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Tag Archives: prophet Daniel

A Beast by Any Other Name … Part II

21 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by garybowers in The Antichrist

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destruction of the Temple, prophet Daniel, Roman Legions, Ruler, The Abyss

A Beast by Any Other Name … Is Still a Beast

Good and evil; war and peace; light and darkness; pride and humility; right and wrong; unjust and just; truth and lies. Words of reverse meaning (antonyms) often provide more insight and impact than do words with similar meanings (synonyms). There’s nothing like comparison through stark contrast to grab our attention and heighten our understanding and appreciation for concepts at the extreme ends of a physical, moral, or spiritual spectrum. Even oxymoronic phrases such as, “Until hell freezes over,” serve a purpose, I suppose. In this instance to amplify the idea that some things just don’t go together … never have and never will.

Unlike hot and cold, there are many words that don’t have an antonym; but that’s no problem. So if you’re against something like abortion (good for you), then how do you express your disagreement with just a one-word opposite?

Likewise, names of people in virtually every language carry with them a linguistic meaning (for example, my first and last name mean spear and flower, respectively); but ordinarily we don’t pair off names or groups of contrary names in order to compare or contrast the meaning of those names. With one universal exception:

Christ … Antichrist.

As we all know, anti means against and/or in place of. In the English language there are hundreds of words that allow the prefix, anti, in order to convey the exact opposite. Such as anti-abortion.

What better way for the Bible to accentuate the ultra-antithesis of the true Christ (Messiah) than to tag his evil counterpart—who was born in the first century a few years after Jesus ascended to heaven—with the name (that says it all) of Antichrist. For that is exactly what he was and will be again upon his return as the beast from the Abyss.

Yet, before the Apostle John coined the term Antichrist in the first century, both the Prophet Daniel and the Apostle Paul described this infamous man with other titles. When we understand the reason for Scripture’s different names of Antichrist and the context of those passages, then we will better comprehend that the future Antichrist is also the (past) historical ruler, king, and man of lawlessness.

In last week’s article, we examined Daniel’s appellations of little horn and king … then continuation of king as found in Revelation Chapters 13 & 17. This week we will scrutinize another descriptive term by Daniel in his prophecy of a coming Ruler, whose armies would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple; this same ruler would then orchestrate a seven-year treaty with Israel that is a catalyst to the Great Tribulation. Equally significant: To recognize that there is an extraordinary (what is now a lengthy) interlude announced by Daniel between the destruction of the Temple and the seven-year treaty. But it’s still the same ruler involved in these two events, already separated by nearly 2000 years! Then Paul’s phenomenal present tense exposure of this wicked ruler called by Paul, The Man of Lawlessness.

Third Title: Ruler

“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One 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).

Bible scholars have astutely and accurately identified the Anointed One as Jesus who, to the very day when he rode into Jerusalem and was hailed as Messiah, fulfilled precisely the 483 year prophetic time-clock of Messiah’s appearance as predicted in verses 24 and 25 of this chapter. Then Daniel tells us that after Messiah is killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, a ruler would arise….

The Hebrew word translated ruler in the New Living Translation just quoted, and rendered prince in, for example, the New American Standard Bible is: Nagiyd. (Pronounced, naw-gheed). The English translations of prince, overseer, or ruler (in various capacities) correctly reflect the original Hebrew word. Clearly conveyed, however, is that the term prince or ruler is a generic designation, in contrast to a more position-specific title such as King. Although several languages use the positional title Prince to identify a particular historical ruler, the term prince is more frequently employed to simply label someone in authority in any number of administrative or nobility positions. And, of course, ruler is an all-purpose term that can refer to just about any person of prestige or power.

Daniel’s first vision of the Antichrist was that of a Little Horn in Daniel Chapter Seven; also a general description as the primary emphasis was that of his proud boasting against God from a platform of authority recognized and accepted by the world at large (as subsequently confirmed by Revelation Chapter 13). But then switched to a king who would suddenly appear in a specific sphere of influence; that he would rule over ten already established kings/nations during the Tribulation.

Yet in Daniel’s portrayal of the Antichrist as recorded in Chapter 9, he wouldn’t have known, nor did the Angel Gabriel disclose to him the exact title of what would later be a Roman ruler or even more definitive, a Roman Caesar. Thus, the angel utilizes the term of ruler which is a title anyone in Daniel’s time (or any time of history) would easily grasp.

Sometimes a prophecy given by God to one of his prophets will be spectacularly specific, such as naming Cyrus some 150 years before he was even born to be the Persian King, who would allow the Jews to return to Israel. Most often, however, Scripture provides just enough information to get the attention of those alive when the prophecy is given, then dramatically captures the focus of those alive when the prophecy is fulfilled.

Between the former and the latter, anyone who possesses any degree of anticipation, expectation, or intrigue is soon full of enthusiasm when the prophesied person appears or the event unfolds. Its like: WOW, this is actually happening in our lifetime. Which is exactly the positive response of many when Messiah Jesus was born in Bethlehem of a Virgin, then thousands more when Christ miraculously arose from the dead; and the equally negative reaction of Christians during Nero’s reprehensible reign as Caesar.

I believe God does this on purpose for our benefit. He wants us to take the time and effort to carefully observe and match the historical event to a long-ago Biblical prophecy; to better appreciate the intricacies of both the prediction and its accomplishment. But also to validate Scripture’s claim that the God of the Bible is the ONLY true and living God … through the miracle of fulfilled prophecy.

The Ruler is Nero

That this ruler is none other than Nero is extensively documented in my book, Out of the Abyss, by, as alluded to in last week’s article, dissecting and then correlating first century history to all Biblical references of Antichrist, none more so than this passage in Daniel Chapter 9.

nero (2)

In order to maintain the hypothesis of a revived Roman Empire proposed by many students of prophecy (which is based on the improper substitution of the English word kingdoms for the Greek word for kings in Revelation 17 and disregarding the personal pronouns used for these kings and the 8th king who is one of the seven kings … five who were already dead, one reigning, and the seventh to come, whose reign would be very brief), the Roman Legions (armies of Daniel 9) are linked to this ruler, who is perceived as a modern-day born man, even though doing so stretches this linkage to the breaking point. In other words, the ruler and his armies (Roman legions) are most assuredly coupled, but this connective association actually took place in the first century.

