A correct answer to the question contained in the title of this week’s article will confirm the identity of the Antichrist, presumed to be unknown until after the Rapture occurs!

I say, confirm, because his identity has already been disclosed and documented in my second book, Out of the Abyss, and in several Eye of Prophecy articles.

Let’s get right to the first part of a well-known Bible passage (Daniel 9:26-27) from which the question posed in this week’s article is derived. Quoting from the New American Standard Bible—one of the older translations that uses the phrase, people of the prince:

“Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary…” (Daniel 9:26a).

Bible scholars, including me, are virtually unanimous: The Messiah identified in this sweeping prophecy is Jesus of Nazareth (Incarnate Son of God) whose extraordinary birth, life, death, and resurrection from the grave seemed to accomplish little … at first. Not until several years later did the Christian faith explode throughout the Roman Empire and turn the ancient pagan world upside down.

But who is “the prince” referenced in this passage?

Once again, the consensus among serious Bible teachers, students, and commentators, including me: The prince is the Antichrist, which is the most common designation given to this evil man; also known as the little horn, ruler, king, man of lawlessness, and beast (of Revelation).

However, the mainstream perception regarding the (Antichrist) prince is that he will be a modern-day born man (some say he’s already alive) who ascends to power shortly after the Rapture. Just like all tyrants before him, i.e. a natural and normal rise to power. Even though Revelation Chapters 13 and 17 depict the Antichrist’s arrival on the scene (reappearance) as anything but normal or natural.

Next question: Who are the “people of the prince” mentioned in this passage?

Again, the answer is accepted by most Bible teachers as a given historical fact in fulfillment of the (first part) of the prophecy. So much so, that newer translations of the Bible get even more specific in order to precisely identify the people of the prince.

Here, then is that same portion of the passage as found in the New Living Translation, from which I always quote, unless otherwise noted in my articles.

“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Messiah) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:26a, parenthesis mine).

One of the most documented dramatic events of ancient history was that of the Roman Legions assault against Israel that began in A.D. 66, culminating in the sack of Jerusalem, slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Jews, and annihilation of the 2^nd Jewish Temple in A.D. 70. Thus, the people of the prince in fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy were the Roman Legions of the 1^st century.

Accordingly, let me rephrase the question contained in this week’s Eye of Prophecy article. A question that, as indicated, will be answered with decisive documentation and compelling commentary on both the prince (his identity) and the people of that prince (Roman Legions).

To Whom Do (Did) the 1^st Century Roman Legions That Destroyed the Temple Belong?

This week’s Eye of Prophecy post is the 310^th article overall and the 60^th in the Category of The Antichrist.

Many of these 60 articles elaborate on one or more of the Biblical passages concerning the Antichrist with extensive evaluation of each of these passages contained in my 2^nd book, Out of the Abyss. The passages: Daniel Chapter 7, 9, & 11; Zechariah Chapter 11; II Thessalonians Chapter 2; I John Chapter 2; Revelation Chapters 13, 17, and 19. With Revelation Chapter 17 more of a biographical introduction to the beast-king (Antichrist) regarding his initial appearance during the 1^st century, then his reappearance (soon-to-come) in what is now the 21^st century … at the outset of the Great Tribulation.

Note: The first mention of the beast—who comes up out of the bottomless pit—in the book of Revelation is in Chapter 11, but in the greater context of the two mighty prophets who are killed by the Antichrist beast.

In follow up to my book, Out of the Abyss, most Eye of Prophecy articles in the category of The Antichrist provide ample evidence (Biblically and historically) to support the startling conclusion that the Antichrist will not be a modern-day born man who rises to prominence before and power shortly after the Rapture.

Rather, he is none other than the Roman Emperor Nero!

For me, it all began with Revelation 17:7-8; the angel’s astounding disclosure to John that the man he had just seen (in the form of a beast) had already lived and died in the first century.

Read with me: “Why are you so amazed, the angel asked. I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads… The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon (abruptly) come up out of the bottomless pit… And the people who belong to this world … will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (parenthesis mine).

Question: Does the passage state or even imply that the beast will die then come back to life during the Seven-Year Tribulation? No, it does not. What it says is that the beast (the man called Antichrist) HAD ALREADY LIVED AND DIED BEFORE JOHN SAW HIM.

Moreover, the fatal wound of the beast that had been healed is seen by (marveled at) the world after he arises from the sea (Abyss … Abyssal sea, Revelation 17). Meaning that when the world first sees him as described in Revelation 13:1-4, his fatal wound had already been healed. Which when combined with Chapter 17 clearly refers to the reappearance of the beast who had already lived and died even before John wrote Revelation. Which is why (the only reason as presented in Revelation 13) that many give him their complete allegiance, to the point of worship, i.e. his return from the grave as they will perceive it.

From there (for me) it was a matter of extensive and intensive study of every passage on the Antichrist; plus, a deep dose of 1^st century Roman and Church history to identify which of the five fallen kings (Revelation 17:10) was the Antichrist. Part of that process was to match the number of the beast (six hundred, sixty-six) to a man of the 1^st century through Hebrew gematria (counting by the Hebrew alphabet) after translating from the Greek—the language in which the New Testament was written. This clue was given in Revelation Chapter 13. Remarkably, it matches the name of Neron Kaiser (Greek) or Nero Caesar.

(Bust of Nero)

Yet, there is more evidence in Revelation 13 & 17 than just the number of the beast to convincingly conclude that Nero was the Antichrist of the 1^st century and will return from the Abyss (just like Scripture says will happen) to resume his reign of terror for 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. Likewise, that he was the Man of Lawlessness, a term that the Apostle Paul used of him in II Thessalonians Chapter 2. And the little horn/king of Daniel 7, as well as the King of the North in Daniel 11.

Today, we’ll focus on Daniel 9:26-27, which is perhaps the most persuasive passage to confirm Nero as the Antichrist; specifically, his two appearances to mimic the true Messiah’s first and second arrivals (Advents) to this earth.

The Ruler and His Armies

Before we continue with the extraordinary evidence to establish Nero as the prince/ruler of Daniel’s amazing prophecy, let’s look at the entirety of this passage. We’ll see how and when Nero was intricately involved with and linked to in real-time and space the very people (Roman legions) who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.

As opposed to a modern-day man who is supposed to arise from some replicated version of the ancient Roman Empire, and, thereby, is somehow considered to be attached or affiliated with the people of that long-gone empire. We’ll see how this stretches the contemporary mainstream connection between a modern-day Antichrist and the ancient Roman legions to the breaking point.

Here is the full passage:

“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Messiah) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him” (Daniel 9:26-27).

It is from this passage that we know the duration of the Great Tribulation to be seven years (one set of seven), as that is the length of the treaty with Israel orchestrated by the ruler (Antichrist). But half-way through, the ruler will break the treaty and abruptly end the sacrifices and offerings that will have been restored to and through the rebuilt Jewish Temple.

This also tracks with the full power and authority given to (permitted by the Lord) Antichrist during the last half of the Tribulation—42 months as stated in Revelation Chapter 13.

Note: just a quick reference to the sacrilegious object erected by the Antichrist. Most Bible teachers propose that this will be done when Antichrist breaks the treaty. Yet, this passage combined with Daniel 12:11-12 strongly suggests that the profane object won’t be set up until the very end of the Tribulation.  As indicated in a couple of prior Eye of Prophecy articles, I’m convinced this will take place (as a climax to all his terrible deeds, as the passage states) after Messiah Jesus returns to Jerusalem to rescue Israel from Antichrist and his ten-nation coalition. In fact, 30 days after the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation. This will be just before Christ defeats Antichrist and his armies at Armageddon.

However, today’s emphasis is on the ruler of this passage, particularly the relationship to his people (of the prince); more specifically that those people were the Roman legions that destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.

Notice that Daniel first introduces the ruler (Antichrist) as “a ruler will arise…”

Which begs the question: When will this ruler arise?

Narrowing it down further: Has he already arose (appeared on the scene) or will this take place (for the first and only time) after the Rapture at the outset of the Tribulation?

One way to answer those questions is to simply repeat what the angel told John in the subsequent New Testament revelation of the beast … Revelation Chapter 17. Which is the FACT that the Antichrist beast had already lived and died before John twice saw visions of this man. Plus, the FACT that the Antichrist beast would reappear from the Abyss to the utter amazement of those left behind at the Rapture—unbelievers. Then more disclosure in Revelation 17 that the beast would return to form a ten-nation coalition during the Tribulation period.

However, in keeping with the main subject/passage of this week’s article, let’s concentrate on Daniel Chapter 9 to answer the question as to when the ruler would (first) arise or appear on the scene of history. To also state that the man (a ruler) who would arise is “the ruler” (the same ruler) who would make a treaty with Israel that would usher in the Great Tribulation.

As indicated, the prevailing view (assumption) is that this ruler will make only one appearance, as he must be a modern-day born man. But that’s not what the passage says. It first states that this ruler would arise, “whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple.” Which we know happened in AD 70.

Next, we read: “The end will come with a flood and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end” (Daniel 9:26b).

We must recognize that Daniel is talking about the Jews and Israel, and her Messiah and the Anti-Messiah whose armies would destroy the Temple. The entire passage even beginning with verse 24 is a prophecy concerning Israel’s destiny, with the rest of the world affected by what happens to Israel.

Moreover, there is a strongly suggested time-gap between verse 26 and the beginning of verse 27.

“The end” (that) will come (last days) begins with a flood (“from that time to the very end”) which is undoubtedly the Roman conquest of Israel in A.D. 70 (what else could it be, plus flood is used symbolically in Scripture of a great army). Followed by centuries of wars, including two World Wars of the 20th century, and the Holocaust itself which was the ultimate “misery” or devastation of God’s chosen people, the Jews.

There is no way to ignore or even minimize the insertion of this part of Daniel’s prophecy (“the end will come…”) precisely between the ruler’s arising and his armies destroying the Temple, followed (much later) by this same ruler striking a seven-year treaty with Israel. The only way that could happen is for the ruler to return after he had already lived and died (in the 1^st century).

Which is EXACTLY what Revelation 17 is telling us when it says the beast (Antichrist) will reappear from the Abyss.

Once again, the question: To whom were the Roman Legions directly connected?

Answer: To the ruler or prince who is also the Antichrist.

Yet, as alluded, there are two options from which to choose: (1) To a Roman Emperor directly associated with those same legions that destroyed the Temple in the first century. With this same ruler (Antichrist) reappearing from the Abyss as Scripture said will happen. (2) To a far-off (what is now 2,000 years and counting) modern-day born ruler who would bear no time/space link to those legions, no matter from where this ruler arose—even if it were from Rome, Italy.

To provide more validation that the correct choice is #1, thereby confirming that Nero Caesar was the ruler, king, and man of lawlessness in the first century (Antichrist) and will return as the Antichrist beast soon after the Rapture, we’ll examine two key areas of proof. (A) Syntax of the text itself, especially the prepositional possessive correlation between the ruler and the people of the ruler. (B) First Century history that distinctly ties Nero to the people (Roman legions) who sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in A.D. 70, followed by a world-wide exile of Jews from Israel that lasted until Israel’s rebirth in 1948.

(This is when end times prophecy began to unfold. Which sets the stage for the return of the ruler to make a treaty with the nation of Israel. Right after the Rapture, which is more imminent than ever before)

(A) Possessive Language of the Passage Itself

Again, citing the second part of Daniel 9:26, this time from The Amplified Bible, which uses the same designation (prince) as other older translations.

“…And the people of the (other) prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary…” [parenthesis in the text, to further identify the “other” prince as the Antichrist in contrast to the “Anointed One” or “Messiah” who would be killed (just) before the second prince would arise].

Because the historical record is crystal clear that “the people of the prince who will come” were more precisely the Roman Legions that destroyed Jerusalem and the 2^nd Jewish Temple, the New Living Translation renders this part of the passage as: “…a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple.”

Let’s scrutinize the simple but often used word in the Old Testament (written in Hebrew) found in this passage that is crucial to comprehending this prophecy. That and the prepositional phrase that emphatically establishes a possessive correlation between the ruler and his armies.

It is the English word, people, translated from the Hebrew word “am” (pronounced ahm) which is used some 1,620 times in the Old Testament.

The meaning is clear: peoples, people of a nation, members of one’s peoples, kinsmen, one’s countrymen (or women), or compatriots. Especially in the context of what’s going on in this verse, it’s imperative that we grasp what should be obvious: the “people” (of the prince) is used in the same sense that people or peoples is used throughout Scripture. For that matter, in and through any literary source.

Whenever people is found in Scripture that relates those people to God, a king, a ruler, or a nation, it invariably refers to and is in the context of an immediate, possessive, generational (at that time in whatever scene is taking place) relationship. This is the commonsense case even if the word “people” is part of a prophecy, as it is in Daniel 9.

Have you heard of Moses, Pharaoh, and the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt … the Exodus? Of course, you have. Read with me:

“After this presentation to Israel’s leaders, Moses and Aaron went and spoke to Pharaoh. They told him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go…” (Exodus 5:1, emphasis added).

(Moses before Pharaoh … scene from the movie, The Ten Commandments)

Who were the people?

Easy and obvious answer: The Hebrews alive at that specific time in history. Furthermore, God called them, “my people.” Meaning the descendants of Abraham whom God chose as a special people to bring God’s Word and the Messiah to the world. When Messiah Jesus came (born from the tribe of Judah), his flesh and blood people were the Jews of that time, just like the Hebrews of Moses time were “my (God’s) people.”

This (possession) principle is also what’s taking place in Daniel 9. “People” of the prince or ruler to come includes (would include when the prophecy was fulfilled) the prince’s countrymen. Regarding the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, more precisely it was the Roman Legions that fulfilled the prophecy.

Whose armies, were they? Whose people, were they? The answer is found in the possessive pronoun or prepositional phrase, depending on which Bible translation is used. Thus, whether we read, “people of the prince” or “a ruler… whose armies” the same possessive relationship is established.

As a result, we can say with a great deal of certainty: The people directly affiliated, associated, or united with the prince (during the 1^st century) are the ones who destroyed the Temple. They belonged to that ruler (of their time), not to some far-off ruler who would come at a much later date in history.

There’s no way the grammar or syntax or linguistic meaning of the text (or any text) allows for a ruler who would arrive on the scene long after his people destroyed the city. Thus, an (the) Antichrist born in the 20^th or 21^st century would be a direct contradiction of the textual time/space connection between the ruler and his people (armies) as clearly stated in Daniel’s prophecy.

To further amplify this point, the following is an excerpt from my book, Out of the Abyss (in italics):

In verse 25, the angel Gabriel tells Daniel, ‘Now listen and understand!’ There should be no confusion or misunderstanding here. If Gabriel had meant that the Temple would first be destroyed by the people of the prince, and then the prince would come at a (much) later date, he would have told Daniel that the armies or people of the prince to come will have or would have already destroyed the city and the Temple…. In some fashion Daniel would have clarified that the people or armies would first destroy the city, and then the prince would come (Page 255).

However, Gabriel through Daniel is not saying that. In fact, the passage—especially the New Living Translation—says just the opposite. The ruler would arise (meaning first) and his armies would (subsequently) destroy the Temple.

“…A ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple” (Daniel 9:26, emphasis added).

Returning to Out of the Abyss:

“People of the prince who is to come” is a prepositional phrase that demands a possessive correlation. “People of the prince who is to come will destroy the city” neither prophetically or grammatically state nor even imply that the city would be destroyed before the prince arrived. In other words, this ruler and his armies are inseparably linked together in possessive relationship and in a real time context. Both events were future to Daniel.

Where have you ever read or seen or thought that a ruler of any era would be connected to armies or people hundreds or thousands of years earlier. All monarchs, both in Biblical and secular history, are linked directly with the armies of that time of the ruler’s life. Contextually and grammatically it makes no sense for Gabriel to tell Daniel that the ruler’s armies would destroy Jerusalem, but the ruler wouldn’t come until much later…. Conversely, the text clearly delineates and specifies that when the ruler comes, his people or armies will destroy the city.

…Why, then, should Gabriel and Daniel mean a far-off, time-warped differential between the Roman Legions and a prince that wouldn’t arrive on the scene for what is now a nearly two-thousand-year gap?

…Stating it bluntly: The Roman Legions of 70 AD could not be of, from, or belong to a ruler born some two thousand years later. This would stretch the chain that tries to bind the Roman Legions of 70 AD to a modern-day man to the breaking point.

…Daniel tells us that the ruler will come, and the people of the ruler will destroy the city. He does not say that the Temple must be or is first destroyed before the prince arrives. But that’s the current hindsight application made by those who hold to a modern-day Antichrist and a Revived Roman Empire. Meaning that this “prince who is to come” must be born and rise to power after an enormous lapse of time (2000 years), with a 21^st century result of an impractical and unrealistic time-capsule detachment from the armies that destroyed the city and Temple (Pages 255-257).

Now let’s examine 1^st Century history to emphatically establish the association between the ruler/prince and his people/armies who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.

(B) The Stunning Historical Connection

Beginning with three questions that will set the stage for what was (at that time), a dramatic partial fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. Then to better grasp the angel’s astonishing disclosure to John that this ruler prophesied by Daniel had already lived and died before the book of Revelation was written in the first century. Even more remarkable: this same ruler would return from the Abyss at the outset of the Great Tribulation to the amazement of those left behind after the Rapture.

Question #1: What Roman General was in command of the legions that destroyed Jerusalem and demolished the 2^nd Jewish Temple in A.D. 70?

Question #2: What Roman General initiated the campaign to crush the Jewish rebellion against Rome, which was completed by the Roman General of question #1?

Question #3: Who was the Roman Emperor (Caesar) that hand-picked these two generals?

Many details are presented in my book, Out of the Abyss regarding identification of these well-known men of their time. However, time/space does not permit more than a summary overview in this week’s article. So, right to the point.

Answer #1: Titus

Answer #2: Vespasian, father of Titus.

Answer #3: Nero

(Both Vespasian and Titus later became Roman Emperors themselves, 69-79 AD; 79-81 AD, respectively. Nero was the fifth and last Emperor of the Claudian dynasty, He ruled from 54-68 AD)

I’m sure you were clued into Nero as the Roman Emperor, if for no other reason than this article had already given that answer away by now. However, not too many students of the Bible or world history would remember or even know in the first place that Nero personally selected Vespasian and Titus to lead the military campaign against Israel in A.D. 66. Plus, the fact that Nero died in A.D 68 (half-way through this assault against Israel) causes even more disregard for his direct connection to Daniel’s prophecy.

Consequently, most Bible scholars overlook or dismiss outright Nero’s involvement in this historic event, as not being all that relevant.

Why? Because they endorse the contemporary view of a modern-day born Antichrist, and a kingdom application to the seven heads of Revelation’s beast. Instead of the correct application that the seven heads are seven Roman Emperors, five of whom had already died (The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now, Revelation 17:8).

Here is another excerpt from Out of the Abyss to explain this significant connection more clearly (in italics):

In Daniel Chapter 9 … the angelic messenger told Daniel that it would be the (specific) people or armies which belong to the prince that would destroy the city and the Temple.

Think about it! Historically, that’s exactly what happened. Nero issued direct orders and personally selected the Roman generals to carry out the directive. But Nero wasn’t around to see the outcome…. Thus, it was necessary for Daniel to prophetically tell us that it was the armies of the ruler who finished the job.

…To eliminate any misunderstanding as to when the ruler would arise, the angel would have told Daniel that when the ruler arrives, his armies would have already destroyed the city. But that’s not what Daniel says, nor did it happen that way in history.

Nor has any conquest, in ancient or modern warfare, been accomplished or even recognized by means of troops conquering a city or country, then the supreme leader (king or emperor) of that army born hundreds of years later or even a few years later. In fact, that makes no sense at all. The only way the armies can be connected to, belong to, controlled or ordered by their leader, is a direct result of the leader—by virtue of being alive—delivering commands to his subordinates; thus, for that ruler to be unequivocally associated with and attached to the people that do the conquering.

…The armies are of or belong to the ruler himself, by virtue of the possessive correlation clearly articulated in the passage (Daniel 9). The passage does not state nor even imply a (far away) future ruler to the Roman Legions of the first century. Instead, we see culpability by direct possessive association with and correlation between first century Rome and a first century Roman ruler.

…The armies or people who destroyed the city and the Temple were Roman Legions that belonged to Nero, as ultimate Commander in Chief of all Roman legions. These legions are long gone and couldn’t possibly be the people or armies of a modern-day born Antichrist. Again, I will stress: the ruler and his armies of Daniel 9 are inextricably conjoined, coupled, and connectively linked by the possessive pronouns employed in the text, whether the translated pronoun is “of” or “whose.”

This ruler would return from the Abyss. This same ruler whose armies annihilated Jerusalem in 70 A.D. would strike a treaty, would mesmerize the nations by returning from the dead, and would require that his name or the number of his name be implanted in every human being. It just so happens that the name of a Roman emperor matches the gematria numerical code of six hundred, sixty-six… (Pages 263-265)

Things to Ponder

I’m convinced that the main purpose for the correct retrofitting of the prophetic puzzle regarding the Antichrist is that some (hopefully many) will not be so amazed at Nero’s reappearance.

Instead, they will soon (after the Rapture) see that the Bible and the God of the Bible had predicted this hundreds of years ago. They will further understand that Nero did not return from his grave. Rather, he would reappear from the Abyss, having been confined there after the Lord revived him. (If the Antichrist comes up out of the Abyss—Revelation 17:8—then he must first be placed there). That many will then choose the true Christ over the false (anti) Christ, even on the pain of death.

Where did the Roman Legions camp and prepare for the march on Jerusalem in 70 AD? Answer: Megiddo. Who ordered this campaign against Israel? That right; it was Nero. Where will the final conflict of Revelation be decided? Right again … Armageddon. Who will be leading these armies against Israel, then against Messiah himself? Easy answer: Antichrist. A chilling connection, don’t you think?

One last little asterisk footnote of history if you will. What was it that, in part, contributed to the Jewish revolt against Roman occupation in 66 AD? Answer: A Jewish priest refused to administer a pagan sacrifice in the Temple. And, this pagan sacrifice had been ordered by none other than Caesar. Now who do you suppose this Caesar might have been? …none other than Nero! Subsequently, Nero hand-picked Vespasian and Titus and ordered his generals to set things right in Judea (Out of the Abyss, Page 265).

In closing, let’s read Revelation 17:8 again, as this is the pivotal (starting) point in refitting the prophetic puzzle concerning the Antichrist.

“The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world … will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.”

There is no question; the meaning of the verse is as irrefutable as anything can be. The beast had already died before John received this revelation.… John didn’t see the vision in the future; he saw it in the present—that hour of that day. The beast is past tense … no longer alive when John saw the vision. The beast isn’t born and doesn’t die in the future; he’s already dead. When will the beast become future tense? Correct: When he reappears from the Abyss. At the beginning of the Tribulation, the world will be amazed at the reappearance of the beast that had died. Will the beast die during the Tribulation? No, he died even before John saw him from Patmos (Out of the Abyss, page 271).

“…until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27b)

“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one (Messiah Jesus) sitting on the horse and his army (all believers). And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet…. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse…” (Revelation 19:19-21, parenthesis mine).

Do you want to know the future? It’s quite simple.

Those who belong to the world—refusing to trust Jesus as personal Savior—will (sadly) lose.

We who belong to Messiah Jesus will WIN!

Thank you, Lord. We trust you. All your promises are true.

And we love you because you first loved us!

What do former leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler have in common? Or George Washington and Joseph Stalin? Or Winston Churchill and Mao tse-tung (China)?

If you said, “absolutely nothing” in the context of and contrast to good and evil, just and unjust, moral and immoral, positive and negative (effect on their nation and the world), you would, of course, be “right on.”

In terms of personal integrity and consideration for others, they were opposites. With entirely different social, political, and military consequences for the people they led; indeed, for the whole world during their time in power.

