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
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 1]
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.
[Forward]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 2]
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).
[Chap. 1]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 3]
"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.
[Chap. 2]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 4]
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.
[Chap. 3]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 5]
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.
[Chap. 4]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 6]
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 with the
most extraordinary powers, so that "he shall destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall
destroy the mighty and the holy people" (Dan. 8:24).
Before his exploits the fame of Alexander and Napoleon will
be forgotten. None will be able to stand before him. He will
go "forth conquering and to conquer" (Rev. 6:2). He
will sweep everything before him so that the world will
exclaim, "Who is like unto the Beast? who is able to
make war with him?" (Rev. 13:4). His military exploits
will not be confined to a corner, but carried out on a vast
scale. He is spoken of as the man who will "shake
kingdoms" and "make the earth to tremble"
(Isa. 14:16).
6. He will be a governmental genius.
He will weld together opposing
forces. He will unify conflicting agencies. Under the
compelling power of his skill the world Powers will be
united. The dream of a League of Nations will then be
realized. The Orient and the Occident shall no longer be
divided. A marvelous symbolic picture of this is given us in
Rev. 13:1,2: "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". Here we find
the forces of the Roman, the Grecian, the Medo-Persian, and
the Babylonian empires coalesced. He will be the personal
embodiment of the world's political authority in its
final form. So completely will the world be swayed by the
hypnotic spell cast over it by the Beast that the ten kings
of the Roman empire in its ultimate form shall "give
their kingdoms unto him" (Rev. 17:17). He will be the
last great Caesar.
7. He will be a religious genius.
He will proclaim himself God,
demanding that Divine honors should be rendered to him and
sitting in the Temple shall show himself forth that he is God
(2 Thess. 2:4). Such wonders will he perform, such prodigious
marvels will he work, the very elect would be deceived by him
did not God directly protect them. The Man of Sin will
combine in himself all the varied genius of the human race,
and what is more, he will be invested with all the wisdom and
power of Satan. He will be a master of science, acquainted
with all of nature's forces, compelling her to give up
for him her long held secrets. "In this master-piece of
Satan", says one, "will be concentrated
intellectual greatness, sovereign power and human glory,
combined with every species of iniquity, pride, tyranny,
wilfulness, deceit, and blasphemy, such as Antiochus
Epiphanes, Mohammed, the whole line of popes, atheists, and
deists of every age of the world have failed to unite in any
individual person".
"All the world wondered
after the Beast" (Rev. 13:3). His final triumph shall be
that, wounded by a sword, he shall live again (Rev. 13:3). He
shall raise himself from the dead, and so wonder-struck will
men be at this stupendous marvel they will readily pay him
Divine homage, yea, so great will be his dazzling power over
men, they will worship his very image (Rev. 13:14,15).
Having contemplated something
of the genius of Satan's prodigy, let us now consider his
character. In doing so we shall view him in the light of the
Character of the Lord Jesus. Christ is the Divine plumb-line
and standard of measurement by which all character must be
tested.
In our last chapter we pointed
out how that the distinguishing title of the coming Super-man
- the Antichrist - has a double significance, inasmuch
as it points to him as the imitator of Christ and the
opponent of Christ. Hence, in studying his character, we find
a series of comparisons and a series of contrasts drawn
between the false christ and the true Christ; and these we
now propose to set before the reader.
Comparisons between Christ
and the Antichrist.
Satan is the
master-counterfeiter, and in nothing will this appear more
conspicuously than in his next great move. He is now
preparing the stage for his climactic production, which will
issue in a blasphemous imitation of the Divine incarnation.
When the Son of Perdition appears he will pose as the Christ
of God, and so perfect will be his disguise, the very elect
would be deceived, were it not that God will grant them
special illumination. It is this disguise, this simulation of
the true Christ which we shall now examine, pointing out the
various parallelisms which Scripture furnishes:
1. Christ was the subject of
Old Testament prophecy: so also is the Antichrist; many are
the predictions which describe this coming one, see
especially Dan. 11:21-45.
2. The Lord Jesus was typified
by many Old Testament characters such as Abel, Joseph, Moses,
David, etc. So also will the Antichrist be: such characters
as Cain, Pharaoh, Absolom, Saul, etc., foreshadow the Man of
Sin. We shall devote a separate chapter to this most
fascinating and totally neglected branch of our subject.
3. Christ was revealed only at
God's appointed time: such will also be the case with the
Antichrist. Of the one we read, "But when the fulness
of time was come, God sent forth His Son" (Gal.
4:4); of the other it is said, "And now we know what
withholdeth that he might be revealed in his
time" (2 Thess. 2:6).
4. Christ was a Man, a real
Man, "the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5); so also
will the Antichrist be - "that Man of Sin" (2
Thess. 2:3).
5. But Christ was more than a
man; He was the God-Man; so also will the Antichrist be more
than a man: the Super-man.
6. Christ was, according to
the flesh, a Jew (Rom. 1:3); so also will the Antichrist be -
for proofs see chapter three, section one.
7. Christ will make a covenant
with Israel (Heb. 8:8); so also will the Antichrist (Dan.
9:27).
8. Christ is our "Great
High Priest"; so Antichrist will yet be Israel's
great high priest (Ezek. 21:26).
9. Christ was and will be the
King of the Jews (Matt. 2:1); so also will the Antichrist be
(Dan. 11:36).
10. Christ will be the King of
kings (Rev. 17:14); so also will the Antichrist be (Rev.
17:12,13).
11. Christ wrought miracles:
of Him it is said "approved of God among you by miracles
and wonders and signs" (Acts 2:22); so also will the
Antichrist, concerning whom it is written, "whose coming
is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders" (2 Thess. 2:9).
12. Christ's public
ministry was limited to three years and a half; so also will
the Antichrist's final ministry be (Rev. 13:5).
13. Christ is shown to us
riding a "white horse" (Rev. 19:11); so also is the
Antichrist (Rev. 6:2).
14. Christ will return to the
earth as Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6,7); so also will the
Antichrist introduce an era of peace (Dan. 11:21); it is to
this that 1 Thess. 5:3 directly refers.
15. Christ is entitled
"the Morning Star" (Rev. 22:16); so also is the
Antichrist (Isa. 14:12).
16. Christ is referred to as
Him "which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 4:8);
the Antichrist is referred to as him that "was, and is
not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit" (Rev.
17:8).
17. Christ died and rose
again; so also will the Antichrist (Rev. 13:3).
18. Christ will be the object
of universal worship (Phil. 2:10); so also will the
Antichrist (Rev. 13:4).
19. The followers of the Lamb
will be sealed in their foreheads (Rev. 7:3; 14:1); so also
will the followers of the Beast (Rev. 13:16,17).
20. Christ has been followed
by the Holy Spirit who causes men to worship Him; so the
Antichrist will be followed by the Anti-spirit - the False
Prophet - who will cause men to worship the Beast (Rev.
13:12).
There is no need for us to
make any comments on these striking correspondences: they
speak for themselves. They show the incredible lengths to
which God will permit Satan to go in mimicking the Lord
Jesus. We turn now to consider:
Contrasts between Christ
and the Antichrist.
I. In their respective
Designations.
1. One is called the Christ
(Matt. 16:16); the other the Antichrist (1 John 4:3).
2. One is called the Man of
Sorrows (Isa. 53:3); the other the Man of Sin (2 Thess.
2:3).
3. One is called the Son of
God (John 1:34); the other the Son of Perdition (2 Thess.
2:3).
4. One is called the Seed of
woman (Gen. 3:15); the other the seed of the Serpent (Gen.
3:15).
5. One is called the Lamb
(Isa. 53:7); the other the Beast (Rev. 11:7).
6. One is called the Holy One
(Mark 1:24); the other the Wicked One (2 Thess. 2:8).
7. One is called the Truth
(John 14:6); the other the Lie (John 8:44).
8. One is called the Prince of
Peace (Isa. 9:6); the other the wicked, profane Prince (Ezek.
21:25).
9. One is called the glorious
Branch (Isa. 4:2); the other the abominable Branch (Isa.
14:19).
10. One is called the Mighty
Angel (Rev. 10:1); the other is called the Angel of the
Bottomless Pit (Rev. 9:11).
11. One is called the Good
Shepherd (John 10:11); the other is called the Idol Shepherd
(Zech. 11:17).
12. One has for the number of
His name (the gematria of "Jesus") 888; the other
has for the number of his name 666 (Rev. 13:18).
II. In their respective
Careers.
1. Christ came down from
heaven (John 3:13); Antichrist comes up out of the bottomless
pit (Rev. 11:7).
2. Christ came in
Another's Name (John 5:43); Antichrist will come in his
own name (John 5:43).
3. Christ came to do the
Father's will (John 6:38); Antichrist will do his own
will (Dan. 11:36).
4. Christ was energized by the
Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14); Antichrist will be energized by
Satan (Rev. 13:4).
5. Christ submitted Himself to
God (John 5:30); Antichrist defies God (2 Thess. 2:4).
6. Christ humbled Himself
(Phil. 2:8); Antichrist exalts himself (Dan. 11:37).
7. Christ honored the God of
His fathers (Luke 4:16); Antichrist refuses to (Dan
11:37).
8. Christ cleansed the temple
(John 2:14,16); the Antichrist defiles the temple (Matt.
24:15).
9. Christ ministered to the
needy (Isa. 53:7); Antichrist robs the poor (Psa.
10:8,9).
10. Christ was rejected of men
(Isa. 53:7); Antichrist will be accepted by men (Rev.
13:4).
11. Christ leadeth the flock
(John 10:3); Antichrist leaveth the flock (Zech. 11:17).
12. Christ was slain for the
people (John 11:51); Antichrist slays the people (Isa.
14:20).
13. Christ glorified God on
earth (John 17:4), Antichrist blasphemes the name of God in
heaven (Rev. 13:6).
14. Christ was received up
into heaven (Luke 24:51); Antichrist goes down into the Lake
of Fire (Rev. 19:20).
[Chap. 5]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 7]
We now come to the most
interesting and yet the most difficult part of our subject.
When will the Antichrist be manifested? where will he appear?
what will he do? are questions which readily occur to all who
have given any thought to the matter. It is not our purpose
to seek to satisfy the idly curious, still less is it to
gratify those who love the sensational. We are well aware
that our present theme is one that appeals strongly to the
curiously inclined, and were it not for the importance of our
inquiry we would leave it alone. But without due regard to
the person and place of the coming Superman, it is impossible
to understand the eschatology of either the Old or New
Testaments.
The chief difficulty is to
arrange in chronological sequence the many passages which
treat of the Antichrist. It is by no means easy to discover
the precise order in which the prophecies which deal with the
Man of Sin will receive their fulfillment. There is great
need for much prayerful study along this line. We can only
write according to the light we now have, and our readers
must examine for themselves what we say in the light of the
Scriptures. It ill becomes any one to be dogmatic where the
Word itself does not plainly state the exact time when
certain prophecies are to be fulfilled.
In this chapter we are placed
somewhat at a disadvantage, because we shall be obliged to
give brief expositions of many scriptures where it will be
impossible for us to pause and furnish proofs or reasons for
each interpretation. For example, it is our firm conviction
that the Assyrian of Isa. 10, the king of Babylon of Isa. 14,
the Little Horn of Dan. 7, the Little Horn of Dan. 8, and the
first Beast of Rev. 13, each and all view the Antichrist
himself in different relationships. There are some Bible
students who may take issue with us on these points, and
complain because that in this chapter we make assertions
without endeavoring to prove them. We regret this, but would
ask all to bear with us patiently. In the later chapters of
this book we shall devote separate studies to the Antichrist
in the Psalms, in the Prophets, in the Gospels and Epistles,
and in the Apocalypse; when we shall endeavor to examine each
passage separately and attempt to give scriptural proofs for
every interpretation adopted.
While it is admittedly
difficult, and perhaps impossible, to fit each prophecy
concerning the Antichrist into its proper chronological
place, we are able to determine the relative position of most
of them. The career of the Antichrist is divided into two
distinct parts, and there is a clearly defined dividing line
between them. In previous chapters we have pointed out how
that the name "Antichrist" has a double meaning,
signifying one who imitates Christ, and one who is opposed to
Christ. This double meaning to his name corresponds exactly
with the two chief parts in his career. In the first, he
poses as the true Christ, claiming to be indeed the Messiah
of Israel. This claim will be backed up with the most
imposing credentials, and all excepting God's elect will
be deceived. He will sit in the Temple (a rebuilt temple in
Jerusalem) showing himself forth to be God, and Divine honors
will be paid him. But at a later stage he will throw off his
mask, and appear in his true character as the opponent of
Christ and the defier of God. Then, instead of befriending
the Jews, he will turn against them and seek to exterminate
them from the earth. Thus, with many of the scriptures which
describe the person and career of the Antichrist it is a
comparatively easy matter to decide whether they belong to
the first or to the second stage of his history. But beyond
this it is difficult, with some scriptures at least to
go.
We shall now consider, first
the time of Antichrist's appearing. It is hardly
necessary for us to enter into a lengthy argument to show
that the Antichrist (as such) has not already appeared. Many
antichrists have already come and gone, and some are in the
world even now; the same is equally true of the many false
prophets foretold in Scripture; but all of these are but the
forecasts and foreshadowings of the Antichrist and the False
Prophet, who are yet to be revealed, and who will receive
their final overthrow by the Lord Jesus at His return to the
earth. Before the Antichrist can appear the Holy Spirit must
be "taken out of the way" (2 Thess. 2:7); the old
Roman Empire must be revived and assume its final form -
divided under ten kings" - before the "Little
Horn" comes into prominence (Dan. 7:24 - he rises
"after them"): Israel must be restored to their
land and the Temple be rebuilt, etc., etc.
At the present time the
ultimate development of "the Mystery of Iniquity"
is being hindered. God's people are the salt of the
earth, and their presence here stays the corruption of the
"carcass" (Matt. 24:28 - The "Carcass" is
the antithesis of the "Body" of Christ). The saints
are the light of the world, and while they remain in it is
impossible for darkness to cover the earth and gross darkness
the people (Isa. 60:2). The Spirit of God is here, indwelling
believers, and His holy presence checks the final outworking
of Satan's plans. But when all believers of this
dispensation have been "caught up to meet the Lord in
the air" (1 Thess. 4:16), and the Holy Spirit has
departed from the earth, all restraint will be removed, and
Satan will be allowed to bring forth his false christ, who
will be "revealed in his time" (2 Thess. 2:6), and
it would seem that even now signs are not wanting to show
that God has already given permission to Satan to prepare the
stage of action for the ghastly consummation of his evil
efforts. There can be no doubt but that the Devil has desired
to reveal the Son of Perdition long before this, so that by
means of him he may reduce the whole world to submission. But
the restraining hand of God, now so soon to be removed, has
held him back.
The time, then, when the
Antichrist will be revealed is after this present
Dispensation of Grace has run its course; after the Mystical
Body of Christ has been completed; after the whole company of
God's people have been caught up to meet the Lord in the
air; after the Holy Spirit has departed from the world. How
soon after we cannot say for certain. The majority of
prophetic students seems to think that the last great Caesar
will come into prominence almost immediately after the
rapture of the saints. Personally, we believe there will be
an interval, long or short, between the two. As there was a
period of thirty years after the birth of the Lord Jesus - a
period of silence - before His public ministry commenced, so
there may be a similar interval between the Rapture and the
Revelation of Antichrist.
The Antichrist will enter the
arena of public affairs before the beginning of Daniel's
seventieth week, for at the beginning of it he makes a
seven-years covenant with the Jews, then in their land. But
at that point he will be the Dictator of the world's
policies, and as he begins in comparative obscurity (at least
from a governmental standpoint), some time - probably years -
must be allowed for his gradual rise to political supremacy.
His meteoric course will not be terminated until the Lord
Himself descends to earth to usher in the Millennium. Just as
the reign of Saul preceded that of David, so shall that of
Antichrist antedate that of the true Christ.
We turn now to consider the
place of Antichrist's appearing. So far as the writer is
aware there are only two scriptures which give direct
information upon this point, and they are each found in the
prophecy of Daniel. We refer to the passages which speak of
"the Little Horn". In Dan. 7:7,8 we read,
"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 break 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. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up
among them another little horn". This fourth Beast is
the last world-empire, prior to the setting up of the
Messianic kingdom. This empire will, at first, be ruled over
by ten kings - the "ten horns" of v.7 and defined
as ten kings in v. 24. After them arises another, the
"Little Horn", which signifies another
"king', see v. 24. He is termed "little"
because at that stage his kingdom is but small compared with
that of the others, and the power he then wields is
insignificant when contrasted from the ten kings. But not for
long will he remain weak and insignificant. Soon the ten
kings will themselves own allegiance to this eleventh - see
Rev. 17: 12,13. We reserve for a later chapter the proofs
that this "Little Horn' is the Antichrist, asking
our readers to study carefully the description furnished of
him in Dan. 7:8, 20-27; 8:9-12, 23-25.
Taking it for granted (at the
moment) that the Little Horn of Dan. 7 is the Antichrist let
us see how what is there said of him helps us to determine
the quarter from which he will arise. In Dan. 7:7 the
"fourth Beast" is described, and in 7:23 we are
told, "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". This Kingdom will be divided into ten parts,
over which will be the ten kings (7:24). This kingdom will
be, we believe, the old Roman Empire revived in its final
form, and divided into two great halves - the Eastern and the
Western. This fourth kingdom will include within itself all
the territory and will perpetuate all the dominant
characteristics of the other three which have preceded it,
i.e. the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, and Grecian. Turning
now to Dan. 7:8 we are told, "I considered the horns,
and, behold, there came up among them another little
horn". The Antichrist, then, will have his rise within
the limits of the old Roman Empire. This narrows considerably
our circle of inquiry. The next question is, Can we determine
from which part of the empire he will arise - the Eastern or
the Western? Dan. 8 furnishes light upon this point.
In Dan. 8:8,9 we read,
"Therefore the he-goat waxed very great: and when he was
strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four
notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one
of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding
great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the
pleasant land". Now v. 21 of this same chapter tells us,
"The rough goat is the king (kingdom) of Grecia",
and v. 22 informs us "and the great horn that is between
his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas
four stood up for it, four kingdoms (or kings) shall stand up
out of the nation". This, of course, refers to the act
of Alexander the Great who divided his kingdom into four
parts - Greece, Egypt, Syria, and the rest of the domains of
Turkey - under his four great generals: Ptolemy, Cassander,
Lysimachus, and Seleucus. This, again, very appreciably
narrows our circle of inquiry. Dan. 7 tells us the Little
Horn is to arise in a part of the territory covered by the
old Roman Empire, which Empire gradually included within its
domains that the the preceding empires. Now here in Dan. 8 we
learn that the Little Horn will spring from that part of the
revived Roman Empire which was included in the Grecian
Empire. But this is not all that Dan. 8 tells us. The Grecian
Empire is here viewed as disintegrated into four parts or
kingdoms, from which of these parts, then, may we expect him
to issue - Macedonia, Egypt, Syria, or Thrace? This question,
we believe, receives answer in Dan. 8:( where we are told,
that the Little Horn "waxed exceeding great toward the
south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant
land". Practically all students are agreed that
"the south" here refers to Egypt, the
"east" to Persia and Greece and "the pleasant
land' to Palestine, hence it would seem that the country
from which Antichrist will first be manifested is Syria. It
will be noted that nothing is said in Dan. 8:9 about the
Little Horn "waxing great" toward the north, and we
believe the reason for this is because that is the quarter
from whence he shall arise. This is confirmed by the fact
that "the king of Assyria" in Isa. 10:12 is clearly
none other than the Antichrist. We may say this was the
current view of Christian writers on prophecy through the
first ten centuries A.D. The late Mr. W. B. Newton in his
splendid "Aids to the Study of Prophetic Inquiry"
has succinctly summarized the various arguments of the
ancients in the following language: -
"In the first place, as
Nimrod - the founder of Babel, that is, the Tower of Babylon
- a savage tyrant and cruel oppressor of men, was the first
person who declared open war against God; so it is meet that
there should arise from the selfsame Babylon, the last and
most atrocious persecutor of the saints - the Antichrist.
Moreover, seeing that Nebuchadnezzar and Antiochus Epiphanes
- two monsters who bore down upon the people of God with an
overwhelming power of destruction, and who were the
antichrists of the old Testament and remarkable types of the
Antichrist which is to come; seeing, I say, that these
monarchs reigned in Babylon, it is fitting that the true
Antichrist of the New Testament should arise from the same
Babylon.
"Besides, no place can be
pointed out more meet for the nativity of Antichrist than
Babylon, for it is the City of the Devil - always
diametrically opposed to Jerusalem, which is deemed the City
of God; the former city, that is, Babylon, being the mother
and disseminator of every kind of confusion, idolatry,
impiety - a vast sink of every foul pollution, crime, and
iniquity - the first city in the world which cut itself off
from the worship of the true God - which reared the city of
universal vice, - which perpetually (according to the record
of Holy Writ) carries on the mystery of iniquity, and bears
imprinted on her brow the inscription of blasphemy against
the name of God. The consummation, therefore, of impiety,
which is to have its recapitulation in Antichrist, could not
break forth from a more fitting place than Babylon".
Having dwelt at some length on
the time and the place of the Antichrist's appearing, we
shall attempt to give now a brief outline of the leading
events in his career. We have seen that the scriptures which
help us to determine the direction from which he will arise,
speak of him under the title of the Little Horn. Now the
first thing this title denotes is that he is a king, king of
Assyria. Some, no doubt, will wonder how a Jew will succeed
in obtaining the throne of Syria. Several answers might be
suggested, such, for example, as heading a successful
rebellion - the spectacle of an obscure plebeian speedily
rising to the rank of national Dictator, has been forcibly
exhibited before our own eyes in Russia. But on this point we
are not left to speculation. Dan. 11:21 tells us that the
"Vile Person" will come in peaceably, and obtain
the kingdom by flatteries. With this agrees Rev. 6:2, where
the Antichrist is seen riding a white war-horse, and with bow
in hand, but with no arrow fitted to it. The symbol suggests
bloodless victories.
As soon as this Jew acquires
the crown of Syria he will speedily enlarge his dominions. As
Rev. 6:2 tells us, he will go forth "conquering and to
conquer", and as we are told further in Hab. 2:5,
"He is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who
enlarged his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be
satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth
unto him all people". The first thing which is predicted
of him (as "the Little Horn") is that "he
shall subdue three kings" (Dan. 7:24). As to what kings
these may be, appears to be intimated in Dan. 8:9 where we
are told, "And out of one of them came forth a little
horn, which waxed exceeding great toward the south, and
toward the east, and toward the pleasant land". He waxes
great first toward the south, that is, most probably, by a
victorious expedition into Egypt. Next, he is seen moving
toward the east, reducing, to what extent we are not told,
the dominions of Persia and Greece; finally he turns his face
toward the pleasant land, which is Palestine. Without being
dogmatic, we would suggest that the three kings he subdues
are those of Egypt, Persia, and Greece.
Having subdued the three kings
by his military prowess a "league" is made with him
(see Dan. 11:23). Probably it is the remaining seven kings of
the revived Roman Empire, plus the three vassals of the
Antichrist who take the place of the kings he had deposed,
that enter into this League with the Little horn, or king of
Assyria; but he shall work deceitfully, and shall become
strong with a small people (Dan. 11:23). So strong does he
become that in a short time he rises to political supremacy,
and the whole of the ten kings shall "give their kingdom
unto the Beast". (Rev. 17:17), and he will then be
recognized as the imperial Emperor. Thus as King of kings he
will dictate the policies of Europe and Asia.
"The Little Horn will
revive in himself all the personified glory of Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. And let not this be regarded as
an event incredible. We are to remember that Antichrist will
be Satan's masterpiece; furnished with every auxiliary of
influence and wealth, for wresting the sceptre from the hands
of Him who won it by His humiliation of the Cross. Thus it is
said he will `resist the God of gods'. The accumulated
and restored honors of each royal successor are thus to crown
the brow of this last and greatest of Gentile monarchs. And
so shall he stand in his unrivalled magnificence till the
Stone shall smite him and his power, and grind all to
powder" (Mrs. G. Needham).
After the Antichrist has
acquired the political sovereignty of the prophetic earth he
will then enter upon his religious role, claiming to be the
Christ of God and demanding Divine honors. At first sight it
appears strange, if not incongruous, that a military despot
should be found filling the character of a religious
impostor. But history shows that there is a point at which
one character readily merges into the other. Political
ambition, intoxicated by success, finds it an easy step from
self-glorification to self-deification, and the popular
infatuation as easily passes from the abject adulation of the
tyrant to the adoration of the god. Or again; a religious
impostor, encouraged by the ascendancy he has acquired over
the minds of men, grasps the sceptre of secular power and
becomes the most arbitrary of despots. Rev. 13:4 makes it
plain that the military prowess of the Antichrist first
induces men to render him Divine homage: "And they
worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast: and
they worshipped the Beast, saying, Who is like unto the
Beast? who is able to make war with him?" But no
ordinary honors will suffice him. His religious ambitions are
as insatiable as his political, for he will "oppose and
exalt 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
claim to be God Himself, incarnate, will be backed up by
imposing credentials, for his coming will be, "after the
working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying
wonders" (2 Thess. 2:9). These miracles will be no mere
pretenses, but prodigies of power.
The Jews, previously returned
to Palestine, and with temple in Jerusalem rebuilt, will
receive this Son of Perdition as their long-promised
Messiah" (John 5:43). In imitation of the true Christ
who will, at His return to the earth, "make a new
covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of
Judah" (Heb. 8:8, compare Jer. 31 and Ezek. 36), the
Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews (see Dan. 9:27
and 11:22). Under a seven years' treaty, and in the guise
of friendship, he will gain ascendancy in Jerusalem, only
later to throw off the mask and break the covenant.
About seven months after the
Antichrist, the "Prince" (i.e. of the Roman Empire)
of Dan 9:27 has made the Covenant with the Jews he will begin
to "practice" in Jerusalem (Dan. 8:24). This we
believe is the explanation of the two thousand three hundred
days of Dan. 8:14 which has puzzled so many of the
commentators. This two thousand three hundred days is the
whole period during which the false messiah will practice in
Jerusalem and have power over the "sanctuary": two
thousand three hundred days is seven years less seven months
and ten days.
There, in Jerusalem, he will
pose as the Christ of God, the Prince of Peace. The world
will suppose that the long looked- for Millennium has
arrived. There will be every indication that the eagerly
desired Golden Age has, at last, dawned. The great Powers of
Europe and Asia will have been united under the ten-kingdomed
Empire. It will be expected that the League of Nations
guarantees the peace of the earth. For a season quietness and
amity will prevail. None will dare to oppose the mighty
Emperor. But not for long will the hideous war-spectre hide
himself. Soon will the "white horse" of Rev. 6 be
found to change his hue. A "red horse" will go
forth, and then "peace shall be taken from the
earth" (Rev. 6). At the very time the world is
congratulating itself that all is well, and the slogan of the
hour is "Peace and Safety", then "sudden
destruction cometh upon them" (1 Thess. 5:3).
In the midst of the seven
years the Antichrist will throw off his mask, break his
covenant with Israel, and stand forth as the most daring
idolater who has ever trodden this earth. After he has
"practiced" in Jerusalem for two years and five
months, he will take away the daily sacrifice (Dan. 8:11;
9:27) from the Temple, and in its place rear an image to
himself in the holy place, which is the "abomination of
desolation" referred to by Christ (see Matt. 24:15).
This brings us to the great
dividing line in his career, to which reference was made near
the beginning of this chapter. It is a point not only of
interest but of considerable importance to ascertain what it
is that causes this startling change of front, from posing as
the true Christ to that of the open defier of God. There are
several scriptures which throw light on this point. Satan
will cause the Man of Sin to crown his daring imitation of
the Christ of God by being slain and rising again from the
dead.
Both the Old and the New
Testaments refer to the death of the Antichrist, and
attribute it to the sword. In Rev. 13:14 we read that the
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 the sword and did live. In harmony with this we read in
Zech. 11:17, "Woe to the Idol Shepherd that leaveth the
flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right
eye". It is to be noted that before we read that
"the sword shall be" upon him, we are told that he
"leaveth the flock", and the previous verse tells
us that he was raised up "in the land", which can
only mean that he was ruling in Palestine. Hence it is clear
that he leaves the Land before he receives his death wound by
the sword. In perfect accord with this is what we read in
Isa. 37:6,7 (in a later chapter we shall treat at length of
the future Babylon, restored; the connection of Antichrist
with it, and the typical and prophetical significance of Isa.
37 and 38); "Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and
he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I
will cause him to fall by the sword in his own
land".
Leaving Palestine, the
Antichrist will "return to his own land", that is,
the land of his nativity - Assyria - which confirms what we
have said previously about Assyria being the country where
Antichrist will first be manifested. There, in his own land,
he will fall by the sword. Most probably he will be slain
there by his political enemies, envious of his power and
chafing under his haughty autocracy. In death he will be
hated and dishonored, and burial will be refused him. It is
to this that Isa. 14 (speaking of the King of Babylon, see
v.4) refers: "But thou art cast out of thy grave like an
abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are
slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the
stones of the pit. As a carcass trodden under feed, thou
shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast
destroyed thy land, and slain thy people" (vv. 19,20).
But his enemies will suddenly be filled with consternation
and then admiration for to their amazement this one slain by
the sword shall rise from the dead, and his deadly wound will
be healed - note how this is implied in Isa. 14, for v. 25
shows him once more in the land of the living, only to meet
his final doom at the hands of the Lord Himself. It is to
this amazing resurrection of the Antichrist that Rev. 13:3,4
refers: "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded
to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world
wondered after the Beast. And they worshipped the Dragon
which gave power unto the Beast: saying, Who is like unto the
Beast? who is able to make war with him?" Details of his
resurrection are supplied in Rev. 9, from which we gather
that just as Christ was raised from the dead by God the
Father, so the Antichrist will be raised from the dead by his
father the Devil, see v. 1 where the fallen "Star",
which refers to Satan, is given the "key to the
bottomless pit", and when this is happened there comes
out of it the mysterious "locusts" whose king is
the Destroyer (v. 11), the Antichrist.
