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Clear scriptural identity of what is known as 666
The Lesson: There is much talk about the Antichrist power. When will it arise? Where will it arise? What will this power do? Who is this mysterious figure? In this study we want to unmask the Antichrist and you will see clearly what the Bible has to say about this power. We will not be looking at man’s opinion but at the Word of God. We will again direct our study to the books of Daniel and Revelation, for these two books together present undeniable facts concerning the topic of the Antichrist. Before we study one of the visions of the prophet Daniel that leads us to the rise of the Antichrist, we first must review a few things that we have already looked at in our fourth study of this series. The Foundational Prophecy The first prophecy of the highly prophetic book of Daniel is essential in understanding the subsequent prophecies coming down to our time. This first prophetic message was actually given to the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar, whom as the God of heaven read His heart saw an honest-hearted subject for the kingdom of God. When this vision was given, Nebuchadnezzar had, through his military victories, subdued the strongest and most powerful nations in the world and shortly before had ascended the monarch’s throne. At the height of his success while he was devising means for his kingdom to endure for ever, a message was sent to him from the unseen Arbiter of world events. King Nebuchadnezzar was confused and did not understand the dream given by God. Neither were his wise men able to bring any explanation or understanding. The Lord had chosen a special person to reveal the dream. The prophet Daniel received the same vision as King Nebuchadnezzar, but with explanation. And so the young prophet comes on the scene and explains this amazing prophecy. “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Daniel 2:31-35 Interpreting Bible Prophecy In order to understand this unusual dream, it is essential to understand two basic principles that God’s Word gives for explaining itself. If we keep in mind and follow these two rules for interpreting Bible prophecy the mysteries of God will open before our eyes. Bible prophecy is given in symbolic language and the Bible itself explains the symbols. “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.” Hosea 12:10 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” Revelation 1:1 “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isaiah 28:9, 10 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” I Corinthians 2:13 These verses clearly show the two fundamental principles to unlock the mysteries of prophecy. Firstly, God speaks to his prophets through symbols for us to decipher with the Word of God. We must not presume to insert our own opinions nor rely upon the voice of the majority, but rather build solidly precept upon precept, line upon line. We must at every step of prophetic interpretation compare spiritual things with spiritual and not allow our preconceived ideas or popular opinions an entrance into our study. The Interpretation “This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” Daniel 2:36-45 Since Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is the first prophecy in the book of Daniel, the interpretation is easy to find; it follows the account of the dream. Frequently in Bible prophecy, the explanation is not so readily apparent, but in this introductory panorama of world events the interpretation and the dream are side by side. The explanation is quite simple; each metal represents a kingdom or world empire. The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar or in a broader sense the empire of Babylon, of which Nebuchadnezzar was the head and representative (since each of the subsequent metals represent the entire kingdom and not exclusively the leader of the kingdom). Going down the line of descending metals, Daniel explained that each kingdom was a kingdom which would arise to world prominence after the previous. The picture is given of four major world-controlling empires, a disintegration of the fourth, and finally God’s everlasting kingdom superseding and reducing all the kingdoms of this world to oblivion. With this in mind we will look at the vision that Daniel receives which parallels this first prophecy. When studying Bible prophecy there is an important principle to keep in mind. This is the principle of repeat and enlargement. A prophecy containing information is given and later another prophecy builds on the first by repeating part of it and expanding the view. In other words, we receive more information. People that work in educational lines have found that this is a great way for students to remember, and grasp new things. God has made His word understandable for you and me. Now follow carefully. An Expanded View “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.” Daniel 7:1-7 “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth… Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.” Daniel 7:17, 23 Nearly fifty years after the dream given to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, no longer a despised young Israelite captive but recognized as a wise and experienced counselor, receives a dream from the