodiment of the Devil. He will not only be the
incarnation of the Devil, but the consummation of his wickedness and power.
7. In Rev. 13:1 (R. V.) we read, "And he (the Dragon - see context)
stood upon the sand of the sea" - symbolic of taking possession of the
Nations: "And I saw a Beast coming up out of the sea, having ten diadems,
and upon his heads names of blasphemy". It is deeply significant to mark how
these things are here linked together as cause and effect. The coming forth
of the Beast (the Antichrist) is immediately connected with the Dragon! But
this is not all. Notice the description that is here given of him: he has
ten horns (fulness of power) and seven heads (complete wisdom)" and this is
exactly how Satan himself is described in Rev. 12:3 - "And behold, a great
red Dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads names of
blasphemy"! Does not a linking of these scriptures prove beyond all doubt
that the Antichrist will be an exact replica of Satan himself!
But one other thing, even more startling, remains to be considered, and
that is,
III. THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE JUDAS REINCARNATED.
1. In Psalm 55 much is said of the Antichrist in his relation to
Israel. Among other things we read there, "The words of his mouth were
smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than
oil, yet were they drawn swords" (v. 21). The occasion for this sad plaint
is given in the previous verse - "He had put forth his hands against such as
be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant". The reference is to
Antichrist breaking his seven-year Covenant with the Jews (see Dan. 9:27;
11:21-24). Now if the entire Psalm be read through with these things in
mind, it will be seen that it sets forth the sorrows of Israel and the
sighings of the godly remnant during the End-Time. But the remarkable thing
is that when we come to vv. 11-14 we find that which has a double
application and fulfillment - "wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit
and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an enemy that
reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me
that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took
sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company". These
verses describe not only the base treachery of Judas toward Christ, but they
also announce how he shall yet, when reincarnated in the Antichrist, betray
and desert Israel. The relation of Antichrist to Israel will be precisely
the same as that of Judas to Christ of old. He will pose as the friend of
the Jews, but later he will come out in his true character. In the
Tribulation period, the Nation of Israel shall taste the bitterness of
betrayal and desertion by one who masqueraded as a "familiar friend". Hence,
we have here the first hint that the Antichrist will be Judas reincarnated.
2. "And your covenant with Death shall be disannulled, and your
agreement with Hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass
through, then ye shall be trodden down by it" (Isa. 28:18). The "Covenant"
referred to is that seven-year one which is mentioned in Dan. 9:27. But here
the one with whom this Covenant is made is termed "Death and Hell". This is
a title of the Antichrist, as "the Resurrection and the Life" is of the true
Christ. Nor is this verse in Isa. 28 the only one where the Son of Perdition
is so denominated. In Rev. 6 a four-fold picture of him is given - the
antithesis of the four-fold portrayal of the Lord Jesus in the Gospels. Here
he is seen as the rider on differently colored horses, which bring before us
four stages in his awful career, and when we come to the last of them the
Holy Spirit exposes his true identity by telling us, "and his name that sat
on him was Death and Hell followed with him" (Rev. 6:8). Now "Hell" or
"hades" is the place which receives the souls of the dead, and the fact that
this awful name is here applied to Antichrist intimates that he has come
from there.
3. Above, we referred to Matt. 12:41-43 to prove that Antichrist will
be a super-human being, a fallen and unclean spirit; we turn to it again in
order to show that this coming incarnation of Satan has previously been upon
earth. The history of this "Unclean Spirit" is divided into three stages.
First, as having dwelt in "a man"; second, as having gone out of a man, and
walking through dry places, seeking rest and finding none - this has
reference to his present condition during the interval between his two
appearances on earth. Third, he says, "I will return to my house". This
Unclean Spirit, then, who has already been here, who is now away in a place
where rest is not to be found, is to come back again!
4. In John 17:12 we have a word which, more plainly still, shows that
the Antichrist will be Judas reincarnated, for here he is termed by Christ
"The Son of Perdition". But first, let us consider the teaching of Scripture
concerning Judas Iscariot. Who was he? He was a "man" (Matt. 26:24). But was
he more than a man? Let Scripture make answer. In John 6:70 we read, "Have
not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil?" It is hardly necessary
to say that in the Greek there are two different words for "Devil" and
"demon". There are many demons, but only one Devil. Further, in no other
passage is the word "devil" applied to any one but to Satan himself. Judas
then was the Devil incarnate, just as the Lord Jesus was God incarnate.
Christ Himself said so, and we dare not doubt His word.
As we have seen, in John 17:12 Christ termed Judas "the Son of
Perdition", and 2 Thess. 2:3 we find that the Antichrist is similarly
designated - "That Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition". These are
the only two places in all the Bible where his name occurs, and the fact
that Judas was termed by Christ not a "son of perdition", but "the Son of
Perdition", and the fact that the Man of Sin is so named prove that they are
one and the same person. What other conclusion can a simple and unprejudiced
reader of the Bible come to?