As we shall see, this prince would arise shortly after Messiah Jesus was crucified, as opposed to what would now be a totally impractical and illogical time-lapse of nearly 2000 years. It’s essential that we grasp the grammar and syntax of exactly what Daniel is relaying to us in Chapter 9.

Once again we read, “…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, italics for emphasis). Two things jump from the pages of this startling prediction:

(1) The possessive pronoun “whose” (armies) grammatically and prophetically bind the ruler to the actual armies that would destroy Jerusalem and the Second Temple. This fateful prophecy was agonizingly realized in 70 AD when the Roman Legions utterly demolished the Temple and destroyed much of Jerusalem, killing hundreds of thousands of Jews. The indisputable historical evidence clearly shows that this cruel campaign to crush the Jews had been ordered by Nero in 66-67 AD; moreover, he hand-picked the two Roman Generals who carried out his orders—Vespasian and Titus.

(2) The sequential syntax of the passage yields the unambiguous conclusion that the ruler would arise (shortly) after Christ (the Anointed One) was killed (on the Cross); as opposed to what is now a 2000-year gap between the Roman Legions that demolished the Temple and what is supposed to be a modern-day man (Antichrist) who would have absolutely no connection whatsoever to those legions. The text stipulates that the ruler would arise during the time when Messiah’s death appeared to have accomplished nothing. From my book, Out of the Abyss:

If the ruler is a modern-day man, then this verse doesn’t fit. Worse, the first part of the verse is simply inaccurate. What am I saying? I am saying that … we can look back some 2000 years and clearly see the monumentally astounding accomplishments of Christianity. Yet Daniel 9:26 effectively tells us that the ruler will sequentially rise to power during the time that Messiah’s death “appears” to have accomplished nothing. In other words, the ruler would arise fairly soon after Messiah is killed.

Nero was born just three to four years after Christ died, and he ruled as Emperor just two-three decades (later) … Christianity was still in its infancy. To the populace of Israel, the Roman Empire and world at large, the tragic death of Jesus of Nazareth seemed to have accomplished very little. To Jewish Zealots, Jesus’s death accomplished absolutely nothing … It took several centuries for Christians and the secular world to comprehend the increasing influence that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ had exerted on the world. (Pages 256-257).

Rev%20Part%2010.1%20-%20Emperors

Concerning the real-time 1st century correlation between the prince/ruler and the people or armies that destroyed the Temple, I explained in Out of the Abyss:

The Hebrew word for people … means people(s) people of a nation, members of one’s people, kinsman, or compatriots … invariably when relating people to a nation, king, ruler, or to God, the word is employed in the logical and sensible Scriptural context of possessive, immediate, or generational relationship….

I go on to say that the people of the prince or ruler that Daniel foretells, … includes all of the prince’s country-men; but more exactly it was the armies (Roman Legions) of this people that fulfilled the prophecy…. But whose armies are they? Whose people are they? If you study the text carefully, there is a clear possessive correlation between the ruler and the armies or the people…. Whose is possessive, meaning those armies or people specifically belonging to that particular ruler…. The people directly affiliated, associated, or united with the prince destroyed the Temple.

Then a few paragraphs later: 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 particular time of the ruler’s life.

And, as indicated, whenever the Hebrew word “am” (meaning people) is used throughout the Old Testament in conjunction with a ruler and a people, it is used to specify an immediate, real-time connection between the leader/nation and the people belonging to that leader… 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? (Pages 254-256).

Legion1

Roman Legion

Daniel goes on to explain that the same ruler whose armies would destroy the Temple would then make a treaty with Israel, which is the Biblical passage specifying that the Tribulation is for a period of seven years. But before Daniel announces this seven-year treaty and the ruler’s violation of the treaty half way through, we have one remarkable interval between the end of verse 26 and the beginning of verse 27 that many Bible scholars have overlooked, missed, or dismissed (in terms of its chronological impact). There’s no doubt in the syntax structure of verses 26 & 27, that the decisive events described are sequential. I repeat: no doubt whatsoever; if for no other reason that the connecting words and the logical progression of occurrences are given in a specific order.

Here’s what the text says: “…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…” (Daniel 9:26b, 27a, italics for emphasis). I’ve italicized the crucial interim period of time that clearly separates the (now) historical sacking of Jerusalem in 70 AD from the yet-to-come seven-year Tribulation treaty engineered by the SAME ruler whose armies destroyed the city and the Temple.

The end will come … war its miseries from that time to the very end is expressive apocalyptic language to describe the Great Tribulation.

This is absolutely astonishing, and can only be truly apprehended and appreciated by realizing that the ruler (Nero) whose armies destroyed the Temple will also be the same ruler who will mesmerize the entire world by his astounding return from the Abyss; which will enable him to strike a treaty with Israel at the outset of the Tribulation, then break this treaty in 3 ½ years followed by an all-out onslaught against Israel and the tribulation saints for another 3 ½ years.

Thus, even without Revelation 17 which clearly and emphatically tells us that the 8th king (the Antichrist scarlet beast) is from the seven and had lived and died before John even saw this beast-king; history itself validates Daniel’s incredible prophecy that the armies of, controlled by, and subsequently ordered to crush the Jewish rebellion belonged to none other than the Roman Emperor, Nero. Combining Revelation 17 with Daniel 9 (and also Daniel 7), we have not one, but two historical and irrefutable proofs that the future tense ruler of Daniel’s prophecies became the first century PAST TENSE king-beast ruler known as Nero.

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Depicts Destruction of Jerusalem & Temple in 70 AD

Fourth Title: Man of Lawlessness

But there’s more! Not just future tense and past tense, but a PRESENT TENSE (right then and there as it was happening) expose of the fifth Roman Emperor by the Apostle Paul, who labeled him the man of lawlessness. Once again for sake of time/space in these three articles on the names of Antichrist, we must summarize in crash course fashion another chapter from Out of the Abyss (Refer to Chapter 21 for many more facts and details). Beginning with the riveting passage:

“…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 even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 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 kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming” (II Thessalonians 2:3-8).

In this abbreviated review of the man later called Antichrist and the beast (of Revelation), we need to concentrate on the present tense grammar and the obvious implications thereof; to both the man of lawlessness and the secrecy of the lawlessness (that he was part of) that was being restrained or held back at the very time that Paul wrote this letter to the Church at Thessalonica.

