Antichrist

 

Antichrist is a dominant figure of the end of the age, for sure, but nothing like what we have made him out to be. Antichrist gets far too much notoriety in modern books, and movies. Far more than what the Bible itself gives to him. That title, Antichrist, does not even appear in Revelation, Daniel, or Ezekiel. The Antichrist, if we must use that name, is the same person as Gog in Ezekiel 38-39, as well as the man of lawlessness that Paul describes at length in 2 Thessalonians 2. He is the same person mentioned in Revelation 17:11-14, the leader of the ten-nation Arab alliance that will attack Israel and battle with the returning Messiah. It would make sense, then, that the man of lawlessness will be an Islamic Imam or Caliph.

But Antichrist is not the beast of Revelation 13. That is where most people get there colorful, larger-than-life image of Antichrist. The seven headed beast refers to seven nations, not the Antichrist. That is why I hesitate to even use the name, Antichrist, because it conjures up false images from Revelation 13 and Daniel 9:27. Antichrist is not going to lead a one-world government for seven years. He is not healed from a deadly wound. And he is not going to desecrate the temple.

The Apostle John is the one who coined the name Antichrist -- not in Revelation, but rather in his epistles (I John and 2 John). John was gravely concerned about the lies and deception that the Gnostics were spreading, particularly their teaching that Jesus was not the Christ. John’s intent was not to coin a name for the future man of lawlessness, but rather to give a creative moniker for the Christ-denying gnostic deceivers. They were anti-Christ deceivers.

So, what exactly do we know about Gog and the man of lawlessness. Paul wrote that the man of lawlessness will lead a great rebellion (confirmed in Ez 38-39 and Rev 17). He will exalt himself to be God, usurping God’s heavenly temple. He will be enabled by Satan to display all kinds of power, signs and wonders, deceiving those who are perishing (2 Thess 2: 3-4, 9-10).  Ezekiel wrote that God’s main purpose for drawing Gog into the great battle of Armageddon and striking him down is so that “the nations will know that I the sovereign Lord am the Holy One in Israel” (Ez 39:7).

If we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, rather than letting our imagination run wild with speculation, we get a much more accurate picture of the Antichrist of the last days. When the man of lawlessness rises on the scene in the Middle East it will fulfill the final sign of the end of the age, the sixth trumpet warning – Armageddon.

Prophecy Re-examined

 

 

Prophecy needs to be re-examined. Many of our beliefs about the end times were conjecture and speculation at the time that they originated. Presumed to be true, they became embedded in writings and teachings. And when people believe something long enough, over many generations, of course it is assumed to be true, and the speculative origins are long forgotten. And that is the case with interpretations of prophecy about the last days, particularly in America.

Consider some examples of entrenched beliefs that were re-examined. The earth was believed to be flat by pre-Hellenistic cultures. It took several hundred years, from Pythagoras to Aristotle, before evidence was accepted and the earth was believed to be spherical. Galileo, the father of modern astronomy, discovered that the sun was the center of the universe, not the Earth. He was imprisoned by the Catholic Church and put on trial for heresy. Ignaz Semmelweis came up with the germ theory, about 1847, the idea that doctors carried germs on their hands from handling cadavers and spread them to mothers in obstetrics, because they did not bother to wash or disinfect their hands. The medical institutions mocked him, and opposed his antiseptic procedures. Lastly, consider the practice of slavery. It took years and years, wars and bloodshed, debate and reform on several continents, to change the belief that owning black slaves was acceptable.

I have spent a lifetime re-examining prophecy. Although I was taught the prevailing Baptist view, I have changed my beliefs. I invite you to consider these important changes, for starters.

1)      There is no seven-year Tribulation period. This is a hoax, fabricated, hatched, and promulgated in the 19^th century. The 70th week of Daniel’s Messianic prophecy (Daniel 9) was never intended to be detached from the previous 69 weeks and moved two thousand years later.

2)      The rapture of the saints does not occur before the Tribulation, since there is no Tribulation. It occurs at the time of the second coming of Christ, at the 7^th trumpet.

3)      The beast of Revelation 13 is not a description of Antichrist. The beast with seven heads represents seven world-dominating nations throughout history. And of utmost importance, the seventh nation is America, which will “rule for a little while”, then be destroyed by the eighth beast before Armageddon is launched (Rev 17:16 and Dan 7:11).

4)      The seven trumpets are not judgments of God during the Tribulation, reserved for unbelievers “left behind”. They are warnings to mankind that doom and destruction are imminent. The trumpets have been “sounding” since World War 1, and we now await trumpet #6, the build-up to Armageddon.

And there you have it. Prophecy must be re-examined. History must prevail, and speculative interpretations dispelled.

 

The Tribulation Hoax

 

Prophecy needs to be re-examined. Christians in America have been led to believe in a seven-year Great Tribulation. But that entire concept is just not in the Bible. It is a hoax, a total fabrication. I hate to be so blunt, but many, if not most, are completely deceived regarding what is really to be expected as the end of the age comes upon us. In my book, Right At The Door, I dedicated an entire chapter to this one important topic.

The theory of a seven-year Great Tirublation was hatched by John Darby in the 1840’s. It came to America and was codified in the Niagara Bible Conferences. It then got imbedded in the Scofield Reference Bible. (And we all know how the notes in a study Bible are perceived – they are as true and inspired as the actual word of God.) Then in the early 20th century several Bible Schools and Seminaries spread the Tribulation theory like a tidal wave, most notably Moody and Dallas Seminary. The fictional facade was added later in the 20th century by the Left Behind series of books and movies.

The Tribulation hoax is actually the cornerstone of teaching on the End Times in America. It correlates with a rapture to get us all out of here before unspeakable evil and unbearable judgment is unleashed upon all the sinners left behind. The debate over pre-trib rapture is pointless – there’s no trib. Nowhere in the prophecies of Daniel or Revelation do you find the seven-year Tribulation. Unfortunately, most Christians assume it is true, and cannot even conceive that is a hoax.

The great tribulation hoax is based on a sketchy interpretation of Daniel 9. The seventieth week of Daniel’s great Messianic prophecy gets blatantly detached from the first 69 weeks and moved 2000 years later to become the Great Tirublation. Look at the prophecy. It is the Messiah that will bring an end to sacrifice and offering, not Antichrist. It is the Messiah who instituted a covenant with many (i.e., with Gentiles as well as Jews), not Antichrist. That covenant is the New Covenant. But this great Messianic prophecy has been surreptitiously and audaciously transformed into the great prophecy of a seven-year tribulation, with Antichrist being the central figure.

Until the Great Tribulation theory is tossed overboard, the ship will veer hopelessly off course. It is an insurmountable roadblock to understanding Revelation rightly, leading to twisted and distorted interpretations at every turn.

And there you have it. Unless you get this right, you will not be ready for what actually lies ahead. Very soon, I might add.