This is one of those posts where I have more questions than answers, so I will be relying on knowledgeable readers of this blog to use their critical thinking skills and their knowledge of the scriptures and their spiritual insights to come up with reasonable answers or even good food for thought.
Mark Levin often says that he has the most intelligent audience in talk radio. Even if that is true, intelligence does not always mean that people have good critical thinking skills. We all know about the educated idiots that obviously have intelligence but continually display that they have no common sense. Having the knowledge of scriptures and the ability to correlate scriptures to interpret them correctly with God-given wisdom is uniquely found only on certain Christian sites. I think we qualify here so lets give it a try.
My latest dilemma is that I have read many book and articles that mention the Beast and his False Prophet mentioned in Revelation. However, I do not think I have found a reasonably convincing argument or explanation from any of the Bible prophecy experts that adequately explain the apparent difficulties in the passages about them.
What follows are some questions, points and observations that I have not fully resolved in my own mind on these two Beasts of Revelation. Feel free to give your insights on the issues that I bring up.
Does the Antichrist actually rise from the dead after his deadly head wound or is it just that he was healed from what should have been a deadly head wound? If he has not risen supernatural, how does he have the power to kill the two prophets of God, why does the whole world worship him as god, and why is it that only Jesus can destroy him at His coming?
If he actually rises from the dead as a supernatural immortal being, how does he pull that off since nobody has ever come back from the dead other than Jesus unless they came back by the power of God to possess their own healed body of flesh only to soon die again? Could that be the reason why scripture implies that the idol shepherd that leaves the flock will be blind in his right eye and that his right arm will be useless (Zec 11:17)? Yet, would people worship such a crippled person as God? That does not seem logical. Even so, scripture is clear that this person can only be destroyed by the coming of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, crippled or not, this being transcends just being human.
The Beast is given power over the earth for 42 months but when does the second Beast (the False Prophet) actually enter the scene? If it is right away, then why set up an image of the first Beast and give power and life to the image of the Beast so that the image of the Beast can speak and the image of the Beast could put people that will not worship it to death, when the False prophet is apparently doing these supernatural things in the sight of the first Beast that is still very much alive? The first Beast cannot be mute because in Rev 13:6 it talks about the Beast opening his mouth and blaspheming the God of Heaven for 42 months. There is something here that is not adding up. Even with all the conjectures by popular authors, I am not sure they have it correct.
What is the real nature of the Antichrist and the False prophet. Are they just human, are they hybrids or are they something else?
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum in his book “Footsteps of the Messiah” makes the case that the Antichrist will be the incarnation of Satan in the same way that Jesus was the incarnation of God. In other words, Dr. Fruchtenbaum believes that Satan will actually impregnate a human woman and he will grow up as the Son of Perdition Beast Antichrist mentioned. If Dr. Fruchtenbaum theory is correct, Jesus is the God/Man from conception and the Beast/Antichrist is the counterfeit or Devil/man from the time of his conception. He would be 100 percent devil and 100 percent man. That has profound implications if you believe like Dr. Fruchtenbaum that this person is now already alive on earth. That thought makes my Obama Rosemary’s Baby article sound almost believable.
Other teachers believe that the Antichrist is just a natural man given special powers but that seems to understate him according to scriptures. Why is the Antichrist even called the “Beast”, can it be that he is not fully human? Tom Horn and others think he will be a human hybrid like the Nephilim of old. In other words, he will be part fallen angel and part human.
I get that possibility, but what about his False Prophet? Nothing much is said about him but apparently we all believe he is a man? Or is he really just a man?? The False prophet is called a “he” but so are angels and we are told that this Beast speaks like a Dragon or Devil (Rev 13:11). Hmmm?
This second Beast seems to have angelic like powers. It is this Beast that makes fire come down from heaven and makes the image of the first Beast to speak. Are we in error to believe that this second Beast is a human or fully human? Perhaps he is a fallen angel, demon or maybe another one of the Nephilim?
We do know from Revelation that both the first Beast and the second Beast will be cast alive in the Lake of Fire when Jesus comes. They apparently are judged before the judgment of humans. So here are two “men” that do not go through the judgment but go directly into the Lake of Fire even though scripture says all not taking part in the first resurrection will be judged at the great white throne after the second resurrection? But yet, we were told in Revelation that the Lake of Fire was made for the Devil and his angels so maybe that is why these two Beasts forever incarnated by fallen angels uniquely qualify to be sent to the Lake of Fire directly? By the way, they are still very much alive there after the thousand-year reign and the white throne judgment. Then humans that have gone through the judgment of God and found not to be in the book of life will join them in the Lake.
Many teaching Bible prophecy use the counterfeit trinity anthology for the Antichrist and his False prophet. Satan is said to be counterfeiting the Father, the Antichrist is said to be counterfeiting the Son and the False prophet is said to be counterfeiting the Holy Spirit. The first two figures of the anthology make sense but the analogy seems to break down some on the Holy Spirit if the False Prophet were just a man. The Holy Spirit is never represented as a man with powers. If this second Beast was an angelic spirit with satanic powers that were counterfeiting the power of the Holy Spirit then the anthology fits perfectly. The second Beast very well may incarnate or perfectly possess a man, but since nothing is said about the destruction of the human form of the second Beast perhaps the second Beast is also not fully human.
