Meet the Antichrist: How to recognize him when he rises Part 3 of 4

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Meet the Antichrist

Part 3 of 4

By John of AllFaith © 7.21.08

Continued from Part Two

Master Y'shua warned that, "...When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet..." and so we know that this will be a specific event one could witness rather than metaphor or esoteric symbolism.

The Abomination of Desolation

This defining act of evil, this "abomination of desolation" is another of the major signs that the End of the Age is near. It therefore behooves us to invest a bit of time to understand this somewhat cryptic warning of both Prophet Daniel and Master Y'shua. As we will soon see, other prophets warn of this dark event as well!

One traditional Jewish commentary says Daniel's prophecy applies to Cyrus and Alexander Yannai, but again I don't see the evidence for such an interpretation and even if such exists, we have already seen that there is sometimes more than a single correct interpretation to divine revelations, one being immediate, the other far off as if a shadow of the main fulfillment. Also, according to Master Y'shua, its fulfillment was yet future at his point in time. Jews do not accept the teachings of Prophet Y'shua of course but for those of us who do, we understand the fulfillment of this prophecy to be yet in the future.

The Antichrist is described in verse 27 and his appearance is yet future. As we approach his appearance, HaShem will make his identity clear to people of faith through the scriptures and through His End Times prophets:

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Some things have been understood throughout the long history of Israel, however others have been concealed, only to be revealed in the End of Days:

Daniel 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Much prophetic understanding is only now becoming clear.

The Last Seven Years of this Age

According to the prophets, the final seven years of the age will be like none other in human history. The prophets have a lot of information about this seven year period and the thousand years that will follow it.

This week (seven days) is the seven year Tribulation period ("a day for a year" or one week – Ezek. 4:6; Num. 14:34 and so on).

We discussed the Great Falling Away above.

As we learned at Daniel 9:27 this Son of Perdition will sign a contact or treaty between Israel and its enemies for seven years ("a day for a year" or one week – Ezek. 4:6; Num. 14:34 and so on), but "in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." The Son of Perdition, the Antichrist, will violate the terms of the treaty by committing the abomination of desolation and turn against Israel with a vengeance unlike anything the world has ever seen. This is confirmed by Master Y'shua:

Matt. 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Prophet Jeremiah speaks of this terrible time as well:

Jeremiah 31:15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
16 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.
17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

This unprecedented time of sorrow was foreshadowed by the likes of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime however what will soon befall the earth will be far worse than even those dark days.

The Son of Perdition will enter the yet to be rebuilt Jerusalem Temple and perform the abomination spoken of by Prophet Daniel. The scripture tells us that "as God [he] sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." For those who are watching, his identity will doubtless be clear before this event, but for those still unsure at that point, this will make it clear. Another sign given here and elsewhere is the rebuilding of the Temple. Once this happens those who know the prophecies should be certain the End of the Age is about to begin.

There are many who believe that Paul and his contemporaries expected Master Y'shua to return in their lifetime and establish the Kingdom. I don't think the case is clear on this question either way. However, it seems most likely to me that considering that Paul wrote this letter to prepare his readers for a long struggle, whether or not the Temple was then standing, Paul would have been aware that it would be destroyed as per the Master's prophecies. That being the case, he also would have known that the Temple would be rebuilt, as per Isaiah's prophecies. Considering the strained relations between the Romans and the Jews at the time he surely would have viewed this happening any time soon as very unlikely. If this writing to the Thessalonian Believers comes from circa 75-90 CE he obviously knew it would be rebuilt a third time (Micah 3:12; Isa 4:6) and the case is that much stronger. This is an interesting consideration, but the point here is that since the Temple was destroyed nearly 2000 years ago, we today know that it must be rebuilt. Until it is, the Son of Perdition will not be able to fulfill his foretold desecration.

From 70 CE onward Jews have prayed for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Devout Jews pray for this thrice daily. Once rebuilt, most Orthodox Jews expect the korbanot or sacrificial rites prescribed in the Torah to be re-instituted. But who can build the new Temple? Traditionally Jews have maintained that only the Moshiach can build the Third Temple and re-institute the sacrifices.

Since the prophets show that most Jews, Christians and others will accept the Rex Mundi as Moshiach (Messiah), understanding what is expected of the true Moshiach will fill in the blanks of what the false one will have to do.

