The references to the
Antichrist in the Prophets are numerous; nor is this to be
wondered at. It is there, more than anywhere else in
Scripture, that we learn of the future of both Israel and the
Gentiles. It is there we have the fullest information
concerning End-time conditions, and the completest
description of the varied parts which the leading characters
shall play in those days. It would carry us beyond the scope
designed for these articles were to examine every passage in
the Prophets which makes mention of the Man of Sin and the
numerous roles he will fill. Yet we do not desire to pass by
any of the more important allusions to him. We shall,
therefore, make a selection, and yet such a selection that we
trust a complete outline at least will be supplied. Certain
scriptures, notably those which view the Antichrist in
connection with Babylon, will be waived now, because they
will receive separate consideration in a later chapter.
One other introductory remark
needs to be made. We are conscious that this chapter will
probably be somewhat unsatisfactory to a few of our readers,
inasmuch as we shall be obliged to take a good deal for
granted. It is manifest that we cannot here attempt to give a
complete analysis of the passages where the different
allusions to the Antichrist occur, nor should this be
necessary. We are writing to Bible students, therefore we
shall ask them to turn to the different places from which we
quote and examine the contexts so as to satisfy themselves
that they treat of End-time conditions. While in most
instances the context will show that we are not reading into
the Scriptures what is not there, yet in a few cases they may
fail us. This is sometimes true with passages which contain
prophecies concerning Christ. It is often the case in the
prophets that the Holy Spirit is treating of something near
at hand and then, without any warning, projects the view into
the distant future. But just as the New Testament enables us
to determine which Old Testament passages speak of Christ, so
other scriptures help us to identify the person of the
Antichrist in verses where there is but an indefinite and
passing allusion to him.
1. ANTICHRIST IN ISAIAH.
A brief notice is taken of the
Man of Sin in chapter 16. The opening verses make it clear
that conditions in the Tribulation period are being
described. They intimate how that the persecuted Jews flee to
the land of Moab for refuge - "Hide the outcasts; betray
not him that wandereth", makes this clear. These
outcasts are definitely identified in v. 4, where Jehovah
terms them "Mine outcasts". The same verse goes on
to tell why they were outcasts, outcasts from Palestine:
"Let Mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a
covert to them from the face of the Spoiler: for the
Extortioner is at an end, the Spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors
are consumed out of the land". Here the destruction of
the Antichrist is noted. A further proof that these verses
describe what immediately precedes the Millennium is found in
the next verse, which conducts us to the beginning of the
Millennium itself: "And in mercy shall the throne be
established: and He shall sit upon it in truth in the
tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and
hasting righteousness". Thus, in the light of other
scriptures, there is little room for doubt that the Spoiler
and the Extortioner refer to none other than the Son of
Perdition.
In 22:25 we have another
incidental reference to the Antichrist. For our comments on
this verse we refer the reader to chapter 4, section 17.
"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). This chapter is by no means easy to
analyze: its structure seems complex. That its contents point
to a yet future date is intimated by its opening words -
compare other verses in Isaiah where "in that day"
occur. As one reads the chapter through it will be found that
there is a peculiar alternation between references to the
Tribulation period and conditions in the Millennium. The
closing verse clearly refers to the end of the Tribulation
period. So, also, does the first verse with which we are now
chiefly concerned.
Leviathan, the piercing
Serpent, is, we believe, one of the names of the Antichrist,
compare chapter 3, section II, 2. A comparison with a passage
in Job confirms this conclusion. It is generally agreed that
"leviathan" in Job 41 refers to the crocodile, yet
the commentators do not appear to have seen in it anything
more than a description of that creature. But surely a whole
chapter of Scripture would scarcely be devoted to describing
a reptile! Personally, we are satisfied that under the figure
of that treacherous and cruel monster we have a remarkable
silhouette of the Prince of darkness. Note the following
striking points:
In verses 1 and 2 (of Job 41)
the strength of Leviathan is referred to. In v. 3 the
question is asked "will he speak soft words unto
thee?": this is meaningless if only a crocodile is in
view; but it is very pertinent if we have here a symbolic
description of Antichrist. In v. 4 the question is put,
"Will he make a covenant with Thee?": this,
too, is pointless if nothing but a reptile is the subject of
the passage; but if it looks to some Monster more dreadful,
it serves to identify. "None is so fierce that dare stir
him up" (v. 10): how closely this corresponds with Rev.