But these trailblazers and world figures before and after them do have one thing in common: They were born, lived, and died in the generation shaped by their influence and exploits—whether good or bad. And they appeared on the world stage only once.

Your immediate response would probably be: “Of course, they had that in common. That’s simple logic. That’s just the way of it. Always has been, always will be.”

And your reaction would be just as rational as your conclusion: Whether abruptly or gradually, persuasive people through the ages have risen to prominence through the typical course of human events.

Next, you might ask another reasonable question: Where is he going with this?

What’s the point of stating the obvious regarding the natural way of birth, life, and death for all people, including prominent leaders from previous generations?

(Arlington National Cemetery Tombstone of Former US President John F. Kennedy; many longed for his return to complete the Camelot-like paradise of his presidency)

Good questions and sound logic. In fact, so sound, that nearly everyone (including believers in Messiah Jesus) automatically assumes that the Antichrist will be born a few decades before the Rapture and rise to power at the outset of the Seven-Year Tribulation period in the pattern of tyrants before him.

However, this natural and reasonable assumption has three foundational flaws:

First Flaw: Failure to fully realize that the post-Rapture appearance of the Antichrist is (in the eyes of those left behind) as stunning as the Rapture itself. Followed by the spectacular events described not only in the book of Revelation, but also by many Old Testament prophets and by Jesus himself … which are anything but natural or normal. They are, in fact: supernatural, abnormal, and extra ordinary (extraordinary).

Second Flaw: The tendency to forget that the Antichrist is not only the opposite of Christ but also a counterfeit imitator of the true Messiah—Jesus. Those who have believed and received Messiah Jesus as personal Savior have done so because we believe with our whole heart the Biblical record (plus secular history) that decisively documents the supernatural birth, exceptional life, and marvelous miracles of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Apostle Paul succinctly summarized the pivotal event that changed the course of human history when he penned these words to verify that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah, the very Son of God:

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died” (I Corinthians 15:3-6).

Several Biblical prophecies declare in definitive and dramatic terms that Jesus will return to this earth during the Day of the Lord—Tribulation period followed by the Millennial Reign of Messiah—in the same glorified body in which he ascended to heaven forty days after his magnificent resurrection from the grave. In that respect, he is different from any other person who has ever lived. Scripture (Old and New Testament) is abundantly clear that Messiah’s soon-to-come arrival will not be his first appearance on earth. Rather, it will be his glorious Second Coming to establish the global Kingdom of God.

Listen to the words of Messiah himself as spoken to the prophet regarding the last days of the end times:

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died” (Zechariah 12:10).

Followed by: “Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south” (Zechariah 14:3-4).

Other than Messiah (Jesus), no ruler will return to complete what he started during his lifetime on this earth.

Except one: The Antichrist. Because the tendency is to think in terms of the natural/normal ascendency of leaders during their “once in a lifetime” position of power on this earth, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the Antichrist will be a (false) replica of the true Messiah. Including his initial revealing (1^st Century) and his subsequent return from the Abyss (21^st Century).

Messiah’s Second Coming will be mimicked by the Antichrist, also in a supernatural way.

Antichrist will be the only other person to “reappear” on the scene of human history. Thus, he, too, will not be a modern-day born man.

(Fingers have been pointed at Popes, Presidents, and other Dignitaries as the Antichrist. The latest target is Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and Advisor)

Third Flaw: As indicated, it’s intuitively reasonable to suppose that the Antichrist will be born and rise to power in the generation of the Rapture and ensuing Tribulation … like all despots before him in their generation.

Consequently, Bible Scholars (including me at one time) to this day have missed or even dismissed some significant statements—some clear, others more like clues—in Scripture which convincingly illustrate that the Antichrist was also born in the 1^st Century and will return shortly after the Rapture to finish what he started. But this time on a global scale.

In my book, Out of the Abyss and in most of the 59 Eye of Prophecy articles to date in the Category of The Antichrist, I’ve provided detailed Scriptural and historical evidence to demonstrate that this despicable man is none other than the Roman Emperor Nero. I’ve examined at length ALL Biblical passages pertaining to the Antichrist, such as Daniel Chapters 7, 9, & 11. Also, Zechariah Chapter 11 and Revelation Chapter 13.

Present & Past Tense Existence of the Antichrist in the First Century

In this week’s article, we’ll focus on the two passages that categorically convey the present and past tense existence of Antichrist in the first century, i.e. that he was alive at the very time that the Apostle Paul wrote about this man of lawlessness. And that he had already lived and died BEFORE John of Revelation saw his visions of this perverse man—described symbolically by John as a beast. Respectively, they are II Thessalonians Chapter 2 and Revelation Chapter 17.

In addition, there are only two passages in all of Scripture in which the writer (John of Revelation) challenges believers to—with wisdom and understanding—comprehend and, thereby, solve a mystery. Both exhortations apply directly to the Antichrist beast; that his identity could be known (and was known by 1^st Century believers). With that knowledge waning by the 5^th Century. See Eye of Prophecy article: The Legendary Return of Nero, posted 4-4-15.

The first challenge is found in Revelation Chapter 13—the initial revelation of the Antichrist beast to John. Even many unbelievers know or know of the infamous number found in this verse:

“Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666” (Revelation 13:18).

As indicated in Out of the Abyss and prior articles, the title/name of Nero Caesar equals six hundred, sixty-six in Hebrew gematria. Gematria is how Jews counted, via the Hebrew alphabet; then translated to the Greek, the original language of the New Testament. First century believers, especially Messianic Jewish believers, would have easily been able to “solve the meaning of the number of the beast.”

Nevertheless, John was given a second vision of the beast, with even more clues; this time focusing on the biographical and geopolitical status of the Antichrist. Clues so strong that they stand alone to provide more proof as to the identity of the beast. They are found in Revelation 17:7-11. For purpose of today’s examination, we’ll focus on verses 7 and 8. With verses 9 through 11 providing more evidence to narrow down which of the seven kings (Caesars) was the beast … Nero.

For an in-depth study of these seven kings (to document they are kings not kingdoms) please refer to Chapters 16 & 17 in Out of the Abyss. Or, Eye of Prophecy articles, Exposing Antichrist’s Identity … More Compelling Evidence, Part I & II (Published 3-18 & 3-25-17).

Revelation 17:7-8

Let’s look again at these two astonishing verses that Bible teachers/students (including me for several years) have overlooked. With the stated reason that it’s so very difficult to wrap our minds around the startling fact that the Antichrist’s arrival soon after the Rapture will NOT be a contemporary man appearing on the scene for the first time. Instead, it will be his reappearance on earth—straight from the Abyss. Where he has been imprisoned for some 2,000 years after his death and revival by the Lord himself.

“Why are you so amazed? the angel asked. I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon (abruptly, at any time) come up out of the bottomless pit (Abyss) and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:7-8, emphasis added, parenthesis mine).

In further commentary on that passage, the following is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Antichrist / A “Back To The Future” Prophecy. Posted 11-17-18 (in italics).

Question: When is the now of the verse?

If you’ve never thought about it before, now you know the obvious answer. The now is right then and there at that precise point in time in the first-century A.D. The wording is unambiguous and the meaning irrefutable: The beast had already lived and died! “Once alive but isn’t now.”

The life and death of the beast also had to be in the first century, not long before John saw the visions recorded in Revelation. Which is confirmed by more of the mystery unveiled by the angel.

*Note: I then quote the next two verses, which is the 2^nd time in Revelation that a challenge is issued by the angel to accurately decipher the clues.

“This calls for a mind with understanding (same challenge as in Revelation 13): The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills (of Rome) where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings (a totally different Greek word than kingdoms). Five kings have already fallen (died), the sixth now reigns (at that very time when John saw the vision), and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief (all seven kings were Roman Emperors). The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer (more validation that the beast is past tense), is the eighth king. He is like (Greek word is ek, meaning of, out of, from, one of, like) the other seven…” (Revelation 17:9-10, parenthesis mine for additional commentary).

Continuing with the excerpt:

What had John witnessed? Answer: He had prophetically witnessed the same thing those left behind at the Rapture will see and be utterly amazed at (still in the future … beginning of the Tribulation).

What will amaze them? Answer: the reappearance of this beast (Antichrist) who had (already) died. Or, as phrased in Revelation 13: they will marvel at the miracle of the beast whose fatal wound had been healed.

It is a back to the future spectacle that will mesmerize the world’s attention and capture their loyalty like no other since the resurrection of the true Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

I then summarized that section of the article with the following observations:

Once a secret is revealed, it is no longer a secret. When the angel explained the mystery of John’s second vision of the beast, it would clarify and confirm John’s first vision; the beast was one of the seven heads, also the composite beast (man) as a whole. Also, to dispel any doubt as to when the fatal wound was inflicted. The solved mystery would provide insight to the very origin of the beast—one that also corroborates Daniel’s disclosure that the little horn (Antichrist) comes directly from the fourth Gentile Kingdom—the Roman Empire.

Not from a (7^th kingdom) Revived Roman Empire, because there is no such empire identified in Scripture.

I repeat for emphasis: no such kingdom because there are only four Gentile kingdoms designated by Daniel—known to be Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The kings of Revelation are just that: kings … seven Roman Caesars. Of which Nero was one of the five who had died before John saw him in the symbolic form of a beast. The ten kingdoms are those that belong to the ten kings in existence during the Tribulation; they will yield their kingdoms to the beast who reappears from the Abyss. Thus, the past tense (seven heads) and future tense (ten horns) unveiling of the mystery.

For sheer emphasis, here is an excerpt from Out of the Abyss (in italics):

The beast had already died before John received this revelation. How else can this passage be understood? Is there any other way to see or read this verse? If some can’t let go of a contemporary Antichrist, then what will they do with this verse … and all the other passages that help refit the prophetic puzzle?

John didn’t see the vision in the future; he saw it in the present—that hour of that day. The beast is past tense … no longer alive when John saw the vision. The beast isn’t born and doesn’t die in the future; he’s already dead. When will the beast become future tense? Correct: When he reappears from the Abyss. At the beginning of the Tribulation, the world will be amazed at the reappearance of the beast who had died. Will the beast die during the Tribulation? No, he died even before John saw him from Patmos (Page 271).

Now let’s take an up close and personal look at another passage on the Antichrist which emphatically expresses that this man was alive when the Apostle Paul reminded the believers in the Thessalonica Church what he had already told them about the Rapture in I Thessalonians (Chapter 4 & 5).

II Thessalonians Chapter 2

Paul begins that chapter with: “Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him” (II Thessalonians 2:1).

Why was that clarification necessary?

Answer: Some of the Christians had believed false reports that the Day of the Lord had already begun. In his first epistle to the Thessalonians written just a few months earlier, Paul had explained that the Day of the Lord begins with the Rapture of believers to heaven. Followed by a time of disaster that would fall on unbelievers (those left behind).

Yet, Paul reassured the believers that the Rapture would spare them from this time of great tribulation that Jesus had previously spoken of when he said: “For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones” (Matthew 24:21-22).

In fact, the Tribulation will be limited to seven years. But as Jesus said: what a period of death and destruction that will be. See Eye of Prophecy article: Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation (posted 6-6-15).

Returning to II Thessalonians Chapter 2, the Apostle Paul provides another reason or component as to why the Day of the Lord had not yet begun. Which, incidentally, he and all the other apostles including Peter believed would take place in their lifetime … any day.

However, it wasn’t until after Paul and Peter had been executed during the latter part of Nero’s reign that the 1^st Century believers were given more dramatic details of the Antichrist, which John saw as a beast. Whereas, Paul labeled him the Man of Lawlessness.

As contained in the Eye of Prophecy trilogy, A Beast By Any Other Name I, II, III (posted 3-14, 3-21, & 3-28-15), it’s vitally important to know why different designations are used of the Antichrist, such as king, ruler, man of lawlessness, and beast. Paul never used the tag of Antichrist or beast because he had not been given full disclosure of the sequence of events during the 1^st century … later described in the book of Revelation.

Paul wrote only what the Lord had revealed to him:

“Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship…” (II Thessalonians 2:3-4a).

As contained in Out of the Abyss and several Eye of Prophecy articles, Paul knew that Nero was the man of lawlessness; although Nero hadn’t yet ascended to the throne as the fifth Roman Emperor when Paul penned the two letters to the Thessalonians. We know that Paul knew because of what he says in verses 5 through 8, which we’ll get to momentarily. Paul wrote II Thessalonians in AD 51. Nero surreptitiously claimed the throne as Caesar in AD 54. During his reign, he and the Roman Empire began what Paul said would happen when the man of lawlessness was revealed (meaning coming to power).

There would be a great rebellion against God. Which is exactly what happened when Nero instigated a campaign of terror against the new Christian faith in which thousands of believers were killed. Never (before) had an entire empire persecuted people simply because of their beliefs. This rebellion (persecution) began with the Orthodox Jews—including Paul while he was still a Pharisee named Saul. It was a revolt against God’s New Covenant of Grace which, among other things, declared that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah and Savior of mankind.

Nero also fit the profile portrayed by Paul of exalting himself and defying everything that people call god and every object of worship. He had a monumental statue built of himself and wanted people to worship him as God, not just “a god.”

(Current statue at Anzio, Italy–memorializing Nero at his place of birth. The nearly 100-foot statue Nero had built for himself in the 1st century no longer exists)

Then Paul goes on to predict what else the man of lawlessness would do: “…He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God” (II Thessalonians 2:4b).

The Apostle Paul was beheaded because of his Christian faith during Nero’s reign … most likely at the direct orders of Nero. The temple was still intact at that time, as the Roman Legions under General Titus didn’t destroy the Temple until AD 70. It was Nero who, in AD 66, ordered the assault on Israel and hand-picked the Roman Generals Vespasian and Titus to crush the Jewish revolt. However, Nero died in AD 68 before his legions completed the conquest of Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple.

Which fits perfectly with Daniel’s prophecy, of which I’ve also written extensively:

“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Messiah Jesus) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:26, emphasis added, parenthesis mine).

However, the Lord hadn’t revealed to Paul that the man of lawlessness would later be called Antichrist by the Apostle John and a beast/king by John of Revelation. Although Paul knew that Jesus himself would kill the man of lawlessness (II Thessalonians 2:8), he didn’t know this would happen before the man would desecrate the Temple. Likewise, Paul wasn’t aware that the beast would reappear from the Abyss (at God’s appointed time) and continue his 1^st century escapades but in far greater proportion on a global level.

The Present Tense Lawlessness Going On

Continuing with II Thessalonians Chapter 2, we read about the lawlessness secretly at work in the Roman Empire. It is the present tense verbs and adjectives in this passage which convincingly confirm that the man of lawlessness (Nero) was currently being restrained (delayed) from perfecting the plot to make him Emperor.

“Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming” (II Thessalonians 2:5-8).

Because I said it as well then as could be said now, here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Does the Holy Spirit Restrain (the Man of) Lawlessness? Posted 3-4-17.

Now let’s read part of the above quoted passage from the New American Standard Version: “And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed” (II Thessalonians 2:6). Then in verse seven, “…only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.”

Paul uses the impersonal pronoun “what” (restrains him) but then switches to a personal pronoun “he” (who now restrains). You’ll see who the “he” is later on, but the fact remains that the restrainer(s)—there are actually two sources of restriction —is first referred to as “what.” Which could not possibly be the Holy Spirit for reasons already provided: The Holy Spirit is ALWAYS referred to by the personal pronoun … He, Him, or His.

I then provided an excerpt from my book, Out of the Abyss. As follows (also in italics):

A torrent of crucial words floods these verses. Let’s begin with the present tense words that clearly convey and confirm the premise that all this was taking place before and when Paul wrote his letter.

According to Paul, the restrainer “is” (at that time) holding the lawless one back. This present tense application is augmented by the fact that what restrains is holding “him now.” Not later, not in some distant future, but right then and there while Paul informed the believers. Paul obviously is not referring to a man who hadn’t even been born yet…

Think about it. How could or why would the man be restrained if he wasn’t already alive? If Paul was referring to this man in the future tense (not what the man would do … that was still future), he would have said, “and you know what will hold him back.” The present tense grammar of the text yields a convincing conclusion: this man of lawlessness was already being held in check.

Newsflash: Nero became emperor in 54 AD, but Claudius Caesar and his wife, Agrippina, were already touting Nero as successor when Paul wrote I & II Thessalonians. Furthermore, all of Rome knew that Nero would not be a lawful successor to the crown… (Page 191).

*Note: Agrippina was Nero’s mother. Emperor Claudius was Nero’s stepfather and the biological father of a son, Britannicus, who should have been the lawful heir to the throne.

(The first five Roman Emperors, known as the Claudian Dynasty. From left to right: Augustus Caesar; Tiberius; Caligula; Claudius; Nero)

To further understand how and why Nero was/is the Antichrist/beast/man of lawlessness, here is an excerpt from A Beast By Any Other Name…Part III (in italics):

Thus, when examined closely in the contextual references to Christ and Antichrist, we find a clear indication that the Antichrist would first be revealed as the Man of Lawlessness (ruler-king of Daniel whose armies would destroy the Temple); then return (reappear) as the beast-king of the Tribulation period. There is, however, one astounding verse in the New Testament passages about Antichrist in which both Greek words are used (referring to the words, reveal and reappear) It is a verse that many scholars (including me at one time) have overlooked regarding the significant impact of what is being said.

“Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming” (II Thessalonians 2:8).

Yes, you read that right! The verse means exactly what it says. There are two distinct events presented in this stunning verse: (1) Jesus, himself, will kill this man. Remember, the passage is not about the beast; rather about the man of lawlessness as revealed by Paul. (2) The Lord will (also) destroy the man when Jesus returns … by the splendor of his coming. The killing and the destroying are not the same occurrence; for one thing they are separated by the all-important connective word, and. Furthermore, two separate distinct words are used, kill and destroy. Although destroy can include death, it is much more than that. It is final conquest, domination, and destruction of one’s enemy, whether the adversary is actually killed or not.

When the time came for the man of lawlessness to be revealed—which happened when Nero became Caesar—Christ would subsequently kill him. Then at the second coming of Christ (the Greek word is epiphany… used with a divine emphasis and connotation, i.e. Jesus the Son of God), Christ would ultimately destroy this man. Which is the fate of the beast when he and the false prophet are thrown bodily (alive) into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20).

… Thus, we have the unmistakable evidence that the beast had already lived and died as the man of lawlessness before John prophetically witnessed his reappearance from the Abyss as described both in Revelation 13 and 17.

In closing, here is another excerpt from Out of the Abyss:

Paul’s description as the man of lawlessness points to the soul or persona of the man. Simply put: the man is unruly, anarchistic, uncontrolled, ungovernable … in short, outside the God-given laws of morality and nature. After Daniel’s … reference to this man as a king or ruler or little horn, and our Lord’s reference to false messiahs, Paul was the first to introduce this man.

The term antichrist refers directly to the spirit of this depraved man; in fact, the apostle John equates the Antichrist to the spirit of antichrist. Then John defines what this spirit represents or does: it denies God the Father, and God the Son as Messiah.

It is the spirit of a human being that is regenerated or made alive, when that person accepts Christ as Savior. Then the Holy Spirit bears witness with the redeemed spirit that we are children of God. The spirit of Antichrist remains forever spiritually dead; as does the spirit of every person who denies that Jesus is the Christ….

The bestial image of Revelation vividly depicts the physical nature (body) and corporeal deeds of this man, and all that entails. We still use a beast in modern language to expound the exploits of an individual. We might say, “He fought like a beast!” Or we might reduce the beast-like qualities to a specific animal and say, “She had the strength of a lion!” The soul and spirit of a person expresses all that is evil or good through the flesh or bodily presence of the individual. (Pages 204-205).

Also:

When Jesus, with his divine rightful authority, killed Nero, he eliminated the very soul of this wicked man from the face of the earth, at that specific point in time (68 AD), for a very explicit purpose, with a unique twist to a twisted man. Jesus would preserve Nero’s body for the precise plan of sealing the final destruction of Antichrist … bodily in the lake of fire. Yes, I did say, “preserve!” (Page 205).

The mainstream present-day explanation is that a modern-day Antichrist will be killed (some say his death is faked, but Revelation 13 tells us that it’s a fatal wound, i.e. death) at the hands of a Jew, or perhaps by a member of his inner circle. There are several theoretical scenarios presented by various scholars, but not one that I know of factors in II Thessalonians 2:8—that Christ, himself, will kill the man of lawlessness. However, these theories lead to a moot point. Because Revelation 17 unequivocally states that the Antichrist had already lived and died even before John saw a vision of him as a beast!

Continuing in Out of the Abyss:

Expressing it another way: Jesus did not kill the beast; he killed the man of lawlessness. Although the man of lawlessness and the beast are one and the same (Nero), this is not a contradiction. Why … because the Holy Spirit, through Paul, is telling us when the beast would be killed. The beast would be killed by Christ while the beast was the man of lawlessness (in the first century) before he reappeared as the beast! As the beast (during his 21^st century return) Nero will be cast into the Lake of Fire, alive. (Page 206, parenthesis added for purpose of this week’s article).

Things to Ponder

Said the risen and ascended Jesus to John:

Then Jesus told John to: “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen” (Revelation 1:19, italics for emphasis).

“Jesus, who is the way, truth, and life because he perfectly fulfilled the Law of Moses arrived on the scene first. Then came the man of lawlessness who would seek to pervert and destroy this way, truth, and life. Nero arrived on the scene of humanity only some three and a half years after Jesus ascended to heaven. Nero will be allowed to reappear some seven years before Messiah returns, but Nero’s ultimate authority during that time will be for three and a half years. Thus, Christ will have the final say in this matter. Yeshua is the First and the Last.” (Out of the Abyss; Page 208)

In closing, here is another excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article: Antichrist / A “Back to the Future” Prophecy:

As said before, I believe that the longer-term purpose and benefit of identifying (correctly) the Antichrist is for those who will have missed the Rapture. That some left behind will quickly realize the awesome accuracy of God’s Word the Bible. That there will be some unbelievers who will not be so amazed at the reappearance of the beast who had died long ago.

Just like John’s amazement ended when the angel revealed to him the mystery of the beast’s and woman’s identity, without naming names to protect believers in the first century from even more Roman retaliation. The names are: Nero and Rome, the beast and the woman, respectively.

Also, for believers and unbelievers alive now. For those of us whose loved ones still have not decided to believe and receive Messiah Jesus as personal Savior. With love and concern, we eagerly want them to make that decision, NOW. So, they don’t have to experience the horror of the Great Tribulation. But if they are left behind, perhaps they won’t be so amazed at this evil man when he abruptly reappears from the Abyss.

Instead, they will choose the true Messiah, Jesus … even on pain of death.

“…And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

Today’s Television …Sigh!

I suppose my cynicism concerning the scarcity of standard television programs worth watching is linked directly to my membership in the Baby Boomer Generation. And the early part of the generation at that!

This article is not about the quality of modern television or lack thereof; but after a fashion, it does serve as a lead-in to this week’s topic. Plus, it affords the opportunity to briefly air my consternation over much of television that is anti-family, anti-morality, and anti-Judaic/Christian ideals.

Programs that disdain and degrade Biblical values upon which this great nation was built.

Fortunately, for many of us Baby Boomers (and others), there is some alternative-viewing relief.

It comes in the form of an increasing number of television stations producing regular plus special programs dedicated to documentaries of nature, arts and sciences, and history; despite their (sometimes) anti-Creation evolutionary emphasis. Networks such as: PBS, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Travel Channel, National Geographic Channel, American Heroes Channel (formerly Military Channel), and probably my favorite—The Smithsonian Channel.

And my co-favorite: The Golf Channel (only half-kidding). Hey, golf is played on beautiful courses creatively carved out of nature, abounding in human interest stories played out with dramatic strategy and skill … producing historical memories. So there!

If you watch some of these networks, you’ve also seen a relatively new phenomenon that began to catch on a decade ago or so—Docudrama. Sort of a combination of real history and virtual reality.

