4. The Antichrist
WHEN I FIRST BEGAN STUDYING PROPHECY NEARLY FORTY YEARS AGO, I ENCOUNTERED THE BIBLE’ S PREDICTION THAT ONE MAN WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE CONTROL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD. FRANKLY, I COULD NOT IMAGINE HOW SUCH A THING WOULD EVER HAPPEN. BUT SINCE THE BIBLE PRESENTED THIS AS A MAJOR PART OF THE END-TIME LANDSCAPE, I BELIEVED IT AND I PREACHED IT EVEN THOUGH I COULD NOT COMPREHEND IT.
As civilization speeds toward its final destiny, the appearance of a powerful world ruler is inevitable. If Satan was defeated at the cross, why does he still have so much power, both now and into the future?
The ultimate victory has been won at Calvary, but it will be implemented in the future. The sentence has been passed, now it needs to be enforced. The enforcement is in the hands of the Church. The tool that enforces Satan’s defeat is the tool of prayer. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). One person praying on earth can move angels in heaven.
Christians need to learn the power of prayer against Satan and that he will be defeated in his work. We are not engaged in the warfare if we are not praying against Satan. The judgment that was effected at the cross, and is enforced through prayer, will be completed. Satan is doomed. Once our warfare with Satan is ended by the Rapture, he will be unobstructed in his evil plans. But, make no mistake, Satan and his henchmen—the Antichrist and the false prophet— will keep their divine appointment with Almighty God. Satan, already defeated, is doomed.
Who is the Antichrist?
The Antichrist is a person who is against Christ. The prefix anti can also mean “instead of,” and both meanings will apply to this coming world leader. He will overtly oppose Christ and at the same time pass himself off as Christ.
The Antichrist will aggressively live up to his terrible name. He will be Satan’s superman who persecutes, tortures, and kills the people of God and leads the armies of the world into the climactic Battle of Armageddon. He will be the most powerful dictator the world has ever seen, making Caesar, Hitler, Mao, and Saddam seem weak and tame by comparison.
Even though the Antichrist is identified by that name only four times in the Bible, he appears many more times under various aliases. He is also called:
• “the prince that shall come”—Daniel 9:26 NKJV
• “a fierce king”—Daniel 8:23
• “a master of intrigue”—Daniel 8:23 NIV
• “a despicable man”—Daniel 11:21 NLT
• “a worthless shepherd”—Zechariah 11:16–17 NLT
• “the one who brings destruction”—
2 Thessalonians 2:3 NLT
• “the lawless one”—2 Thessalonians 2:8 NKJV
• “the evil man”—2 Thessalonians 2:9 NLT
• “the Beast”—Revelation 13:1 NKJV
When he comes on the scene, people will flock to him like flies to honey, and they will fall over themselves to do anything he asks.
What is the “unholy trinity”?
Satan is the first person and the father of the unholy trinity. The Antichrist is the second person and the son of the unholy trinity. While the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and His main function is to direct praise to the person of Christ, the False Prophet’s major function is to direct the worship and praise of the people back to the Antichrist (Revelation 13:11–12).
What are some characteristics of the Antichrist?
The prophet Daniel describes the Antichrist in these graphic terms: “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast . . . And there . . . were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. . . . He shall speak pompous words against the Most High” (Daniel 7:7–8, 25).
As Daniel says, the coming world leader will be renowned for this kind of eloquence, which will capture the attention and admiration of the world.
Daniel goes on to tell us that not only will this golden-tongued orator speak in high-blown terms, but he will also utter pompous words against the Most High. The apostle John describes him in a similar fashion in the book of Revelation: “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies” (Revelation 13:5).
Daniel continues his description of the Antichrist by telling us he is a man “whose appearance was greater than his fellows” (Daniel 7:20). In terms of his outward appearance, this man will be a strikingly attractive person. The combination of magnetic personality, speaking ability, and extreme good looks will make him virtually irresistible to the masses. When he comes on the scene, people will flock to him like flies to honey, and they will fall over themselves to do anything he asks. The apostle John expands on Daniel’s description of the Antichrist’s blasphemous acts by telling us that every living person will be required to worship this man. “He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15).
Finally, Revelation 13:1–8 says the Antichrist is represented as a Beast—an appropriate title for him. During the last three and a half years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will personify Satan himself. Second Thessalonians 2:9 says, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.” Step by step, the Antichrist will promote himself from a European leader, to a world leader, to a tyrannical global dictator, and finally to a god.