A further reference to the
resurrection of the Antichrist, his coming forth from the
Bottomless Pit, is found in Rev. 17:8: "The Beast that
thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
Bottomless Pit, and go into Perdition: and they that dwell on
the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the
book of life from the foundation of the world, when they
behold the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is". It
is to be noted that the earth-dwellers wonder when they
behold the Beast that was (alive), and is not (now alive),
and yet is (raised again). The world will then be presented
with the spectacle of a man raised from the dead. All know
him, for his career and amazing progress were eagerly
watched; his wonderful achievements and military campaigns
were the subject of daily interest; his transcendent genius
elicited their admiration. They had witnessed his death. They
stood awe-struck, no doubt, at the downfall of this King of
kings. And now he is made alive; his wound of death is
healed; and the whole world wonders, and worships him.
It is about this time,
apparently, that the "False Prophet" (Rev.
13:11-16), the third person in the Trinity of Evil will
appear on the scene. From a number of scriptures it is
evident that the Antichrist will not spend all his time in
Palestine during the last three and a half years of his
career. It seems that shortly after the middle of the
"week" the Beast will turn his face again toward
Babylon, leaving the False Prophet to act as his vicegerent,
compelling all in Jerusalem to worship the image of the Beast
under pain of death (Rev. 13:15). It is to be noted that Hab.
2:5 tells us that the Antichrist is "a proud man,
neither keepeth at home, who enlarged his desire as hell,
and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto
him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people".
The reason for the
Antichrist's return to Babylon is not far to seek. Having
thrown off his mask of religious pretension, he now stands
forth as the Defier of God. His first move now will be to
blot out from the earth everything that bears His name. To
accomplish this the Jewish race must be utterly exterminated,
and to this end he will put forth all his power to banish
Israel from the earth. He will make war with the saints (the
Jewish saints) and prevail against them (Dan. 7:21; 8:24):
this is the going forth of the "red horse" of Rev.
6:4.
Those of the godly remnant who
are left will "flee to the mountains" (Matt.
24:16), and there they will be hunted like partridges. It is
then they will cry, "Keep not Thou silence, O God: hold
not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, Thine
enemies make a tumult: and they that hate Thee have lifted up
the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people,
and consulted against Thy hidden ones. They have said, Come,
and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the
name of Israel may be no more in remembrance" (Psa.
83:1-4). Then, because many of the Jews will be found in that
day dwelling in Babylon (see Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45; Rev. 18:4)
the Antichrist will go thither to wreak his vengeance upon
them. But not for long will he be suffered to continue his
blasphemous and bloody course. Soon will heaven respond to
the cries of the faithful remnant of Israel, and terrible
shall be the punishment meted out on their last enemy. This,
however, must be left for consideration in our next chapter,
when we shall treat of the last days and doom of the
Antichrist.
[Chap. 6]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 8]
If there is a measure of
difficulty attending the placing and elucidation of some of
the prophecies which depict the various phases and stages of
the Antichrist's career, the cloud lifts as the end is
neared. And this is in full accord with many other things
which pertain to the closing days of the Age. The nearer we
come to the blessed event of our Lord's return to this
earth, the more light has God seemed to cast on those things
which immediately precede the Second Advent. It is as though,
at first, God furnishes only a bare outline, but ultimately
He fills in the details for us. It is thus with the end of
the Antichrist. The Holy Spirit has been pleased to supply us
with a most comprehensive and vivid description of the
closing scenes in the career of the Son of Perdition. It is
with mingled feelings that we turn and ponder what has thus
been recorded for our learning.
The awful course which is
followed by the Man of Sin cannot but shock us. The frightful
hypocrisy, the shocking duplicity and treachery, the terrible
cruelty, and the amazing impiety of this Monster of
wickedness, make us marvel at the forbearance of God, who
endures "with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath
fitted to destruction". But when we come to the final
scenes, and behold the Antichrist openly challenging heaven,
publicly defying God, and making a deliberate and determined
effort to prevent the Lord Jesus returning to this earth, we
are well nigh rendered speechless by the unthinkable lengths
to which sin will go. On the other hand, as we learn that all
of this is the ending of that long dismal night which
precedes the Day of Christ, the Millennium, we see that it is
but the dark background to bring into more vivid relief the
glories of the God-Man. The destruction of the Antichrist
will be followed at once by the setting up of the Messianic
Kingdom which shall bring peace and blessing to all the
earth. And the contemplation of this cannot but fill us with
joy and thanksgiving.
"The end of the Man of
Sin marks an era of sublimest interest to the believing
children of God. It shall be the day of our triumphant
manifestation, and the Jubilee of all creation. The day, Oh,
Hallelujah! when Satan's crown of pride shall be smitten,
and his glory trailed in the dust; when his long-continued
and persistent temptations shall have an end; and his power
receive the wounding from which it shall never recover
itself. That blessed, blessed day when He whose right it is,
shall reign, and the kingdom of Israel be no more overturned
and dishonored. The sweet, sweet day, when the mockings, the
scourgings, the bonds, the imprisonments, the afflictions,
and the torments of the great multitude of whom the world was
not worthy, shall cease to annoy forever, and the whole earth
be at rest, and break forth into gladness" (Mrs. E.
Needham).
But before that blessed Day
arrives, the last hour of the night of Christ's absence
has to run its course, and as the darkest hour precedes the
dawn, so the last hour of this "night" shall be the
most foreboding of all. The period which immediately precedes
the return of Christ to the earth will witness the most awful
events ever chronicled. It was of this period that Daniel
spoke when he said, "There shall be a time of trouble,
such as never was since there was a nation even to that same
time" (12:1). It was to this same time that Christ
referred when He declared, "For in those days shall be
affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the
creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh
should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom He hath
chosen, He hath shortened the days" (Mark 13:19,20).
This is "the hour of temptation which shall come upon
all the world" (Rev. 3:10). It will be a time of
unparalleled wickedness, and a time of unprecedented
suffering. It is the time when God shall avenge the murder of
His Son, when He shall take to task a world that has so long
despised His Word, and trampled His commandments under foot.
The very Antichrist will be one of the instruments of His
vengeance - "the rod of His anger" (Isa. 10:5).
It is because men received not
the love of God's truth. He shall send them strong
delusion that they should believe the Devil's lie. It is
because men had "pleasure in "unrighteousness"
they shall be deceived by the Lawless One. It is because
Israel refused that blessed One who came in His Father's
name that they shall receive the one who comes in his own
name. This is why the Antichrist will, for a season, be
suffered to prosper, and apparently to defy God with
impugnity. But when God has used him to perform His own
pleasure, then shall He empty upon his kingdom and upon his
subjects the vials of His wrath. Just as God has set the
bounds of the sea, saying thus far shalt thou go and no
further, so has He fixed the limits to which He will allow
the Antichrist to go. And when that limit is reached the Son
of Perdition will find himself as helpless to pass beyond
what God has decreed as a worm would be beneath the foot of
an elephant. This will be made evident as we proceed.
At the close of our last
chapter we followed the career of the Antichrist to the point
where he turns upon the Jewish people and seeks to cut them
off from being a nation. Fearful will be his assaults upon
them, and bitter will be their wailings. It is at that time
the Remnant will cry, "O God; why hast Thou cast us off
forever? why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy
pasture? Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast purchased
of old; the rod of Thine inheritance, which Thou hast
redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein Thou hast dwelt. Lift up
thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the
Enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. Thine enemies roar
in the midst of Thy congregations; they set up their ensigns
for signs. A man was famous according as he had lifted up
axes upon the thick trees. But now they break down the carved
work thereof at once with axes and hammers. They have cast
fire into Thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down
the dwelling-place of Thy name to the ground. 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 which knoweth how long. O God, how long shall
the Adversary reproach? Shall the Enemy blaspheme Thy name
forever? Why withdrawest Thou Thy hand, even Thy right hand?
Pluck it out of Thy bosom" (Psa. 74:1-11).
It is at this time that the
prophecy of Amos 8 will receive its final fulfillment:
"The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely
I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land
tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein?
and it shall rise wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out
and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. And it shall come to
pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the
sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the
clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all
your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth
upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make
it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a
bitter day. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I
will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a
thirst for water, but the hearing the words of the Lord: And
they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to
the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of
the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the
fair virgins and the young men faint for thirst" (Amos
8:7-13). How remarkably does Psa. 74 interpret this prophecy
of Amos! The reason why the godly Remnant shall run to and
fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it, and
the meaning of the famine of hearing the words of the Lord is
that all the synagogues in the land shall have been burned
up.
But not for long will this
frightful persecution continue: "Therefore thus saith
the Lord God of hosts, O My people that dwellest in Zion, be
not afraid of the Assyrain: he shall smite thee with a rod,
and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of
Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the
indignation shall cease, and Mine anger in their
destruction" (Isa. 10:24,25). Once the Antichrist turns
upon Israel his days are numbered, for to touch that nation
is to touch the apple of God's eye (Zech. 2:8). God shall
up a scourge for him" (Isa. 10:26). What this scourge is
we learn from Dan. 11;40: "And at the time of the end
shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the
north (the Antichrist) shall come against him (i.e. the king
of the south) like a whirlwind with chariots, and with
horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the
countries, and shall overflow, and pass over" (Dan.
11:40).
The king of the south who
pushes it - assails - the Antichrist is the king of Egypt.
The Antichrist, here termed the king of the north, i.e.
Assyrai, shall leave Babylon, and marshalling his imperial
forces, which he has ready for immediate action, shall lead
them against him (the king of Egypt) like a whirlwind. The
rapidity of his movements and the immensity of his armies, is
intimated by the words, "He shall enter into the
countries, and shall overflow and pass over". His
progress will be as the rushing of an overwhelming torrent
from the mountains, that spreads over the land, and carries
everything before it. "He shall enter also into the
glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown"
(Dan. 11:41). His route from Babylon to Egypt will take him
through Palestine, the land which is soon to be the glory of
all lands; and, although we are not told here what he will do
there at that time, his hand will, no doubt, be heavy upon
it, as also upon the many other countries which he will
overthrow. But these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom,
and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon" (Dan.
11:41). These three peoples will escape his fury. The reason
for their escape seems to be a double one. In Ps. 83, which
describes an event at a little earlier period, we are told,
"they have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and
consulted against Thy hidden ones. They has said, Come, and
let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of
Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted
together with one consent, they are confederate against Thee:
the tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the
Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalck; the Philistines with
the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur (the Assyrian) also is joined
with them" (Psa. 83:3-8). Thus we see that these three
peoples acted in concert with the Antichrist when a
determined effort was made to utterly exterminate the Jewish
people. The Antichrist, therefore, spares these submissive
allies of his when he goes forth to overthrow the other
countries.
So much for the human side as
to why "these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom,
and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon". But
there is a Divine side, too. These peoples are spared at that
time in order that they may be dealt with later by God
Himself. Thus did Jehovah declare of old through Balaam the
heathen prophet: "There shall come a Star out of Jacob,
and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the
corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And
Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession
for his enemies" (Num. 24:17,18). This will be right at
the beginning of the Millennium. Israel, too, shall be used
by God in this work of judgment upon their ancient enemies:
"But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the
Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the
east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab;
and the children of Ammon shall obey them" (Isa.
11:14).
"He shall stretch forth
his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall
not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of
gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of
Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his
steps" (Dan. 11:42,43). The victorious King will then
take possession of those countries which were overthrown by
him during his march from Babylon to Egypt. Having now
reached this land which dared to push at him - the land never
completely subjugated by the previous kings of the north
referred to in the earlier part of Dan. 11 - its king and
subjects must now bow before his iron sceptre. He becomes
master of its treasures of gold, silver, and precious things.
The Libyans and Ethiopians, who were the allies of Egypt,
will be compelled to follow in this train. Thus will he crush
this Egyptian rebellion, and demonstrate once more his
military prowess. Yet not for long will he be permitted to
defy Heaven with impugnity.
"But tidings out of the
east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he
shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to
make away many" (Dan. 11:44). What these troublous
tidings are we learn from Jer. 51. A serious attack will be
made upon his Babylonian headquarters, and during his absence
from there, the kings of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz - no
doubt emboldened by the insubordination of Egypt - will
besiege and capture one end of the Capital. The time is nigh
at hand when God shall utterly destroy that City of the
Devil, and a preliminary warning of this is now given:
"And I will render unto Babylon and to all the
inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in
Zion in your sight, saith the Lord. Behold, I am against
thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyeth
all the earth: and I will stretch out Mine hand upon thee,
and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt
mountain. And they shall not take of thee a stone for a
corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be
desolate forever, saith the Lord" (Jer. 51:24-26).
As a beginning to this end,
the Lord says, "Set ye up a standard in the land, blow
the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against
her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni,
and Ashchenaz (all situated in the vicinity of Armenia);
appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as
the rough caterpillers. Prepare against her the nations with
the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the
rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion. And the
land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the Lord
shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of
Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant. The mighty man of
Babylon hath forborne to fight, they have remained in their
holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they
have burned their dwelling places; her bars are broken"
(Jer. 27:30).
It is this ominous news - the
tidings which trouble him of Dan. 11:44 - which reaches the
ears of Babylon's King, then absent in Egypt. The
alarming tidings that part of the city has already been
destroyed arouses him to fierce anger, for we are told,
"therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy,
and utterly to make away many" (Dan. 11:44). As he nears
the capital, "one post shall run to meet another, and
one messenger to meet another, to show the King of Babylon
that his city is taken at one end, and that the passages are
stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the
men of war are affrighted" (Jer. 51:31,32). The end is
not far distant: "For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel; the daughter of Babylon is like a threshing
floor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the
time of her harvest shall come" (Jer. 51:33). God now
calls on the Jews who are found dwelling within that city to
leave at once, lest they be caught in the storm of His fierce
anger: "My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and
deliver you every man his soul from the fierce anger of the
Lord" (Jer. 51:45). A graphic description of
Babylon's destruction is found at the end of Jer. 51 and
also in Rev. 18.
The fury of the Antichrist at
the destruction of Babylon will know no bounds. Enraged at
his loss, and incensed against God, he will now turn his face
toward Palestine, and at the head of his vast forces will
bear down upon the glorious land. Even so, it is God who is
directing him and his blinded dupes - directing him to finish
the work of judgment upon Israel, and directing him to his
awful doom. Habakkuk gives a fearful description of the
spirit in which the King of Babylon and his hosts shall fall
upon the dwellers of Palestine: - "For, lo, I raise up
the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall
march through the breadth of the land, to possess the
dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and
dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of
themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards,
and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their
horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall
come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to
eat. (How this verse anticipates the cruel aerial
war-weapons!). They shall come all for violence: their faces
shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the
captivity as the sand. And they shall heap dust, and take it.
Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and
offend, imputing this his power unto his god" (Note how
this last verse serves to identify the "Chaldean"
with the "King" of Dan. 11:38,39). So terrible will
be this onslaught that we are told, "And it shall come
to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts
therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left
therein" (Zech. 13:8).
His course is vividly sketched
by Isaiah in the tenth chapter of his prophecy: "He is
come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Mickmash he hath
laid up his carriages: They are gone over the passage: they
have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Galim:
cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. Madmena is
removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
As yet shall he remain at Nob that day" (Isa. 10:
28-32). Nob is his camping-ground for that day, and it is
there he will "plant the tabernacles of his palace
between the seas in the goodly holy mountain" (Dan.
11:45). Nob must be some elevation commanding a distant view
of Jerusalem from the west. As he stands on the hill that
night and looks at the Holy City, he "shall shake his
hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of
Jerusalem" (Isa. 10:32).
We now come to the closing
scene. The following morning the Man of Sin leads his forces
to the famous Armageddon, there awaiting his final
re-inforcements before attacking Jerusalem. It is of this
that Joel speaks: "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles;
Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war
draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into
swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say,
I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come all ye heathen,
and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause Thy
mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened,
and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I
sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the
sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the
press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is
great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for
the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision"
(Joel 3:9-14).
It is to this that Micah
refers: "Now also many nations are gathered against
thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon
Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither
understand they His counsel: for He shall gather them as the
sheaves into the floor" (4:10,11). But it is not in the
valley that the battle is fought, but around Jerusalem, where
the Beast and his armies deliver the final blow of God's
judgment on that city ere the Deliverer appears. It is then
that God will say, "O Assyrian, the rod of Mine anger,
and the staff in their hands is Mine indignation. I will send
him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of
My wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to
take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the
streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart
think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off
nations not a few. For he saith, Are not my princes
altogether kings? Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath
as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus? As my hand hath found
the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel
them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; Shall I not, as I have done
unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
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. 5-12).
The Antichrist is but the Lord's instrument after all.
Just as Moses picked up and held in his hand the rod which
became a serpent, so shall this offspring of the Serpent be
wielded by the hand of God to accomplish His predetermined
counsels.
Once again, though, the Beast
appears to be successful. Jerusalem falls before his
onslaught as Jehovah had foretold that it should - "For
I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and
the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women
ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity,
and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the
city" (Zech. 14:2). Intoxicated by their success, it is
then that the heathen shall rage and the people imagine a
vain thing: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and
the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and
against His anointed, saying, Let us brake their bands
asunder, and cast away their cords from us" (Psa.
2:2,3).
And then comes the grand
finale. The heaven will open and from it will descend the
King of kings and Lord of lords, seated on a white horse,
with His eyes "as a flame of fire" (Rev. 19:11,12).
Attending Him will be the armies of heaven, also seated on
white horses (Rev. 19:14). Far from being appalled at this
awe-inspiring spectacle, the Beast and the kings of the earth
and their armies shall gather together to "make war
against Him that sat on the horse, and against His
armies" (Rev. 19:19). "Then shall the Lord
go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought
in the day of battle" (Zech. 14:3). At last the Christ
of God and the christ of Satan will confront each other. But
the instant the conflict begins, it is ended. The Foe will be
paralyzed, and all resistance cease.
Scripture has solemnly
recorded the end of various august evil personages. Some were
overwhelmed by waters; some devoured by flames; some engulfed
in the jaws of the earth; some stricken by a loathsome
disease; some ignominiously slaughtered; some hanged; some
eaten up of dogs; some consumed by worms. But to no sinful
dweller on earth, save the Man of Sin, "the Wicked
One", has been appointed the terrible distinction of
being consumed by the brightness of the personal appearing of
the Lord Jesus Himself. Such shall be his unprecedented doom,
an end that shall fittingly climax his ignoble origin, his
amazing career, and his unparalleled wickedness.
"Hitherto proud boastings
have issued from the lips of Satan's king; but now he
falls helplessly to the ground blasted by the lightening
which streams from the King of kings; and together with the
False Prophet and in the full sight of his countless armies,
he is seized by the angels of the Lord, to be hurled alive
into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (G.
H. Pember).
The overthrow of the
Antichrist is described as follows: - "But with
righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with
equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the
earth with the rod of His mouth and with the breath of His
lips shall He slay the Wicked" (Isa. 11:14).
"And through his policy
also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he
shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall
destroy many; he shall also stand up against the Prince of
princes; but he shall be broken without hand" -
an expression which always refers to that which is
supernatural (Dan. 8:25).
"And he shall plant the
tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious
holy mountain; yet shall he come to his end, and none
shall help him" (Dan. 11:45).
"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" (2 Thess. 2:8).
"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 a lake of fire burning with
brimstone" (Rev. 19:20).
"For Tophet is ordained
of old; yea, for the King it is prepared; he hath made
it deep and large: the pile: the pile thereof is fire and
much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of
brimstone, doth kindle it" (Isa. 30:33).
"And the Devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the Beast and the False Prophet are, and (they)
shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever"
(Rev. 20:10).
Frightful, too, shall be the
doom meted out to the followers of the Antichrist. Zech. 14
tells us, "And this shall be the plague wherewith the
Lord will smite all the people that have fought against
Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand
upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their
holes, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult
from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold
every one on the hands of his neighbour, and his hand shall
rise up against the hand of his neighbour" (vv. 12,13).
So, also Rev. 19:21 declares, "And the remnant were
slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which
sword proceeded out of His mouth; and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh".
[Chap. 7]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 9]
The references to the Man of
Sin in the book of Psalms are, for the most part, more or
less incidental ones. With rare exceptions he comes into view
only as he is related to Israel, or as he affects their
fortunes. One cannot appreciate the force of what is there
said of him except as that is examined in the light of its
prophetic setting. The time when the Antichrist will be in
full power is during the Tribulation period, and it is not
until we discover, by careful searching, which of the Psalms
describe the Time of Jacob's trouble, that we know where
to look for their last great Troubler.
Politically and
ecclesiastically the Antichrist may be viewed in a threefold
connection, first, as he is related to the Gentile; second,
as he is related to the apostate Jewish nation; third, as he
is related to the godly Jewish Remnant, who separate
themselves from their unbelieving brethren. More details are
furnished us in the Psalms upon this third relationship than
upon the other two, though we have occasional allusions to
Antichrist's connections with the Gentiles and the Jewish
nation as a whole.
The second Psalm gives us a
brief but vivid picture of that which will wind up the
Tribulation period, and while the Antichrist is not directly
named, yet the light which other scriptures throw upon it
reveals the dreadful personality who heads the rebellion
there described. This second Psalm is prophetic in its
character and has, like most (if not all) prophecy, a double
fulfillment.
"Why do the heathens
rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the
earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying, Let us
break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from
us" (Psa. 2:1-3). A part of this passage is found quoted
in Acts 4, but it is striking to note where the quotation
ceases. Peter and John had been arraigned before the
religious authorities of Israel, because that in the name of
Jesus Christ they had healed an impotent man. The apostles
boldly and faithfully vindicated themselves, and after being
admonished and threatened were allowed to depart to their own
company. Then it was that they "lifted up their voice to
God with one accord, and said, Lord, Thou art God, which hast
made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
Who by the mouth of Thy servant David hath said, Why did the
heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings
of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, and against His Christ" (Acts
4:24-26). Notice they quoted only the first two verses of
Psalm 2, and this they did not say was now
"fulfilled". What they did say was, "For of a
truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed,
both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do
whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be
done" (v. 28). In the apprehension of Christ and in His
trials before the Jewish and Gentilish authorities, this
prophecy through David had received a partial fulfillment,
but its final one is yet future. The time when Psalm 2 is to
receive its complete accomplishment is intimated in the
middle section - it is just prior to the time when Christ
returns to the earth as "King", and receives the
heathen for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the
earth for His possession; in other words, it is just before
the dawn of the Millennium, namely, the end of the
Tribulation period.
As we re-read this second
Psalm in the light of Rev. 16:14 and 19:19 we find that it
depicts the final act in the blatant and defiant career of
the last great Caesar. it is an act of insane desperation.
The Son of Perdition will gather his forces and make a
concerted effort to prevent the Christ of God entering into
His earthly inheritance. This we believe is evident from the
terms of the Psalm itself.
The Psalm opens with an
interrogation: "Why do the heathen (the Gentiles) rage
(better, "tumultuously assemble"), and the people
(Israel) imagine (meditate) a vain thing?" The fact that
this is put in the form of a question is to arrest more
quickly the reader's attention, and to emphasize the
unthinkable impiety of what follows. "The kings of the
earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord, and against His Anointed". Notice that
this rebellion is staged not only against the Lord but also
against His "Anointed", that is, His Christ. The
madness of this effort (headed by Antichrist) is intimated in
v. 4: "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the
Lord shall have them in derision". The futility of this
movement is seen in v. 6: "Yet have I set My King upon
My holy hill of Zion". The "yet" here has the
force of "notwithstanding": it shows the aim and
the object which the insurrectionists had in view, namely, an
attempt to prevent Christ returning to earth to set up His
millennial kingdom. The response of heaven is noted in v. 5:
"Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex
them in His sore displeasure". This is enlarged upon in
Rev. 19:20,21. Psalm 2, then, brings us to the end of the
Antichrist's history and treats only of the closing
events in his awful career. In the other Psalms where he is
in view earlier incidents are noted and his dealings with the
Jews are described.
The next Psalm in which the
Antichrist appears is the fifth. This Psalm sets forth the
petitions which the faithful Remnant of Israel will make to
God during the Tribulation period. It would carry us beyond
our present bounds to attempt anything like a complete
exposition of this Psalm in the light of its prophetic
application. We shall do little more than generalize.
The Tribulation period is the
time when Satan is given the freest rein, when lawlessness
abounds, and when to the unbelieving heart it would seem that
God had vacated His throne. But the eye of faith recognizes
the fact that Jehovah is still ruling amid the armies of the
heavens and among the inhabitants of the earth. Hence the
force of the Divine title in v. 2 - the remnant address
Jehovah as "My King and my God". The most
awful wickedness and rebellion is going on around them, but
they are fully assured that God is quite able to cope with
the situation. "The Wicked shall not stand in Thy sight:
Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them
that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and
deceitful man" (vv. 5,6).
The "Bloody and Deceitful
Man" is plainly the Man of Sin. He is denominated
"bloody" by virtue of his military ferocity; he is
called "deceitful" because of his political
duplicity. One after another of his opponents will fall
before him: through a sea of blood will he advance to his
imperial throne. Utterly unreliable will be his word,
worthless his promises. A manifest incarnation of that one
who is the father of the Lie will he be. Most completely will
he deceive the Jews. A first, posing as their friend; later,
standing as their arch-enemy. All doubt as to the identity of
this Bloody and Deceitful Man" is removed by what is
said of his mouth".
From Psalm 5 we turn to Psalm
7 where we find the godly Jewish Remnant crying unto the Lord
against their persecutors, chief of which is the Antichrist.
This is clear from the first two verses, where the change
from the plural to the singular number is very significant -
"O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust: save me from
all them that persecute me, and deliver me: Lest he tear my
soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none
to deliver". The Remnant plead their innocency before
God and call down upon themselves the Enemy's curse if
they have acted unjustly - "O Lord my God, If I have
done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; if I have
requited him that did evil unto me, or spoiled mine adversary
unto emptiness; Let the Enemy pursue my soul, and overtake
it" (vv. 4-6, Jewish translation). This at once serves
to identify the individual of v. 2 who would tear their souls
like a lion" (not like a bear) - showing his kinship
with that awful one who "goeth about as a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour". Observe, too, the word he
"was at peace", but now "without cause
is mine enemy". Clearly it is the Antichrist that
is here in view, and, as manifested in the second half of
Daniel's seventieth week, when he shall have thrown off
his mask and stood forth revealed in all his dreadfulness.
The twelfth verse goes on to say, "If he turn not, he
will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow and made it
ready". It is this which causes the Remnant to cry,
"O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust: save me from
all them that persecute me, and deliver me" (v. 1). The
fourteenth verse unmistakably identifies this end-time Enemy
of Israel, and again stamps him as a worthy son of the father
of the Lie - "Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and
hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood".
In the sixteenth verse the Remnant express their assurance of
the certain fate of their Foe: "His mischief shall
return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come
down upon his own pate".
The eighth Psalm is closely
connected with the seventh. In the last verse of the seventh
we hear the Remnant saying, "I will praise the Lord
according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the
name of the Lord most high". This anticipates the time
when they shall be delivered from their awful Enemy, and when
the glorious Millennium shall have dawned - "The Lord
most high" is His distinctive millennial title.
Psalm 8 follows this with a lovely millennial picture, when
Jehovah will be worshipped because His name is then
"excellent in all the earth". Then shall the
Remnant say, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that
Thou mightiest still the Enemy and the Avenger"
(v. 2). The Enemy and the Avenger, more literally "the
Foe and the Revenger", are two of the many names of the
Antichrist.
Much in the ninth Psalm also
anticipates millennial conditions and celebrates the
overthrow of the Man of Sin. Sings the Remnant, "For
Thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou satest in
the throne judging right. Thou has rebuked the heathen, Thou
hast destroyed the Wicked" (vv. 4,5). That the Wicked,
or Lawless One, is the Antichrist, is clear from the next
verse: "The destructions of the Enemy are come to a
perpetual end: and their cities hast Thou destroyed". We
hope to show in a later chapter that "their cities"
which God will destroy are the cities of Antichrist and the
False Prophet, namely, Babylon and Rome. Again; in vv. 15,16
of this Psalm we read, "The heathen are sunk down in the
pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own
foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment which He
executeth: the Wicked is snared in the work of his own
hands!" This refers to the destruction of the Antichrist
and his forces at Armageddon.
In the tenth Psalm we have the
fullest description of the Antichrist found in any of the
Psalms. This Psalm is divided into four sections: first, the
Cry of the Remnant (v. 1); second, the Character of the
Antichrist (vv. 2-11); third, the Cry of the Remnant renewed
(vv. 12-15); fourth, the Confidence of the Remnant (vv.
16-18). In its opening verse we discover its dispensational
key - the "Times of Trouble" (cf. Jer. 30:7) being
the great Tribulation. Observe now what is here said of the
Wicked One. In v. 2 we read, "The Wicked in his pride
doth persecute (R. V. "hotly pursue") the
poor". The "poor" (referred to in this Psalm
seven times - vv. 2,8,9,9,10,14, and "humble" in v.
17 should be "poor" - emphasizing the
completeness of their poverty) are the faithful Remnant
who have refused to receive the mark of the Beast, and as the
result are suffered to neither buy nor sell (see Rev. 13:17).
In vv. 3,4 we are told, "For the Wicked (One) boasteth
of his heart's desire, and curseth, yea, abhorreth the
Lord (see Hebrew). The Wicked, through the pride of his
countenance, will not seek after God: all his thoughts are -
no God". This tells of his frightful impiety and reveals
his satanic origin. In v. 6 his consuming egotism is
depicted: "He hath said in his heart, I shall not be
moved: for I shall never be in adversity". Then follows
a description of his awful wickedness: "His mouth is
full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is
mischief and vanity. He sitteth in the lurking places of the
villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent:
his eyes are privily set against the poor". Notice in
this last verse the mention of "the secret places".
It was to them our Lord referred in His Olivet Discourse,
when He said, "Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: Behold, he is in
the secret chambers; believe it not". This whole
Psalm will well repay the most minute study.