13:4 - "Who is able to make war with the Beast?"
"His teeth are terrible round about" (v. 14): how
aptly this pictures the fierceness and cruelty of the
Antichrist! "His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as
hard as a piece of the nether millstone" (v. 24): how
accurately this portrays the moral depravity of the
Antichrist! "When he raiseth up himself the mighty are
afraid...the arrow cannot make him flee" (vv.25,26,28):
how these words suggest the invincibility of Antichrist so
far as human power is concerned. "Upon earth there is
not his like, who is made without fear. He beholdeth all high
things: he is a king over all the children of pride"
(vv.33,34). Surely these last verses remove all doubt as to
who is really before us here! The whole of Job 41 should be
studied carefully, for we are assured that it contains a
remarkable but veiled amplification of Isa. 27:1.
In Isa. 33 there is another
reference to the Antichrist. This chapter, like so many in
Isaiah, passes from a notice of Tribulation conditions to the
Millennial state and back again. The opening verse reads,
"Woe to thee that spoileth, and thou wast not spoiled;
and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously
with thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be
spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal
treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee".
This is evidently a judgment pronounced upon the head of the
false messiah. Two things serve to identify him: he is the
great Spoiler, and the one who shall deal treacherously with
Israel. It is in view of the perfidy and rapacity of their
Enemy that the godly remnant cry, "O Lord, be gracious
unto us; we have waited for Thee: be Thou their arm every
morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble" (v.
2). A further word concerning the Antichrist is found in v.
8: "The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth:
he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he
regardeth no man". The last three statements in this
verse make it certain who is there in view. It is the
Antichrist displayed in his true colors; the one who breaks
his covenant with Israel, sacks their cities, and defies all
human government to resist him.
A brief notice must be taken
of 57:9 ere we turn from Isaiah. In this chapter we find God
arraigning Israel for their horrid idolatries and wickedness.
The opening verse again makes it clear that it is the
Tribulation period which is in view: "The righteous
perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart", etc.
Following this we have the various indictments which God
makes against the unfaithful Jews - "But draw near
hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer
and the whore" (v. 3, etc.). The remainder of the
chapter continues in the same strain. Among the many charges
which God brings against Israel is this: "And thou
wentest to the King with ointment, and didst increase thy
perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst
debase thyself even unto hell" (v. 9). It is evident
that as this chapter is describing the sins of Israel
committed in the End-time that "the King" here must
be the false messiah. Incidentally this verse furnishes one
of the many proofs that the Antichrist will be king over the
Jews.
2. ANTICHRIST IN JEREMIAH.
In the 4th chapter of this
prophet there is a vivid description of the fearful
afflictions which shall come upon the inhabitants of
Palestine. Doubtless, what is there said received a tragic
fulfillment in the past. But like most, if not all prophecy,
this one will receive a later and final accomplishment. There
are several statements found in it which indicate that it
treats of the End-time. The plainest of these is found in the
closing verse, where we read, "For I have heard a voice
as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her which
bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of
Zion". It is the "birth-pangs" of Matt. 24:8
(see Greek) which is in view. The sore trials which Israel
shall then undergo are tragically depicted: "Blow ye the
trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble
yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. Set up
the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring
evil from the north, and a great destruction. 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" (vv. 5-7). The Destroyer of the Gentiles now
turns to vent his fiendish malignity upon the holy land.
Destruction is in his heart. Terrible shall be his onslaught:
"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" (v. 13). Fearful will
be the devastations his fury shall accomplish: The whole city
shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen: They
shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every
city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein" (v.
29).
In 6:26,27 there is a
remarkable statement made concerning the Antichrist: "O
daughter of My people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow
thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son,
most bitter lamentation: for the Spoiler (Destroyer, as in
4:7) shall suddenly come upon us". This Spoiler is the
Destroyer of the Gentiles. But it is what follows in the next
verse which is so striking: "I have set thee for
a tower and a fortress among My people, that thou mayest know
and try their way". Here we learn that, after all, the
Antichrist is but a tool in the hands of Jehovah. It is He
who sets him in the midst of Israel to "try" them.