5. In Rev. 11:7 we have the first reference to "the Beast" in the
Apocalypse: "The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit". Here the
Antichrist is seen issuing forth from the Abyss. What is the Abyss? It is
the abode of lost spirits, the place of their incarceration and torment -
see Rev. 20:1-3, and Luke 8:31, "deep" is the "abyss" and cf. Matt. 9:28.
The question naturally arises, How did he get there? and when was he sent
there? We answer, When Judas Iscariot died! The Antichrist will be Judas
Iscariot reincarnated. In proof of this we appeal to Acts 1:25 where we are
told, "that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship from which
Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place". Of no one
else in all the Bible is it said that at death he went "to his own place".
Put these two scriptures together: Judas went "to his own place", the Beast
ascends out of the Abyss.
6. In Rev. 17:8 we read, "The Beast that thou sawest was, and is not;
and shall ascend out of the Bottomless Pit, and go into perdition". This
verse is generally understood to refer to the revived Roman Empire,and while
allowing that such an application is warrantable, yet we are persuaded it is
a mistake to limit it to this. In the Apocalypse, the Roman Empire and its
final and satanic Head are very closely connected, so much so, that at times
it is difficult to distinguish between them. But in Rev. 17 they are
distinguishable.
In v. 8 we are told that the Beast "shall ascend out of the Bottomless
Pit", and that he shall go into perdition". In v. 11 we are told, "And the
Beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seventh,
and goeth into perdition". Now nearly all expositors are agreed that the
Beast of v. 11 - the "eighth" (head, and form of government of the Roman
Empire) - is the Antichrist himself; then why not admit the same of v.8? In
both, the designation is the same - "the Beast"; and in both, we are told he
"goeth into perdition".
We take it, then, that what is predicted of "the Beast" in 17:8 is true
of both the Roman Empire and its last head, the Antichrist: of the former,
in the sense that it is infernal in its character. Viewing it now as a
declaration of the Antichrist, what does it tell us about him? Four things.
First, he "was". Second, he "is not". Third, he shall "ascend out of the
Bottomless Pit". Fourth, he shall "go into perdition". The various
time-marks here concern the Beast in his relation to the earth. First, he
"was", i.e. on the earth. Second, he "is not", i.e. now on the earth (cf.
Gen. 5:24, "Enoch was not for God took him"; that is, "was not" any longer
on earth). Third, he shall "ascend out of the Bottomless Bit", where he is
now, which agrees with 11:7. Fourth, he shall "go into perdition". We learn
then from this scripture that at the time the Apocalypse was written the
Beast "was not" then on the earth, but that he had been on it formerly.
Further, we learn that in John's day the Beast was then in the Bottomless
Pit but should yet ascend out of it. Here then is further evidence that the
Antichrist who is yet to appear has been on earth before.
7. "And the Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received
the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were
cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone". (Rev. 19:20). This
gives the last word concerning the Antichrist. It makes known the terrible
fate which awaits him. He, together with his ally, will be cast alive into
the Lake of Fire. This is very striking, and confirms what has been said
above, namely, that the Antichrist will be one who has already appeared on
earth, and has been in "the Abyss" during the interval which precedes his
return to the earth. And how remarkable Rev. 19:20 corroborates this. The
Antichrist will not be cast, eventually into the Abyss, as Satan will be at
the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:1-3), but into the Lake of Fire which is
the final abode of the damned. Why is it that he shall not be cast into the
Abyss at the return of Christ? It must be because he has already been there.
Hence, the judgment meted out to him is final and irrevocable, as will be
that of the Devil a thousand years later, see Rev. 20:10.
Our next chapter will be devoted to an examination and consideration of
the many Names and Titles which are given to the Antichrist in the Word of
God, and we would urge the student to diligently search the Scriptures for
himself to see how many of these he can find - there are over twenty.
CHAPTER FOUR. NAMES AND TITLES OF THE ANTICHRIST.
There is a distinct science of nomenclature, a system of names, in the
Word of God. Probably every name in Scripture has either a historic, a
symbolic, or a spiritual significance. The names are inseparably bound up
with the narrative, and it frequently happens that the meaning of a proper
noun is a key to an important passage. Names are not employed by the Holy
Spirit in a loose and careless manner - of course not! - but with definite
design. A variety of names for the same individual are not given in order to
prevent monotonous repetition, but because the significance of each separate
appellation is best fitted to express what is recorded in any given
instance. "Devil" and "Satan" are not synonyms, nor are they used at
haphazard, but with Divine discrimination. Upon the meaning of names found
in Holy Writ rests a whole scheme of interpretation; even the order in which
names occur is not fortuitous but designed, and constitutes a part of each
lesson taught, or each truth presented.
There is here a wide field opened for study, a field which few have
made serious effort to explore. It is strange that it has been so neglected,
for again and again the Holy Spirit calls attention to the importane and
meaning of names. In the first book of the Bible we find that children and
places were given meaningful names, which called to remembrance incidents,
experiences, characteristics of interest and importance. Examples are given
where names changed to harmonize with a change in the person, place,
experience, or situation where it occurred. Abram and Sarai will at once
occur to mind. For a place, take Luz, which was changed to Bethel! - "House
of God" - because by reason of a vision he received there it became that to
Jacob. Jacob's name is changed to Israel; and in the New Testament an
example is furnished in Simeon being re-named Peter. In Heb. 7:1,2 the Holy
Spirit calls attention to the significance of the names Melchizedik and
Salem (Jerusalem). These are sufficient to show the importance of this line
of study.