In the opening verse of the
fourteenth Psalm we have what we doubt not is another
reference to the Antichrist, here called "The
Fool". He is the arch-fool, who, in his blatant
defiance, says in his heart - "no God". The mark of
identification is found in the marginal reading of Psalm
10:4: "All his thoughts are - "no God". Does
not this title point out another contrast between Christ and
the Antichrist: One is "the wonderful Counseller",
the other is "the Fool"!
In the seventeenth Psalm,
which contains the confession of the Remnant, (pleading their
innocency before God), reference is again made to the
antichrist. "By the word of God's lips" will
the believing Jews be "kept from the paths of the
Destroyer". This is another of his titles which points a
contrast: Christ is the Saviour; Antichrist the Destroyer.
That it is the Antichrist who is here in view is clear from
what follows in vv. 12 and 13, where we read, "Like as a
lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion
lurking in secret places. Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast
him down: deliver my soul from the Wicked, by Thy
sword". The "Wicked" is here in the singular
number. Note again the reference to the "secret
places", about which we shall have something to say, in
our exposition of Matt. 24, vv. 25, and 26 when we treat of
the Antichrist in the Gospels.
We pass over several Psalms
which contain incidental allusions to the Wicked One and turn
now to the thirty-sixth. The wording of the first verse is
somewhat ambiguous, and we believe its force comes out better
by rendering it, with the Sept., Syriac and Vulgate,
"the transgression of the Wicked saith within his heart,
that there is no fear of God before his eyes". He defies
Jehovah and fears not Elohim. "For he flattereth himself
in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be
hateful" (v. 2). Haughty conceit fills him, but in the
end he shall reap as he has sown. "The words of his
mouth are iniquity and deceit; he hath left off to be wise,
and to do good" (v. 3). This refers to his treacherous
dealings with the Jews, and takes note of the two great
stages in his career; first, when he poses as Israel's
friend, later when he comes out in his true character as
their enemy.j Verse 4 describes his moral character: "he
deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way
that is not good; he abhorreth not evil".
The thirty-seventh Psalm,
which in its ultimate application has to do with the godly
Remnant in the Tribulation period, contains a number of
references to the Antichrist. In the seventh verse the
Remnant is exhorted to "rest in the Lord and wait
patiently for Him" (i.e. for His personal appearing) and
to "fret not because of him who prospereth in his way,
because of the Man who bringeth wicked devices to pass"
- a manifest allusion to the Man of Sin. In the tenth verse
they are assured, "for yet a little while, and the
Wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his
place, and it shall not be". In vv. 12 and 13 we read,
"the Wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon
him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at Him: for He seeth
that his day is coming". This brings out the satanic
malice of Antichrist against the people of God, and also
marks the Lord's contempt for him as He beholds the
swiftly approaching doom of this one who has so daringly
defied Him. The end of the Wicked is noticed in v. 35.
"I have seen the Wicked in great power, and spreading
himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo,
he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be
found". The whole of this wondrous Psalm calls for close
study. It throws a flood of light on the experiences of the
Remnant amid the awful trials of the end of the age.
"I said, I will take heed
to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my
mouth with a bridle, while the Wicked is before me"
(Psa. 39:1). This sets forth the resolutions of the Remnant
in view of the troublesome presence of the Wicked One; while
in v. 8 they are seen praying that they may not be made the
reproach of the Foolish One - "Deliver me from all my
transgressions: make me not the reproach of the
Foolish".
The forty-third Psalm opens
with the plaintive supplications of the Remnant in view of
the contempt and opposition of the Jewish nation as a whole,
at the head of which will be the false Messiah: "Judge
me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O
deliver me from the deceitful and unjust Man. For Thou art
the God of my strength: why dost Thou cast me off? Why go I
mourning because of the oppression of the Enemy?" The
allusion to the deceit and injustice of the man of Sin views,
of course, his breaking of the covenant.
In the forty-fourth Psalm we
are given to hear more of the bitter lamentations of the
Remnant, betrayed as they have been by the one who posed as
their benefactor, and scorned as they are by their fellow
Jews: "Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a
shaking of the head among the people (Israel). My confusion
is continually before me, and the shame of my face covered
me, For the voices of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth;
by reason of the Enemy and Avenger".
The fiftieth Psalm is one of
deep interest in this connection. It announces the response
of Jehovah to the cries of His faithful people. It declares
that "God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire
shall devour before Him, and it shall be tempestuous round
about Him" (v. 3). It promises that He will gather His
saints together unto Him (v. 5). It contains an exposulation
with Israel as a whole (see vv. 7-14). And then, after
bidding His people call upon Him "in the Day of
Trouble" and assuring them He will deliver them, God
addresses their Enemy as follows: - "But unto the Wicked
God saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or
that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth? Seeing
thou hatest instruction, and casteth My words behind thee.
When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and
hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to
evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and
speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own
mother's son" (vv. 16-22). First, God rebukes the
Antichrist for his hypocrisy, referring to the time when, at
the beginning of his career, he had (like Satan in tempting
the Saviour) come declaring God's statutes and taking the
Divine Covenant in his mouth (v. 16). Second, He charges him
with his treachery when, at the midst of the seventieth week,
he had cast God's words behind him (v. 17). Third, He
exposes his depravity and shows that he is altogether
destitute of any moral sensibility (vv. 18-20). Fourth, He
reminds him of how he had congratulated himself that he
should continue on his vile course with impugnity and escape
the due reward of his wickedness (v. 21). Finally, He
announces the certainty of retribution and the fearful doom
which awaits him (v. 22).
The fifty-second continues and
amplifies what has just been before us from the closing
verses of the fiftieth Psalm. Here again the Antichrist is
indicted by God - no doubt through the Remnant. "Why
boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness
of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs;
like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil
more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness.
Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful
tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee forever, and pluck
thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land
of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear,
and shall laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that made not God
his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and
strengthened himself in his wickedness" (vv. 1-7). The
pride, the enmity, the treachery, the moral corruption, and
the vaunting of the incarnate Son of Perdition are all
noticed and charged against him. The certainty of his doom,
and his degradation before those he had persecuted, is
graphically depicted.
The prophetic application of
the fifty-fifth Psalm first found its tragic realization in
the treachery of Judas against the Lord Jesus, but its final
accomplishment yet awaits a coming day. In it we may see a
pathetic description of the heart-pangs of the Remnant,
mourning over the duplicity of the mock Messiah. Driven out
of Jerusalem, they bewail the awful wickedness now holding
high carnival in the holy city: "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 (i.e. a Jew), my guide, and
mine acquaintance" (vv. 11-13). Thus will the Jews in a
coming day be called upon to endure the bitter experience of
betrayal and desertion by one whom they regarded as their
friend. Concerning their Enemy the Remnant exclaim, "He
hath put forth his hand against such as be at peace with him:
he hath broken his covenant. 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" (vv.
20,21). The reference is to the seven-year Treaty which the
final Caesar makes with Palestine, and which after three and
one half years is treated as a scrap of paper. But such
treachery will not go unpunished. In the end Antichrist and
his abettors will be summarily dealt with by the Judge of all
the earth: "But Thou, O God, shalt bring them down into
the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not
live out half their days" (v. 23).
Psalm seventy-one contains
another of the Remnant's prayers during the End-time.
"Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the Wicked,
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel Man" (v.
4). The reference is, again, to the Man of Sin who has acted
unjustly, and whose fiendish delight it will be to persecute
the people of God.
In Psalm seventy-two we find
expressed the confidence of the Remnant. They are there seen
anticipating that joyful time when God's King shall reign
in righteousness. With glad assurance they exclaim: "He
shall judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with
judgments. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and
the little hills Thy righteousness. He shall judge the poor
of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and
shall break in pieces the Oppressor" (vv. 2-4). Mighty
as their Enemy appeared in the eyes of men, and invincible as
he was in his own estimation, when God's appointed time
comes he shall be broken in pieces as easily as the chaff is
removed by the on-blowing wind.
The seventy-fourth Psalm makes
reference to the violence of the Antichrist against the
believing Remnant: "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?" (vv. 8-10). This
contemplates the time when the Man of Sin and his lieutenants
will make a desperate effort to cut off Israel from the earth
and abolish everything which bears the name of God. Note it
does not say "all the synagogues" will be burned
up, but the "synagogues of God", that is, where the
true and living God is owned and worshipped.
The eighty-third Psalm carries
us to a point a little nearer the end. Not only will the
synagogues of God be all destroyed, but an attempt will be
made to exterminate those who still worship God in secret.
Listen to the tragic pleadings of this Satan-hunted company,
"Keep not Thou silence, O God: hold not Thy peace, and
be not still, O God. For, lo, Thine enemies make a tumult:
and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have
taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted
against Thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let
us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel
may be no more in remembrance" (vv. 1-4). As to who is
responsible for this the verses following show. In v. 5 we
read, "For they have consulted together with one
consent: they are confederate against Thee". Then will
be realized man's dream of a League of Nations. It is
remarkable that just ten nations are here named - see vv.6-8.
"Assur" in v. 8 is "the Assyrain" - the
Antichrist in his king-of-Babylon character. This verse is
one of the few passages in the Psalms which shows the
Antichrist in connection with the Gentiles. Psalm 110:6 also
contains a reference to him as related to the Gentiles -
"He hath stricken the Head over many countries" (R.
V.).
The one hundred and fortieth
appears to be the last of the Psalms that takes note of the
Antichrist. There we hear once more the piteous cries of the
Remnant to God: "Deliver me, O Lord, from the Evil Man:
preserve me from the Violent Man: Keep me, O Lord, from the
hands of the Wicked; preserve me from the Violent Man; who
hath purposed to overthrow my goings...Grant not, O Lord, the
desires of the Wicked: further not his wicked device"
(vv. 1,4,8).
Thus we have glanced at no
less than twenty Psalms in which allusion is made to the
Antichrist. This by no means exhausts the list; but
sufficient has been noted to show what a prominent place is
there given to this dreadful monster. Let it not be supposed
that we are denying the present value and application of the
Psalms to ourselves. Nothing is more foreign to our desire.
We not only firmly believe that all Scripture is given by
inspiration of God and is "profitable for
doctrine", but we readily and gladly unite with the
saints of all ages in turning to this precious portion of
God's Word to provide us with language suited to express
to God the varying emotions of our hearts. But while allowing
fully the experimental and doctrinal value of the Psalter for
us today, it needs to be pointed out that many of the Psalms
have a prophetic significance, and will be used by another
company of believers after the Church which is the body of
Christ has been removed from these scenes of sin and
suffering. We would urge those of our readers who are
interested in dispensational truth to re-study these lyrics
of David with a view of discovering how much they reveal of
things to come.
[Chap. 8]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 10]
The references to the
Antichrist in the Prophets are numerous; nor is this to be
wondered at. It is there, more than anywhere else in
Scripture, that we learn of the future of both Israel and the
Gentiles. It is there we have the fullest information
concerning End-time conditions, and the completest
description of the varied parts which the leading characters
shall play in those days. It would carry us beyond the scope
designed for these articles were to examine every passage in
the Prophets which makes mention of the Man of Sin and the
numerous roles he will fill. Yet we do not desire to pass by
any of the more important allusions to him. We shall,
therefore, make a selection, and yet such a selection that we
trust a complete outline at least will be supplied. Certain
scriptures, notably those which view the Antichrist in
connection with Babylon, will be waived now, because they
will receive separate consideration in a later chapter.
One other introductory remark
needs to be made. We are conscious that this chapter will
probably be somewhat unsatisfactory to a few of our readers,
inasmuch as we shall be obliged to take a good deal for
granted. It is manifest that we cannot here attempt to give a
complete analysis of the passages where the different
allusions to the Antichrist occur, nor should this be
necessary. We are writing to Bible students, therefore we
shall ask them to turn to the different places from which we
quote and examine the contexts so as to satisfy themselves
that they treat of End-time conditions. While in most
instances the context will show that we are not reading into
the Scriptures what is not there, yet in a few cases they may
fail us. This is sometimes true with passages which contain
prophecies concerning Christ. It is often the case in the
prophets that the Holy Spirit is treating of something near
at hand and then, without any warning, projects the view into
the distant future. But just as the New Testament enables us
to determine which Old Testament passages speak of Christ, so
other scriptures help us to identify the person of the
Antichrist in verses where there is but an indefinite and
passing allusion to him.
1. ANTICHRIST IN ISAIAH.
A brief notice is taken of the
Man of Sin in chapter 16. The opening verses make it clear
that conditions in the Tribulation period are being
described. They intimate how that the persecuted Jews flee to
the land of Moab for refuge - "Hide the outcasts; betray
not him that wandereth", makes this clear. These
outcasts are definitely identified in v. 4, where Jehovah
terms them "Mine outcasts". The same verse goes on
to tell why they were outcasts, outcasts from Palestine:
"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". Here the destruction of
the Antichrist is noted. A further proof that these verses
describe what immediately precedes the Millennium is found in
the next verse, which conducts us to the beginning of the
Millennium itself: "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". Thus, in the light of other
scriptures, there is little room for doubt that the Spoiler
and the Extortioner refer to none other than the Son of
Perdition.
In 22:25 we have another
incidental reference to the Antichrist. For our comments on
this verse we refer the reader to chapter 4, section 17.
"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). This chapter is by no means easy to
analyze: its structure seems complex. That its contents point
to a yet future date is intimated by its opening words -
compare other verses in Isaiah where "in that day"
occur. As one reads the chapter through it will be found that
there is a peculiar alternation between references to the
Tribulation period and conditions in the Millennium. The
closing verse clearly refers to the end of the Tribulation
period. So, also, does the first verse with which we are now
chiefly concerned.
Leviathan, the piercing
Serpent, is, we believe, one of the names of the Antichrist,
compare chapter 3, section II, 2. A comparison with a passage
in Job confirms this conclusion. It is generally agreed that
"leviathan" in Job 41 refers to the crocodile, yet
the commentators do not appear to have seen in it anything
more than a description of that creature. But surely a whole
chapter of Scripture would scarcely be devoted to describing
a reptile! Personally, we are satisfied that under the figure
of that treacherous and cruel monster we have a remarkable
silhouette of the Prince of darkness. Note the following
striking points:
In verses 1 and 2 (of Job 41)
the strength of Leviathan is referred to. In v. 3 the
question is asked "will he speak soft words unto
thee?": this is meaningless if only a crocodile is in
view; but it is very pertinent if we have here a symbolic
description of Antichrist. In v. 4 the question is put,
"Will he make a covenant with Thee?": this,
too, is pointless if nothing but a reptile is the subject of
the passage; but if it looks to some Monster more dreadful,
it serves to identify. "None is so fierce that dare stir
him up" (v. 10): how closely this corresponds with Rev.
13:4 - "Who is able to make war with the Beast?"
"His teeth are terrible round about" (v. 14): how
aptly this pictures the fierceness and cruelty of the
Antichrist! "His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as
hard as a piece of the nether millstone" (v. 24): how
accurately this portrays the moral depravity of the
Antichrist! "When he raiseth up himself the mighty are
afraid...the arrow cannot make him flee" (vv.25,26,28):
how these words suggest the invincibility of Antichrist so
far as human power is concerned. "Upon earth there is
not his like, who is made without fear. He beholdeth all high
things: he is a king over all the children of pride"
(vv.33,34). Surely these last verses remove all doubt as to
who is really before us here! The whole of Job 41 should be
studied carefully, for we are assured that it contains a
remarkable but veiled amplification of Isa. 27:1.
In Isa. 33 there is another
reference to the Antichrist. This chapter, like so many in
Isaiah, passes from a notice of Tribulation conditions to the
Millennial state and back again. The opening verse reads,
"Woe to thee that spoileth, and thou wast not spoiled;
and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously
with thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be
spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal
treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee".
This is evidently a judgment pronounced upon the head of the
false messiah. Two things serve to identify him: he is the
great Spoiler, and the one who shall deal treacherously with
Israel. It is in view of the perfidy and rapacity of their
Enemy that the godly remnant cry, "O Lord, be gracious
unto us; we have waited for Thee: be Thou their arm every
morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble" (v.
2). A further word concerning the Antichrist is found in v.
8: "The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth:
he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he
regardeth no man". The last three statements in this
verse make it certain who is there in view. It is the
Antichrist displayed in his true colors; the one who breaks
his covenant with Israel, sacks their cities, and defies all
human government to resist him.
A brief notice must be taken
of 57:9 ere we turn from Isaiah. In this chapter we find God
arraigning Israel for their horrid idolatries and wickedness.
The opening verse again makes it clear that it is the
Tribulation period which is in view: "The righteous
perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart", etc.
Following this we have the various indictments which God
makes against the unfaithful Jews - "But draw near
hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer
and the whore" (v. 3, etc.). The remainder of the
chapter continues in the same strain. Among the many charges
which God brings against Israel is this: "And thou
wentest to the King with ointment, and didst increase thy
perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst
debase thyself even unto hell" (v. 9). It is evident
that as this chapter is describing the sins of Israel
committed in the End-time that "the King" here must
be the false messiah. Incidentally this verse furnishes one
of the many proofs that the Antichrist will be king over the
Jews.
2. ANTICHRIST IN JEREMIAH.
In the 4th chapter of this
prophet there is a vivid description of the fearful
afflictions which shall come upon the inhabitants of
Palestine. Doubtless, what is there said received a tragic
fulfillment in the past. But like most, if not all prophecy,
this one will receive a later and final accomplishment. There
are several statements found in it which indicate that it
treats of the End-time. The plainest of these is found in the
closing verse, where we read, "For I have heard a voice
as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her which
bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of
Zion". It is the "birth-pangs" of Matt. 24:8
(see Greek) which is in view. The sore trials which Israel
shall then undergo are tragically depicted: "Blow ye the
trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble
yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. Set up
the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring
evil from the north, and a great destruction. The Lion is
come up from his thicket, and the Destroyer of the Gentiles
is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy
land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an
inhabitant" (vv. 5-7). The Destroyer of the Gentiles now
turns to vent his fiendish malignity upon the holy land.
Destruction is in his heart. Terrible shall be his onslaught:
"Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots
shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe unto us! for we are spoiled" (v. 13). Fearful will
be the devastations his fury shall accomplish: The whole city
shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen: They
shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every
city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein" (v.
29).
In 6:26,27 there is a
remarkable statement made concerning the Antichrist: "O
daughter of My people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow
thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son,
most bitter lamentation: for the Spoiler (Destroyer, as in
4:7) shall suddenly come upon us". This Spoiler is the
Destroyer of the Gentiles. But it is what follows in the next
verse which is so striking: "I have set thee for
a tower and a fortress among My people, that thou mayest know
and try their way". Here we learn that, after all, the
Antichrist is but a tool in the hands of Jehovah. It is He
who sets him in the midst of Israel to "try" them.
A parallel statement is found in Isa. 10:5,6, where the Lord
says of the Assyrian "I will send him against a
hypocritical nation". It reminds us very much of what we
read concerning Pharaoh in Rom. 9:17. He was "raised
up" by God to accomplish His purpose. Even so shall it
be with this one whom Pharaoh foreshadowed. He shall be an
instrument in God's hand to chastise recreant Israel.
Chap. 15 contains brief
allusions to the Antichrist. In v.8 we have a statement
similar to what was before us in the last passage. Speaking
to Israel God says, "I have brought upon them against
the mother of the young men a Spoiler at noonday: I have
caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the
city". It is the Lord, then, (behind Satan) who brings
this Spoiler against them. After His purpose has been
accomplished, after the Antichrist has done what (unknown to
himself) God had appointed, we read how that the Lord assures
His people, "I will deliver thee out of the hand of the
Wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the
Terrible" (v. 21). Thus will God demonstrate His
supremacy over the Son of Perdition.
25:38 takes us back a little
and notices the awful desolation which the Antichrist brings
upon the land of Israel: "He hath forsaken his covert,
as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the
fierceness of the Oppressor, and because of his fierce
anger".
3. ANTICHRIST IN EZEKIEL.
We shall notice here but two
passages in this prophet. First, in 21:25-27 - "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".
So far as we are aware, all
pre-millennial students regard this passage as a description
of the Antichrist. It pictures him as Satan's parody of
the Son of Man seated upon "the throne of His
glory". It sets him forth as the priest-king. Just as in
the Millennium the Lord Jesus will "be a Priest upon
His throne" (Zech. 6:13), so will the Antichrist
combine in his person the headships of both the civil and
religious realms. He will be what the popes have long aspired
to be - head of the World-State, and head of the
World-Church.
"And thou, O deadly
wounded Wicked One, the Prince of Israel, whose day is come,
in the time of the iniquity of the end; thus saith the Lord:
remove the mitre, and take off the crown" (R. V.). This
is clearly Israel's last king, ere the King of kings and
Lord of lords returns to the earth. He is here termed
"the Prince of Israel" as the true Christ is
denominated "Messiah the Prince" in Dan. 9:25. The
description "O deadly wounded Wicked One"
looks forward to Rev. 13:12, where we read, "The first
Beast whose deadly wound was healed"!
"Remove the mitre and take off the
crown" point to his assumption of both priestly and
kingly honors. The Heb. word for "mitre" here is in
every other passage used of the head-dress of Israel's
high priest! Finally, the statement that his "day is
come...in the time of iniquity of the end" establishes,
beyond a doubt, the identity of this person.
In the opening verses of Ezek.
28 we have a striking view of the Man of Sin under the title
of "the Prince of Tyre", just as what is said of
"the King of Tyre" in the second half of the
chapter is an esoteric allusion to Satan. First, we are told
his "heart is lifted up" (v. 2), which is precisely
what is said to his father, the Devil, in v. 17. Second, he
makes the boast "I am God" and "I sit in the
seat of God" (v. 2), which is parallel with 2 Thess.
2:4. Third, it is here said of him, "Behold, thou art
wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from
thee" (v. 3), which intimates he will be endowed with
superhuman wisdom by that one of whom this same chapter
declares, "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom"
(v. 12). Fourth, it is said of him, "By thy wisdom and
by thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast
gotten gold and silver into thy treasures" (v. 4). Thus
will he be able to dazzle the worshippers of Mammon by his
Croseus-like wealth, and out-do Solomon in the glory of his
kingdom. Finally, his death by the sword is here noted, see
vv. 7,8.
4. ANTICHRIST IN DANIEL.
It is here that we find the
fullest description of the Man of Sin. First, he is looked at
under the figure of "the little horn". As there has
been some dispute whether this expression really applies to
him, we propose to examine the more carefully what is here
said of "the little horn". Personally, we have long
been convinced that this expression refers to none other than
the Antichrist. There are a number of plain marks which make
it comparatively easy to recognize his person, whenever
Scripture brings him before us. For example: his insolent and
blasphemous pride; his exalting himself against and above
God; his impious and cruel warfare against the people of God;
his sudden, terrible, and supernatural end. Let us compare
these features with what is said of "the little
horn" in Dan. 7 and 8.
We turn first to Dan. 7. In
vv.7 and 8 we read, "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 which
were before it; and it had ten horns. 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". This refers
to the rise of "the little horn" within the bounds
of the Roman Empire, for that is what is represented by the
"fourth beast". The first thing said of the little
horn is that he has eyes like the eyes of man, which speak of
intelligence, and a mouth speaking great things - the Heb.
word signifies "very great", and the reference is,
no doubt, to his lofty pretensions and his daring
blasphemies.
In 7:21 it is further said of
him that he "made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them". This contemplates his persecution of the
godly Jews, and agrees perfectly with Rev. 13:7; "And it
was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to
overcome them". In v. 25 we are told, "He shall
speak great words against the Most High". Surely this
serves to identify this "little horn" as the first
beast of Rev. 13: "And there was given unto him a mouth
speaking great things and blasphemies" (v. 5). If
further proof be needed, it is supplied by the remainder of
verse 25: "And shall wear out the saints of the Most
High...and they shall be given into his hand until a time and
times and the dividing of time". A "time"
equals a year (see Dan. 4:23 and Rev. 12:14, and cf. 12:6),
so that a "time and times and the dividing of time"
would be three and one-half years during which the saints are
given into his hand. This corresponds exactly with Rev. 13:5,
where of the first Beast, the Antichrist, it is said,
"And power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months" - in a later chapter we shall give a number of
proofs to show that the first Beast of Rev. 13 is the
Antichrist.
In Dan. 8 the Little Horn is
before us again, and that it is the same dread personage as
in chapter 7 appears from what is predicted of him. First, he
is referred to as "a king of fierce countance"
(8:23), which agrees with "whose look was more stout
than his fellows" (7:20). Second, it is said of him that
he "waxed exceeding great (first) towards the south, and
(second) towards the east, and (third) toward the pleasant
land" (8:9), which agrees with "there came up among
them another little horn, before whom there were three of the
first horns plucked up" (7:8). Third, it is said that he
"shall destroy the mighty and the holy people"
(8:24), which agrees with "and the same horn made war
with the saints and prevailed against them" (7:21).
There should, then, be no doubt whatever that the
"little horn" of Dan. 7 and the "little
horn" of Dan. 8 refer to one and the same person. Their
moral features coincide: both, from an insignificant
beginning, become great in the end: both persecute the people
of God: both are stricken down by direct interposition of
God. We may add that Messrs. B. W. Newton, James Inglis, G.
H. Pember, Sir Robert Anderson, Drs. Tregilles, J. H.
Brookes, Haldeman, and a host of other devout scholars and
students, take the same view, namely, that the "little
horn" of Dan. 7 and 8 and the Man of Sin is one and the
same person.
Let us now consider briefly
what is revealed concerning the Antichrist under this title
of his, the "little horn". We confine ourself to
Dan. 8:23-25.
First, he is "a king of
fierce countenance". This we believe is a literal
description of his facial expression, though we are satisfied
that it also has a moral significance. In Deut. 28:50 we read
of "a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not
regard the person of the old nor show favor to the
young". In the light of this scripture it seems clear
that when the Antichrist is denominated the "King of
fierce countenance" the reference is not only to his
actual features, but that it also intimates he will be
empowered to face the most perplexing and frightful dangers
and the most appalling scenes of horror without flinching or
blanching. It is significant that the reference in Deut.
28:50 is to the Romans, while what is said of the
Antichrist in Dan. 8:23 relates, specially, to his
connections with Greece. The two dominant
characteristics of these Powers will be combined in the Man
of Sin. There will be concentrated in him the irresistible
will of the Romans and the brilliant intellect of the
Greeks.
Second, we are told that he
shall be able to "understand dark sentences". The
Heb. noun for "dark sentences" is used of
Samson's riddle (Judges 14:12, of the Queen of
Sheba's hard questions (1 Kings 10:1), and of the dark
sayings of the wise (Prov. 1:6), which are too profound
to be understood by the simple. This characteristic of the
King of fierce countance, that he shall be able to
"understand dark sentences", suggests an attempted
rivalry of Christ as the Revealer of secret things. This is
one of the fascinations by which the Antichrist will dazzle
humanity. He will present himself as one in whom are hidden
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He will bewitch the world
by his solutions of the enigmas of life, and most probably by
his revelation of occult powers implanted in men hitherto
unsuspected by most, and of forces and secrets of nature
previously undiscovered.
Third, it is said "And
his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power"
(8:24). This is explained in Rev. 13:2, where we are told,
"And the Dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and
great authority". Just as we read of the Lord Jesus,
"The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the
works" (John 14:10), so shall the Son of Perdition
perform his prodigies by power from his father, the Devil.
This is exactly what 2 Thess. 2:9 declares, "Whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders". Thus will men be deceived by the
miracles he performs.
Fourth, he will "destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall
destroy the mighty and the holy people" (8:24). This has
received enlargement in the previous chapter, where we have
given several illustrations from the Psalms of the Antichrist
persecuting Israel.
Fifth, "And through his
policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand"
(8:25). The Heb. word for "policy" denotes wisdom
and understanding. It was the word used by David to Solomon,
when he said, "Only the Lord give thee wisdom" (1
Chron. 22:12), as it is also employed by Huram when writing
to Solomon: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that
made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a
wise son, endued with prudence" (2 Chron. 2:12).
The Heb. word for "craft" - "He shall cause
craft to prosper" - is the one employed by Isaac when
speaking to Esau concerning Jacob: "Thy brother came
with subtilty" (Gen. 27:35). It has in view the
chicanery and treacherous methods the Antichrist will employ.
"By peace shall destroy many" (v. 25) refers to the
fact that he will pose as the Prince of peace, and after
gaining men's confidence - particularly that of the Jews
- will take advantage of this to spring his bloody schemes
upon them.
Sixth, it is said "He
shall also stand up against the Prince of princes"
(8:25). This unmistakably identifies him with the Beast of
Rev. 19:19, where we are told, "And I saw the Beast, and
the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together
to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against
His army".
Seventh, "But he shall be
broken without hand" (8:25). This expression means that
he shall come to his doom without human intervention or
instrumentality - see Dan. 2:45; 2 Cor. 5:1, etc. That the
King of fierce countenance shall be broken without hand
refers to his destruction by the Lord Himself - "And He
shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the
breath of His lips shall He slay the Wicked" (Is.
11:4).
We turn now to Dan. 9:26,27.
This forms a part of the celebrated prophecy of the seventy
"weeks" or hebdomads. We cannot now attempt an
exposition of the whole prophecy: sufficient to point out its
principal divisions and examine that part of it which bears
on our present theme.
The prophecy begins with v. 24
and concerns the seventy hebdomads, a word signifying
"sevens". Each "hebdomad" equals seven
years, so that a period of 490 years in all is here
comprehended. These seventy "sevens" are divided
into three portions: First, seven "sevens" which
concerned the re-building of Jerusalem, following the
Babylonian captivity. Second, sixty-two "sevens"
unto "Messiah the Prince", that is, unto the time
when He formally presented Himself to Israel as their King:
this receiving its fulfillment in the so-called
"Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem". Third, the
last "seven" which is severed from the others. It
should be carefully noted that we are expressly told that
"after threescore and two weeks (which added to the
preceding seven would make sixty-nine in all up to this
point) shall Messiah be cut off". The reference is to
the Cross when Christ was cut off from Israel and from the
land of the living. This occurred after the sixty-ninth week
before the seventieth began.