A parallel statement is found in Isa. 10:5,6, where the Lord
says of the Assyrian "I will send him against a
hypocritical nation". It reminds us very much of what we
read concerning Pharaoh in Rom. 9:17. He was "raised
up" by God to accomplish His purpose. Even so shall it
be with this one whom Pharaoh foreshadowed. He shall be an
instrument in God's hand to chastise recreant Israel.
Chap. 15 contains brief
allusions to the Antichrist. In v.8 we have a statement
similar to what was before us in the last passage. Speaking
to Israel God says, "I have brought upon them against
the mother of the young men a Spoiler at noonday: I have
caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the
city". It is the Lord, then, (behind Satan) who brings
this Spoiler against them. After His purpose has been
accomplished, after the Antichrist has done what (unknown to
himself) God had appointed, we read how that the Lord assures
His people, "I will deliver thee out of the hand of the
Wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the
Terrible" (v. 21). Thus will God demonstrate His
supremacy over the Son of Perdition.
25:38 takes us back a little
and notices the awful desolation which the Antichrist brings
upon the land of Israel: "He hath forsaken his covert,
as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the
fierceness of the Oppressor, and because of his fierce
anger".
3. ANTICHRIST IN EZEKIEL.
We shall notice here but two
passages in this prophet. First, in 21:25-27 - "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 come whose right it is; and I will give it
Him".
So far as we are aware, all
pre-millennial students regard this passage as a description
of the Antichrist. It pictures him as Satan's parody of
the Son of Man seated upon "the throne of His
glory". It sets him forth as the priest-king. Just as in
the Millennium the Lord Jesus will "be a Priest upon
His throne" (Zech. 6:13), so will the Antichrist
combine in his person the headships of both the civil and
religious realms. He will be what the popes have long aspired
to be - head of the World-State, and head of the
World-Church.
"And thou, O deadly
wounded Wicked One, the Prince of Israel, whose day is come,
in the time of the iniquity of the end; thus saith the Lord:
remove the mitre, and take off the crown" (R. V.). This
is clearly Israel's last king, ere the King of kings and
Lord of lords returns to the earth. He is here termed
"the Prince of Israel" as the true Christ is
denominated "Messiah the Prince" in Dan. 9:25. The
description "O deadly wounded Wicked One"
looks forward to Rev. 13:12, where we read, "The first
Beast whose deadly wound was healed"!
"Remove the mitre and take off the
crown" point to his assumption of both priestly and
kingly honors. The Heb. word for "mitre" here is in
every other passage used of the head-dress of Israel's
high priest! Finally, the statement that his "day is
come...in the time of iniquity of the end" establishes,
beyond a doubt, the identity of this person.
In the opening verses of Ezek.
28 we have a striking view of the Man of Sin under the title
of "the Prince of Tyre", just as what is said of
"the King of Tyre" in the second half of the
chapter is an esoteric allusion to Satan. First, we are told
his "heart is lifted up" (v. 2), which is precisely
what is said to his father, the Devil, in v. 17. Second, he
makes the boast "I am God" and "I sit in the
seat of God" (v. 2), which is parallel with 2 Thess.
2:4. Third, it is here said of him, "Behold, thou art
wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from
thee" (v. 3), which intimates he will be endowed with
superhuman wisdom by that one of whom this same chapter
declares, "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom"
(v. 12). Fourth, it is said of him, "By thy wisdom and
by thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast
gotten gold and silver into thy treasures" (v. 4). Thus
will he be able to dazzle the worshippers of Mammon by his
Croseus-like wealth, and out-do Solomon in the glory of his
kingdom. Finally, his death by the sword is here noted, see
vv. 7,8.
4. ANTICHRIST IN DANIEL.
It is here that we find the
fullest description of the Man of Sin. First, he is looked at
under the figure of "the little horn". As there has
been some dispute whether this expression really applies to
him, we propose to examine the more carefully what is here
said of "the little horn". Personally, we have long
been convinced that this expression refers to none other than
the Antichrist. There are a number of plain marks which make
it comparatively easy to recognize his person, whenever
Scripture brings him before us. For example: his insolent and
blasphemous pride; his exalting himself against and above
God; his impious and cruel warfare against the people of God;
his sudden, terrible, and supernatural end. Let us compare
these features with what is said of "the little
horn" in Dan. 7 and 8.