How does the Antichrist gain political power?
His rise to power is inconspicuous. It will not be noticed in the beginning and will hardly raise the attention even of those who are closest to the center of action. He will rise out of the general population. John says, “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 13:1). The sea in biblical imagery stands for the general mass of humanity or, more specifically, the Gentile nations.
Whatever power the Antichrist has, he only has it by virtue of the fact that he is allowed to have it by Almighty God. As bad as the Tribulation is, it is never out of God’s control. There is a leash on Satan, and God is holding on to the other end of the leash. Satan will be able to do only that which God allows him to do in the Tribulation period.
The combination of magnetic personality, speaking ability, and extreme good looks will make him virtually irresistible to the masses.
Who will worship the Antichrist?
According to Revelation 13:8, “all who dwell on the earth will worship him.” Daniel 7:25 tells us that the Antichrist is a cultic leader. “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High . . . and shall intend to change times and law.” He will speak out against the true God of heaven. The language suggests that he will try to raise himself to the level of God and make declarations from that position.
Second Thessalonians 2:4 says the Antichrist “. . . opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” He will accept the worship of the peoples of the world.
What is the mark of the Beast?
The mark of the Beast is 666. We can’t identify the exact significance of the mark, but there are some general things we can say about it. The number six is the number of man (Revelation 13:18). Man was created on the sixth day. He is to work six out of seven days. A Hebrew slave could not be enslaved more than six years. Their fields could not be sown for more than six years running. The number 666 is man-tripled. Perhaps the number of the Beast represents the ultimate in human ingenuity and competence.
The word used for the mark of the Beast is the Greek word charagma. In antiquity, this word was always associated with the Roman emperor. It often contained the Emperor’s name, his effigy, and the year of his reign. It was necessary for buying and selling, and it was required to be affixed to documents to attest to their validity. The Antichrist will do the same thing. “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16–17).
What will happen to those who refuse the mark of the Beast?
Those who refuse the mark of the Beast will be persecuted and labeled as traitors. According to the system organized by the Beast, everyone who does not wear the mark will be denied the ability to buy or sell (Revelation 13:16–17). Apparently, this will lead to their death as they will not even be able to get the food and other things necessary to stay alive.
What will happen to those who take the mark of the Beast?
Revelation 14:9–11 warns that all who receive the mark of the Beast will suffer eternal judgment at the hand of God. In this passage, the angel announces that those who take the mark of the beast will be consigned to eternal fire, damnation, and wrath. Their torment will last forever since they have chosen to worship and serve the Beast rather than the one true God.
How will the Beast be defeated?
Satan allows the Beast to be killed—or at least to appear to be killed. But the head wound he receives will be healed, and the world will be so astonished they will follow him (Revelation 13:3–4,12). Once again the imitator is at work. He will feign the Resurrection. This is Satan’s last fling. He will use everything at his disposal to take as many people to hell with him as he can.
Just when it seems there is no hope, the Lord will return in His Second Coming to dethrone the Beast at the Battle of Armageddon. The nations and Israel will then be judged, and Christ will institute the Millennium.
Who is the False Prophet?
The False Prophet is a man who exercises religious and military authority in the name of the Antichrist. He does miraculous things to cause the whole world to bow down and worship the Antichrist and his image. Jesus says in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” The False Prophet in Revelation is the epitome of every false prophet who has gone before him. We need to be warned against false prophets who come with the voice and personality and calmness of a lamb, but who speak the words of Satan himself.
What will the False Prophet look like?
According to Revelation 13:11, he has the voice of a dragon, but he looks like a lamb. Why would Satan design the False Prophet to look like a lamb? He is continuing to do everything possible to deceive people by counterfeiting the ministry of Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).
What powers will the False Prophet have?
The False Prophet will be the Antichrist’s religious leader and will have the power to counterfeit the miracles of God according to Revelation 13:13. The specific miracle mentioned in the text is the calling down of fire from heaven. The False Prophet may be trying to imitate Elijah, when he called down fire on Mount Carmel, to make people think he is Elijah who is coming before the great and terrible day of the Lord. He deceives people into building an image as a central point of worship for the Beast (v. 14). With his occultic powers, he will enable the image to speak (v. 15).
What is the significance of the 144,000 Israelites mentioned in Revelation?