All that might explain why taking the Mark of the Beast and becoming transhuman condemns one to their eternal fate.
What do you think? What insights can you add to the two Beasts of Revelation?
Don,
These are all very tough questions and I don’t suppose anyone can adequately explain them at this time. As christians we will not even be here to witness these events but it is still fun to try to figure them out. Here is my thoughts on some of your questions.
I always wondered what happened to the fallen angels at the time of the 2nd coming. Unbelievers are kept in hell to await judgement and satan is bound but where are the fallen angels? If they are sent to the lake of fire at the 2nd coming AND if the antichrist and false prophet are indeed hybrid angel/humans then it makes some sense on why they are sent to the lake of fire early. this could explain the verse about people judging angels. Maybe we will help in their condemnation at the 2nd coming in some way.
As for the mark of the beast making people transhuman I have thought that for awhile now and it makes alot of sense to me.
I also think the theory of the son of perdition being satans offspring is very interesting and makes the satanic trinity concept have much more believable. As for the beast surviving the head wound I think if he was half angelic that would make him have special powers such as surviving what would be certain death for other people.
If Obama was rosemary’s baby how would he be called the Assyrian? just wondering.
So in conclusion I think a transhuman beast and false prophet could certainly be true it makes alot of sense on many levels. Feel free to correct me on anything.
Jim,
My only comment right now is that many people do not believe the prophecy about the Assyrian is referring to the Antichrist.
Chuckle, I’ve been studying chapter 13.
Off the bat, with a question… Where does it say that the false prophet has to be counterfeititing the Holy Spirit? Could be more “like” Aaron to Moses’ symbolism (?) or something along those lines.
“Why do the people worship the Beast as god?” Well, we do know the people reject the true God (and truine thereof). Why do people worship (put their hope in) Obama? The people [currently, let alone will] believe anything as long as it’s not the truth. Also, I would say their form of “worship” is NOT love or love inspired (there is no free will involved, per se, other than some form of selfishness).
Frankly, it’s a really bad counterfiet attempt, in my opinion. Hence, I would think that Satan would vary the triune theme versus a more exact replica, since it’s obvious that the people really don’t want the real thing.
I am not nearly as studied as most of those who post here. This could very well be a ridiculous comment, but I will try to at least support where this idea came from. We know that Satan hates man, for what he represents and because he hates God. I suppose Satan would just eradicate the whole of the human race right now if God would allow it, which may be an incorrect assumption. I also take the “Seals” in revelation to be just that, seals. God removed all hedges around Job, except that Satan could not kill him. Satan’s response is one reason I assume the former. Could it be that the seals in Revelation are basically hedges around humanity? One of those seals unleashes Death. Death is referred to as “he.” Death may be an angel, and a fallen one at that. Jesus is the only “man” to conquer Death and therefore is the only man able to kill him. Perhaps Death is the identity of the Beast you are looking for, or at least is the reason the Antichrist comes back from the dead. You don’t have to conquer Death if Death is on your side. Death may not have to “keep” you. Couldn’t he also let you go? Also, it seems to me that Satan is trying to make a “mirror-image” of the Trinity, as opposed to an exact copy. If Jesus is the Life, then it makes sense to me that Death would be part of Satan’s trinity. Accepting Jesus grants eternal life, but accepting the mark of the Beast is death. I look forward to everyone’s thoughts. I hope this at least gets some new thoughts going that people find worth while.
Wish I had time today to really get into this. Very fascinating and thought provoking! Regarding the mortal wound of the beast, I always just took the plain reading and assumed he actually died and Satan resurrected him. Two translations I read say mortal or fatal wound. That means dead. But then I checked out some notes from my Scoffield Bible (though I’m not a big Scoffield fan)and was shocked to read this: (But first, my apology, going to copy and paste here.)
“Fragments of the ancient Roman empire have never ceased to exist as separate kingdoms. It was the imperial form of government which ceased; the one head wounded to death. What we have prophetically in Revelation 13:3 is the restoration of the imperial form as such, though over a federated empire of ten kingdoms; the “head” is “healed,” i.e. restored; there is an emperor again–the Beast.”
I never considered that one. What are your thoughts on that?
John,
The context from Rev 13:1 to 13:8 leaves no doubt that the Beast is both a kingdom and the person that leads it. The head wound could apply to both the kingdom and the person since verse 3 is transitional where it then starts talking about the person. If you consider that 3 of the 10 kings will be pulled out by the roots that could be head wound of the Kingdom but nevertheless the rest of the context makes it clear that a person also gets a head wound that is healed and then speaks great things and people worship him. Kingdoms do not have a mouth speaking great things and People do not worship kingdoms.
Just thinking aloud here, but maybe the Antichrist is completely human unitl he is indwelt by Satan, who also raises him from his mortal wound at this time of possession. As for the False Prophet..your guess is better than mine. I know angels can take the form of humans, so maybe he or it is Satan’s “second in command” angel..assuming there is one. Maybe he is the angel/demon that is in charge of the principality of Rome and its church?
I meant to add this passage… “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. Ephesians 6:12..an argument for the possession of humans theory?
Don, I attempted to write a few times when you posted this but refrained as it is such a difficult area. I have more to learn than contribute so here i go.
