WHO IS THE
ANTICHRIST?
PART 1
by Steve
Ashburn
According to the
book of Revelation, the Antichrist will be the leader of
the one-world government of the tribulation period. He
will be a ruthless dictator, and a deceitful and cunning
politician. Elsewhere in Scripture, he also is called
the Assyrian, the man of sin, the beast and the son of
perdition. At the midpoint of the tribulation, he will
sit in the temple in Jerusalem and demand that everyone
on earth worship him as God or else be killed. Jesus
called this the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet” (Matthew 24:15; cf. Daniel 9:27).
I believe that the
Antichrist will arise during the end times period, which
in my opinion and according to Ezekiel 29, is a 40-year
period beginning with a nuclear war in the Middle East
and ending with the second coming of Christ. According
to my reading of Scripture, this war will result in the
destruction of Israel’s neighboring nations, including
Iraq. I believe Amos 1-2 provides a general account of
this war, while other chapters in the Old Testament
provide more specific details about individual nations.
Apparently the
Assyrian will be a young professional (e.g., engineer or
financial type) who will be instrumental in rebuilding
Iraq (in part) after the US-led coalition of nations
invades and destroys it, which invasion I believe is
described in Isaiah 13 and Jeremiah 50-51. He probably
will be from the northern region of Iraq, since this
area was ancient Assyria (it’s interesting to note that
the city of Mosul is located very close to the ancient
capital of Nineveh).
In my opinion,
Isaiah 23:13 describes this: “Behold the land of the
Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian
founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they
set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces
thereof; and he brought it to ruin.” In this passage,
the Antichrist is described as “the Assyrian”; his
capital apparently will be an international city built
in a vacant area of Iraq (“the wilderness”), populated
by non-Iraqis (“this people was not “) and set up to
distribute oil and other spoils of war to coalition
nations. It is this city, which Revelation calls
“Babylon” that will be destroyed at the end of the
tribulation (“and he brought it to ruin”).
Daniel 8 also
describes the Antichrist as a “little horn,” meaning in
context that he will be descended from one of Alexander
the Great’s four generals who divided his empire amongst
themselves after his death. Since the Antichrist also
will be an Assyrian, the general of interest would be
Seleucus, who took Syria and Babylonia after Alexander’s
death in 323 BC. Daniel 8:9 also describes the little
horn “which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and
toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” This
makes sense if the Antichrist is an Assyrian, because
establishing a capital in northern Iraq would allow him
to extend his influence south (toward the oilfields in
southern Iraq), east (toward Iran), and west (toward
Israel).
Daniel 11:37 adds
that he shall not “regard the God of his fathers.” This
indicates that the Antichrist will come from a Christian
family. Since the end times probably are no more than
twenty years away at the time of this writing, the
Antichrist likely already has been born into a Christian
family in the northern region of Iraq. It may be
possible to identify him by obtaining birth records for
all males born to Christian families in this area in the
past twenty years; translating their names into Greek;
and then adding up the number of their names according
to the numerical value assigned to each Greek letter.
Probably one of those names will add up to 666—that’s
him, the Antichrist. On the other hand, many of Iraq’s
1.5 million Christians are underground, so it might not
be that easy. In any case, the Antichrist quickly will
rise to prominence after the beginning of the end times,
allowing him to be identified by his background and
name.
Zechariah 5 also
describes the world’s financial center (symbolized by an
ephah, a unit of measure) being established in Iraq.
“Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither
do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build
it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be
established, and set there upon her own base” (Zechariah
5:10–11).
Not only will the
Antichrist rebuild Iraq, but he will turn his capital
into a financial center which will become the hub of
world commerce and trade during the tribulation. The
destruction of this financial center at the end of the
tribulation wreaks havoc with merchants worldwide, and
all those that worship money, as described in Revelation
18.
And the kings of
the earth, who have committed fornication and lived
deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for
her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying,
Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!
for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants
of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man
buyeth their merchandise any more. (Revelation 18:9–11)
Daniel 8:23–25
indicates the Antichrist will be fierce, and a master of
the occult (“of fierce countenance, and understanding
dark sentences”); by deception “shall destroy many”;
shall be powerful, “but not by his own power” (possessed
by Satan); is successful (“shall prosper, and
practice”); supports industry (“shall cause craft to
prosper”); and is supremely egotistical (“shall magnify
himself in his heart”). Daniel 7:25 also indicates that
he will persecute the saints (“shall wear out the saints
of the most High”); try to “change times and laws”; and
that this will go on for three-and-one-half years
(“until a time and times and the dividing of time”).
Habakkuk 2 is a
parallel passage which also describes the Antichrist and
his kingdom. Verse 3 establishes the timeline: “For the
vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end [the
end times] it shall speak”; the term “time appointed”
also is used in Daniel 8:19 and 11:35 in reference to
the end times. In addition, verse 14 clearly is
millennial: “For the earth shall be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the
Lord, as
the waters cover the sea,” clearly establishing this
passage as end times. Generally speaking, Habakkuk 1
contains the prophet’s complaint against the armies of
historical Babylon; Habakkuk 2 is the Lord’s answer to
this complaint in terms of a description of the
tribulation; and Habakkuk 3 describes the second coming
of Christ.
The Antichrist
apparently has a problem with alcohol, is arrogant,
restless, greedy as hell, like death never satisfied,
and conquers for himself all nations and people. In
turn, the surviving remnant of the tribulation (“the
remnant of the people”) will spoil the Antichrist at the
end, mocking him for stealing their property for
three-and-one-half years, and also mocking his image.
In addition,
Daniel 11:37 says that he will have no regard for “the
desire of women”; while some commentators have suggested
this means he will be a homosexual, our passage in verse
5 infers that he will be a restless philanderer.
