CHAPTER THREE. THE PERSON OF THE ANTICHRIST
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.
[3] See also the chapter on Satan's Origin in
the writer's "Satan and his Gospel" obtainable from the Bible Truth Depot,
Swengel, Pa. at 20 cents.