I too looked at this 1st beast as a man and as a nation so I’m glad to hear you do as well. I also see that this nation is a group of nations as the make up of the beast is similar to the nation beasts of Daniel. I also think that one nation (head) is wounded / slain and ESV uses seemed and NASB says as if. So the nation and it’s leader / hero enters this scene in grave condition but miraculously healed. Wounded by the sword which to me says they/ he came out of a major conflict.
A question I have is this 1st beast the same as the beast the harlot rides? If so this may imply that initially satan “tolerates” and bides his time supporting this false united religion until events take place and he takes it over.. Instead of a wolf in sheepskin clothing we have a beast clothed in scarlet.
I also found it interesting that the first beast and the image receive worship but the second beast and the false prophet do not. I believe this is significant in that even though they are given power satan wants all the worship to himself and any “trinity” is there only to deceive.
Enough for now. Thanks
Don, your questions are certainly thought provoking.
I know that my thoughts are more in the traditional mould, and I do not have answers for some of those unresolved points and observations you mention, but what I have written suits my correlation of all that I have read thus far on the subject of angelic powers and their indwelling of men.
If I have any insights to the subjects raised I would put them in the form of a recent historical event. Since reading “The Rise and fall of the Third Reich” some years ago, the power of evil in men has been clarified for me and Hitler’s reign became in my eyes, a proto-type for prophesied future events.
Because of his early policies Hitler and his cronies lifted Germany from the gutter and the German people worshiped him, but power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and Hitler had that power in Germany. Every evil thing that ensued arose from abuse of that power.
Hitler was a national hero whose organised evil brought about total control of Germany and the subjugation of most of Europe. I believe the Anti-Christ will be an international hero on the same lines (I think of your words Don, regarding his rise to power through the defeat of Islam in the European States, or something similar).
It is obvious Hitler came under demonic influence and probable possession – he certainly had powerful protection, he survived fifteen attempts on his life and died at his own hand. So yes I can see a mere man becoming such a figure as The Anti-Christ, and I can see why such a man would earn the title ‘Beast’. It is a description of character not of physical form. The same applies to the False Prophet.
Being crippled does not stop people’s worship, Moshe Dayan was blind in one eye and yet had the respect and admiration of many; Stephen Hawkins although bound to his chair also attracts a great deal of admiration. So I can’t see these disfiguring wounds as being abhorrent to people: and also, with the ‘miracles’ of modern medicine, ‘deadly’ wounds of yesterday have become ‘critical yet stable’ today.
The False Prophet is not so clear to my mind, but I think he will be a renegade Jewish religious leader who comes into prominence after Anti-Christ and his allies destroy the great whore (Revelation 17:16). I wrote something on this in a previous reply regarding renegade Jews in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and the likelihood of a future replay.
Why set up such a statue as described?
At that stage of proceedings (the last three and one half years) Anti-Christ is busy enforcing his will throughout the Middle East and the remarkable statue and False Prophet become a ‘stand in’ – a proxy (Hitler would have been pretty anaemic but for Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda).
Fire from Heaven is certainly more than a mere man could accomplish, but is it beyond angelic power with permission from God? Men and their particular ‘demons’ certainly were not allowed that power in the days of Elijah’s ministry (1Kings 18), but it certainly will happen in a coming day and although it is the Beast that is credited with the act it could also be his particular ‘demon’ (angelic forces) being the cause. Funnelling cosmic gases to a single point on the globe plus the heat of its entry into the earth’s atmosphere certainly would produce such a phenomenon.
I look forward to seeing arguments from you and others.
Redarding “Anti-christ rise from the dead”… We see enough references to fatal and dead and healing, but not “rising”, per se (?). So, I’m wondering about “life support”? Hmmm.
I can’t say the false prophet immediately follows the little horn or rises with the little horn, but given there is only 3.5 years total (time and times and divided time et al), I would venture to say the two arrive on the seen with fullness relatively close together (the false prophet following, of course).
False prophet – I see references / comparisons to Elijah (I may take back a reference I made to Aaron now that I think more about it, but the “second fiddle” idea is there). As supernatural feats were accomplished through Aaron/Moses and Elijah (emphasis on the word “through”), I wonder about the use of the word supernatural as applied to the anti-christ/false-prophet/idol — Could be more than God allowing but God providing the dilusions since that’s what the people want.
Daniel and friends survived the furnace and lions’ den, which were supernatural and properly attributed to God. Whereas Satan et al shall claim (lie) the supernatural feats to deceive versus properly attributing those feats to God.
While I’m here, and since I’m reading Dr. Jeremiah’s “Handwriting” book – I’m no Daniel (or his three friends), in character. Maybe somewhere in all of the coming turbulence described in the seal breakings I shall exhibit some of their traits, but it’s hard enough just to try to hold to some semblence of normalality. I (we) are a casualty of the sins of the Country / world. And things are just getting started. At least we can be calm and assured (sane) knowing the prophecies to the extent we can (now that’s a glimpse of Daniel and his three friends).
“—why is it that only Jesus can destroy him [anti Christ] at his coming?”
I recently finished A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church by Renald Showers.
“The scroll is the key to understanding the significance or purpose of the future events of Revelation 6 through 22, which constitute the fulfillment of the Kinsman-Redeemer’s second responsibility-the eviction of God’s enemies from the earth and the taking of it’s tenant possession.”