First, a brief historical context: Paul wrote II Thessalonians in 51-52 AD, and the Temple of Jerusalem was very much intact. Believers expected that the desecration that Daniel, Jesus, and Paul spoke of would take place in none other than Herod’s Temple, in their very near future. In fact, it’s abundantly clear throughout the entire New Testament, especially from the Apostle Paul, that the Christians at that time fully expected Jesus to return any hour of any day. The “imminent return of Christ” was more alive and real in the first century that it has been ever since, with the possible exception of today’s passionate hope that his return is very near.

It’s just that the Holy Spirit had not revealed to Paul that the desecration of the Temple would take place in a 3rd rebuilt Temple, to replace Herod’s Temple that would be destroyed less than twenty years after Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.

But I’m convinced that the Holy Spirit had disclosed to Paul the identity of this man of lawlessness, even though Paul could not and would not refer to the man by name … upon penalty of death and intense persecution of Christians, which would have begun as soon as Nero unlawfully ascended the throne, if not before. In fact, later in Nero’s reign, tens of thousands of Christians were murdered and both Paul and Peter were executed. Nero was subsequently “revealed” as the man of lawlessness, but not yet as the Beast-king. Nero’s future (resumed) fulfillment of his anti-Christ agenda would not fully materialize until the Day of the Lord had begun … precipitated first by the Rapture, then shortly followed by his (the beast-king’s) return from the Abyss.

How can we know with absolute certainty that Paul was referring to this man of lawlessness (who we know is one and the same as the little horn, ruler, king, and would be (later) called Antichrist and the Beast) as one who was already alive on planet Earth; as opposed to some far-off unborn ruler who would initiate a great rebellion against God?

Before answering that question, let’s also be reminded that Nero did exactly that. Not before Nero instigated and personally supervised a savage vendetta against Christians at the hands of an entire empire or until Nero resumes the rebellion during the Great Tribulation, has there ever been such brutality on this scale. Against the Jews as a race and nation, yes; but not against people from all races, nations, and languages, so identified because of their belief in the substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as their Messiah. Ironically, Nero’s direct participation in this first century persecution of Christians lasted about 3 ½ years, the same period of time that his diabolical revolt against God, and torture and death of Christians and Jews will last during the Great Tribulation.

The following is how we can irrefutably conclude that Paul was telling us exactly who the man of lawlessness was and would be, without actually stating his name. Once again let’s read the words, this time from the New American Standard Bible: “And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed … only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way” (II Thessalonians 2:6-7, italics for emphasis).

Who or What Holds Back the Man of Lawlessness & the Secrecy of the Lawlessness?

These active present tense verbs and modifiers clearly convey and confirm the premise that all this was taking place before and when Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonians. Here is another excerpt from Out of the Abyss to reinforce this premise:

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. Nor does the text state or imply that the man of lawlessness is currently restrained from being born; in fact that would make no sense whatsoever.

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 (Nero’s mother), were already touting Nero as successor when Paul wrote I and II Thessalonians. Furthermore, all of Rome knew that Nero would not be a lawful successor to the crown. Romans had already prided themselves and their empire as the first and greatest law and order society in history. And, as we saw earlier: Paul wrote II Thessalonians in 51-52 AD. That’s a bit more than coincidental, don’t you think? (Page 191).

antichrist

Today’s contemporary application of these verses is that the Holy Spirit is the restrainer and that he restrains evil, but that is not what the passage is telling us. For one thing, the Greek word for lawlessness is different from the Greek words used for evil or wickedness in the New Testament. The Greek word for lawlessness is anomia, which means contempt for or violation of law—Biblical laws, moral laws, and civil laws. Found only fifteen times in the New Testament, the word conveys a more exclusive, or specific expression of evil, the very kind that Paul said was taking place. In fact, Paul said, “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.”

Before that, Paul referred to the restrainer as “what is holding him back.” The him of this verse is the man of lawlessness and the what (as clearly explained in Out of the Abyss) was the Roman government including the Senate that represented the people, and to a lesser extent the Roman legions. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is NEVER referred to by a neutral or impersonal pronoun anywhere in Scripture; rather, the Holy Spirit is always referred to by the personal pronoun, he or him. Why then would Paul even remotely imply that the pronoun what of this passage is the Holy Spirit? Yet, that is the (mistaken) association by many scholars, i.e. that this impersonal pronoun substitution (what) is the Holy Spirit, himself.

Furthermore, why would Paul be reluctant to identify or enunciate the name of the Holy Spirit in this context; when non-believing Romans or Greeks would have been oblivious to something or someone called the Holy Spirit? When, in fact, Paul often mentioned the Holy Spirit throughout his epistles, and even references the Holy Spirit in verse thirteen of this same chapter in II Thessalonians. It’s completely logical why Paul withheld the name of Nero, Claudius, or Agrippina, all of whom were part of the lawless scheme to make Nero the next Emperor. But no reason at all for Paul to evasively disguise the Holy Spirit as the impersonal (force) that was holding the man of lawlessness in check until the secrecy of this lawlessness was fully exposed (later in 54 AD).

The lawlessness Paul cited in this passage was the Machiavellian-style political intrigue and covert maneuvers underway through what would later become a (successful) conspiracy by Nero’s mother Agrippina to assassinate her husband, the Roman Emperor Claudius—which would pave the way for Nero to become Caesar.

Please, read the passage again: The lawlessness itself was not being held back; instead it was the secrecy of that lawlessness … known only by a select few including Paul, to whom it had been revealed. Thus it was the Roman system of law and government (what) that was holding Nero (temporarily) in check; which enabled Claudius Caesar (as long as he was on the throne) to hold back or (inadvertently) suppress the secrecy of what was unlawfully being planned by his wife and step-son Nero. But when the one who “now restrains” was taken out of the way, the clandestine, hush-hush, anarchistic plot would no longer be concealed. This lawlessness would and did rear its ugly head when Agrippina poisoned Claudius, and Nero succeeded him as Emperor.

As summarized in Out of the Abyss:

Obviously Claudius wanted Nero to succeed him, but certainly not as a result of Claudius being toppled from power by anyone, let alone his wife, Agrippina. Thus, Claudius was part of the scheme that would bypass his natural son’s right to the throne in favor of his step-son Nero. Little did Claudius realize that this plot would thicken with Agrippina’s lawless sub-plot to prematurely take him out of the picture, to remove him from power by revealing her true intention—that of Nero’s immediate unlawful ascension to the throne. (Page 201).