During the Tribulation, God will send His two witnesses into the world to prophesy and perform mighty miracles. There will also be 144,000 Israelites “sealed” for God’s service during this period (Revelation 7:4). The 144,000 Israelites—12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel—will become evangelists and shall see a great harvest of souls during these terrible Tribulation days. They will be preserved so that they cannot be killed, and people will hear their message and be saved. It is hard to imagine the impact 144,000 Spirit-filled Jews might have on the world. Their power from the Holy Spirit enables them to have great courage and bravery as they give witness to the Word and testify to salvation in Jesus Christ. Twelve Spirit-filled Jews turned their world upside down. Imagine the magnitude of the revival that will take place during the Tribulation.
What does the Bible mean by 144,000 virgins?
In Revelation 14:4 the word virgin is not a physical description. As we see in 2 Corinthians 11:2, the church must be presented to Jesus Christ as a chaste virgin. The idea is not about physical virginity but has everything to do with spiritual virginity. The church must be holy. Likewise, in Revelation 14:4 the word refers to the fact that the 144,000 will be separated from the corruption of the world. They will be virgins unto God who give themselves in pure devotion to the Lord. They will be a truly separated and sanctified group of people, unsoiled by the pollution of the world. That’s the kind of witness God craves, no matter what generation we live in. The more holy we are, the more God can use us. Perhaps the greatest preparation we can make for ministry is the preparation of our own hearts in righteousness and holiness before God.
What does it mean when the Bible says the 144,000 are sealed with the mark of God?
Revelation 7:3–4 explains that the 144,000 evangelists will be sealed on their foreheads and preserved in their ministry by the Spirit of God. They will have the Father’s name written prominently on their foreheads.
It is death not to have the mark of the Beast written on one’s head during the time of the Tribulation. But during the Tribulation, 144,000 people will be walking around without 666 written on them, and they will not be killed. They will not be neutral; they will be aggressive. They won’t just be walking around without the mark; they’ll be walking around with their own mark. They don’t want anyone to be in doubt as to who they belong to. They have God’s mark on them, and it will be evident to everyone.
It is death to have the mark of God, but these preachers confess Christ and are unashamed of Him. And they are preserved. They have come all the way through the Tribulation preaching the gospel. They are all still alive. God sealed them. When you are God’s person, in God’s will, you are immortal until God is finished with you. God is in control. That doesn’t mean that you should live life recklessly, but it means that God has committed Himself to preserve you throughout your ministry.
Will there be consequences on earth for those who worship the Beast?
Revelation 16:2 gives us the record of terrible sores upon those who have taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped his image. The sores reflected on these rebels symbolize that they worship Satan.
Those who have taken the mark of the Beast appear to be religious people. They identify with the great religious regime of their day. But in this awful moment of judgment when the bowls are turned over on earth, the sores will be another mark of identification to demonstrate that they are rebelling against God. It’s as if God causes the poison of the rebellion within these people to surface and be manifested in sores all over their bodies.
At this time, God will use six other disasters on earth to carry out His judgment. The remaining part of the sea will turn to blood, rivers and streams will become blood, the sun will scorch people with fire, the earth will be in darkness, the Euphrates River will completely dry up, and thunder, lightning, and hailstones weighing nearly one hundred pounds will fall from the sky (Revelation 16:3–21 NIV).
The Antichrist will aggressively live up to his terrible name. He will be Satan’s Superman, who persecutes, tortures, and kills the people of God and leads the armies of the world into the climactic battle of Armageddon.
Will those who worship the Antichrist experience anything like the Old Testament plagues in Egypt?
The sixth plague God sent upon Egypt was very similar to that which takes place in Revelation 16:2. The Bible describes the plague as “boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt” (Exodus 9:9).
These sores may be a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. In Deuteronomy 28:27, 35, and Moses promised that God would judge Israel with boils and other skin diseases if they failed to walk in His covenant. The penalty for disobedience was that the plagues God visited upon Egypt (which included sores and boils [Exodus 9:9]) would be visited upon Israel.
The judgment mentioned in Revelation 16:10–11 is a plague of darkness. Once again, it is reminiscent of the plagues of Egypt. Just as the sores of the first plague are a symbol of the inner infection of those who bear them, this outer darkness is a reflection of the darkness of heart and soul of those who deny God.
[The Antichrist] will be the most powerful dictator the world has ever seen, making Caesar, Hitler, Mao, and Saddam seem weak and tame by comparison.
What is Armageddon?
