Due to the importance of the identity of the Antichrist beast power and to see how this truth could not be quite so easily established without using the book of Daniel, we are going to cover this topic with some more detail and charts. Understanding how Daniel and Revelation work together is an important part of understanding 666 and the mark of the beast, the identity of mystery Babylon and Armageddon. Read the who is the Antichrist in the Bible for very detailed evidence that the beast power is an Apostate Church and can be no other than the Roman Catholic Church. See also what is the mark of the beast or 666 and the number of the beast for the real origins of 666 that so many are totally unaware of.
What does the Bible have to say about “Antichrist”?
Some are surprised to know that the word antichrist appears nowhere in the book of Revelation. The word antichrist occurs only five times and only in the Books of 1st and 2nd John. •1 John 2:18-22 – He is antichrist that denies Jesus is Christ. In John’s time there were many antichrists. •1 John 4:1-3 – Test the Spirits. Every spirit that denies Jesus came in the flesh is the spirit of antichrist. •2 John 1-11 – Those that deny Jesus came in the flesh are a deceiver and antichrist. •Antichrist = “against Christ” or in “place of Christ” as it is in this case with the Pope. Attacking Christ’s character (Gnosticism), specifically with regard to love expressed in obedience to God’s Ten Commandments.
What is one method Satan uses to “deny” Christ?
2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15 – Appear as “apostles of Christ” but preach a “different Jesus”
Daniel 2 metal man Does the Bible give us a way to identify the Antichrist power?
Review Daniel 2 to get a prophetic blueprint of history: Babylon –> Medo-Persia –> Greece –> Rome –> 10 Divisions of Rome –>> Kingdom of the Stone.
Now apply the principle of repetition and enlargement to Daniel’s next vision.
Prophecy Symbols: •Beasts – Kings/kingdoms (political powers). Daniel 7:17, 23 •Horns/heads – Subdivisions of political powers. Daniel 7:24, 8:21-22 •Wings – Speed or swiftness. •Winds – War/Strife. Jeremiah 49:35-37 •Sea – Multitudes of people. Revelation 17:1, 15
Daniel 7:1-8 – Daniel’s vision of four beasts •The Lion – Babylon. Wings represent conquering speed. King Nebuchadnezzar. •The Bear – Medo-Persia. One shoulder raised above the other represents the Four Beasts from the sea dominance of the Medes over the Persians. The three ribs represent the three kingdoms overthrown by this kingdom – Egypt, Lydia, and Babylon. (Daniel 8:20) •The Leopard – Greece. Four wings representing great conquering speed. The four heads represent Alexander the Great’s four generals who ruled Greece after his death – Seleucus, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Cassander. (Daniel 8:21-22) •The different beast – Rome. The ten horns – the divisions of Rome (Same as the toes of Chapter 2). The ten horns are the 10 divisions of the Roman Empire as it fell apart. These were the Anglo Saxons (England), Alemanni (Germany), Heruli (x493AD), Vandals (x534AD), Ostrogoths (x538AD), Visigoths (Spain), Suevi (Portugal), Lombard’s (Italy), Burgundians (Swiss) and the Franks (France).