I’m not a big fan of this genre, because most of the dramatic enactments are either of low quality or too liberally “fill in the blanks” of history. However, the producers know that many viewers want to mix their history with live action. Just my opinion, but the best programs come with a well-written and narrated script alongside live interviews and still photography or actual film footage if available. There are a few quality docudrama exceptions to the rule, e.g. the series, Air Disasters on the Smithsonian Channel.

Another exception is an eight-part series of one-hour Smithsonian Channel programs entitled: Eight Days That Made Rome.

Skillfully narrated by writer/historian Bettany Hughes, she also conducts interviews with other historians; and there are dramatic scenes consisting of actors depicting (mostly Roman Empire) characters. The eight days are (actually) eight significant people/events that contributed to the formation, fanfare, and fate of the Roman Empire. The series originally aired on the United Kingdom Channel 5 in October 2017. Then rebroadcast at least twice beginning last month (March) and into this month, April (2019).

My opinion—based on much reading about the Roman Empire: the episodes were historically as or more accurate than most that I’ve seen. With, as indicated, my personal preference that the enactments would have been reduced in favor of more historical facts, commentary, or interviews. Still, overall, the programs were interesting, and informative. With the obvious qualification that all that the Roman Empire was made of was much more than just these eight milestones; they, nevertheless, are noteworthy.

The eight programs were entitled:

Part 1: Hannibal’s Last Stand: (Rome’s Wars with Hannibal)

Part 2: The Spartacus Revolt: (Many are familiar with the gladiatorial revolt led by Spartacus)

Part 3: Crossing the Rubicon: (Julius Caesar’s military victories and audacious return to Rome)

Part 4: Rome’s First Emperor: (Octavian, known as Augustus Caesar, which is an accurate analysis of history; Julius was not the first Caesar, nor did he officially become Caesar at all even though that’s how he’s commonly referred to in history)

Part 5: Boudica’s Revenge: (A warrior/queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led a revolt against Roman occupation … during Nero’s reign)

Part 6: The Downfall of Nero: (Comments pending)

Part 7: Theatre of Death: (Opening of the Colosseum in A.D. 80 and how the gladiatorial games affected Rome)

Part 8: Rebirth of Rome: (Beginning with the “Christian” Emperor Constantine the Great, ending with the great city of Constantinople—now called Istanbul … Muslim name—in the Eastern half of the Roman Empire)

I’ve seen the entirety of some episodes and parts of others.

The Downfall of Nero

Part Six of this series contributed to the subject selection of this week’s Eye of Prophecy article … specifically, Nero’s death. More specifically, the program explained exactly how Nero died; as opposed to most historical accounts that omit the final details including the actual cause of his death. Whereas many historians provide a consistent record of the geopolitical events leading to Nero’s demise, only a handful relay the final moments of what took place.

Consequently, many classify Nero’s death as a suicide. It was not.

Nero had decided that killing himself was more desirable than being captured by the legions who were carrying out the Roman Senate’s order to torture him before he was executed, but he was too much of a coward to finish the job. Although he stabbed himself in or near his neck, it was only a weak half-hearted attempt. It’s clear that he had time to do himself in (by falling on his sword), but he chose not to.

As depraved as he was, he even ordered one of his servants to kill himself in order that Nero could see how it’s done! Shortly before the Roman legions stormed into the villa where he was hiding, Nero’s servant Epaphroditos (out of loyalty or simply for humanitarian reasons to prevent his emperor from being tortured) struck Nero with a sword causing the fatal wounds.

The fact that this Part Six program included the servant’s slaying of Nero and even named the servant, caught my attention that much more, as I have written about this in Out of the Abyss and a couple of prior Eye of Prophecy articles.

Recap of Biblical Passages on the Antichrist

In Scripture there are eleven references to the man called Antichrist, with all but one of these locations calling him by one or more of his other designations. Ten of these are prominent passages that portray the past, present, and/or future tense of Antichrist. Plus, one somewhat obscure passage that is the focus of today’s article. One, however, that provides even more conclusive evidence—when like the others it is matched to 1^st century events—that Nero was and will return as the Antichrist. We’ll get to that captivating scene in Zechariah, shortly.

Daniel Chapter 7: First mention of Antichrist in Scripture … described as a little horn and king. The emphasis is his sudden appearance at the outset of the Tribulation, different from the ten kings who will yield their kingdoms to him, three of them by force. Plus, his blasphemy and defiance of God himself and oppression (much like his prototype predecessor Antiochus IV) of the Jews. Thus, this passage is still future even to us, as it applies exclusively to the Tribulation period. For example: see Eye of Prophecy article, Sudden Appearance of Antichrist … Why So Different? (Posted 1-21-17).

Daniel Chapter 9: Concentration is on the ruler whose armies would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, which occurred in A.D. 70; after Nero personally dispatched several Roman Legions under Generals Vespasian and Titus to crush the Jewish rebellion that began in A.D. 66. Then a subsequent 7-year treaty made by this same ruler that he would break half-way through, from which we derive the 7-year Tribulation period. Refer to Eye of Prophecy articles: The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible, Part I & II (Published January 2018).

Daniel Chapter 11: Emphasis is on Antichrist’s exploits during the final phase of the Great Tribulation (also like his treacherous predecessor Antiochus IV) that leads to invasion of Israel and ends with Armageddon. See articles: Armageddon & Messiah’s Return … An Amazing Sequence of Events (2-3-18). Also, last week’s post: Intriguing Comparisons Between Antiochus IV & Antichrist (Nero).

II Thessalonians 2: This fascinating passage from the Apostle Paul contains both the present tense existence of the man of lawlessness and the future things he would do during the Tribulation. Paul explains that the secrecy of the lawlessness and the man of that lawlessness was currently being restrained (at that point in time, i.e. A.D. 51-52). Then the future desecration of the Temple by this man. However, Paul wasn’t privy to the fact that this desecration would involve the 3^rd (yet unbuilt) Jewish Temple or that the man of lawlessness would (first need to) reappear from the Abyss to resume his reign of terror as the beast-king later identified through encryption by John in the book of Revelation.

Another often overlooked but equally astonishing fact in this chapter is that Jesus himself will kill the man of lawlessness (Verse 8). Just as several people throughout Scripture were “struck down” by the Lord; so, too, was Nero as the man of lawlessness. To then (by default understanding) be revived and banished to the Abyss awaiting God’s appointed time for his release and return to earth. See article: Does the Holy Spirit Restrain (the man of) Lawlessness? (3-4-17).

Revelation 11: A passing reference to the Antichrist beast; however, one that first tells us the beast will come, “up out of the bottomless pit” and will eventually kill the two mighty prophets who will perform powerful miracles during their 3 ½-year testimony for the Lord (Revelation 11:7). Refer to: Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight from the Abyss Part I & II (August 2016). Also: Moses & Elijah vs. Antichrist & the False Prophet (2-10-18).

Revelation 13: Probably the most well-known passage on the Antichrist, if for no other reason than the infamous number of the beast. Ascertaining of which, however, is presented as a challenge to the reader: “Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666” (Verse 18). Through the application of Hebrew Gematria, Six Hundred, sixty-six matches Nero Caesar. There are several Eye of Prophecy articles that include the number of the beast, but I’ll refer you to the first one, entitled: The Number of the Beast (Posted 9-28-13).

[Neither the Apostle Paul nor John of Revelation referred to the man of lawlessness or the (beast) king of Revelation by name (Nero), to protect the early Christians, most of whom were Jews. Thus the Jewish Christians would have used Hebrew Gematria–counting by their alphabet–to translate the Greek (New Testament written in Greek) title/name of Neron Kaiser to Hebrew and thus easily calculate and match six-hundred, sixty-six to Nero Caesar]

Revelation Chapter 13 also contains the amazing fact that the beast appears at the outset of the Tribulation having recovered from a deadly wound … the same thing as saying that the man has returned from the dead. Which is exactly what John then tells us.

Three times the chapter repeats the fact that the healed wounds of the beast seen by John had been fatal, the first two times in verses 3 & 12. Again, John unambiguously states that the beast had been fatally wounded but “…then came back to life” (Verse 14). Chapter 13 also contains the first reference to the False Prophet.

Revelation 16: A brief reference to Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet rousing the rulers of the world, including Antichrist’ enemies (kings of the east), “…for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty…. And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon” (Verses 14 & 16). Soon, thereafter, as an immediate prelude to Armageddon, we read of the Lord’s awesome final judgment of the world … the 7^th bowl judgment (Verses 17-21). You might want to read: Stunning Catastrophes of the Tribulation / Their Timing and Purpose (11-14-17).

Revelation 17: A positively pivotal chapter (particularly verses 7-11) that provides vital biographical information about the beast. Especially, the stunning disclosure (to reinforce that the beast had come back to life as found in Chapter 13) that the beast would reappear from the Abyss … rising from the sea as stated in Revelation 13:1. The first thing that the angel said after John had seen his second vision of the beast (and first of the woman): “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon (at any time) come up out of the bottomless pit…” (Verses 7-8a, emphasis added).

This astounding announcement has been overlooked or dismissed by so many Bible scholars (including me at one time). It makes all the difference as to whether the Antichrist will be a modern-day born man or one that returns from the 1^st century.

In addition to the three-time reference to the beast that had been killed then came back to life as found in Chapter 13, Chapter 17 twice tells us the same thing. We’ve already read the first reference in Verse 8. The second citation is found in verse 11, beginning with: “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer…” Five distinct references to demonstrate convincingly that when the Antichrist appears on the scene at the outset of the Tribulation, the fatal wound will have been healed, at which the entire world will marvel (Revelation 13:3-4). With the meaning expanded in Revelation 17 to emphasize that the Antichrist beast had already lived and died (in the first century). That those left behind at the Rapture, “…will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:8).

Then in verses 9-11, the angel gives more succinct clues as to the geopolitical identity of the beast to corroborate Revelation 13, preceded by the same kind of challenge: “This calls for a mind with understanding…” (Verse 9). The beast was one of the seven kings (Roman emperors); more specifically one of the five who had already died, because the angel told John that the beast had lived and died before John’s visions of the beast.

Whereas the description of the Antichrist (reappearance) in Revelations 11, 13, & 16 are (still) future tense … Tribulation, Chapter 17 is future, present, and PAST tense. The past tense beast/king (a vision of which John saw in the present tense—on a Sunday from the Isle of Patmos during the reign of the current Caesar) would become future tense upon his reappearance from the Abyss.

See Eye of Prophecy article: Has Antichrist Already Died … How, When, Why? (4-28-18).

Revelation 19: Final reference to the Antichrist (and False Prophet) in Revelation describing Jesus’s magnificent return and crushing defeat of these two diabolical men and entire armies (at Armageddon). With their final fate that of being thrown into the Lake of Fire (Verse 20).

I John 2 & 4 (combined as one reference): As indicated, only the Apostle John in his first epistle used (coined) the appellation Antichrist; which is the most commonly utilized term by both believers and unbelievers alike. In Chapter 2, he refers to “the Antichrist.” In Chapter 4, “the spirit of the Antichrist.”

Zechariah 11:15-17 (Chronologically the 4^th / But 11^th Overall Passage on the Antichrist)

“What sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye. His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind” (Zachariah 11:17).

This lesser-known allusion to the Antichrist, called the worthless shepherd, is nonetheless significant. It describes in more detail the wound(s) that, according to the subsequent disclosure in Revelation 13, would kill the beast (while he was still the man of lawlessness as characterized by Paul).

When the world first sees the beast, who had just risen from the (abyssal) sea (Revelation 13:1), they will marvel at this miracle and give allegiance and worship to the beast. What is that miracle? As presented in the same verse: “but the fatal wound was healed!” (Revelation 13:3).

The natural and even logical assumption by virtually all students of Biblical prophecy is that the Antichrist will be a contemporary man (some say he’s alive today on earth) when the Tribulation begins. However, nearly all end-times events are supernatural and extraordinary, defying all that is considered natural or ordinary. Including the extraordinarily clear Biblical evidence that the Antichrist is a man who had already lived and died even before John saw him in the first century (symbolized as a beast). That he would return from the Abyss to the utter astonishment of a world already dumbfounded by the spectacular event of the Rapture.

So, too, is the prevailing presumption that the (modern-day) Antichrist will be killed during the Tribulation—most scholars say at the mid-point. The succession of John’s vision of the beast in Revelation 13 indisputably shows that he (as will those left behind at the Rapture) first saw the beast and his fatal (but healed) wound as soon as the beast appeared from the sea. There is no direct statement nor inference that the beast was or would be killed during the Tribulation.

Consequently, this is as much of a moot point to try to defend as the (natural but erroneous) supposition that the Antichrist will be born in the generation of the Rapture and Tribulation. Why? Because in John’s second vision of the beast, he irrefutably confirms that the beast had already lived and died BEFORE John saw the man in the form of a beast.

Immediately after John sees the beast rise out of the sea, he states: “I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed!” (Revelation 13:3, emphasis added even though the exclamation point is in the text).

*Note: As indicated in a few prior articles: The seven heads and ten horns of the beast in John’s first vision are the same seven heads and ten horns described in the second vision in Revelation 17. The ten horns are exclusively ten kings of the Tribulation period who will yield their authority to Antichrist (Daniel 7 & Revelation 17:12-14). The seven heads were past and present kings (Roman emperors) as clearly stated by John in Revelation 17:9-11. Five had already died, and the sixth was currently reigning when John saw the visions of Revelation; one would assume the throne shortly thereafter, but his reign would be brief. (See Eye of Prophecy articles, Exposing Antichrist’s Identity … More Compelling Evidence, Part I & II (March 2017).

To better understand what’s going on here when John first sees the deadly wound, I’ll present the following excerpt from my second book (in italics):

Let’s focus on the past tense word, “was.” John first saw the recovered beast after the wound had been healed. The wound had already been inflicted. He didn’t see the beast get wounded…. The wound had already been healed when John first saw the beast. That’s why he says, “seemed wounded beyond recovery.”

What John meant is that he didn’t, at first, know for sure if the head had been wounded beyond recovery (death). (Note: this is not a “head wound”, i.e. to the skull; rather the head is a man … who is one of the seven heads of the beast but also the composite beast itself, as further clarified in Revelation 17)

Because, however, “the whole world marveled at this miracle,” he then realized that it had been a fatal blow. This realization is established when John switches from the word “seemed” to an outright affirmative statement later in Revelation 13. “…He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. (Revelation 13:14).

The word seemed sharply suggests that it was a wound, scar-like in appearance, that may have been there for quite some time, as opposed to a fresh wound in which the viewer would have no doubt was recent and fatal….

It would be no different than looking at seven men who had been wounded in battle, one some fifty years ago, the other six only three days ago. Each had the same type and severity of wound. Would you be able to successfully play the, “Which one is not like the others” game? Of course, you would get it right on the first pick. The fifty-year-old wound would stand out like a sore thumb. John could have easily determined whether the wound was recently inflicted; therefore, would not have used the modifier “seemed.”

That’s the analogy I’m making here; the only difference in this example is that these seven men didn’t die, but Antichrist did. Yet Antichrist comes from the Abyss, so his wound is not immediately distinguishable to John as fatal.

At the Rapture all believers will see Christ; many scholars and teachers believe that our Lord will still bear the imprints of the nails and spear. So, too, will those “that belong to the world” gaze in wonder upon the miraculously healed 2000-year old wounds of their superstar. If the tribulation world were looking at recent wounds of a modern-day Antichrist, there would be no “seemed wounded beyond recovery” uncertainty, especially with the zoom-in magnification of television and internet technology (Out of the Abyss, pages 208-209).

A Phenomenal Parallel Between the Worthless Shepherd’s Wounds & Nero’s Death by a Sword

After portraying the Good Shepherd (Messiah Jesus), including the amazing prophecy that the Messiah would be sold (betrayed) for thirty pieces of silver, Zachariah is told by the Lord to depict the worthless shepherd.

(After agreeing with the Jewish Sanhedrin to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, Judas singled out Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane with a kiss. All Old Testament prophecies of Messiah’s First Advent were fulfilled by or during the life of Jesus; this was one of them)

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. This illustrates how I will give this nation (Israel) a shepherd who will not care for those who are dying, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves” (Zechariah 11:15-16, parenthesis mine … a graphic depiction of what Nero would do in the 1^st century and will resume/intensify even more during the soon-to-come Tribulation).

God’s reason for allowing a ruthless counterfeit Messiah to betray and persecute Israel in the end times is a stark reminder that Israel spurned their Messiah two thousand years ago. It will be the only way to fully get Israel’s attention. And it would be the same anti-Messiah that tried to eliminate both Jewish and Gentile Christians soon after the New Covenant began to spread more rapidly throughout the Roman Empire at about the same time Nero became Emperor.

Not until the Jews suffer one last time under this worthless shepherd, would they come to their senses and fully realize that Jesus of Nazareth was and is their true Messiah Shepherd. So much so that in the very next chapter of Zechariah we read the Messiah speaking in both the 1^st and 2^nd person:

“…They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died” (Zechariah 12:10).

Zechariah ends Chapter 11 with a powerful preview of what will happen to this worthless shepherd—when he was killed by the divine sovereignty of Jesus, then placed into and subsequently would be released from the Abyss.

Repeating that verse cited earlier: “What sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye. His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind” (Zachariah 11:17).

Compare that startling prophecy with the return of the Antichrist beast.

“And he (the False Prophet) deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life” (Revelation 13:14, NASB, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).

The entire globe will see the aftermath of these 2000-year old wounds which rendered Nero’s arm useless and completely blinded his right eye. These wounds were fatal, most likely by a severed artery or two. We do know that a few minutes elapsed from the time Nero and his servant heard the Roman legions approaching and when his servant struck the fatal blow. In fact, Nero was still dying when the soldiers arrived.

For the grand finale of this extraordinary prophecy that matches the account of Nero’s death by a sword, I’ll defer to a scenario in my book Out of the Abyss. One that I believe accurately portrays what very well could have happened in terms of how the deadly wounds were inflicted. And, in the context of Zechariah’s vivid picture of these injuries, most likely did happen.

As follows:

With the aid of Zechariah Chapter 11, let’s do a little visualizing. Picture, if you will, Nero on his knees, as it’s highly unlikely he would have been standing. In both the ancient world and even the more modern world, those who wanted to end their life with a sword would first kneel to one or both knees. Soldiers of the ancient world used this method, as have the Japanese for centuries.

Nero tries to thrust a sword into his neck, but the sound of Roman Legion horses and men distract him. He had already asked his servant to help him… History tells us that the servant also knew that the soldiers would be there any minute. The servant unsheathes his own sword, or he grabs Nero’s sword.

The servant, Epaphroditos, raises the sword above his head to ensure a powerful and fatal blow. With all his strength, he thrusts the sword downward. At that very instant, Nero reflexively or instinctively lifts his arm to deflect the strike (Zechariah doesn’t tell us which arm was wounded). The sword partially slices through Nero’s arm and penetrates his right eye. Depending on the angle of the blow and how Nero had knelt, he could have raised either arm. It’s also conceivable that the sword may have struck part of Nero’s neck, where he had just seconds earlier stabbed himself, but not fatally. Whereas Zechariah only gives us two wound locations, there could be another. Or perhaps a wound to the neck might heal enough to show little evidence of scarring.

Yet Nero’s hands would not have been tied, as are the hands of people who are being executed by a sword or whose heads are waiting the fall of the guillotine blade … so the victim can’t deliberately or reflexively raise hands and arms to deflect the blow.

If you like, kneel to the floor … and do your own simulation. Have your wife stand to one side and then the other, pretending to be Nero’s servant … Give her a nice, soft, rolled or unrolled hand towel so she won’t hesitate to finish her action and strike the blow, yet an object that will probably make you flinch. Ask her to swipe a descending blow and see how natural it is for you to instinctively ward off this blow. Try to figure out on which side of Nero his servant may have stood, to have inflicted a wound to Nero’s right eye and one of his arms. See how real this is and how it matches so well with Zechariah Chapter 11 and the historical records of Nero’s final minutes…

Zechariah vividly depicts this “worthless shepherd” as a ruthless, but also a pathetic figure. It’s entirely feasible that Nero will be self-conscious of these wounds; though he will make the most of the fact that he died from these wounds, and then returned from the dead. His physical appearance in the tribulation and the historical evidence that Nero was not that great of an orator, explain why the False Prophet will do most of the talking for the beast.

The erection of a statue of Antichrist (Nero) will further immortalize him, but I believe also to lessen the need for Nero to appear publicly any more than necessary….

The statue will be a perfect, unblemished tribute to and towering likeness of Nero. In fact, this statue will carry as much authority as Nero himself. This miracle of a statue will speak and command people to worship it. If they don’t Revelation 13:15 says they “must die.”

Search the Scriptures. You will not find any direct evidence that the beast is a great orator, statesman, or consummate genius as modern-day views characterize him. He is clever; he is a braggart and a blasphemer, but that doesn’t make him charismatic. Antichrist’s accomplishments and “charisma” are attributed to his miraculous resurrection, the statue, and the persuasive ability of the False Prophet, including, but not limited to “astounding miracles” (Pages 247-249).

Things to Ponder

If even one of these eleven passages didn’t fit with my detailed and documented premise that Nero is the Antichrist, I wouldn’t have written Out of the Abyss. Nor most of the Eye of Prophecy articles in the category of Antichrist.

But they all match, even the one in Zechariah. Each passage correlates to some degree with the others and they all fit perfectly to authenticate Nero as the Antichrist. As well as with all the other designations, i.e. little horn, king, ruler, man of lawlessness, beast, and worthless shepherd.

Please see Eye of Prophecy trilogy, A Beast by Any Other Name…. (Posted March 2015). Which provides a detailed analysis why Scripture assigns these various titles to Antichrist and the significance of each one. Hint: One of the main reasons is to demonstrate the past, present, and future tense existence of the Antichrist.

One more quote from Out of the Abyss, from the same chapter as the previous excerpt:

We’re nearing our final destination. If the sights and sounds of the voyage, or the ship’s Scriptural log haven’t yet influenced you that Revelation 13 & 17’s wisdom or mind of understanding enables any believer of any generation to know the identity of the beast Antichrist, that’s okay. As indicated earlier, when some left behind at the Rapture realize that Nero’s initial revealing and subsequent reappearance had been predicted long ago, they will hopefully, without amazement at this protégé of Satan, accept Jesus as Messiah (Page 249).

If you haven’t, please accept Messiah Jesus now as your Savior and Lord.

Believe me … better yet believe God’s Word: you don’t want to be left behind at the Rapture. You don’t want to go through any part of the Great Tribulation. It will be the most hellish time on earth ever experienced by humanity. It will make World War II seem like a small skirmish.

Said Jesus, Son of God: “For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened (to seven years) for the sake of God’s chosen ones (the Jews)” (Matthew 24:21-22, parenthesis mine).

And he also said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NASB).

Said God the Father in describing the last days of the end times (the Tribulation):

See Eye of Prophecy article: Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation (June 2016).

Meet Jesus now as your Savior, not as your Judge. We are living in the final (Omega) generation of the end times. The signs are unmistakable.

“And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

“He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’

“Amen! Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

This week’s Eye of Prophecy article could be Part II. But it’s not, because the previous post wasn’t designated as Part I. (Duh!)

Perhaps they should be Part I & Part II, if for no other reason than the subject’s title from last week: Significant Sets of Twos in the Bible.

On the other hand, this week’s post precisely pertains to the topic specified in its title, which is the tenth of ten conspicuous sets of twos found in Scripture. It is a stand-alone theme that, nevertheless, continues the premise as summarized in the closing portion of the previous post (in italics):

These striking sets of two encapsulate God’s panoramic plans for humanity, plus his providential power, persistence, and patience to accomplish those plans.

In these pairs, we find one or more of the following: contrast, correlation, clarification, combination, correction, and culmination.