It was a very convincing [and biblical] study but way too involved to comment on here. The point is that only the kinsman-Redeemer had the authority and right to evict a usurper tenant from the land and so only Jesus as the true Kinsman-Redeemer can destroy the anti Christ and evict Satan from the earth.
Wish I could comment on some of the other questions but I have nothing to back up my speculations with.
Caitlin,
That really does not answer my question. Who has the authority to take power from the Devil is really not the question, obviously only Jesus does. I was implying that the Beast must be a supernatural being or it probably would not take the second coming of Jesus for someone else to kill him.
There is nothing new about Showers teaching. Many teachers teach the same.
I didn’t interpret your question correctly? I see. You’re asking if the anti Christ is a hybrid; human/angel. He wouldn’t be if he actually dies from the head wound and I’ve read that God allows Satan to bring him back to life. I question Satan’s ability to resurrect the dead. Only God can do that so is there any reason why God wouldn’t bring the anti Christ back in order to accomplish His purpose for human history? Just speculating.
Showers teaching was new to me. [Where have I been?]
Caitlin,
God did say in 2 Th 2 that because they did not love the truth to be saved that He would send a strong delusion so that they would believe a lie. Allowing this man to come back from the dead might be part of that strong delusion.
IN an effort to keep my response short, here are a few observations, nothing new though. I am in the camp which believes that the resurrection authenticates Christ as Messiah (Rom.1:2-4) and there is no scriptural support for Satan having that ability. The AC is the offspring of Satan, “seed of Satan, descendant”- Gen.3:15. Not at all like the incarnation of Christ because the devil is a created being, not like the Almighty, just a wanna be. So, I think the AC will be a hybrid/Nephilim, possessed by Satan and as many other demons as is necessary. He will be mortally wounded and healed, maybe in a battle with the 2 witnesses; who die because their ministry is up after 42 months, at the middle of the Tribulation, I think. Their deaths & resurrections are another sign like that of Jonah to Israel and the world that what they preached was true. So I think that any kind of “resurrection” of the AC has to be purely a hoax/deception, not actual.
I don’t think the shepherd of Zech. is speaking of the AC. but maybe the False Prophet. A prophet who is “unseeing” and “weak” because he does not speak for God and is false. A shepherd spiritually tends a flock and would be religious in nature. A worthless shepherd would be like the thief or wolf. I see a false prophet here. Prophets spoke to the leadership with lies of peace and safety. This worthless shepherd could be instrumental in brokering the covenant with the AC and Israel.
The AC is primarily a political force and because he is a chip off the old block, he will desire and demand worship to go along with his super-human political power, not unlike the emperor worship of old. He will be the be all and end all of the type of intellectual elitism we already see in the power brokers of the world. I agree, Don. I also have more questions than answers at times, but I pray as we’ve been directed, that I can be found worthy to escape the wrath that is coming soon to this planet. Maranatha
My question is how does the beast ascend out of the bottomless pit when we already have him on the scene earlier? Also if he was just a man why is a human coming from this pit?
Jim,
Good question. If you ask me I do not think the Beast was on the scene before he came out of the pit. I would not think that he is just a man, although he will take the form of a man either through possession or incarnation of a human body. We must keep in mind that he cannot even come out of the pit before he that hinders is taken out of the way.
I know others disagree and think that the Antichrist is starting to play out the role of the Antichrist long before the Beast out of the pit arises. Any wonder then why the topic is so open to conjecture, and why it is also so thought provoking?
Don, are you and Jim referring to Rev.11:7? I had a difficult time with this verse as well when teaching it recently. This is the first reference to the beast…but not the first reference about the pit. Knowing this beast is almost always interpreted to be the AC I carefully went a different route. Using scripture to interpret scripture, I thought this could be the king of the demonic locusts from chapter 9:11. It can’t be Satan, he does not reside in the bottomless pit, but is the prince of the power of the air, etc..and will be consigned to the pit before the Tribulation. 20:1-2; and it can’t be a man, men’s souls are in hell or sheol. I understand the bottomless pit to be a separate compartment in hell for certain dastardly demons like the ones who copulated with human women.
Which leads me to a question I have. Where do the nephilim go at death? Is the human part of them soulless? Could the beast out of the pit have something to do with them?
Myammi,
Rev 11:7 applies but I was referring mainly to Revelation 12. I do not think this Beast is Satan. Satan is bound during the thousand year reign but is not in the Lake of Fire like the two Beasts are. This Son of Perdition entirety is more likely a reincarnating spirit. It could be Apollonian the king over the bottomless pit.
According to the book of Enoch. The Nephilim (offspring of fallen Angels and humans) that died are cursed to be wandering spirits on the earth. They are the reincarnating demons that seek a body to possess. I already suggested in the article that the Beast might be a Nephilim but I am not sure how a man turns into being one. Tom Horn thinks he has the answer to that one. Genetic corruption.
Oops, I meant to say that Satan will be consigned to the pit during the millennium, not the Trib.
Wouldn’t a man be a Nephilim if he is the offspring of Satan, ie the Anti-Christ?
Myammi asked, “Wouldn’t a man be a Nephilim if he is the offspring of Satan, ie the Anti-Christ?”