Names are used in Scripture with marvelous discrimination, and it was
this fact which first demonstrated to the writer, the verbal inspiration of
Scripture. The precision with which names are used in the Bible is
especially noticeable in connection with the Divine titles. The names Elohim
and Jehovah are found on the pages of the Old Testament several thousand
times, but they are never used loosely or interchangeably. Over three
hundred names and titles are given to the Lord Jesus Christ, and each has
its own distinctive significance and to substitute any other for the one
used would destroy the beauty and perfections of every passage where they
are found.
Names are employed to express character; titles are used to denote
relationships. It is only as we make a careful study of the various and
numerous names and titles of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are in a
position to appreciate His infinite excellencies and the manifold
relationships which He sustains. From an opposite standpoint the same is
equally true of the Antichrist. As we pay careful attention to the different
names and titles which are given to him, we then discover what a marvelously
complete delineation the Holy Spirit has furnished us with of the person,
the character, and career of this monster of wickedness. It is unfortunate
that the great variety of names bestowed upon him has led some brethren to
the conclusion that they must belong to separate persons, and has caused
them to apportion these out to different individuals; only confusion can
result from this. There is almost as much ground to make the Devil and Satan
different persons, as there is to regard (as some do) the Beast and the
Antichrist as separate entities. That the Devil and Satan are names
belonging to the same person, and that the Beast and the Antichrist is the
selfsame individual, is proven by the fact that identically the same
characteristics under each is found belonging to the one as to the other.
Instead of apportioning these names to different persons, we must see that
they denominate the same individual, only in different relationships, or as
giving us various phases of his character.
An old writer has said the name Devil is most suggestive of his
character. If "d" is taken away, evil is left. If "e" is taken away vile is
left. If "v" is taken away ill is left. And if "i" is taken away and the
next letter be aspirated, it tells of hell. It is equally true of the
Antichrist: his names reveal his character, expose his vileness, and
forecast his career and doom.
The names and titles given to the Antichrist are far more numerous than
is commonly supposed. We propose to give as complete a list as possible, and
offer a few comments on their significations. We shall not expatiate on them
at equal length, for that is not necessary; instead, we shall say the most
on those cognomens which are of the greater importance, or, which because of
their ambiguity call for a more detailed elucidation.
1. THE ANTICHRIST
"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is
Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22). This name
introduces to us one of the most solemn and foreboding subjects in the Word
of God. It brings before us one of the persons in the Trinity of Evil. At
every point he is the antithesis of Christ. The word "Antichrist" has a
double significance. Its primary meaning is one who is opposed to Christ;
but its secondary meaning is one who is instead of Christ. Let not this be
thought strange, for it accords with the two stages in his career. At first
he will pose as the true Christ, masquerading in the livery of religion.
But, later, he will throw off his disguise, stand forth in his true
character, and set himself up as one who is against God and His Christ.
Not only does anti-christ denote the antagonist of Christ, but it tells
of one who is instead of Christ. The word signifies another Christ, a
pro-Christ, an alter christus, a pretender to the name of Christ. He will
seem to be and will set himself up as the true Christ. He will be the
Devil's counterfeit. Just as the Devil is an Anti-theos - not only the
adversary of God, but the usurper of the place and prerogatives of God,
demanding worship; so the Son of Perdition will be anti-christ - not only
the antagonist and opponent of Christ, but His reval: assuming the very
position and prerogatives of Christ; passing himself off as the rightful
claimant to all the rights and honors of the Son of God.
2. THE MAN OF SIN, THE SON OF PERDITION.
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the
Son of Perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3). This double appellation is probably the
most awful, the most important, and the most revealing title given to the
Antichrist in all the Bible. It diagnoses his personality and exposes his
awful character. It tells us he will be possessed of a twofold nature: he
will be a man, and yet more than a man. He will be Satan's parody of the
God-Man. He will be an incarnation of the Devil. The world today is talking
of and looking for the Super-man. This is exactly what the Antichrist will
be. He will be the Serpent's masterpiece.
"That Man of Sin". What a frightful name! The sin of man will culminate
in the Man of Sin. The Christ of God was sinless; the Christ of Satan will
not only be sinful, but the Man of Sin. "Man of Sin" intimates that he will
be the living and active embodiment of every form and character of evil.
"Man of Sin" signifies that he will be sin itself personified. "Man of Sin"
denotes there will be no lengths of wickedness to which he will not go, no
forms of evil to which he will be a stranger, no depths of corruption that
he will not bottom.
"The Son of Perdition". And again we are forced to exclaim, what a
frightful name! Not only a human degenerate, but the offspring of the
Dragon. Not only the worst of human kind, but the incarnation of the Devil.