Over all, we find the magnificent Triune God, who is the First and Last, Beginning and End, Alpha and Omega. He is the One who has begun and will bring all things full circle to the way it was in the beginning … with a supernatural new beginning to the inevitable end.

It’s like the pictures we see literally and in our mind of the before and after.

He is a God of second chances; but we must accept Messiah Jesus as Savior while we’re alive on Planet Earth. After we die it’s too late.

Sometimes a round-about introduction can be as or more effective (entertaining) in getting to the main subject as a direct here it is approach. Whether this is one of those times … well, let’s just say it’s a direct round-about way!

One thing is for sure: a one-two punch can get our attention and reach results not otherwise attainable. Although all Biblical prophecies are meaningful, those that are repeated and/or come in pairs are of paramount prominence. If God says or does something twice (over) as expressed through individuals or extraordinary events—whether for contrast, correlation, or culmination—then we need to take a long second-look at what’s taking place.

One more excerpt from last week’s article:

Everyone who is the least bit concerned about what’s going on in today’s woeful world needs to think twice about such things. It would behoove us to pay close attention to what God himself has to say about our destiny, about eternal existence with him or apart from him. Particularly those truths and lessons that come in twos throughout history and prophetic events unfolding before our 21^st century eyes.

Setting the Stage

Two of these sets of twos discussed in the previous post were: Birth & Rebirth of Israel & Israel—Two Exiles & Two Returns. Both related directly to Israel’s historical and contemporary interaction with Gentile nations in a twofold way: (1) Enslavement by Egypt followed by deliverance and the birth of a nation. (2) God’s discipline of his people for hundreds of years of disobedience via Gentile conquest of Israel and exile of the Jews. Not once, but twice. And not once, but twice God brought his people back to the Promised Land. The second return led to Israel’s rebirth in 1948.

(Parting of the Red Sea. The Bible says the water stood up like walls on either side of the dry land. Then a second time, God parted the waters–the Jordan River–to allow the Israelites to enter the Promised Land … Joshua Chapter 3)

Until the time of Ezekiel and Daniel, we read about Israel’s glory years under King David and King Solomon, then her gradual decline after Israel split into two kingdoms. Culminating in the Babylonian conquest of Judah, destruction of Solomon’s Temple, and exile of survivors to Babylon.

Ezekiel and Daniel were exiled captives in Babylon. Both were given some astounding disclosures especially concerning Gentile nations and rulers that would be coupled intricately to Israel’s immediate, intermediate, and distant future. To Ezekiel, the Lord disclosed the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel headed by nations that we can accurately identify in today’s world as Russia, Iran, and Turkey … and other weaker countries (Ezekiel 38 & 39). As demonstrated in several prior Eye of Prophecy articles, I’m convinced this attack will take place within the first year or so of the post-Rapture Tribulation.

In the book of Daniel, we find two revelations regarding the four Gentile kingdoms that would set the stage for all subsequent rise and fall of nations leading directly to the end-times coalition of ten-nations plus other countries, some strong … some weak. There will also be a confederation of strong Eastern nations pitted against Antichrist’s regime, all of which will then align themselves against Israel and Messiah Jesus when he returns to rescue Israel from disaster.

Fittingly, the first disclosure came through a dream of the mightiest Gentile king at the time, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Daniel Chapter 2). It’s one of the most riveting prophecies of Scripture, even well-known by many unbelievers: the four-part Statue. As we know from history, these four kingdoms were: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

The primary purpose (subject) of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was to demonstrate God’s sovereignty over the rise and fall of rulers and nations in the context of his panoramic plan for humanity, as condensed in the following passage:

“It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall” (Psalm 75:7).

Daniel is speaking directly to Nebuchadnezzar concerning the fate of these four kingdoms and others: “As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34-35).

In the demographic parameters of that which is national, political, and cultural, there’s very little left today of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires. And, by the time we reach the Millennial Reign of Christ, there will be nothing left of these once mighty kingdoms.

Daniel discloses the fate of kings and kingdoms aligned against Israel and God himself in the last days: “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

The Second Prophecy of the Four Gentile Kingdoms

In keeping with God’s sets of twos in Scripture for added emphasis to contrast, correlate, or in this case to combine and clarify, He reveals the four Gentile kingdoms as different beasts (instead of a four-part statue). This time the revelation is given directly to Daniel because he was a Jewish prophet and the vision pertains primarily to Israel (Daniel Chapter 7).

You remember: First beast like a lion—Babylon; second beast like a bear—Persia; third like a leopard—Greece. With each of these images enhanced by other features that provide more proof of the (prophetic) identity of these nations, now known via historical hindsight. Such as the leopard with four wings and four heads.

And, of course, the fourth beast which is greater and more terrifying than the first three; so much so that this beast couldn’t even be equated to an animal that we would understand symbolically. None other than the mightiest kingdom ever—the Roman Empire.

More dramatic details were provided to Daniel in 551 B.C. (Chapter 8) while the Babylonian Empire was still intact (conquered by Persia in 539 B.C.) concerning two of these coming kingdoms. In fact, they’re even named: Mede-Persia represented by the two-horned ram and Greece, represented by the one-horned goat. The historical fulfillment is unmistakable.

“The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first” (Daniel 8:21-22). That’s precisely what happened when Alexander’s massive kingdom divided into four regions after his abrupt and unexpected death.

The remainder of Daniel Chapter 8 highlights the rise of the greatest of these kings from the four derivative kingdoms … historically identified as Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Then, as we shall soon see, the longest and perhaps most detailed prophetic chapter in Daniel (Chapter 11) foretells the political maneuverings and military adventures of two of these four post-Alexander kingdoms and kings, with the emphasis once again on Antiochus IV. Then, the last part of that chapter suddenly switches the spotlight to another ruler even greater … the Antichrist.

Let’s return briefly to Daniel Chapter 7, which is the first introduction to the Antichrist by one of his other designations … little horn and king. With other labels given as the beast-king (Revelation 13 & 17); man of lawlessness (II Thessalonians 2); and, of course, by the term used most often—Antichrist, as found only in the Apostle John’s first epistle. In Daniel 9:26-27, he is referred to as a ruler whose armies would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple.

After describing the little horn’s appearance as “sudden” and “different” in contrast to the ten kings who will yield their authority to him, Daniel Chapter 7 focuses on the little horn’s interaction with Israel (later amplified by the passage in Daniel 9).

“As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people… He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time (3 ½ years, as found again in Daniel 9, Revelation 12 & 13)” (Daniel 7:21-22 & 25, parenthesis mine).

As indicated, Daniel is first given a prophecy of the Antichrist (little horn, king … Daniel 7, followed by more information in Daniel 9); then two years later a vision of another man who would be a forerunner—a prototype parallel as found in Chapter 8. Finally, in Chapter 11, these two men are paired together in an almost seamless succession, prefaced by another reference to the “mighty king” (Alexander the Great), whose, “…kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts…” (Daniel 11:4).

A Devilish Duo

Before we examine both Biblical and secular records of these two profane peas in a pod as the (sordid) tenth set of significant twos in the Bible, did you know that this revelation (Daniel Chapter 11) was not given by the angel Gabriel … as with some of Daniel’s visions. Rather, it was revealed directly by Messiah Jesus in one of his Pre-Incarnate appearances to Daniel and others throughout the Old Testament.

Writes Daniel: “On April 23 (536 B.C.), as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people” (Daniel 10:4-6, parenthesis mine; then the vision’s interpretation begins in Chapter 11).

(*Note: Compare this description to Messiah Jesus as recorded in Revelation Chapter 1. Also, see Eye of Prophecy article: Messiah’s Amazing Appearances Before He Was Born, posted 10-6-18).

I’ll break this down into two parts:

(1) Biblical comparisons of Antiochus IV to the Antichrist.

(2) Historical parallels between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Nero Caesar.

Prefaced with a twofold premise:

(A) Because time/space doesn’t permit elaboration in today’s article and because the evidence has been thoroughly developed and documented in my 2^nd book Out of the Abyss plus many of the 56 Eye of Prophecy articles to date in the Category of The Antichrist, I’ll simply repeat this part of the Premise. Which is: Nero is the little horn, ruler, king, man of lawlessness, beast … the Antichrist.

(B) Therefore, we would expect and there should be historical evidence of similarities between Antiochus IV and Nero.

Keeping in mind one dramatic difference. Antiochus IV is long gone and will never return. Not so with the Antichrist. Which is as Revelation 17 distinctly details to corroborate Daniel’s explanation: the little horn suddenly and differently appears (Daniel 7:8 & 24).

“The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon (meaning abruptly or suddenly) come up out of the bottomless pit… And the people who belong to this world … will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:8, parenthesis mine). *Note: What makes the little horn of Daniel 7 substantially different from the ten kings is that he had already died but would (re)appear suddenly (from the Abyss).

(See Eye of Prophecy article, Sudden Appearance of Antichrist … Why So Different? Published 1-21-17)

The (four) features that we’ll examine in Part 1 (Biblical Comparisons) are what Antiochus IV did in his time compared to what Antichrist will do upon his Tribulation reappearance and reign. Both of which were future tense to Daniel. Then in Part 2, I’ll identify some remarkable resemblances between Antiochus IV of the 2^nd century B.C. and Nero—as the man of lawlessness in the 1^st century A.D., before his return as the Antichrist beast of Revelation (in the 21^st century!).

There is even a striking similarity in the lapse of time between Daniel’s vision as explained by Messiah Jesus to him in Chapter 11 (551 B.C.) and pinnacle of Alexander the Great’s kingdom (330 B.C.), resulting in the subsequent division of his Grecian Empire into four lesser kingdoms. That period of 221 years is virtually identical to the period beginning with Antiochus’s demise (death) in 164 B.C. to the rise of Nero as Caesar in A.D. 54 (218 years). And, if we eliminate the first three years or so of Nero’s tenure, because he was more of a puppet ruler under the tutelage thumb of his mother Agrippina, we have 221 years (A.D. 57).

(Ancient sculpture of Agrippina crowning her son Nero. The statue is suggesting that without her influence and actions, he wouldn’t have become Caesar)

Before we examine the similarities between Antiochus IV and Antichrist, let’s first outline Daniel Chapter 11 to clarify what and whom Daniel is prophetically describing. As follows:

– Prophecy of the mighty Greek ruler (Alexander) and the subsequent conflict between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties … fulfilled approximately 334 to 175 B.C. (Verses 1-20)

– Rise and exploits of “a despicable man.” Which turned out to be Antiochus IV, who ruled from 175 to 164 B.C. (Verses 21-32).

– Interlude involving hundreds of years of the subsequent Jewish Diaspora which involved persistent persecution of the Jews—Verses 33-35, ending with “until the time of the end for the appointed time is still to come” (Verse 35)

– Emergence of a greater king, i.e. Antichrist (Verses 36-45, end of the chapter).

(1) Biblical Comparisons of Antiochus IV to the Antichrist

(A) Desecration of the Jewish Temples. This is one of the most well-known by students of the Bible and students of secular history (or those who are both, like yours truly); that Antiochus IV abolished (temporarily) Jewish rituals and desecrated the second Jewish Temple (Daniel 11:31-32). In like manner, the Antichrist will defile the third Jewish Temple during the Tribulation (Daniel 7:25 & 12:11; Matthew 24:15; II Thessalonians 2:4).

(B) Their Rise to & Exercise of Power: Regarding Antiochus IV: “At the end of their rule (the four divided kingdoms of Alexander’s empire), when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant…” (Daniel 8:23-25, parenthesis mine). And he will distribute wealth and plunder among his followers (Daniel 11:24).

Like Antiochus, Antichrist’s (Nero) rise to prominence was neither the first time (1^st century) nor will the second time (Tribulation) be “by his own power.” Instead, it will be a direct result of and based exclusively on his perceived miracle of returning from the grave (in realty, the Abyss … Revelation 17:7-8; Revelation 13:3-4). So, too, will Antichrist lavish expensive gifts and honor those who submit to him (Daniel 11:38-39).

(C) Kings of the North: Both the “fierce king” (Antiochus IV) of Daniel 8 & 11 and Antichrist (Daniel 11) are labeled as the king of the north. This to contrast them to the king of the south, both of whom are enemies of Antiochus and (during the Tribulation) Antichrist, respectively. In history, Antiochus launched a final invasion against the king of the south (Ptolemaic king of Egypt) to put an end to the decade’s-long wars and broken treaties between predecessors of these two dynasties (Daniel 11:29).

(Ancient bust of Antiochus IV … His facial features even bear some resemblance to Nero)

So, too, will the Antichrist, “…storm out” against a southern alliance (king of the south) invading “various lands” conquering many countries, but not all and some only partially (Daniel 11:40). In other words, not a complete victory, in similar fashion to Antiochus’s incomplete conquest of the king of the south.

What happened with Antiochus IV will also take place when Antichrist (Nero) launches his final campaign against the southern alliance. Which is:

(D) Sudden Threat from Other Coalitions/Countries: “Then at the time of the end (last few months of the seven-year Tribulation), the king of the south will attack the king of the north…” (Daniel 11:40, parenthesis mine). In furious response, the king of the north (Antichrist) will invade the lands of the southern coalition, sweeping through them like a flood, entering the glorious land of Israel, conquering many countries, even Egypt (Verses 40-43).

But Antichrist is stopped cold in his rampage through the Middle East. We read: “But then news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and obliterate many. He will stop between the glorious holy mountain and the sea (Megiddo in the Valley of Jezreel) and will pitch his royal tents. But while he is there, his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him (Armageddon)” (Daniel 11:44-45, parenthesis mine).

In a remarkable precursor manner, we see Daniel’s intermediate future prophecy (as opposed to the end-times) regarding the first King of the North (Antiochus IV). He, too, invaded the southern kingdom (Ptolemy … Egypt). He, too, launched a campaign against Israel.

We read: “Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant” (Daniel 11:29-30).

Then in verses 31-32, we read about the desecration of the 2^nd Temple, including setting up the sacrilegious object, which took place in 167 B.C.

Thus, Antiochus IV invaded Israel and unleashed his fury on the Jews not long before his brutal exploits came to an end, but only after being threatened by other armies. Likewise, Antichrist (Nero) will invade Israel near the end of his allotted period of power and authority; also, infuriated after hearing news of enemies gathering against him (kings of the east … Revelation 16).

Summary of This Section

Although there are a few other similarities, the preceding four comparisons are the most notable between Daniel’s prophecy of the first king of the north—Antiochus IV, then the second (end times as Daniel states) king of the north—Antichrist.

As intimated in the previous Eye of Prophecy article, the primary purpose for some of the monumental plans of the Lord taking place in sets of twos is that of contrast, correlation, combination and/or culmination. Another word comes to mind: Preparation. Such as the First (Old) Covenant a preliminary pattern for the Second (New) Covenant.

Likewise, with both kings of the north in the historical and future context of preparing the Jews left behind at the Rapture. Which, unfortunately, will be most of them, as there are relatively few Messianic Jews compared to the total population of Jews in today’s world.

Just as Antiochus IV initially appealed to many Jews of that time who wanted to Hellenize Judaism and globalize the Jewish culture alongside and even into Gentile societies; so, will Antichrist (Nero) at the outset be welcomed by most Jews. First and foremost because (along with Gentiles the world over) of Nero’s stunning reappearance itself. Although many will not accept him as Messiah (because he’s not Jewish), they will eagerly agree to his 7-year treaty that will include permission to rebuild the Jewish Temple. See Eye of Prophecy article: Two State Solution & The Seven Year Treaty … Impossible? Posted 1-26-19.

And like Antiochus IV, the Antichrist will suddenly turn on the Jews, break the treaty, and begin his conquest of Israel and Jerusalem. This conquest will be slowed by two main factors: (1) Enemies of Antichrist’s coalition; (2) Massive natural disasters via the trumpet and bowl judgments directly from God, some of which affect only Antichrist and his realm.

This will all be possible because then, as now, most Jews will still not acknowledge Jesus as their true Messiah. Instead, they will yield to the false messiah (Antichrist) until they fully realize that they were wrong. Sadly, they will again not learn the lesson of the first of two men (Antiochus IV) who profaned the Temple and who attempted to eliminate Jewish identity and culture. But that took place under the Old Covenant; thus, the Lord raised up a group of men to deliver the Jews and restore (partially) Israel’s national sovereignty—preparing the way for the New Covenant.

In today’s world there are as many or more Jews who celebrate Hanukkah than even some of the Biblical mandated festivals, such as Yom Kippur. Reason: there are far more non-religious Jews than the observant (especially the Orthodox) among them. This festive holiday takes place in the Gregorian calendar month of November or December. It commemorates two miracles: (1) victory of the Maccabees over the vastly superior forces of Antiochus IV; (2) one-day supply of the anointed Menorah oil that lasted eight days.

(Refer to Eye of Prophecy article: Hanukkah … A Festival Born of a Prophecy! Posted 12-31-16)

So, too, will Israel and Jews world-wide experience a final time of peril when the second man (in this unholy set of twos) bursts on the scene, having returned from the Abyss. Israel will not have learned the lesson that, like his prototype predecessor Antiochus IV, Nero (called anti-Christ because this time the event will occur under the current New Covenant), will also deceive the Jews (and many Gentiles) with promises of global peace and prosperity. Just as Antiochus IV attempted to persuade (through flattery … Daniel 11:21) the Jews of his time to accept the Greek culture as superior.

(2) Historical Comparisons of Antiochus IV Epiphanes & Nero Caesar

As indicated earlier in the two-part premise: (B) Therefore, we would expect and there should be historical evidence of similarities between Antiochus IV and Nero.

Most professionals like doctors, lawyers, craftsmen, businessmen and women—are specialists in their field, such as cardiology. So, too, are most historians … concentrating on specific periods of history, e.g. American Civil War or the European Renaissance. Others, like me, are general historians; however, I have focused years of research and study on 1^st century (A.D.) church and secular history plus 20^th & 21^st century events. Although I’ve read much of that written about Antiochus IV, I’ve read virtually every historical and several contemporary writings about Nero.

I bring this up to offer an observation that fits with the above premise: I know of no other well-known ruler, other than Nero, whose reign contained several of the same aspects as that of Antiochus IV. Which further corroborates that Nero is (the) anti-Christ in the same vein that Antiochus was anti-God (against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and that Antiochus IV is directly linked to the Antichrist as clearly conveyed in the book of Daniel.

As we examined four Biblical comparisons between Antiochus and the (Tribulation) Antichrist, we’ll also look at four parallels between Antiochus and Nero, during Nero’s first revealing as Antichrist in the first century.

(A) Self-Declarations of Deity: Both tyrants considered themselves to be not just a god (which many rulers did, especially the Roman emperors), but God himself—for Antiochus IV it was Zeus. Which is why he audaciously added the appellation of Epiphanes to his royal title … in Greek means “God Manifest.”

Nero took it step further; he declared that he was both God and Savior (for all mankind). Both had coins minted with these divine epithets. On the flip side of this egotistical emphasis of their divinity, each of them wanted desperately to be popular, especially with the common people. Both mingled with the populace, appearing frequently in public places.

(B) Devotees to/of the Universal Greek Culture: Although Rome had already achieved the pinnacle of greatness during Nero’s tenure as Caesar, Greek culture still permeated every aspect of Roman society, indeed much of the civilized world. As English is considered the universal language of today’s world, so the Greek language was supreme during the times of Antiochus and Nero. It was the Greek-speaking Seleucid Antiochus’s attempt to Hellenize the Jews that led to his outburst of rage when the Jews resisted his loyalty to all that was Greek; leading to his ruthless attack on Israel that resulted in the death of 40,000 Jews and enslavement of 40,000 more.

So, too, was Nero enthusiastically enthralled with and ardently absorbed in many things Greek. In fact, it was his journey to Greece for well over a year during the last part of his reign (including writing and performing of Greek plays) that led to his downfall. The Roman Senate didn’t take kindly to their Emperor debasing himself on the stage. No other Roman Emperor or ruler of any other non-Greek nation possessed and expressed such passion for the Greek culture as did Nero.

(Bust of Nero)

(C) Both Are the Eighth King & Arose to Power Illegally: Antiochus IV was the 8^th in a succession of twenty-six kings that ruled the Seleucid Dynasty … the Syrian segment of Alexander’s divided empire.

Although Nero was the fifth Roman Caesar, when revealing the mystery of the beast (tantamount to revealing the identity of the beast as a man who had already lived and died but would return from the Abyss) the angel also told John: “This calls for a mind with understanding. The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules (Rome). They also represent seven kings. Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like (Greek word, “Ek”, which means one of or out of) the other seven…” (Revelation 17:9-11).

Nero was one of the five already fallen (dead) kings. But he would—when combined with all the other passages on the Antichrist, including the number of the beast in Revelation 13 which matches up through Hebrew gematria with Nero Caesar—then be the 8^th king … upon his return from the Abyss.

Both Antiochus IV and Nero ascended the throne without being in the immediate line of succession. And not long afterward, each murdered a rival heir to the throne to make sure there would be no subsequent competition. Time and space do not permit more details.

(D) Length of Time of Antiochus’s Reign Corresponding with Nero’s: Antiochus IV ruled from 175 B.C. to his death in 164 B.C., a total of eleven years. Although Nero technically reigned fourteen years (A.D. 54 to A.D. 68), only eleven of those years was he exclusively in control of the throne.

The reason: his mother, Agrippina, who not only murdered her husband (Emperor Claudius) to make way for Nero to become Caesar, but also dominated the Roman political scene for the better part of three years, until Nero banished her from the royal court. Subsequently, he had his mother murdered in A.D. 59 … on the charge of treason! Hence, the evidence shows that both rulers exercised autonomous rule for eleven years.

Even more startling is the almost exact span of time that the rule of both tyrants incorporated a reign of terror. No less, than the same amount of time that God will allow Antichrist to exercise the peak of his power and authority during the Tribulation (Revelation 13:5).

That time: 3 ½ years!

During Nero’s first stint as Antichrist, for the last 3 ½ years (A.D. 64 through his death in June, A.D. 68). You may recall historically that Nero (falsely) blamed the Christians for the great fire in Rome of A.D. 64. Soon, thereafter, he began to persecute and kill Christians on a massive scale.

Then, he launched a campaign against Israel in A.D. 66 that also took about 3 ½ years for his generals and legions to complete. In and immediately surrounding Rome itself Nero’s venom was directed toward Christians; however, at that time most Christians were (Messianic) Jews … Jewish Christians.

And don’t forget that Christ Jesus’s ministry lasted for about 3 ½ years! God will allow the Antichrist (Nero) the same period to (a second time vainly and unsuccessfully) prove that he is both God and Messiah.

So, too, did Antiochus’s reign of terror against the Jews last for 3 ½ years. From the outset when he began to invade Israel and persecute the Jews in 168-167 B.C. to the time when the Maccabees defeated his Syrian-Greek armies in 164 B.C, followed by his death soon thereafter.

Summary of This Section

There are other parallels, such as the interaction of both Antiochus IV and Nero in their respective times with the nation of Parthia. However, these four comparisons sufficiently show that the two were as similar as anything or anyone could be—considering that they were separated by 200 years … from the death of Antiochus to the birth of Nero. Moreover, Antiochus died in the month of December, the same month in which Nero was born.

Thus, there is not only a Biblical prophetic parallel concerning Antiochus IV and the Antichrist, but also historical documentation to demonstrate a counterpart match between Nero and his prototype predecessor, Antiochus IV.

Things to Ponder

The entire Word of God is marvelous; including the breathtaking scope (breadth and depth) of Biblical prophecies. Prophecies coming to pass days, years, decades, centuries, and even millennia later. Some fulfilled with precise length of time and actual dates prophesied (See Eye of Prophecy articles: Extraordinary Biblical Prophecies w/Predicted Times of Fulfillment, Part I & II, posted 3-2 & 3-9-19).

Others that include specific numbers, particularly the number seven. Still others that combine two people or events in significant sets of twos. Even including two detestable despots who, when all was/is said and done, have served and will serve God’s powerful purpose and accomplish his providential plan for Israel and for believers in the true Messiah Jesus—Jew and Gentile alike.