We see then that this coming Son of Perdition will build the Third Temple and that that act will, for a time, be accepted as partial evidence that is the promised Moshiach. The rebuilding of the Temple will doubtless be part of his treaty with Israel referenced by various prophets at the End of Days. Since the Rambam (Maimonides) clearly states here that Moshiach will rebuild the Temple and bring peace to Israel, when this coming ruler accomplishes these tasks it will be only natural for the Jews to accept him as their long awaited king and national redeemer.

John 5:43 I [Y'shua] am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

The vast majority of Christians believe Master Y'shua was the Messiah even though he failed to fulfill several of the key scriptural requirements. While it is admitted by scripturally knowledgeable Christians that the Master did not fulfill these requirements, they believe he will return and fulfill them at a later date, at the End of Days. I discuss this at my Noahide Nazarene site in some detail. This failure to fulfill the essential messianic prophecies, coupled with Y'shua's rejection of the Oral Torah which had become Judaism's main source of doctrine by his day, is the main reason he was rejected by the leaders of Israel and impaled.

Now obviously some of these things will not be seen during the reign of the Son of Perdition. For instance, he will not be able to "swallow up death forever." However, even these more incredible prophetic requirements will seem to be just around the corner with the incredible advances of technology as the Rex Mundi consolidates his power over the earth.

The Temple Rebuilt

As stated earlier, this leader will have "...a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies..." It will be through his personal charisma, diplomacy and the enacting of treatise that he will come to power. During a time of great international chaos and fear, he appear to be the voice of reason, the bringer of peace:

I Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

We can now understand that the Antichrist will be a political ruler who will use religion as a tool. He will proclaim himself the Messiah, the Madhi, Lord Kalki, Maitreya and so on. Most people will accept him as the World Teacher. He will be a great unifier of humanity and be widely accepted in this role by much of the world. Rex Mundi will solve the diverse global and regional crises and establish a time of global peace and security. He will not only defend Israel, he will promote Judaism as a religion deserving of respect even as his own Secular Humanist religion establishes the Universal Church led by the False Prophet.

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

It will be this False Prophet who will lead Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others into the Universal Secular Humanist Church. The head of that church will be the Rex Mundi. And the False Prophet will lead them.

The Rex Mundi will publicly honor this view and hence Orthodox rabbis will accept him and he will rebuild the Jerusalem Temple. As time goes by they will come to question his wisdom and his sincerity until finally they will reject him as Moshiach after he commits the abomination of desolation.

The treaty the Antichrist signs with Israel will be for seven years, which is a relatively short duration as such things go. It does not necessarily follow that the Antichrist will only be on the scene for this amount of time. Although his administration will be short lived, it will doubtless be developed over a period of years prior to the signing of this treaty.

This is the second forty-two months following the signing of the treaty. This will begin when the Antichrist willfully profanes the new Jerusalem Temple causing the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet.

Verses 3-20 of this chapter gives a prophetic overview of the third beast (i.e. Greece) especially with regard to Syria and Egypt that directly impacted Eretz Israel unto the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. It then describes his abuses (verses 21-35). At this point, the information leaps forward to Daniel's main interest, the end of the Gentile Times. Then, beginning in verse 36, Daniel narrates events of the Last Days. In this, Antiochus Epiphanes is presented as a shadow of the coming king, the Little Horn of 7:8, here referred to as willful king. That this is not Antiochus Epiphanes but the future enemy of Israel in the last days is confirmed by verse 40: "...And at the time of the end..."

Dan 11:6 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

These verses coincide perfectly with what we know of the coming Antichrist.

It is also noteworthy that pans are now underway to divide the Holy City and give its eastern section to the Islamic Ummah.

The Rex Mundi will obviously be Jewish and hence "the God of his fathers" will be HaShem of Israel whom his family worshiped but whom he will reject. At this point the Son of perdition will openly reject the God of Israel and proclaim his allegiance to a god previously unknown to them.