The sixty-ninth terminated
with the formal presentation of Christ to Israel as their
"Prince". This is described by Matthew (the
distinctively Jewish Gospel) in chapter 21. The
rejection of their Prince caused the break between Christ and
Israel. It is very striking to note that (following the
rejection) Matthew records three distinct proofs or evidences
of this break. The first is found in Matt. 21:19 in the
cursing of the "fig tree", which signified the
rejection of the Nation. The second was His sorrowful
announcement from the brow of Olivet that the time of
Israel's visitation was past and her overthrow now
certain (Matt. 23:37 and cf. Luke 19:41-44). This was the
abandonment of the City. The third was His solemn
pronouncement concerning the Temple: "Behold your House
is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not
see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that
cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matt. 23:38, 39). This
was the giving up of the Sanctuary.
The entire Christian
dispensation (which began with the crucifixion of Christ) is
passed by unnoticed in this prophecy of the seventy
weeks". It comes in, parenthetically, between the
sixty-ninth and the seventieth. What follows in Dan. 9:26,27
concerns what will happen after the Christian dispensation is
ended when God again takes up Israel and accomplishes His
purpose concerning them. This purpose will be accomplished by
means of sore judgment which will be God's answer to
Israel's rejection of His Son. But let us examine more
closely the form this judgment will take.
The judgment of God upon the
people who were primarily responsible for the cutting off of
their Messiah was to issue in the destruction of their city
and sanctuary (9:26). This destruction was to be brought
about by the people of a Prince who should subsequently
appear, and be himself destroyed. The Prince here is the
Antichrist, but the Antichrist connected with and at the head
of the Roman Empire in its final form.[4] Now we know that it in A. D. 70, but that
"the Prince" here does not refer to the one who
then headed the Roman armies is clear from the fact that Dan.
9:27 informs us this Prince is to play his part in the yet
future seventieth week - further proof is furnished in that
v. 26 carries us to the end (i.e. of Israel's
desolations) which is to be marked by a "flood",
and Isa. 28:14,15 intimates that this is to be after
Israel's covenant with Antichrist: "Wherefore hear
the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people
which was in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a
covenant with Death, and with Hell are we at agreement; when
the overflowing scourge shall pass through it, it shall not
come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under
falsehood have we hid ourselves". To this God replies,
"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" (v. 18). The "overflowing scourge" is,
literally, "the scourge coming in like a
flood".
A few words remain to be said
on 9:27: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many
for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even
until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured
upon the desolate". The subject of this verse is the
Antichrist, "the Prince that shall come" of the
previous verse. By the time he appears on the scene large
numbers of Jews will have been carried back to their land
(cf. Isa. 18). With them the Prince makes a covenant, as of
old Jehovah made one with Abraham, and as Christ will yet do
with Israel, see Jer. 31. This will be regarded by God with
indignation, as a covenant with Death, and an agreement with
Sheol. But while this covenant is accepted by the majority of
the Jews, God will again reserve to Himself a remnant who
will refuse to bow the knee to Baal: hence the qualification,
"He shall confirm the covenant with many," not
all.
"In the midst of the week
he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease".
The returned Jews will rebuild their temple and there offer
sacrifices. But these, so far from being acceptable to God,
will be an offense. There seems a clear reference to this in
the opening verses of Isa. 66, which describe conditions just
before the Lord's appearing (see v. 15). And here the
Lord says, "He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a
man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's
neck", etc. (v. 3). But three and a half years before
the end, the Prince will issue a decree demanding that the
sacrifices must cease, and the worship of Jehovah be
transferred to himself, for it is at this point he shall
"exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped" (2 Thess. 2:4). The fact that we are here
told that he causes the sacrifices and the oblation to cease,
at once identifies this Prince of the Romans as the
Antichrist - cf. 8:11. The remaining portion of 9:27 will be
considered when we come to Matt. 24:15.
We turn now to Dan. 11, which
is undoubtedly the most difficult chapter in the book. It
contains a prophecy which is remarkable for its fulness of
details. Much of it has already received a most striking
fulfillment, but like other prophecies, we are fully
satisfied that this one yet awaits its final accomplishment.
That Dan. 11 treats of the Antichrist all pre-millennial
students are agreed, but as to how much of it refers to him
there is considerable difference of opinion. A small
minority, from whom we must dissent, confine the first
thirty-five verses to the past. Others make the division in
the middle of the chapter and regard all from v. 21 onwards
as a description of the Man of Sin, and with them the writer
is in hearty accord. A few consider the entire chapter, after
v. 2, as containing a prediction of the Antichrist under the
title of "The King of the North", and while we are
not prepared to unreservedly endorse this, yet it is fully
allowed that there is not a little to be said in its
favor.
We shall here confine ourself
to the second half of Dan. 11. Our present limits of space,
however, will permit of nothing more than brief notes upon
it. Commencing at v. 31 we read, "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". The history of this
"vile person" is here divided into three parts:
first, the means by which he obtains the kingdom: vv. 21,22;
second, the interval which elapses between the time when he
makes a covenant with Israel, the taking away of the daily
sacrifice and the setting up of the abomination of
desolation: vv. 23-31; third, the brief season when he comes
out in his true colors and enters upon his career of open
defiance of God, reaching on to his destruction: vv. 32-45.
Thus from v. 21 to the end of the chapter we have a
continuous history of the Antichrist.
"In his estate shall
stand up a vile person...he shall come in peaceably, and
obtain the kingdom by flatteries". This epithet
"the vile person" is a manifest antitheses from
"the Holy One of God". This twenty-first verse
takes notice of the Man of Sin posing as the Prince of peace.
He shall achieve what his antitype, Absalom, tried but failed
to do - "Obtain the kingdom by flatteries".
"And with the arms of a
flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be
broken; yea, also the Prince of the Covenant" (v. 22).
This Vile Person is denominated "the Prince of the
Covenant", which, at once, identifies him with the
Prince of 9:26,27. Then we are told in v.23 "And after
the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he
shall come up, and shall become strong with a small
people". This "league" or "covenant"
is doubtless the seven-years-treaty confirmed with Israel,
which is made at an early point in the Antichrist's
career, and which corresponds with the fact that at the first
he appears as a "little horn", the "small
people" being the Syrians - cf. our remarks on Dan.
8:8,9 in chapter six.
Vv. 25 and 26 describe his
victory over the king of Egypt. Then, in v. 28 we read,
"Then shall he return into his land with great
riches". His land is Assyria. The mention of great
riches corresponds with what we are told of the Antichrist in
Psa. 52:7; Ezek. 28:4, etc.
"And arms shall stand on
his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength
and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place
the abomination that maketh desolate". This is clear
evidence that these verses are treating of that which takes
place during the seventieth week. The mention of polluting
the Sanctuary is an unmistakable reference to "the
abomination of desolation", i.e. the setting up of an
idol to the Antichrist in the Temple. Note the repeated use
of the plural pronoun in this verse; the "they"
refer to the Antichrist and the False Prophet, cf. Rev. 13.
It is significant that in the next verse (v. 32) there is an
allusion made to the faithful remnant - "The people that
do know their God."
"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" (v. 36). That "the King" here
is the "Vile Person" is not only indicated by the
absence of any break in the prophecy, as also by the
connecting "and" with which the verse opens, but is
definitely established by the fact that in v. 27 (note
context) the Vile Person is expressly termed a
"king"! The contents of this thirty-sixth verse
clearly connects "the king" with the Man of Sin of
2 Thess. 2:3,4, and also as definitely identifies him with
the "little horn" - cf. 7:23 and 8: 25. The
remaining verses of Dan. 11 have been before us in previous
chapters and need not detain us now.
5. ANTICHRIST IN THE MINOR PROPHETS.
Here a wide field of study is
opened, but we must content ourself with but a few selections
and brief comments on them. Hosea makes several references to
the Man of Sin. In 8:10 he is termed "the King of
princes', as such he is Satan's imitation of the King
of kings. In 10:15 he is named "the King of
Israel", which shows his connection with the Jews. In
12:7 he is called a "Merchant" or Trafficker, and
of him it is said, "The balances of deceit are in his
hands: he loveth to oppress", with this should be
compared Rev. 6:5. These words denote his twofold character
in connection with the Jews: first he makes them believe he
is the true Christ; second, he ultimately stands forth as
their great Enemy.
Joel alludes to him as the
head of the "northern army", i.e. the Assyrian. And
here God declares that He will "drive him into a land
barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea; and
his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up,
because he has magnified to do great things" (2:20).
Amos speaks of him as "an
Adversary" which shall be "even round about the
land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy
palaces shall be spoiled" (3:11). That this is referring
to the End-time is clear from the verses that follow, where
we read, "That in the day that I shall visit the
transgressions of Israel upon him", etc. (v. 14).
Micah terms him "the
Assyrian", and of him it is said, when he "shall
come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces,
then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight
principal men...thus shall he deliver us from the
Assyrian" (5:5,6).
Nahum has this to say of him:
"There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil
against the Lord, a wicked counseller. Thus saith the Lord;
Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they
be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have
afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more...for the Wicked
shall no more pass through thee" (1:11,12,15). These
verses contain another of the many antitheses between Christ
and the Antichrist. The One is the Wonderful Counseller"
(Isa. 9:6); the other, the "Wicked Counseller".
Habakkuk describes him as one
whose "soul is lifted up" and "is not upright
in him", and as one who "transgresseth by
wine", as "a proud man, neither keepeth at home,
who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot
be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth
unto him all people" (2:4,5).
Zechariah denominates him
"the Idol Shepherd that leaveth the flock", and
then pronounces judgment upon him - "The sword shall be
upon his arm, and upon his right eye" (11:17).
[Chap. 9]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 11]
The Old and New Testaments
have many things in common - far more than some teachers of
"dispensational" truth seem to be aware of - but
there are also some noticeable contrasts between them.
Speaking generally, the one is principally prophetic; the
other mainly didactic. There is far more said in the former
about the future of Israel than there is in the latter. Much
more space in the Old Testament than in the New is devoted to
describing the conditions which shall obtain in the
Tribulation period. And far more was revealed through the
prophets about the Antichrist than was made known through the
apostles. It is in full keeping with this that we find there
is one book in the New Testament which is a noticeable
exception, and that is the one which is peculiarly prophetic
in its character and contents, namely, the Revelation. There,
perhaps, more is told us concerning the person and career of
the Man of Sin than in all the rest of the New Testament put
together.
The passages which refer
directly to the Antichrist in the four Gospels are few in
number; but in addition to these there are several indirect
references to him, and these call for a more careful
examination because of their apparent obscurity. The writer
believes there may be other passages in the Gospels treating
of the Man of Sin in his varied relations, and which contain
an esoteric view of him, but which the Holy Spirit has not
yet been pleased to reveal unto students of prophecy. Let not
the reader then regard this chapter as in any-wise a complete
or exhaustive treatment of the subject, rather let its brief
hints bestir him to make prayerful and patient examination
for himself.
The Antichrist receives an
even more scant notice in the Epistles than he does in the
four Gospels. So far as we have been able to discover he is
alluded to only in 2 Thess. 2 and in John's Epistles. The
reason for this is not difficult to discover. The Epistles
concern those who are members of the Body of Christ, and by
the time the Antichrist appears upon the stage of human
history, they shall be far above these scenes - with their
blessed Lord in the Father's House. Nevertheless,
"all Scripture" is profitable for our instruction
and necessary for our enlightenment. God has been pleased to
reveal much concerning those things which must shortly come
to pass, and it may be that they who now ignore or neglect
the study of the prophetical portions of Scripture will be
overtaken by surprise when, in a coming day, they shall
behold with wonder the fulfillment of prophecy; and possibly
this surprise (due to culpable ignorance) is included in what
the apostle refers to when he speaks of not being
"ashamed before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28).
Certainly it is our duty as well as privilege to examine
diligently all that God has been pleased to make known in His
Word.
1. Passing by the typical
teaching of Matt. 2, which will come before us in a later
chapter, we turn first to Matt. 12 which is one of the most
important chapters in that book, supplying as it does one of
the principal keys to its dispensational interpretation. In
it is recorded the first great break between the Jews and
Christ, which eventually terminated in their crucifying Him.
In v. 14 we read, "Then the Pharisees went out, and held
a council against Him, how they might destroy Him". This
is the first time we read of anything like this in
Matthew's Gospel. Following this we read, "Then was
brought unto Him one possessed with a demon, blind, and dumb;
and He healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both
spake and saw" (v. 22). Up to that time this was by far
the most remarkable miracle our Lord had performed. Its
effect upon those who witnessed it was general and deep -
"And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this
the Son of David?" (v. 23). It must be the long-promised
Messiah who now stood in their midst. But the Pharisees were
blinded by their hatred of Him, and committed the sin for
which there is no forgiveness: "This fellow doth not
cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the
demons" (v. 24). Then, following His reply to their
awful blasphemy and terming them "a generation of
vipers" (v. 34), our Lord uttered a prophetic parable
which bears directly on our present theme:
"When the unclean spirit
is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking
rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my
house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth
it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh
with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself,
and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that
man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto
this wicked generation" (vv. 43-45). The first thing to
note concerning this mysterious and remarkable passage is its
setting. This, as we have sought to indicate above, has to do
with Christ's solemn pronouncement on those who had
determined to destroy Him, and who were guilty of the
unpardonable sin. In it He declares the judgment which God
shall yet send upon apostate Israel.
Our next concern is to
ascertain the meaning of this parabolic utterance. The
central figure is "The unclean spirit". This
unclean spirit is viewed here in three connections: first, as
indwelling a man; second, as going out of the man; third, as
returning to the man and indwelling him again. In v. 44 the
man is termed by the unclean spirit "my house".
This man unquestionably represents Israel, for at the close
of the parable Christ says, "Even so shall it be also
unto this wicked generation". Who, then, is referred to
by "the unclean spirit"? We believe that it is the
Son of Perdition. The following reasons lead us to this
conclusion: First, mark attentively the use of the definite
article: it is not simply an unclean spirit, but
the unclean spirit. Second, note his threefold relation
to Israel. At the time the Saviour uttered these words the
Son of Perdition was then present in Israel's midst. But
a little later he was no longer so. When he hanged himself he
passed out of these scenes into the next world; as Acts 1:25
compared with Rev. 11:7 tells us, into the Pit. His present
state in the Abyss is graphically and solemnly depicted -
"He walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and
findeth none" (v. 43). Then, he says, "I will
return into my house from whence I came out".
This, we are satisfied, refers to the reincarnation of the
Son of Perdition, when he appears on earth for the last time
as the Man of Sin. Then, in a special sense, will Israel be
his "house". A third reason why we believe
"The Unclean Spirit" is the Son of Perdition is
furnished by Zech. 13:2 - And it shall come to pass in that
day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names
of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be
remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the
unclean spirit to pass out of the land". Clearly
this verse speaks of the End-time. What follows is very
striking. Vv. 3 and 4 concern the prophets who shall prophesy
falsely. But in v. 5 there is a noticeable change from the
plural to the singular number: "But he shall say,
I am no prophet", etc. The only antecedent to this
pronoun is "The Unclean Spirit" of v. 2, which here
in v. 5 is shown to be no mere abstraction but a definite
person. And then in v. 6 the question is asked, "What
are these wounds in thine hands?" We believe this
intimates that God will even permit the Man of Sin to imitate
the Saviour to the extent that he will appear with wounds
in his hands: thus will he be the better able to pose as
the true Christ.
When the Son of Perdition
returns to Israel, he finds his house "empty, swept, and
garnished". This depicts the moral and spiritual state
of the Jews at the time the Antichrist is manifested. Though
clean from the horrible idolatries which defiled them of old,
and though adorned with all that temporal prosperity will
bring them, Israel, nevertheless, will be devoid of the
Shekinah-glory, and have no Holy Spirit indwelling them.
Next, we are told, "Then goeth he, and taketh with
himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and
they enter in and dwell there". We believe that this has
a double meaning. One plus seven equals eight and in
Scripture eight signifies a new beginning. This is in
keeping with the re-incarnation of the Son of Perdition. But
we think there is also a reference here to Satan's
blasphemous imitation of what we are told in Rev. 5:6, where
we read of the Lamb having seven eyes, which are the seven
spirits of God". Just as the Christ of God will come
back to earth endued with the Spirit of God in the sevenfold
plentitude of His power, so will the Antichrist present
himself to Israel in the sevenfold fulness of satanic power
and uncleanness. Then, indeed, shall Israel's last state
be worse than their first - i.e. when they rejected Christ in
the days of Judas.
2. We turn now to Matt. 24,
which contains a lengthy forecast concerning the end of this
Age. Here we find our Lord describing the conditions which
shall obtain during the Tribulation period. Christ announces
with considerable detail those things which are to precede
His own return to the earth. The whole chapter sets forth the
Master's answers to three questions asked by His
disciples, namely, as to when the Temple was to be destroyed,
what was to be the sign of His coming, and of the end of the
Age (see v.3). A similar, but by no means identical prophecy,
is to be found in Luke 21. The main difference between them
being that Luke 21 treats of conditions which obtained prior
to the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70 - it is not until
v. 25 that the Tribulation period is reached; whereas the
whole of Matt. 24 is yet future.
It is striking to note that
our Lord begins His prophecy by saying; "Take heed that
no man deceive you, for many shall come in My name, saying I
am Christ; and shall deceive many" (vv.4,5). The
significance of this appears by comparing v. 11, "And
many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive
many". These false christs and false prophets are to
head up in the Antichrist and the False Prophet, who will be
the arch-deceivers. When we reach v. 15 a clear allusion is
made to the Man of Sin: "When ye therefore shall see the
abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him
understand". This reference of Christ to "the
abomination of desolation" which is to "stand in
the holy place", looks back to Dan. 12:11: "And
from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away,
and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall
be a thousand two hundred and ninety days". This, in
turn, carries us back to Dan. 9:27: "And in the midst of
the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall
make it desolate". With these verses should be compared
Rev. 13:11-15, where we are told that the False Prophet who
shall perform great wonders, will command men that "they
should make an image to the beast". The False Prophet
will have "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 beast should be
killed". By linking these scriptures together the
following facts are brought out:
First, an "image" is
going to be made to the Antichrist (Rev. 13:15). Second, this
"image" will "stand in the holy place"
(Matt. 24:15), that is, in the re-built Temple at Jerusalem.
Third, this "image" will possess supernatural
power, for it shall be able to "speak" (Rev.
13:15). Fourth, this "image" unto the beast shall
be an object of worship, and those who refuse to worship it
shall be killed (Rev. 13:14,15). Fifth, this
"image" is termed "abomination of
desolation". The term "abomination" is an Old
Testament expression connected with idolatry, and signifies
some special idol or false god (see Deut. 7:26; 1 Kings
11:5-7). Sixth, this "abomination" or idol-god will
be set up during the middle of Daniel's seventieth week,
or three and one half years from the end of Antichrist's
career. This is clear from Dan. 12:11 and 9:27. The taking
away of "the daily sacrifice" occurs when the
Antichrist throws off his mask and stands forth as the Defier
of heaven. In the re-built Temple of the Jews sacrifices
shall once more be offered by them to God. These their King
suffers, while he is posing as the Christ. But when he drops
his religious pretensions and defies heaven as well as earth,
the "sacrifices" will be taken away, and in their
place worship to an image of himself will be substituted.
Seventh, the setting up of this "image" to the
Antichrist will, most probably, be attended with supernatural
phenomenon. We gather this from Dan. 9:27, where we read,
"And he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall
make it desolate". Now the word here translated
"overspreading" is never so rendered elsewhere.
Seventy times is this word translated "wing" or
"wings". It is the word used of the wings of the
cherubim in Ex. 25:20 and Ezek. 10:5, etc. And in Psa. 18:10
we read of Jehovah that "He rode upon a cherub, and did
fly: yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind".
One profound Hebrew scholar
has rendered the last clause of Dan. 9:27 as follows,
"And upon the wing of abominations he shall come
desolating". Remembering that "abomination"
has reference to an idol or false god, the force would then
be "upon the wing of a false god shall he come
desolating". Now in view of Psa. 18:10 it is highly
probable that Dan. 9:27 refers to a satanic imitation
of the Chariot of the Cherubim. This is strengthened by 1
Cor. 10:20 - "The things which the Gentiles sacrifice,
they sacrifice to demons, and not to God" -
which shows the demoniacal nature of the "idols" or
"abominations" worshipped. If this view be correct,
then the Antichrist will be supernaturally borne aloft (in
invisible demons), and apparently descending from on high (in
blasphemous mimicry of Mal. 3:1) will finally persuade the
world to worship him as God. The apostate Jews will, no
doubt, believe that their eyes at last behold the
long-awaited sign from heaven, and the return of the Glory to
the Temple. For it is thither the false christ will be borne,
and there his image set up. We believe that the words of 2
Thess. 2:4, "He as God sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself that HE IS GOD" may, most likely,
have reference to this same event.
Coming back now to the words
of Christ, Matt. 24:15 will, we trust, be much more
intelligible. What our Lord there said was designed specially
for the godly Jewish remnant who will be in Palestine during
the Tribulation period. When the "abomination of
desolation" is set up in the holy place, whoso
readeth should "understand". How wondrously
this agrees with other scriptures, and what a value it places
upon the written Word! No supernatural revelation will be
granted - these all ceased when the Cannon of
Scripture closed. Then, as now, "understanding" is
made dependent upon the reading of what God has
revealed.
What, then, is it that those
godly Jews should "understand"? Why, that a crisis
has been reached. That the Antichrist now stands fully
revealed for the impious impostor that he is. And now that
his career is clearly manifested, let them beware. Let them
turn to Rev. 13:14,15, and they will discover that
death awaits them should they tarry any longer in
Jerusalem. Therefore, says Christ, "Let them which be in
Judea flee into the mountains: let him that is on the
housetop not come down to take anything out of his
house...for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be" (Matt. 24:16-21). How marvelously one
scripture throws light on another! How clearly does Rev.
13:14,15 explain the need for this hurried flight of the
faithful remnant!
There is one other reference
to the Antichrist in this 24th chapter of Matthew, namely, in
vv. 23-26: "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here
is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise
false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in
the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret
chamber; believe it not". The reference to the
"great signs and wonders" is explained, at least in
part, in Rev. 13. We have already seen that the False Prophet
will have power to give "life" or
"breath" unto the image of the Beast, so that the
image shall speak (v. 15). In addition, it is recorded how
that "He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire
come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by those miracles
which he had power to do in the sight of the beast" (vv.
13,14).
We had hoped to be able to say
something further on the "secret chambers" of Matt.
24:26, but in the absence of any clear light from other
scriptures, we refrain from speculations of our own. It seems
plain, however, that the reference is to the occult
powers and activities of the Wicked One, who ever loveth
darkness rather than light.
3. Our next passage will be
the first eight verses of Luke 18, where in a parable the
Lord gives us another view of the Antichrist: "And He
spake a parable unto them, that men ought always to pray, and
not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which
feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow
in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of
mine adversary. And he would not for awhile: but afterward he
said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
yet because this woman troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest
by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear
what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own
elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long
with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith
on the earth?"
Like many of Christ's
parables, this one is plainly prophetic in its character. It
looks forward to a coming day: it treats of conditions which
are to obtain during the Tribulation period. This is easily
seen from the context. Luke 18 opens with the word
"and", and the last eighteen verses of the previous
chapter, with which the 18th is thus connected, treat of
those things which are to immediately precede the
establishing of the Messiah's Kingdom - note particularly
v. 26. So, too, the closing words of the parable now before
us read, "When the Son of Man cometh shall He
find faith on the earth?"
Having thus pointed out the
time when this prophetic parable is to receive its
fulfillment, our next concern is to ascertain the
significance of its terms. The parable revolves around a
"widow" and an "unjust judge". Once we
discover who are represented by these, everything will be
simple. Our task ought not to be difficult seeing that we
have already learned the time when these characters are to
appear.
The "widow" in
Scripture is ever the figure of desolation, loneliness,
weakness. Dispensationally, Israel is the widow,
spiritually dead as she now is to her Divine Husband. Here in
the parable of Luke 18 it is the new Israel, the "Israel
of God", the faithful remnant, which is in view. To
quote one scripture is sufficient to establish this:
"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be
thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou
shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember
the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker
is thine Husband; the Lord of Hosts is His name; and thy
Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth
shall He be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a
widow forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of
youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small
moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercy will I
gather thee" (Isa. 54:4-7). These are the words which
Christ will speak to the remnant right at the beginning of
the Millennium, after they have made Isa. 53 their own
repentant confession.
In the chapter on the
Antichrist in the Psalms attention was repeatedly directed to
passages which treat of the condition of the godly Jewish
remnant during the Tribulation period. We saw that their lot
is to be a bitter one. Severe will be their testings;
terrible their sufferings. Not the least painful of their
experiences will be the fierce opposition of their
unbelieving brethren. Just as the worst enemies of the
Saviour were found among His brethren according to the flesh,
and just as the most relentless persecutors of the saints
during this dispensation have been those who professed to be
the followers of Christ, so the most merciless foes of the
Jewish remnant will be the unbelieving portion of their own
nation. These, too, are noticed in our parable:"
they are the "adversary" against which the
"widow" appeals to the "Judge" -
"Avenge me of mine adversary" is her plea.
In the light of what has been
said above it is easy to discover who is represented by the
one to whom the "widow" appeals - appeals no doubt
some little time before the end of the Tribulation period is
reached. Clearly it is the Antichrist himself, and what is
here said of him establishes this beyond a reasonable doubt.
First, he is termed "a Judge", so that he is viewed
as being in the position of authority: we may add, it
is the same word as rendered "Judge" in James 5:9
which speaks of the Lord Jesus. Second, he is represented as
being located in a certain "city": whether this is
Jerusalem or Babylon, we cannot say; but we rather think it
is the latter. In the third place, it is said of this Judge
that he "feared not God, neither regarded man". We
need not tarry to point out how fully this accords with what
is elsewhere said of the Man of Sin. Godlessness and
lawlessness are the two most prominent elements in his
character. In the fourth place, the Lord specifically terms
him "the unjust Judge" (v. 6). The word signifies
"unrighteousness". This word points an antithesis
between him and the true Christ who shall reign in
righteousness. In the fifth place, his callousness is
noted in the words, "and he would not for awhile"
(v. 4). The Greek verb of v. 3 signifies that the widow came
to this "Judge" again and again. But in his
hard-heartedness he repeatedly turned a deaf ear to her
entreaties. Such will be the brutal indifference of the
Antichrist to the sufferings of the faithful Jews. In the
sixth place, his untruthfulness and treachery
are clearly implied. In v. 5 this unjust Judge is represented
as saying, "Because this widow troubleth me, I will
avenge her", etc.; but that he fails to keep his word is
clear from what we read in the seventh verse - "Shall
not God avenge His own elect?" etc. The Antichrist does
not avenge him, but God will. Finally, his doom is
hinted at in the words last quoted. When God
"avenges" the elect remnant the Antichrist will be
destroyed together with those of his followers who had
persecuted them.
There is only one difficulty
in the way of the above interpretation and that is the appeal
of the Jewish remnant to the Antichrist. Can it be possible
that they should seek help from him! But is there any real
difficulty in this? Let us consult our own experience for
answer. How often, in the hour of trial, do we turn to the
arm of flesh for relief! Even the Apostle Paul appealed to
Caesar! But lest this be thought an invention of ours to meet
a pertinent objections against the interpretation advanced
above, note carefully the wording of the seventh verse:
"And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day
and night unto Him, though He bear long with
them?" Do not the words "bear long with
them" intimate that though they had cried unto God day
and night, yet they had also sought help from some one else.
Even clearer is the testimony of Isa. 10:20 - "And it
shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel and
such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more
again stay upon him that smote them; but shall upon the
Lord"!
4. 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).
This scripture has already been before us (see chapter three
I:5) so it need not detain us long. It speaks of the
Antichrist in connection with unbelieving Israel. It draws a
double contrast between the Son of god and the Son of
Perdition. The Christ of God, in lowly condescension, came
not in His own name, but in that of His Father - in perfect
subjection; but the christ of Satan, in lofty arrogance,
shall come in his own name. This will at once appeal to the
corrupt hearts of fallen men. The very meekness of the Lord
Jesus was an offense to the Jews; but the pride and egotism
of the Man of Sin will make him acceptable to them. By the
apostate Nation Christ was not received. As we read in this
same Gospel, "He came unto His own, and His own received
Him not" (1:11). But the Antichrist shall be welcomed by
them - "him ye will receive", says the Lord.
They will receive him as their long-expected Messiah. They
will receive him as their king. They will receive him as the
promised Deliverer. His yoke will be accepted. Divine honors
will be paid him. But bitterly will they rue it; and terrible
will be God's judgment upon them.
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 the Lie,
he speaketh of his own (son): for he is a liar, and the
father of it" (John 8:44). The Greek word for
"lie" is "pseudos". It occurs in the New
Testament just nine times - the number of judgment. I
always has reference to that which is opposed to the truth.
It is a fit appellation for the Antichrist, who is the son of
him who is the Arch-liar, the Devil. The Christ of God is
"The Truth"; the christ of Satan, "The
Lie". That this is one of the many names of the Man of
Sin is clear from 2 Thess. 2. There we are told that his
coming is "after the working of Satan will 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".
Then we are told, "And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion that they should believe the Lie (cf.
chapter three, 11:5).
Upon John 8:44 we cannot do
better than quote from Sir Robert Anderson: "To speak a
lie is not English. In our language the proper expression is
"to tell a lie". But no one would so render the
Greek words here. It is not the false in the abstract which
is in view, but a concrete instance of it. And thus the
connection is clear between Satan the liar and Satan the
murderer. He is not the instigator of all murders, but of the
murder, there and then in question, the murder of the Christ;
he is not the father of lies, but the father of the Lie. In 2
Thess. 2:11 it is again the Lie of John 8:44. God does not
incite men to tell lies or to believe lies. But of those who
reject the truth, it is written, "He shall send them
strong delusion that they should believe the Lie. Because
they have rejected the Christ of God, a judicial blindness
shall fall upon them that they should accept the Christ of
humanity, who will be Satan incarnate" (The Silence of
God).