What nine characteristics help us to identify the little horn power? •Location: out of the 4th beast and among the ten horns (v.8) – The Papacy arose out of Rome among the ten tribal divisions of Rome •Timing: after the ten were established (v.8) – the Papacy became a political power by decree of the Roman emperor Justinian in AD 538 which was after the emergence of the ten tribal divisions that emerged as the Roman Empire fell apart in AD 476. •Uprooted three of the ten horns (v.8) – As the Papacy came to prominence, it influenced Pagan Roman armies to destroy three of the tribes which opposed its Christian doctrines. These three were the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli. The last of these was destroyed in AD 538 when Justinian’s decree went into effect. •Eyes and mouth of a man (v.8) – the Papacy has a man as its visible head. •Persecutes the saints (v.21, 25) – Ever hear of the Papal persecution during the dark ages – Inquisition, etc. More than 50 million Protestant Christians tortured and killed by the Catholic Church. •Different from the other ten horns (v.24) – the Papacy was a religio-political entity different from the kingdoms before it. •Speak out against God (v.8, 11, 20, 25) – Verse 8 says it will utter boastful or blasphemous things. One quote of many like it from Prompta Bibliothea Canonica Juridicia Moralis Theologica appearing in the Catholic Encyclopedia Volume VI, pp. 25-29, “The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted, that he is not a mere man, but as it were, God and the Vicar of God. The Pope is, as it were, God on earth, chief king of kings, having plentitude of power.” •Little Horn attempts to change God’s times and laws (v.25) – The Papacy deleted the second Commandment of the Decalogue on idolatry, changed the Sabbath to Sunday in favour of sun worship and divided the tenth Commandment on coveting into two parts to get back to Ten Commandments. •Have power for a time, times, and half a time (or three and a half years, forty two months, or 1260 days – see Revelation 12:6, 14) (v.25) – Applying the prophetic day for a year principle established in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 that equals 1260 years. The Papacy lasted in primary power from AD 538 to 1798 in which year Napoleon’s general Berthier marched into Rome, deposed the Pope, and carried him into exile where he died.
How does Daniel’s vision compare with John’s vision in Revelation 13?
The table below also demonstrates how a lot of Bible prophecy can be understood by comparing Revelation with the Old Testament and the book of Daniel in particular. Again this is very important to understanding who is the major player in so much of the prophecy in Revelation.
Antichrist Power – Daniel 7
Antichrist Power – Revelation 13
Four beasts from the Sea. Verse 3 Four Beasts in one from sea. Verse 1, 2 Lion. Verse 4 Lion Verse 2 Bear. Verse 5 Bear. Verse 2 Leopard. Verse 6 Leopard. Verse 2 Ten horned beast Verse 7 Ten horned beast. Verse 1 Mouth Speaking great things. Verse 8 Mouth Speaking great things. Verse 5 Makes war with the Saints. Verse 21 Makes war with the Saints. Verse 7 Power for 3.5 years = 42 Months. Verse 25 Power for 42 Months. Verse 5
The above similarities are not a coincidence. God deliberately concealed many things like this so that they would not be seen until the time of the end. This applies to most prophecies involving the book of Daniel.
Daniel 12:4 “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
There has only been one power that has persecuted Christians for 1260 years and only one power had the privilege of taking out three of the ten kingdoms from the collapse of the Roman Empire. It can be no other than the Papacy on these two points alone, and as we have seen there are far more identifying points.
Table showing common elements that help identify the antichrist power
Characteristics The Little Horn (Daniel 7) The Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3) The Sea Beast (Revelation 13) Woman on Beast (Revelation 17-18) Source Comes out of the head of the 10 horned fourth beast (Rome) Owes his rise to removal of a hindering power Comes from the “sea” meaning many people (densely populated Europe) Arises in a city with seven hills (Rome) and rules over many waters (peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues) Time of Origin Comes up among 10 horns (the divided successors of the Pagan Roman Empire) Revealed only after the fall of the hindering Pagan Roman Empire Receives power, seat and authority from the Dragon (Satan working through Pagan Rome) Arises among the ten horns (divisions of Rome) that will hate her Religio-political Church-State Power Diverse power, blasphemes God, exercises authority over the saints, changes times and laws of the most high Political characteristics not mentioned, but demands and receives worship Composite of Daniel’s beasts, which are kingdoms, and wear crowns, that demands and receives worship The woman is an apostate church the beast is the power of the state hence this is a religio-political power having a priest-king ruler Blasphemous Presumption In this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things and words against the most high Exalts himself above God. Has a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies Full of names of blasphemy Time of Dominance Given power over the saints for a time, times and a dividing of time. (1260 years) — Given power forty and two months (1260 years) — Warring against God’s people Made war with the saints and prevailed against them — Makes war with the saints and overcomes them This woman (apostate church) is drunk with the blood of the saints – in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. Great Power Looks more stout than his fellows Has all power, signs and lying wonders Who is able to make war with him? The woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. Demands Divine Homage Sets himself over the saints, times, and laws of the most high Sets himself up as God, above all that is worshipped Causes multitudes to worship him This woman is the apostate “mother” of harlot churches End They shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end (the second coming) The Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Cast into the lake of fire Utterly burned with fire
The Empires of Daniel and Revelation
As already demonstrated, Bible prophecy quite often uses the principle of repetition and enlargement to allow you to see and understand the full picture. This is a very simple principle that so many do not understand which is why Satan succeeds in having so many interpretations of Bible prophecy in the world. As you can see from below, interpretations are not required. Besides the fact that history shows that Medo-Persia conquered Babylon, we are also told directly in Daniel 8 that Medo-Persia follows Babylon and Greece follows them.