Things to Ponder

Next weeks’ article, the final part of this trilogy, will elaborate on the remaining two names: Antichrist and The Beast. To further expand on how these two designations (alongside the man of lawlessness) comprehensively represent the composite Antichrist, i.e. body, soul, and spirit of this depraved human being.

For all those who really want to accurately determine the identity of Antichrist, I am completely convinced that God wants us to know just as the early Christians knew, especially through the 5th century AD. That Nero was this man of lawlessness, the ruler, and the king (Roman Caesar) who had died; but would one day return from the Abyss as the (little horn) beast to continue his Antichrist reign of terror … but on a truly global scale.

We need to know these things before the Rapture takes place, so that many left behind will not be so amazed at a False Messiah … Nero’s returns from the underworld.

We need to know, before we go!

The Seal of Approval

15 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by garybowers in The Antichrist

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Nero, prophet Daniel, Revelation, The Antichrist, the apostle John

The Seal of Approval … Identity of Antichrist

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. As I have quoted in past Eye of Prophecy articles, 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? It’s really quite simple: Because Scripture not only encourages such a discovery, it actually 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.

This week’s article will revisit in summary fashion my book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666? As well as past Eye of Prophecy articles entitled: Modern Day Antichrist; Antichrist … Is He Alive Today; Reappearance of the Beast; The Number of the Beast; The Beast and His Name … published consecutively between 9-7-13 and 10-5-13. If you’re really interested, if you truly want to dig into the Biblical and secular references to this man of sin, then I would encourage you to get a copy of the book and read the Eye of Prophecy articles. Out of the Abyss is available on-line through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Let’s begin with a remarkable well-known verse sometimes quoted in my past writings on the beast of Revelation, 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 actually written out … six hundred, sixty-six.

What does this verse say and mean to you? Are there any restrictions identified or conditions imposed on the reader, whether a Christian reading it in the first century or in this current generation, that directly state or remotely imply that the calculation (through wisdom and understanding) of the meaning of the number applies only to those alive after the Rapture? The verse unambiguously challenges 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.”

As further evidence and incentive that the identity of Antichrist was meant to be known (solved) by first century believers and all believers thereafter, an extraordinary command was given by one of the angels at the very end of the phenomenal series of visions witnessed by John, as recorded in the very last chapter of Revelation. Says John, “Then he instructed me, ‘Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near’” (Revelation 22:10).

Hold that thought, as we will return to this captivating but puzzling command. First we need to examine identical instructions found in the Old Testament, but in reverse of the one give to John in Revelation.

The Angel to Daniel: “Seal up the book…..”

Just one other place in the Bible do we find similar language of sealing prophecies … those given to Daniel. Only the directive is in reverse of what the angel told John. “But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end….” (Daniel 12:4).

Since end-times prophecy made its resurgence primarily in the 1960’s, Bible scholars have frequently and accurately explained that the instruction to Daniel (seal up the book) was necessary because fulfillment of the vast majority of Daniel’s visions wouldn’t take place until the, time of the end. Several, but not all, students of prophecy correctly place the beginning of the time of the end as the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Messiah Jesus, i.e. the New Covenant that birthed the Church. Which will culminate in the Rapture, then the beginning of the Day of the Lord—Tribulation, Second Coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation, followed by the Millennium.

The first part of Daniel’s visions (the four beasts from the sea … a similar vision to the statue dream given to Nebuchadnezzar), actually began to unfold during his lifetime—referring to the Medes/Persian (2nd beast) conquest of Babylon (1st beast). Yet, it would be hundreds of years before the third and fourth beasts emerged as world powers … Alexander’s Greece and the Roman Empire. After Alexander’s empire was split into four parts, then before and during the rise of Rome, some (partially or fully) of Daniel’s prophecies came to pass … those found in chapters 2, 7, 8, 9, and 11. But the most important, the most prominent, and the most spectacular prophecy came to pass when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was hailed as the Messiah. (Daniel 9:24-25). Daniel’s prophecy of this event came to pass on the very day predicted by the Word of God.

Then shortly after Messiah’s crucifixion and resurrection, the ruler of Daniel 7 & 9, the one whose armies would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple (Daniel 9:26-27), arrived on the scene of history. As carefully detailed in Out of the Abyss, this ruler was the Man of Lawlessness depicted by Paul, and would be the beast of Revelation who would reappear from the Abyss during the Great Tribulation.

For more dramatic effect in my book Out of the Abyss, and as progressively developed in the Eye of Prophecy articles on Antichrist, I intentionally delayed naming the Antichrist to build both a historical case and contemporary suspense as to his identity. But now, as a reinforcement to those who have read the book or articles and to any reader of this article who has not, I will plainly state his identity.

The Ruler of Daniel, the Man of Lawlessness, and the Beast of Revelation most often referred to as the Antichrist is the Roman Emperor, NERO.

Intrigued? Puzzled? Surprised? Amazed? Dumbfounded? So was I when I first realized that the Antichrist had already lived and died before John saw the spectacular visions of Revelation. That, however, the beast-king would reappear from the Abyss at the outset of the Tribulation.

Why Seal Daniel’s Visions

The reason that Daniel was told to “seal” his book was because nearly all of the prophecies weren’t germane to his generation, nor to many generations after Daniel. 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 opened (unsealed) and read. For one thing, much of Daniel’s book was a journalistic record of past and present events that occurred during Daniel’s decade’s long sojourn in Babylon.

Rather, the sealing of Daniel’s visions was a metaphorically practical way of saying that it would do Daniel and those keenly interested in his prophecies no good to try to figure them out until the majority of the prophecies had been fulfilled. And did you know: Nearly all of Daniel’s prophecies were fulfilled by the end of the first century. In fact, the only ones not yet fulfilled were those pertaining to the ruler (little horn) and the ten horns/kings of the tribulation period, which are presented in remarkably similar fashion in Revelation 17. Once the majority of the prophecies came to pass, then the remaining (Tribulation) predictions would be much easier to grasp, particularly when expanded upon later by Paul and by John of Revelation.

Thus, after the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and certainly following the book of Revelation, Daniel’s prophecies were effectively unsealed.

Yes, the sealing of Daniel’s book has been an oft-quoted and elucidated passage by modern Bible scholars. But not so the similar, yet opposite instructions to John in Revelation. The command to, “not seal up the prophetic words in this book…” has seldom been mentioned or explained by Bible teachers (including me at one time). Yet, it has as much, if not more, significance than the directive for Daniel to seal his book.