Our nation is no stranger to war. In the less than 250 years of American history, we have been involved in nearly three hundred wars, conflicts, military operations.
The Bible tells us that there is yet another major war to be fought on this earth—sometime after the Russian-led coalition of nations’ war against Israel. This war, called Armageddon, makes all the wars America has fought to date look like minor skirmishes. This war will draw the final curtain on modern civilization. In fact, preparations for that war are underway right now throughout the world. The only thing holding back its rapid approach is the yet-to-occur disappearance of all true believers in Jesus Christ, the event we know as the Rapture of the church. When the church of Jesus Christ is taken safely into heaven and the Tribulation period begins, the unrestrained satanic persecution of Israel will propel the entire world toward the Battle of Armageddon.
What does Armageddon mean?
Given the enormous attention this word receives, it may surprise you that Armageddon is mentioned only once in the Bible—in the sixteenth chapter of Revelation. The Hebrew word harmageddon means “the mount of Megiddo.” Har means “mount,” and megiddo means “slaughter”; so the meaning of Armageddon is “Mount of Slaughter.”
Where will Armageddon take place?
Armageddon will take place on the mountain of Megiddo, located in northern Israel. It includes an extended plain that reaches from the Mediterranean Sea to the northern part of the land of Israel. Megiddo is about eighteen miles southeast of Haifa, fifty-five miles north of Jerusalem, and a little more than ten miles from Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up.
While the word Armageddon is mentioned only once in the Bible, the mountain of Megiddo has a rich biblical history. It was at Megiddo that Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanites (Judges 4 and 5). It was also there that Gideon defeated the Midianites (Judges 7); Saul was slain during a war with the Philistines (1 Samuel 31); Ahaziah was slain by Jehu (2 Kings 9); and Josiah was slain by the invading Egyptians (2 Kings 23).
These are not by any means the only battles that have been fought on this bloody ground. If we had stood on top of Megiddo over past centuries and overlooked the plain of Armageddon, we would have seen a long succession of waged battles as great armies marched across the field one after the other—the Crusaders, the Egyptians, the Persians, the Druze, the Greeks, the Turks, and the Arabs. During World War I, British general Edmund Allenby led his army against the Turks in a fierce battle on the Plain of Armageddon. According to scholar Alan Johnson, “More than 200 battles have been fought at or near there.” As you can see, Megiddo has earned its awful name: it is indeed a Mount of Slaughter.
Why will Megiddo be the location of the world’s final conflict?
One of the world’s greatest military figures gives us the answer. In 1799, Napoleon stood at Megiddo before the battle that ended his quest to conquer the East and rebuild the Roman Empire. Considering the enormous plain of Armageddon, he declared: “All the armies of the world could maneuver their forces on this vast plain . . . There is no place in the whole world more suited for war than this . . . [It is] the most natural battleground on the whole earth.”
While it is no mystery why the earth’s final battle will be fought at Armageddon, it is important to understand that the battle will be centralized on that field but not contained there. All the ancient prophets agree that this war will be fought throughout the entire land of Israel.
The words of the prophet Zechariah describes Jerusalem as the center of conflict in the Armageddon war: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:2–3). So, while we use the term Armageddon and localize the war to the plain of Megiddo, Scripture teaches that the battle will literally fill the whole land of Israel with war and bloodshed.
What is the purpose of Armageddon in the plan of God?
1. To finish His judgment upon Israel: The Tribulation period is a time of divine indignation against the people of Israel, the people who rejected their Messiah and—time and time again after given the chance to return—failed to heed the corrective and punitive judgment of God. It is no accident that this future period of time is often referred to as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).
2. To finalize His judgment upon the nations that have persecuted Israel: Those nations that have persecuted the Jewish people are finally gathered together in the Battle of Armageddon, in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, giving God the perfect opportunity to deal with them finally and decisively. “I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land” (Joel 3:2).
3. To formally judge all the nations that have rejected Him: “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).
Notice that last phrase: “He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” To our time-bound senses God’s activity often seems so slow and ponderous that people pursuing ungodly goals tend to dismiss His judgment as a factor to be taken seriously. Thus the nations do not believe that a time is coming when God’s judgment will inevitably descend. But be assured, He is storing up judgment against a day to come. The Bible is clear: one of these days God will have had enough, and His judgment will pour down like consuming fire against the world’s wicked nations.
What is the difference between the Battle of Gog and the Battle of Armageddon?