We turn first to Dan. 7. In
vv.7 and 8 we read, "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 which
were before it; and it had ten horns. 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". This refers
to the rise of "the little horn" within the bounds
of the Roman Empire, for that is what is represented by the
"fourth beast". The first thing said of the little
horn is that he has eyes like the eyes of man, which speak of
intelligence, and a mouth speaking great things - the Heb.
word signifies "very great", and the reference is,
no doubt, to his lofty pretensions and his daring
blasphemies.
In 7:21 it is further said of
him that he "made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them". This contemplates his persecution of the
godly Jews, and agrees perfectly with Rev. 13:7; "And it
was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to
overcome them". In v. 25 we are told, "He shall
speak great words against the Most High". Surely this
serves to identify this "little horn" as the first
beast of Rev. 13: "And there was given unto him a mouth
speaking great things and blasphemies" (v. 5). If
further proof be needed, it is supplied by the remainder of
verse 25: "And shall wear out the saints of the Most
High...and they shall be given into his hand until a time and
times and the dividing of time". A "time"
equals a year (see Dan. 4:23 and Rev. 12:14, and cf. 12:6),
so that a "time and times and the dividing of time"
would be three and one-half years during which the saints are
given into his hand. This corresponds exactly with Rev. 13:5,
where of the first Beast, the Antichrist, it is said,
"And power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months" - in a later chapter we shall give a number of
proofs to show that the first Beast of Rev. 13 is the
Antichrist.
In Dan. 8 the Little Horn is
before us again, and that it is the same dread personage as
in chapter 7 appears from what is predicted of him. First, he
is referred to as "a king of fierce countance"
(8:23), which agrees with "whose look was more stout
than his fellows" (7:20). Second, it is said of him that
he "waxed exceeding great (first) towards the south, and
(second) towards the east, and (third) toward the pleasant
land" (8:9), which agrees with "there came up among
them another little horn, before whom there were three of the
first horns plucked up" (7:8). Third, it is said that he
"shall destroy the mighty and the holy people"
(8:24), which agrees with "and the same horn made war
with the saints and prevailed against them" (7:21).
There should, then, be no doubt whatever that the
"little horn" of Dan. 7 and the "little
horn" of Dan. 8 refer to one and the same person. Their
moral features coincide: both, from an insignificant
beginning, become great in the end: both persecute the people
of God: both are stricken down by direct interposition of
God. We may add that Messrs. B. W. Newton, James Inglis, G.
H. Pember, Sir Robert Anderson, Drs. Tregilles, J. H.
Brookes, Haldeman, and a host of other devout scholars and
students, take the same view, namely, that the "little
horn" of Dan. 7 and 8 and the Man of Sin is one and the
same person.
Let us now consider briefly
what is revealed concerning the Antichrist under this title
of his, the "little horn". We confine ourself to
Dan. 8:23-25.
First, he is "a king of
fierce countenance". This we believe is a literal
description of his facial expression, though we are satisfied
that it also has a moral significance. In Deut. 28:50 we read
of "a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not
regard the person of the old nor show favor to the
young". In the light of this scripture it seems clear
that when the Antichrist is denominated the "King of
fierce countenance" the reference is not only to his
actual features, but that it also intimates he will be
empowered to face the most perplexing and frightful dangers
and the most appalling scenes of horror without flinching or
blanching. It is significant that the reference in Deut.
28:50 is to the Romans, while what is said of the
Antichrist in Dan. 8:23 relates, specially, to his
connections with Greece. The two dominant
characteristics of these Powers will be combined in the Man
of Sin. There will be concentrated in him the irresistible
will of the Romans and the brilliant intellect of the
Greeks.
Second, we are told that he
shall be able to "understand dark sentences". The
Heb. noun for "dark sentences" is used of
Samson's riddle (Judges 14:12, of the Queen of
Sheba's hard questions (1 Kings 10:1), and of the dark
sayings of the wise (Prov. 1:6), which are too profound
to be understood by the simple. This characteristic of the
King of fierce countance, that he shall be able to
"understand dark sentences", suggests an attempted
rivalry of Christ as the Revealer of secret things. This is
one of the fascinations by which the Antichrist will dazzle
humanity. He will present himself as one in whom are hidden
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He will bewitch the world
by his solutions of the enigmas of life, and most probably by
his revelation of occult powers implanted in men hitherto
unsuspected by most, and of forces and secrets of nature
previously undiscovered.