Not only the most depraved of all sinners, but an emanation from the Pit
itself. "Son of Perdition" denotes that he will be the culmination and
consummation of satanic craft and power. All the evil, malignity, cunning,
and power of the Serpent will be embodied in this terrible monster.
3. THE LAWLESS ONE.
"And then shall be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord Jesus shall
slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation
of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:8 R. V.). This is another name of the Antichrist
which makes manifest his awful character. Each of his names exhibits him as
the antithesis of the true Christ. The Lord Jesus was the Righteous One; the
Man of Sin will be the Lawless One. The Lord Jesus was "made under the law"
(Gal. 4:4); the Antichrist will oppose all law, being a law unto himself.
When the Saviour entered this world, He came saying, "Lo I come to do Thy
will, O God" (Heb. 10:9); but of the Antichrist it is written "And the king
shall do according to his will" (Dan. 11:36). The Antichrist will set
himself up in direct opposition to all authority, both Divine and human.
4. THE BEAST.
"And when they shall have finished their testimony the Beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall
overcome them, and kill them" (Rev. 11:7). This is another name which
reveals the terrible nature and character of the Antichrist and which places
him in sharp antithesis from the true Christ. "The Beast" is the title by
which he is most frequently designated in the Revelation: there are at least
thirty references to him under this name in the last book of the Bible. The
Greek word signifies a wild beast. This name "the Beast" contrasts the
Antichrist from the true Christ as "the Lamb"; and it is a significant fact
that by far the great majority of passages where the Lord Jesus is so
designated are also found here in the Apocalypse. The "Lamb" is the Saviour
of sinners; the "Beast" is the persecutor and slayer of the saints. The
"Lamb" calls attention to the gentleness of Christ; the "Beast" tells of the
ferocity of the Antichrist. The "Lamb" reveals Christ as the "harmless" One
(Heb. 7:26); the "Beast" manifests the Antichrist as the cruel and heartless
one. Under the Law lambs were ceremonially clean and used in sacrifice, but
beasts were unclean and unfit for sacrifices.
It is a point of interest to note that there is one other very striking
contrast between the persons in the Holy Trinity, and the persons in the
trinity of evil. At our Lord's baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in
the form of a dove, and the first mention of the Holy Spirit in Scripture
represents Him as "brooding" like a dove over the waters which covered the
pre-Adamic earth (Gen. 1:2). How remarkable are those symbols - a "Lamb" and
a "Dove"! A Dove, not a hawk or an eagle. The gentle, harmless, cooing
"dove". Over against this the Devil is termed "the Dragon". What a contrast
- the Dove and the Lamb, the Dragon and the Beast!
5. THE BLOODY AND DECEITFUL MAN.
"Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the
Bloody and Deceitful Man" (Psa. 5:6). The Psalm from which this verse is
quoted contains a prayer of the godly Jewish remnant, offered during the
Tribulation period. In proof of this assertion observe that in v. 2 God is
owned and addressed as "King". In v. 7 intimation is given that the Temple
has been rebuild in Jerusalem, for turning away from it when it has been
defiled by "the Abomination of Desolation", the remnant say, "But as for me
I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy: and in Thy fear
will I worship toward Thy Holy Temple". While in v. 10 we find them praying
for the destruction of their enemies, which is parallel with Rev. 6:10. It
is during that time the faithful remnant will exclaim, "Thou shalt destroy
them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the Bloody and Deceitful Man".
The Bloody and Deceitful Man views the Antichrist in relation to the
Jews. In the earlier stages of his public career he poses as their friend
and benefactor. He recognizes their rights as a separate State and appears
anxious to protect their autonomy. He makes a formal covenant with them
(Dan. 9:27) and their peace and security seem assured. But a few years later
he comes out in his true character. His fair speeches and professions of
friendship are seen to be false. He breaks his covenant (Psa. 55:20) and
turns upon the Jews in fury. Their benefactor is now their worst enemy. The
protector of their interests now aims to cut them off from being a nation in
the earth (Psa. 83:4). Thus is he rightfully denominated by them "the Bloody
and Deceitful Man".
6. THE WICKED ONE.
"The Wicked (One) in his pride doth persecute the poor: the Wicked
(One), through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God" (Psa.
10:2,4). This entire Psalm is about the Wicked One. The opening verse gives
the key to its dispensational scope. It contains the cry of the Jewish
remnant during the Tribulation period, here denominated "Times of Trouble"
(cf. Jer. 30:7). So desperate is the situation of the true Israel, it seems
as though Jehovah must have deserted them - "Why standeth Thou afar off, O
Lord? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble? (v. 1). Then follows a
remarkably full description of their arch-enemy, the Wicked One. His pride
(v. 2), his depravity: "He abhorreth the Lord" (v. 3 margin); his blasphemy:
"All his thoughts are, There is no God" (v. 4 margin); his grievous ways,
(v. 5); his consuming egotism, (v. 6); his deceitfulness, (v. 7); his
treachery, (v. 8); his cruelty, (vv. 9,10); his complacent pride, (v. 11),
is each described. Then the Remnant cry, "Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up
Thine hand: forget not the humble. Break Thou the arm of the Wicked and Evil
One" (vv. 12 and 15). The whole Psalm should be carefully studied.