6. "While I was with them
in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest
Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the Son of
Perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John
17:5). That our Lord was referring to the Antichrist is
unequivocally established by @ Thess. 2:3, where the Man of
Sin is denominated "the Son of Perdition". That
Judas, here termed the Son of Perdition, was more than a man
is clear from John 6:70 where we read, "Have not I
chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil?" In no
other passage is the word "Diabolos" applied to
anyone but Satan himself. Just as the Lord Jesus was God
incarnate, so will Judas be the Devil incarnate; and, as we
have shown in chapter three (third main section) Judas will
be re-incarnated in the Antichrist.
Perhaps one other should be
said on John 17:12 before we pass from it. Some have thought
that this verse weakens the doctrine of the absolute security
of the saints, but in act it does nothing of the kind. Notice
Christ did not say, "Those that Thou gavest Me I have
kept, and none of them is lost except the Son of
Perdition", instead, He said, "None of them is lost
but the Son of Perdition". The word
"but" is used adversatively, not exceptively; that
is to say, Judas is here opposed to those that were
given to Christ (for other scriptures with a similar
construction see Matt. 12:4, Acts 27:22, Rev. 21:27). This
interpretation is unequivocally established by John 18:9 -
"Of them which Thou gavest Me have I lost
none".
7. 2 Thess. 2 contains the
chief passage in the Epistles concerning the Antichrist. Here
he is denominated "that Man of Sin, the Son of
Perdition" (v. 3). It is solemnly true that all men are
sinners (Rom. 3:23), but the Antichrist will be more than a
sinner, he will be the Man of Sin. As such he will be the
direct opposite of Christ, who was the Holy One of God. Sin
in all its terrible satanic treachery, daring blasphemy, and
tremendous appeal to the corrupt hearts of men, will be
consummated in this frightful monster. For fuller notes on
the force of these titles we again refer the reader to
chapter three.
Concerning the Man of Sin it
is said, "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" (v. 4). Here he reaches the climax of his frightful
blasphemy. He will assume Divine honors, and under pain of
death (Rev. 13:15) will demand the worship of all. In
vindication of his impious claims he will compel men to
regard his mandates as transcending all laws and customs,
whether of human or Divine origin (Dan. 7:25). For a season
the Almighty will suffer his satanic impiety, the Hinderer
having been taken out of the way (v. 7). No lightning flash
will strike down his blasted form to the dust. The earth will
not open her mouth to swallow him up alive. The Angel of the
Lord, who smote Herod with death for a much milder blasphemy,
will restrain His hand from the hilt of the sword. For a
season Heaven will remain silent while this haughty rebel is
doing according to his will. But at the appointed hour
"the Lord shall consume (him) with the spirit of His
mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His
coming" (v. 8).
"Even him whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders" (v. 9). The Antichrist will be the culmination
and consummation of Satan's craft and genius. He will be
endowed with superhuman energy so that he shall perform
miracles which will be no mere pretenses, but prodigies of
power. By means of these miracles and signs he will deceive
the entire world. No doubt he will mock the miracles of
Christ, as of old Jannes and Jambres duplicated the miracles
of Moses. His marvelous deeds will reach their climax in his
own resurrection from the dead.
8. "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). For our
comments on the significance of this name "the
Antichrist" we refer our readers to the fourth chapter.
There it will be seen that we understand this official title
to have a double significance, corresponding to the two main
divisions in his career. First, he will pose as the true
Christ; later he will stand forth as the avowed opponent of
Christ. The above verse presents him as the Arch-apostate. He
will, eventually, repudiate the distinguishing truth of
Judaism, namely that "Jesus is the Christ"; as
he will also set himself against that which is vital in
Christianity - the revelation of "the Father and the
Son".
9. A brief word upon 1 John
4:3 and we must conclude. "And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not
of God: and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye
have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in
the world". It is to the last clause we would here
direct attention. The spirit of Antichrist, that which is
preparing the way for his appearing, is even now already
"in the world". This statement is parallel with 2
Thess. 2:7, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already
work: only He who now letteth (hindereth) will let, until He
be taken out of the way". The Mystery of Iniquity, which
concerns the incarnation of Satan, is the direct antithesis
of "the Mystery of Godliness" (1 Tim. 3:16) which
has to do with the Divine incarnation. Just as there was a
long preparation by God preceding the advent of His Son, so
the Devil is now paving the way for the advent of the Son of
Perdition. The Mystery of Iniquity "doth already
work"; so in 1 John 4:3 of the spirit of Antichrist we
read, "Even now already is it in the world"! How
far advanced the preparations of Satan now are for the
bringing forth of his Masterpiece is becoming increasingly
evident to those who are granted wisdom to discern the signs
of the times.
[Chap. 10]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 12]
The scope of the Apocalypse is
indicated by its place in the Sacred Canon. Coming as it does
right at the close of the Scriptures, we should naturally
expect to find it outlining the last chapters of the
world's history. Such is indeed the case. The Revelation
is mainly devoted to a description of the judgments which God
will yet send upon the earth. It furnishes by far the most
complete description of the conditions which are to obtain
during the Tribulation period. It treats at greatest length
with the character and career of the Antichrist, who will be
the "Rod" in the hands of an angry God to chastise
recreant Israel and apostate Christendom. All of this is, of
course, preparatory to the establishment of Messiah's
kingdom, which will exist during the last of earth's
dispensations.
It is impossible to understand
the Apocalypse without a thorough acquaintance with the books
that precede it. The more familiar we are with the first
sixty-five books of the Bible, the better prepared are we for
the study of its sixty-sixth. There is little that is really
new in the Revelation. Its varied contents are largely an
amplification of what is to be found in the preceding
scriptures. Each of its figures and symbols are explained if
not on its own pages, then somewhere within the compass of
the written Word. For Scripture is ever self-interpreting.
Most of our difficulties with the Revelation grow out of our
ignorance and lack of acquaintance with the earlier books.
Daniel and Zechariah especially should be examined minutely,
for they shed much light upon the various and prophecies of
the Patmos seer.
The Apocalypse not only
reveals much concerning the person and work of the Man of
Sin, but it describes his doom, as it also announces the
complete overthrow of the Trinity of Evil. This, no doubt,
accounts for much of the prejudice which obtains against the
study and reading of this book. It is indeed remarkable that
this is the only book in the Bible connected with which there
is a distinct promise given to those who read and hear read
its prophecy (1:3). And yet how very rarely it is read from
the pulpits of those churches which are reputed as orthodox!
Surely the great Enemy is responsible for this. It seems that
Satan fears and hates above every book in the Bible this one
which tells of his being ultimately cast into the Lake of
Fire. But "we are not ignorant of his devices" (2
Cor. 2:11). Then let him not keep us from the prayerful and
careful perusal of this prophecy which tells of those things
"which must shortly come to pass".
1. We turn first to the sixth
chapter of the Revelation, where a fourfold view is presented
of the Son of Perdition. Just as at the beginning of the New
Testament the Holy Spirit has given us a fourfold delineation
of Christ in the Gospels, so at the commencement of His
description of the judgments of God on the earth He has
furnished us with a fourfold picture of Christ's great
opponent. We believe that the contents of the first four of
the "seals" describe four aspects of the
Antichrist's character, and also outline four stages in
his career. First, he is seen aping the Christ of God as the
Righteous One. The "white horse" on which he is
seated, speaking of righteousness. Just as we are told in 2
Cor. 11:14 that "Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light", and "therefore it is no great
thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers
of righteousness", so the Antichrist will pose as the
friend of law and order. Second, he is seen mimicking the
Christ of God as the mighty Warrior. Just as the Lord Jesus
at His return will make a footstool of His enemies, and
trample in fury all who defy Him (Isa. 63:3), so the Man of
Sin shall slay all who dare to oppose him. Third, he is seen
imitating Christ as the Bread of Life, for the third seal
views him as the Food-controller. Fourth, he is seen with his
mask off, depicted as one whose name is Death and Hades, that
is, as the Destroyer of men's bodies and souls.
Let us see how the identity of
this Rider of the various colored horses is established. In
6:2 we are told, "And I saw, and behold a white horse:
and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto
him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer".
Notice first, that he is here viewed as seated upon a
"white horse". This is in imitation of the Christ
of God, who, at the time of His second advent to the earth,
will also appear seated upon "a white horse" (Rev.
19:11). Second, it is said that "a crown was given unto
him". This at once serves to connect him with the first
Beast - the Antichrist - of Rev. 13, for of him it is
written, "And they worshipped the Dragon which gave
power unto the Beast" (v. 4). Again; in 6:4 we are told,
"And there went out another horse that was red: and
power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from
the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there
was given unto him a great sword". Notice first, the
last clause - "There was given unto him a great
sword". This stamps him plainly as the pseudo christ,
for of the true Christ it is written, "Out of His mouth
goeth a sharp sword" (19:15). Second, it is said
"power was given to him to take peace from the
earth." So, too, of the first Beast of Rev. 13 we read,
"And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues,
and all nations" (v. 7). In the third seal he is viewed
as the Food-controller, weighing out the necessities of life
at famine prices. This, no doubt, corresponds with what we
read of in 13:17. Finally, in the fourth seal he is named
"Death and Hell". This double title removes all
doubt as to who is in view. When God remonstrates with Israel
for having made the seven-years treaty, He does so in the
following language: "And your covenant with Death shall
be disannulled, and your agreement with Hell shall not
stand" (Isa. 28:18). Thus the Riders of the four horses
of Rev. 6 are not four different persons, but one person
presented in a fourfold way, as the Lord Jesus is in the four
Gospels.
Before we pass from Rev. 6 a
few words should be added by way of amplification of our
remarks above, namely, that in the first part of Rev. 6 we
have outlined four stages in the Antichrist's
career. The preparation of the Man Christ Jesus for His
public ministry - the long years spent quietly at Nazareth -
are passed over by the four Evangelists. So here in Rev. 6
the early days of the Man of Sin - in his "little
horn" character - are not noticed. Under the first seal
he is viewed as seated on a white horse, having a bow. The
color of the horse and the fact that no arrow is seen
attached to the bow, suggests bloodless victories, for he
goes forth "conquering and to conquer". This first
seal at once conducts us to the time when the Prince of
Darkness poses as the Christ of God and presents himself to
the Jews for their acceptance. He does not come out in his
true satanic character, rather does he simulate the Prince of
Peace. The first seal is parallel with Dan. 11:21,23, where
we learn that he will gain the kingdom by flatteries and
political diplomacy. But not for long will he fill this
pacific role. War is in his heart (Psa. 55:21), and nothing
short of universal dominion will satisfy his proud ambitions.
As God has plainly warned, at the very time when men shall be
saying, Peace and safety, "then sudden destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and
they shall not escape" (1 Thess. 5:3).
It is to this the second seal
brings us. Here the Antichrist is seen no longer upon a white
horse, but upon a red horse. And in perfect accord with this,
it is added, "And power was given to him that sat
thereon to take peace from the earth...and there was given to
him a great sword" (v. 4). Little wonder that he is
called "the Destroyer of the Gentiles" (Jer. 4:7).
At the time of his overthrow it will be exclaimed, "Is
this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake
kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed
the cities thereof?" (Isa. 14:17,18). Jer. 25:29 throws
light upon this "great sword" which is given to him
- "For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is
called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye
shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all
the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts"
(read verses 15 to 33).
In the third seal he is
portrayed as the Harbinger of famine conditions. This is
intimated by the change of the color of the horse: for
"black" in connection with famine see Jer. 14:1,2
and Lam. 5:10. The symbolic significance of the
"black" horse is intensified by the figure of the
"pair of balances in his hand" (compare Hosea 12:7,
Amos 8:4-6). What follows describes the wheat being doled out
at famine prices. But it is added, "See thou hurt not
the oil and the wine". This intimates that the famine is
by no means universal: yea, it suggests that side by side
with abject suffering there is abundance and luxury. We
therefore regard this third seal as denoting the
Antichrist's persecution of the godly Jews which, from
other scriptures we learn, will be the fiercest during the
last three and one half years of his career. Rev. 13:17 makes
it known that they who will not be suffered to buy or sell
are the ones who refuse to receive his mark. These, of
course, are the faithful remnant of the Jews. But they who do
render allegiance to the Beast will not want - "oil and
wine" shall be their portion.
The fourth seal, plainly
conducts us to the end of Antichrist's course. The fact
that he is named Death and that we are told Hades (that which
receives the soul) followed with him, makes known the awful
doom which shall overtake this Son of Perdition and all his
blinded followers - see Rev. 19:20,21.
2. The next allusion to the
Antichrist is found in Rev. 9:11 where he is given a
threefold appellation, namely, King over the locusts, The
Angel of the Abyss, and the Destroyer. A few remarks upon the
context are required if we are to expound, even briefly, the
significance of these three titles. The majority of
pre-millennial commentators are agreed upon the identity of
the personage named in Rev. 9:11, though there is
considerable difference of opinion among them concerning the
meaning of the context. We can here only offer a few remarks
on the preceding verses according to our present light and
submit the reasons for our conclusions.
The immediate context takes us
back to the opening verse of Rev. 9 where a "star"
is seen falling from heaven unto the earth, unto whom is
given the key to the Bottomless Pit. This we believe refers
to Lucifer, or "Day-star" (see Isa. 14:12 margin).
The reference, we think, is not to his original fall, but to
what is described in Rev. 12:9. The fact that the key of the
Abyss is given to him is in keeping with the fact that during
the Tribulation period God allows him free rein and suffers
him to do his worst. The R. V. correctly renders verses one
and two as follows - "And there was given to him the key
of the Pit of the Abyss. And he opened the Pit of the
Abyss", etc., or, as it may literally be rendered,
"the well of the Bottomless Pit". This
expression occurs nowhere else in Scripture. The "well
of the Bottomless Pit" is to be distinguished from the
Bottomless Pit itself, mentioned in 9:11; 11:7; 17:8, 20:3.
What the distinction is we shall presently suggest.
Out of the well of the
Bottomless Pit issued a smoke, so great that the sun and the
air were darkened (v. 2), and out of the smoke came
"locusts upon the earth". We regard these locusts
as identical with the creatures referred to in the prophecy
of Joel (2:1-11). By noticing what is said of them in Joel 2
and Rev. 9 it is at once apparent that they are no ordinary
locusts. Joel says of them, "A great people and a
strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be
any more after it" (2:2). It is said, "When they
fall upon the sword they shall not be wounded" (2:8).
The fact that they issue from the Pit also denotes that they
are supernatural beings. In the description furnished in Rev.
9 they seem to be a kind of infernal cherubim, for
"the horse" (v. 7), the "man" (v. 7), the
"lion" (v. 8), and "the scorpion" (v. 19)
are combined in them. Their number is given as two hundred
thousand thousand. Who, then, are these infernal beings? No
commentator that we are acquainted with has attempted an
answer. It is therefore with diffidence that we suggest,
without being dogmatic, that they are, most likely, fallen
angels now imprisoned in Tartarus. We give three reason
which, in our judgment, point to this conclusion.
First, we know from 2 Pet. 2:4
that the angels which sinned were "cast down to
Tartarus", and in Rev. 9:2,3 we are told there
"arose a smoke out of the Pit...and there came out of
the smoke locusts upon the earth". Now, as pointed out,
these infernal locusts issue from the well of the Pit",
an expression occurring nowhere else in Scripture, and only
the locusts are said to come from there. So also the term
Tartarus is found nowhere but in 2 Pet. 2:4. It seems likely,
then, that the well of the Pit may be only another name for
Tartarus (with which only fallen angels are connected), just
as the Lake of Fire is only another name for Gehenna. Who
else could these locusts be but the fallen angels? To say we
do not know may savor of humility, but shall the writer be
deemed presumptuous because he has sought to furnish an
answer by comparing scripture with scripture?
In the second place, it is
surely significant that the "king" of these
"locusts" is termed in Rev. 9:11 "the angel of
the Bottomless Pit"! A title which is nowhere else given
to him. Just as Christ, the Angel of the Covenant (Mal. 3:1 -
cf Isa. 63:9, etc.) is, again and again, termed an angel in
the Apocalypse (see 8:3, 10:1, etc.), so the Antichrist is
here denominated "the Angel of the Bottomless Pit".
And just as we learn from Matt. 25:31 that "the Son of
Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with
Him" (cf Matt, 24:31), so when the Son of Perdition is
manifested, all the unholy angels will be with him!
In the third place, let the
language of 2 Pet. 2:4 be carefully examined: "For if
God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to
Tartarus, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be
reserved unto judgment". It is to the last clause we
wish to direct attention. Let it be compared with the 9th
verse of the same chapter - "The Lord knoweth how to
deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the
unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished". Wicked
human beings are said to be reserved "unto the Day of
Judgment to be punished". But this is not what is said
of the angels that sinned, though, of course, eternal
punishment awaits them as we learn from Matt. 25:41. 2 Pet.
2:4 simply says they are "reserved unto judgment",
and we believe this means that God is holding them in
Tartarus until His time comes for Him to use them as one of
His instruments of judgment upon an ungodly world. The time
when God will thus use them is stated in Jude 6 - it will be
in "the judgment of the great day" (compare Rev.
6:17 for "the great day"). Confirmatory of this,
observe that in Joel 2:11 the Lord calls the supernatural
locusts "His army", then employed to inflict sore
punishments on apostate Israel.[5] If our interpretation of 2 Pet. 2:4 be
correct, namely, that it makes no reference to the future
punishment of the fallen angels, this explains why the Lord
in Matt. 25:41 when referring to future punishment was
careful to mention them specifically.
Returning now to Rev. 9:11 the
Antichrist is here termed the "King over" the
locusts. Let the reader pay careful attention to what is
predicted of these infernal beings in Joel 2 and here in Rev.
9, and let him remember they number no less than two hundred
millions, and then see if it does not throw new light on Rev.
13:4, where concerning the Antichrist the question is asked,
"Who is able to make war with him?"!! How utterly
futile to engage in conflict one who commands an army of two
hundred millions, none of whom are subject to death! In the
second place, he is here termed "the Angel of the
Bottomless Pit", a title peculiarly appropriate as the
leader of the fallen angels; and, as well, a title which
denotes the superhuman nature of the Son of Perdition. In the
third place, we are here told that his name "in the
Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his
name Apollyon". This title serves to establish beyond a
shadow of doubt the identity of this "King" of the
infernal locusts, this Angel of the Bottomless Pit. The
Hebrew and the Greek names signify the same thing in English
- the Destroyer. It is the Destroyer of the Gentiles of Jer.
4:7, translated "Spoiler" in Isa. 16:4 and Jer.
6:24. Suitable name is this for the one who is the great
opponent of the Saviour. "Destroyer" is close akin
to "Death" in Rev. 6:8. The reason why his name is
given here in both Hebrew and Greek is because he will be
connected with and be the destroyer of both Jews and
Gentiles! But why give the Hebrew name first? Because the
order in judgment, as in grace, is "the Jew first"
- see Rom. 2:9 and 1:16 for each, respectively.
3. "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 the
first time in the Revelation that the Antichrist is seen in
his character of "the Beast". The last scripture
which we have examined serves at once to identify him. He is
termed "the Angel of the Bottomless Pit", because
in a peculiar sense the Abyss is his home. There he has been
during all the centuries of this Christian era. In Acts 1:23
(cf chapter 3, Section 3) the Pit is called "his own
place". Here the Beast is shown ascending out of the
Bottomless Pit. What, then, is the Abyss? It appears to be
the special abode of infernal creatures. As we have seen, out
of its well issue the fallen angels. From it comes the Beast.
And in it Satan himself is incarcerated for the thousand
years (Rev. 20:3). The Abyss is quite distinct from Hades in
which the souls of lost human beings are now being tormented;
as it must also be distinguished from Gehenna or the Lake of
Fire in which all the lost shall suffer for ever and
ever.
4. We come now to Rev. 13. A
lengthy paper might readily be devoted to its exposition, but
as we have had occasion to refer to its contents so
frequently in earlier chapters, we shall here be as brief as
possible. The contents of this chapter center around two
"Beasts". As to which of them represent the
Antichrist there is a difference of opinion. The majority of
those who have written upon the subject regard the first
Beast as the Man of Sin, and with them we are in hearty
accord. We shall devote our next chapter to a setting forth
of some of the many proofs that the first Beast is the
Antichrist. Here we shall take the point for granted.
"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" (v.1).
There is here, as frequently in Scripture, a double
reference. Two objects quite distinct though intimately
connected are in view. We believe that this Beast which
arises from the sea points to the Roman Empire revived and in
its final form, that is, resuscitated and confederated under
the form often kingdoms. In Dan. 7:3 we read, "And four
great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from
another". These four great beasts are interpreted in the
verses which follow as four kingdoms. In v. 7 we are told
this fourth Beast (the Roman Empire) "had ten
horns". So the Beast of Rev. 13:1 also has ten horns.
Each of the successive Beasts or kingdoms of Dan. 7 retained
the territory of the previous one, though enlarging on it. In
the symbolic description there furnished the first Beast is
likened unto "a lion" (v. 4); the second to "a
bear" (v. 5); the third to "a leopard" (v. 6).
So also in Rev. 13 the Beast there is "like unto a
leopard", has feet like "a bear", and has the
mouth of "a lion" (v. 2). Thus we learn that the
Roman Empire in its final form will include within its
borders the territory controlled by the earlier Empires and
will also perpetuate the dominant characteristics of the
ancient Babylonians, Medo-Persians, and Grecians.
But it is very clear from what
follows in Rev. 13 that there is something more than the
Empire here in view. In vv. 3-8 it is a person that is before
us. We are satisfied that this same person is also described,
symbolically, in the opening verses. As is frequently the
case in the prophetic scriptures, the king and his kingdom
are here inseparably united. Rev. 13:1,2 portrays both the
Empire and its last Emperor. One of the proofs for this is
found in Dan. 9:26,27, where (as we have shown in Chapter 9)
the Antichrist is denominated "the prince" of that
people who destroyed Jerusalem in A. D. 70. We shall
therefore interpret here according to this principle.
"And I saw...a Beast rise
up out of the sea". In Scripture, the troubled
"sea" is frequently a figure of restless humanity
away from God. The Antichrist will come upon the scene at a
time of unprecedented social disturbance and governmental
upheaval. He will appear at a crisis in the history of the
world. From other prophetic scriptures we gather that,
following the removal of the Church from this earth, and some
time before Daniel's seventieth week begins, there will
be a complete overthrow of law and order, both civil and
political. All Divine restraint being removed, lawlessness
will prevail. We have no doubt that Satan will designedly
bring this about. It will create a situation beyond the
diplomatic skill of earth's statesmen. This will provide
the desired opportunity for the coming Superman, who will be
a diplomatic genius. Just as many leaders today are satisfied
that a League of Nations would be the best device for
preserving peace, so in the day to come the Man of Sin will
satisfy the world that this is the only solution to the
baffling problems then confronting the Powers of earth. Thus
will the Antichrist resurrect the old Roman Empire at a time
of universal confusion and tumult. He will himself be the
acknowledged head or Emperor, the last of the Caesars. Hence
the double significance of this figure - "a Beast rising
out of the sea". Out of a state of anarchy will come
forth this might Despot, who will speedily arrogate to
himself all authority, both Divine and human; and in the end
it will be seen that he embodies a lawlessness even worse and
more fatal than that out of which he sprang. A Beast indeed
will he soon appear to be. Pregnant with meaning is this
title. Having rejected God's "Lamb"; a Beast
shall be the world's ruler. This will be God's reply
to the satanic teaching of Evolution now so popular almost
everywhere. The leaders of modern thought insist on the
beastial origin of man, and so a Beast shall yet lead the
majority of his generation to Perdition!
"Having seven heads and
ten horns". It is most significant that identically the
same features are attributed to the Dragon in 12:3. He, too,
is there said to have "seven heads and ten horns".
This clearly implies his satanic origin: he will be a human
replica of the Devil himself. As wrote the late G. H. Pember
(from whom we have borrowed a number of valuable points), the
Beast will be "the effulgence of the Antigod's
glory, and the very image of his substance". We take it
that the "seven heads" are symbolic of full
intelligence, and the "ten horns" speak of imperial
dominion.
"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" (v. 2).
Like the Beast rising up out of the sea of the previous
verse, we believe the terms of this second verse have a
double significance. First, as intimated above, they denote
that the Empire will include the territory and preserve the
dominant features of the earlier Empires. Second, they supply
a figurative description of the Emperor himself. The
Antichrist will combine in his personality the
characteristics of the leopard (beauty and subtlety), of the
bear (strength and cruelty), and of the lion (boldness and
ferocity).
"And the Dragon gave him
his power, and his seat, and great authority" (v. 2).
This is the Devil's travesty of what God the Father will
yet do to His Son: - "I saw in the night visions, and,
behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of
heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him
near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory,
and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve Him" (Dan. 7:13,14).
"And I saw one of his
heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was
healed: and all the world wondered after the Beast" (v.
3). It is clear from a number of scriptures that during the
early part of the second half of Daniel's seventieth week
the Antichrist will be slain by the sword - cf Isa. 14:18,19;
37:7; Ezek. 21:25 R. V.; Zech. 11:17: see our comments on
these in the closing portion of Chapter 6. It is equally
clear that this wound of death will be healed (Rev. 13:4) and
that the Beast shall again live (Rev. 13:14).[6] Satan will be permitted to bring his son
from the dead. This is no wild speculation of ours but a view
which has been propounded by quite a number of devout
students. In his "Coming Prince", Sir Robert
Anderson said, "The language of Rev. 13:3,12 suggests
that there will be some impious travesty of the resurrection
of our Lord". It is useless to reason about it: we
simply believe the record of Scripture upon it. The raising
of the Beast from the dead will remove whatever doubt men may
have entertained concerning his supernatural character.
"All the world wondered after him" is the
statement which immediately follows the reference to the
healing of his wound of death.
"And they worshipped the
Dragon which gave power unto the Beast: and they worshipped
the Beast, saying, Who is like unto the Beast? Who is able to
make war with him?" (v. 4). This cry of the world,
"Who is like unto the Beast?" is a travesty of the
song of Moses. When celebrating Jehovah's overthrow of
their enemies at the Red Sea, Israel sang, "Who is like
unto Thee, O Lord, among the Gods! Who is like Thee, glorious
in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders!" (Ex.
15:11). The additional exclamation, "Who is able to make
war with him?" is evoked by the vast army of infernal
creatures at his command, and by his own triumph over death
in battle.
"And there was given unto
him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies" (v.
5). This is the one great distinguishing mark of the
Antichrist - cf. Psa. 52:1-4; Isa. 14:13,14; Dan. 7:11,20;
11:36; 2 Thess. 2:4, etc. But not for long will he be
suffered to continue his God-defying course. Another
forty-two months and his career shall be ended. This number -
here designedly used by the Holy Spirit, rather than three
and one half years or twelve hundred and sixty days - is a
very significant one. Its factors are 6 and 7, which stand
for man and completeness. It is man in his fallen condition,
here the Man of Sin, fully manifested. Forty-two stands for
intensified apostasy. Thus Num. 33 gives the various stopping
places of unbelieving Israel in the wilderness as forty-two
in number. Judges 12:6 tells us that the number of the
apostate Ephraimites which fell before the Gileadites were 42
thousand. See also 2 Kings 2:4 and 10:14.
"And it was given unto
him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and
there was given to him authority over every tribe and people
and tongue and nation. And all they that dwell on the earth
shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written
from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the
Lamb that hath been slain" (vv. 7,8, R. V.). The
"saints" here mentioned are the godly Jewish
remnant who will refuse to worship the Beast. Those
"overcome" are they who disobeyed the command of
Christ recorded in Matt. 24:16; those who obey will be
preserved by God - see Rev. 12:6. Note how election is seen
here: only they whose names were written from the foundation
of the world in the book of life will be preserved from the
unpardonable sin of worshipping the Antichrist - cf Matt.
24:22,24.
"And I beheld another
Beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a
lamb, and he spake as a dragon" (v. 11). This brings
before us the second Beast, called in 19:20 the False
Prophet. He is the third person of the Trinity of Evil. As
there is to be an Antichrist who will both counterfeit and
oppose the Christ of God, so there will be an Anti-spirit who
will simulate and oppose the Spirit of God. Just as the great
work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ, so the one aim
of the Anti-spirit will be to magnify the false christ (see
13:12). Just as the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
was visibly attended by "cloven tongues like as of
fire" (Acts 2:3), so we read of the Anti-spirit that
"he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come
down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (v.
13). And just as it is the Holy Spirit who now quickens dead
sinners into newness of life, so of the Anti-spirit we are
told, "He had power to give life unto the image of the
Beast" (v. 15).
5. "And the third angel
followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship
the Beast and his image, and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of
the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into
the cup of His indignation, and he shall be tormented with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in
the presence of the Lamb" (Rev. 14:9,10). This looks
back to what we read of in the closing verses of the
preceding chapter. "And he causeth all, both small and
great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in
their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man
might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of
the Beast, or the number of his name" (13:16,17). This
"mark" will be the official sign of allegiance to
the Emperor stamped either upon the hand or forehead of his
loyal subjects. It will be the satanic travesty of the
"seal" which the angel will stamp on the foreheads
of God's servants (7:13). This "mark" on the
persons of the subjects of the Beast will be, we believe, the
name of the Devil, (cf. Rev. 13:4), as the seal on the
foreheads of God's servants is defined in 14:1 as
"having their Father's name written on their
foreheads". Here in Rev. 14:9-11 we have one of the most
solemn warnings in all the Bible. An angel from heaven will
announce the terrible punishment which shall be visited upon
those who honor the Beast. It is set over against the threats
of the Beast and the False Prophet, who will terrify men by
the sentence of physical death for all who defy them. But
here God, by His angel, declares that all who heed the Beast
and his coadjutor will share their awful doom. This no doubt
will strengthen the faith and patience of the saints, and
enable them to endure unto the end.
6. "And another angel
came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried
with a loud cry, to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,
Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the
vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the
angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the
vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of
the wrath of God" (14:19,20). The "Vine of the
earth" refers, we believe, to the Man of Sin at the head
of apostate Israel. This appellation points one more
contrast. In John 15, we find the Lord Jesus saying, "I
am the true Vine, ye are the branches". The true Vine,
then, consists of the Christ of God and His people in
fellowship with Him. Over against this is "the vine of
the earth", which is the Antichrist and those allied to
him, particularly, renegade Israel. In Deut. 32 there is a
reference to the "Vine of the earth" - "For
their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves
being judges. For their Vine is of the vine of Sodom, and
their clusters are bitter" (v. 31,32). That this is
speaking of apostate Israel is clear from v. 28 - "For
they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any
understanding in them". That the passage is speaking of
apostate Israel in the days of the Antichrist appears from v.
