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The Revelation
Part 2
The Antichrist Association Syndrome
There is a strange disorder affecting the amateur
theological world which causes those afflicted to believe that every verse about
any unsavory character in the Bible, no matter how vague the association,
absolutely must be a prophetical reference to the Antichrist. Context is not
considered, obvious references to people living at the time are ignored, and all
sense of investigative integrity is put aside to clump these verses into the
confusing Antichrist pigeonhole. It would seem that the only description of any
evildoer in scripture is the Antichrist, no matter that there actually might be
other evildoers out there.
The antichrist, as an individual with this specific
identity, is not to be found in the Bible. In order to keep the Antichrist in
the forefront of importance to their theories, the proponents of his greatness
use several verses outside the Revelation. The key passages used are Daniel 7,
8, 11; Matthew 24; II Thessalonians 2; and Revelation 13, 17 and 18.
Daniel 7
The use of this chapter centers on the fourth beast
being the Antichrist:
♦ Daniel 7:24. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall
arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the
first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25. And he shall speak great words
against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think
to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and
times and the dividing of time.
While it is obvious that this ruler will certainly be a
very dangerous and important character, we find that his descriptions fit the
Emperor Constantine, the ruler who virtually assured the complete alteration of
the church and the truth to be buried for centuries, like a glove.
· Constantine outlawed the keeping of the weekly Sabbath, and all High Sabbaths,
substituting different festivals from pagan practice in their stead, and
changing the times those celebrations are held to the times the pagans held the
ancient festivals.
· Constantine forbid the keeping of a "Jewish" law, virtually changing or
removing every biblical law from practice.
· Constantine's established papal monarchy gained sovereign rule of the Western
Empire and, through its Crusades, subdued the Heruli, the Ostrogoths, and the
Vandals, whose kings resisted papal control.
· Constantine was not known to physically harm any Christians as a common
practice. He did, however, force them to relinquish their centuries old beliefs
and celebrate pagan festivals. The phrase “ wear out” is taken from the Greek
word “bla”, pronounced bel-aw'; to afflict (but used only in a mental sense).
Daniel 8 & 11
A careful read of these chapters will provide no solid
proof that these chapters are either speaking of the end times, an antichrist,
or even the same entities described in any of the other two chapters.
Matthew 24
This chapter is used because it mentions the
abomination of desolation, false christs, and false prophets. We have expanded
on the identity of these three below, and they do not refer to a great world
leader in the end times, but actually several beings, probably appearing in
their time.
2 Thessalonians 2
♦ 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan
with all power and signs and lying wonders,
To presume this is an end time prophecy denies the fact
that whatever is troubling them, (2 Thessalonians 1:6), was discussed before, (2
Thessalonians 2:5), and was happening at the time this was written, (2
Thessalonians 2:7). When describing the individual mentioned, he is spoken of as
having already committed his blasphemous acts, or was doing them at the time,
not that he would only do those things in the future.
The end of the letter brings this conclusion:
♦ "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free
course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered
from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith." (2 Thessalonians
3:1 - 2).
And this is the judgment about how to deal with the problem discussed in the
letter:
♦ "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after
the tradition which he received of us." (2 Thessalonians 3:1 - 2).
Revelation 13
The liberal use of the words he, him, and his
throughout this chapter in relation to the beast were the choice of the
translators and are all translated from a word which could also be rendered as
it. The descriptions used to identify the appearance and actions of the beast
further indicate that this is not an individual world ruler, but a very powerful
organization with global control, eventually facilitated by the use of a mark to
control global commerce.
Revelation 17
Rather than an individual, this chapter speaks of
several kings under a single ruler. It is surprising that the ruling Antichrist
proponents use this chapter when it, in fact, does identify a world ruling
power:
♦ Revelation 17:18. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth.
The ruler of the world is a city, not an individual
called the Antichrist, and the true deceivers are clearly identified in the
chapter they commonly and mistakenly use from the Revelation to prove the rule
of the antichrist.
Revelation 18
Although no individual is even mentioned in this chapter, they site verses out
of context from it. One verse they do not use shows why the mark is to be used
to control all global financial transactions, because the true deceivers are the
source of global commerce.
♦ Revelation 18: 23. And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in
thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at
all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy
sorceries were all nations deceived.
The Dragon
We can definitely identify the Dragon as Satan from these verses:
♦ "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years," (Revelation 20:2)
♦ "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 20:9)
The Dragon is clearly the controlling force behind the Beast, but is only shown
in a role of power behind those action, not directly as any kind of world
leader, nor is the dragon described as taking on any kind of human role. He uses
the Beast, and the Image of the Beast, to fulfill his goals. He is the power
behind them and the actions they take.
The entire twelfth chapter of the Revelation is about the Dragon. When read
carefully, an amazing number of paradigms are revealed in just this one chapter.
· The identity of the Dragon as Satan is clarified.
· Satan's association with the powers that are the foundation of the Beast is
confirmed.
· Satan is described as coming down from the sky and waiting for Mary to give
birth to Jesus, with the intention to kill him.
· Jesus and Mary are taken out of harms way and protected.
· The "Great Battle Time Warp" occurs. We have seen Satan lay in wait to destroy
Jesus at his birth and fail in his attempt. The very next thing, after the
mother and child are taken to safety, the Bible describes is that Michael, and
his forces, attack and defeat Satan. Here many end-time theorists have pulled
this battle out of its clear chronological order, as immediately after the birth
of Christ, and claim that it occurs thousands of years later. If the chapter
stopped here and nothing more concerning the matter was described, this might be
possible. But, it continues.
· Satan and his forces are defeated and permanently thrown down to the surface
of the planet.
· His defeat is celebrated in the sky and a warning is proclaimed to all the
planet’s inhabitants that he is angry, and in a hurry.
· The "Great Battle Time Warp" theory is now debunked, as we see Satan going
after Mary, clearly described as an action he took after he was defeated and
exiled to terra firma. This means that the battle had to take place during
Mary’s life.
· Mary is again rescued from Satan’s assaults and he then goes after the remnant
of her seed, presumed to be the first church, the persecution and slaughter of
which is a matter of the historical record.
Revelation 12
We present the entire twelfth chapter to show the clear chronological order of
these events and the paradigms that are so clear, but never considered:
♦ Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve
stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be
delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red
dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And
his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the
earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered,
for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man
child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught
up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where
she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two
hundred and threescore days. 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his
angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And
prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great
dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his
Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before
our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by
the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters
of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon
saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth
the man child. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that
she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a
time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the
serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might
cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman,
and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast
out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make
war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have
the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The Revelation Part 3
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