Third, it is said "And
his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power"
(8:24). This is explained in Rev. 13:2, where we are told,
"And the Dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and
great authority". Just as we read of the Lord Jesus,
"The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the
works" (John 14:10), so shall the Son of Perdition
perform his prodigies by power from his father, the Devil.
This is exactly what 2 Thess. 2:9 declares, "Whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders". Thus will men be deceived by the
miracles he performs.
Fourth, he will "destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall
destroy the mighty and the holy people" (8:24). This has
received enlargement in the previous chapter, where we have
given several illustrations from the Psalms of the Antichrist
persecuting Israel.
Fifth, "And through his
policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand"
(8:25). The Heb. word for "policy" denotes wisdom
and understanding. It was the word used by David to Solomon,
when he said, "Only the Lord give thee wisdom" (1
Chron. 22:12), as it is also employed by Huram when writing
to Solomon: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that
made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a
wise son, endued with prudence" (2 Chron. 2:12).
The Heb. word for "craft" - "He shall cause
craft to prosper" - is the one employed by Isaac when
speaking to Esau concerning Jacob: "Thy brother came
with subtilty" (Gen. 27:35). It has in view the
chicanery and treacherous methods the Antichrist will employ.
"By peace shall destroy many" (v. 25) refers to the
fact that he will pose as the Prince of peace, and after
gaining men's confidence - particularly that of the Jews
- will take advantage of this to spring his bloody schemes
upon them.
Sixth, it is said "He
shall also stand up against the Prince of princes"
(8:25). This unmistakably identifies him with the Beast of
Rev. 19:19, where we are told, "And I saw the Beast, and
the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together
to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against
His army".
Seventh, "But he shall be
broken without hand" (8:25). This expression means that
he shall come to his doom without human intervention or
instrumentality - see Dan. 2:45; 2 Cor. 5:1, etc. That the
King of fierce countenance shall be broken without hand
refers to his destruction by the Lord Himself - "And He
shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the
breath of His lips shall He slay the Wicked" (Is.
11:4).
We turn now to Dan. 9:26,27.
This forms a part of the celebrated prophecy of the seventy
"weeks" or hebdomads. We cannot now attempt an
exposition of the whole prophecy: sufficient to point out its
principal divisions and examine that part of it which bears
on our present theme.
The prophecy begins with v. 24
and concerns the seventy hebdomads, a word signifying
"sevens". Each "hebdomad" equals seven
years, so that a period of 490 years in all is here
comprehended. These seventy "sevens" are divided
into three portions: First, seven "sevens" which
concerned the re-building of Jerusalem, following the
Babylonian captivity. Second, sixty-two "sevens"
unto "Messiah the Prince", that is, unto the time
when He formally presented Himself to Israel as their King:
this receiving its fulfillment in the so-called
"Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem". Third, the
last "seven" which is severed from the others. It
should be carefully noted that we are expressly told that
"after threescore and two weeks (which added to the
preceding seven would make sixty-nine in all up to this
point) shall Messiah be cut off". The reference is to
the Cross when Christ was cut off from Israel and from the
land of the living. This occurred after the sixty-ninth week
before the seventieth began.
The sixty-ninth terminated
with the formal presentation of Christ to Israel as their
"Prince". This is described by Matthew (the
distinctively Jewish Gospel) in chapter 21. The
rejection of their Prince caused the break between Christ and
Israel. It is very striking to note that (following the
rejection) Matthew records three distinct proofs or evidences
of this break. The first is found in Matt. 21:19 in the
cursing of the "fig tree", which signified the
rejection of the Nation. The second was His sorrowful
announcement from the brow of Olivet that the time of
Israel's visitation was past and her overthrow now
certain (Matt. 23:37 and cf. Luke 19:41-44). This was the
abandonment of the City. The third was His solemn
pronouncement concerning the Temple: "Behold your House
is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not
see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that
cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matt. 23:38, 39). This
was the giving up of the Sanctuary.
The entire Christian
dispensation (which began with the crucifixion of Christ) is
passed by unnoticed in this prophecy of the seventy
weeks". It comes in, parenthetically, between the
sixty-ninth and the seventieth. What follows in Dan. 9:26,27
concerns what will happen after the Christian dispensation is
ended when God again takes up Israel and accomplishes His
purpose concerning them. This purpose will be accomplished by
means of sore judgment which will be God's answer to
Israel's rejection of His Son. But let us examine more
closely the form this judgment will take.