7. THE MAN OF THE EARTH.
"To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the Man of the Earth
may no more oppress" (Psa. 10:18). The "Wicked One" describes his character;
the "Man of the Earth" defines his position. The one speaks of his awful
depths of depravity; the other of his vast dominions. The sphere of his
operations will be no mere local one, He will become World-emperor. He will
be a king of kings and lord of lords, (Rev. 13:7). When the true Christ
appeared on earth Satan offered Him "all the kingdoms of the world and the
glory of them" if He would fall down and worship him. When the false Christ
appears, this offer will be repeated, the conditions will be met, and the
tempting gift will be bestowed (Rev. 13:2). In consequence of this he shall
be "the Man of the Earth"; just as later, Christ shall be "King over all the
earth" (Zech. 14:7).
8. THE MIGHTY MAN.
"Why boasteth thou thyself in mischief, O Mighty Man" (Psa. 52:1). This
is another Psalm which is devoted to a description of this fearful
character. Here again we have mention of his boastfulness (v. 1), his
deceitfulness (v. 2), his depravity (v. 3), his egotism (v. 4), his riches
(v. 7). His doom is also announced (v. 5). This title, the Mighty Man,
refers to his immense wealth and possessions, and the power which they
confer upon their possessor. It also points a striking contrast: Christ was
the Lowly Man, not having where to lay His head; the Antichrist will be the
Mighty Man, of whom it is said, "Lo, this is the man that made not God his
strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened
himself in his substance" (:sa. 52:7).
9. THE ENEMY.
"Because of the voice of the Enemy, because of the oppression of the
Wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me" (Psa.
55:3). This is another title used of the Antichrist in connection with
Israel, a title which recurs several times both in the Psalms and the
Prophets. It points a designed contrast from that Friend that "sticketh
closer than a brother". This Enemy of Israel oppresses them sorely. His
duplicity and treachery are here referred to. Concerning him Israel shall
exclaim, "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in
his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords" (Psa.
52:21). Let the student be on the lookout for passages in the Old Testament
which make mention of the Enemy.
10. THE ADVERSARY.
"They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have
burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. We see not our signs: there
is no more any profit: neither is there any among us that knoweth how long.
O God, how long shall the Adversary reproach? Shall the Enemy blaspheme Thy
name forever?" (Psa. 74:8-10). This title occurs in several important
passages. In Isa. 59:19 we read, "So shall they fear the name of the Lord
from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the Adversary
shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard
against him". Lam. 4:11,12 is another scripture which obviously speaks of
the End-time. "The Lord hath accomplished His fury; He hath poured out His
fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the
foundations thereof. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the
world, would not have believed that the Adversary and the Enemy should have
entered into the gates of Jerusalem". In Amos 3:11 we read, "Therefore thus
saith the Lord God; an Adversary there shall be even round about the land;
and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be
spoiled". This is a title which intimates his satanic origin, for the Greek
word for Devil means adversary.
11. THE HEAD OVER MANY COUNTRIES.
"He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the
dead bodies; he shall wound the Head over many countries" (Psa. 110:6). The
context here shows that it must be the Antichrist which is in view. The
Psalm opens by the Father inviting the Son to sit at His right hand until
His enemies shall be made His footstool. Then follows the affirmation that
Jehovah will display His strength out of Jerusalem, and make His people
Israel willing in the day of His power. Then, following Jehovah's oath that
Christ is a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (which
contemplates the exercise of His millennial and royal priesthood), we read,
"The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His
wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, He shall fill the places with the
dead bodies; He shall wound the Head over many countries". The "Day of His
wrath" is the closing portion of the Tribulation period, and in the Day of
His wrath. He wounds this Head over many countries. The Head over many
countries refers to the Man of Sin as the Caesar of the last world-empire,
prior to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom.
12. THE VIOLENT MAN.
"Deliver me, O Lord, from the Evil Man: preserve me from the Violent
Man" (Ps. 140:1). This is another Psalm which expresses the plaintive
supplications of the godly remnant in the "time of Jacob's trouble". Three
times over the Antichrist is denominated the Violent Man. In v. 1 the
remnant pray to be delivered from him. In v. 4 the petition is repeated. In
v. 11 his doom is foretold. Cry is made for God to take vengeance upon this
bloody persecutor: "Let the burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast
into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. Let not an evil
speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the Violent Man to
overthrow him" (Psa. 140:10,11). The Violent Man is a name which fully
accords with his Beast-like character. It tells of his ferocity and
rapacity.
