As previously explored in Antichrist: Satan’s Masterpiece Deception (7), God’s word defined the characteristics of who primarily is Antichrist, and without doubt this is Satan, the archenemy of God. As Satan is hid out of human site, we’ll now have Bible prophecy and history identify who Satan has appointed Antichrist, to represent him on earth. It will be clear that unless we follow Christ’s Word earnestly, seeking to honour Him above all human tradition, we will all be caught up in Satan’s deception.
What did “Anti” in Antichrist mean again? N. Webster’s 1828
“A preposition signifying against, opposite, contrary, or in place of”.
What is one single most outrageous claim of Antichrist? 2 Thessalonians 2:4
“4 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, shewing himself that he is God.”
What is one of God’s prerogatives? Daniel 2:19-21
“19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:”.
What does Antichrist presume to claim he can do concerning time ”in place of” of Christ? Daniel 7:25
“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.”
What symbol did God assign Antichrist who speaks great words against Christ? Daniel 7:8
“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.”
What historical events did God reveal to Daniel would precede Antichrist as the little horn? Daniel 7:1-7
“1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 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 that were before it; and it had ten horns.”
Having the Bible interpreting itself, what do these four beasts represent? Daniel 7:17
“These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.” (See also verse 23)
If beasts are kings, what king does the lion represent? Jeremiah 50:17
“Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.”
As all symbols mean something, what do the wings indicate? Jeremiah 4:6-7, 13
“6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. 7 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. .. 13 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.”
God does all to help His people to receive, comprehend and do His word; one way is by repeat and enlarge. Therefore the beasts or kings of Daniel seven, are a repetition of those which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream in the second chapter of Daniel with enlargements, or in other words an addition of information. The fifth supreme kingdom, the little horn or Antichrist, whom we are yet to identify, is added, as seen below: 
- First kingdom, the gold or the Lion is Babylon as seen above. BC 606-538 (Daniel 2:37)
- Second kingdom, the silver or the Bear is Medo-Persia, 3 ribs = Babylon, Lydia & Egypt. 539-331 BC (Daniel 5:28)
- Third kingdom, the bronze or the Leopard is Greece, 4 heads = Cassander (Macedon), Lysimachus (Thracia), Seleucus (Syria), Ptolemy (Egypt). 331-168 BC (Daniel 8:20-21)
- Fourth kingdom, the terrible beast with iron teeth and ten horns is Pagan Rome, led by caesars. 168 BC – 476 AD (Luke 2:1; John 11:48)
- Fifth kingdom and Antichrist, yet to be identified. (Daniel 7:8)
What took place in the transitioning period between Pagan Rome and 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.”
Horns also, as the beasts are, are kings. When Pagan Rome came to its demise, it split into ten independent powers which then occupied the ruins of the old empire. These were the:
- The Alemanni in North Switzerland, Swabia, Alsace, and Lorraine.
- The Franks in all Gaul north and west of the Moselle.
- The Burgundians in west Switzerland and the valleys of the Rhone and Saone in southeast Gaul.
- The Suevi in that part of Spain which is not Portugal.
- The Vandals in North Africa, with capital at Carthage.
- The Visigoths in Spain and southwest Gaul.
- The Angles and Saxons in Britain.
- The Ostrogoths in Pannoniawhat is now Austria.
- The Lombards in Norcum, between the Ostrogoths and the Alemanni.
- The Heruli in Italy.
Who had to give way to the rise of Antichrist? Daniel 7:8
“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.”
Three kingdoms and their kindreds were entirely destroyed, never to exist again, or uprooted as the text read:
- Heruli,
- Vandals,
- Ostrogoths
So far we’ve seen features of Antichrist…
- To be a small kingdom represented as a small horn.
- To be rising up over the area we now know as Europe (formerly occupied by Pagan Rome).
- To be uprooting three kingdoms, whose people were extinct, never to return.
- To be speaking great words and claims to do what only God can do.
What is synonymous to “speaking great words”? Revelation 13:5
“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.”
What is Antichrist’s most dear blasphemy? John 10:33
“The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
What blasphemy follows Antichrist being a man who makes himself God? Mark 2:5-7
“5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?”
What does Antichrist think to change? Daniel 7:25
“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.”
What did Antichrist do to the saints and for how long? Daniel 7:25
“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.”
What does it mean that Antichrist “shall wear out the saints”? Revelation 13:7
“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.”
How long is “time and times and dividing of times” under which time Antichrist would prosecution God’s people? Revelation 12:6,14
“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. .. 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.” (See also Revelation 13:5 which indicates the period to be 42 months.)
How is prophetic time converted to literal time? Ezekiel 4:6
“And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” (See also Numbers 14:34)
How many years accumulate from 3 ½ times or prophetic years then?
- 42 months = 1260 days. (Compare Revelation 13:5 with Revelation 12:6, 17).
- 1 prophetic day is equal to 1 literal year.
- Therefore 1260 prophetic days are equal to 1260 literal years.
With further additions, we’ve seen Antichrist …
- To be a small kingdom represented as a small horn, with far reaching influence.
- To rise up over the area we now know as Europe (formerly occupied by Pagan Rome).
- To uproot the Heruli, Vandals and Ostrogoths, whose people were extinct, never to return.
- To claim to be God on earth and do what only God can do, forgive sin.
- To prosecute God’s faithful people with intense hatred; over 50 million, perished by martyrdom (Uriah Smith, 1897, Daniel and the Revelation, p. 140)
- To remove the second commandment and split the tenth in two. (More on these changes in a future study.)
- To rule supremely 1260years, from AD 538 (receives power from Justinian) to 1798 (loses power to Napoleon)
The sum of these characteristics are reflected in the history of one power only; the Papacy, NOT the earnest individual seeker of truth, but its very institution including dogmas, traditions, customs and teachings of the Roman Catholic church. This is Antichrist, Satan the Devil’s ambassador on earth.
What is the main root cause to the Papacy’s heresies (errors)? Mark 7:7-8, 13
“7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. .. 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
What is God’s urgent admonition to us all regarding her, the Roman Catholic Church, that sets aside the Bible for traditions of men? Revelation 18:4
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”
Friend,
Is it your desire to put God’s Word above human traditions in your life?
As previously explored in Antichrist: Satan’s Masterpiece Deception (7), God’s word defined the characteristics of who primarily is Antichrist, and without doubt this is Satan, the archenemy of God. As Satan is hid out of human site, we’ll now have Bible prophecy and history identify who Satan has appointed Antichrist, to represent him on earth. It will be clear that unless we follow Christ’s Word earnestly, seeking to honour Him above all human tradition, we will all be caught up in Satan’s deception. What took place in the transitioning period between Pagan Rome and Antichrist? Daniel 7:24
Horns also, as the beasts are, are kings. When Pagan Rome came to its demise, it split into ten independent powers which then occupied the ruins of the old empire. These were the: Who had to give way to the rise of Antichrist? Daniel 7:8
Three kingdoms and their kindreds were entirely destroyed, never to exist again, or uprooted as the text read: So far we’ve seen features of Antichrist… How many years accumulate from 3 ½ times or prophetic years then? With further additions, we’ve seen Antichrist … The sum of these characteristics are reflected in the history of one power only; the Papacy, NOT the earnest individual seeker of truth, but its very institution including dogmas, traditions, customs and teachings of the Roman Catholic church. This is Antichrist, Satan the Devil’s ambassador on earth. Friend, Is it your desire to put God’s Word above human traditions in your life?Look up the verses yourself...