God of heaven. Not now is the wealth and splendor of the world depicted by an entrancing image, but four beasts that arise from the strife of the Great Sea. Once again an explanation is clearly and simply given, the four beasts are representative of four kings or kingdoms. Again are seen four world empires, but greater detail and emphasis is given to the division and further development of the fourth. The First Kingdom: The character of the Babylonian empire, the first of world empires to rule the world, is fitly represented by the head of gold and the winged lion. In Isaiah 14:4, Babylon is referred to as “the golden city.” Babylon was world renown for it abundant use of gold. It was an impenetrable fortress in the desert. This was the head of gold that Nebuchadnezzar had built to prominence. A clay tablet unearthed, perhaps written by Nebuchadnezzar himself says, “These portals for the astonishment of multitudes of people with beauty I adorned. May it last forever.” Nebuchadnezzar had built Babylon up to this splendor, to this golden city, and it was his dream that this kingdom would last forever as an eternal, unconquerable city. Although Nebuchadnezzar had established what He hoped to be an unconquerable city, the prophecy gave a different scenario. The wings of the lion were taken from it and instead of the prowess and cunning of a lion, he stands up and becomes vulnerable like a man. Its weakness is exposed and the city built to withstand all attacks, succumbs to the pride and vanity of the natural heart, thus preparing the way for the second empire to arise. The Second Kingdom: The strong arms and chest of silver find their fit parallel in the brute strength of the ravenous bear. The kingdoms of Media and Persia united to subdue the provinces of Lydia and Egypt and finally Babylon (the three ribs in the mouth of the ravenous bear). One of Babylon’s feast days to their god was the fatal night that brought an end to the magnificent empire of Babylon. Cyrus of the Persians had camped outside of Babylon, but why should they care? They had food and water for years and who could penetrate those massive walls? So instead of being watchful and guarded they threw an enormous feast of drunkenness and debauchery. That very night Cyrus turned the waters of the mighty Euphrates, filling a large reservoir prepared for just that purpose, thus lowering the water level sufficiently to march underneath the city into the very heart of Babylon. He still would have been powerless to enter Babylon unless the gates to the city had been left open. The most phenomenal thing about this incident is that the God of heaven had predicted that Cyrus, by name, would conquer Babylon in exactly this way one hundred and fifty years before he was even born. The strong, lumbering bear of Medo-Persia had now won its place as absolute ruler of the world and the winged lion passed off the scene. “That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid… Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut.” Isaiah 44:27, 28; 45:1 The Third Kingdom: Not a lion nor a bear, but a beast like unto a leopard with four heads and four wings. As a lion evokes emotions of beauty and majesty and as the bear brings thoughts of strength and power, so the leopard’s distinguishing feature is its speed. A leopard is neither strong nor powerful, but cunning and swift it is. Wings are a fit symbol of speed in the Bible. (Habakkuk 1:8; Exodus 19:4) History reveals the incredible accuracy of prophecy. The youthful Greek general, Alexander the Great, with fifty thousand men conquered the Persian military might of a million men. On the fields of Arbela, Darius king of the Persians, sent word to say, “You can be the king of the West, and I’ll be the king of the East.” Alexander the Great retorted, “As there is not room for two suns in the sky, there is not room for you and I.” And he totally defeated Darius, with one man to every twenty of Darius’s. From there he went and conquered the entire known world from Greece to India in about eight years. They marched incessantly, conquering and conquering. They stopped only because it seemed like there was no one left to conquer and his soldiers threatened mutiny. “Dominion was given” to the swift leopard with four wings of a bird and the powerful bear took its place in the annals of history. This unusual leopard had not only four wings, but four heads, as well. Heads in Bible prophecy, like beasts and horns, can represent kings or kingdoms (Revelation 17:9, 10). Four kings of divisions were to arise from the universal scepter of Alexander the Great. After conquering nearly the entire world, Alexander the Great was unable to conquer himself. With no more territory to add to his realm, he became absorbed in feasting, drinking and reveling. After one of these riotous nights, he was stricken with fever and never rose from his bed. Being a young man in his early thirties, he had no grown heir to take the throne, so his strongest generals resolved to hold his kingdom until their general’s son was grown. As could be surmised, with several ambitious generals holding the territory of the kingdom, the purpose did not last long. They began fighting one another seeking to get more territory for themselves. Within a short period the numerous generals were reduced to four