Empire Daniel 2 Daniel 7 Daniel 8 Revelation 13 Babylon Until 538 B.C. Head of Gold verses 32, 38 Lion from Sea verses 4, 17 — Mouth of a Lion verse 2 Medo – Persia Until 331 B.C. Chest of Silver verses 32, 39 Bear from Sea verses 5, 17 Ram verses 3, 20 Feet of a Bear verse 2 Greece Until 168 B.C. Alaxander’s four Generals Belly of Brass verses 32, 39 −−− Leopard from Sea verses 6, 17 Four Leopard Heads verse 6, Quote He-Goat verses 5, 21 Four notable ones verse 8, Quote Body of a Leopard verse 2 −−− Pagan Rome Until 476 A.D. Legs of Iron verses 33, 40 4th Diverse Beast from Sea, Iron Teeth vs. 7, 17 — World power of John’s time Rome / Dragon verse 2 Europe Divided (Ten Kingdoms) 10 Toes (kingdoms) Iron & Clay verses 33, 41 10 Horns (kingdoms) verses 20, 24 — 10 Horns (kingdoms) Beast from the Sea verse 1 Papal Rome Begins 538 A.D. Head Wound 1798 A.D. Clay & Iron Church & State Jeremiah 18:1-6 Diverse Little Horn verses 8, 11, 24-25 Little Horn verses 9-12, 23-25 Composite of previous Empires 7 headed 10 horned Beast from the Sea verses 1-3 Judgment Begins 1844 A.D. — Judgment scene verses 9-10, 22, 26 Sanctuary Cleansed verse 14 — United States — — — Lamb-like 2 Horned Land Beast verse 11 Papal Head Wound Healed Lateran Treaty 1929 — — — Head Wound to Sea Beast Healed verses 3, 12 God’s Kingdom Stone – Mountain verses 35, 44 God’s Kingdom verses 13-14, 27 — —
Daniel’s Prophecy proves the Day for a Year Rule
The following is just some of the evidence that shows the day for a year rule is correct when prophecy is Daniel Chart symbolic. The Book of Daniel was written while the Jews were in Babylon in exile because of their sins. Daniel 9:24-27 contains a prophecy from the angel Gabriel to encourage the Jewish people that they would be given a “second chance” to return to Jerusalem, rebuild their temple and ultimately receive Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Thus we have a prophecy of “seventy weeks.” Gabriel subdivides the period into three smaller periods of seven weeks (verse 25), sixty-two weeks (verse 25), and one week (verse 27). 7+62+1=70. Seventy weeks = 490 days and on the day for a year rule is actually 490 years. The prophecy starts with a “commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (verse 25) after the Babylonian captivity and reaches down to the first coming of Jesus Christ. After 69 weeks (483 years), “shall Messiah be cut off” (verse 26), i.e. the Messiah would die. So after the 69 weeks and in this final week it says “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” (verse 27.) The sacrifices and offerings ceased of course when Jesus became the final perfect sacrifice for us. Matthew 27:50-51. Here we see how the day for a year rule fits history absolutely 100% perfectly. If we did not apply the day for a year rule, Jerusalem would have had to have been rebuilt in 49 days (impossible) instead of the actual 49 years it did take and the ministry of Jesus would have been only 3.5 days instead of the actual 3.5 years. Daniel was told to seal up this 2300 day prophecy as it applied to a long time in the future which the angel called the “time of the end” (Daniel 8:17; 12:4, 9) and 2300 days into the future would not have even made 400 BC. Hardly what one could call the “time of the end” in which we now live.
Ambassadors of Christ 