The Angel to John: “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book.”

Paraphrasing, Daniel was told to place his writings in storage. John was instructed to do just the opposite. Why would the angel even mention such a thing, i.e. advising John not to seal up the prophetic words of this book (Revelation)? There had to be a reason for such a command. First century believers, especially Jewish believers who were well-versed in the writings of the Old Testament prophets, would have immediately made the connection of the angel’s admonition to John as a striking contrast to the instructions given to Daniel.

To identify the association between Daniel’s sealing and John’s no-sealing is to fully grasp the meaning of and reason for the angel’s warning to John. And what is that meaning?

The astounding significance of and 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 of the revelations given to John were immediately appropriate 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 and understanding of the visions were applicable first and foremost to the Christians of the first century. Because if Jesus could/would imminently come for his bride (the Church) at any time, then all of the end-time Biblical prophecies would begin to unfold immediately. Therefore, ALL of the revelations given to John were applicable to all Christians of that time and should be openly read, taught, and disseminated throughout the Roman Empire.

With, however, the need to codify references to the Antichrist to protect Christians from further persecution and death; hence, the encoding of the beast’s identity through the Hebrew method of counting and numbering with their alphabet (Gematria) in Revelation 13. Also to partially obscure the identity of the beast (Nero) in Revelation 17, by what effectively was a puzzle or riddle of the seven kings … five fallen, one reigning, one soon to reign, but briefly, then an eighth king (the beast himself) who was one of the seven.

That is why the angel told John not to seal up the prophecies of Revelation; because they were to be understood by and applied to those believers alive at that time. Unlike the prophecies of Daniel which were some 90% for the mostly distant future—the centuries leading to and including the first advent of Messiah Jesus—the disclosures to John of Patmos were undeniably relevant to his readers because Jesus could rapture his Church at any moment.

That this beast had already lived and died before John was given the visions of the beast in Revelation, but that this same beast king would reappear from the Abyss. That coupled with the wording of Daniel 9:26-27, resulted in a phenomenal conclusion that the Antichrist beast would also return to the earth (in duplication of Messiah’s 2nd coming), but not until the Tribulation began very shortly after the Rapture.

Because the Rapture and subsequent return of Christ could (and in the eyes of first century believers) probably would take place in their lifetime, the Antichrist had to already have been a first century man to instigate and commence his Tribulation reign of terror that would begin very soon after the Rapture.

(Please read the above paragraph again). We need to wrap our minds around this fact and let it sink in. Rephrased: Christ could have chosen to Rapture the believers at any moment. If he had done so, then the remainder of Daniel’s and Jesus’s and Paul’s and John’s prophecies including, but not limited to the Antichrist, would have begun to unfold soon thereafter … within days or weeks. Thus, the Antichrist MUST HAVE ALREADY BEEN ON THE SCENE.

Which is exactly what the angel told John in Revelation 17.

A Stunning Disclosure … The Antichrist Will Not Be a Modern-Day Man

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 the beast who had died” (Revelation 17:8, italics for emphasis). The Greek word for soon means momentarily, but more so it means abruptly or suddenly.

In November, 2008 (almost to the day of today’s article), this passage absolutely stunned me; even though I had read the verse along with the rest of Revelation many times. All of John’s visions, including this one, took place in the present (time). After seeing the beast for this second time, the angel revealed the “mystery” of the beast to John. It was another extraordinary disclosure of the beast’s identity to go along with his number (six hundred, sixty-six) presented earlier in Revelation Chapter 13.

The incredible fact was/is: The Antichrist-beast had lived before John saw this vision of him. But at the time of the vision on a specific Sunday (Revelation 1) on a specific day in John’s life, the beast was no longer alive. But he would return from the Abyss (bottomless pit) and this return (reappearance) would utterly amaze the world’s inhabitants. This and other passages regarding the Antichrist was thoroughly explained in Out of the Abyss, along with historical first-century church and secular records.

All of the pieces of the prophetic puzzle fit perfectly, leading to the inescapable conclusion that the Antichrist was none other than the Roman Emperor Nero!

Returning to the (un)sealing of the Book of Revelation, the breathtaking relevance of this command to John was that ALL of the mysteries of Revelation could be understood by believers of that time, including the identity of the Antichrist. It was not necessary to wait until future generations to understand these mysteries including the number of the beast and his biographical history up to that time.

The identity of the beast could, would, and should be known by the (any) generation alive when the Rapture occurred followed by the immediate appearance (reappearance) of the beast. Consequently, would you (also) agree that the Christians of the first century could have been that very generation? If so, then they and all generations to follow had the Biblical tools to solve the clues and ascertain the identity of Antichrist BEFORE the Rapture, not afterward.

Once again: Nowhere in Revelation does John state or even imply that the identity of the beast could only be decoded or known until after the beast actually appeared on the scene. Moreover, Chapter 21 in Out of the Abyss meticulously explains II Thessalonians Chapter 2; that the “revealing” of the Man of Lawlessness took place when Nero unlawfully usurped the title of Roman Emperor and began a rebellion against God and Christianity during his lifetime. Additionally, the often overlooked verse eight of this chapter was clarified. That Jesus actually kills the Man of Lawlessness (Antichrist, beast) and then destroys him. That killing and destroying are not the same thing. That the death (killing) of Nero took place in 68 AD, but his final destruction in the Lake of Fire will not take place until the end of the Tribulation, after he returns from the Abyss. I also spend a great deal of space in the book on the Abyss, itself.

All of which leads to the crystal clear conclusion: The Antichrist cannot be a modern-day man born and raised in today’s world nor any generation to follow. The words of Revelation 17 are unmistakable: the beast had already lived and died BEFORE John saw it/him in his vision. “The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now.”

Daniels’ prophecies could not be comprehended by his generation, which is why the angel instructed him to seal them … meaning set them aside until the actual events took place. Not so with John’s visions as recorded in Revelation. They were to be (with wisdom and understanding) grasped right then and there. The Lord through John wanted the believers of the seven churches and all Christians of that day to know, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Nero was the beast of Revelation; the revealed Man of Lawlessness presented by Paul; the ruler whose armies destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple of Daniel in Chapter 9; the little horn of Daniel Chapter 7 who would “suddenly appear” on the scene and take over the ten horns (kings), the same ten kings of Revelation 17. All this, and more is carefully documented through Scripture and history in Out of the Abyss and to a lesser extent in the prior Eye of Prophecy articles.