13. THE ASSYRIAN.
"O Assyrian, the rod of Mine anger, and the staff in their hand in Mine
indignation...Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath
performed His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the
fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria, and the glory of his high
looks" (Isa. 10:5,12). We cannot here attempt an exposition of the important
passage in which these verses occur - that, in subsequent chapters, we shall
treat in detail of the Antichrist in the Psalms, and the Antichrist in the
Prophets - suffice it now to point out that it treats of the End-time (see
vv. 12,20), and that the leading characteristics of the Man of Sin can be
clearly discerned in what is here said of the Assyrian. Almost all
pre-millennial students of prophecy are agreed that "the King of Isa. 30:33
is the Antichrist, and yet in the two verses which precede, this "King" is
identified with "the Assyrian".
14. THE KING OF BABYLON.
"Thou shalt take up this proverb against the King of Babylon, and say,
How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!" (Isa. 14:4). We do
not wish to anticipate what we shall discuss at length in our future
studies, enough now to state it is our firm conviction that Scripture
plainly teaches that there will be another Babylon which will eclipse the
importance and glories of the one of the past, and that Babylon will be one
of the headquarters of the Antichrist. He will have three: Jerusalem will be
his religious headquarters, Rome his political, and Babylon his commercial.
For those who desire to anticipate our future expositions, we recommend them
to make a minute study of Isa. 10,11,13,14; Jer. 49:51; Zech. 5, and Rev.
18.
15. SON OF THE MORNING.
"How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the Morning! How art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations" (Isa. 14:12).
"Lucifer is a Latin word which signifies the "morning star". "All the
ancient versions and all the Rabbins make the word a noun denoting the
bright one, or, more specifically, bright star, or according to the ancients
more specifically still, the Morning Star or harbinger of daylight" (Dr. J.
A. Alexander). This term "Lucifer" has been commonly regarded as one of the
names of Satan, and what is here said of the Morning Star is viewed as
describing his apostasy. Against this interpretation we have nothing to say,
except to remark that we are satisfied it does not exhaust this remarkable
scripture. A detailed exposition must be reserved for a later chapter.
Sufficient now to point out that however Isa. 14 may look back to the
distant past when, through pride, Satan fell from his original estate, it
most evidently looks forward to a coming day and gives another picture of
the Antichrist. In this same passage "Lucifer" is termed "the Man that did
make the earth to tremble" (v. 16), and in his blasphemous boast "I will be
like the Most High" (v. 14), we have no difficulty in identifying him with
the Man of Sin of 2 Thess. 2:3,4. The force of this particular title
"Morning Star" is seen by comparing it with Rev. 22:16, where we learn that
this is one of the titles of the God-man. The "Morning Star" speaks of
Christ coming to usher in the great Day of rest for the earth. In
blasphemous travesty of this Satan will send forth the mock messiah to usher
in a false millennium.
16. THE SPOILER.
"Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from
the face of the Spoiler: for the Extortioner is at an end, the Spoiler
ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy shall the
throne be established: and He shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle
of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness" (Isa.
16:4,5). It will be observed that the verse in which the Antichrist is
spoken of as the Spoiler comes immediately before the one where we read of
the throne being established, a reference, of course, to the setting up of
the Messianic Kingdom. These two things synchronize: the destruction of
Antichrist, and the beginning of the real Messiah's reign; hence we read
here "the Spoiler ceaseth". A further reference to the Man of Sin under this
title of the Spoiler is found in Jer. 6:26: "O daughter of My people, gird
thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mournings, as
for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the Spoiler shall suddenly
come upon thee". This is another title which views the Antichrist in
connection with Israel. After the return of many of the Jews to Palestine,
and after their rights have been owned by the Powers, and their security and
success seem assured; their enemy, filled with satanic malice, will seek
their extermination. "The Spoiler" contrasts him with the Lord Jesus who is
the great Restorer (see Psa. 69:4).
17. THE NAIL.
"In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the Nail that is fastened
in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that
was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it" (Isa. 22:25). The
last ten verses of this chapter should be read carefully. They furnish a
striking foreshadowment of the End-time. Shebna was holding some office over
(note "government" in v. 21) Israel. Apparently he was a usurper. God
announced that he should be set aside in shame, and the man of His choice -
Eliakim - should take his place. These historical figures merge into
prophetic characters. In v. 22 we read that God says, "And the key of the
house of David will lay upon His shoulder, so He shall open, and none shall
shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open". As we know from Rev. 3:7 this
refers to none other than the Lord Jesus, and of Him it is here said, "And I
will fasten Him as a Nail in a sure place; and He shall be for a glorious
throne to His father's house" (v. 23). Then, in the closing verse of the
chapter we read, "In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the Nail that
is fastened in a sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall". Just as
Eliakim foreshadowed Christ, so Shebna pointed forward to the Antichrist;
and just as in v.23 we have a prophecy announcing the establishment of
Messiah's Kingdom, so in v. 25 we have foretold the overthrow of the false
messiah's kingdom.