Therefore, it seems more likely that “the desire of
women” refers to the desire of all women to be the
mother of the Messiah—the Lord Jesus Christ—for whom the
Antichrist has no regard.
Yea also, because
he transgresseth by wine [drunk], he is a proud man
[arrogant], neither keepeth at home [restless
philanderer], who enlargeth his desire as hell [greedy],
and is as death, and cannot be satisfied [never
satisfied], but gathereth unto him all nations, and
heapeth unto him all people [insatiable conqueror]:
Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a
taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that
increaseth that which is not his [stealing their
property]! how long [three-and-one-half years]? and to
him that ladeth himself with thick clay [mocking also
his image]! Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall
bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt
be for booties unto them [at the second coming]? Because
thou hast spoiled [robbed] many nations, all the remnant
of the people [tribulation survivors] shall spoil thee;
because of men's blood [murder], and for the violence of
the land [persecution], of the city, and of all that
dwell therein. (Habakkuk 2:5–8).
This passage also
contains an intriguing description of the image of the
beast. Isaiah 45:20 indicates that this image will be
made of wood (“that set up the wood of their graven
image, and pray unto a god that cannot save”), and our
text passage says that it apparently will be overlaid
with clay (“ladeth himself with thick clay”), which
probably will be used to mold specific body features. In
addition, verse 19 suggests that it will be “laid over
with gold and silver.”
Habakkuk then
twice pronounces woe upon the Antichrist and his
government for establishing his kingdom based on blood
and unjust gain, and warns that all these works will be
burned up and are in vain (does this remind anyone today
of Wall Street banks and their manipulation of worldwide
markets?):
Woe to him that
coveteth an evil covetousness to his house [builds his
house by unjust gain], that he may set his nest on high
[have a secure bunker], that he may be delivered from
the power of evil [be safe from attack]! Thou hast
consulted shame to thy house by cutting off [killing]
many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. For the
stone shall cry out of the wall [their blood shall cry
out], and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood [murder], and
stablisheth a city [Babylon] by iniquity [corruption]!
Behold, is it not of the
Lord of
hosts that the people [government of the beast] shall
labour in the very fire [their works shall be burned
up], and the people shall weary themselves for very
vanity [they labor in vain]? (Habakkuk 2:9–13)
These woes
pronounced upon the Antichrist’s government and
corporate institutions by Habakkuk are identical to the
judgment on Babylon in Jeremiah 51:58: “the people shall
labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall
be weary.” This indicates that the judgments are the
same—on the capital city of the beast (and of one-world
government) at the end of the tribulation.
The overall
picture we get here of the Antichrist (and his minions)
is one of a deceitful manipulator, thief, and murderer.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he turned out
to be a former Goldman Sachs prop trader, and is
installed by them to oversee the rebuilding of Iraq and
international distribution of its oil resources. (That
oil revenue would pay for a lot of the interest on our
national debt!—and US banks [including the Federal
Reserve] hold more than $4.5 trillion in treasury bonds
as of 2018.)
Our Scripture
passage then pronounces the third woe against the beast
for enticing the entire world to sin (“makest him
drunken also”) and then mocking them for it; in return,
he will receive shame and disgrace for his own sin from
the cup of God’s judgment (“the cup of the
Lord's
right hand”). This is a parallel account of Revelation
18:3, whereby the entire world is seduced into
worshipping the beast and his image (“For all nations
have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication”)
which causes God to pour out furious judgment upon
Babylon (“the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his
wrath”; Revelation 16:19). Interestingly, it appears
from this passage that the Antichrist will not be
circumcised (“let thy foreskin be uncovered”) which is
another identifying characteristic of his. It is in this
shameful condition, covered with abominable filth
(“shameful spewing”) that he will be “tormented day and
night for ever and ever” in the lake of fire and
brimstone. (Revelation 20:10)
Woe unto him that
giveth his neighbour drink [induces the world to sin],
that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken
also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness [mock
them]! Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou
also [of your own sin], and let thy foreskin be
uncovered [uncircumcised]: the cup of the
Lord's
right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful
spewing [vomit] shall be on thy glory. For the violence
of Lebanon [judgment for your murders] shall cover thee,
and the spoil of beasts [theft and murder by your
subordinate dictators], which made them [your victims]
afraid, because of men's blood [murder], and for the
violence of the land [persecution], of the city, and of
all that dwell therein. (Habakkuk 2:15–17)
The concluding
section of Habakkuk 2 contains a warning against idol
worship, which in the context of the passage proscribes
worship of the image of the beast:
What profiteth the
graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it
[carved wood]; the molten image [molded clay], and a
teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth
therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to
the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone [hardened clay],
Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold
and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst
of it. But the LORD is in his holy temple [suggesting
that the idol in v. 18-19 is in the earthly temple]: let
all the earth keep silence before him. (Habakkuk
2:18–20)
The fourth and
final woe is pronounced here against the Antichrist,
because he commands this wooden image to “Awake. . . .
Arise, it shall teach!” However, this image, which has
the ability to speak through demonic manifestation
(Revelation 13:15), is “a teacher of lies” (vv. 18–19).
Finally, in view of worldwide idol worship during the
tribulation, the prophet reminds men soberly: “But the
Lord is in
his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before
him” (v. 20).
We’ll discuss the
fate of the Antichrist in Part 2 of this series,
especially his assassination and subsequent resurrection
from the dead to rule over the earth during the last
half of the tribulation.
I provide more
details of this and many other end-times prophecies in
my recently published book, END TIME DAWNING
(available from
www.endtimesrecord.com); also if you would, please
“like” my Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/endtimesrecord!