Which is why Jesus told John at the spectacular beginning of Revelation when John saw the risen Christ before he saw any visions at all: “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen” (Revelation 1:19). Revelation contained more than just things that would come; which, as already alluded, Christians in that day believed would come shortly. It included visions pertaining to things already taking place … which by default would include recent past events that dovetailed with current events of that time.

Summary

Because it has been 3 ½ years since Out of the Abyss was published and over a year since the Eye of Prophecy articles on Antichrist, I felt compelled to reintroduce and re-emphasize the remarkable disclosures that help refit the pieces of the prophetic puzzle regarding the identity of the Antichrist. Starting with the amazing FACT (according to Revelation 17) that the Antichrist beast had already been born and died before John received the revelations of this evil man. That he would reappear from the Abyss; that by default logic he couldn’t ascend from the Abyss until he had first been placed there (by Christ).

But mostly in this article to expand on these short, simple, but amazingly profound verses in the first and last chapters of Revelation.

First Chapter: Jesus told John, “… to write down what you have seen, both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.” Why wouldn’t the Lord have just said, write down what he had seen, and leave it at that? There was a reason Jesus added the following words. Reason: Because he wanted John and all first century believers and Christians thereafter to understand explicitly that Revelation was not confined just to future events … events that could begin any hour or day after John’s visions were over. Other than the first three chapters of Revelation including the letters to the seven churches, most Christians and even Bible scholars think in terms of the remainder of Revelation applying exclusively to future events. NOT SO.

There are several past tense occurrences in Revelation, such as the five kings who had fallen, and most amazing—the beast who had already lived and died, who—as I demonstrate in past writings—was one of those five kings who had died … Nero.

Last Chapter: That’s why the angel instructed John not to withhold or postpone or delay the announcement and distribution of the book of Revelation (all part of “sealing” a book). Because, in fact, ALL of Revelation was applicable immediately to all believers and nothing in the book was hidden from meaning and none of the mysteries were left unrevealed. This all was relevant to and part of the equally valid truth that Jesus could return any day.

The fact in the first century was: THE BEAST HAD ALREADY BEEN REVEALED. Now it was just a matter of when the Rapture would take place, which would initiate and shift into high gear all of the ensuing prophecies of the beast’s reappearance and all of the Tribulation events depicted in Revelation.

Conversely, with the prophet Daniel and his visions, he was repeatedly told that the visions were for a future time … nothing whatsoever imminent about these prophecies. Such as, “…you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end” (Daniel 8:17). But with the New Testament Saints everything was imminent, beginning with the Rapture and continuing (immediately) with the return of the beast who had died and all prophesied events thereafter.

Do you see the difference between Daniel’s time and John’s time? Does this help explain the divine rationale between instructing Daniel to seal his prophecies, but for John to unseal what had been revealed to him (don’t seal the words)? And why those specific instructions were even given to Daniel and John.

Things to Ponder

The specific purpose of this article is to know beyond any doubt that we are meant to know the identity of the beast of Revelation, just as the first century (and a few centuries after that) Christians knew. It is recorded both in secular and church history that many early Christians believed that Nero would, in fact, return as the Antichrist beast of Revelation. This amazing belief was prevalent for the better part of four hundred years after the Lord’s ascension to heaven.

All I’m doing is refitting the prophetic puzzle that had correctly been assembled in the years of the early Church. I’m not reinventing the wheel. Rather I’m using the same wheel of prophecy used by the early believers in their journey through the annals of Biblical events pertaining to the last days. And these last days began with the birth of Jesus. We are currently in the last of the 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 of Patmos. The early Christians understood John’s prophecies were meant for them. They weren’t even thinking about future generations no more than we would if we fully expected something to happen in our lifetime. They understood that Nero was the beast, but not until he had died; because Revelation wasn’t written until after Nero’s death, nor was the apostle John’s term of Antichrist used. Nor could they match up the ruler (Antichrist) of Daniel until Nero died and his armies vanquished Jerusalem and the Temple.

But they could (and did) match Nero with the Man of Lawlessness that Paul introduced to them. Once Nero died and Revelation was written, they knew for sure who Nero was. Because Paul said that Jesus would kill the man of lawlessness (II Thessalonians 2:8). Then John told them that the beast would return from the abyss. Later, they understood that Daniel’s prophecy applied to Nero, because in 70 AD the very generals personally selected/appointed by Nero to crush Israel destroyed the Temple … a campaign begun by Vespasian and completed by his son, Titus. (See Daniel 9:26-27).

The early Christians knew, and so can we.