18. THE BRANCH OF THE TERRIBLE ONES.
"Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry
place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud; the Branch of the terrible
ones shall be brought low" (Isa. 25:5). The first five verses of this
chapter contemplate the Enemy's stronghold - Babylon - and the remainder of
the chapter pictures the blessedness of the millennial era. In the fifth
verse the Antichrist's overthrow is announced: "The Branch of the terrible
ones shall be brought low". With this should be compared Isa. 14:19, where
of Lucifer it is said, "Thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable
Branch". This points another contrast. The "Branch" is one of the Messianic
names: "Behold, I will bring forth My Servant, the Branch" (Zech. 3:8);
"Behold the man whose name is the Branch" (Zech. 6:12). By placing together
Isa. 4:2 and Isa. 14:19 the antithesis will be more evident. Of Christ it is
said, "The Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious". Antichrist
is called "an abominable Branch": Christ is "the Branch of the Lord";
Antichrist is "the Branch of the terrible ones".
19. THE PROFANE AND WICKED PRINCE OF ISRAEL.
"And thou, profane wicked Prince of Israel, whose day is come, when
iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God; remove the diadem, and
take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and
abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall
be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him" (Ezek.
21:25-27). The Profane and Wicked Prince of Israel here can be none other
than the Antichrist, for we are expressly told that his day shall be when
iniquity shall have an end". The reference is, of course, to Israel's
"iniquity", and their iniquity shall end at the appearing of the Messiah
(see Dan. 9:24) when "He shall be a priest upon His throne" (Zech. 6:13).
"Here in Ezekiel we see how the Son of Perdition shall ape the Christ of
God, for he, too, will be a priest-king: "Remove the diadem" refers to the
insignia of his priesthood (in every other place in the O. T. where this
occurs the Hebrew word here translated "diadem" it is rendered "mitre" -
worn only by the high priest of Israel); "take off the crown" is the symbol
of his kingship.
20. THE LITTLE HORN.
"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another
Little Horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by
the roots: and, behold, in this Horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a
mouth speaking great things" (Dan. 7:8). For a full description of the
Antichrist under this title see Dan. 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25. We must
reserve our comments on these verses till a later chapter. "Little Horn"
refers to the lowly political origin of the Antichrist, and describes him as
he is before he attains governmental supremacy.
21. THE PRINCE THAT SHALL COME.
"And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for Himself: and the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the
city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26). This title connects the Antichrist with
the Roman Empire in its final form, and presents him as the last of the
Ceasars.
22. THE VILE PERSON.
"And in his estate shall stand up a Vile Person, to whom they shall not
give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain
the kingdom by flatteries" (Dan. 11:21). This contrasts the Antichrist from
"the Holy One of Israel". His identity is established by noting what is
predicted of him.
23. THE WILFUL KING.
"And the King shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt
himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous
things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be
accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done" (Dan. 11:36). The
Antichrist will not only be the High Priest of the world's religion, but he
will be King supreme at the head of its government.
24. THE IDOL SHEPHERD.
"For, lo, I will raise up a Shepherd in the land, which shall not visit
those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young ones, nor heal that that
is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of
the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the Idol Shepherd that
leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye:
his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly
darkened" (Zech. 11:16,17). This is in evident contrast from the Good
Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. The Idol Shepherd of deluded
Israel will prove himself the monster Desolator, who shall bring upon that
people the severest tribulations ever experiences by that race.
25. THE ANGEL OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT.
"And they had a king over them, which is the Angel of the bottomless
pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue
hath his name Apollyon" (Rev. 9:11). "Abaddon" and "Apollyon" mean
Destroyer. It is the "Spoiler" of Isa. 16:4 rendered "Destroyer" in Jer.
4:7. That his name is here given in the Hebrew and the Greek shows that he
will be connected with both the Jews and the Gentiles.
Other names of the Antichrist which the student may look up are, "The
Rod of God's anger" (Isa. 10:12); "The Unclean Spirit" (Matt. 12:43); "The
Lie" (2 Thess. 2:11); "A Star" (Rev. 8:10 and 9:1); and "The Vine of the
Earth" (Rev. 14:18).
In our next chapter we shall deal with the genius of the Antichrist,
and point out the many striking comparisons and contrasts between him and
the Christ of God. Let the student see how many points of resemblance and
opposition he can find.
CHAPTER FIVE. THE GENIUS AND CHARACTER OF THE ANTICHRIST.
For six thousand years Satan has had full opportunity afforded him to
study fallen human nature to discover its weakest points and to learn how
best to make men do his bidding. The Devil knows full well how to dazzle men
by the attraction of power, and how to make them quail before its terrors.
He knows how to gratify the craving for knowledge and how to satisfy the
taste for refinement and culture, he can delight the ear with melodious
music and the eye with entrancing beauty. If he could transport the Saviour
from the wilderness to a mountain, in a moment of time, and show Him all the
kingdoms of the world and their glory, he is no novice in the art of
presenting alluring objects before his victims today. He knows how to
stimulate energy and direct inquiry, and how to appease the craving for the
occult. He knows how to exalt men to dizzy heights of worldly greatness and
fame, and how to control that greatness when attained, so that it may be
employed against God and his people.