Though all people immediately left behind at the Rapture will be unsaved, there will soon be millions who will know what’s happened and why. Among these will be 144,000 Messianic Jews who will be mighty witnesses (Revelation Chapters 7 & 14) for Messiah Jesus and lead millions to him, despite horrendous persecution and death.

Throughout the seven-year tribulation (particularly the first half) more and more people will choose Christ over Antichrist. Especially, considering their proportion of the left-behind world’s population, the Jews—both in and outside of Israel. However, tribulation saints, both Jew and Gentile, will still be greatly outnumbered by unbelievers.

At the very end of this horrific time of turmoil, Jesus Christ will return to set all things right. He will easily defeat the unholy trinity of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet, followed by a crushing blow to those nations and armies who would dare to invade Israel and who would defy the King of all kings.

All to prepare the earth for Messiah’s glorious Millennial Reign. The Kingdom of God on earth!

“Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it” (Romans 11:12).

For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!” (Romans 11:15).

That day is coming soon.

“For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36).

Why would anyone want to seal up the book of Revelation?

Unfortunately, that’s what some students of Scripture and even Bible teachers have done to varying degrees; even though keeping Revelation unsealed is a direct decree to the author, John.

Writes John in the last chapter of Revelation: “Then he instructed me, ‘Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near’” (Revelation 22:10).

Many believers to all intents and purposes have inadvertently sealed the book of Revelation by seldom reading it and rarely studying it. They consider much of it to be unknowable, to be sparingly discussed … compared to say, the Gospels or Epistles. When, in fact, Revelation is the only book that promises a special blessing to those who listen to and obey it … intently scrutinize, passionately pursue, long to learn (Revelation 1:3 & 22:7).

Proportionally, most pastors/teachers, commentators, and believers in general spend much more time and space on other books of the Bible. Fortunately, for the most part, prophecy pundits actively have sealed only portions of two chapters … Revelation 13 & 17.

Why would the angel even tell John not to seal up the words in this book? What does it mean to “seal up” (conversely, not to seal up)?

That question can best be answered by examining a similar instruction to another prophet some 600 years before Revelation was written. However, that directive was in reverse; one that believers are more familiar with than the one in Revelation.

“But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase” (Daniel 12:4).

*Note: Whatever generation would experience the Day of the Lord (beginning with the Rapture) would be the one with the cutting-edge advancements in knowledge, transportation, and communication. That could have applied to virtually any period (age, generation) since Jesus ascended back to heaven.

Here is an excerpt from my book, Out of the Abyss (in italics):

For sure the rushing around and increase in knowledge has taken on a whole new meaning in our age of rapid transportation and computerized communication. But there was also a good deal of movement in the first century facilitated by the remarkable Roman highways. So, too, had knowledge dramatically increased hundreds of years after Daniel’s prophecy, precipitated by and attributed to Greek, Roman, and Jewish thinkers. Every generation could have made claim to this verse in Daniel regarding the “latest” technology, or the most contemporary possession and display of arts, science, literature, and knowledge in general (Page 277).

This same instruction is given again, with slightly different words:

Daniel and Revelation are the only books of Scripture in which the authors are told to: (1) seal up the book; (2) don’t seal the book.

Eye of Prophecy Post: The Seal of Approval

That former article was published 11-15-14 and was only the 14^th in the category of Antichrist, with a total of 68 articles at that time posted in the five categories of Eye of Prophecy website (total of 281 articles to date). Because there have been an additional 40 articles in the category of Antichrist since then, today’s post is a revisit review of that significant statement to John and its relevance to the persuasive premise that the identity of Antichrist can be known. In fact, it was known by early (1^st – 5^th century) Christians!

Today’s post includes a few verbatim quotes from that previous article, but also substantial revisions (deletions, additions, modifications) to the content. Plus, pictorials not present in the original article. For that reason, only the first three paragraphs of Seal of Approval will be italicized, which is done if I include excerpts from prior Eye of Prophecy articles in the current post for that week. Any subsequent excerpts will not be italicized, to ensure continuity and to maintain a stand-alone status for this week’s post.

Let’s begin with that excerpt:

It’s time to once again declassify and decode the identity of Antichrist. To once again lift the veil of secrecy and mystery that modern-day students of prophecy have imposed on this infamous figure; called a ruler and king by the prophet Daniel, the man of lawlessness by the apostle Paul, Antichrist by the apostle John, and a beast by John, the author of Revelation.

Although volumes have been written about this notorious tyrant, the prevailing premise is that the identity of the man who would dare be anti-Christ cannot be known until after the Rapture, at the outset of the seven-year Great Tribulation… Some scholars have dismissed and even ridiculed the notion that the Antichrist’s identity was meant to be known before the Rapture with the statement: “If anyone thinks they know the identity of Antichrist, then they have missed the Rapture!”

But we can know … we should know! Why can I make such a bold assertion? Because Scripture not only encourages such a discovery, it challenges us to figure out who the prophets and apostles are referring to. That he was not just a future tense despot to the prophet Daniel, but a present tense ruler during the Apostle Paul’s lifetime and a past tense monarch shortly before the book of Revelation was penned.

One of the most well-known verses sometimes quoted in my past writings on the beast of Revelation (as well as by many students of prophecy), but one that bears repeating: “Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666” (Revelation 13:18).

In ancient Greek manuscripts the number 666 is written out … six hundred, sixty-six. Which is essential to accurately calculate the number (therefore, identity) of the Antichrist beast, i.e. through Hebrew Gematria—counting by the alphabet.

Are you thinking what John and 1^st century believers were undoubtedly asking themselves? Is the angel suggesting that we can know (solve) the meaning of the beast’s number? He’s not only suggesting it; he’s saying that it could and should be done—with a good dose of wisdom and understanding. By whom? By the believers of that time! And, by believers (or even unbelievers) thereafter … to this very day!

A rhetorical question: Are there any restrictions identified or conditions imposed on the reader, whether someone reading it in the first century or in this current generation, that directly state or remotely imply that discernment of the meaning of the number applies only to those left behind at the Rapture? The verse unambiguously encourages the reader of that time to, “solve the meaning of the number of the beast.” And when that is unscrambled, the identity of the beast will be revealed; because, “It’s the number of a man.” Not man in general, but “a” man.

Think about it: There would be no reason whatsoever to decipher the number of this man after the Rapture. Early in the Tribulation his globally broadcasted name and physical appearance to the whole world will be enough to know who he is, especially after he orchestrates the seven-year treaty. Right?!

The only deliberation necessary for those left behind is whether to take his name or his number on their forehead or right hand.

(Many forget that the “mark of the beast” is not just the “number representing his name”; but also, “the name of the beast” … Revelation 13:17)

As further evidence and incentive that the identity of Antichrist was meant to be known by first century believers and all believers thereafter, an extraordinary command was given by one of the angels at the very end of the spectacular series of visions witnessed by John. We’ve already looked at the angel’s instruction to John:

Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near (Revelation 22:10).

Which is in direct contrast to:

The “Sealing” of Daniel’s Prophecies

Daniel was told to seal his book because some of his prophecies weren’t germane to his generation, nor to several generations afterward.

Obviously, the sealing of Daniel’s book wasn’t meant to be a literal fastening commonly used in those days, especially by kings and officials who wanted their documents to be tightly guarded for both privacy and safety until they were to be unsealed (opened) and read. For one thing, much of Daniel’s book was a journalistic record of past and present events that occurred during his decade’s long exile in Babylon.

Paraphrasing, Daniel was told to: Place his prophecies in storage.

Whereas, John was instructed to do just the opposite. First century Christians, especially Jewish Messianic believers who were well-versed in the writings of the Old Testament prophets, would have immediately made the connection of the angel’s caution to John as a striking contrast to the admonition given to Daniel.

Bible scholars have accurately explained that the instruction to Daniel was necessary because fulfillment of (many of) Daniel’s visions wouldn’t take place until the time of the end.

Likewise, several students of prophecy correctly place the beginning of the time of the end as the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Messiah Jesus, i.e. the New Covenant that birthed the Church. The Covenant of Grace, whose mediator (Messiah Jesus) fulfilled the Old Covenant of Law, hence the end of that Covenant. And the end times beginning with the New Covenant, which will culminate in the Day of the Lord commencing with the Rapture. Then the reappearance of Antichrist, the Tribulation, Second Coming of Christ, followed by the Millennium.

“The time of the end” phrase used by Daniel is often transposed by modern Bible scholars (including me) to the end-times. That would certainly and preeminently include the glorious return of Messiah Jesus which was ardently anticipated by 1^st century believers, including the Apostles. Hence, the imminent return of Christ. Early believers fully expected that Jesus would rapture his church in their lifetime. And, he very well could have.

The full details of why he has delayed his return for 2,000 years is known only to our Lord. However, the Apostle Peter gives us the most important of those reasons:

Paraphrasing: The Lord wants more people (born) to be born again—saved.

In the context of the passing of 2,000 years as pertains to the book of Revelation, here is another excerpt from Out of the Abyss:

The passage of some 2000 years is essentially irrelevant to the prophecies of Revelation. If the lapse of time was relevant, then the angel would have told John the same thing Daniel had been told. “Seal up the book until the time of the end…” But the angel didn’t say that; he said just the opposite. The time of the end (last days) began with Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem. We are now living in the last of the last days of the time of the end (Page 278).

Similarly, this delay has no bearing whatsoever on the mystery unveiled to John … that the Antichrist was born, lived, and died in the 1^st century before Revelation was even written. We’ll see that soon in another passage concerning the Antichrist, one that I’ve quoted often—in my book Out of the Abyss and in several Eye of Prophecy articles … Revelation 17:7-8. It is the springboard passage more than any other (but one that must be combined will ALL other Biblical passages about the Antichrist, then compared to 1^st century history) that catapults us to this incredible, but nevertheless cogent conclusion: The Antichrist will not be a man born in the last generation before the Rapture—our generation … the Omega Generation.

He was and will be upon his return: The Ruler of Daniel whose armies would destroy the rebuilt Temple, the Man of Lawlessness of the Apostle Paul’s time, and the Beast of Revelation who would reappear from the Abyss. He is the Antichrist … the Roman Emperor, NERO.

To emphasize that the entire book of Revelation was meant to be understood (unsealed) in terms of the players involved and the chronology of events in both the first century and immediately preceding, during, and following the Tribulation, we need to look at:

Prophetic Events in the Book of Daniel

Most have come to pass; some (Tribulation events) are still awaiting fulfillment. Of paramount significance: among those fulfilled are events that took place in the first century.

At the end of these itemized prophecies in Daniel, I’ll give you the number (count) of those already completed and those awaiting fulfillment. Except for the succession (number) of specific details in Daniel 11:5-20 (treated as a whole in the context of the Seleucid/Ptolemaic dynasties), the component parts of the prophetic passages will be included in this count.

Prophecy (Daniel Chapter 2): Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a colossal statue in four parts followed by Daniel’s God-given interpretation that these segments are four mighty kingdoms. The feet and toes (extension of the iron legs—Rome) of that statue represent the kingdoms in existence at the outset of the Tribulation. See Eye of Prophecy article, Brexit … What’s It All About? (Posted June 2016, providing a detailed analysis of this statue, in the context of England’s still-pending exit from the European Union).

Also, the Kingdom of God on earth (Millennial Reign of Messiah) is described in Chapter 2, then later in Chapter 7.

Fulfillment: Babylonian, Media/Persian, Grecian, and Roman Empires. Dates of those kingdoms listed in the below pictorial.

Prophecy (Chapter 4): Another dream of Nebuchadnezzar; a tree, “…growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see” (Verse 20). The tree directly depicted Nebuchadnezzar and indirectly Babylon; however, the tree would be cut down with only the stump and roots left.

Fulfillment: During Nebuchadnezzar’s lifetime when, because of his pride in taking sole credit for Babylon’s rise to power, he became insane and lived among the animals for seven years. God restored him to the throne when the king acknowledged God as the one whose, “…rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him” (Daniel 4:34-35).

Prophecy (Chapter 5): The finger of God writing on the wall of King Belshazzar’s palace. Once again, only Daniel knew the meaning of this prophecy, i.e. the imminent destruction of Babylon.

Fulfilment: That very night, Babylon was conquered by the Persian Empire.

Prophecy (Chapter 7): Daniel’s dream of four beasts … another prophetic vision of the four Gentile kingdoms. With, however, the main emphasis that of the fourth empire (Rome) producing a ruler who would reign over ten kings and their kingdoms after suddenly appearing among those kings. The ruler would not arise from a Revived Roman Empire, because there is no such empire in Scripture, either in Daniel or Revelation. Rather, this ruler would come directly from the original Roman Empire and he would “…try to change their (the Jews) sacred festivals and laws…” (Verse 25).

Fulfillment: Same four kingdoms as in Daniel Chapter 2. However, Daniel 7:8, 11, 20-22, & 24-26 refer directly to the Tribulation period, thus still awaiting fulfillment.

Prophecy (Chapter 7): A short but spectacular interlude that describes the return of Messiah Jesus to heaven, found in verses 13 & 14.

Fulfillment: After Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives, 40 days after his resurrection. See Eye of Prophecy article: Messiah’s Ascension & Coronation … Seen Long Before It Happened! Posted 5-27-17.

Prophecy (Chapter 8): Daniel’s vision of the clash between the ram and goat. The large horn of the goat is a mighty king. When he passed from the scene, his kingdom would be split into four regions, “…but none as great as the first” (Verse 22). One of these four kingdoms would produce a king who would wreak havoc with God’s people. Chapter 11 then provides even more details about this ruler … which history clearly shows is Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

Fulfillment: The angel who explains this vision to Daniel gets quite specific. He identifies the nations involved: Greece is the kingdom represented by the goat and Media/Persia the kingdom symbolized by the two-horned ram. History bears this out when Alexander the Great conquered Persia some 225 years after the prophecy. Chapter 8 also records the first instruction concerning the sealing of the book when Daniel is told: “…But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret” (Daniel 8:26).

Prophecy (Chapter 9): This is, arguably, the most stunning of Daniel’s prophecies. Like Chapter 7, it is a combination of what would transpire during the 1^st century Roman Empire; plus, the Tribulation period. The prophecies are: The beginning of Israel’s atonement and final restoration; the exact time when Messiah would appear (483 years from the time the command would be given to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls—with this command also future tense—to the time of Messiah’s arrival); the death of Messiah; the rise of a ruler whose armies would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple (which hadn’t even been rebuilt yet!). Then fast forwarding to the Tribulation period—the subsequent treaty orchestrated by that same ruler to include breaking the treaty by canceling the Jewish sacrifices and offerings, as Daniel 7 said this ruler would do.

Fulfillment: The command to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem issued by Persian King Artaxerxes in 445 B.C.; Messiah Jesus’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem in 32 A.D. exactly 173,880 days (483 Jewish calendar years) later; Jesus’s death on the cross providing individual atonement through his once for all substitutionary sacrifice; the Roman ruler (Nero) born shortly thereafter in 37 A.D., then ruling as Caesar 54-68 A.D.; Israel’s final redemptive restoration as a nation that began with the miraculous rebirth of Israel in 1948, but not complete until the Great Tribulation ends. See Eye of Prophecy articles: The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible I & II (Published 1-13 & 1-20-18).

Prophecy (Chapter 11): Detailed prediction of the political intrigue and wars between two of the four divisions of Alexander’s kingdom. Specifically, the Seleucid and Ptolemy dynasties, with primary focus on Antiochus IV and his deplorable exploits in Israel (Verses 1-32). Then beginning in verse 36 to the end of the chapter (with verses 33-35 a transition period), portrayal of an even greater tyrant who would do some of the same things as Antiochus but on a global scale and not until the very last days of the end times, i.e. Antichrist.

Fulfillment: Alliances and wars between Syria and Egypt, culminating in Antiochus IV’s invasion of Israel, desecration of the rebuilt Temple, then opposition from some of God’s people who would resist this megalomaniac (Verse 32). Those who resisted and went on to defeat Antiochus and his superior army in the 160s B.C. were the Maccabees and their faithful Jewish followers.

(Antichrist Nero will also, “set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration” … Daniel 9:27)

Prophecy (Chapter 12): Three more predictions, all related to the Tribulation. Time/space does not permit elaboration (as has been done in my book Out of the Abyss and a few Eye of Prophecy articles).

Final Tally for the Book of Daniel:

Prophecies fulfilled by 70 A.D (destruction of the Temple) … Ten.

Prophecies Remaining to be fulfilled during the Tribulation … Eight.

Recap: After the Roman destruction of the Temple, Daniel’s prophecies were effectively unsealed, because many of them (eight of the ten after Daniel’s time) had already taken place before or during the 1^st century when Revelation was written. Even the predictions in Daniel that hadn’t yet occurred could now be understood by 1^st century believers because the main focus of those still pending prophecies was on the ruler who would arise from the Roman Empire (the 1^st century ruler who had already lived and died) would be the SAME ruler who would suddenly reappear from the Abyss, arrange a seven-year treaty, and take control of a ten-nation confederation, i.e. the ten Tribulation kings of Daniel 7, Revelation 13 & 17.

Plus, all the pending (Tribulation) prophecies of Daniel were revisited and then amplified in the book of Revelation.

Thus, the book of Revelation was also effectively unsealed and should be kept that way. Among other things, to seal Revelation would be to disregard and even discard the clear challenge to unravel the compelling clues given by the angel to John; thereby, identifying the Antichrist.

Why Seal Daniel’s Visions and Not John’s … More Verification

The striking significance for the need not to seal (withhold, keep to himself, temporarily set aside, or postpone for a later time) ANY PART of the book of Revelation is that all the revelations given to John were immediately relevant to the believers of that day. In fact, we can with a great deal of assurance and authority carry this a step further and state: The revelations were applicable first and foremost to believers of the first century. There’s more to that statement than just the obvious. The early Christians knew that if Jesus should imminently take his bride (the Church) to heaven, then the remaining end-time Biblical prophecies would begin to unfold immediately thereafter.

With, however, John’s encrypted references to the Antichrist intended to protect Christians from further persecution and death; hence, the encoding of the beast’s identity by a number through Hebrew Gematria … counting by the Hebrew alphabet. Likewise, to partially obscure the identity of the beast (by name … Nero) in Revelation 17, via the (then) present-day recent history and current events reference to the seven kings (Roman Emperors). Five of whom had already fallen, one reigning, one soon to rule (briefly), then an eighth king—the beast himself—who was one of the seven kings (Revelation 17:9-11). Which like Revelation 13:18 begins with: “This calls for a mind with understanding.”

A prophetic puzzle solved by any 1^st century Christian who kept abreast of the first two Roman Dynasties … Claudian and Flavian.

(Caesars of the Claudian Dynasty, From Left to Right: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero)

(Please see Eye of Prophecy articles: Exposing Antichrist’s Identity … More Compelling Evidence Part I & II (Posted March 2017). Which provide extensive Biblical and secular evidence (even more so in my book, Out of the Abyss) to match the five kings fallen, one reigning, one soon to come, all the way through Emperor Domitian in the 90s A.D)

That is why the angel told John not to seal up the prophecies of Revelation. Unlike the prophecies of Daniel which were mostly for the distant future: (1) the centuries leading to and including the first advent of Messiah Jesus; (2) those exclusively for the Tribulation; that, however, could have begun in the 1^st century.

Therefore, the disclosures to John of Patmos were applicable to his readers then and there.

Why?

Once again: because Jesus could rapture his Church at any moment! Which would be an instant catalyst to the Great Tribulation and reappearance of the beast.

Satan has no clue exactly when the Rapture would take place, any more than we (people) do.

Consequently, there’s no way that Satan would have time to select his man of sin on the spur of the moment. Nor would or did Satan try to prepare a tyrant from every generation since the first century, as some suggest. For several reasons, with time/space limited in today’s article to just one reason. However, it is the most obvious: Satan’s choices are extremely limited. He would have to choose a man who had already been confined to the Abyss!

Moreover, in all of Scripture, there’s only one man who has been banished to the Abyss, unlike all other unbelievers who end up in Hell after they die. The Abyss and Hell are two totally separate places in Scripture.

Satan will not have to choose someone, then groom that man to become the Antichrist immediately after the Rapture. Satan already knows who the Antichrist is. He has known since the first century, because it was Satan who energized Nero to be his anti-Christ.

The following is another excerpt from Out of the Abyss (after providing examples of how Satan throughout history has acted immediately concerning anything related to Israel, Messiah, and the Church. Such as his temptation of Jesus in the wilderness to turn the true Messiah into Satan’s messiah right then and there).

Satan wanted to crush Christianity as soon as he could. Why would he wait for an unknown, unspecified, interminable length of time for the Christian church to flourish? Revelation hadn’t been written yet, so Satan didn’t know the rest of the story. His arrogant ambition and pernicious pattern are always now. That’s why he selected Nero to be the king prophesied by Daniel.

Alas, the rebellion abruptly ended; rudely interrupted when Satan’s superman left the scene before all the terrible things Satan wanted to do could be completed! Satan must have been furious at Nero, at the Roman Empire, at the Church, and at Christ… (Page 226).

Messiah Jesus could have chosen to Rapture the believers at any moment after his ascension back to heaven, especially after Revelation had been written. If he had done so, then the prophetic events of the last days would have begun to unfold rapidly … within days or weeks. Thus, the Antichrist MUST HAVE ALREADY BEEN ON THE SCENE. Indeed, he has been waiting since the first century, albeit confined to the Abyss!

All the devil needs do is to wait for his man of lawlessness to be released from the Abyss and ascend from the sea (Abyss); which is exactly what Scripture tells us will happen (Revelation 12:18, 13:1, 17:8). And could have happened in the first century, or second, or third….

Ultimate Evidence That the Antichrist Will Not Be a Modern-Day Man

Now for the passage mentioned in the beginning of today’s article; the one that convincingly confirms that the Antichrist beast seen by John was already past tense! But would become future tense at the outset of the Tribulation.

Said the angel to John: “Why are you so amazed?… I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world … will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:7-8, italics for emphasis). The Greek word for soon means momentarily, but more so it means abruptly or suddenly.

All of John’s visions, including this one, took place in the present (time) … on a Sunday from the Isle of Patmos in the 1^st century A.D.

(Depiction of John on Patmos; Shows open scrolls … fitting for today’s article!)

In this second vision of the beast, the angel revealed the full “mystery” of the beast to John. It was another extraordinary disclosure of the beast’s identity to go along with his number presented earlier in Revelation Chapter 13. Both revelations would mesh perfectly with Daniel’s prophecies of a ruler who would arise (shortly) after Messiah was killed and whose armies would destroy the Temple (Daniel 9). As well as Paul’s reminder to the Thessalonians that this man of lawlessness and the secrecy of that lawlessness (plot to kill Nero’s step-father Claudius, making way for Nero to succeed Claudius as Caesar), was already being (temporarily) held in check. II Thessalonians was written 2-3 years before Nero lawlessly became Emperor.

The identity of the beast could and should be known by any generation. The Christians of the first century had the Biblical tools coupled with recent and current events to solve the clues and ascertain the identity of Antichrist BEFORE the Rapture, not afterward. As have all generations since, including ours!

Nowhere in Revelation does John state or even imply that the identity of the beast could not be known until after the Rapture. That is an assumption made by contemporary prophecy students (including me at one time) who cannot let go of the premise that the Antichrist must be a modern-day born man like all rulers before him in their time. One of several problems with that is the fact that the Antichrist beast will (re)appear from the Abyss, something no man has ever done before. Nor will he be killed during the Tribulation, because he had already lived and died before Revelation was even written.

Nero’s reappearance from the Abyss is just one of several supernatural (apocalyptic) events that will supersede the natural order of things during the Day of the Lord, including the otherwise normal birth of a modern-day Antichrist.

The words of Revelation 17 are unmistakable, and their meaning plain: “The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now.”