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  • “One Ring To Rule Them All….”
  • A Beast by Any Other Name … Part I
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  • A Deal That Will Live In Infamy
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  • A Religion of Peace? (Part I)
  • A Religion of Peace? (Part II)
  • A Revived Roman Empire … Or Not?
  • A Sleeping Giant
  • A Tale of Two (Arab) Cousins
  • A Third Jewish Temple (Part II)
  • A Third Jewish Temple?
  • A Trilogy of Terror
  • Aftermath of America’s Amazing Election
  • Age of Grace (Part I)
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  • Alliances against Israel
  • Amazing Anticipation for Messiah
  • Ambassador Nikki Haley & The Truth About Israel
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  • An Unprecedented Palestinian Attack in Jerusalem
  • And Justice For All
  • Antichrist / A “Back To The Future” Prophecy
  • Antichrist … Is He Alive Today?
  • Antichrist and Anzio … What Do They Have in Common?
  • Antichrist and the Vicar of Christ … Part I
  • Antichrist and the Vicar of Christ … Part II
  • Antichrist’s Dreaded Arrival / First or Second Appearance?
  • Armageddon & Messiah’s Return … An Amazing Sequence of Events
  • Beginning of the End
  • Beware of the Bear!
  • Biblical Terms Not in the Bible … Are They Biblical?
  • Blood Moons
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  • Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (of Israel)
  • BREXIT … What’s It All About?
  • Bring Back Our Boys
  • Build The Temple! Will Messiah Come?
  • Can A Murderer Be A Martyr?
  • Christ or Antichrist … who will it be?
  • Comparing A Phenomenal Prophecy in Leviticus With One in Zechariah
  • Conspiracy Theories … A New World Order
  • Countdown to Armageddon … End of the Fourth 400-Year Era
  • COVID-19 / Just Another Plague?
  • COVID-19 / Just Another Plague? (Part II)
  • Cunning Makeover of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Daniel’s 70 Prophetic Weeks & The Number Seventy!
  • Day of Infamy
  • Did God Really Appear to People? When & How?
  • Diplomacy With Israel Despite Anti-Semitism / A Puzzling Paradox
  • Divine Consequences of Iran’s Arrogance (Part I)
  • Divine Consequences of Iran’s Arrogance (Part II)
  • Does Christmas Really Need Christ?
  • Does God Really Have a Son? … Part I
  • Does God Really Have a Son? … Part II
  • Does Israel Belong To The State of Israel?
  • Does The Holy Spirit Restrain (the Man of) Lawlessness?
  • Don’t Seal The Book of Revelation!
  • Double Israel’s Trouble & Double Her Blessings!
  • End of the World Events … In Chronological Order!
  • Ethnic Cleansing of Jews … The Real Palestinian Agenda
  • Exposing Antichrist’s Identity … More Compelling Evidence (Part I)
  • Exposing Antichrist’s Identity … More Compelling Evidence (Part II)
  • Extraordinary Biblical Prophecies w/Predicted Times of Fulfillment (Part I)
  • Extraordinary Biblical Prophecies w/Predicted Times of Fulfillment (Part II)
  • Festival of Tabernacles … Part I
  • First Century Existence of Christ and Antichrist & Their 21st Century Return
  • Five Life-Changing Meals in the Bible
  • For or Against Israel?
  • For Such A Time As This
  • Fountain of Youth & Fountain of Life … Is There a Difference?
  • Four Locust Kingdoms!
  • Freedom … What Does It Really Mean?
  • Fulfilled Prophecy Proves We Can Trust The Bible
  • Gateway to the World
  • Giving Thanks … What is it all about
  • Global Obsession with Jerusalem … In Biblical Proportions!
  • Globalism or Populism … Which Will Antichrist Prefer?
  • God Is Great & Yet He’s So Good!
  • God Is in Control
  • God’s New Covenant with Israel … Minus the Temple (Part I)
  • God’s New Covenant with Israel … Minus the Temple (Part II)
  • Gog, Magog and Leviathan
  • Gog/Magog’s Prophetic Clock Is Ticking, Ticking….
  • Grace and Law … A Biblical Balance
  • Great Expectations for Messiah
  • Hanukkah & Christmas / Do They Have Anything in Common?
  • Hanukkah … The Festival Born of a Prophecy!
  • Happy New Year … Jerusalem Style!
  • Has Antichrist Already Died … How, When & Why
  • How and When Does The World End?
  • How the Rapture
  • Humiliating End of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Hurricane Harvey & A Year of Prophetic Milestones (2017)
  • Intriguing Comparisons Between Antiochus IV & Antichrist (Nero)
  • Israel Is Again The Head, Not the Tail (The Deal of the Century)
  • Is President Trump Wavering On “The Waiver”?
  • ISIS, Nero, and Rome
  • Israel Is Here To Stay … Forever!
  • Israel’s Annexation of Occupied Territory? We Must Define The Terms
  • Israel’s Controversial Nation-State Law
  • Israel’s Government in Limbo … Unprecedented!
  • Israeli Occupation … Fact or Myth?
  • Italy’s New Government / A Thorn in the EU’s Side
  • Jerusalem … A Capital Without a Country?
  • Jerusalem … City of Peace?
  • Jerusalem / City Above All Cities
  • Jerusalem’s Mysterious Eastern Gate … Making Headlines
  • Jesus’s Stunning Statements While on the Cross… A Summary of Salvation!
  • Jesus Is The Very Essence of Prophecy
  • Jewish Christian / Christian Jew … An Oxymoron?
  • Jewish Settlements in Judea/Samaria … Are They Illegal?
  • Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part I)
  • Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part II)
  • Jubilee and Messiah … They Go Together!
  • Judea/Samaria & Gaza Strip / Who Has Sovereignty?
  • Just How Imminent is Messiah’s Imminent Return?
  • King David’s Tomb
  • Kingdom of God
  • Las Vegas Massacre … A Broader Perspective
  • Lazarus and Lazarus & The Sign of Jonah
  • Let’s Celebrate … Forever!
  • Let’s Make a Deal
  • Light of The World (Sequel To: The Incomparable Power & Authority of Jesus Christ)
  • Look Up, Redemption Is Near … Part I
  • Look Up, Redemption Is Near … Part II
  • Major Earthquake in Israel … When & Where It Will Strike
  • Melchizedek … A Man of Mystery!
  • Merry Christmas … What’s It All About?
  • Messiah and the Jewish Festivals … An Extraordinary Connection!
  • Messiah’s Amazing Appearances Before He Was Born
  • Messiah’s Arrival … On Whose Authority?
  • Messiah’s Ascension & Coronation … Seen Long Before It Happened!
  • Messiah’s Millennial Reign … Incredible Changes on Earth
  • Messiah’s Number & Its Prophetic Value
  • Messiah’s Return & The Rapture (Same or Separate Events?)
  • Messianic Jews … Who Are They?
  • Modern Day Antichrist?
  • Moral Equivalency
  • More Palestinian Lies
  • More Than One Messiah?
  • Moses & Elijah vs. Antichrist & The False Prophet
  • Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem … A Broken Promise?
  • NERO & The Remarkable Revival of His Name
  • O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
  • Old & New Testament Saints … Is There a Difference?
  • One Global Language … Coming Soon! (Part I)
  • One Global Language … Coming Soon! (Part II)
  • One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews … Part I
  • One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews … Part II
  • One Nation Under (the wrath of) God
  • One World Government?
  • One World Religion?
  • Palestine or Israel? Which Is It? / Your Answer May Be In Jeopardy!
  • Palestinian Propaganda Is Pure Poison
  • Palestinian Refugees… Are They Really Refugees?
  • Palestinian Terrorism & UN Resolutions … Neither Will Defeat Israel
  • Palestinian Terror Tunnels & Poetic Justice
  • Passover & Messiah Are Inseparable!
  • Passover … an Enduring Legacy
  • Peace Between Israel and Judah … Then World Peace!
  • Peace on Earth … Is It Really Possible?