Maybe. The Antichrist could be among what was called Nephilim if you believe that the Nephilim are actually hybrid offspring of fallen angels and humans and if you believe that Satan also somehow put his genetics in the man that becomes the Antichrist. However, that seem to be a stretch that only Tom Horn will make. I know that most of Christendom would not buy into that conjecture.
I do have a rather unique view of the two beasts shown in Revelation chapter 13 – this view coming from many years of wrestling with all of the verses that sometimes seem to conflict in their descriptions of these two spawns of Satan. Please keep reading my post even if you run across something new and/or startling – because I think we are just now beginning to get a clear picture of what will be happening. I certainly invite comments – especially about how what I see relates to scripture – because this whole theory attempts to not conflict with any verse of scripture AND yet still fit in with what are the clearly announced strategies of Satan.
First off – neither one of the beasts are Satan. They look to be creations of his – with the anti-Christ shown to be totally empowered by Satan – sent to go out and accomplish his plans against God. They are completely guilty in what they do – so they do go directly to the Lake of Fire at their defeat (at the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Christ). Additionally, to me this proves they are not (fully) human because the Lake of Fire was created for the “Devil and his angels”.
This allows Satan to have perfectly good “plausible deniability” (as in “Hey – it was my Attorney General or my National Security Advisor – not ME!”) so that answers the question of why he only gets 1,000 years in prison at the defeat of the anti-Christ and the False Prophet. Of course, being who he is he invariably again revolts against God after the 1,000 years and this time has no one else to pin it on – so he then joins his top two henchmen in the Lake of Fire. I don’t see the extra 1,000 years of avoiding the Lake of Fire as much of a relief when measured against the eternity that he will have to exist there…
Secondly – we can now see that the two beasts of Revelation 13 are probably among “Satan’s angels”. Not only do we have a clear hint because they are the first two occupants of the Lake of Fire (prepared for Satan and his angels) but another hint is that they clearly do superhuman things! The real question is are they among “Satan’s angels” as fallen angels or as the direct offspring of fallen angels (which includes Satan of course) – creatures that Genesis 6 calls the Nephilim (this Hebrew word translates roughly as: the giants / ones who have fallen / those that cause others to fall down). Pretty good term to apply to the anti-Christ – don’t you think?
I tend to think as the beast from the sea – who takes the title as the anti-Christ – as a modern day Nephilim. After all (in his effort to be as Jesus like as possible) he will claim to be the human son of “god” (in reality of Satan masquerading as God). He would probably even submit to a DNA test to show he is human yet something more! His powers to overcome the world including the faithful (not to mention performing miracles) do not come from his humanness though – even an ultimately evil human like Hitler couldn’t do that – but from the indwelling of the spiritual powers of Satan himself. This human but something more “scientific proof” does fit very well with the “ancient astronaut theory” and even along the lines of Tom Horn. I even agree that most of Christendom won’t buy into that conjecture – but most of the world certainly will!
As to him having seven heads – with one having been “killed off” but shocking the world in its coming back to life. Now if we see a human with seven heads then we could probably say – “that’s the anti-Christ”! But we won’t. Those descriptions of those two beasts are the spiritual reality underlying their physical appearance. Those are the seven heads of the mountains of deception (upon which the Whore of Babylon sits). In other words – they represent the 7 major FALSE religions (including atheism / agnostic as a religion) that are in total almost all of the spiritual deceptions of the world! (This is much bigger than a Roman Catholic Church or European Union plot.) The anti-Christ beast really then is the eighth – which means he actually creates a brand new “ancient astronaut / ancient aliens seeded our planet and created us” religion – which in turn will hate the 7 other false religions (because they are in conflict with the current worship of Satan & the anti-Christ) and he will actually go to war against his “father’s” own followers to convert them to the “New Christianity”! Of course the world will see that as “Christ” righteously fighting “false religions”!
Now – which one of his heads had a mortal wound yet amazed the world because it was still alive – I see that particular spiritual head as Islam. At the end of World War I they were in complete shambles – totally defeated. Yet, they have sprung back to life and grown more than any other worldwide religion since then. Their Satanic empowerment in rising from the dead is clearly evident.
The False Prophet is someone that I see that most of Christendom will buy into. Remember if the anti-Christ “converts” all of the non-Christians into his new religion (which is the “New Christianity” which “clarifies” the mistakes of the Bible) the False Prophet needs to the get as many current “old” Christians as possible into the New Christianity (so together they confuse the whole world). Now, just free think for a second – who in the world could get most of the Christians in the world to follow them – and for a bonus also influence many of the Muslims too?
Try a false “Virgin Mary”. Let that soak in – her apparitions worldwide are relatively recent – and she always points to her son (but pretty much never Jesus the Christ). Now the real Virgin Mary is “overly” revered by the Roman Catholics (about ½ of the Christian world), respected by the rest of Christianity and greatly honored by the Muslims. Other than Abraham, she is the only personality of the Bible that has such dual religion respect. So, the fallen angel that has been masquerading as the “Mother of God, the Mother of the Universe” shows up as a supernatural being and says the anti-Christ is her “son” and we are to worship him! Before you object that she is female – there is no overt sexual pronoun describing the False Prophet in Revelation. The word/pronoun usually translated as “he” actually comes from the Latin form of the word. The original Greek word was gender neutral. The corresponding word in Hebrew is actually feminine… like the personification of Wisdom in the Proverbs. Beside that – how else can they pull in the militant feminists of the world – unless they are newly empowered in this false arrangement?