35 - "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their
foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their
calamity is at hand, and the things which shall come upon
them make haste" (v. 35).
7. In Rev. 15:2 there is a
brief allusion to the Beast, in connection with the godly
Remnant: "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled
with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the
Beast, and over his image, and over his mask, and over the
number of his name, stand on the sea of glass having the
harps of God", etc. The reference is to those who had
been slain by the Antichrist because they had refused to
render him any honor or worship. The same company is seen
again in 20:4.
8. Rev. 16 describes the
"vial" judgments which are executed just before the
end of the Tribulation. The Beast is noticed several times in
the chapter. In v.2 we read, "And the first went, and
poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome
and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the
Beast, and upon them which worshipped his image" (v. 2).
This is a foretaste of the grievous torments awaiting the
worshippers of the Beast. Again in v.10 we read, "And
the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the
Beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness and they gnawed
their tongues for pain". Here the Beast himself receives
intimation of the doom awaiting him. In vv. 13 and 14 we are
told, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come
out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the
Beast, and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. For they
are the sprites of demons, working miracles, which go forth
unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather
them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty".
Here we behold, in symbolic guise, each of the persons in the
Evil Trinity. The figure of the "frog" is very
suggestive. Frogs are creatures which love the darkness
rather than the light: they wallow in the mire and filth:
their croaking is heard in the dusk of twilight and by night.
Thus they are an apt symbol of the persons in the Trinity of
Evil. Their very form suggests inflation by pride. The
reference here in Rev. 16:13,14 indicates the superhuman
character of the False Prophet as well as of the Beast and
the Dragon.
9. Rev. 17 calls for a lengthy
exposition, so we must defer to a later chapter the
consideration of its details. The central figures in it are
"the great whore" and the Beast. While freely
granting that, historically, the great whore has received its
fulfillment in the Roman Catholic system, and while allowing
that it will yet represent the whole of apostate Christendom,
nevertheless, we believe that the ultimate reference is to
apostate Israel. Here in Rev. 17 the "woman" is
first seen sitting upon the scarlet colored Beast - the
Antichrist in his imperial glory (v.3); but later we see him
suffering his ten kings to destroy her (v. 16). This accords
perfectly with the dual relation of Antichrist to Israel:
first posing as their Benefactor (here seen in v. 3
supporting her), later standing forth as her great Enemy. The
eighth verse (see our comments on it in Chapter 3, Section
III,6) is one of the scriptures which show that Antichrist is
a re-incarnation of Judas.
10. Rev. 19:19,20 describes
the end of Antichrist's career. We need not enlarge now
upon these verses for we have already commented on them in
Chapter 7. The final reference to the Antichrist is in Rev.
20:10 where we read of the Devil being cast into the Lake of
Fire where the Beast and the False Prophet are, to be, with
them, tormented for ever and ever.
[Chap. 11]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 13]
In the thirteenth chapter of
Revelation two Beasts are there described. The first is the
final Head of the last great Empire before the establishment
of the millennial kingdom of our Lord. The second Beast is
denominated, in other passages, "the False
Prophet". There is a difference of opinion as to which
of these Beasts represents the Antichrist. In the Appendix to
our book "The Redeemer's Return", where this
subject is discussed and from which we shall here freely
transcribe, we have stated that opinion is about equally
divided. But during the last five years we have made a much
wider investigation, and as the result we have found that the
great majority of those who have written on the subject
regard the first Beast as the Antichrist, and that only a
comparative few - nearly all of whom belong to a particular
school - favor the alternative view. However, the writings of
the few have had a wide circulation and have exerted a
considerable influence on students of prophecy, and therefore
these papers on the Antichrist would lack completeness, and
probably some of our readers would be disappointed, if we
said nothing on the subject. It is in no spirit of
controversy that we now present our own reasons for believing
it is the first Beast of Rev. 13 who is the Antichrist.
The book of Revelation makes
known the fact that there is a Trinity of Evil. Each of these
three evil persons comes into view in Rev. 13. First, there
is "the Beast" (v. 2). Second, there is "the
Dragon" (v. 2). Third, there is "another
Beast" (v. 11). The fact that of this third Beast it is
said "He spake as a dragon" (v. 11) at once
intimates his satanic nature and character, for the speech
corresponds to the heart. The demoniacal nature of each of
these evil persons comes out clearly in Rev. 16:13,14, where
we read, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs
come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of
the Beast, and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. For
they are the spirits of demons, working miracles".
Finally, in Rev. 19:19,20 we are told, "And the Beast
was taken, and with him the False Prophet...these both were
cast alive into the lake of fire burning with
brimstone", and then in 20:10 we read, "And the
Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the Beast and the False Prophet are, and
shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever".
The above scriptures clearly
establish the fact that there is a Trinity of Evil. Now it
surely needs no argument to prove that these three evil
persons are opposed to and are the antithesis of the three
Persons in the Godhead. The Devil stands opposed to God the
Father - "Ye are of your father, the Devil", John
8:40, etc. The Antichrist stands opposed to God the Son - his
very name shows this. The remaining evil person stands
opposed to God the Spirit. If this be the case, then our
present task is greatly simplified: it is merely a matter of
noting what is separately predicted of the two Beasts in Rev.
13 so as to ascertain which of them stands opposed to Christ
and which to the Holy Spirit.
Now there are only two
arguments of any plausibility which have been advanced to
support the view that it is the second Beast of Rev. 13 which
is the Antichrist, but so far as we are aware no one has
endeavored to show that the first Beast represents the third
Person in the Trinity of Evil! Yet he must be so if the
second is the Antichrist! This is unmistakably clear from
Rev. 16:13,14 and 19:19,20. The first argument used is drawn
from the language of 13:11, where of the second Beast it is
said, "He had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a
dragon". This, we are told, indicates that it is the
Antichrist who is here in view, aping the Lamb of God.
Personally, we are amazed that such an assertion should have
been made in soberness. It is difficult to imagine anything
more wide of the mark, seeing that not only is it not said
this beast with the two horns was "like the lamb"
but in this same book "the Lamb" is pictured with
"seven horns" (see. 5:6). But if this second Beast,
the False Prophet, be the opponent of God the Spirit, then
the two horns have a pertinent significance, for two is the
number of witness, and just as Christ declared the Spirit of
God should "testify (lit., bear witness) of Me"
(John 15:26), so the third person in the Trinity of Evil
bears witness to the first Beast - see 13:12,14,16. In the
second place, it is said that the first Beast of Rev. 13 is
presented as the political Head, while it is the second who
is viewed as the religious Head. But if this is not a bad
mistake, it certainly needs to be modified. It is the first
Beast, not the second, who is worshipped (v. 12)!
Having thus noticed briefly the two leading objections which
have been brought against the position we are about to define
and defend, we shall now present some of the many arguments
on the other side.
In the first place, to regard
the Antichrist as limited to the religious realm and divorced
from the political, seems to us, to leave out entirely an
essential and fundamental element of his character and
career. The Antichrist will claim to be the true Christ, the
Christ of God. Hence, it would seem that he will present
himself to the Jews as their long-expected Messiah - the One
foretold by the Old Testament prophets - and that before
apostate Christendom, given over by God to believe the Lie,
he will pose as the returned Christ. Therefore, must we not
predict, as an inevitable corollary, that the pseudo christ,
will usher in a false millennium, and rule over a mock
messianic kingdom? That this conclusion is fully borne out by
Scripture we shall show in a moment.
Why was it (from the human
side) that, when out Lord tabernacled among men, the Jews
rejected Him as their Messiah? Was it not because He failed
to fulfill their expectations that he would take the
government upon His shoulder and wield the royal sceptre as
soon as He presented Himself to them? Was it not because they
looked for Him to restore the Kingdom to Israel there and
then? Is it not therefore reasonable to suppose that when the
Antichrist presents himself to them, that he will wield great
temporal power, and rule over a vast earthly empire? It would
certainly seem so. Happily we are not left to logical
deductions and conclusions. We have a "thus saith the
Lord" to rest upon. In Dan. 11:36 - a scripture upon
which all are agreed concerning its application - the
Antichrist is expressly termed "The King" (which)
shall do according to his will". Here then is
unequivocal proof that Antichrist will exercise political or
governmental power. He will be a king - "the king"
- and if a king he must be at the head of a kingdom.
In the second place, if the
Antichrist is to be a perfect counterfeit of the true Christ,
if he is to ape the millennial Christ as set forth in Old
Testament prophecy - for, of course, he will not mimic the
"suffering" Christ of the first advent - then it
necessarily follows that he will fill the role of king, yea,
that he will reign as a King of kings, as Satan's parody
of the Son of man seated upon "the throne of His
glory". That the Antichrist will also be at the head of
the religious world, that he will demand and receive Divine
honors, is equally true. Just as in the Millennium the Lord
Jesus will "be a Priest upon His Throne"
(Zech. 6:13), so the Antichrist will combine in his person
the headships of both the political and the religious realms
- see our notes on Ezek. 21:25,26 in Chapter 9. And just as
the Son of Man will be the Head of the fifth world-empire
(Dan. 2:44) so, the Man of Sin will be the head of the
revived fourth world-empire (Dan. 2:40).
In the third place, to make
the Antichrist and "the False Prophet" one and the
same person is to involve us in a difficulty for which there
seems to be no solution. In Rev. 19:20 we read, "And the
Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that wrought
miracles before him....These both were cast alive into a lake
of fire burning with brimstone". Now, if the False
Prophet be the Antichrist, then who is "the Beast"
that is cast with him into the Lake of Fire? The Beast here
cannot be the Roman Empire (the people in it), for no member
of the human race (as such) is cast into the Lake of Fire
until after the Millennium (see Rev. 20). That
"the Beast" is a separate entity, another
individual than the False Prophet is also clear from Rev.
20:10 - "And the Devil that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the False
Prophet are". In this last quoted scripture, each of the
three persons in the Trinity of Evil is specifically
mentioned, and if "the Beast" is not the
Antichrist, the Son of Perdition, the second person in the
Trinity of Evil, who is he?
In the fourth place, what is
predicted of the first Beast in Rev. 13 comports much better
with what is elsewhere revealed concerning the Antichrist,
than what is here said of the second Beast. In proof of our
assertion we submit the following:
Points of resemblance
between the first Beast of Rev. 13 and the Man of Sin of 2
Thess. 2: -
1. The first Beast receives
his power, seat, and great authority from the Dragon, Rev.
13:2. Cf. 2 Thess. 2:9 - "Him, whose coming is after the
working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders".
2. :All the world"
wonders after the first Beast, Rev. 13:2. Cf. 2 Thess.
2:11,12 - "And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe the Lie; that they all
might be damned", etc.
3. The first Beast is
"worshipped", Rev. 13:4. Cf. 2 Thess. 2:4 -
"He as God sitteth in the temple of God".
4. The first Beast has a mouth
"speaking great things", Rev. 13:5. Cf. 2 Thess.
2:4 - "Who...exalteth himself above all that is called
God". Note also that in Rev. 13:5 it is said of the
first Beast, he "has a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies". Is not this one of the chief
characteristic marks of the Antichrist?
5. The first Beast makes war
on the saints, Rev. 13:7. Cf 2 Thess. 2:4 - "Who
opposeth...all that is called God", that is, he will
seek to exterminate and obliterate everything on earth which
bears God's name.
From these points of analogy
it is evident that the first Beast of Rev. 13 and the Man of
Sin of 2 Thess. 2 are one and the same person.
In the fifth place, that the
second Beast is not the Man of Sin appears from the fact that
the second Beast causeth the earth to worship the first Beast
(Rev. 13:12), whereas the Man of Sin exalteth himself (2
Thess. 2:4), and compare Dan. 11:36: "And he exalteth
himself". As already intimated, there are several things
which show plainly that the second Beast is the third person
in the Trinity of Evil, that is, the one who is the satanic
parody of the Holy Spirit. The point now before us supplies
further confirmation. There is nothing in Rev. 13, nor
elsewhere, to show that this second Beast is worshipped,
rather does he direct worship away from himself, to the first
Beast. Therefore, he cannot be the pseudo christ, for the
Lord Jesus did, again and again, receive worship (see
particularly Matthew's Gospel), and will be worshipped on
His return. But this second Beast, who directs worship away
from himself, accurately imitates the Holy Spirit in this
respect, for nowhere in the New Testament is the third Person
of the Holy Trinity presented as a distinct Object of
worship; instead, He is to "glorify" Christ (John
16:14) by drawing out our hearts unto that blessed One who
loved us and gave Himself for us.
Again; it has been generally
recognized by prophetic students that our Lord referred to
the Antichrist when He said, "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).
If the one here mentioned as coming "in his own
name" is the Antichrist, then it is certain that the
second Beast of Rev. 13 cannot be the Antichrist, for he does
not come "in his own name". On the contrary, the
second Beast comes in the name of the first Beast as is clear
from Rev. 13:12-15. Just as the Holy Spirit - the third
Person in the Holy Trinity speaks "not of Himself"
(John 16:13), but is here to glorify Christ, so the second
Beast - the third person in the Evil Trinity seeks to glorify
the first Beast, the Antichrist.
If it should be objected that
the second Beast is represented as working miracles (Rev.
13:13,14) and, that as the Man of Sin is also said to come
"after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders" (2 Thess. 2:9), therefore, the second
Beast must be the Antichrist, the answer is, This by no means
follows. The power to work miracles is common to each person
in the Trinity of evil. Just as God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit, each perform miracles, so does the
Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet (see Rev. 16:13,14
for proof). Three things are said in connection with the
second Beast which correspond closely with the work of the
Holy Spirit. First, "he maketh fire come down from
heaven" (Rev. 13:13), cf Acts 2:1-4. Second, "he
had power to give life unto the image of the Beast"
(Rev. 13:15), cf John 3:6 - "born of the Spirit".
Third, "he causeth all, both small and great, rich and
poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand,
or in their foreheads" (Rev. 13:16), cf Eph. 4:30 -
"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption".
Finally; the second Beast is
clearly subordinate to the first Beast. But would the Jews
receive as their Messiah and King one who was himself the
vassal of a Roman? Was not this the very reason why the Jews
of old rejected the Lord Jesus, i.e., because He was subject
to Caesar, and because He refused to deliver the Jews from
the Romans!
In the sixth place, as we have
seen, in Dan. 11:36 the Antichrist is termed "the
King", and if a king he must posses a kingdom, and can
there be any doubt as to the identity of this kingdom? Will
not Antichrist's kingdom be the very one which Satan
offered in vain to Christ? namely, "all the kingdoms of
the world, and the glory of them" (Matt. 4:8). That the
kingdom of the Antichrist will be much wider than Palestine
appears from Dan. 11:40-42 - "And at the time of the end
shall the king of the South push at him (the Antichrist): and
the king of the North (the Antichrist, as King of Babylon)
shall come against him (the King of the South) like a
whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many
ships: and he (the Antichrist) shall enter into the
countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He (the
Antichrist) shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out
of his (the Antichrist's) hand, even Edom and Moab, and
the chief of the children of Ammon. He (the Antichrist) shall
stretch forth his hand upon the countries: and the land of
Egypt shall not escape". From this scripture it is also
clear that the Antichrist will be at the head of a great army
and therefore must be a political ruler as well as a
religious chief.
In the seventh place, it is
generally agreed among those students of prophecy who belong
to the Futurist school, that the rider upon the four horses
in Rev. 6 is the Antichrist. If this be the case, then we
have further proof that the Antichrist and the Head of the
revived Roman Empire is one and the same person. This may be
seen by comparing three scriptures. In Rev. 6:8, of the rider
on "the pale horse", we read, "His name that
sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him". In
Isa. 28:18, those who will be in Jerusalem during the
Tribulation period are addressed by Jehovah as follows:
"And your covenant with Death shall be disannulled, and
your agreement with Hell shall not stand". What
"covenant" can this be, except the one mentioned in
Dan. 9:27, where we read of the Roman Prince (the Head of the
revived Roman Empire) confirming the covenant with the many
for seven years? Now reverse the order of these three
passages, and what do we learn? In Dan. 9:27 we learn that
the Head of the Roman Empire makes a covenant with the Jews.
In Isa. 28:18 this covenant is said to have been made with
Death and Hell". While in Rev. 6:8 the rider on the pale
horse (whom it is generally admitted is the Antichrist) is
named "Death and Hell". Hence, from whatever angle
we approach the subject it is seen that the Antichrist is the
Head of the fourth world-kingdom.
[Chap. 12]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 14]
"In the volume of the
book it is written of Me" (Heb. 10:7), said the Lord
Jesus. Christ is the key to the Scriptures - "Search the
Scriptures...they are they which testify of Me", are His
words; and the Scriptures to which He had reference were not
the four Gospels, for they were not then written, but the
writings of Moses and the prophets. The Old Testament
Scriptures, then, are something more than a compilation of
historical narratives, something more than the record of a
system of social and religious legislation, or a code of
ethics. The Old Testament Scriptures are, fundamentally, a
stage on which is shown forth, in vivid symbolry, stupendous
events then future. The events recorded in the Old Testament
were actual occurrences, yet were they also typical
prefigurations. Throughout the Old Testament dispensations
God caused to be shadowed forth things which must yet come to
pass. This is in full accord with a basic law in the economy
of God. Nothing is brought to maturity at once. As it is in
the natural world, so it is in the spiritual: there is first
the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear.
So there is first the shadow, and then the substance; the
type, and then the antitype.
"Whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written for our learning" (Rom.
15:4). Israel's tabernacle was "a figure for the
time then present" (Heb. 9:8,9), as well as the example
and "shadow of heavenly things" (Heb. 8:5).
Concerning the history of Abraham, his wives and his
children, the apostle was inspired to write "which
things are an allegory" (Gal. 4:24). These and other
passages which might be quoted witness plainly to the typical
meaning of portions of the Old Testament. But there are some
brethren who will own the typical significance of these
things, who refuse to acknowledge that anything else in the
Old Testament has a typical meaning save those which are
expressly interpreted or mentioned in the New. But surely
this is a mistake. Ought we not to regard those Old Testament
types which are expounded in the New Testament as samples of
others which are not explained? Are there no more prophecies
in the Old Testament than those which in the New Testament
are expressly said to be "fulfilled"? Assuredly
there are. Then why not admit the same in connection with the
types? Nothing is said in the New Testament that the history
of Joseph has a profound and wonderful typical significance,
yet who with anointed eyes can fail to see in the experiences
of Jacob's favorite son a remarkable foreshadowing of the
person and work of Christ!
There will probably be few who
read this chapter that will dispute what we have said above.
No doubt the majority of our readers have already been
instructed in much of the typology of the Old Testament. Many
of God's servants have written at length upon the
Passover, the brazen serpent, the Tabernacle, etc., as well
as upon the many ways in which such men as Abel, Noah, Isaac,
Moses, David, etc. prefigured the Saviour. But strange to
say, very little seems to have been written upon those who
adumbrated the Antichrist. So far as we are aware practically
nothing has been given out concerning the many Bible
characters of ill fame, who foreshadowed that coming one,
that occupies such a prominent place in the prophetic
scriptures. A wide field is here opened for study, and we
take pleasure in now submitting to the careful perusal of the
reader the results of our own imperfect researches, hoping
that it may lead others to make a more complete examination
of the subject for themselves.
It was well said by one of the
Continental Puritans that "When we read the Scriptures,
we are to judge beforehand, that then only do we understand
them, when we discover in them a wisdom unsearchable and
worthy of God" (Witsius).Such is the inexhaustible
fulness of the written Word of God that not only are its
words significant of things, but even the things, which are
first signified by the words, also represent other things,
which they were appointed to prefigure long before they
happened. Besides the plain and literal sense of Scripture,
there is also a mystical sense, hidden beneath the surface
and which can only be discovered as we, in dependence on the
Holy Spirit, diligently compare scripture with scripture. In
pursuing the latter we need not only to proceed with due
caution, but in "fear and trembling", lest we
devise mysteries of of our own imagination, and thus pervert
to one use what belongs to another. The principle which will
safeguard us is to thoroughly acquaint ourselves with the
antitypes. Let nothing be regarded as a type unless we are
sure there is an exact correspondence with the antitype. This
will preserve us from erroneously supposing that any person
who is clearly a type of either Christ or the Antichrist is
so in every detail of his life. Thus Moses was plainly a type
of Christ as our Mediator, and in many other respects too,
but in his failures and in other details of his personal
history he was not a type of Christ. So, too, with those who
foreshadowed the Antichrist: not everything recorded of them
prefigured the character or deeds of the Man of Sin. Should
it still be inquired, How are we to ascertain in which
respects the actions of Old Testament characters were, and
were not, typical? the answer, as given above, is, By
comparing the antitype. This will save us from the wild
allegorizing of Origen and others of the "Fathers".
We shall now look at ten Bible characters, each of which
strikingly typified the Antichrist.
1. Cain. It is indeed solemn
to discover that the very first man born into this world
prefigured the Man of Sin. He did so in a least seven
respects. First, we may observe that in 1 John 3:12 we are
told "Cain was of that Wicked One, i.e. the Devil. Of
none other is this particular expression used. The Antichrist
will also, in a special sense, be "of that Wicked
one", for the Devil is said to be his father (John
8:44). Second, Cain was a religious hypocrite. This is seen
in the fact that at first he posed as a worshipper of God,
but the emptiness of his pretensions were quickly evidenced;
for, when the Lord refused his offering, Cain was "very
wroth" (Gen. 4:5). As such he clearly prefigured that
one who will first claim to be the Christ, only to stand
forth later as His denier (1 John 2:22). Third, by his
primogeniture Cain occupied the position of ruler. Said the
Lord to him, "Unto to thee shall be his desire, and thou
shalt rule over him", that is, over Abel (Gen. 4:7).
Such, too, will be the position filled by the Antichrist - he
shall be a Ruler over men. Fourth, in murdering his brother
Abel, Cain foreshadowed the wicked martyrdom of the
Tribulation saints by the Son of Perdition. Fifth, Cain was a
liar. After the murder of Abel, when the Lord asked Cain,
"Where is Abel thy brother?", he answered, "I
know not" (Gen. 4:9). In like manner deceit and
falsehood will characterize him who is appropriately named
"the Lie" (2 Thess. 2:11). Sixth, God's
judgment descended upon Cain. So far as we know from the
Scripture record, no human eye witnessed the dastardly murder
of Abel, and doubtless Cain deemed himself secure from any
penal consequences. But if so, he reckoned without God. The
Lord announced to him, "Thy brother's blood crieth
unto Me from the ground", and then He declared,
"And now art thou cursed from the earth" (Gen.
4:10). So, too, in his reckless conceit , the Antichrist will
imagine that he can defy God and slay His people with
impugnity. But his blasphemous delusions will be quickly
dispelled. Seventh, Cain was made to exclaim, "My
punishment is greater than I can bear" (Gen. 4:13). Such
indeed will be the awful portion meted out to the Antichrist
- he shall be "cast alive into the lake of fire burning
with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20).
2. Lamech. And Lamech said
unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; "Ye
wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: For I have slain a
man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me. If Cain
shall be avenged sevenfold, Truly Lamech seventy and seven
fold" (Gen. 4:23,24, R. V.). The record of this
man's life is exceedingly brief, but from the little that
is recorded about him we may discover at least seven
parallelisms between him and the Antichrist. First, the
meaning of his name. Lamech signifies "powerful".
This was an appropriate name for one who foreshadowed the Man
of Sin who, as the Head of the United States of the World,
will be powerful governmentally. He will also be mighty in
his person, for we are told that the Dragon shall give power
unto him (Rev. 13:4). Second, in the fact that Lamech was a
descendant of Cain (Gen. 4:17-19), not Seth, we see that he
sprang from the evil line. Third, he was the seventh from
fallen Adam, as though to intimate that the cycle of
depravity was completed in him. So the Antichrist will be not
only the culmination of satanic craft and power, but as well,
the climax of human wickedness - the Man of Sin. Fourth, the
first thing predicted of Lamech is his
"lawlessness". "Lamech took unto him two
wives" (Gen. 4:19). As such he violated the marriage law
and disobeyed the command of God (Gen. 2:24). Clearly, then,
he foreshadowed the "Lawless One" (2 Thess. 2:8,
R.V.). Fifth, like Cain before him, Lamech was a murderer.
His confession is, "I have slain a man for wounding me,
and a young man for bruising me" (Gen. 4:23). In this,
too, he foreshadowed the Man of blood and of violence. Sixth,
he was filled with pride. This comes out in two details.
First, he says to his wives, "Hear my voice; Ye wives of
Lamech, hearken unto my speech" (Gen. 4:23). Second, in
his arrogant self-importance - "If Cain shall be avenged
sevenfold, truly LAMECH seventy and seven fold" (Gen.
4:24). This appears to mean that Lamech had slain a man for
wounding him, and mad with passion, he jeered ironically at
God's dealings with Cain. Seventh, in the fact that the
very next thing recorded after the brief notice of Lamech is
the birth of Seth (the one from whom, according to the flesh,
Christ descended) who set aside the line of Cain - for on his
birth Eve exclaimed, "God hath appointed me another seed
instead of Abel whom Cain slew" (Gen. 4:25) - thus we
have a beautiful foreshadowing of the millennial reign of the
Lord Jesus following the overthrow of the Antichrist.
3. Nimrod. This personal type
of the Antichrist is deeply interesting and remarkable full
in its details. His exploits are recorded in Gen. 10 and 11,
and it is most significant that his person and history are
there introduced at the point immediately preceding God's
call of Abraham from among the Gentiles and His bringing him
into the promised land. Thus will history repeat itself. Just
before God again gathers Abraham's descendants from out
of the lands of the Gentiles (many, perhaps the majority of
whom, will be found dwelling in Chalden, in Assyria, the
"north country" see Isa. 11:11; Jer. 3:18, etc.)
there will arise one who will fill out the picture here
typically outlined by Nimrod.
Let us examine the details of
this type. First, the meaning of his name is most suggestive.
Nimrod signifies "The Rebel". A fit designation was
this for a man that foreshadowed the Lawless One, who shall
oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God (2
Thess. 2:4), and who shall "stand up against the Prince
of princes" (Dan. 8:25). Second, we are told that he was
a son of Cush - "And Cush begat Nimrod" (Gen.
10:8), and Cush was a son of Ham, who was curst by Noah.
Nimrod, then, was not a descendant of Shem, from whom Christ
sprang, nor of Japheth; but he came from Ham. It is
remarkable that these men who typified the Antichrist came
from the evil line. Third, we are told that Nimrod
"began to be a mighty one in the earth" (Gen.
10:8). Four times over is this term "mighty"
connected with this one who prefigured him "whose coming
is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and
lying wonders" (2 Thess. 2:9). But observe that it is
first said, "He began to be mighty", which seems to
suggest the idea that he struggled for the pre-eminence and
obtained it by mere force of will. How this corresponds with
the fact that the Man of Sin first appears as "the
little horn" and by force of conquest attains to the
position of King of kings needs only to be pointed out. It is
also significant that the Hebrew word for "mighty"
in Gen. 10:9 is "gibbor" which is translated
several times "Chief" and "Chieftain".
Fourth, it is also added, "Nimrod the mighty hunter
before the Lord" which means that he pushed his designs
in brazen defiance of his Maker. The words "mighty
hunter before the Lord" are found twice in Gen. 10:9.
This repetition in so short a narrative is highly
significant. If we compare the expression with a similar one
in Gen. 6:11, - "The earth also (in the days of Noah)
was corrupt before God" - the impression conveyed is
that this "Rebel" pursued his impious designs in
open defiance of the Almighty. The contents of Gen. 11
abundantly confirm this interpretation. In like manner, of
the Antichrist it is written, "And the King shall do
according to his will, and he shall exalt himself and magnify
himself above every god (ruler), and shall speak marvelous
things against the God of gods" (Dan. 11:36). Fifth,
Nimrod was a "Man of Blood". In 1 Chron. 1:10 -
"And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be mighty upon the
earth". The Chaldea paraphrase of this verse says,
"Cush begat Nimrod who began to prevail in wickedness
for he slew innocent blood and rebelled against
Jehovah". This, coupled with the expression "a
mighty Hunter before the Lord", suggests that he
relentlessly sought out and slew God's people. As such,
he accurately portrayed the bloody and deceitful Man (Psa.
5:6), the violent Man (Psa. 140:1). Sixth, Nimrod was a King
- "the beginning of his kingdom was Babel" (Gen.
10:10. Thus he was King of Babylon, which is also one of the
many titles of the Antichrist (Isa. 14:4). In the verses
which follow in Gen. 10 we read, "He went out into
Assyria and builded Ninevah, and the city Rehoboth, and
Calah", etc. (Gen. 10:11). From these statements it is
evident that Nimrod's ambition was to establish a world
empire. Seventh, mark his inordinate desire for fame. His
consuming desire was to make for himself a name. Here again
the antitype marvellously corresponds with the type, for the
Man of Sin is expressly denominated "King over all the
children of pride" (John 41:34).
What is recorded in Gen. 10
about Nimrod supplies the key to the first half of Gen. 11
which tells of the building of the Tower of Babel. Gen. 10:10
informs us that the beginning of Nimrod's kingdom was
Babel. In the language of that day Babel meant "the gate
of God", but afterwards, because of the judgment which
the Lord there inflicted, it came to mean
"Confusion". That at the time Nimrod founded Babel
this word signified "the gate (the figure of official
position) of God", intimates that he not only organized
an imperial government over which he presided as king, but
that he also instituted a new and idolatrous system of
worship. If the type be perfect, and we are fully assured it
is so, then, as the Lawless One will yet do, Nimrod demanded
and received Divine honors. In all probability, it was at
this point that idolatry was introduced.