It is true that up to now Satan's power has been restrained, and his
activities have been checked and often counteracted by the Spirit of God.
The brightest fires of the Devil's kindling can burn but dimly whilever God
sheds around them the power of heavenly light. They require the full
darkness of night in order to shine in the full strength of their deceiving
brightness; and that time is coming. The Word of God reveals the fact that a
day is not far distant when Divine restraint will be removed; the light of
God will be withdrawn; and then shall "darkness cover the earth and gross
darkness the people" (Isa. 60:2). Not only will that which has hindered the
full development of the Mystery of Iniquity be removed, but God will "send
them strong delusion that they should believe the Lie" (2 Thess. 2:13), and
Satan will take advantage of this; he will then make full use of all the
knowledge which he has acquired during the last six thousand years.
Satan will become incarnate and appear on earth in human form. As we
have shown in previous chapters, the Antichrist will not only be the Man of
Sin, but also "the Son of Perdition", the Seed of the Serpent. The
Antichrist will be the Devil's masterpiece. In him shall dwell all the
fulness of the Devil bodily. He will be the culmination and consummation of
Satan's workings. The world is now talking of and looking for the Superman;
and the Devil is soon to supply him. The Antichrist will be no ordinary
person, but one possessed of extraordinary talents. He will be endowed with
superhuman powers. With the one exception of the God-man he will be the most
remarkable personage who has ever appeared upon the stage of human history.
But to particularize:
1. He will be an intellectual genius.
He will be possessed of extraordinary intelligence. He will be the
Devil's imitation of that blessed One "in whom are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3). This Son of Perdition will surpass Solomon
in wisdom. In Dan. 7:20 he is represented as "A horn that had eyes". It is a
double symbol. The "horn" prefigures strength; "eyes" speak of intelligence.
Again, in Dan. 8:23 he is referred to as "A King of fierce countenance". who
shall "understand dark sentences". That which baffles others shall be simple
to him. The Hebrew word here translated "dark sentences" is the same as the
one rendered "hard questions" in 1 Kings 10:1, where we read of the Queen of
Sheba coming to Solomon with her "hard questions" in order to test his
wisdom. It is also the word that is used in Samson's riddle in Judges 14. It
indicates that the Antichrist will be master of all the secrets of occult
science. Ezek. 28:3 declares of him "Beholding, thou art wiser than Daniel;
there is no secret that they can hide from thee". This will be one of his
most alluring attractions. His master mind will captivate the educated
world. His marvelous store of knowledge, his acquaintance with the secrets
of nature, his superhuman powers of perception, will stamp him as an
intellectual genius of the first magnitude.
2. He will be an oratorical genius.
In Dan. 7:20 we are told that he has "a mouth that spake very great
things". As a wizard of words he will surpass Demosthenes. Here also will
the Devil imitate that One "who spake as never man spake". The people were
"astonished" at Christ's doctrine (Matt. 7:28), and said "Whence hath this
man this wisdom?" (Matt. 13:54). So will it be with this daring
counterfeiter: he will have a mouth speaking very great things. He will have
a perfect command and flow of language. His oratory will not only gain
attention but command respect. Rev. 13:2 declares that his mouth is "as the
mouth of a lion" which is a symbolic expression telling of the majesty and
awe producing effects of his voice. The voice of the lion excels that of any
other beast. So the Antichrist will out rival orators ancient and modern.
3. He will be a political genius.
He will emerge from obscurity, but by dint of his diplomatic skill he
will win the admiration and compel the cooperation of the political world.
In the early stages of his career he appears as "a little horn" (or power),
but it is not long before he climbs the ladder of fame, and by means of
brilliant statesmanship, ascends its topmost rung. Like the majority of
politicians, he will not scruple to employ questionable methods; in fact it
will be by diplomatic chicanery and intrigue that he will win his early
successes. Dan. 11:21 tells us that at first they will not give to him the
honor of the kingdom, but "he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the
kingdom by flatteries". Once he gains the ascendancy none will dare to
challenge his authority. Kings will be his pawns and princes his playthings.
4. He will be a commercial genius.
"And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his
hand" (Dan. 8:25). Under his regime everything will be nationalized, and
none will be able to buy or sell without his permission (Rev. 13:17). All
commerce will be under his personal control, and this will be used for his
own aggrandizement. The wealth of the world will be at his disposal. There
are several scriptures which call attention to this. For example in Psa.
52:7 we read, "Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but
trusted in the abundance of his riches; and strengthened himself in his
substance". Again, in Dan. 11:38 we are told, "But in his estate shall he
honor the god of forces (Satan): and a god whom his fathers knew not shall
be honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant
things". Even plainer is Dan. 11:43, "But he shall have power over the
treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt". In
the last verse of Dan. 11 mention is made of his "palace". He will be
wealthier than Croesus. Ezak. 28:4,5 speaks of him thus, "With thy wisdom
and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten
gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffic
hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy
riches". Thus will he be able to wield the sceptre of financial power and
outdo Solomon in all his glory.
5. He will be a military genius.
He will be endowed wit