The Beast is Rising!
To identify the Antichrist, we must understand what the relevant scriptures say about him, his methods, and his agenda. The subject of the “Antichrist” raises many questions. Who is he? When will he appear? How will we recognize him? What is his “mark”? In popular preaching, he is a global political leader who uses military might to subjugate other nations and attack Israel in the Middle East. But if Satan is truly clever and cunning, why would he do the very things that we expect?
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| [Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash] |
Over the centuries, the church has heard a multitude of predictions and theories about the “Antichrist.” He has been identified with the Roman emperor, the Pope, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, and numerous other political and religious figures. In many cases, excellent arguments were made to support the proposition. Nonetheless, not one of those candidates ever became the world-dominating “Beast from the Sea.”
Complicating the matter are the several terms
used for this figure in the New Testament. They include “Antichrist,” “Man
of Lawlessness,” and “Beast.” Do they all refer to the same
individual or thing? There are few, if any, direct literary links between them.
The term “Antichrist” only appears
in two of John’s letters, and nowhere in the Book of Revelation. Is it
even the correct label for this coming global leader of popular expectation? Are
we certain John had the same figure in mind that Revelation labeled the
“Beast from the sea” or Paul called the “Lawless one”?
UNEXPECTED INTERPRETATIONS
The language used by the New Testament to portray
this figure is drawn from the Hebrew Bible, especially the Book of Daniel
with its vision of the “Little Horn that was speaking great things.”
But Paul and John do not simply quote the Old
Testament. They interpret and reapply key passages in the light of what God has
done in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and often in unexpected ways.
In Revelation, for example, the
promise that the Messiah will “rule the nations” with his “iron rod”
is modified so that now he “shepherds” the kings and nations of the Earth.
The call for the ancient nation of Israel to become a “kingdom of priests”
is reapplied to the men from “every nation” who are “redeemed
by the blood of the Lamb” – (Exodus 19:5, Revelation 1:4-6, 5:6-12, 12:5).
The task of identifying the “Beast” is
complicated. If there is any hope of acquiring the correct understanding, we
must seek it in Scripture, not news headlines. Moreover, the issue becomes more
relevant with each passing day. If we fail to heed what Jesus and his Apostles
said about the matter, we may find ourselves deceived by the Antichrist, the “Man
of Lawlessness,” and/or the “Beast” when he/it does appear.
Even now, the “Beast is ASCENDING from
the sea.” When John describes this, he uses a participle in the Greek
present tense, signifying an ongoing action. Thus, he/it is in the
process of “ascending” from the Abyss/Sea.
The Beast’s “seven heads” are
interpreted as “seven mountains,” which, in turn, represent seven successive
kingdoms, NOT seven concurrent realms. Already, by the first century,
five had “fallen,” one existed, and the final or “seventh” had “not yet come” - (Revelation
17:8-11).
In Chapter 13
of Revelation, John uses the characteristics of Daniel’s “four beasts
ascending from the sea” to describe what for him is one entity. In Daniel, the “four
beasts” represent four successive kingdoms. But John saw only one “Beast”
that incorporated the animal characteristics of Daniel’s four beasts, and he
listed them in reverse order as if he was looking back over the history of
world empires.
AN OLD STORY
For that
matter, Daniel linked the World Empire of his day to the “Land of
Shinar,” the ancient kingdom of the Sumerians where Babylon originated, and
the first attempt to unite all peoples under one government - (Genesis 11:1-9,
Daniel 1:2).
This is an ancient story. What the Bible pictures is not a one-time event that only occurs just prior to the end of the age. The satanic conspiracy to install a global empire is a history-spanning plan that has been underway since the beginning of civilization.
Prophecy
teachers who previously identified this beastly system with the Roman Empire or
the government of Nazi Germany were not entirely wrong. Past efforts to install
regional and global empires were part of this very old process.
So, how do we
identify the Empire’s final incarnation, the “seventh kingdom”? We are not completely in the dark. Whether discussing
the “Beast,” the “Antichrist,” or the “Man of Lawlessness,”
certain characteristics are common to each description.
For example, all three labels are linked to
deception and apostasy. Jesus warned us about coming “deceivers” who would
propagate false information about the “end,” thereby “troubling”
many. Their deceptions cause many to apostatize – “Then shall many
be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” False prophets will arise and employ “great
signs and wonders” to deceive “even the elect.”
Likewise, Paul instructed the congregation
in Thessalonica not to be “troubled” by disinformation about the “Day
of the Lord.” That day will not come until the “apostasy” and the “revelation
of the Man of Lawlessness” both occur. He describes the latter as using “lying
signs and wonders” to deceive those who refuse the “love of the truth.”
Likewise, the “False prophet” in Revelation uses “great
wonders” to cause many to “pay homage to the Beast” - (2
Thessalonians 2:1-12, Revelation 13:11-15).
In his first letter, John calls the false
teachers in his congregations “antichrists,” forerunners of the final “Antichrist”
who will come in the “Last Days.” They are the product of the “Spirit of the Antichrist” that was (and is) active in the world
already. They are identifiable not by their politics but by their deceptive activities in the Church - (1 John 2:18-22).
When Jesus warned that the “love of many would
grow cold” due to “lawlessness,” he was not speaking about humanity
in general, but specifically to his
disciples. “False prophets” work to deceive “the elect.”
Similarly, the “Man of Lawlessness” will appear
in the “Sanctuary of God,” a phrase Paul applies consistently in his
letters to the church. John likewise was concerned about the “many
antichrists” that were disrupting his churches. In Revelation, the “Dragon”
wages war against the “saints,” “those who have the testimony of
Jesus,” NOT against other nation-states or modern Israel.
MISSING POPULAR IDEAS
Neither Jesus, Paul nor John states that the Man
of Lawlessness, the Antichrist, or the Beast from the sea will
be a global political leader who wages military campaigns against other nation-states.
Whether he will do so is not their concern. The focus is on how future events
will affect the Body of Christ. Consistently, the New Testament picture is of a
figure who deceives and causes
believers to apostatize.
Neither John nor Paul assigns any geographic
location or limitations to this figure, other than to state that he is in the “world.”
Revelation makes clear that Satan’s effort to destroy the “saints”
is global.
So, where does this leave us?
First, because the rise of the “Beast” is an ever-present danger, we
must always be on guard. The threat is real and constant. Second, we must
always be on guard against deceptions that originate in the Church.
Third, since the agents of
Satan can employ “signs and wonders” to accomplish their purposes, the
manifestation of supernatural miracles is NO guarantee that any
individual, church, or ministry is from God.
Fourth, however small it may
begin, the Antichrist program will become global in scope, especially as it targets
faithful believers wherever they are found.
Ultimately,
the “Dragon” is not sending his “Beast” to deceive an already
deceived world, but to misdirect, mislead, and cause the followers of Jesus to
abandon the “faith of Jesus Christ” and their mission to preach the Good
News to the nations. The Devil’s target is the Church, the Assembly of God.
Only by misdirecting or otherwise deceiving it does he stand any chance of
defeating Jesus.