holding the then four divisions of Alexander’s mammoth conquests. These four generals were Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus and Ptolemy exactly corresponding with the four heads of the once cunning and swift leopard. The Fourth Kingdom: As the fourth beast arose from the sea, Daniel could find no resemblance to liken it to. It was totally different from any beast or depiction that he had seen. Lacking a descriptive animal, he refers to it as “dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong”. This beast was not majestic like the lion nor was it fast like the leopard, but it had iron-like, brute strength. Similar to legs of iron to which it corresponded, this beast “had huge iron teeth.” No better description could have been given than the cruel and tyrannical rule of Rome for over six hundred years. As the Word of God had declared, “that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others” (Daniel 2:40), so the Roman armies from Pompey and through the Caesars subjugated the kingdoms around them. In the words of Julius Caesar, “Veni, vidi, vici.” Rome came, she saw and she conquered. It was Rome that called Joseph and Mary to make the journey to Bethlehem. It was Rome that killed all the babies in Bethlehem. It was Rome that crucified Jesus. It was Rome that put her seal on Jesus’ tomb. It is from Rome that we have the legacy of our months of July and August, from Julius and Augustus Caesar. And it bore sway over the entire world, just as God had predicted. The historian of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon, saw an exact fulfillment of the metallic image of Daniel 2 when he said: “The arms of the Republic [Rome], sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine and the ocean; and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.” Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 3, ch. 38, pg. 634. Rome, the fourth world empire to rule the world, matched the descriptions given hundreds of years before in God’s Word perfectly. The harsh, cruel strength of the iron legs and the non-descript beast which was to “devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.” (Daniel 7:23) The Division “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” Daniel 2:41-43 “Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise…” Daniel 7:23, 24a Naturally our human expectation would be that a fifth world empire would arise and conquer the existing power of Rome just as the lion had fallen to the bear and the bear to the leopard and so on, but this is not what God showed in prophecy. Instead of a fifth world power arising, God predicted a breakup, a fragmentation of the legs of iron, a division into the ten horns or ten kings. Was this fulfilled? From the years AD 351 until AD 476, barbarian tribes swept across Western Europe, carving a portion of the once mighty Roman Empire for themselves. There were the Anglo-Saxons who went to the shores of England, the Franks who established France, the Alemanni who built Germany, the Burgundians, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Suevi, Heruli, Lombards, and the Visigoths—ten in number. Bible prophecy had predicted that the fourth world empire would collapse into ten inferior kingdoms and now we look on as history stamps its approval upon the “prophetic word made more sure” (II Peter 1:19) given one thousand years before it occurred. The next events foretold in prophecy astonished Daniel even more and became the focal point of his fascinating dream. The Antichrist Arises! “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… Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Daniel 7:8, 23-25 Not another beast, but a horn arising from the head of the fourth beast. This horn is not like any other horns; it has eyes and an active mouth! It is clear by comparing this passage with other scriptures that this is none other than the Antichrist. By studying the development of this little horn, it will be seen when and where this power is to arise. It is very important to note that the Antichrist is a horn. A horn in Bible prophecy is representative of a king or kingdom (see Dan. 7:24). The Antichrist is not an evil man, but an entire kingdom similar to the other ten horns (which have now become the nations of Europe). This fact can be clearly seen from John’s writing in which he unequivocally states that there are many more than just one Antichrist. The Antichrist is not a man, but a system and political power that exalts itself above the God of heaven. By a careful review of Daniel’s dream, it is evident where the Antichrist was to arise from. The little horn clearly comes up from the fourth beast, which can be none other than Rome. The Antichrist could not arise from South America, the United States or some other place. The Antichrist must arise from the fourth beast, Rome, or it does not match the Biblical criteria. Not only must it arise from Rome, but it was to come up from among the other ten horns. It was to arise from the ten tribes that Rome was broken up into. This clear prophecy even gives the general time for the Antichrist to appear upon the scene. This Antichrist power must come up after the other ten tribes, but not too far afterward, for the prophecy states that it must uproot three of the tribes. So this power was to come