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.