It will be Nero’s miraculous (in the eyes of the world) reappearance 2,000 years later that will stun those left behind at the Rapture (Revelation 17:8; Revelation 13:3-4).

Summary

In the first chapter of Revelation, Jesus told John to: “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen” (Revelation 1:19).

The “things that are now happening” when John saw his visions also included some recent events in his life and the lives of first century believers.

The Lord wanted John, all first century Christians, and those thereafter to understand beyond doubt that Revelation was not restricted just to future events. Other than the first three chapters of Revelation including the letters to the seven churches, most believers and even Bible scholars think in terms of the remainder of Revelation applying exclusively to future events. NOT SO.

There are several present and past tense occurrences in Revelation, such as the seven kings—five of whom had already fallen (died). The (Antichrist) beast was one of these seven kings; one of the five who had died.

Then in the last chapter of Revelation, the angel instructed John not to withhold or postpone the writing and distribution of Revelation (all part of “sealing” a book). In fact, ALL of Revelation was immediately relevant to believers.. Nothing in the book was hidden from meaning (with wisdom and understanding) and none of the mysteries were left unsolved.

Both secular and Church historians of the 1^st through 5^th centuries recorded that many Christians of their time believed that Nero would return as the beast of Revelation. Also, many Romans believed Nero either hadn’t died or would somehow return from “a distant region” and resume the throne as Caesar. This phenomenon was even given a name: Nero Redivivus Legend.

All I’m doing is refitting the prophetic puzzle that had been correctly assembled by the early Church but disassembled and inaccurately pieced together in our generation. I’m not reinventing the wheel. Rather it’s the same wheels of prophecy used by the early believers in their journey through the annals of Biblical events relating to the last days. We are currently in the last of the end-times last days.

“Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

Revelation’s prophet is John.

The early Christians understood John’s prophecies were meant for them. They weren’t thinking about future generations any more than we would if we fully expected something to happen in our lifetime. Via Paul, they understood that Nero was the man of lawlessness. However, not until Revelation was penned would they match the man of lawlessness with the beast, realizing they were one and the same.

Nor could they conclusively correlate the ruler (book of Daniel) to Nero until he died, and his armies demolished Jerusalem and the Temple. While alive, Nero had personally dispatched Roman Generals Vespasian and Titus to crush the Jewish rebellion that began in 66 A.D. Once all those things happened, then the Christians knew!

Things to Ponder

When our great and glorious Messiah/Savior Jesus makes his final descent from heaven to vanquish Satan, Antichrist, the False Prophet, and their massive armies, we believers will ride with him (Revelation 17:14 & 19:14)!

If you don’t know the Lord and are among those left behind at the Rapture, you’ll soon know who this man of sin is. My hope and prayer for you is that you will not be shocked at Antichrist’s identity when you see that it is Nero. That this, along with all the other prophetic events developing before your eyes, will instead direct your amazement toward God’s Word the Bible and to the Living Word of God—Messiah Jesus.

All these things were, indeed, foretold long ago.

But why wait for the greatest calamity of all time to unfold to choose the true Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth? A terrible time of tribulation in which believers will experience horrendous persecution … most will be killed. Or, you may die before the Rapture.

Call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved. Today is the day of salvation. Choose Messiah Jesus now as your Savior and go up with other believers to heaven when Jesus takes us home at the Rapture. Then you can ride down with him from heaven and be part of the tremendous victory over Satan and his anti-Christ.

Some of us won’t be the least bit surprised when we see who the beast is, especially the early Christians! Even more so, the thousands of believers who were put to death by Nero in the first century. They will appreciate Jesus’s resounding Armageddon victory over and eternal destruction of this evil man as much or more than anyone.

The book of Daniel has been unsealed and Revelation remains unsealed. These open prophecies include EVERYTHING written in them—in all of Scripture. Don’t seal up a few by thinking they (the basics of them) cannot be known, including the identity of Antichrist.

There are only two passages in the New Testament in which the reader is issued a challenge to comprehend. Both pertain directly to Antichrist and his identity (Revelation 13:18 & Revelation 17:7-11).

The early Christians knew, and so can we.

Above all: We know that the true Messiah is Jesus–Son of God, Son of David, Son of Man.

He is: KING of all kings … LORD of all lords!

What does the past have to do with the future Antichrist?

After all, isn’t the Antichrist a component of end-times prophecy that includes the Rapture; his appearance at the outset of the seven-year Tribulation; defeat at Armageddon by the true Messiah; then thrown into the Lake of Fire? Don’t the predictions about his arrival as found in Daniel 7, 9, and 11; Zechariah 11; II Thessalonians 2; Revelation 11, 13, 16, 17, & 19 apply to the future, by the very definition of that which is prophetic?

Yes and no.

Webster’s Dictionary defines prophecy (noun) as: “the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose; an inspired utterance of a prophet; a prediction of something to come.”

That definition accurately reflects the dual dynamic of Biblical prophecies: (1) Forthtelling—telling it like it is in the context of blessings for trusting and obeying the Lord and (contrasted to) warnings for distrust and disobedience. (2) Foretelling the future.

Scripture contains an abundance of both.

The verb form prophesy (prophesying or prophesied) is similar, but with more of an emphasis on: “to make a prediction.”

Old Testament prophets and John, the prophet of Revelation, certainly prophesied the future, but they also professed and refreshed God’s sovereign plan for the present and past.

God is timeless; therefore, the past, present, and future are simultaneous to him. For humanity, time is linear … unfolding one moment to the next. In the context of future tense prophecies, a reminder of the present and past was sometimes included as a backdrop to better understand the full scope of the prophesied event. A more panoramic perspective as it were.

Will the Antichrist (logically) be a modern-day man? If so, then no one would know anything about his pre-Antichrist life until he becomes Antichrist. But what if Bible prophecies about this evil man also speak of him in the past tense before he appears on the Tribulation scene? If they do, then he wouldn’t be born in the Omega (final) generation of the last days … The Day of the Lord.

Borrowing the title of the blockbuster movie, fasten your prophetic seat belt as we ride the high-octane vehicle of Biblical prophecy and go Back to the Future.

Prophecies Applying to Select People

There are only a handful of Biblical prophecies that apply directly to individuals chosen by God in advance for an express reason to accomplish His plans for Israel and all humanity. For example: Samson … to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines; John the Baptist … to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.

For a few, the Lord instructed the parent(s) to give the child a name that God had selected, e.g. Ishmael, Isaac, John (the Baptist), and Jesus.

God revealed the name of Cyrus to the prophet Isaiah, as the ruler who would issue a decree for the Jews to return from Babylonian captivity and rebuild the Temple (Isaiah 44 & 45). This was some 150 years before the Persian King Cyrus was born and named!

By far, the prophets foretold of the Messiah more than any other person, with several titles ascribed to him such as Prince of Peace and Immanuel. Yet, it was not until the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, when Messiah would be given his Incarnate name of Jesus. It was an awesome announcement that would propel into motion God’s magnificent plan of redemption—the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Chapter 31).

Said Gabriel to Mary: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever. His Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:31-33).

Then later to Joseph—who had decided to break his engagement with Mary because of her “unfaithfulness” to him—an angel explained what really had happened and what Joseph must do.

“…Joseph, son of David … do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us’” (Matthew 1:20-23, quoting Isaiah 7:14).

The prophecy of Messiah Jesus given to Joseph relates to God’s plan of redemption—to the Jew first, but also to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16). Concerning Mary, the prediction pertains to Jesus’s rule and reign over the Kingdom of God on earth … fulfilled upon his glorious return.

There’s another feature of Messianic predictions fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth that is unique in the annals of prophecy. At that time, he was the only person prophesied who had a past long before he arrived on the earth as the Messiah. Several passages in Scripture testify to this. We’ll look at just two: one in the Old Testament, one in the New Testament.

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past” (Micah 5:2).

Then, the Jewish Apostle John tells us that Jesus’s existence stretched beyond even the distant past.

Jesus existed with his Father (and the Holy Spirit) before time began. That’s as far back as anyone can be! But, then, Jesus is also God.

The Prophecy of One Other Man Who Also Had A Past

One other prophesied person in Scripture also has a past (tense). No suspense here, as he (his designation) is identified in the title of this week’s Eye of Prophecy article. It is this past that will enable him to mesmerize billions left behind at the Rapture; to be worshiped as Christ even though he is Anti-Christ.

He is also referred to as the little horn (Daniel 7); prince/ruler (Daniel 9); king (Daniel 7, Revelation 17); worthless shepherd (Zechariah 11); man of lawlessness (II Thessalonians 2); the beast (Revelation … all chapters previous cited). Each of these titles relate to specific things this depraved man would do; even more importantly, when he would do them. As Roman Emperor from 54 – 68 A.D; then as the Antichrist beast who returns from the Abyss (Revelation 17) at the commencement of the Great Tribulation.

Please see Eye of Prophecy trilogy: A Beast by Any Name…. Posted 3-14, 3-21, & 3-28-15.

Those articles provide extensive Biblical and other historical evidence and rationale to show that each of the labels assigned to Antichrist (the most common reference to this evil man) is for a special reason. Not the least of which is to ascertain his identity, which is also to understand that he had a past long before his (short) future will begin again in the (near) future.

No secret here either, as my second book, Out of the Abyss along with many of the 54 Eye of Prophecy articles (to date) in the category of Antichrist, document in detail. The Antichrist is none other than the Roman Emperor Nero.

The reason for the prevailing presumption (logical and reasonable, but not what the Bible is telling us) that the Antichrist will be a modern-day born man is because we’ve missed this very fact: He has a past. One that was already past tense when the book of Revelation was written!

When he comes up out of the Abyss and arrives on the scene at the outset of the Tribulation, it will NOT be his first appearance on earth.

However, Nero’s past is nothing like the true Messiah, i.e. from the very beginning of time.

Obviously, the appellation of Antichrist (found only in I John) means the exact opposite of Christ. He will claim to be both Messiah and God when he reappears from the Abyss. Just like he declared during his 14-year reign as the fifth Roman Emperor—designating himself as both God and Savior. When, in fact, he is everything that Messiah Jesus isn’t: evil, ruthless, deceitful, ungodly, unholy, lawless, and other characteristics of all that is “anti” Christ.

Antichrist is also a term and characteristic that signifies one who will mimic the true Messiah, but in a cruel counterfeit way. In a way that will be allowed by God because that is what/who most people left behind at the Rapture will want. They want a messiah, but not the Messiah. (See Eye of Prophecy article, The World Wants A Messiah … But It Needs (The) Messiah. Published 1-28-17).

I, too, was (once) among those mainstream Bible scholars, teachers, and students who subscribed to a modern-day born Antichrist. What or who else could he be? Although I’ve studied Biblical prophecy for several decades, it wasn’t until November 2008 that the Lord gave me some mind boggling insight. I wrote about the details of this discernment in Out of the Abyss, published February 2011.

This disclosure (I call it that because it was a dramatic departure from contemporary conceptions about the Antichrist) was staggering in its implication.

It was a passage in Revelation Chapter 17 that riveted my attention, that launched my journey into a deeper study of all other passages on the Antichrist. As captioned on the back cover of Out of the Abyss:

On an unforgettable voyage to the ancient Roman world, to the very origin and lair of the beast, to the first-century church, to the Abyss and back again, to the pre-emptive death and eternal destruction of Antichrist, to the mesmerizing visions of John, Daniel, and Zechariah, and to high-level heavenly counsels. Out of the Abyss will expose and declassify that which has been concealed and classified: the secret of the beast presumed to be confidential until the body of Christ is taken from the earth.

The Book of Revelation

Bible teachers, students, and commentators who are familiar with the book of Revelation to some extent or another, easily recognize that the first three chapters of Revelation are a present tense record of what John witnessed. In real-time he saw the majestic risen Christ, who told him what to write to the seven churches—all of which existed at that time in John’s life.

However, Revelation Chapter 4 begins with: “…Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” Instantly, John was taken to heaven “in the Spirit” (Revelation 4:1-2).

Without doubt, nearly all of what John heard and saw thereafter would take place in the future, which is still our (soon to come) future nearly 2,000 years later. Please see Eye of Prophecy article, End of the World Events … In Chronological Order! (Posted 2-25-17). Also, Stunning Catastrophes of the Tribulation / Their Timing and Purpose (11-14-17).

But not everything that John saw from then on was exclusively future. As previously indicated, some Biblical predictions include past and present conditions for clearer context and better comprehension of what was to come.

For example, Revelation 12:1: John states, “Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance…” Yet, the first part of what he saw included images that represented what had already taken place, i.e. out of Israel the birth of the Jewish Messiah just a few decades earlier; also, Satan and one-third of the angels cast out of heaven (in ancient times).

Please refer to Eye of Prophecy article, A Mysterious Sign in Virgo … What Does It Mean? (9-13-17). Which among other things, examines Revelation 12 in more detail.

Another partly past tense passage is Revelation Chapter 18, which describes the astonishing annihilation of Babylon (Rome). As a build-up to this future catastrophe, much of the chapter depicts Rome’s notorious past and present, which obviously included the 1^st century in which Revelation was written … when the Roman Empire was arguably at its peak. But also, a back to the future panorama of Rome (the woman) morphing from a secular empire to a religious one. Summarized by: “For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds” (Revelation 18:5).

Three of a few Eye of Prophecy articles on that subject are: Shameful Saga of the Great City (Revelation 17); Cunning Makeover of the Great City (Revelation 17); Humiliating End of the Great City (Revelation 17). Posted 5-26, 6-2, & 6-9-18, as a trilogy.

(The Vatican in Rome)

A little later, we’ll examine the past tense verses of Revelation 17, which will help refine and even revise the otherwise reasonable assumption that the Antichrist must be a modern-day born man.

We need to wrap our minds around another highly significant feature of Revelation. One that is obvious, but one that we tend to neglect (not think about) because everything from Revelation 4 onward is viewed from the perspective of being exclusively future.

We need to remember that John saw all these visions in the PRESENT TENSE; on the Isle of Patmos on the Lord’s Day—Sunday. Most of what John sees concerns the (still future) Day of the Lord, particularly what will take place during the Great Tribulation and thereafter. If the present tense reality of John’s visions is overlooked, then it’s easy to forget that some of what he sees has already happened. This is especially true for Revelation 17 after his 2^nd observation of the beast; the angel does something different after this vision. He tells John, “…I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits” (Revelation 17:7).

The main reason that the angel called John’s second vision of the beast a mystery (this time with a woman sitting on the beast) is because the beast, in fact, was past tense—in addition to the future tense of the Antichrist during the Tribulation. Unless the angel had explained the reality of the beast’s past, we wouldn’t be able to accurately identify the beast and his origin (which the angel challenges us to do in Revelation 13:18 and again in Revelation 17:9).

Revelation Chapter 13

From books, articles and commentaries I’ve read, and messages heard about the Antichrist beast, Revelation 13 is the passage referred to and discussed most often. In and of itself, there’s obviously nothing wrong with this.

However, a problem arises when we don’t carefully correlate Revelation 13 with ALL other passages on the Antichrist, especially Revelation 17. Then, to compare these Scriptural references to first century church and secular history. Especially that of the Roman Empire and the Caesars—the seven heads of Revelation 13 & 17 who are seven kings just as Revelation 17 says they are. That and three misapplications that many (including myself in the past) mistakenly make in Revelation 13.

(1) Misperceived Profile of the Antichrist:

The primary premise is that Antichrist will attract a world-wide following because he is a political, economic, and military genius. Yet, that conclusion is reached via a circular argument. Which is: he must be a genius (no one else could do what he will do) because he’s able to galvanize global allegiance to himself. But that is not how Scripture profiles him nor the Biblical reason why so many will follow him. In Daniel 7 & 11 and Revelation 13, we are told that he is a tyrant who comes out with both barrels blazing blasphemies against God.

For example, neither Adolph Hitler nor Antiochus Epiphanes IV (the Biblical prototype forerunner of Antichrist … Daniel 11) were considered genius as such. Both were cunning and charismatically compelling because of their oratory and boasting, but they weren’t necessarily brilliant. Hitler not only ill-advisedly assumed direct logistical command of the Third Reich armed forces, he made several strategic blunders to the dismay of some authentically intelligent German generals.

(Hitler and some of his generals … He often wore a military-style hat)

However, nowhere in Scripture do we find a direct or even indirect description of the Antichrist as a great orator, a consummate politician, a brilliant military strategist, or even a charismatic leader. A despotic boastful blasphemer of God, yes.

In fact, the subsequent miracles that will compel many to take the mark of the beast or his name on their forehead or right hand will be performed by the False Prophet, not Antichrist (Revelation 13:11-16). It’s also quite evident in that passage that the False Prophet does most of the speaking for the beast.

There is one and only one reason (will be considered a miracle) that billions left behind at the Rapture will worship the Antichrist. I’ve commented on this in some prior articles and in Out of the Abyss.

The reason is plainly stated: “I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshiped the dragon (Satan) for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. ‘Who is as great as the beast?’ they exclaimed. ‘Who is able to fight against him?’” (Revelation 13:3-4).

How can anyone (those who may want to oppose the beast) fight or kill someone who has already been killed and come back to life?! Not three days after he was died, but 2,000 years later!

There is no other reason given for this sudden world-wide devotion to a man many will believe is both God and Messiah. Or at least a messiah who will usher in a utopia.

(2) Misunderstood Time of Antichrist’s Death:

The prevalent presumption is that Antichrist will be killed during (most say half-way through) the Tribulation, then come back to life. Again, this stems from portrayal of the Antichrist as contemporary man born a few decades before the Rapture will take place.

First, a reminder that it is Jesus, himself, who kills the man of lawlessness. Only the Apostle Paul refers to him by that term.

“Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming” (II Thessalonians 2:8).

It’s important to know that the beast will be killed as the man of lawlessness. To explain that, I’ll refer to an excerpt from my book, Out of the Abyss. As follows (in italics):

Expressing it another way: Jesus did not kill the beast; he killed the man of lawlessness. Although the man of lawlessness and the beast are one and the same (Nero), this is not a contradiction. Why … because the Holy Spirit, through Paul, is telling us when the beast would be killed. The beast would be killed by Christ while the beast was the man of lawlessness, before he reappeared as the beast! As the beast, Nero will be cast into the Lake of Fire, alive. (Note: Lake of Fire is fulfillment of the second part of II Thessalonians 2:8).

According to the prevailing view, the Antichrist is murdered like millions of people have been murdered in the course of history. Many scholars speculate that he is killed at the hand(s) of a Jew, or maybe a member of Antichrist’s inner circle, or whomever. This same impression maintains that when he comes back from the dead, Antichrist is completely possessed by Satan, displays his true colors, begins his blasphemy against God, and leads the world to total destruction.

Again, I repeat: It’s the Lord who slays this man of lawlessness. And again, I would ask: What reason would the Lord have in killing Antichrist at this point, or any point in the beast’s tribulation reign? Why wouldn’t the beast simply be allowed to run his seven-year antichrist course?

…Of equal significance: If, in fact, a modern-day Antichrist is murdered during the seven-year tribulation, why would Jesus imprison him in the Abyss? Why wouldn’t the man follow the path of all the unsaved before him and travel to hell? (Page 206).

The Lord hadn’t revealed to Paul that the man of lawlessness would later be called Antichrist and beast. Those labels came after Paul died.

(Depiction of the Apostle Peter crucified upside down. The Apostle Paul was beheaded. Both executions took place during Nero’s reign)

In Out of the Abyss and a couple of Eye of Prophecy articles, I explain why Jesus killed the man of lawlessness (Nero) before John’s visions even took place. Time/space does not permit elaboration in this week’s article.

In Revelation 13, John sees (first vision of the beast) the beast rising from the sea, which is where the Abyss is located. The very next thing he observes is the deadly wound that had been healed, which generated world-wide awe. He says nothing about the beast being killed during the vision (meaning during the Tribulation).

When John first saw the beast, its deadly wound had already been healed. I’m convinced that if the beast was killed after he (re)appeared on the Tribulation scene, the Lord would have revealed this to John. Just like John describes the world’s reaction of glee over the death of the two witnesses (Revelation 11); he certainly would have seen and recorded the world mourning over the beast’s death. If that is, the beast dies during the Tribulation—which he won’t.

The sequence of events in Revelation 13 and the compelling rationale presented above makes for a strong argument that the beast is not killed during his Tribulation tenure. However, Revelation 17 provides a stronger case, one that complements Chapter 13 and greatly enhances our understanding that the beast died long before he reappears shortly after the Rapture. Indeed, one that is watertight and makes any deductive reasoning that the beast will not be killed during the era of the Tribulation a moot point. We’ll get to Revelation 17 in a moment.

(3) Presupposition That Antichrist’s Identity Can Only Be Known After the Rapture:

This widely disseminated hypothesis has been stated in several ways. Such as: “If you think you know the identity of the Antichrist, then (unfortunately) you have missed the Rapture.”

This conjecture is tendered despite the crystal-clear statement of the angel to John, which was more in the form of a stimulating challenge … albeit one that required a healthy dose of wisdom.

“Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666 (six hundred and sixty-six)” (Revelation 13:18, parenthesis mine).

As found in other translations, it reads (as directly from the Greek): six hundred, sixty-six. Which is the key to solving the number of the beast.

If first century Christians and all believers right up to the Rapture were not meant to know the identity of the Antichrist, then the angel would have made this clear to John. If his identity couldn’t or shouldn’t be known until after the Rapture, then why urge the early Church and subsequent believers to exercise wisdom and find out? Why even mention the number of the beast, let alone stipulating that it could be solved? Soon after the Rapture, everyone would know anyway.

In fact, near the end of Revelation the angel told John: not to seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near (Revelation 22:10). Contrasted to Daniel’s prophecies that couldn’t be fully understood until Messiah arrived, followed by more end-times prophecies, many of which came from Jesus, himself. Such as:

Thus, we are meant to understand the essentials of Revelation, INCLUDING the identity of the Antichrist beast. In Revelation 13, the specific criterion was the number of the beast. It just so happens that Nero’s name matches Hebrew gematria (that’s how Jews counted back then) of Nero’s name in Greek—the language of which the New Testament is written. And, as indicated, there are other persuasive passages in Scripture to match Nero to the ruler prophesied by Daniel, the man of lawlessness described by Paul, and certainly the beast of Revelation—whose (Tribulation) future is intricately linked to his past tense existence in a back to the future phenomenon.

Now let’s look at the passage that rocked my understanding, one that prompted a refitting of the prophetic puzzle concerning the Antichrist and a handful of other prophecies. However, with my restated respectful acknowledgment of other prophecy scholars who have skillfully and accurately assembled most of the prophetic puzzle; but not all pieces—including those pertaining to Antichrist. Not what he will do upon his reappearance, for that is understood by most students of prophecy. Rather, who he is. AND, who he was.

Revelation Chapter 17

John had just witnessed his (2^nd) vision of the beast, along with the first introduction to the woman. Once again of paramount importance: we need to realize that John’s vision is over … ended. He’s already seen the beast and (this time) the angel tells John not to be so amazed, because the mystery of the beast (and the woman) would be explained to him.

“Why are you so amazed? the angel asked. I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon (abruptly, at any time) come up out of the bottomless pit (Abyss) and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:7-8, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).

Please read again just the first set of italicized words, then I’ll ask you a couple of easy questions.

Question: When is the now of the verse?

If you’ve never thought about it before, now you know the obvious answer. The now is right then and there at that precise point in time in the first-century A.D. The wording is unambiguous and the meaning irrefutable: The beast had already lived and died! Once alive but isn’t now.

The life and death of the beast also had to be in the first century, not long before John saw the visions recorded in Revelation. Which is confirmed by more of the mystery unveiled by the angel.

To wit: “This calls for a mind with understanding (same challenge as in Revelation 13): The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills (of Rome) where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings (a totally different Greek word than kingdoms). Five kings have already fallen (died), the sixth now reigns (at that very time when John saw the vision), and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief (all seven kings were Roman Emperors). The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer (more validation that the beast is past tense), is the eighth king. He is like (Greek word is ek, meaning of, out of, from, one of, like) the other seven…” (Revelation 17:9-10, parenthesis mine for additional commentary).