The female False Prophet thus first shows up at the empowering ceremony of her “son” the anti-Christ when the abomination of desolation occurs in the rebuilt Jewish Temple. They then have 3 ½ years to do all the damage they can before being thrown into the Lake of Fire…
Maranatha!
Most of Christendom doesn’t buy into a lot of what the bible teaches when taken literally. So that doesn’t phase me. Horn is definitely out there, I couldn’t finish his latest book, it was like wading through quick sand. I think that Jude and Genesis 6 are plain enough. Thanks for the thought provoking blog, Don. God Bless.
Fount,
My only problem with a demon masquerading as Mary being the false prophet is that she would have to say her “son” is a god. Muslims and christians both know that Jesus was her son. Muslims deny Jesus was god and christians would know that someone who opposes everything Jesus taught would be a fraud. I think the Mary apparitions will be just used to unite the world into one religion. Just my opinion.
Jim
To clarify what I was saying – I was saying the anti-Christ will be given the power from Satan to rule over the 7 false mountains (of religion) – and he will be busy (as their real spiritual leader) turning them into “new Christians” (which is a false imitation of Christianity). Those groups includes the Muslims so he will say to them what he needs to say to them.
I was saying Mary’s primary role will be to bring the not born again Christians into the newly forming flock of “her son” – the “new Christianity”. (We born again Christians will certainly not be fooled by any of this – but I see 1/2 of Christianity – the Cultural Christians – buying into these new lies.) She will be influential among the Muslims who respect and follow her as one of the blessed ones in their Quran. She will not be the lead to bring them in – just a supplement that will help in some cases.
Maranatha!
Hi,
I think my opinion is probably not all that valuable…but here it goes:
I think the beasts are the world’s and the devil’s attempts to mimic the prophets.
I think they might even be happening at the same time.
The 2 prophets in the temple, and the devil just outside, mocking and battling, and tricking the people who might otherwise listen to the prophets.
As far as who they are, I suspect the second beast will be an evil man since the mark of the beast is “man’s number”. This might seem far fetched, but I have noticed that man’s number is the atomic number of carbon which contains: 6 protons 6 electrons 6 neutrons. Man is a “carbon life form”, to quote Star Trek.
I suspect that the first beast is an evil nation or country (where the second beast is raised and nurtured).
I think Revelation says that the dragon is the devil.
Just pondering:
Is it possible that the two witnesses are the wild olive tree and the natural olive tree? Saved Israel and the Church? Personifications of the Old and New Testaments?
They are called up to heaven could this be referring to the rapture?
hiltrihwes,
That is a bit like the amillennial allegorical interpretation that makes the two witnesses the prophet and the law. The two witnesses probably do represent the prophets and the law through Elijah and possibly Moses but the details in the passage make it quite clear that these are two literal people and not allegory.
Some now may want to read my article on the two witnesses.
http://www.thepropheticyears.com/comments/the_two_witnesses_from_heaven_will_be_hell.htm
i wonder if the animation of the statue to speak for the Antichrist is an attempt to get eyes off a damaged body. I suspect being crippled will be abhorrent to those living the promises of physical perfection and health, thinking themselves “transhuman,” perfected humanity.
I am sure Satan can inhabit a damaged body..but how well can he mask or control the physical effects of a head wound?
@Jim 6/13/13
The thought of Christians not being here b/c of the rapture strikes a point that continues to baffle me. If Amillennialists and the rest truly believe we’re either in or nearing the Tribulation, why oh why do they refuse to study eschatology? Yet it’s we Pre-Trib / Pre-Mill / Rapture folks who seem to care the most. Amazing.
I’m also one of many who, until recently, had no space in my theology for how The Illuminati/Freemasonry/Nephilim/Fallen Angel/UFOs affect the equation. It’s causing me to rework things, and it’s not fun.
@Don 6/13/13
I’m inclined to agree with Peter Goodgame that Genesis 10:8:
(11) From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Ninevah …
could possibly be mistranslated. Whereas Genesis 10:8:
(8) Cush was the father of Nimrod …
is clearly a title, Ashur may be Nimrod’s real name. But the translators saw Ashur as a son of the blessed line of Shem, in Genesis 10:22:
(22) The sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad …
and thus figured there couldn’t be two Ashurs, and thus said that Nimrod moved his kingdom to Assyria. I however believe Ashur moved his kingdom to a place that would be named after him Ashur-iya aka Assyria. It’s another place named after him, as Ninevah (Genesis 10:11) is Nin-evah the ‘city of Ninus’. Ninus was another name for Nimrod, according to Sumerian tradition.
So, when I see Asherah/Ashteroth (the female version of the name, that goes back to Semiramis / Queen of Heaven / Ishtar / Madonna / Liberty / Columbia or when I see Assyria, Syria, or the Assyrian – I think Nimrod.
Thus I believe the Assyrian is indeed another name for Antichrist, rather than false prophet. I believe the title was fulfilled in the past, but is awaiting final fulfillment, like a vast amount of prophecies of pattern.
It sounds more to me like the Hornites are just feeding off each others conjectures.