somewhere from the territory which Rome was broken up into (i.e. western Europe or northern Africa) and was to arise to power after the division of Rome, but not far afterward for it was going to conquer three kingdoms that arose from Rome. This power was also going to speak blasphemous words against the God of heaven, even claiming to be God and to persecute the faithful people of God. There is something that we must understand about the Antichrist before we go any further. The word Antichrist comes from two words. Simply the words Anti and Christ. The word Anti has actually two meanings. Anti means instead or in opposition off. In other words the power we are speaking of is not only opposing Christ but trying to replace Christ. Daniel chapter 7 is not the only place in the Bible that gives us an insight as to what this power is trying to achieve. “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, shewing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4 Repeat and Enlargement Remember that we spoke about this principle in the beginning of our study. As we now have a look at a vision of John in the Revelation we will find striking parallels with Daniel chapter 7. “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And 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.” Revelation 13:1-2 When we read the description of John’s vision he beholds a beast coming up out of the sea. Remember that Daniel saw four beasts coming up out of the sea. The beast John saw looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear, a mouth like a lion, and the dragon gave it power. Now think back on the beasts Daniel saw! Exactly the same beasts were seen by Daniel the prophet passing in vision about 600 years before. John beholds the same beasts but amalgamated into one power. Bible prophecy is trying to tell us that whatever power is revealed in Revelation 13 it has its origin in Daniel 7. Daniel saw the rise and origin of the Antichrist power, and now John’s vision repeats for us some details of the origin of the Antichrist. But more than that it gives us significantly more insight in the character of this power. Let us look at the identification marks of this power as we compare both Daniel chapter 7 and Revelation chapter 13 - The Arising of the Antichrist: “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.” Daniel 7:8 From the once mighty Roman empire, another power was to arise. This power, not specifically mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2, became the focus of this vision. By carefully comparing the descriptions of this little horn power with the description of the antichrist, it is clear that this is what is also referred to as the antichrist or beast. By looking at the identifying points given, it will not be hard to discover which power this is. 1. It arose “among them,” or somewhere among the ten tribes that Rome was divided into. Thus the little horn was not to arise in Jerusalem or any other place not divided by the ten tribes. It had to arise somewhere in the territory of western Europe, for that was where the ten tribes were. We must look for a power arising from Europe. “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Daniel 7:24,25 2. It was a “little horn,” (vs. 8) and horns are kings or kingdoms (vs. 24). So it was to be a political power arising from Europe. 3. It was “different from the first ones.” Although it was a horn or political power, there was a difference from this political power and the preceding ones. This one was religious as well. This can be clearly seen in that he speaks “pompous words against” the Lord. The little horn was to be a religious-political power arising somewhere from the territory of Europe. 4. The basic time frame when this power was to arise is also given--“and another shall arise after them.” The antichrist was to arise after the other ten horns. The ten horns divided up from the Roman Empire between AD 351 and 476. By AD 476, the ten tribes each had their territory and the Roman Empire had completely disintegrated. Thus this power had to arise sometime after AD 476, but it could not arise too far after AD 476, because it was to “subdue three kings.” “And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.” Daniel 7:20 5. At the beginning of its reign, it was described as a “little horn,” but through the course of time he became “greater than his fellows” (fellow horns, or kingdoms). This European religious-political power was to begin its career dwarfed by the other kingdoms, but that was to change. Not only was it going to subdue three of the original ten tribes, but it was also to become greater than the other horns and exercise dominion over them. “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.” Revelation 13:7 6. Under this description, we can begin to see why the Lord speaks so strongly against this power in His Word. The beast launches a warfare against the people of God. It was not just going to massacre anyone, but “the saints.” A saint is simply a holy one, or one who keeps God’s Holy Law (Romans 7:12). The antichrist was to persecute Christians keeping God’s Law. 7. From his small beginnings in Europe, he was to grow and become a worldwide power, exerting authority over “every tribe, tongue and nation.” “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.” Revelation 