Neither the Torah nor the Tanakh accepts the idea that the God of Israel might take upon himself physical form. This idea is held by Nicean Christianity however and the Son of Perdition is referred to as the Antichrist. Now we see that he will proclaim not only his own divinity but also the worship of a god unknown to the Jews (a god his fathers did not know). The identity of this god is not revealed to us in the biblical prophecies directly, but we can see the relationship of the Son of the Perdition to this god. The False Prophet will explain that the god of the Universal Church is the totality of God, the Godhead from Whom all conceptions of divinity flow. This view is a mirror image of the truth.

Truth mixed with heresy. Secular Humanism has led the world toward what we might call the unification of God, but under the False Prophet the One God of Light will be flipped into a god of darkness. The perfect counterfeit. Christ means the anointed, this teaching will be the anti-anointing.

The Rex Mundi will proclaim himself the embodiment of this "god of light" in the same way that most Christians hold that Y'shua is the embodiment of the God of Light bodily. Hence Lucifer will be proclaimed the god of the earth and the worship of any other will be strictly forbidden on pain of death. In the follow texts, we can glean a bit more insight:

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [the Antichrist] rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns [compare Daniel 7], and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The identity of the god proclaimed by the Antichrist, regardless of the name he might employ, is shown to be the Dragon, who in biblical terms we know to be the fallen angel Lucifer, Son of the Morning. Lucifer himself will therefore bestow upon the beast his power and great authority over the earth.

The basic time line appears to be that after committing the abomination of desolation in the Holy of Holies of Jerusalem Temple, the world leader will walk outside into the limelight of the world's media to receive praise. TV crews will rush forward to record his every word and movement – a living god in their midst! The whole world will be enthused with honor and admiration for this man...

The prophecy doesn't tell us how long the leader will remain dead however considering his desire to mimic the accounts of Master Y'shua it is likely that he will be dead for three and half days, as was Prophet Y'shua. It will certainly be long enough to remove any doubt that his wound was fatal, that the dear leader was dead.

And yet some people will make war against him!

The March Towards Armageddon

Beginning with the Rex Mundi's resurrection from the dead opposition to his policies will begin in earnest.

It will be during this period of growing global peace and security, prior to his death, that certain nations will begin to resist his reign of terror and the march toward Armageddon will begin. What we're interested in right now is the way the Antichrist deals with the Jews and others who refuse to worship him and Lucifer, his god.

Rev. 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Once the Beast rises from the dead, the prophetic clock continues to count down. Three and a half years, forty-two months (the second half of the "week"), remains as Prophet Y'shua reveals to John here. Whereas previously his great words had seduced the world, The Rex Mundi now spews out blasphemies against the Jews, their Temple and their God.

Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

No longer does the leader rely on convincing arguments and skilled diplomacy to get what he wants, at this point he will utilizes all the raw power of global despotism. He will declare that those with religious faith in any god other than Lucifer are terrorists, enemies of the global state and of peace. Those nations he has yet to conquer will now be taken by brutal force. Individuals will seek to resist. People of all religions will then understand who this man beast really is. He will die a demon possessed human but he will rise Lucifer incarnate.

With their governments fallen to the New World Order, freedom living individuals from around the globe, citizens from the diverse and growing militia groups, and others will strike against the beast covertly and openly. This will bring national and planetary chaos that the Elite will be unable to handle. But they will try. this attempt will bring in what the prophets call The Great Tribulation, the last three and half years.

In China, Russia and North Africa paramilitary groups are even now preparing for war. Across the United States nationalists are training and preparing for martial law. People like Alex Jones, Liberty Tree radio, Radio Liberty and Dr. Stanley Monteith and many others are getting the word out. BUT it will be individuals who will decide to Stand. If We the People don't Stand, We WILL fall.

I Wont Back Down

Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Israel is the KEY

The global pogroms that will begin following the resurrection of the Beast will be worse than any persecution ever experienced on our wounded and abused little planet. So brutal will this violence be that it will threaten continued life on the planet. The various national, racial and religious militia groups will be positioning themselves for Total War because nothing else can stop the Rex Mundi and his New World Order. The imperial forces of the global government will be actively persecuting anyone and everyone, especially Jews and Christians, but anyone who maintains religious any non-Secular Humanist faith and who refuses to accept the authority of the leader and god, now ruling the earth from Rome and Jerusalem.

Revelation 13: 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The False Prophet

A god needs a priesthood...

Continued In Part Four

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