Christian
11-06-2007, 07:12 AM
The word Antichrist is only mentioned four times throughout the Bible and only in the first and second letters of John.
He speaks of Antichrist(Singular Entity) "you have heard that Antichrist is to come" and in the less defined plurality "even now there are many Antichrists". 1 John 2:18
Paul also makes reference to this anti-christ power that is to come
Speaking of the second coming he says:
"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
So there will be a falling away and a departure from true doctrine
"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 Thess 2:4
Here we see also that Antichrist shall be a religious power for he sitteth within the Temple of God
So we have a number of interesting characteristics
The first being that Jesus shall not return until Antichrist has revealed himself and he will reveal himself when the church departs from true doctrine; also this power will be a religious power and that religious power will declare itself God.
So
Antichrist must be revealed
After departure from true doctrine
It/she/he will be a religious power
It/she/he will make a declaration of being God
The apostles were of course earnest students of the scriptures, and it would seem that this understanding is drawn from scripture. Because the last text quoted in 2 Thess 2:4 bares a similarity with the scripture found in Daniel 11:36:
"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods..."
So just as it said in 2 Thessalonians that he "exalteth himself above all that is called God" so to this entity does likewise.
The prophetic book of Daniel works on what seems to be a principle of God, in that he repeats and enlarges that which came before. So to understand that which is said we go back to earlier chapters.
And this is made clear by a reference in the verse to an earlier portion. When it says "shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods" the earlier reference is to be found in Daniel 7:25 where it says:
"and he shall speak great words against the most high..."
So far we have a continuity of relation in the Bible on the theme of Antichrist. Here, as in other places which relate to here, we shall be able to determine whom Antichrist is. And I shall tell you know and justify it hereafter it is the Catholic Church, not the people but the system and only the system.
Incidentally anti- means against, but it has additional meaning as in "in the place of" such as in "antitype"
Daniel Chapter 7
This chapter gives a chronology of the different world empires, symbolized by beasts, that were to emerge from Daniel's time in 605 BC right down to our own. Now it does not give these beasts the name of the empires they will represent, BUT this chapter does parallel Daniel chapter 2 which shows the same number of world empires and graciously gives us the name of the first, Babylon.
You may ask, well what does this have to do with the antichrist power that "shall speak great words against the most high..." well in order to determine where in time and locality we find and identify him we must first do the same with that which comes before him
So we look at the parallels between Daniel two and Daniel seven and then we see:
The number of separations are the same, there are four metals just as there are four beasts
Golden head, most precious metal (Dan 2:32) - Lion, king of beasts(Dan 7:4)
His legs of Iron (Dan 2:33) - Fourth beast with great iron teeth (Dan7:7)
Ten toes (Dan 2:33) - Fourth Beast with ten horns (Dan 7:7)
So when we see the parallels with chapter 7 and chapter 2, and chapter further emphasizes these parallels. Then we know the chapters are related. The advantage of this of course is then that we have a starting empire for the beasts, namely: Babylon.
Now the rest is simple history in that we know that Medo-Persia followed Babylon and Greece followed Medo-Persia and then finally Rome followed Greece.
Permit me now to show that this is what Daniel is saying also by showing how the different characteristics of the beasts relate to these empires
Medo-Persia
-Raised up on one side
The kingdom Medo-Persia had an imbalance in that Persia was always the stronger of the two(If you read in chapter eight you will see this repeated and enlarged upon in another beast, and there the angel informs us that this beast is Medo-Persia)
-Three Ribs
The kingdom of Medo-Persia conquered three other empires, the three being Babylon, Lydia and Egypt
Greece
-Four wings
Alexander the great conquered the near east with such speed that it was only a period of ten years
-Four heads
When Alexander died his kingdom was split by his four generals, Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Seleucius
Rome(Well known as the Iron empire)
-Ten horns
Ten horns are defined in the bible as powers (Daniel 7:24 "the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise")
When Rome fell in 476 AD the empire was divided amongst the ten Germanic tribes
Now we come to the little horn power(which is "different from the first"Dan7:24)
First let us see the characteristics of the Little horn
Comes up among the the ten horns - Dan 7:8
Different from the first(horns that is) Dan7:24
Plucks up three of the other horns Dan 7:8,24
Shall wear out the saints Dan 7:25
Shall think to change times and laws Dan 7:25
Shall continue for time times and the dividing of time Dan 7:25
-------
Now here we find a bit of math so beware :)
Time in the hebrew culture means one year, times means two years and the dividing of time means half of a year. So 3 and a 1/2 prophetic years. Then the Bible defines days as years if you look at Numbers 14:34 "each day for a year" and Ezekial 4:6 "I have appointed thee each day for a year".