13:5 “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” Luke 5:20, 21 “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” John 10:33 8. The beast, or Antichrist, was to speak blasphemies. God’s Word elsewhere defines blasphemy as claiming to be able to forgive sin or as being a man and claiming to be God (The accusation of blasphemy against Jesus was false, because He is God and can forgive sins; but for a mere man it would be blasphemy of the highest degree). This European religious-political power not only persecutes God’s people, but he also claims to be able to forgive sins and claims the prerogatives of God alone. “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, shewing himself that he is God… For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 7, 8 9. Paul, writing about AD 51, says that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. The Antichrist power was already at work in Paul’s day, but he also says that it will continue until Jesus comes because he will be destroyed by the brightness of His glory. It was already at work, but there was a power restraining it from coming to full fruition; but as soon as this restraining power was taken away, the man of sin would arise. What power was restraining the development of any new power in Paul’s day? It was obviously none other than the pagan Roman Empire. Rome was in one of its strongest eras and nothing could arise until it was taken out of the way, but as soon as it was taken away, the antichrist would rise and continue until Jesus comes in the clouds of glory. This power was also to sit in the temple (church by New Testament terminology, Ephesians 2:19-22) claiming to be God. The beast was to derive its power from the demise of the Caesars, all the while sitting in the church and claiming to be God. Identifying the Antichrist What power could this be? A religious-political power arising somewhere in Europe, but whose authority eventually extends over the entire world. A power that was to begin small, but was going to grow to power until it was stronger than those around it. A power that was going to persecute Christians for religious reasons. A power that would claim to be God and claim to be able to forgive sins. A power that was beginning to develop in Paul’s time, but was to endure until Jesus comes in all His glory. A power that was to sit in the church, and was to arise to power after the decline of the Caesars of pagan Rome. What power could this be? There is only one that matches the description. “To the succession of the Caesars came the succession of the Pontiffs in Rome. When Constantine left Rome he gave his seat to the Pontiff.” Labanca, Professor of History at the University of Rome. “The popes filled the place of the vacant emperors at Rome, inheriting their power, their prestige, and titles from paganism. Constantine left all to the bishop of Rome. The papacy is but the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon its grave.” Stanley’s History, page 40. Before going any further, it should be noted that we must not have any animosity toward any person or any group of people. The Lord Jesus loves every single person on this earth and gave His life for each one; and we need to have that same love for every single individual regardless of their race, background, or religious persuasion. At the same time that we are to love everyone, we must not be ignorant of what Bible prophecy says. If the Bible points out a counterfeit system as the beast power, we must be willing to acknowledge the fact and speak the truth, but always in love (Ephesians 4:15). We are not referring to people or personalities, but a system--a system that Bible prophecy identifies as the beast power. There are many good and sincere people all over the world, in all cultures, systems, and faiths; but that does not negate our obligation to teach what the Bible says about who the beast power is. With this understood, if we are going to be faithful to the Bible, there is only one power in the entire world that matches the identifying points of the beast. It is none other than the Papacy of Rome. Paul wrote that a power would rise to prominence after the pagan Roman emperors were taken out of the way, and that the pagan Roman Caesars would give their power and authority to this new power. Roman Catholic historians themselves acknowledge this undeniable fact. Every identifying point must match, though; or this is not the power pointed out by prophecy. It is as if we were putting together a puzzle. A piece might be found that is a perfect fit on three sides, but if it doesn’t fit the fourth side, it isn’t the right piece. If it were even a piece that fits perfectly on all four sides, but did not match the colour scheme, it would be the wrong piece. So if the power that we are beginning to identify as the antichrist does not match all of the identifying points, we must keep looking for the true antichrist; but if each and every point matches exactly, there can be no doubt that we have discovered the beast power of prophecy. 1. The antichrist was to arise among the ten horns, or somewhere among the countries of western Europe (Daniel 7:8). Without a doubt, the Papacy arose from the very heart of the Roman Empire, Rome itself. 