At the beginning of the Tribulation period, Gog (the Prince of Russia/Magog) assembles a mass of nations against Israel that is thwarted by God’s intervention. Armageddon will end the Tribulation period. The Battle of Gog and the Battle of Armageddon are separated by several years and involve different participants. Here are some of the differences that will help keep the two battles separate in your mind:
• In the Battle of Gog, Russia and at least five other nations are involved (Ezekiel 38:2–6). In the Battle of Armageddon, all the nations of the world are involved (Joel 3:2; Zechariah 14:2).
• In the Battle of Gog, the invaders will attack from the north (Ezekiel 38:6, 15; 39:2). In the Battle of Armageddon, the armies come from the north, south, east, and west (Daniel 11:40– 45; Zechariah 14:2; Revelation 16:12–16).
• In the Battle of Gog, the purpose of the armies is to “take a spoil, and to take a prey” (Ezekiel 38:12 KJV). In the Battle of Armageddon, the purpose is to annihilate the Jews and to fight Christ and His army (Zechariah 12:2–3, 9; 14:2; Revelation 19:19).
• In the Battle of Gog, Russia will be the leader of the nations (Ezekiel 38:13). In the Battle of Armageddon, the Antichrist will be the leader (Revelation 19:19).
• In the Battle of Gog, God defeats the northern invaders with the convulsions of the earth, the confusion of the troops, the contagion of diseases, and calamities from the sky. In the Battle of Armageddon, the armies are defeated by the word of Christ—“a sharp sword” (Revelation 19:15, 21).
• In the Battle of Gog, Israel’s enemies will perish upon the mountains of Israel and in the open field (Ezekiel 39:4–5). In the Battle of Armageddon, those slain by the Lord will lie where they fall, from one end of the earth to the other (Jeremiah 25:33).
• In the Battle of Gog, the dead will be buried (Ezekiel 39:12–15). In the Battle of Armageddon, the dead will not be buried, but their carcasses will be totally consumed by the birds (Jeremiah 25:33; Revelation 19:17–18, 21).
• After the battle of Gog, war will continue among the nations involved (other than Israel) during the remainder of the Tribulation (Revelation 13:4–7). After the Battle of Armageddon, swords and spears will be beaten into plowshares and pruning hooks (Isaiah 2:4). And the nations will study war no more.
What will happen to the Antichrist as he leads the Battle of Armageddon?
During the Battle of Armageddon, the world will become increasingly discontented with the leadership of this global dictator who has gone back on every promise he made. Major segments of the world will begin to assemble their own military forces and rebel against him.
The king of the South and his armies will be the first to come after the Antichrist, followed by the armies of the North. “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships” (Daniel 11:40).
The Antichrist will put down some of these first attempts at rebellion against him. But before he can celebrate and move on toward his goal of destroying Israel and Jerusalem, something happens: “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (Daniel 11:44). The Bible leaves no doubt as to the source of the news that so disturbs and enrages the Antichrist: “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared” (Revelation 16:12).
The Euphrates is one of the greatest rivers in the world. It flows from the mountains of western Turkey, through Syria, and continues on right through the heart of Iraq, not far from Baghdad. It eventually unites with the Tigris to become the Shatt el Arab, and finally empties into the Persian Gulf. The entirety of the Euphrates flows through Muslim territory. In Genesis 15 and Deuteronomy 11, the Lord specified that the Euphrates would be the easternmost border of the Promised Land. It serves both as a border and a barrier between Israel and her enemies.
What is the significance of the drying up of the Euphrates River, and why will that event have such a disturbing effect on the Antichrist?
Without water in the Euphrates River, there is no longer a barrier between the Antichrist and the vast army marching toward him. When this unprecedented army crosses the bed of the Euphrates against the Antichrist, the greatest war of all history involving hundreds of millions of people will be set in motion. The major battleground for that war will be the land of Israel.
As if this news is not frightening enough, John tells us that all these events are inspired and directed by the demons of hell: “For they are the spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14).
No doubt demonism in every shape and form will manifest itself more and more as the end draws near, until at last it all ends in Armageddon . . . But besides these hosts of human armies, there will also be present at Armageddon an innumerable host of supernatural beings . . . So Armageddon will truly be a battle of heaven and earth and hell.
So just at the moment when the Antichrist is about to attack and destroy Israel and Jerusalem, a diversion occurs in the form of another massive army entering the field of conflict. Thus the stage is set for the last, stunning movement in the Battle of Armageddon.