The judgment of God upon the
people who were primarily responsible for the cutting off of
their Messiah was to issue in the destruction of their city
and sanctuary (9:26). This destruction was to be brought
about by the people of a Prince who should subsequently
appear, and be himself destroyed. The Prince here is the
Antichrist, but the Antichrist connected with and at the head
of the Roman Empire in its final form.[4] Now we know that it in A. D. 70, but that
"the Prince" here does not refer to the one who
then headed the Roman armies is clear from the fact that Dan.
9:27 informs us this Prince is to play his part in the yet
future seventieth week - further proof is furnished in that
v. 26 carries us to the end (i.e. of Israel's
desolations) which is to be marked by a "flood",
and Isa. 28:14,15 intimates that this is to be after
Israel's covenant with Antichrist: "Wherefore hear
the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people
which was in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a
covenant with Death, and with Hell are we at agreement; when
the overflowing scourge shall pass through it, it shall not
come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under
falsehood have we hid ourselves". To this God replies,
"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" (v. 18). The "overflowing scourge" is,
literally, "the scourge coming in like a
flood".
A few words remain to be said
on 9:27: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many
for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even
until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured
upon the desolate". The subject of this verse is the
Antichrist, "the Prince that shall come" of the
previous verse. By the time he appears on the scene large
numbers of Jews will have been carried back to their land
(cf. Isa. 18). With them the Prince makes a covenant, as of
old Jehovah made one with Abraham, and as Christ will yet do
with Israel, see Jer. 31. This will be regarded by God with
indignation, as a covenant with Death, and an agreement with
Sheol. But while this covenant is accepted by the majority of
the Jews, God will again reserve to Himself a remnant who
will refuse to bow the knee to Baal: hence the qualification,
"He shall confirm the covenant with many," not
all.
"In the midst of the week
he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease".
The returned Jews will rebuild their temple and there offer
sacrifices. But these, so far from being acceptable to God,
will be an offense. There seems a clear reference to this in
the opening verses of Isa. 66, which describe conditions just
before the Lord's appearing (see v. 15). And here the
Lord says, "He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a
man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's
neck", etc. (v. 3). But three and a half years before
the end, the Prince will issue a decree demanding that the
sacrifices must cease, and the worship of Jehovah be
transferred to himself, for it is at this point he shall
"exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped" (2 Thess. 2:4). The fact that we are here
told that he causes the sacrifices and the oblation to cease,
at once identifies this Prince of the Romans as the
Antichrist - cf. 8:11. The remaining portion of 9:27 will be
considered when we come to Matt. 24:15.
We turn now to Dan. 11, which
is undoubtedly the most difficult chapter in the book. It
contains a prophecy which is remarkable for its fulness of
details. Much of it has already received a most striking
fulfillment, but like other prophecies, we are fully
satisfied that this one yet awaits its final accomplishment.
That Dan. 11 treats of the Antichrist all pre-millennial
students are agreed, but as to how much of it refers to him
there is considerable difference of opinion. A small
minority, from whom we must dissent, confine the first
thirty-five verses to the past. Others make the division in
the middle of the chapter and regard all from v. 21 onwards
as a description of the Man of Sin, and with them the writer
is in hearty accord. A few consider the entire chapter, after
v. 2, as containing a prediction of the Antichrist under the
title of "The King of the North", and while we are
not prepared to unreservedly endorse this, yet it is fully
allowed that there is not a little to be said in its
favor.
We shall here confine ourself
to the second half of Dan. 11. Our present limits of space,
however, will permit of nothing more than brief notes upon
it. Commencing at v. 31 we read, "And in his estate
shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the
honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and
obtain the kingdom by flatteries". The history of this
"vile person" is here divided into three parts:
first, the means by which he obtains the kingdom: vv. 21,22;
second, the interval which elapses between the time when he
makes a covenant with Israel, the taking away of the daily
sacrifice and the setting up of the abomination of
desolation: vv. 23-31; third, the brief season when he comes
out in his true colors and enters upon his career of open
defiance of God, reaching on to his destruction: vv. 32-45.
Thus from v. 21 to the end of the chapter we have a
continuous history of the Antichrist.