2. Also according to Daniel 7:8, it was to be a horn or political power. Sure enough, the Vatican City, the smallest country in terms of land size in the world, is a power to be reckoned with. Throughout the Dark Ages, the papal lands amounted to more territory than many of the other nations of Europe. This dominion was taken away; but on February 11, 1929, the Lateran treaty between Mussolini and the papacy re-instituted the temporal dominion of the papacy. It was once again a “horn.” 3. The fact that it is different from the other nations of Europe (Daniel 7:24) and the world will be denied by no one. Although it has become a world player in the political realm, its religious attributes are clearly seen by all. 4. The Little Horn was to arise after the division of the Roman Empire (AD 476) and to uproot three of the ten tribes that divided the Roman Empire. One of the ten tribes, the Heruli had a different belief on the Godhead than what the papacy had. The Heruli were reigning in Italy and would give the papacy no political dominion. The elections of the popes even had to be approved by Odoacer, king of the Heruli. So, in 493, through the instigation of the papacy, the Ostrogoths drove the Heruli out of Italy: and thus the first of the three tribes were uprooted. Another Arian tribe, the Vandals, posed a threat to the politically emerging Papacy. The stronghold of the Vandals was Carthage in northern Africa. Under the direction and encouragement of Rome, Justinian, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire from Constantinople, sent his general Belisarius to subjugate the Vandals. In 533, Carthage was taken and the Vandals disappeared from history. The second tribe had been “plucked up.” With the savor of victory, the Papacy was about to launch its attack against the third and final tribe. Theodoric king of the Ostrogoths, also an Arian power, was outraged at the savage treatment that his fellow Arians were receiving. He had granted religious liberty to all and asked for the same for those who believed the way that he did. Justinian would have none of that. In the name of the “true faith” (Catholicism), he set out to conquer the heretical Ostrogoths and “liberate” the people of Italy. In AD 536, Justinian’s ablest general Belisarius, through the treason of the Catholic clergy and laity, entered Rome. The Ostrogoths tried to re-conquer their territory, but in AD 538 they retreated from Rome to Ravena. Belisarius followed them and conquered their last stronghold. In AD 538, the power of the Ostrogoths was broken; and the Papacy had, for the first time in its history, gained temporal dominion. In AD 538, the Papacy became, not just a church, but a political power, or a “horn.” The prophecy had been exactly fulfilled. 5. “Whose appearance was greater than his fellows.” (Daniel 7:20). Although the Papacy’s beginnings were small, it definitely became greater than the other horns. Its lands were dispersed through all of Europe; it exacted taxes from the other countries, claimed the right to dispose kings and rulers, and, on more than one occasion did. It was definitely “greater than his fellows.” 6. Both Daniel (Daniel 7:25) and Revelation (Revelation 13:7) give the description that he was going to persecute God’s people. When the records of history are cracked, it is readily seen that millions of Christians died for no other crime than having a Bible. The Papacy has been responsible for more deaths than Hitler and Stalin combined. It has been estimated that fifty million Christians lost their lives during the period of Papal supremacy. The church does not hide the fact. In March of 2000, Pope John Paul II publicly asked forgiveness for the wrongs of the Catholic Church. The Columbus Dispatch, March 13, 2000, commented, “The church burned heretics at the stake during the Inquisition. Armies slaughtered Muslims during the Crusades. And during the Holocaust, some Catholics [Pope Pius XII being one of them] stood silent in the face of Nazi genocide.” But the official documents of the church, still claim that this is perfectly acceptable, despite the apology. “The church may by divine right confiscate the property of heretics, imprison their person and condemn them to the flames…. In our age the right to inflict the severest penalties, even death belongs to the church…. There is no greater offense than heresy… .therefore it must be rooted out.” Public Ecclesiastical Law, vol. 2, page 142. 7. There is no question today that the Papacy is a worldwide power with worldwide recognition. Pope John Paul II traveled extensively through the world and was admired by millions wherever he went. He was worshipped by millions and received by the heads of state. Prophecy has been literally fulfilled. 