What had John witnessed? Answer: He had prophetically witnessed the same thing those left-behind at the Rapture will see and be utterly amazed at (still in the future … beginning of the Tribulation).

What will amaze them? Answer: the reappearance of this beast (Antichrist) who had (already) died. Or, as phrased in Revelation 13: they will marvel at the miracle of the beast whose fatal wound had been healed.

It is a back to the future spectacle that will mesmerize the world’s attention and capture their loyalty like no other since the resurrection of the true Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

Summary

Once a secret is revealed, it is no longer a secret. When the angel explained the mystery of John’s second vision of the beast, it would clarify and confirm John’s first vision; the beast was one of the seven heads, also the composite beast (man) as a whole. Also, to dispel any doubt as to when the fatal wound was inflicted. The solved mystery would provide insight to the very origin of the beast—one that also corroborates Daniel’s disclosure that the little horn (Antichrist) comes directly from the fourth Gentile Kingdom—the Roman Empire.

Not from a (7^th kingdom) Revived Roman Empire, because there is no such empire identified in Scripture.

I repeat for emphasis: no such kingdom because there are only four Gentile kingdoms designated by Daniel—known to be Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The kings of Revelation are just that: kings … seven Roman Caesars. Of which Nero was one of the five who had died before John saw him in the symbolic form of a beast. The ten kingdoms are those that belong to the ten kings in existence during the Tribulation; they will yield their kingdoms to the beast who reappears from the Abyss. Thus, the past tense (seven heads) and future tense (ten horns) unveiling of the mystery.

For sheer emphasis, here is an excerpt from the last portion of Out of the Abyss (in italics):

The beast had already died before John received this revelation. How else can this passage be understood? Is there any other way to see or read this verse? If some can’t let go of a contemporary Antichrist, then what will they do with this verse … and all the other passages that help refit the prophetic puzzle?

John didn’t see the vision in the future; he saw it in the present—that hour of that day. The beast is past tense … no longer alive when John saw the vision. The beast isn’t born and doesn’t die in the future; he’s already dead. When will the beast become future tense? Correct: When he reappears from the Abyss. At the beginning of the Tribulation, the world will be amazed at the reappearance of the beast who had died. Will the beast die during the Tribulation? No, he died even before John saw him from Patmos (Page 271).

Things to Ponder

As said before, I believe that the longer-term purpose and benefit of identifying (correctly) the Antichrist is for those who will have missed the Rapture. That some left behind will quickly realize the awesome accuracy of God’s Word the Bible. That there will be some unbelievers who will not be so amazed at the reappearance of the beast who had died long ago.

Just like John’s amazement ended when the angel revealed to him the mystery of the beast’s and woman’s identity, without naming names to protect believers in the first century from even more Roman retaliation. The names are: Nero and Rome, the beast and the woman, respectively.

Also, for believers and unbelievers alive now. For those of us whose loved ones still have not decided to believe and receive Messiah Jesus as personal Savior. With love and concern, we eagerly want them to make that decision, NOW. So, they don’t have to experience the horror of the Great Tribulation. But if they are left behind, perhaps they won’t be so amazed at this evil man when he abruptly reappears from the Abyss.

Instead, they will choose the true Messiah, Jesus … even on pain of death.

“He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Now that will be truly amazing!

Words of Warning / Also of Hope

Listen to Messiah Jesus as he summarily describes the terrible devastation of the Great Tribulation, which the signs of our generation show to be so very near:

“For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Then Jesus declares what will happen to bring an end to this horrendous period of destruction and judgment: “…And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Verse 30).

Mainly from the Book of Revelation, but also from the books of Daniel, II Thessalonians, I John, Zechariah, and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke this unparalleled time of trouble—immediately after the Rapture of believers to heaven—includes but is not limited to:

Reappearance of the Antichrist beast from the abyss; an unheard of 7-year treaty orchestrated by Antichrist Nero between Israel and other nations; a brief semblance of global peace; devastating wars, famines, and diseases; the disastrous Gog/Magog invasion of Israel headed by Russia, Iran, and Turkey (disastrous for those nations, not for Israel); Antichrist’s breach of the treaty after 3 ½ years; twenty-one cataclysmic judgments from God through natural and supernatural disasters; global defiance and cursing of God himself; two mighty prophets (Moses and Elijah) who will, “strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish”; Antichrist’s coalition of ten nations joining forces with the Kings of the East to arrogantly do battle with the King of all kings; the crushing defeat of Satan, Antichrist, the False Prophet, and their armies at Armageddon.

(Valley of Megiddo in Israel, Site of the Final Battle of the Ages)

(Many Eye of Prophecy articles have been written about these events and others. I’ll cite just three: Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation, posted 6-6-15; End of the World Events … In Chronological Order, posted 2-25-17; Stunning Catastrophes of the Tribulation / Their Timing and Purpose, 11-4-17)

And one other incredible occurrence portrayed by John in Revelation as the woman sitting on the beast. In keeping with the theme of this week’s final article of the trilogy that began two weeks ago: Shameful Saga of the Great City (Revelation 17) and last week’s Cunning Makeover of the Great City (Revelation 17), we’re going to examine the fateful finale (justifiably deserved) of this woman.

An Unholy Union

One of the most intriguing expressions in the English language is one of several two-part English words; a phrase that conveys both a literal and metaphorical meaning: Bed-fellow.

Webster’s Dictionary defines this thought-provoking term as, “one who shares a bed with another.” (Hello … of course). Yet this term also bears a meaning that is, by far, the most contemporary application which Webster defines as, “a close associate: Ally (political).” The idea of bed-fellows has come to mean two or more political, national, social, or religious entities that are at odds with each other, but who are willing to “share the same bed” to accomplish their respective agendas.

Scripture uses a similar analogy to convey the decadent relationship between “the great prostitute” and “the kings of the world.” But the Bible uses more explicit and harsher words than bed-fellows to paint a politically and religiously sordid picture of the Woman who sits on the Beast. Said the angel to John:

“…Come with me … and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality” (Revelation 17:1-2).

Prostitute, kings, adultery, drunk, immorality; stronger words to illustrate the same kind of image created by bed-fellows. That’s exactly what you will find when comparing the interactive political chronicles of the kings/queens of Europe, Great Britain, and Asia Minor alongside the religious history of the Roman Catholic Church, including popes and high-ranking officials of The Holy See.

The Holy See

Simply stated, The Holy See is the episcopal (governance by bishops) dominion of the Roman Catholic Church in and from Rome. The Bishop of Rome is the Pope—the universal leader of the Catholic Church—also held to be the infallible representative (Vicar) of Christ on the earth. Although the Vatican or Vatican State is not technically the same entity as the Holy See, for all practical purposes they are inseparable. Think of the Holy See as the organism of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican as the location where the brain and heart of the body reside and from which they function.

(The Vatican, No Coincidence That It’s Called Vatican City … that “great city”)

The designation of See is derived from the Latin term “sedes” meaning seat, which embodies the Episcopal throne or the “Diocese of Rome.” The Vatican State was created from the Lateran Treaty in 1929 (June 7^th, day before yesterday 89 years ago) to: “ensure the absolute and visible independence of the Holy See.”

As stated, the main purpose of creating the Vatican was for the Holy See to continue in Rome as a recognizable autonomous sovereignty and member-state in the global community. In fact, the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with at least 180 individual nation states, with the European Union, and even with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Vatican City is also a member of or observer in multiple international organizations such as: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Trade Organization (WTO), UNESCO, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In short, the Vatican City-State interacts dynamically with many governments and NGOs of the world.

Formation of the Vatican State was also a desperate measure to revive and then actively reinstate the Holy See to international prominence; to restore and maintain diplomatic influence that had greatly diminished for the preceding 200 years or so. There were several reasons for this demise, such as the Protestant Reformation (beginning with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses in 1517), rise of democratic and parliamentary governments, and scientific discoveries that began to undermine Catholic dogma with a more secular view of the world. Hence, the Roman Catholic Church wanted to return to the glory days in which she and her predecessor (ancient Rome) “…rules over the kings of the world” (Revelation 17:18).

Continuation of this rulership before, during, and after the fall of the Roman Empire was achieved by a cunning makeover (form and substance) of the woman … the great city.

This period of “bed-fellow” relationships with European governments lasted off and on for hundreds of years. One that continues in the 21^st century but in a more limited capacity, yet also in a more global context. Those limitations will be largely lifted when Roman Catholicism (along side of Islam) soars once again to preeminence led by “his eminence” the Pope shortly after the Rapture of true believers in Messiah Jesus.

So, what about the Holy part of the Holy See? Or the Holy Roman Empire? Or the Holy Roman Church?

The word holy in Hebrew (kadosh) and its counterpart in Greek (hageeadzo) primarily means: set apart or consecrated for a special purpose. It does not mean perfect or flawlessly pure, unless the term applies to God, himself. When the Lord said to the Hebrews, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45), he was referring to his deliverance of the Jews from Egypt for the express purpose of making them a distinct, unique people separated from the pagan nations of the earth; destined to serve God and be a light to the Gentiles, as eventually accomplished through Jesus, the Messiah.

Yet, when examining the history of the Roman Catholic Church, applied to both the concept and implication contained in the term Holy See, there is one unmistakable connotation: Divine excellence that purportedly qualifies the Holy See to exercise God-like authority and influence in all things pertaining to religion and state. It is the supposed sovereign right of rule allegedly based on divinely granted holiness that supersedes heads of state and all religious groups. It is usurping that definitive component of Holy that belongs only to God, not to sinful man and certainly not to any organization no matter how holy it claims to be.

Thus, the Pope is essentially considered to be infallible. When the Pope issues a decree, even if it’s plainly unbiblical such as granting indulgences or infant baptism or the doctrine of papal infallibility, the edict is, for all practical purposes, also flawless. In turn, all those who disseminate and defend papal decrees are not to be questioned, even if the proclamation is a blatant contradiction of or a doctrinally false addition to Scripture itself.

Biblical Salvation vs. the Holy See (or any other religious order)

God’s righteousness is imputed to every person who personally believes and receives Jesus Christ as Savior (II Corinthians 5:21). This accreditation (justification) applies exclusively to each believer in Christ as individuals. Believers are then set apart (sanctification) to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and to live for him (I Corinthians 1:2; II Peter 3:18). Our final purification (glorification) won’t take place until the Rapture, when believers are given new immortal bodies (I Corinthians 15). Then, the true Church (body of Christ) will be presented spotless and blameless before God (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Justification, sanctification, and glorification—all beginning with and part of true redemption by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone.

Said Jesus: “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24, italics to emphasize the immediate present tense possession of eternal life the moment we accept Messiah Jesus as personal Savior).

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, italics with the same emphasis).

The Holy See & Monarchs Divine Right of Rule … Historical Examples

Inherent in this “divine right of rule” was belief that the Pope—based on apostolic succession that retroactively began with the first Pope designated by the Catholic Church (the apostle Peter)—possessed divine authority over both church and state. It took some time for nation states to fill the power vacuum left by the fall of Rome, but by the 9th century several states or regions saw the rise of monarchs who began to challenge the sometimes subtle, but nonetheless pervasive influence of the Roman Catholic Church in the “affairs of state.”

For several hundred years there was a cyclical waxing and waning of Catholic dominance over governments, kings, and of course the church (as defined by Catholicism) itself. Sometimes kings would prevail; other times the Pope would come out on top. Sometimes there was direct confrontation; other times geopolitical negotiations, diplomatic maneuvers, reluctant compromises, and outright concessions ruled the day. There were unscrupulous tactics including but not limited to: false accusations, imprisonment, torture, and murder. There were scandalous escapades that would lend literal meaning to the Bible’s spiritual analogy of adultery, prostitution and obscenities between the kings of the world and the woman on the beast.

In a moment, we’ll examine just three of dozens of historical highlights (lowlights) that reveal the Roman Catholic Church’s embedded association in and collusive or confrontational relationship with the kingdoms of the world. Which is the exact opposite of what Christ intended for his church. While on trial, what did Jesus say when Pontius Pilate asked him if he was the King of the Jews?

“Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world’” (John 18:36).

How ironic that the term ecclesiastical is mostly identified with the Catholic Church; when, in fact, the word ecclesia means “called out” (from the world and worldly systems). Again, listen to the words of Jesus: “…And the world hates them (his true followers) because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world … They do not belong to this world any more than I do” (John 17:14-16, parenthesis mine). Jesus was specifically referring to his disciples and generally to all believers, then and now.

If Peter was, in fact, the apostolic rock on which the Catholic church would be built, why didn’t he assume that role and assert himself as the first Vicar on earth? If Peter had chased such an ambition, you can rest assured that Paul and John and other apostles would have confronted Peter and reminded him that Christ was the only Head of the Church, both in Heaven and on the earth. All believers are said to be ambassadors for Jesus; but nowhere in Scripture does Jesus (or the Apostles) command that his (a) substitute (and an infallible one at that) be appointed to wield ultimate control over the body of Christ—the true Church. And most assuredly not to form alliances with earthly kings and kingdoms, nor to exert “ecclesiastical” authority over them.

Yet, the Roman Catholic Church has not only pursued alliances with heads of state but also created and imposed its own divine government with the misguided, non-Scriptural notion of establishing a tangible Kingdom of God on the earth. Rather than acknowledging that (until Christ himself returns to set up the Kingdom of God), the Kingdom of Heaven lies within the hearts of born-again believers on this earth.

First Example: Collusion & Cooperation / Between the Pope and King

In 800 AD, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne (Charles the Great) who was already King of the Franks (Germanic tribes) as “Roman Emperor” which provided the papacy with a foothold in asserting sovereign rights over subsequent Holy Roman Emperors. This demonstrated conclusively that there was a movement to restore the ideal and fabric of the fallen Roman Empire. Both the Holy See and monarchs had the same basic objective; it’s just that they often disagreed on who should oversee this devious design.

(Portrait of Charlemagne)

(Extent of Charlemagne’s Holy Roman Empire During His Reign)

Second Example: Confrontation … Pope/Church Prevailing over the King/State

Pope Gregory VII had ex-communicated King Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire, because Henry would not yield to Gregory’s insistence that only the Church had the right to appoint local church officials, particularly bishops. In 1077 this conflict came to a head when Henry began to fear local rebellion of his subjects. He travelled a long distance only to wait outside in bitter cold for three days before Pope Gregory finally agreed to see the King. Henry begged for mercy and the pope repealed Henry’s excommunication.

Third Example: Confrontation … Monarchy Triumphing Over the Papacy

In 1534, Henry VIII, King of England, revolted against The Holy See and Pope Clement VII by making himself the Supreme Head of the “Church of England.” Ironically, Henry VIII still followed Roman Catholic doctrine, but would not accept the Pope’s refusal to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine. Henry didn’t wait for ex-communication; he struck first by establishing a completely different church. This took place not long after Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517, proclaiming justification (salvation) by faith in Christ alone. Not by being a member of the Catholic Church; which blindly adhered to non-Scriptural (or misinterpreted) sacraments and extra-biblical catechism such as the purchasing of indulgences to reduce or eliminate time in Purgatory, a place that doesn’t exist (try finding it in Scripture).

This conflict of the ages (at that time) precipitated a gradual decline of the Holy See’s influence regarding its supremacy over heads of state

In case anyone thinks that I am isolating the Roman Catholic Church as the only religious system that has perverted the Gospel of Jesus Christ by changing and channeling the truth of this Good News into a man-made, governmental-type Kingdom of Heaven on earth, I am not. For example, the Church of England that broke away from Roman Catholic domination and later morphed into the Anglican Church wielded a great deal of influence over both the religious and political affairs of England, as well as individual groups of Christians. It was for this reason that the Puritans sailed to America and founded the first real colony in the New Land. Following the same principles of freedom from religious and state monopoly, the colonies rebelled against England which led to the Revolutionary War.

What I am saying is that the Roman Catholic Church for all the reasons presented in this article and the previous two, precisely matches the characteristics ascribed to the woman of Revelation Chapter 17.

The Woman Identified by Her Clothing

I never cease to be amazed by the meticulous historical and prophetic detail found in so much of the Bible. Most of three full chapters (Revelation 17, 18, & 19) talk about the Beast who reappears from the Abyss at the outset of the Great Tribulation and the Woman who sits on the Beast. As we’ve seen in this trilogy of Eye of Prophecy articles (and prior articles in the category of Antichrist), the Beast is Nero and the Woman is both ancient Rome and the subsequent Holy See.

One of these astonishing features conveys the actual clothing worn by the woman in John’s vision. Let’s see how this apparel corresponds to the attire of the Roman Catholic Church … figuratively and literally.

“The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls….” (Revelation 17:4a).

Why would the vision given to John include a description of the woman’s attire? Answer: For the same reason that most of the visions in Revelation provide precise portrayals of people, places, and things (past, present, and mostly future)—to explain what to look for and what will happen during the unfolding of the last days, including the Great Tribulation.

For example: “The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses” (Revelation 19:14).

The “him” of this verse is Messiah Jesus; the “armies” are all believers in heaven who will accompany Jesus during the final battle of Armageddon. White linen represents purity and the good deeds of believers (Revelation 19:8)—cleansed by the blood of Christ that results in doing good things for our Lord—but the color white is also literal in Revelation 19 and other passages in the Bible. Same thing with the woman on the beast: The colors purple and scarlet literally adorn the woman; also, they represent royalty and power respectively.

Notice the sequence of the colors in Revelation 17:4: purple first, then scarlet. That’s not just a random order. Only the Roman Emperors were permitted to wear the “trabea” which was a deep purple toga, because purple was the color of both royalty and divinity in the Roman Empire and later with other nations/monarchs. Purple was considered an enhancement over blue; which also was a royal color in the ancient world—one that began with God’s people, the Jews, as found in the Torah. In fact, to eliminate competition on who and what was considered divine, the Romans outlawed Jews (and Jewish Christians) from extracting the blue dye (from snails) that was used in consecrated Jewish clothing, including the tzitzit (tassels of the Jewish tallit—prayer shawl).

Subsequently, scarlet would be the predominate religious royal color of choice by the Roman Catholic Church.

(Israel’s Flag … Hebrew word for blue is “tekhelet”, found 49 times in the Torah–Old Testament)

The preeminent color of the Roman Catholic Church is still red or scarlet; even though there are four main hues used in Catholicism—white, purple, red, and green—depending on the specific celebration, occasion, or rank of papal officials.

The Roman Empire was recognized for its vast wealth. So was and still is (less overt display in our times) the Roman Catholic Church known for its opulence and lavish display of precious metals in/on clothing, edifices, artifacts, and instruments involved in the sacraments. “The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls…” (Revelation 17:4a).

Not until the Roman Catholic Church began to consolidate authority over individual churches did purple and scarlet begin to replace white as the prevailing liturgical colors.

The Woman Identified by Her Coat of Arms

For those not familiar with Coat of Arms, it’s an insignia normally in the shape of a shield worn (as clothing) or carried on flags or banners by kings/queens, nobility, and soldiers to herald the sovereign identity of a nation or kingdom.

Webster’s Dictionary defines heraldry as, “the practice of devising, blazoning, and granting armorial insignia…”

Not long after kings and kingdoms began using (more frequently) emblems in the middle Ages, the Holy See followed with its Coat of Arms. For the last 800 years or so, each Pope has designed his own coat of arms in addition to the traditional symbols found on the Apostolic See’s Coat of Arms, such as two crossed keys … one gold and the other silver. Again, this demonstrates a pattern throughout Roman Catholic Church history to rival and exceed the authority of kings, whether these kings endorsed Catholic dogma or not.

The current Pontiff is Pope Francis who in 2013 succeeded Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), who inexplicably and suddenly resigned. In keeping with previous popes, Benedict chose a coat of arms displaying symbols that represented what was important to him—traditionally, theologically, and personally. The three emblems on the front of Benedict’s shield (Moor’s head, bear, and a scallop shell) have a strange, enigmatic history. The dominant color of the shield is red/scarlet, with gold as a strong second color.

What we need to focus on is the shape of the shield itself, which is the most universal motif in Roman Catholic heraldry: a chalice. Synonyms for chalice are: cup, vessel, and goblet. Many know about the Holy Grail, from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The legend of this grail (the cup that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper) began some 1500 years ago; though the actual cup used by Jesus has no literal or symbolic importance in Scripture whatsoever. It’s the wine in the cup that bears profound significance.

“After supper he (Jesus) took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood (represented by the wine) which is poured out as a sacrifice for you’” (Luke 22:20, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).

The Catholic Church attaches great importance to this relic (cup) itself; thus, the composite chalice shape of the Coat of Arms is not a coincidence. There is an unmistakable connection between the chalice imagery of Roman Catholicism and the golden goblet held in the hand of the woman on the beast. It’s one of several identifying features of the woman of Revelation 17&18 that can be seen explicitly throughout Roman Catholic history and in the modern-day world.

(“Scarlet” Priest and “Golden” Cup … Goblet)

The Woman Identified by Her (lack of) Morality

“…In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality” (Revelation 17:4b).

The Greek word for obscenities (abominations as found in other Bible translations) is: bdelgma, pronounced bdel-oog-mah. It means foul or detestable. Since we’ve already touched on this subject, and because the primary purpose of these articles is to disclose and document the two-part (ancient Rome + religious makeover to the Holy See) identity of the woman who sits on the beast, there is no purpose in elaborating on some very questionable (understatement) episodes throughout the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Except to say that several past and contemporary incidents involving the Catholic Church can only be construed as abhorrent and immoral, not the least of which is the ongoing world-wide scandal of Catholic priests and the abuse of children. Both social and religious leaders attribute this abuse primarily to the vow of celibacy required for all Catholic priests. Nowhere in the New Testament does it command that church leaders take a vow of celibacy for any purpose whatsoever, other than personal preference … which doesn’t require a vow. Even the so-called (first) Pope of the Catholic Church, Peter, had a wife!

Regrettably, there also have been some distasteful dishonors involving Protestant and even Evangelical church leaders, but nothing approaching the enormity of disgraceful incidents throughout Catholic Church history. This is not just a comparison based on the number of offenses; rather, it’s a matter of matching the historical development and record of the Catholic Church to prophetic passages found in the book of Revelation.

The Woman Identified by Her Persecution of Jews and Believers (Jewish or Gentile)

“I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement” (Revelation 17:6).

The legacy of the Catholic Church is repulsively replete with periods of repression, deprivation, torture, and killing of those classified as heretics, dissident, unorthodox, or even non-conforming trouble-makers. Who hasn’t heard or read something about the Crusades, Joan of Arc, or the Spanish Inquisition; just to mention a few major incidents of oppression against anyone who would dare defy the Supreme Pontiff and Roman Catholic divine right of rule. Wars (both cold and hot) were fought between Catholics and Protestants, between the Papacy and Monarchs, between the Roman Catholic Church and Islam, and within the Catholic Church itself.

Nowhere in Scripture do we find that the Kingdom of Heaven on this earth (currently in the hearts of individual believers) is to be established, defended, or extended by force, i.e. overt or covert persecution, suppression, or by warfare. Only when Christ returns will there be the need to conquer the enemies of Christ, of Israel, and of tribulation saints.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war” (Revelation 19:11).

As Scripture states: this will be a just and righteous campaign … contrary to the unjust and unrighteous subjugation of dissenters to the Catholic Church (or to Islam).

The Inglorious Future of the Woman

Although the comprehensive influence of the Catholic Church has somewhat declined in the last 200 years or so—more so in the political and economic arenas—she will once again rise to power during the Great Tribulation. After all, the Catholic Church claims around 1.3 billion members in today’s world, an imposing force by sheer numbers. And, we have seen a resurgence of interest in and world attention to recent popes, particularly the previous two (Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI) and certainly the current Pope Francis. Not long after ascending to the pinnacle of the Vatican, Pope Francis reached the number one position in a poll of the most “talked-about” person in the world.