"In his estate shall
stand up a vile person...he shall come in peaceably, and
obtain the kingdom by flatteries". This epithet
"the vile person" is a manifest antitheses from
"the Holy One of God". This twenty-first verse
takes notice of the Man of Sin posing as the Prince of peace.
He shall achieve what his antitype, Absalom, tried but failed
to do - "Obtain the kingdom by flatteries".
"And with the arms of a
flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be
broken; yea, also the Prince of the Covenant" (v. 22).
This Vile Person is denominated "the Prince of the
Covenant", which, at once, identifies him with the
Prince of 9:26,27. Then we are told in v.23 "And after
the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he
shall come up, and shall become strong with a small
people". This "league" or "covenant"
is doubtless the seven-years-treaty confirmed with Israel,
which is made at an early point in the Antichrist's
career, and which corresponds with the fact that at the first
he appears as a "little horn", the "small
people" being the Syrians - cf. our remarks on Dan.
8:8,9 in chapter six.
Vv. 25 and 26 describe his
victory over the king of Egypt. Then, in v. 28 we read,
"Then shall he return into his land with great
riches". His land is Assyria. The mention of great
riches corresponds with what we are told of the Antichrist in
Psa. 52:7; Ezek. 28:4, etc.
"And arms shall stand on
his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength
and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place
the abomination that maketh desolate". This is clear
evidence that these verses are treating of that which takes
place during the seventieth week. The mention of polluting
the Sanctuary is an unmistakable reference to "the
abomination of desolation", i.e. the setting up of an
idol to the Antichrist in the Temple. Note the repeated use
of the plural pronoun in this verse; the "they"
refer to the Antichrist and the False Prophet, cf. Rev. 13.
It is significant that in the next verse (v. 32) there is an
allusion made to the faithful remnant - "The people that
do know their God."
"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" (v. 36). That "the King" here
is the "Vile Person" is not only indicated by the
absence of any break in the prophecy, as also by the
connecting "and" with which the verse opens, but is
definitely established by the fact that in v. 27 (note
context) the Vile Person is expressly termed a
"king"! The contents of this thirty-sixth verse
clearly connects "the king" with the Man of Sin of
2 Thess. 2:3,4, and also as definitely identifies him with
the "little horn" - cf. 7:23 and 8: 25. The
remaining verses of Dan. 11 have been before us in previous
chapters and need not detain us now.
5. ANTICHRIST IN THE MINOR PROPHETS.
Here a wide field of study is
opened, but we must content ourself with but a few selections
and brief comments on them. Hosea makes several references to
the Man of Sin. In 8:10 he is termed "the King of
princes', as such he is Satan's imitation of the King
of kings. In 10:15 he is named "the King of
Israel", which shows his connection with the Jews. In
12:7 he is called a "Merchant" or Trafficker, and
of him it is said, "The balances of deceit are in his
hands: he loveth to oppress", with this should be
compared Rev. 6:5. These words denote his twofold character
in connection with the Jews: first he makes them believe he
is the true Christ; second, he ultimately stands forth as
their great Enemy.
Joel alludes to him as the
head of the "northern army", i.e. the Assyrian. And
here God declares that He will "drive him into a land
barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea; and
his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up,
because he has magnified to do great things" (2:20).
Amos speaks of him as "an
Adversary" which shall be "even round about the
land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy
palaces shall be spoiled" (3:11). That this is referring
to the End-time is clear from the verses that follow, where
we read, "That in the day that I shall visit the
transgressions of Israel upon him", etc. (v. 14).
Micah terms him "the
Assyrian", and of him it is said, when he "shall
come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces,
then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight
principal men...thus shall he deliver us from the
Assyrian" (5:5,6).
Nahum has this to say of him:
"There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil
against the Lord, a wicked counseller. Thus saith the Lord;
Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they
be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have
afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more...for the Wicked
shall no more pass through thee" (1:11,12,15). These
verses contain another of the many antitheses between Christ
and the Antichrist. The One is the Wonderful Counseller"
(Isa. 9:6); the other, the "Wicked Counseller".
Habakkuk describes him as one
whose "soul is lifted up" and "is not upright
in him", and as one who "transgresseth by
wine", as "a proud man, neither keepeth at home,
who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot
be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth
unto him all people" (2:4,5).
Zechariah denominates him
"the Idol Shepherd that leaveth the flock", and
then pronounces judgment upon him - "The sword shall be
upon his arm, and upon his right eye" (11:17).