8. The twofold definition of blasphemy in the Bible is in a mere man claiming to be able to forgive sins and in claiming to be God. Both of these points are fulfilled by the common clergy of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pontiff himself. “Seek where you will, through Heaven and earth, and you will find but one created being who can forgive the sinner…. That extraordinary being is the priest, the Catholic Priest.” The Catholic Priest, pages 78, 79. “God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of His priest, and either not to pardon or to pardon, according as they refuse or give absolution…. The sentence of the priest preceded, and God subscribes to it.” Dignity and Duties of the Priest, vol. 12, page 2. “The pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted, that he is not a mere man, but as it were God and the vicar of God.” Ferraris’ Ecclesiastical Dictionary, articles on the Pope. (A Roman Catholic Dictionary.) “But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself…. We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII pages 193, 304. New York: Benziger Bros., 1903. “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.” Revelation 13:5 9. The Beast power was to continue for forty two months (Revelation 13:5) or three and a half years (Daniel 7:25) or one thousand two hundred sixty days (Revelation 12:6). Each of these time periods is given in Scripture, but when compared it can be seen that it is all the same time period. We see, through a careful study of the Bible, that a day in Bible prophecy represents one year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34). So for twelve hundred and sixty prophetic days, or twelve hundred and sixty years, this power was to persecute God’s people. The Papacy became a political power and could exercise dominion over God’s people starting in 538, when it finally subdued the Arian kingdoms around it. Adding 1260 years to 538 brings us to 1798. Did anything happen in 1798 that ended the political reign of the Papacy, thus bringing the persecution of God’s people to a temporary end? “When, in 1797, Pope Pius VI fell grievously ill, Napoleon gave orders that in the event of his death no successor should be elected to his office, and that the Papacy should be discontinued. But the Pope recovered. The peace was soon broken; Berthier entered Rome on the 10th February, 1798, and proclaimed a republic. The aged Pontiff refused to violate his oath by recognizing it, and was hurried from prison to prison in France ....No wonder that half of Europe thought Napoleon’s veto would be obeyed, and that with the Pope the Papacy was dead.” The Modern Papacy, page 1, London Catholic Truth Society. “Rome, the 21st of Feb. [1798], Pope Pius VI, has occupied the papal chair for all of twenty-eight years, but the 15th inst. his government in the Papal States was abolished, and five days later, guarded by one hundred French soldiers, he was taken away from his palace and his capital .... “His . . . property was sold by the French, and among it were seven hundred head of cattle, one hundred fifty horses, and eight hundred cords of wood .... “Poor Pius! He must have felt very sad as he left Rome to go into captivity. When he departed his tear-filled eyes were turned heavenward.” The official Swedish newspaper, Stockholms Posttidning, March 29, 1798. “The murder of a Frenchman in Rome in 1798 gave the French an excuse for occupying the Eternal City and putting an end to the Papal temporal power. The aged Pontiff himself was carried off into exile to Valence…. The enemies of the Church rejoiced. The last Pope, they declared, had reigned.” Church History, 24. The Papacy continued as a political power for exactly one thousand two hundred sixty years. Then prophecy was again fulfilled to the letter when the Papal lands were declared absolved into the Republic of France. The Papacy matches this point with undeniable certainty. “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:18 10. The number of the Beast is none other than the infamous 666. It is not only the number of the beast, but it is the number of a man as well. Is there a man at the head of the Papacy? What is the official title and numerical equivalent of the man that leads the Papacy? “The letters inscribed in the Pope’s mitre are these: Vicarius Filii Dei, which is Latin for Vicar of the Son of God.” Our Sunday Visitor, April 18, 1915. Official Title of the Pope: VICARIUS FILII DEI
*1 Roman Numeral Equivalent Surely we have found another identification mark that fits the Papal power. Bible prophecy has shown us repeatedly which power is the Antichrist power. We are not left to doubt. We can clearly conclude from this study that ecclestiastical Rome being the papal church fits all the identification marks of the Antichrist power of prophecy. You might think, “what does it really matter? Is this so important?” We will see in our studies to come that it has much significance for us today. The issue that it all comes down to is worship. Will we be faithful to an erring earthly system that exalts itself and claims to have taken the very position of God, or will we humbly acknowledge the true God and His Word? We will examine and see the further impact of the Antichrist and his agenda in our next study. We will discover how we can stay close to Jesus and His Word in order to escape the deceptions and man made teachings in our world today. Again the Bible will be our only guide. During the dark ages of history the Word of God was hidden from the people. The light was covered, causing much spiritual darkness. Today we have open access to the treasures of scripture. May we continue to explore the Word, so that we may learn about the deceptions that will take place, and how that we can escape them. But above all, let us find the truth that will set us free (John 8:32). |
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The Antichrist Revealed