  • Peace or a Palestinian State … Which Will It Be?
  • Powerful Proof of Messiah’s Identity & Arrival in The First Century!
  • Preach the Gospel … But Not to the Jews!
  • Prince of Peace
  • Prophecy & A Jewish Holiday
  • Prophetic Fate of Israel’s Friends and Foes
  • Prophetic Implications of the Fires in Israel (Part I)
  • Prophetic Implications of the Fires in Israel (Part II)
  • Proportional Warfare
  • Reappearance of Satan, a Roman Emperor & Two Ancient Prophets … Bodily!
  • Reappearance of the Beast (Antichrist)
  • Reexamination of Messiah’s Imminent Return & The Omega Generation
  • Remember December (Kislev) … A Hidden Gem of Prophecy!
  • Removing Christ From Christmas … What Are The Consequences?
  • Replacement Theology (Part I)
  • Replacement Theology (Part II)
  • Resurrections / How Many Will There Be? One, Two, Or Could There Be Three?
  • Rome and Jerusalem … friends or foes?
  • Russia & Iran versus Israel
  • Russia’s Shocking Invasion of Ukraine … A Preview of Gog/Magog’s Attack on Israel?
  • Salvation … “To The Jew First!”
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part I)
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part II)
  • Scripture Says Everyone Will Die / But What About the Rapture?
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part I)
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part II)
  • Sequel to Stunning Catastrophes & Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation
  • Seven Essentials of The Rapture (Part I)
  • Seven Essentials of the Rapture (Part II)
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part I
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part II
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part III
  • Seven Wonders of The Millennium
  • Seven Wonders of The Millennium (Part II)
  • Shameful Saga of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation
  • Significant Sets of Twos in the Bible
  • Six Million Reasons … To Trust the Bible
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part I)
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part II)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part I)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part II)
  • Stand Still & Watch God Fight for Israel!
  • Stunning Catastrophes of the Tribulation / Their Timing & Purpose
  • Sudden Appearance of Antichrist … Why So Different?
  • Sukkot … The Forever Festival!
  • Superhuman Bodies for Believers / How & Why?
  • Tell a Big Lie Long Enough….
  • Terror, Terror, Terror (Part II)
  • Terror, Terror, Terror! (Part I)
  • The “Right of Return” … For Palestinians or Jews?
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part I
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part II
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part I)
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part II)
  • The Beast and His Name
  • The Birth of a Nation
  • The Child of Promise (Part I)
  • The Child of Promise (Part II)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part I)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part II)
  • The End of the Age … how close are we?
  • The False Prophet (Part I)
  • The False Prophet (Part II)
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part I
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part II
  • The Gog/Magog Countdown Has Begun!
  • The Heart & Soul of Israel
  • The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ
  • The Jewish Dichotomy In & Outside Israel
  • The Legacy of Temple Mount
  • The Legendary Return of Nero
  • The Liberation of Jerusalem
  • The Magnificent Millennial Reign of Believers with Messiah
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part I)
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part II)
  • The Most Significant End-Times Sign Of All
  • The Myth of Al Aqsa Mosque
  • The Number of the Beast
  • The Omega Generation
  • The Peace Treaty That Will Guarantee War
  • The Phenomenal Thousand Years/One Day Parallel
  • The Prince and the People That Destroyed the Jewish Temple / Who Were They?
  • The Prophetic Endgame of Gog/Magog
  • The Rapture / Before or After The Great Tribulation?
  • The Real Reason for Palestinian Terrorism
  • The Reign of Terror
  • The Remarkable Rebirth of a Nation
  • The Rest of the Story … Bibi’s Speech to the United Nations
  • The Right to Life?
  • The Russians Are Coming!
  • The Seal of Approval
  • The Second Exodus
  • The Seven Year Treaty
  • The Shout Heard Around the World
  • The Shroud of Turin … Real or Fake? / A Decisive Answer
  • The Shroud of Turin … Real or Fake? / A Decisive Answer (Part II)
  • The Terrible Trio of Gog and Magog
  • The Three Greatest Trials of All Time
  • The Tremendous Transfiguration of Believers!
  • The Two Witnesses (Part I)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part II)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part III)
  • The Vatican and Islam … A Perfect Match for Antichrist
  • The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?
  • The Whole Truth
  • The Woman and the Beast
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part II)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part III)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part IV)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part V)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part VI)
  • The Wonder Of It All … Birth of the Child!
  • The World Wants a Messiah … But It Needs (The) Messiah
  • There’s No Place Like Homs
  • There’s Resurrection; And There’s Resurrection!
  • Three … A Divine Number of God!
  • Times of & Fullness of the Gentiles … What Do They Mean?
  • To Be or Not To Be … in Heaven?
  • To Be Or Not To Be … In Heaven? (A Revisit)
  • Trump, Cyrus, and the Jewish Temple
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part I … Turmoil)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part II … Tragedy)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part III … Terror)
  • Two-State Solution & The Seven-Year Treaty … Impossible?
  • Two Thirds of the Jews Killed … Past or Future?
  • U.S. President Agrees with God … Jerusalem Is Israel’s Capital!
  • Under the Radar
  • UNESCO / “Theatre of the Absurd” Against Israel
  • United Nations Downsizing of Israel (Resolution 2334)
  • Value of Prophecy
  • West Bank or Judea/Samaria? What’s In A Name?
  • What Is A Saint?
  • What Is Done To Israel Will Be Done In Return / The Iran Nuclear Deal
  • What Is Done to Israel Will Be Done in Return / Dangers of a Divided Jerusalem
  • What is Palestine & Who Is A Palestinian?
  • What is the Rapture?
  • What Is The Unpardonable Sin?
  • When the Rapture?
  • Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here?
  • Where Is The Temple? Part I
  • Where Is The Temple? Part II
  • Where is the Temple? Part III
  • Who is Messiah?
  • Who Is the Antichrist & How Will He Appear (Part I)
  • Who Is The Antichrist & How Will He Appear? (Part II)
  • Who the Rapture?
  • Whom Do You Most Want To See In Heaven?
  • Why the Rapture?
  • Why the Rapture? (A Revisit)
  • Why The World Idolizes Antichrist & How It Reacts To The Tribulation
  • Wiles of the Woman
  • Will All Children Be Taken in The Rapture?
  • Will Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation? (Part I)
  • Will Believers Go Through The Great Tribulation? (Part II)
  • Will There Still Be Unbelievers Throughout Eternity?
  • Yom Kippur / With Or Without Atonement?
  • Zechariah’s Dramatic Description of Antichrist’s Fatal Wounds

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