Also Jesus would refer to his ministry in terms of days and not years Luke 13:32 "..I do cures today and tomorrow and the third day I shall be perfected"
So when you consider that this power shall reign for 3 and one half years and you know then that 3 and one half years is 1260 days. And that according to the bible these days are years which amount then to 1260 years. You have then a power that will reign for 1260 years.
-------
Now I would say that here is a significant list of details which would make it hard not to find whom it should indicate. After all we are looking for a power that rises up amongst the ten german tribes, that is different from them and subdues three of them, that persecutes the saints, that changes times and laws and that shall continue for 1260 years.
The Identity of Antichrist
The Catholic Church in 313AD under the auspices of Constantine was the one to change the 4th Commandment of the ten in God's law from worship upon the Sabbath day(the seventh day being Saturday, the dictionary will show you that) to the hallowing of Sunday, which is why many protestant denominations worship on Sunday to this day. It emerged to absolute power amongst the ten germanic tribes and subdued three that were in opposition, these three being the Heruli the Ostrogoths and the Vandals. Directly after having subdued the last, being the Ostrogoths, by the aid of Belisarius Emperor Justinians general, Pope Virgilius ascended the papal chair in 538 AD. Supreme ecclestiastical and civil authority was given him by the emperor over all churches and district.
The catholic church is responsible for more persecution than any other single entity, it has killed millions and millions of people. Mostly in the persecution of the saints
This church reigned for 1260 years from 538 to 1798 where Napolean Bonaparte in the person of Berthier his general dethroned the pope and confiscated the papal states and to all appearances it seemed as though the papal empire had come to an end.
But as everybody here today knows, the Catholic Church did not die, it's wound has been healed. And the continuation of it's history and future is to be found in Daniel and Revelation
He speaks of Antichrist(Singular Entity) "you have heard that Antichrist is to come" and in the less defined plurality "even now there are many Antichrists". 1 John 2:18
Paul also makes reference to this anti-christ power that is to come
Speaking of the second coming he says:
"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
So there will be a falling away and a departure from true doctrine
"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 Thess 2:4
Here we see also that Antichrist shall be a religious power for he sitteth within the Temple of God
So we have a number of interesting characteristics
The first being that Jesus shall not return until Antichrist has revealed himself and he will reveal himself when the church departs from true doctrine; also this power will be a religious power and that religious power will declare itself God.
So
Antichrist must be revealed
After departure from true doctrine
It/she/he will be a religious power
It/she/he will make a declaration of being God
The apostles were of course earnest students of the scriptures, and it would seem that this understanding is drawn from scripture. Because the last text quoted in 2 Thess 2:4 bares a similarity with the scripture found in Daniel 11:36:
"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods..."
So just as it said in 2 Thessalonians that he "exalteth himself above all that is called God" so to this entity does likewise.
The prophetic book of Daniel works on what seems to be a principle of God, in that he repeats and enlarges that which came before. So to understand that which is said we go back to earlier chapters.
And this is made clear by a reference in the verse to an earlier portion. When it says "shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods" the earlier reference is to be found in Daniel 7:25 where it says:
"and he shall speak great words against the most high..."
So far we have a continuity of relation in the Bible on the theme of Antichrist. Here, as in other places which relate to here, we shall be able to determine whom Antichrist is. And I shall tell you know and justify it hereafter it is the Catholic Church, not the people but the system and only the system.
Incidentally anti- means against, but it has additional meaning as in "in the place of" such as in "antitype"
Daniel Chapter 7
This chapter gives a chronology of the different world empires, symbolized by beasts, that were to emerge from Daniel's time in 605 BC right down to our own. Now it does not give these beasts the name of the empires they will represent, BUT this chapter does parallel Daniel chapter 2 which shows the same number of world empires and graciously gives us the name of the first, Babylon.