When I think about the “deadly wound” I tend to also think in terms of media propaganda and control. And it seems that the Antichrist does try to counterfeit everything Jesus did in His lifetime on earth (miracle, authority..etc.) After all, the whole world watches the two witnesses dead in the street. Jesus spoke to John to write down, what was, is not now (ca 96 AD), but will be or past, present and future. Can we take the Bible Scriptures 100% literal? I know that verses refer to him as a personal noun “he”. And I know that it is only appointed once a man to live, but can we say that this could be some entity (political or relgious system)that existed before John’s time and was destroyed? Is the fire from heaven the FP using military authority to launch missiles. John could only desribe those things with what he knew in that period of time. Is the FP not only a relgious figure but has military and politcal authority?
I do get confused when I study about both beasts from my Ryrie Study Bible:
(Refs: Rev 17) is the religious Babylon, and the one-world apostate religious system, right?.
My Question is; if the Antichrist comes out of Rome (i.e. the pope); in verse 18, the beast and the ten horns and/or the false prophet and Antichrist, that came out of the sea go to war with the (Rev 17: 16) prostitute sounds like the Antichrist would go to war with himself?
Anns,
I think if the Roman or universal Church was both the Harlot of Rev 17 and the False prophet, you would have to conclude from what scripture says that he/she would be attacked by the 10 kings who give their power to the Beast. It really does not make sense for the ten kings to attack the False prophet of the Beast that they give their power to. Those that say Islam is the Harlot and the Beast are just as confused.
Here’s the deal. The Harlot is the world religious system before the False prophet and the Antichrist arrive. When they arrive on the scene the Harlot is burned because only the Beast is allowed to be worshiped and not any Creator in heaven. Most of the Harlot will be saved through martyrdom in the fires of the great tribulation. That is the great number around the throne that came out of the great tribulation. Although a Harlot is a Harlot she probably will go back to her husband when times get tough. Read Hosea. It applies to Israel but most of Christendom has become a Harlot just like ancient Israel.
Wow, lots of comments on this one, but because I’m tired, I’ll just share my few thoughts to ponder and read everyone’s tomorrow:
1. I agree, the Bible does seem to use “Beast” to have a duo meaning – person and empire.
2. Whoever designated the term “Anti-Christ” had an agenda. I’m not aware of reading that designation in Revelation, Daniel, or the other great prophecy sections. The only time I remember seeing the word “antichrist” had nothing to do with the end times bad guy.
3. The “Beast coming out of the ABYSS” is used several times. This seems to me to be significant. Who lives in the abyss? Demons? Angels? Man?
4. It is clear this person “dies” of a fatal head wound. I know people can die from this. Can Angels? Demons? Devils? die like this too?
That’s all I have for now. Good night friends.
Paul,
The term Antichrist is just a generic term used for the Son of Perdition and man of sin talked about in 2th 2 and the Beast of Revelation. I would not say that people who use that term have an agenda any more than those that use the word Trinity have an agenda. Both are valid biblical concepts. There obviously will be a man of sin called the Beast and obviously he will be antichrist. Thus the term Antichrist.
The head wound occurs before the Beast rises out of the Abyss. So yeah, a man can have a deadly head wound and then the Son of Perdition that is allowed to come out of the Abyss can take over his body.
Don,
Interesting thought – the head wound occurs BEFORE the beast arises out of the abyss. So, you see two different entities here.
A mortal man with a normal birth, is killed by assassin, and then resurrected with this beast demon entity infusing his demonic life into this dead body (I know demons live in the abyss) that ultimately allows for him to kill the two witnesses.
This could explain why the “antichrist” is not recognized until basically the abomination of desolation. (Although I’m still perplexed as to why we wouldn’t recognize the a/c while making the 7 year pact with Israel.)
Paul,
Perhaps many world leaders will confirm that covenant with the many. I would say that there are two different entities in the man after his head wound is healed but they both are self aware beings.
Well said: “…the Assyrian is referring to the Antichrist…” and “… Roman or universal Church was both the Harlot of Rev 17 and the False prophet…”.
This is all included in the papal system. Prove the roots Babylon-Assyrian-Greece-Rome. Or check out the Knights Templar routes. It comes all to the same result: Rome has the full heritage of Babylon and the assyrian, sun-worshipping routes. The papal-knights-system drive obviously the NWO and they are gnostic occult, not catholic or somehow christian. Therefore it is clear that they only use the “christian” coat and finally will destroy the apostacy church. Their destination is Jerusalem. They say: god wants it / deus lo vult.
Surely you understand that the Beasts and False Prophet aren’t actual people, rather two governments and a religion. I believe the first beast was the Greek/Roman style of democratic government. The False prophet (Catholic Church) arose when the first Beast fell, for a long time this false prophet ruled until the Church finally fell from it’s place and the Pope was deposed. About the time the false prophet fell, the second Beast arose which once again was the democratic style of governance which started in France and the US, but has since spread to the many parts of the world. The second beast truly was made in the image of the first beast.
From a historical and biblical reading, this is the only logical conclusion that I can come up with.
David,
Revelation makes it quite clear that they are literal by the acts that they do and by the pronouns that it uses for these two Beasts. The premillennial view uses the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy. The only way you can come up with your conclusion is to allegorize everything said and they make the prophecy conform to your own version of history and theology. We believe the first Beast is both a literal empire and the literal head of that Empire. The second Beast is the False prophet that tells the world to worship him. If you want to argue the Historicist view on this premillennial site you are not going to get posted. Read my commenting policy.