Nimrod is not directly
mentioned in Gen. 11, but from the statements made about him
in chap. 10 there cannot be any doubt that he was the
"Chief" and "King" who organized and
headed the movement and rebellion there described: "And
they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose
top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we
be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth"
(11:4). Here we behold a most blatant defiance of God, a
deliberate refusal to obey His commands given through Noah -
"Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth" (9:1). But they said, "Let us make us a name
lest we be scattered upon the face of the whole earth".
As we have seen, Nimrod's ambition was to establish a
world-empire. To accomplish this two things, at least, were
necessary. First, a center, a great headquarters; and second,
a motive for the inspiration and encouragement of his
followers. The former was furnished in the city of Babylon:
the latter was to be supplied in the "let us make us a
name". It was inordinate desire for fame. The idea of
the Tower (considered in the light of its setting) seems that
of strength, a stronghold, rather than eminence.
To sum up. In Nimrod and his
schemes we behold Satan's initial attempt to raise up an
universal ruler of men. In his inordinate desire for fame, in
the mighty power that he wielded, in his ruthless and brutal
methods, in his blatant defiance of the Creator, in his
founding of the kingdom of Babel, in his assuming to himself
Divine honors, in the fact that the Holy Spirit has placed
the record of these things just before the inspired account
of God's bringing Abraham into Canaan - pointing forward
to the re-gathering of Israel in Palestine, immediately after
the overthrows of the Lawless One - and finally, in the
Divine destruction of his kingdom - described in the words,
"Let Us go down and there confound their language"
(Gen. 11:7), which so marvellously pictures the descent of
Christ from heaven to vanquish His impious rival - we cannot
fail to see that we have a wonderfully complete typical
picture of the person, the work, and the destruction of the
Antichrist.
4. Chedorlaomer. The history
of this man is recorded in Gen. 14 which is a chapter of deep
interest to the student of typology. The chapter opens with
the words "And it came to pass in the days"
of." This is an expression which occurs six times (in
the Hebrew) and always marks a time of trouble ending in
blessing - cf Ruth 1:11; Isa. 7:1; Jer. 1:3; Ester 1:1; 2
Sam. 21:1" (Companion Bible). Such is plainly the case
here. The first half of Gen. 14 depicts Tribulation
conditions, and this is followed by a scene foreshadowing
millennial glory. The time when Chedorlaomer lived is the
first point in the type. His history is recorded just before
the first mention of Melchizedek, the priest-king, who came
forth and blessed Abraham - an unmistakable foreshadowment of
Christ in millennial glory, blessing Israel. Second, the name
of this man is highly significant. Gesenius, in his lexicon,
says of the word `a handful of sheaves'...perhaps its
true etymology should be sought in the ancient Persian".
The latter is doubtless correct, for "Elam", of
which Chedorbaomer was king (Gen. 14:1), is the ancient name
for Persia. Col. Rawlinson searched for his name on the
tablets of ancient Assyria, and there he found that his
official title was, "Ravager of the west"! Thus was
he a true type of the coming one who shall wade through a sea
of blood to his coveted position as Emperor of the world.
Third, it is indeed remarkable to find that just as Rev. 13:1
shows us that the empire of which the Antichrist will be the
Head (see our notes on this verse in Chapter 11) includes
within it the territory and perpetuates the characteristics
of the earlier empires (Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome),
so dominions: "And it came to pass in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer
king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations". Now
"Shinar" is one of the names of Babylon (see Dan.
1:2); "Elam" is the ancient name of Persia'
"Ellasar" is translated "Hellas" in the
Sept., which is the ancient name of Greece; while "Tidal
king of the nations" evidently stands for Rome, the last
of the world empires. Fourth, but what is even more striking,
is the fact that in Gen. 14:5 Chedorlamoer is seen at the
head of the kings mentioned in v. 1. They act as his vassals,
and thus bow to the superiority of this one who was evidently
a King of kings. Fifth, Chedorlaomer was a warrior of renown.
He was the Attila, the Napoleon of his day. He defeated in
battle the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and brought them into
subjection and servitude (see 14:2-4). Later, they rebelled,
and gathering his forces together he went forth, vanquished,
and slew them (14:9,10). Thus did he foreshadow the Destroyer
of the Gentiles (Jer. 4:7). Sixth, in Gen. 14:12 we read,
"And they took Lot, Abraham's brother's son, who
dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed". This
prefigured the persecution of Israel by Antichrist and his
subordinates in a coming day. Finally, we learn how that
Abraham and his servants pursued Chedorlaomer and his forces,
and that "Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with
him" were slain "in the kings dale" (14:17),
which strikingly adumbrated the future overthrow of
Antichrist and the kings who shall be with him, in the dale
of Megiddo (see Rev. 19:19).
5. Pharaoh. We have in mind
the Pharaoh of the book of Exodus. His history and character
are described at much greater length than the other personal
types of the Antichrist which have been before us, and
therefore more parallelisms are to be found here. We shall
aim to be suggestive rather than exhaustive. First, Pharaoh
was king of Egypt which, in Scripture, is the lasting symbol
of the world. In like manner, the one whom he so strikingly
prefigured will be Head of the world-kingdom. Second, the
Pharaoh of Exodus came from Assyria (Isa. 52:4); so also will
the Antichrist first rise in that land. Third, Ex. 1 presents
him to our view as the merciless persecutor of the Hebrews,
embittering their lives by hard bondage. Fourth, he is next
seen as the one who sought to cut off Israel from being a
nation, giving orders that all the male children should be
slain in infancy. Fifth, he was the blatant defier of God.
When Moses and Aaron appeared before him and said, "Thus
saith the Lord God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may
hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness", his arrogant
reply was, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His
voice to let Israel go?" (Ex. 5:1,2). Sixth, God's
two witnesses performed miracles before Pharaoh (Ex. 7:10);
so, too, will God's two witnesses in the Tribulation
period work miracles before the Beast (Rev. 11:6,7). Seventh,
Pharaoh had magical resources at his disposal (Ex. 7:11), as
the Antichrist will have at his (2 Thess. 2:9). Eighth,
Pharaoh made fair promises to the Hebrews, only to break them
(Ex. 8:8,15). In this, too, he foreshadowed the Antichrist in
his perfidy and treachery toward Israel. Ninth, he met with a
drastic end at the hands of God (Psa. 136:15). Tenth, he was
overthrown at the time that Israel started out for the
promised land: so Antichrist will be cast into the Lake of
Fire just before Israel enters into everlasting possession of
their promised inheritance. In all of these ten respects (and
in others which the student may search out for himself)
Pharaoh was a striking and accurate type of the
Antichrist.
6. Abimelech. First, Abimelech
signifies "father of the king". Gideon, deliverer
of Israel, was his father. But his mother was a concubine,
and this name was given to him, no doubt, for the purpose of
hiding the shame of his birth. Looking from the type to the
antitype - "Father of the King" - all attention to
the satanic origin of the Antichrist. Second, Abimelech slew
seventy of his own brethren (Judges 9:5), and was therefore a
bloody persecutor of Israel. Third, Judges 9:6,22 tell us
that he was "king over Israel". Fourth, it is
significant to note that he occupied the throne at the time
of Israel's apostasy (see Judges 8:33,34). Fifth, it is
also most suggestive that we are told he commenced his career
at the stone (Judges 9:6), or pillar, which Joshua erected in
Ebal (facing Gerizim), the mount where all the curses of a
broken law were announced - Deut. 11:29; 27:4,12,13; Josh.
8:30. Sixth, he was a mighty warrior, a violent man (see
Judges 9:40-50, and cf Psa. 140:1 for the Antichrist as
such). Seventh, he was slain by the sword (Judges 9:54 and
see Zech. 11:7; Rev. 13:3 for the antitype).
7. Saul. In at least ten
respects Saul foreshadowed the Antichrist. Almost the first
thing told us about Saul is that he was "from his
shoulders and upward higher than any of the people" (1
Sam. 9:2, which is repeated in 10:23). As such he fitly
prefigured the coming Super-man, who in intelligence,
governmental power, and satanic might, will so tower above
all his contemporaries that men shall exclaim, "Who is
like unto the Beast?" (Rev. 13:4). Second, Saul was king
of Israel (1 Sam. 10:24), so also will the Antichrist be.
Third, Saul was a priest-king, blatantly performing the
office of the Levite (see 1 Sam. 13:9, and cf Ezek. 21:25,26
R. V.). Fourth, the time of his reign was immediately before
that of David, as that of the Antichrist will immediately
precede that of David's Son and Lord. Fifth, he was a
mighty warrior (see 1 Sam. 11:11; 13:1-4; 15:4; 7:8). Sixth,
he was a rebel against God (1 Sam. 15:11). Seventh, he hated
David (1 Sam. 18:7,8,11; 26:2, etc.). Eighth, he slew the
servants of God (1 Sam. 22:17,18). Ninth, he had intercourse
with the powers of evil (1 Sam. 29). Tenth, he died by the
sword (1 Sam. 31:4).
8. Goliath. First, his name
means "Soothsayer" which at once connects him with
the powers of evil. Second, he was a giant, and thus, like
Saul, prefigured the Super-man. Third, he was the enemy of
Israel. Fourth, his consuming egotism was displayed in his
blatant challenge, "I defy the armies of Israel" (1
Sam. 17:10). Fifth, the mysterious number 666 (the number of
the Antichrist) is connected with Goliath. Note the three
sixes. (a) He was six cubits high (1 Sam. 17:4). (b) Six
pieces of armour are enumerated - helmet, coat of mail,
greaves, target, staff, and shield (1 Sam. 17:5-7). (c) His
spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron (1 Sam.
17:7). Sixth, he was slain by the sword (see 1 Sam. 17:51).
Seventh, he was slain by David - type of Christ. In each of
these respects he foreshadowed the Antichrist.
9. Absalom. First, the meaning
of his name is very significant. "Absalom" means
"father of peace". A careful reading of his history
reveals the fact that, again and again, he posed as a man of
peace, while war was in his heart. So the Antichrist will
pose as the promised Prince of peace, and for a time it will
appear that he has actually ushered in the Millennium. But
ere long his violent and bloody character will be revealed.
Second, Absalom was the son of David, and therefore a Jew.
Third, but Absalom was a son of David by Maacah, the daughter
of the Gentile king of Jeshur (2 Sam. 3:3). So, too, will the
Antichrist be a veritable king among men. Fifth, Absalom was
a man of blood (2 Sam. 13,etc.). Sixth, Absalom sought to
obtain the kingdom by flatteries (2 Sam. 15:2-6); cf Dan.
11:21,23. Seventh, he cloaked his rebellion by a pretense of
religion (read 2 Sam. 15:7,8). Eighth, he was the immediate
cause of the faithful followers of David being driven from
Jerusalem into the wilderness (2 Sam. 15:14-16). Ninth, he
reared up a pillar unto himself (2 Sam. 18:18), which clearly
foreshadowed the image which the Antichrist will cause to be
set up unto himself. Tenth, he met with a violent end (2 Sam.
18:14).
There are quite a number of
others who foreshadowed the Antichrist in one or more of the
outstanding features of his character and career. For
instance, there is Balak who, accompanied by Baalam the
prophet sought to curse and destroy Israel - a striking
foreshadowing of the Beast with his ally the False Prophet.
There is Adoni-zedek, mentioned in Joshua 10, and who headed
a federation of ten kings; it is remarkable that his name
signifies "lord of righteousness" which is what the
Antichrist will claim to be as he comes forth on the white
horse (Rev. 6). Then there is Adoni-kam, with whom is
associated the mystical number 666 - see Ezra 2:13; and how
profoundly significant that his name signifies "the Lord
hath risen". We believe that this mystic number in
connection with the Antichrist will apply to him only after
his resurrection - and six the number of man! Sennacherib (2
Kings 18) prefigured the Antichrist in a number of ways: as
the king of Assyria, the blatant defier of God, smitten by
the sword, etc. Haman, four times denominated "the
Jews' enemy" (Esther 3:10, etc.), and termed
"the adversary" (Esther 7:6), was another typical
character. Nebuchadnezzar, king of kings, who demanded
universal worship, who set up an image to himself, and
decreed that all should worship it under pain of death, etc.,
manifestly pointed forward to the Man of Sin, and so we might
continue. Almost every prominent feature of the
Antichrist's person and career was foreshadowed by some
Old Testament character. The subject is intensely
interesting, and we trust that many of our readers will be
encouraged to pursue it further for themselves. In closing
this chapter we shall look at one New Testament type of the
Antichrist.
10. Herod. At the beginning of
the New Testament there meets us a typical foreshadowing of
the Antichrist. We refer to what is recorded in Matt. 2. The
description there furnished of Herod obviously contains a
prophetic adumbration of his great prototype. Notice, first,
that three times over he is denominated "the king"
(vv. 1,3,9), as such he prefigured the last great king,
before the appearing of the King of kings. Second, observe
his hypocrisy. When the "wise men", who had
followed the star which heralded the Saviour's birth,
were summoned into Herod's presence, we are told that he
said unto them, "Go and search diligently for the young
child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that
I may come and worship Him also" (v. 8). That nothing
could have been further from his mind is plain from his
subsequent acts. But, nevertheless, he first posed as a
devout worshipper. Such is the role that the Antichrist will
first fill in Palestine. Third, next he threw off his
religious mask and displayed his wicked heart: "Then
Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was
exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children
that were in Bethlehem", etc. (v. 16). Similarly will
the Antichrist act in Jerusalem.l Three and one half years
before his end comes he will discard his religious
pretensions and stand forth in his true character. Fourth, in
this edict of slaying the young children in Bethlehem and the
coasts thereof, he was aiming, of course, at Christ Himself.
Thus did he accurately foreshadow that one who will yet
fulfill the terms of Gen. 3:15, where we read of a double
"enmity" - between Satan and the woman (Israel),
and between her Seed (Christ) and the Serpent's
"seed" (the Antichrist". In the fifth place,
we may also discover in Herod's destruction of the
children, a forecast of the fiendish assaults which the
Antichrist will make upon the Jews, when he seeks to cut them
off from being a nation. In the sixth place, we may note how
the consequence of Herod's cruelty will reappear in the
future - "In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation,
and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her
children, and would not be comforted, because they are
not" (Matt. 2:18). This is a quotation from Jer. 31:15.
But like most, if not all, prophecies, this will receive
another and final fulfillment at the close of the Tribulation
period. Our authority for this is found in the words which
immediately follow in Jer. 31: "Thus saith the Lord,
Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears:
for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they
shall come again from the land of the Enemy. And there is
hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall
come again to their own border". Thus it is clear that
"bitter weeping and lamentation" will again be
heard in Ramah just before Christ returns and restores
Israel. Seventh, the accuracy of the typical picture supplied
by Matt. 2 may be discovered in the failure of Herod to
destroy the Christ-child. Just as God foiled Herod, so will
He yet bring to nought the wicked designs of the Antichrist;
and just as we read of Christ coming and dwelling at Nazareth
after the death of Herod, so Christ shall again dwell in that
land after the death of the false King. Surely, this
remarkable typical picture of the Antichrist should cause us
to search more diligently for other esoteric allusions to him
in the New Testament.
[Chap. 13]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 15]
We arrive now at a branch of
our subject upon which the Lord's people are in evident
need of instruction: they have less light here than on most
prophetic themes. And perhaps we should not be surprised at
this. The very name Babylon means confusion, and widely
prevails the confusion concerning it. Yet here and there God
has raised up individuals who have borne faithful testimony
to the teaching of His Word concerning the past and future of
Babylon, and to their witness the writer acknowledges his
indebtedness. In view of the ignorance which generally
obtains we shall proceed the more cautiously. We here propose
to examine carefully the principal scriptures in the Old
Testament bearing upon our present theme.
"Babylon was a mighty
city of old; its beginnings were in Shinar in the days
shortly after the flood; it played an important part in the
history of Israel and of Judea; it was the head of the
kingdoms of the earth in the days of Nebuchadnezzar; after
its capture by the Medes and Persians it fell from its high
estate, but for some centuries after Christ it was still a
city of importance, and the head of a district. In the New
Testament it is first mentioned by Peter (1 Pet. 5:13), and
here in the book that tells of the events that occur in the
Day of the Lord we read of it as a city again dominating the
world, and that at a time when Israelites are again prominent
in the story of the earth. Here, too, Babylon reappears in
its ancient dual aspect, political and social, the first city
of earth and also the leader of the worship and religion of
the world powers. The site of old Babylon is known at the
present day; it covers a wide extent of ground, and parts of
it are inhabited, as for instance Hillah, where there are
some five or six thousand people. When the long-talked-of
Euphrates Valley Railway becomes a reality, Babylon will be
one of the most important places on the line" (Col.
VanSomeron - "The Great Unfolding"). This quotation
supplies a brief but fairly comprehensive outline of our
subject.
The earliest mention of Babel
in scripture is in connection with the name of him who first
after the deluge attained to greatness in the earth -
greatness apart from God. Nimrod was the grandson of Ham, who
called down upon him the curse of his father, Hoah. "The
sons of Ham were Cush...and Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be
a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the
Lord, and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, in the land
of Shinar" (Gen. 10:7-10). Let the reader turn back to
the previous chapter for our comments on Nimrod as a type of
the Antichrist. "Thus mightiness in the earth and
commencement of kingly rule are first mentioned in connection
with one, the seat of whose power was Babylon and the land of
Shinar. Nimrod - Nebuchadnezzar - Antichrist, are, as we
shall see, the three great names connected with that region
and with that city" (B.W. Newton: "Babylon; Its
Revival and Final Destruction" - 1859).
The first mention of anything
in scripture always calls for the most particular attention,
inasmuch as the initial occurrence of any term or expression
in the Word of God invariably defines its meaning and
forecasts its subsequent significance and scope. The passage
just quoted from Gen. 10 is inseparably connected with and is
in fact the key to what is found in Gen. 11. There we learn
that the land of Shinar is mentioned as the place where men
first united in confederate action against God. God had
commanded that men should spread abroad - Gen. 9:1. But they,
in blatant defiance, preferred to centralize. They determined
to make for themselves a name, saying, "Go to, Let us
build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven;
and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon
the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:4). And this, we
are told, was "In the land of Shinar" (11:2). But
the Lord interfered, came down, confounded their speech, and
scattered them - "And they left off to build the city.
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord
did there confound the language of all the earth", etc.
(Gen. 11:8,9). Thus we see that at the beginning, the land of
Shinar and the city of Babylon were the scene of confederate
evil, and of judgment from the hand of God.
Shinar, then, was the land
around Babel. Now, though the building of the city of Babylon
was checked during the days of Nimrod, yet his kingdom was
not overthrown. In Gen. 14:1 we read of "Amraphal king
of Shinar". It would appear from several scriptures that
"the land of Chaldea" - the capital of which was
the city of Babylon - is but another name for "the land
of Shinar". In Dan. 5:30 Belshazzar is termed "the
king of the Chaldeans", while in 7:1 he is called
"the king of Babylon" - cf Isa. 47:1; Jer. 50:8;
51:54; Ezek. 12:13. In addition to these passages, Dan. 1:2,3
seems to positively establish this conclusion, for there we
are expressly told that the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar's
day was situated in "the land of Shinar"! This
serves to confirm the fact that Chaldea or Babylonia was the
most ancient of the early empires. It was from "Ur'
of Chaldea (Gen. 11;28) that Abram was called; and it was
"the Chaldeans' who plundered Job (Job 1:17); and in
Josh. 7:21 we read of the "goodly Babylonish
garment" which tempted Achan, among the spoils of
Jericho. In striking accord with this is the statement found
in Jer. 5:16, where the Holy Spirit terms the Babylonians as
"ancient" as well as a "mighty" nation.
After the days of Joshua, Babylon was not directly referred
to again till the days of Esar-Haddan, of whom it is said,
"And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and
from Cutthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from
Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead
of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and
dwelt in the cities thereof" (2 Kings 17:24, and cf Ezra
4:2). Closely connected with the land of Shinar is Assyria.
For a time the supremacy alternated between Assyria and
Babylonia, until in the days of Nabapolasser, the father of
Nebuchadnezzar, Ninevah was conquered and Assyria became
subject to Babylon.
But though Shinar and its
capital are referred to in Gen. 10 and 11, and though there
are occasional allusions to them in the centuries that
followed, it was not until Israel's apostasy had been
fully manifested that we find Babylon coming into the place
of prominence and dominion. "Until Jerusalem had been
sufficiently tried, to see whether she would prove herself
worthy of being God's city, Babylon was kept in abeyance.
The founder of Babylon's greatness was that great king
who was raised up to scourge Jerusalem, and who commenced the
"Times of the Gentiles", by receiving from God that
endowment of power which was taken from Israel, and remains
vested in the Gentiles, till Jerusalem shall be forgiven and
cease to be trodden down. It was Nebuchadnezzar who `walked
in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spoke and
said, Is not this great Babylon which I have built for the
house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the
honor of my majesty?' (Dan. 4). The greatness of Babylon
dates only from Nebuchadnezzar" (B.W.N.).
The fifth chapter of Daniel
tells how Belshazzar, the successor of Nebuchadnezzar, was
slain by Darius, who took over the kingdom. Neither the city
nor the kingdom was then destroyed, and so far from it being
made desolate and without inhabitant, it remained for long
centuries a city without inhabitant, it remained for long
centuries a city of note. Two hundred years after its capture
by Darius, Alexander the Great, after his conquest over the
Persians, selected Babylon as the intended capital of his
vast dominion, and, in fact, died there. In the first century
of the Christian era Babylon still stood, for Peter refers to
a church there! (See 1 Pet. 5:13). Several of the church
"Fathers" refer to Babylon, and at the beginning of
the sixth century A.D. the famous Babylonian Talmud was
issued by the Academies of Babylonia. Mr. Newton tells us
that "Ivan Hankel in A.D. 917 speaks of Babylon as a
small village. Even in the tenth century, therefore, it had
not wholly disappeared". Slow and almost undiscernible
was its decline and decay. Even in this day there is still a
small town, Hillah, standing on the original site of ancient
Babylon. What, then, of the future?
That there will yet be another
Babylon, a Babylon eclipsing the power and glory of that of
Nebuchadnezzar's day, has long been the firm conviction
of the writer. Nor are we by any means alone in this
conviction. A long list of honored names might be given of
those who have arrived, independently, at the conclusion that
the Scriptures plainly teach that Babylon is going to be
rebuilt. But there is no need to buttress our conviction by
an appeal to human authority. Better than the faith of the
reader rest on the Word of God, than in the wisdom of the
best of men. Before we set forth some of the many scripture
proofs on which our conviction rests, let us ask, Would it
not be passing strange if Babylon had no place in the
End-time? Scripture tells us that Jerusalem, which has been
so long trodden down by the Gentiles, is to be restored by
human agency, and have a re-built temple (Matt. 24:15). Egypt
and Assyria have yet an honored future before them, as is
clear from Isa. 19:23,24. Moab, Edom, and Seir are to figure
in the coming day, as is intimated in Num. 24:17,18. Greece
awaits her final judgment from God (Zech. 9:13). And so we
might go on. Why, then, should Babylon be exempted from the
general renovation of the East?
But we are not left to logical
deductions, the Word of God expressly affirms that Babylon
will play a prominent part at the Time of the End. The empire
over which the Antichrist will reign is described in the
identical symbols which were applied to the four
world-kingdoms of Dan. 7. In Dan. 7:3 Daniel beheld
"four great beasts" come up from the sea, and in
Dan. 7:17 we are told "these great beasts, which are
four, are four kings (or kingdoms) which shall arise out of
the earth". These four beasts or kingdoms were the
Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman.
Dan. 7:4 says "The first was like a lion". 7:5 says
"The second was like a bear". 7:6 says the third
was "like a leopard". 7:7 says the fourth was
"dreadful and terrible". Now, in Rev. 13:1,2, where
we have a symbolical description of the empire which the
Antichrist shall head, we are told that John saw "a
Beast rise up out of the sea", and then it is added,
"the Beast...was like unto a leopard, and his feet were
as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a
lion". Of the fourth beast of Dan. 7 we read, "It
had ten horns" (7:7); so in Rev. 13:1 the Beast there
has "ten horns". Who, then, can doubt that Rev.
13:1,2 is given for the express purpose of teaching us that
the four great world-kingdoms of the past - not merely the
fourth but all of the four - are to be revived and restored
at the Time of the End? But as this point is disputed by
some, we tarry to advance further proof.
It is to be noted that the
Beast (kingdom) of Rev. 13:1 is said to have "seven
heads". This has puzzled many of the commentators, but
once it is seen that the Beast of Rev. 13:1,2 is a symbolic
description, first of a composite kingdom, made up of and
perpetuating the features of the four world-empires of old;
and second, a symbolic description of the one who shall head
it, all difficulty disappears. That we have here in Rev.
13:1,2 a composite kingdom is clear from the "seven
heads". Now note that in Dan. 7 the first, second and
fourth kingdoms are not said to have more than one head, but
the third has four heads" (Dan. 7:6). Thus the beasts of
Dan. 7 have, three of them one head each, and the third four
heads, or seven in all; which tallies perfectly with Rev.
13:1. But even this does not exhaust the proofs that the four
kingdoms of Dan. 7 are to be restored, and play their final
parts immediately before the Millennium.
If the reader will turn to
Dan. 2, which is parallel with Dan. 7 - the "image in
its four parts (the head, the breast and arms, the belly and
thighs, the legs and feet) corresponding with the four beasts
- it will be found that when we come to v. 45, which speaks
of Christ (under the figure of "the Stone cut out of the
mount without hands") returning to earth to destroy the
forces of evil, and then set up His kingdom, we discover that
the Stone "brake in pieces the iron (Rome), the brass
(Greece), the clay (apostate Israel), the silver
(Medo-Persia), and the gold (Babylon). What we desire the
reader to note particularly is that the Stone strikes not
only the iron, but the brass, clay, silver, and gold; in
fact, v. 35 tells us, expressly, they shall be "broken
to pieces together"! If, then, they are destroyed
together, they must all be on the scene at the time of
Christ's return to earth to inaugurate His millennial
reign, and if so, each of them must have been revived and
restored!! As our present inquiry concerns not the renovation
of Persia, Greece and Rome, but only that of Babylon, we
shall confine ourselves to the scriptures which speak of the
last mentioned.
1. Isa. 13 and 14 contain a
remarkable bearing directly on the theme before us. It is
termed in the opening verse. "The burden of
Babylon". It tells of the terrible judgment which God
shall send on this city. It speaks of the total and final
destruction of it. It declares that "Babylon, the glory
of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency,
shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah". It
shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from
generation to generation (vv. 19, 20). Now the one point
pertinent to our present inquiry is, Whether Isa. 13
describes the doom which befell the Babylon of
Belshazzar's day, or the judgment which shall overtake
the Babylon of the coming day. Upon this point there is, for
those who desire to be subject to God's Word, no room for
uncertainty. The sixth verse expressly declares that this
"burden of Babylon" is to receive its fulfillment
in "the Day of the Lord". This, we need hardly add,
is the name for that day which follows the present Day of
Salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). If the reader will consult a
concordance he will find that "the Day of the Lord"
never refers to a period now past, but always has reference
to one which is yet future! If any doubt remains as to
whether or not Isa. 13 is speaking of a future day, the
contents of v. 10 should forever remove it. There we are told
that "the stars of heaven and the constellation thereof
shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his
going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to
shine". All students of prophecy will see at a glance
that these cosmic phenomena are w hat are to be witnessed
during the Tribulation period - cf. Matt. 24:29. There is not
a hint anywhere either in Scripture or (so far as we are
aware) in secular history, that such disturbances among the
heavenly bodies occurred at the captivity of Babylon by
Darius. And it is at that time, in "the Day of the
Lord" when the sun is darkened and the moon shines not,
that Babylon is overthrown (v. 19). This one scripture is
quite sufficient to establish the futurity of Babylon and its
coming overthrow.[7]
2. The 14th of Isaiah reads
right on from 13, completing the "burden of
Babylon" there begun. It supplies further proof that
there is to be another Babylon. The chapter opens with a
declaration of Israel's coming restoration. It declares
"the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose
Israel, and set them in their own land" (v. 1). It goes
on to say, "It shall come to pass in the day that the
Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear,
and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,
That thou shalt take up this taunting speech against the king
of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the
golden city ceased!" (vv. 3,4). Should the quibble be
raised that these verses are speaking of the restoration of
Israel to Palestine following the captivity of
Nebuchadnezzar's time, it is easily silenced. The verses
that follow those just quoted make it unmistakably clear that
this prophecy yet awaits its fulfillment. Thus we read in vv.
7,8, "The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they
break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee,
and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down,
no feller is come up against us". The whole earth never
has been "at rest" since the days of Cain (except
it were during the brief period when the Word tabernacled
among men). But it will be during the Millennium! Notice,
too, that following the overthrow of "the golden
city", Israel exclaims, "Since thou art laid down,
(laid low) no feller (no cutter off) is come up against
us"! This establishes, unequivocally, the time of which
this prophecy treats. Long after the days of Belshazzar, the
Romans came up against Israel and cut them off. But none
shall do this again when the last king of Babylon is
destroyed!
Above, we have quoted to the
end of the 8th verse of Isa. 14. In the 9th verse the prophet
suddenly turns from Babylon to its last king. Verses 9 to 20
contain a striking portrait of the lofty arrogance and
fearful doom of the Man of Sin. Then, in verse 21, the
"burden returns again to the subjects of the Antichrist:
"Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of
their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land,
nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise
up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from
Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the
Lord. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and
pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of
destruction, saith the Lord of hosts" (vv. 21-23).
Finally, the prophet concludes with a parting word concerning
the Antichrist: "The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying,
Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I
have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the
Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under
foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them,and his burden
depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is
purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is
stretched upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath
purposed, and who shall disannul it? And His hand is
stretched out, and who shall turn it back? (vv. 24-27). Well
has it been said, "These are remarkable and significant
words, and certainly we cannot say they have been fulfilled.
Will any one affirm that God's purpose which He hath
purposed upon the whole earth was accomplished when Babylon
was overthrown by the Medes and Persians? Did the hand that
was stretched out over all the nations, then fulfill its
ultimate designs? Was the Assyrian then trodden under foot in
THE LAND, AND ON THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, and, that at a time
when the yoke of bondage is finally broken from off the neck
of Israel? If this were so we should no longer see Jerusalem
trodden down now. "The times of the Gentiles' would
have ended. Israel would be gathered, and Jerusalem be
"a praise in the earth". The concluding words of
this prophecy, therefore, might alone convince us that it yet
remains to be fulfilled" (B.W.N.).