Soon after the Rapture followed by reappearance of the beast (Nero), the woman will sit on the beast for both support and control. However, what so often happens to incompatible bedfellows, especially with unholy alliances, will also happen to the woman as graphically depicted in Revelation.

“The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire” (Revelation 17:16).

These are exceptionally strong words/images that declare the demise of the Woman. But there’s more:

“How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls! In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone! And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance. They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, ‘Where is another city as great as this?’ And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief…” (Revelation 18:16-19).

Although Rome is inland from the Mediterranean Sea, if even a portion of the city went up in flames, the smoke could be seen by those on ships near the Mediterranean coast. Not so with Babylon (Iraq). Just another passage to validate that the woman (the great city) is Rome and all that Rome contains, including the Vatican.

(Rome is only 16 miles from the Mediterranean, and is significantly elevated in places … the seven hills of Rome)

Note: There are two main visions of the beast given to John as recorded in Revelation. In Chapter 13, the image is of a beast but in Chapter 17 it is that of a scarlet beast. The reason is clearly evident: the bedfellow relationship between the Antichrist beast and the woman who wears scarlet and purple clothing.

Summary

The liaison between the woman on the beast and the kings of the earth will reach its climatic zenith during the Great Tribulation. The Roman Catholic Church (and other ecclesiastical systems with false creeds including Islam) will seek an alliance with the Beast (Nero) who reappears from the Abyss, and his ten-kingdom coalition. (See Eye of Prophecy article, The Vatican and Islam … A Perfect Match for Antichrist. Posted 6-4-16)

For a short time, this unholy union will succeed; but with great indignation and fury the Beast will turn on the woman and destroy her. God himself will orchestrate first the destruction of Babylon the Great (Rome), then total victory over the Beast and all nations who would dare oppose Messiah Jesus. “For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world” (Revelation 17:17-18).

Many left behind at the Rapture will yield their allegiance and even worship of the beast who (miraculously) reappears from the Abyss, which means that the woman on the beast will have no alternative but to go along with the ride.

It will be Antichrist (Nero) and his ten-nation confederation who will annihilate the (modern-day) woman characterized as the prostitute, as we read earlier in Revelation 17:16. This is a direct reference to the Holy See or the Vatican—the city within the great city of Rome. This will most likely take place at or just past the mid-point of the Tribulation, when Nero breaks the treaty with Israel. Near the end of the Tribulation the Lord himself will destroy the rest of Rome as dramatically detailed in Revelation 18, which takes place during the last and most awesome of God’s judgments of the earth.

“…And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. The great city of Babylon (Rome) split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath” (Revelation 16:18-19).

Note: I trust the word “cup” didn’t escape your attention!

With both events summarized as follows:

“…Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants … Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!” (Revelation 19:1-3).

After the Vatican and then the rest of Rome is demolished, Messiah Jesus returns to do battle with Antichrist and his armies who have joined forces with the kings of the east.

“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet … Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 19:19-20).

(See Eye of Prophecy article: Armageddon & Messiah’s Return … An Amazing Sequence of Events. Posted 2-3-18)

Thus, Satan’s two-front war consisting of hostile elimination of believers in Christ through kings and governments along with Satan’s subtle strategy of infiltration through a religious system that distorts the truth of the Gospel and seeks to capture and destroy the very souls of men and woman, will be utterly defeated by the King of all kings (empires) and the Lord of all lords (ecclesiastical).

Things to Ponder

Unfortunately, many who hold membership in the Catholic Church and other organizations like it will miss the Rapture and suffer through The Great Tribulation. Unless, that is, they call upon the name of the Lord to be saved (Joel 2:32)—by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone! Nothing else is needed, certainly not a baptismal entrance to and membership in any formal religious system. Baptism is like the wedding ring. The ring doesn’t marry us, it only shows that we are married.

The Holy See (the woman … the city within the great city) will be ignobly humiliated and decisively crushed during the Tribulation. As will all the religious and secular “isms” that exert powerful influence and control over much of the world’s population. In fact, when Messiah Jesus gloriously returns (just in time) at the end of this global conflagration, all religions and world philosophies will cease to exist.

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshipped” (Zechariah 14:9).

Hallelujah and Amen!

Whatever happened to reading a good book next to a fireplace?

Or reading The Good Book anytime, anywhere?

Communication in today’s make-it-quick world has been radically reduced to brief Bytes, terse Twitters, fleeting Facebook images, and immediate Instagrams. Does anyone read an article of 3,000 words any more, let alone a 300-page book? Are sweeping stories and milestone movies like Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, and Gone With The Wind an endangered species?

Fortunately, some understand that certain things are important enough to spend more than just a few minutes chewing and digesting. Why am I here? What’s life all about? Will evil in the world continue indefinitely? Is there really one man who can make all things right, who can bring justice and peace to this planet? And such things as one’s redemption and eternal destiny.

The Bible is an epic book commencing with the classic creation of all things including time itself.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1).

“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” (Genesis 1:31).

Scripture continues with one sweeping saga after another, providing a panoramic picture of the marathon battle between good and evil, between life and death—all the way to the blockbuster finale of this age, an end that is more imminent than ever before.

Between the beginning and the end, more extraordinary epics are portrayed in the Bible:

Mankind’s disobedience which brought the disease of sin and death to humanity; God’s Covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and King David; the Lord’s abandonment of Israel because they broke the Mosaic Covenant of the Law; the marvelous New Covenant God promised to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah and implemented through God’s very Son, Messiah Jesus, also extended to the Gentiles; a plethora of prophecies announcing God’s promise to unilaterally restore the Jews to Israel as a people and as a nation; the formation of the body of Christ—the true Church, composed of those who have believed and received Jesus as personal Savior; Satan’s schemes to destroy Israel and the Church. First by force, then by distortion and deceit through false religions and philosophies. Not the least of which is the woman sitting on the beast and John’s reaction: “…I stared at her in complete amazement” (Revelation 17:6).

The Metamorphosis of the Woman as a City Within the Great City

Note: I encourage you to read last week’s Eye of Prophecy article, which began the shameful saga of the woman sitting on the beast as dramatically depicted in Revelation 17. Next week’s article will finalize the saga of this woman as continued in this week’s post. To wit: The transformation of the woman from the mighty city of Rome and its Caesars ruling over kings and kingdoms to the subsequent form and substance of the woman beginning in the 4^th-5^th centuries and continuing to this very day. Described as, the prostitute ruling over people of every nation and language (Revelation 17:15).

Throughout the chronicles of mankind, a handful of happenings have changed the course of history. The greatest of these events took place when the Son of God became the Son of Man. He came for one purpose: To die for our sins and deliver all who would believe in him from an eternity separated from God; to purchase our pardon and restore us back to our Creator. That’s as epic as it gets.

All other historic markers as well as the day-to-day features of the human story fit within and are universally and eternally affected one way or another by the phenomenal Virgin Birth of Jesus, his profound teaching and spectacular miracles, his once for all atoning sacrificial death, and his miraculous resurrection from the dead.

Although secular historians have marginalized the significance of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, his impact on the world is irrefutable. His birth changed the recording of time itself (BC to AD). His death and resurrection separated the Old (Covenant of Law) from the New (Covenant of Grace); whereby, we now have the awesome position and privilege to access directly the very presence of God.

Soon after Jesus arose from the dead and returned to his Father in heaven, Satan went to work again. He launched a cruel campaign against Christians intended to stop the church cold in its tracks. Since he had failed miserably to prevent Messiah Jesus from accomplishing God’s magnificent plan of salvation, Satan took it upon himself to select the ruler prophesied by Daniel. To mentor this ruler called the man of lawlessness by Paul and unleash this “little horn” of Daniel to wreak havoc on both Jews and Christians in the first century.

Little did Satan realize that his man, Nero, would be preemptively killed by Christ, revived, then banished to the Abyss. Satan would have to wait nearly two thousand years for his protegé to reappear as the beast-king of Revelation … released by God from the Abyss to give Satan one last chance to accomplish his warped devilish plans.

When he couldn’t crush Christianity through the sadistic suffering initiated by Nero and to a lesser extent perpetuated by subsequent Roman Emperors, Satan switched to a strategy of infiltration. Sadly, this plan has caused more disruption and damage to the Christian faith than Rome’s brutal repression (including murder) of thousands of Christians in the first three centuries. This vicious vendetta against true believers in Messiah Jesus continued off and on until another world-changing event occurred.

Constantine the Great

With an incredible turnabout and in short-order fashion, the Roman Empire stopped its ruthless campaign to suppress and even eradicate Christians. Beyond the wildest imaginations of both believers and unbelievers, the Roman Emperor Constantine (reigned from 306-337 AD) not only put an end to persecution of Christians; he became an advocate for and patron of the Christian faith. In his Edict of Milan (313 AD), Constantine proclaimed, “that it was proper that the Christians and all others should have liberty to follow that mode of religion which to each of them appeared best…”

This exceptional edict guaranteed religious freedom to all Christians, much like we have in the United States today—even more so. America had to fight the British to preserve our “inalienable rights” including worship of God, when and where we chose. The 4th century Christians were handed this liberty virtually overnight.

(Sculpture of Constantine the Great)

Constantine replaced the Roman Emperor Diocletian who was the last in a succession of Caesars to promote persecution of Christians that began with Nero—the first Emperor to initiate such wide-scale oppression, with unparalleled savagery. Among other appalling activities, Diocletian ordered the demolition of Christian homes, burning of their sacred books, arrest, torture, starvation, and more death in the arena. Although co-emperor Galerius first granted Christians the right to practice their faith, it was Constantine who made this privilege official … the law of the land. Suddenly, it was politically correct to be a Christian!

Time/space does not permit elaboration, nor do historians agree on whether Constantine’s “conversion” to Christ was real or politically convenient. Nevertheless, Constantine’s approval of the Christians was a remarkable reversal of the status-quo harassment and killing of believers. The historian Eusebius records a great celebration and euphoria within the Christian community of the Roman Empire.

Constantine supported the Church politically and financially—providing funds to erect basilicas, exempting churches from certain taxes, returning confiscated property to Christians, offering land grants, and promoting Christians (especially those designated bishops) to high-ranking offices. He also abolished crucifixion and replaced it with hanging … a much more humane way of execution. It’s the thought that counts!

For all practical purposes it was a State-sponsored endorsement of the Church; followed by a rise of some Christians (both real and in name only) to positions of power within the Empire. But in reciprocal fashion (herein is the rub), the appointment of non-believers to high positions within the Church. Although unbelievers had infiltrated the assembly of believers in several cities throughout the Roman Empire, by and large their intent to distort the true Gospel of Christ Jesus and deceive his true followers was unsuccessful during the Apostle Paul’s time and for several decades thereafter.

Constantine’s and successive emperors’ placement of their unbelieving constituents within what became rather swiftly a State Church (bordering on Church State) was a blatant contradiction of New Testament principles that tell true born-again believers: We are in the world but not of the world.

(See Eye of Prophecy articles, Separation of Church and State … For or Against? Part I & II posted 4-2 & 4-9-16)

This was the beginning of Satan’s back-up plan, i.e. sabotage and corruption of the truth of the Gospel by redefining salvation and remodeling the Church, internally and externally. One result of these stealth tactics was a precedent setting policy for a “Christian” Emperor to interact extensively with church officials. Although the Emperor did not make or interpret doctrine—only the bishops could do that—Constantine enforced doctrinal declarations, ferreted out heresy, and fostered ecclesiastical harmony.

Said the Apostle Paul:

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

‘I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them…’” (II Corinthians 6:14-17).

Theology & Definitions

It’s imperative that we define Biblical truths and principles in the context of Scripture. Not through extra-Biblical decrees or dogma cleverly crafted and arbitrarily imposed by leaders of cultic counterfeits of the Christian faith nor by an ecclesiastical hierarchy that claims (whatever fits the times and situation) superiority over the Bible, the very Word of God.

What is the definition of “The Church,” both then and now? Why is it even necessary to define precepts of the Christian faith? To answer that question let’s first look at the definition of definition!

Webster’s’ Dictionary states that definition is: “the action or the power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear.” Also, “distinctness of outline or detail.” Think of the blueprint and foundation of a skyscraper or even a modest house. Proper definition is to truth and reality as design and foundation is to the shape, support, distinctness, and structural integrity of a well-built building.

There’s a disturbing trend in both secular and religious circles to minimize and/or mock theology and all things doctrinal.

“Don’t bother me with all those theological terms,” is the mantra of many, even by some who claim to be believers. Yet there are some things that must be delineated. Otherwise, which Jesus do we follow? The Jesus who claims to be the Son of God and the only way to God, or the non-Divine Jesus that (for many) is only a great humanitarian and accomplished teacher. To which church do we belong? The church building on the corner that bears the name of a certain denomination; the Catholic church that purports to be the universal church; the “Latter-Day Saints” church that contends the Book of Mormon (supposedly God’s final revelation) supersedes the Bible.

Or, to the Church explained in the Bible: Those who have placed their personal trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and are, thereby, called “children of God”; those who are “called out” from the world; who comprise the “body of Christ”; who are “in Christ.”

Said Paul to the believers at Corinth, some of whom were seriously listening to false teachers:

“But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed” (II Corinthians 11:3-4).

Jesus Christ is the only head of the church. For sure, evangelists, pastors/teachers, elders, deacons, and apostles were given as a functional gift to believers; to preach the gospel and help believers grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. *Note: The apostles were only for the early Church. Why? The main qualification for being an apostle was that of having been with or having seen the risen Messiah—Jesus.

However, the New Testament is very clear: All who accept Christ as personal Savior become priests. “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (I Peter 2: 5).

According to this incredible passage, each believer is not only a priest (direct access to God anytime, anywhere), but also “living stones” in the real temple (church) of God.

Essentially, then, believers don’t need a church building and certainly not a consolidated, centralized national or international forum whose administration determines what rules and rituals must be followed, or what extra-Biblical edicts they must obey to earn salvation and avoid potential excommunication. There’s nothing wrong with a church building, as many local Christian congregations are too large to meet in homes. The problem is when the building (organization) becomes (displaces or replaces) the true church … the body of Christ.

From Triumph to Tragedy

What should have been one of the greatest achievements of the Christian faith—Roman Emperor Constantine’s protection of Christians … an abrupt turnaround of state sanctioned persecution of believers—turned out to be one of the most tragic episodes of the early Church. So disastrous that it led to a thousand-year period of gloom and obscurity which historians now refer to as The Dark Ages. Even in our more enlightened age we are still experiencing the fall-out of the woman’s (the great city) transformation (Revelation 17). This transmutation has directly affected and infected true Christianity like nothing else before or since.

What could have been a triumphant explosion of freedom to intensify the spread of the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ, heretically morphed into what is commonly called Christendom, with its governmental hierarchy of ecclesiastical councils; commencing with a state church of the Roman Empire by edict in 380 AD.

Nowhere in the New Testament do we find any evidence whatsoever that Jesus needed a seat of government, permission from a king, or endorsement by ruling officials or religious leaders to fulfill his mission on earth. Just the opposite occurred. He was rejected by the religious leaders and then by the greater populace because they assumed the Messiah would rule and reign from Jerusalem and deliver Israel from Gentile oppression. That will, in fact, happen one day (soon) when Christ returns to this earth.

But the Old Testament was crystal clear: The Messiah must first suffer and die to liberate mankind from its worst enemy … from tyrannical enslavement to sin. Which is, after all, what produces the unjust, criminal conquest of rulers and nations against each other. And just as disastrously: the disruption and devastation of individual lives resulting from pride, greed, jealousy, lust, theft, immorality, sorcery, lying, and murder.

Nor do we find any indication in Scripture or early church history that believers were commissioned to establish a centralized system of administration that would unite all individual “churches” into an authoritarian hierarchy. Which, in turn, would produce layers of ecclesiastical officials ruling in various capacities over individual believers.

Early Christians met in their homes and were so identified in Paul’s epistles as (for example), “God’s holy people in the city of Colossae.” Or the “church of God which is at Corinth.” But never (for example) to the “church of Rome.” When Jesus addressed each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3, he referred to “the church in Ephesus, the church in Thyatira, the church in Philadelphia” and so on.

This is much more than just semantics, i.e. in or at versus of. This distinction constitutes the very essence, identity, and definition of the church. It is the breathing vibrant church of God and of Christ; all true believers are, “…living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple…” (I Peter 2:5).

Not a structure or system or seat of centralized, ecumenical power that claims ultimate authority over all who belong to that system; and that compels admission to and membership in (beginning with baptism, including infants) as a fundamental requirement for salvation and, thus, qualifies its’ members to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Or, at least, places the members in good standing and gives them a head-start toward heaven, if they remain in a state of grace. A state the hierarchy defines (sort of), through regulated rituals and crafted catechisms that are ambiguous, at best.

Jesus emphatically contradicted this misdirected avenue of salvation (entrance to, affiliation with, and inclusion in any religious order) by declaring:

The man to whom Jesus spoke was, of course, Nicodemus; a member of the elite Jewish Sanhedrin, whose every colleague was thought to be securely connected to God. And, thereby, would qualify for the Kingdom of God. Instead, Jesus said that a spiritual rebirth—made possible only by personally believing and receiving him as God’s Savior to mankind—was the ONLY way anyone would ever see the Kingdom of God.

No one is saved by becoming a member of a religious order. Rather, we become a member (child) of God’s family when we are saved.

And how are we saved?

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

“But to all who believed him (Messiah Jesus) and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12-13).

*Note: Although the book of Galatians is written to the “churches of Galatia”, the word of is needed because there were several congregations (plural) in the region of Galatia. When writing to believers in a specific city, Paul always uses the functional preposition in or at. Thus, the church was so identified by the presence of believers in or at a certain location. Not by a structure or centralized organization that exercised a governmental-type regulation over believers. The highest degree of administration over any individual church should be no more than the church board, normally composed of pastors and elders.

Transformation of the Woman

It’s time to officially identify the woman (the great city) and why/how she picked up where the ancient city of Rome left off; thereby, changing her appearance to accomplish Satan’s plan of subversion from within. Obviously, I’m not the first to make this connection.

It’s undoubtedly safer to be politically correct. But in today’s world PC is virtually the same thing as not telling the whole truth, or suppressing it, or changing it. Yet, I, and untold thousands of believers the world over, believe God’s truth is eternal; not fashionably relative to whatever any society or religious group decides is relevant at any given time. Thus, many would say, “what’s true for you, may not be true for me. So, let’s not make such a big deal over things like Jesus claiming to be: the only way, truth, and life and that no one can come to God except through him” (John 14:6).

Although most who are reading this article (or perhaps last week’s Eye of Prophecy post) already know or suspect, I’m still compelled to confirm the altered identity of the woman sitting on the beast—the one that has deluded the nations since the 4th century. To attain by deception what the Roman Empire couldn’t accomplish by force. Only for the old woman to be united (for a brief period) with the new woman when Nero Caesar (who returns at the outset of the Tribulation) aligns his political and military forces with the political and religious position of this altered-state woman.

Who or what is this woman in today’s world? When and why did she alter her appearance and change her tactics from military dominance over kings of the world at the height of the Roman Empire to subtler, but equally destructive, schemes that include: political intrigue, corruption, greed, power, opulence, manipulation through intimidation—all of which are rooted in a devious plan that is diametrically opposed to the basic tenet of the true Christian faith?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NASB).

The woman transformed herself from the military might of the Roman Empire to the most dominant religious system in the history of mankind. It became a city within a city but is still the great city itself. Flaunting a distinctive kind of supremacy, it still represents and reflects the man-made glory of the Roman Empire, attempting to achieve its ungodly agenda through a seditious strategy of acquisition and authority. This woman of Revelation 17 has unwittingly (or deliberately … take your pick) accomplished Satan’s plan to preserve and perpetuate Rome’s conquest of the secular world and of the true Church by the shrewd introduction of a prefix.

That prefix is Holy, as in Holy See. Which is interchangeable with Holy Roman Empire or Holy Roman Church.

I am referring to: THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Summary

In next week’s final article of this trilogy we will focus on The Holy See, also known as The Vatican or Vatican City State, and how it has prolonged the legacy of the ancient Roman Empire. We’ll also look more closely at Revelation Chapter 18, which foretells the demise of Babylon—both the city itself (Rome) and the false religions and philosophies of “Babylon the Great.”

“Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds” (Revelation 18:4-5).

This (corporeal and corporate) punishment is dramatically detailed in Chapter 18. The sins of Babylon listed in Revelation 17 & 18 are those corporately committed by the, “Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World” (Revelation 17:5).

Sin is sin. Although God’s final Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20) is for every individual who has refused God’s saving grace through Messiah Jesus, he punishes false religions, deceptive ideologies, and corrupt political systems collectively for their sins and evil deeds. God’s divine retribution against such entities have been administered throughout history (such as the complete destruction of the ancient city of Babylon or like the Roman Empire’s total demise); or will be dispensed during the Great Tribulation, e.g. the catastrophic ruin of the 21^st century Holy Roman Empire.

These verses are saying that there are some believers in Christ within (corporately) this counterfeit system, called “Babylon the Great.” Individually, they have been born-again (John 3), yet they remain in this ecclesiastical pyramid mainly because they hold on to “church membership” as an (possible) entrance into heaven or they fear ex-communication. However, Revelation 18 is also challenging just how genuine the faith is of those who claim salvation by trusting in Christ alone (thereby, spurning all additional non-Biblical requirements imposed by Catholicism, Mormonism, or any other “ism”). Those who have sincerely and exclusively placed their trust in Messiah Jesus as personal Savior will see the night and day difference, and they will “come away from her.”

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine… (II Corinthians 13:5).

The Lord fully understands that the real problem is the sin nature and the innate rebellion within each human heart.

Unless our heart is supernaturally changed by believing in Christ, there can be no forgiveness for and freedom from the enslavement of sin. It’s the inherited disease of sin that must be dealt with, not the symptoms which are individual transgressions that every man, woman, and child has committed. What doctor on the planet would only treat the symptoms of cancer if a known cure had been discovered? Thus, Biblical salvation is not reforming someone from the outside in; it is total regeneration (new birth) of the heart and spirit from the inside out.

Jesus did warn individuals that their unbelief in and rejection of him as the only One who could forgive and take away their sins would result in judgment, but he didn’t condemn them for their individual sins, as such. All of us were born sinners; for those who reject Christ as Savior, they are already judged … they condemn themselves.

Nevertheless, Christ blasted the religious leaders of Israel as the blind leading the blind. Telling them that they would, “…die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). *Note– Jesus didn’t say they would die because of their sins; instead they would die in their sins. They would die (spiritual death or eternal separation from God) because they refused to “believe that I AM who I claim to be…”

Scripture is clear, both Old and New Testament: God is extremely harsh on those in position of religious leadership who are part of and promote any system that claims salvation or a right relationship with God or the path to Heaven is available only through keeping the law of Moses, or membership in the church—be it Catholic, Mormon, or even Protestant. God’s judgement will be exceptionally severe against those who assert that their religious hierarchy is the ultimate go-between God and members of its organization.

In the “Woe unto you” (King James Version) indictments against the Jewish religious leaders (extended to all future religious leaders who have legalistically distorted and rejected God’s truth of Biblical salvation), Jesus says in the first of these accusations:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either” (Matthew 23:13).

When religious leaders are blind, how can we expect their followers to see?

“For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (I Timothy 2:5-6).

Things to Ponder

When it comes to defining things like right and wrong, good and evil, doesn’t it all begin with the definition of truth? What is true and what is not true? The Bible often talks about God’s truth and his revelation of that truth to mankind. Amazingly, however, Scripture doesn’t really define truth with a dictionary-style set of synonyms or concepts.

Instead, truth is defined as and in a Person! That person is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man. Jesus said, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

“In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

When we match universal truth and reality to the very source and embodiment of truth (Messiah Jesus), then we will also find the only way to God and the very meaning of life, now and forever more.