Don,
There is a lot of thought about the Beast and the False prophet on your site. I have also been studying about the Whore of Babylon and the Harlot. I have ask the Lord to open my eye’s to this message for the Body of Christ. I may be wrong, but I believe the Whore is a replica of the Roman Empire church system that incorporated herself with the affairs of the government around 300 AD and the Harlot are many churches of our day that have followed suit and sold herself out for the love of money and power. I believe that this harlot institutional religious system is any church that has mingled with the ways of the world and has fornicated with the government and is led of hirelings at pulpits selling the gospel of Christ to pad their wallets. I also believe that most man made institutions called church that’s run by a single man is the golden calf of our day. Anyone can see idolatry running rampant in every community with organized religion. When we go back to God and His tabernacle, He did not want a stationary temple made by man, He wanted His people to be on the move and to led of His Spirit in ding so. Even when David and Nathan wanted to build a proper temple for God, He was opposed to the idea and did not want a temple made by men. Men today have made an idol out of this harlot church system that fornicates with other lovers, and God doesn’t change yesterday, today or forevermore. I also believe this is why the body of Christ is weak, they listen to men instead of God. It went on back then and its still going on today, people are afraid to live by faith, they want to live by sight because what’s seen is proven. If God says to His people to come out of her, He mean’s it. We know that any her, is a worldly religious system and it’s not just the Catholic Church, because the devil is more cunning and smarter than that. The devils organizations called church are not going to be the obvious, why else would people be deceived? Everybody assumes what’s easy, but God expects His people to study His word and to seek His face and to discern all things. These are just my thoughts on my studies.
Sherry,
For the most part I much agree, Christ lives in His people, not a religious institution that gets influenced by the world. The Harlot is Satanic influenced religion. I explain the whole history of the Harlot in chapter 17 of my Revelation commentary.
http://www.thepropheticyears.com/The%20book%20of%20Revelation/Revelation%20Chapter%2017.htm
Yet, we still need to keep in mind that the Harlot has a history but she also has an end time prophetic role. Otherwise what is said in Revelation 17 would not make sense. The obviously leader of this end time ecumenical Harlot institution is the Vatican. That story also is explained in my Revelation Commentary.
Don,
I just glanced at your studies on Revelations 17 and what a blessing. I will read and compare my notes on this prophecy of Gods word, when more time allows. Without the Holy Spirit and teachers we would not know these important scriptures and direction that our Lord is revealing to His church. How exciting it is to learn more and more of Gods word for instruction and protection. May we go and spread the gospel of Christ so more will be prepared to meet their Groom.
Sherry,
Thanks.
Further discussion on my view of the Harlot would be getting off the post topic here, so I do not want people to take the comments down that road.
I did not post your other comment because it is way off topic and it is out of balance and is going to lead people to the wrong conclusion. You are against all church buildings and a head pastor leading local churches. That is a broad-brushing that I cannot agree with. There is a valid argument that many churches have become too pastor centered but not all pastor centered churches are bad. For example, Chuck Smith, John MacArther etc., are Godly men and they have produced the congregations and fruit to prove it. That also includes many great men of the past and many contemporary congregations that nobody has ever heard about. There are always going to be strong leaders of men, that is the way God designed the world to operate and the local church is not an exception. I do not agree with your position on this and it also is getting way off the post topic so discussion on this will not be posted here.
If you noticed I have a statement on the bottom of each post that commentators need to stay on the post topic. I do enforce that rule. I will not allow post topics to be steered toward someone’s theology or pet peeve. Other people stop reading comments at that point.
This is not directed at you but is my suggestion to all that want to comment on my Blog. If you have something to say on a topic first find a post that is dealing with that topic. I have over 1100 posts and the various topics can be found by using the site search tools. One of my own pet peeves is those that do say something on the post topic but then add on all kinds of other information that has nothing to do with the post topic. This is what starts off topic remarks, then if they don’t get posted they feel disrespected.
I may have to resort to editing those parts of the comments out, because some people will never get it. I am interested in comments that add information to the post topic. The quantity of the comments is not my focus. Nobody reads a long list of comments that digress to yada yada.
I’m sorry Don for my comments, I for one never meant any harm, that is not my heart. I’m just so concerned for the body of Christ and all that has filtered in. I just assumed the beast in Revelation and the harlot that I mentioned before, are very much related and is of the same topic. I don’t want to confuse or cause someone to think differently than your subject matter. Please except my apologies. I for one would love to be taught by John McAurthor, Charles Spurgeon from long ago, and many others that have a heart for Christ and His church, but in the last days these great men of Faith are very few and far between. I’m not at all against people meeting together to study the truth of Gods word and making disciples, I’m just against religion in any form. Again I apologize for not staying on the topic at hand.
Hi Sherry,
No problem. The Harlot and the Beast are related in Bible prophecy since the Harlot is burnt with fire by the Ten Kings that hate the Harlot and give their power to the Beast. Of course the Harlot is another topic. It seems there will be a sort of theocracy or one world religion before the Beast/Antichrist takes control of the world.
It was the other stuff that you added that is not related. By the way, I allow open commenting on my monthly perspectives newsletters. There you do not have to stay on topic.