You may ask, well what does this have to do with the antichrist power that "shall speak great words against the most high..." well in order to determine where in time and locality we find and identify him we must first do the same with that which comes before him
So we look at the parallels between Daniel two and Daniel seven and then we see:
The number of separations are the same, there are four metals just as there are four beasts
Golden head, most precious metal (Dan 2:32) - Lion, king of beasts(Dan 7:4)
His legs of Iron (Dan 2:33) - Fourth beast with great iron teeth (Dan7:7)
Ten toes (Dan 2:33) - Fourth Beast with ten horns (Dan 7:7)
So when we see the parallels with chapter 7 and chapter 2, and chapter further emphasizes these parallels. Then we know the chapters are related. The advantage of this of course is then that we have a starting empire for the beasts, namely: Babylon.
Now the rest is simple history in that we know that Medo-Persia followed Babylon and Greece followed Medo-Persia and then finally Rome followed Greece.
Permit me now to show that this is what Daniel is saying also by showing how the different characteristics of the beasts relate to these empires
Medo-Persia
-Raised up on one side
The kingdom Medo-Persia had an imbalance in that Persia was always the stronger of the two(If you read in chapter eight you will see this repeated and enlarged upon in another beast, and there the angel informs us that this beast is Medo-Persia)
-Three Ribs
The kingdom of Medo-Persia conquered three other empires, the three being Babylon, Lydia and Egypt
Greece
-Four wings
Alexander the great conquered the near east with such speed that it was only a period of ten years
-Four heads
When Alexander died his kingdom was split by his four generals, Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Seleucius
Rome(Well known as the Iron empire)
-Ten horns
Ten horns are defined in the bible as powers (Daniel 7:24 "the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise")
When Rome fell in 476 AD the empire was divided amongst the ten Germanic tribes
Now we come to the little horn power(which is "different from the first"Dan7:24)
First let us see the characteristics of the Little horn
Comes up among the the ten horns - Dan 7:8
Different from the first(horns that is) Dan7:24
Plucks up three of the other horns Dan 7:8,24
Shall wear out the saints Dan 7:25
Shall think to change times and laws Dan 7:25
Shall continue for time times and the dividing of time Dan 7:25
-------
Now here we find a bit of math so beware :)
Time in the hebrew culture means one year, times means two years and the dividing of time means half of a year. So 3 and a 1/2 prophetic years. Then the Bible defines days as years if you look at Numbers 14:34 "each day for a year" and Ezekial 4:6 "I have appointed thee each day for a year".
Also Jesus would refer to his ministry in terms of days and not years Luke 13:32 "..I do cures today and tomorrow and the third day I shall be perfected"
So when you consider that this power shall reign for 3 and one half years and you know then that 3 and one half years is 1260 days. And that according to the bible these days are years which amount then to 1260 years. You have then a power that will reign for 1260 years.
-------
Now I would say that here is a significant list of details which would make it hard not to find whom it should indicate. After all we are looking for a power that rises up amongst the ten german tribes, that is different from them and subdues three of them, that persecutes the saints, that changes times and laws and that shall continue for 1260 years.
The Identity of Antichrist
The Catholic Church in 313AD under the auspices of Constantine was the one to change the 4th Commandment of the ten in God's law from worship upon the Sabbath day(the seventh day being Saturday, the dictionary will show you that) to the hallowing of Sunday, which is why many protestant denominations worship on Sunday to this day. It emerged to absolute power amongst the ten germanic tribes and subdued three that were in opposition, these three being the Heruli the Ostrogoths and the Vandals. Directly after having subdued the last, being the Ostrogoths, by the aid of Belisarius Emperor Justinians general, Pope Virgilius ascended the papal chair in 538 AD. Supreme ecclestiastical and civil authority was given him by the emperor over all churches and district.
The catholic church is responsible for more persecution than any other single entity, it has killed millions and millions of people. Mostly in the persecution of the saints
This church reigned for 1260 years from 538 to 1798 where Napolean Bonaparte in the person of Berthier his general dethroned the pope and confiscated the papal states and to all appearances it seemed as though the papal empire had come to an end.
But as everybody here today knows, the Catholic Church did not die, it's wound has been healed. And the continuation of it's history and future is to be found in Daniel and Revelation