3. We appeal next to the 60th
chapter of Jeremiah. The opening verses contain a prophecy
which certainly has not received its complete fulfillment in
the past. It declares, "The words that the Lord spake
against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by
Jeremiah the prophet. Declare ye among the nations, and
publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not:
say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken
in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in
pieces. For out of the north there cometh up a nation against
her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell
therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and
beast. In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the
children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah
together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord
their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces
thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the
Lord in a perpetual covenant which shall not be
forgotten" (vv. 1-5). Mark carefully three things in
these verses. First, it is announced that the land of Babylon
shall be made so desolate that neither man nor beast shall
dwell therein. Second, the time for this is defined as being
when Israel and Judah together (and since the days of
Rehoboam they have never been united) shall "seek the
Lord". Third, it is when Israel and Judah shall join
themselves to the Lord in "a perpetual covenant"!
Still more explicit is the time-mark in v. 20: "In those
days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of
Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the
sins of Judah, and they shall not be found".
4. The whole of Jer. 51 should
be carefully studied in this connection. Much in it we
reserve for consideration in the two chapters which will
follow this. Here we simply call attention to vv. 47-49:
"Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do
judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole
land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the
midst of her. Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is
therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the Spoiler shall come
upon her from the north, saith the Lord. As Babylon hath
caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall
the slain of all the earth". Surely little comment is
needed here. When did the slain "of all the earth"
(i.e. of all nations) fall in the midst of Babylon? And when
did heaven and earth and all that is therein rejoice at her
overthrow? "When Babylon passed into the hands of the
Medes there was little occasion for such joy. It made little
difference to the earth whether Babylon was reigned over by
Chaldeans, or by Persians, or Greeks, or Romans. There was
little cause for thanksgiving in such transfer of authority
from one proud hand to another. But if there be a fall of
Babylon that is to be immediately succeeded by the kingdom of
Him, of whom it is said, "All nations shall call Him
blessed"...then there is indeed sufficient reason why
heaven and earth, and all that is therein should sing"
(B.W.N.).
5. "Be in pain, and
labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in
travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and
thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to
Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall
redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies" (Micah
4:10). In the light of such scriptures as Micah 5:3, Matt.
24:8 ("sorrows" literally means
"birth-pangs"), etc., there can be no room for
doubt as to the time to which this prophecy refers. It is at
the close of the Great Tribulation. And at that time a
remnant of Israel will be found in Babylon and they shalt be
delivered by the Lord.
6. Both the prophecies of
Isaiah and Jeremiah as will as the Apocalypse speak of the
immediateness of the blow which is to destroy Babylon.
"Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of
Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of
the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and
delicate...therefore hear now this, thou that art given to
pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine
heart I am, and none else besides me; I shall not sit as a
widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these
two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day,
the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon
thee in thy perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries,
and for the great abundance of thine enchantments" (Isa.
47:1,8,9). "Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed:;
howl for her" (Jer. 51:8). "Alas, alas, that great
city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy
judgment come" (Rev. 18:10). There has been nothing in
the past history of Babylon which in any wise corresponds
with these prophecies.
7. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the
Revelation each declare that Babylon shall be burned with
fire. "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of
the Chaldees' excellency shall be as when God overthrew
Sodom and Gomorah" (Isa. 13:19). "The mighty men of
Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their
holes: their might hath failed; they become as women: they
have burned her dwelling places; her bars are broken...Thus
saith the Lord or hosts; the broad walls of Babylon shall be
utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with
fire" (Jer. 51:30,58). "And cried when they saw the
smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this
great city!" (Rev. 18:18). We know of nothing in either
Scripture or secular history which shows that Babylon was
burned in the past.
"But it will be said,
perhaps, How can this be? Has not Babylon already been
smitten? Has it not already been swept with the besom of
destruction? Our answer is - Not at the time and with the
concomitant circumstances specified in the passage just
quoted. It is true indeed that the Euphratean countries have
been smitten - sorely smitten under the hand of God. God is
wont in His goodness to give premonitory blows. He is
accustomed to warn before He finally destroys. Egypt,
Jerusalem, and many other places, have all experienced
premonitory desolations, and so has Babylon. Its present ruin
(which came on it slowly, and if I may so speak, gently), is
a memorial of what God's righteous vengeance can do, and
a warning of what it will more terribly do, if human pride in
contempt of all His admonitions, shall again attempt to rear
its goodly palaces when He has written desolation. But if it
be the habit of God thus graciously to warn, it is equally
the habit of man to say, "The bricks are fallen down,
but we will build with hewn stone; the sycamores are cut
down, but we will change them into cedars'. Unbidden, the
hand of man revived what God had smitten (that is what
happened in Chicago and San Francisco! A.W.P.). Without
therefore undervaluing the lesson given by past visitations
of God's judgments - without hiding, but rather seeking
to proclaim the reality and extent of the ruin, His holy hand
has wrought, we have also to testify, that the hand of man
uncommissioned from above will, sooner or later, reconstruct
the fabric of its greatness - its last evil greatness, on the
very plains which teem with the memorials of a ruin entailed
by former and yet unrepented of transgressions. Egypt,
Damascus, Palestine, and in a measure, Jerusalem, are already
being revived. And if these and neighboring countries which
have been visited by inflictions similar to those which have
fallen on Babylon, are yet to revive and flourish with an
evil prosperity at the time of the end, why should Babylon be
made an exception?" (B.W.N.).
That the Antichrist will be
intimately connected with the land of Chaldae is clear from a
number of scriptures, notably, those which speak of him as
"the Assyrian" and "the king of Babylon".
But as this is a disputed point we are obliged to pause and
make proof of it. Let us turn, then, first to Isa. 10 and 11
which form one continuous prophecy. We can not now attempt
even an outline of this long and interesting prediction, but
must merely single out one or two statements from it which
bear on the point now before us.
In the fifth verse of Isa. 10,
the Lord addresses the Antichrist as follows: "O
Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand
is mine indignation". This intimates, as pointed out in
a previous chapter, that the Son of Perdition is but a tool
in the hands of the Almighty, His instrument for threshing
Israel. His consuming egotism and haughtiness come out
plainly in the verses that follow (7-11). But when God has
accomplished His purpose by him, He "will punish the
fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the
glory of his high looks" (v. 12). How this serves to
identify him with the "little horn" of Dan. 7:20,
the Man of Sin of 2 Thess. 2:4! - cf further his proud
boastings recorded in Isa. 10:13,14. In v. 23 is another
statement which helps us to fix with certainty the period of
which the prophet is speaking, and the central actors there
in view: "For a consummation, and that determined, shall
the Lord, the Lord of hosts, make in the midst of all the
earth" (R.V.). The words "consummation" and
"that determined" occur again in Dan. 9:27 -
"He (Antichrist) shall make it (the temple) desolate,
even until the consummation, and that determined shall be
poured upon the Desolator". The "King of
Assyria" and "the Desolator" are thus shown to
be the same. In Isa. 10, vv. 24 and 25 we read,
"Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O My people
that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he
shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff
against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For et a very little
while, and the indignation shall cease, and Mine anger in
their destruction". Clearly this is parallel with Dan.
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,
and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished".
In the 11th chapter of Isaiah there is a statement even
clearer, a proof conclusive and decisive: "And He shall
smite the earth with the rod of His mouth and with the breath
of His lips shall He slay the wicked" (11:4). These very
words are applied to the Man of Sin in 2 Thess. 2:8.
In Isa. 14 we have a scripture
which very clearly connects the Antichrist with Babylon. The
opening verses (which really form a parenthesis) tell of the
coming restoration of Israel to Jehovah's favor, and then
in v.4 they are bidden to take up "a taunting speech
(marginal rendering) against the King of Babylon". The
taunting speech begins thus: "How hath the Oppressor
ceased! the golden city ceased! the Lord hath broken the
staff of the Wicked" (vv. 4,5). As to who is in view
here there is surely no room for doubt. He is Israel's
Oppressor in the End-time; he is the Wicked One. In the
verses which follow there are many marks by which he may be
positively identified. In v. 6 this "King of
Babylon" is said to be "He who smote the people
(i.e. Israel) in wrath with a continual stroke". In v.
12 he is called "Lucifer (Day-star), Son of the
morning", a title which marks him out as none other than
the Son of Perdition. Whatever backward reference to the fall
of Satan there may be in this verse and the ones that follow,
it is clear that they describe the blasphemous arrogance of
the Antichrist. In v. 13 we read, "For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount
of the congregation, in the sides of the north". Then,
in vv.15 and 16 we are told, "Yet thou shalt be brought
down to hell, to the sides of the Pit. They that see thee
shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is
this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake
kingdoms? Clearly it is the Man of Sin that is here in
view.
In Isa. 30 we have another
scripture which links Antichrist with Babylonia. Beginning at
v.27 we read: "Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from
afar, burning with His anger, and the burning thereof is
heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a
devouring fire: And his breath, as an over-flowing stream,
shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations
with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the
jaws of the people, causing them to err. Ye shall have a
song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and
gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into
the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel".
Clearly it is the very end of the Tribulation period which is
here in view. The reference is to the return of the Lord to
earth in great power and glory, when He shall overthrow those
who are gathered together against Him, and put an end to the
awful career of the Antichrist. Continuing, we find this
passage in Isa. 30 closes as follows: "For through the
voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which,
smote with a rod. And in every place where the grounded staff
shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be
with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he
fight with it. For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the
King it is prepared; He hath made it deep and large: the pile
thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a
stream of brimstone, doth kindle it" - cf "the
breath of the Lord" here with Isa. 11:4. For further
references to Antichrist and Assyria see Isa. 7:17-20; 8:7,
etc.
The next two chapters will be
devoted to a consideration of Babylon in the New Testament,
when Rev. 17 and 18 will come before us. May the Lord in His
grace give us the wisdom we so sorely need, and preserve the
writer and reader from all error.
[Chap. 14]
[Table of Contents] [Chap. 16]
In the last chapter we
confined ourself to the Old Testament, in this and the one
that follows we shall treat mainly of Babylon in Rev. 17 and
18, though, of necessity, we shall examine these in the light
of Old Testament passages. In the previous chapter, we
briefly reviewed the Old Testament evidence which proves
there is to be a re-built Babylon, over which the Antichrist
shall reign during the Time of the End. Now as both the Old
and New Testaments have one and the same Divine Author, it
cannot be that the latter should conflict with the former.
"If the Old and New Testaments treat of the
circumstances which are immediately to precede the Advent of
the Lord in glory, the substantive facts of that period must
be alike referred to in both. If the Old Testament declares
that Babylon and `the land of Shinar' is to be the focus
of influential wickedness at the time of the end, it it
impossible that the Revelation, when professedly treating of
the same period, should be silent respecting such wickedness,
or respecting the place of its concentration. If the Old
Testament speaks of an individual of surpassing power who
will connect himself with this wickedness, and be the king of
Babylon, and glorify himself as God, it is not to be supposed
that the Revelation should treat of the same period and be
silent respecting such an event. If, therefore, in the Old
Testament, the sphere be fixed - the locality named - the
individual defined - it is impossible that the Revelation,
when detailing the events of the same period, should alter
the localities, or change the individuals. There cannot be
two sovereign individuals, nor two sovereign cities in the
same sphere at the same time. If the mention of the
"Land of Shinar', and of Assyria", and of
"the king of Babylon", be intended in the Old
Testament to render our thoughts fixed and definite, why
should similar terms, applied in the Revelation to a period
avowedly the same, be less definite?" (B.W.Newton).
Of Rev. 17 and 18 it has been
well said, "There is, perhaps, no section of the
Apocalypse more fraught with difficulty than the predictions
concerning Babylon. Enigmatical and inconsistent with each
other as, at first sight, they seem to be, we need to give
careful attention to every particular, and much patient
investigation of other scriptures, if we would penetrate
their meaning and possess ourselves of their secret"
(Mr. G.H. Pember, M.A.). In prosecuting our present study we
cannot do better than borrow again from the language of Mr.
Pember, "Nor is the present necessarily brief and
imperfect essay written in any spirit of dogmatic certainty
that it solves the mystery; but only as the conclusion, so
far as light has been already vouchsafed, to one who, having
received mercy of the Lord, has been led to much
consideration of this and kindred subjects".
An exposition of the
Revelation or any part thereof should be the last place for
dogmatism. Both at the beginning and close of the book the
Holy Spirit expressly states that the Apocalypse is a
"prophecy" (1:3; 22:19), and prophecy is,
admittedly, the most difficult branch of Scripture study. It
is true that during the last century God has been pleased to
give His people not a little light upon the predictive
portions of His Word, nor is the Apocalypse to be excepted.
Yet, the more any one reads the literature on the subject,
the more should he become convinced that dogmatism here is
altogether unseemly. During the last fifteen years the writer
has made it a point to read the Revelation through carefully
at least three times a year, and during this period he has
also gone through over thirty commentaries on the last book
of the Bible. A perusal of the varied and conflicting
interpretations advanced have taught him two things. First,
the wisdom of being cautious in adopting any of the
prevailing views; second, the need of patient and direct
waiting on God for further light. To these may be added a
third, namely, the possibility, yea, the probability, that
many of the prophecies of the Revelation are to receive a
double, and in some cases, a treble, fulfillment.
"All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable". This applies
equally to the Prophets as to the Epistles, and it was just
as true five hundred years ago as it is today. That being so,
the right understanding of the final fulfillment of the
prophecies in the Revelation cannot be the only value that
book possesses. There must also be that in it which had a
pertinent and timely message for the people of God of this
dispensation in each generation. There must be that in which
strengthened the faith of those saints who read it during the
"Dark Ages", and that which enabled them to detect
and keep clear from the which opposed to God and His Christ.
In other words, its prophecies must have received a gradual
and partial fulfillment all through the centuries of the
Christian era, though their final fulfillment be yet future.
Such is the case with Rev. 17 and 18. Ever since John
received the Revelation there has always existed a system
which, in its moral features, has corresponded to the Babylon
of the 17th chapter. There exists such a system today; there
will exist such a system after the Church is raptured to
heaven. And there will also come into existence another and
final system which will exhaust the scope of this
prophecy.
The position which the
Apocalypse occupies in the Sacred Canon is surely indicative
of the character of its contents. The fact that it is placed
at the close, at once suggests that it treats of that which
concerns the end of things. Moreover, it is taken for granted
that the student of this sixty-sixth book of the Bible is
already acquainted with the previous sixty-five books.
Scripture is self-interpreting, and we may rest assured that
whatever appears vague or difficult in the last book of
Scripture is due to our ignorance of the meaning of the books
preceding, and particularly of the Prophets. In the
Apocalypse the various streams of prediction, which may be
traced through the Old Testament Scriptures, are seen
emptying themselves in the sea of historical accomplishment.
Or, to change the figure, here we are given to behold the
last act of the great Dispensational Drama, the earlier acts
of which were depleted in the writings of the seers of
Israel. And yet, as previously intimated, these final scenes
have already had a preliminary rehearsal during the course of
the Christian centuries.
It will thus be seen that we
are far from sharing the views of those who limit the
prophecies of the Revelation to a single fulfillment. We
believe there is much of truth in both the Historical and
Futurist interpretations. We are in entire accord with the
following words from the pen of our esteemed brother, Mr.
F.C. Jennings: "How many of the controversies that have
ruled, alas, amongst the Lord's people, have been due to
a narrow way of limiting the thoughts of God, and seeking to
confine or bend them by our own apprehension of them. How
often two, or more, apparently opposing systems of
interpretation may really both be correct; the breadth, the
length, and height, and depth, of the mind of God, including
and going beyond both of them". Let us now come more
directly to our present theme.
The first time that Babylon is
mentioned in the Apocalypse is in 14:8: "And there
followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen,
that great city, because she made all nations drink of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication". Now what is there
here to discountenance the natural conclusion that
"Babylon" means Babylon? Two or three
generations ago, students of prophecy received incalculable
help from the simple discovery that when the Holy Spirit
spoke of Judea and Jerusalem in the Old Testament Scriptures
He meant Judea and Jerusalem, and not England and London; and
that when He mentioned Zion He did not refer to the Church.
But strange to say, few, if any of these brethren, have
applied the same rule to the Apocalypse. Here they are guilty
of doing the very thing for which they condemned their
forebears in connection with the Old Testament - they have
"spiritualised". They have concluded, or rather,
they have accepted the conclusions of the Reformers, that
Babylon meant Papal Rome, ultimately being refined to signify
apostate Christendom. But what is there in Rev. 14:8 which
gives any hint that "Babylon" there refers to the
Papal system? No; we believe that this scripture means what
it says, and that we need not the annals of secular history
to help us to understand it. What then? If to regard
"Jerusalem" as meaning Jerusalem be a test
of intelligence in Old Testament prophecy, shall we be
counted a heretic if we understand "Babylon" to
mean Babylon, and not Rome or apostate
Christendom?
The next reference to Babylon
is in Rev. 16:18,19: "And there were voices, and
thunders, and lightenings; and there was a great earthquake,
such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty and
earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into
three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great
Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the
cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath". The
remarks just made above apply with equal force to this
passage too. Surely it is a literal city which is in view,
and which is divided into three parts by a literal
earthquake. If it does not mean this then the simple reader
might as well turn from the Apocalypse in dismay. More than a
hint of the literalness of this great city Babylon is found
in the context, were we read of the river Euphrates (v. 12).
This is sufficient for the writer: whether or not it is for
the reader, we must leave with him.
We come now to Rev. 17, and as
soon as we read its contents we are at once struck with the
noticeable difference there is between it and the other
passages which have just been before us. Here the language is
no longer to be understood literally, but symbolically; here
the terms are not plain and simple, but occult and
mysterious. But God, in His grace, has provided help right to
hand. He tells us that here is "mystery" (v. 5).
And what is more, He explains most (if not all) of the
symbols for us - see vv. 9,12,15,18. With these helps
furnished it ought not to be difficult to grasp the general
outline.
The central figures in Rev. 17
are "the great whore", the "scarlet-colored
Beast", and the "ten horns". The Beast is
evidently the first Beast of Rev. 13. The "ten
horns" are stated to be "ten kings" (v. 12).
Who, then, is figured by "the great Whore"? There
are a number of statements made concerning "the great
Whore" - "the woman" - "the mother of
harlots" - which are of great help toward supplying an
answer to this question. First, it is said that she
"sitteth upon many waters" (v. 1), and in v. 15
these are said to signify "peoples, and multitudes, and
nations, and tongues". Second, it is said, "The
kings of the earth have committed fornication" with her
(v. 2). Third, she is supported by "a scarlet-colored
Beast" (v. 3), and from what is said of this Beast in v.
8 it is clear that he is the Antichrist, here viewed at the
head of the last world-empire. Fourth, the woman "was
arrayed in purple and scarlet color and decked with gold and
precious stones" (v. 4). Fifth, "Upon her forehead
was a name written - Mystery: Babylon the great", etc.
(v. 5). Sixth, the woman was "drunken with the blood of
the saints and with the blood of the martyrs" (v. 6).
Seventh, in the last verse it is said, "And the woman
which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the
kings of the earth". These seven points give an analysed
summary of what is here told us about this
"woman".
Now the interpretation which
has been most widely accepted is, that the "Whore"
of Rev. 17 pictures the Roman Catholic system. Appeal is made
to the fact that though she poses as a virgin, yet has she
been guilty of the most awful spiritual fornication. Unlike
the blessed One who, in His condescension and humiliation,
had "not where to lay His head", Romanism has
coveted silver and gold, and has displayed herself in
meretricious luxury. She has had illicit intercourse with the
blood of saints. Other parallelisms between the woman of Rev.
17 and the Roman Catholic system may be pointed out. What,
then, shall we say to these things?
The points of correspondence
between Rev. 17 and the history of Romanism are too many and
too marked to be set down as mere co-incidences. Undoubtedly
the Papacy has supplied a fulfillment of the symbolic
prophecy found in Rev. 17. And therein has lain its practical
value for God's people all through the dark ages. It
presented to them a warning too plain to be disregarded. It
was the means of keeping the garments of the Waldenses (and
many others) unspotted by her filth. It confirmed the faith
of Luther and his contemporaries, that they were acting
according to the revealed will of God, when they separated
themselves from that which was so manifestly opposed to His
truth. But, nevertheless, there are other features in this
prophecy which do not apply to Romanism, and which compel us
to look elsewhere for the complete and final fulfillment. We
single out but two of these.
In Rev. 17:5 Babylon is termed
"the Mother of harlots and abominations of the
earth". Is this an accurate description of Romanism?
Were there no "harlot" systems before her? Is the
Papacy the mother of the "abominations of the
earth"? Let scripture be allowed to interpret scripture.
In 1 Kings 11:50-7 we read of "Ashtoreth the goddess of
the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the
Ammonites...then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh,
the abomination of Moab, in the hill that was before
Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of
Ammon"! The Papacy had not come into existence when John
wrote the Revelation, so that she cannot be held responsible
for all the "abominations" which preceded her.
Again; in Rev. 17:2 we read of "the great Whore"
that "the kings of the earth have committed
fornication" with her. Is that applicable in its fulness
to Rome? Have the kings of Asia and the kings of Africa
committed fornication with the Papacy? It is true that the
Italian pontiffs have ruled over a wide territory, yet it is
also true that there are many lands which have remained
untouched by their religious influence.
It is evident from these two
points alone that we have to go back to something which long
antedates the rise of the Papacy, and to something which has
exerted a far wider influence than has any of the popes.
What, then, is this something? and where shall we look for
it? The answer is not hard to find: the word
"Babylon" supplies us with the needed key. Babylon
takes us back not merely to the days of Nebuchadnezzar, but
to the time of Nimrod. It was in the days of the son of Cush
that "Babylon" began. And from the Plain of Shinar
has flown that dark stream whose tributaries have reached to
every part of the earth. It was then, and there, that
idolatry began. In his work on "The Two Babylons"[8] Dr. Hislop has proven
conclusively that all the idolatrous systems of the nations
had their origin in what was founded by that mighty Rebel,
the beginning of whose kingdom was Babel (Gen. 10:10). But
into this we cannot now enter at length. We refer the reader
back to our comments on Nimrod in chapter 13. Babylon was
founded in rebellion against God. The very name Nimrod gave
to his city, proves him to have been an idolator - the first
mentioned in Scripture - for Bab-El signified "the gate
of God"; thus he, like his anti-type, determined to
exalt himself above all that is called God (2 Thess. 2:4).
This, then, was the source and origin of all idolatry. Pagan
Rome, afterwards Papal Rome, was only one of the polluted
streams from this corrupt source - one of the filthy
"daughters" of this unclean Mother of Harlots. But
to return to Rev. 17.
In v. 5 we read, "And
upon her forehead was a name written - mystery: Babylon the
great, the Mother of harlots and abominations of the
earth". We believe that the English translators have
misled many by printing (on their own authority) the word
"mystery" in large capital letters, thus making it
appear that this was a part of "the woman's name.
This we are assured is a mistake. That the
"mystery" is connected with the "Woman"
herself and not with her "name" is clear from v. 7,
where the angel says unto John, "I will tell thee the
mystery of the Woman, and of the Beast which carrieth
her".
The word "mystery"
is used in the New Testament in two ways. First, as a secret,
unfathomable by man but explained by God: see Matt. 13:11;
Rom. 16:25, 26; Eph. 3:3,6 etc. Second, the word
"mystery" signifies a sign or symbol. Such is its
meaning in Eph. 5:32, where we are told that a man who is
joined to his wife so that the two become "one
flesh" is a "great mystery, (that is, a great sign
or symbol) of Christ and the Church". So, again, in Rev.
1:20 we read of "the mystery (sign or symbol) of the
seven stars", etc.
As we have seen, the term
"mystery" has two significations in its New
Testament usage, and we believe it has a double meaning in
Rev. 17:5, where it is connected with the "Woman".
It signifies both a symbol and a secret, that is, something
not previously revealed. It should also be noted that, in
keeping with this, the name given to the Woman is a dual one
- "Babylon the great", and "the Mother of
harlots and abominations of the earth". Who, then, is
symbolized by the Woman with this dual name? V. 18 tells us,
"And the Woman which thou sawest is that great city,
which reigneth over the kings of the earth". Now to get
the force of this it is essential that we should bear in mind
that, in the Apocalypse, the words "is" and
"are" almost always (in the symbolical sections)
signify "represent". Thus, in 1:20 "the seven
stars are the seven churches" means "the seven
stars represent the seven churches"; and "the seven
candlesticks are the seven churches", signifies,
"the seven candlesticks represent the seven
churches". So in 17:9 "the seven heads are
(represent) seven mountains"; 17:12 "the ten horns
are (represent) ten kings"; 17:15 "the waters...are
(represent) peoples", etc. So in 17:18 "the woman
which thou sawest is that great city" must mean,
"the woman represents that great city". What, then,
is signified by the "great city"?
In keeping with what we have
just said above, namely, that the term "mystery" in
Rev. 17:5 has a two-fold significance, and that the woman has
a dual name, so we believe "that Great City" has a
double force and application. First, it signifies a
literal city, which shall yet be built in the Land of
Shinar, on the banks of the Euphrates. Proof of this was
furnished in our last chapter so that we need not pause here
to submit the evidence. Six times (significant number!) is
"Babylon" referred to in the Apocalypse, and
nowhere is there a hint that the name is not to be understood
literally. In the second place, the "great city"
(unnamed) signifies an idolatrous system -
"mother of harlots" a system of idolatry which
originated in the Babylon of Nimrod's day, and a system
which is to culminate and terminate in another Babylon in a
day soon to come. This we think is clear and on the surface.
What, then, is the secret here disclosed, which had hitherto
been so closely guarded?
In seeking the answer to our
last question it is important to note that there is another
"Woman" in the Revelation, between whom and this
one in chapter 17 there are some striking comparisons and
some vivid contrasts. Let us note a few of them. First, in
Rev. 12:1 we read of "a Woman clothed with the sun, and
the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve
stars", which symbolically signifies that she occupies a
position of authority and rule (cf Gen. 37:9); so also the
Woman of chapter 17 is pictured as "ruling over the
kings of the earth" (v. 18). Second, this Woman of Rev.
12 is a mother, for she gives birth to the Man-child who
shall rule all nations (v. 5); so the Woman of chapter 17 is
"the Mother of harlots". Third, in 12:3 we read of
a great red Dragon "having seven heads and ten
horns", and he persecutes the Woman (v. 14); but in
striking contrast, the Woman of chapter 17 is seen supported
by a scarlet-colored Beast "having seven heads and ten
horns" (v. 3). Fourth, in Rev. 19:7 the Woman of chapter
12 is termed the Lamb's Wife (v. 7); whereas the Woman of
chapter 17 is the Devil's Whore. Fifth, the Wife of Rev.
19 is "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white" (v.
8); but the Whore of chapter 19 is arrayed in purple and
scarlet, and has in her hand a golden cup "full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication" (v. 4).
Sixth, the Lamb's Wife is also inseparably connected with
a great city, even the holy Jerusalem (21:10); so the Whore
of Rev. 17 is connected with a great city, even Babylon.
Seventh, the chaste Woman shall dwell with the Lamb forever;
the Whore shall suffer endless torment in the Lake of
Fire.
Once we learn who is
symbolized by the chaste Woman, we are in the position to
identify the corrupt Woman, who is compared and contrasted
with her. As to whom is signified by the former, there is
surely little room for doubt - it is the faithful portion of
Israel. She is the one who gave birth to the Man-child - i.e.
Judah, in contrast from the unfaithful ten tribes, who
because of idolatry were, at the time of the Incarnation, is
captivity. So in Rev. 19 and 21 there are a number of things
which show clearly (to any unprejudiced mind) that the Bride,
the Lamb's Wife, is redeemed Israel, and not the Church.
For example, in Rev. 19:6,7, when praise bursts forth because
the marriage of the Lamb is come, a great multitude cry,
"Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us
be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him for the marriage
of the Lamb is come". "Alleluia (which occurs
nowhere in the New Testament but in this chapter) is a
peculiarly Hebrew expression, meaning "Praise the
Lord". In the second place, the word for
"marriage" (gamos) or "wedding-feast" is
the same as is used in Matt. 22:2,3,8,11,12, where, surely,
it is Israel that is in view. In the third place, note that
we are told "His wife hath made herself ready" (v.
7). Contrast this with Eph. 5:26, where we learn that Christ
will make the Church ready - see Matt. 23:39 for Israel
making herself ready. In the fourth place, in 19:8 we read,
"And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in
fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints". The Church will have been
arrayed years before the time contemplated here. In the fifth
place, note it is said that "the marriage of the Lamb is
come" (v. 7), just as He is on the point of leaving
heaven for earth (v. 11; but the Church will have been with
Him in the Father's house for at least seven years
(probably forty years, or more) when that hour strikes. In
the sixth place, in Rev. 21;9,10 the Lamb's Wife is
inseparably connected with that great city, the holy
Jerusalem, and in the description which follows we are told
that on the twelve gates of the city were written "the
names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel"
(v. 12)! Surely that is conclusive evidence that it is not
the Church which is in view. In the seventh place, in Rev.
21:14 we are told that in the twelve foundations of the
City's wall were "the names of the twelve apostles
of the Lamb" (cf Matt. 19:28!). Is it thinkable that the
name of the apostle Paul would have been omitted if the
Church were there symbolically portrayed?[9]
If, then, the Chaste Woman of
Rev. 12,19,21, symbolizes faithful Israel, must not the
Corrupt Woman (who is compared and contrasted with the
former) represent faithless Israel? But if so, why connect
her so intimately with Babylon, the great city? It will help
us here to remember that the Chaste Woman of the Apocalypse
is also indissolubly united to a city. In Rev. 21;9 we read
that one of the seven angels said to John, "Come hither,
I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's Wife". And
immediately following we read, "And he carried me away
in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me
that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven
from God". Thus, though separate, the two are intimately
connected. The Bride will dwell in the holy J