It’s The Antichrist!

antichristI began my first in-depth study of The Apocalypse this week and I think I have some insights and revelations of my own, concerning the identity of the Antichrist and the Beast of Revelation 13.

First, let me say that Dan (the guy to the left of Macaulay Culkin) is not the Beast, nor is his friend, Michael Jackson, the Antichrist. Of that, I’m relatively certain. However, I’m not so sure about King Juan Carlos of Spain.

You see, he’s been fingered as the Man of Lawlessness by a number of “prophecy experts,” most notably Chuck Missler and Jon Courson. As a supplement to my serious study in Revelation, I began listening to tapes by these Bible teachers, in order to gain insight into the strategic trends, which are preparing the world to bow to the control of this spellbinding, power hungry, dynamic, world dictator.

I found a tape of Jon Courson’s Prophecy Update for 1993 and he made a number of predictions about the things to come. Among them:

  • King Juan Carlos of Spain, King of Jerusalem, is probably the Antichrist
  • The generation, which began with the settlement of Israel in the land, will see the second coming of Jesus to establish His millennial kingdom in September 1999 at the Feast of Trumpets — then the millennium begins in 2000.
  • Of course, you have to back up seven years for the Great Tribulation, so that means that the Rapture will occur sometime in 1993.
  • The ten nations of the European Union represent the ten horns spoken of in Daniel and Revelation, even though there were 13 members in 1993 (he was able to pare that number down with some impressive mathematics). By the way, there are 26 nations in the EU now and more on the way.
  • The year 2000 is the beginning of the millennium, but we don’t have to rely only on the Bible for that fact, because all the new agers and rabbis from 300 AD onward said it would happen.
  • Rabbi Schneerson (April 18, 1902 – June 12, 1994) was quoted by Courson as saying that he would live to see the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom, the millennium, with his own eyes in his lifetime.
King Juan Carlos
King Juan Carlos

These are but a few of the nuggets of gold Mr. Courson mined out of the Scriptures for the crowd. Is it any wonder that we Christians are looked upon as a bunch of gullible half-wits, when we tell someone that Jesus died for their sins on the cross and rose from the dead, so they can live forever? That’s the problem with “crying wolf” and serving up this kind of sensationalistic exegesis to God’s people year after year — It may be entertaining, but Biblically illiterate Christians aren’t the only ones listening! These wild tales get out to the general population (many times because we have passed around a tape or CD or book promoting this nonsense) and the honest inquirer is left to separate the facts of the gospel from the chaff of speculative theories and prognostications.

There is a way to stop these people and their creepy, cultic fascination with events that haven’t happened yet (not to mention their amnesia, when it comes to the hundreds or thousands of failed predictions they’ve made). Just say “no” to their speculation and sensationalism!

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires…

But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 2 Timothy 2:23

2 Timothy 1:13 Retain the standard of sound words, which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

9 Comments

  1. GVDan said:

    Michael was always a gentelman. Even though we were forced to stay at his ranch we enjoyed ourselves. It was like eating collard greens that tasted good. What in the heck is this? I leave you bloggers alone to just encourage eachother in the faith. And you come up with I’m the Anit-christ. My facial expression says it all to you, “what are you doing, what is wrong with you?” I will give you this though, Michael and I have one thing in common with the anit-christ, we are both totally good looking.

    May 8, 2005
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  2. Sadie Lou said:

    I was listening to Armstron and Getty (not with the kids in the car) and this guy calls in and says that he thinks Arnold was the antichrist. Getty says” The govenor of California” the caller says,”Yeah!” Armstrong says,” Do you actually believe in God and the Bible or are you just saying that because it’s the mother of all insults?”
    The caller said he was not a Christian.
    Nice.

    May 8, 2005
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  3. Anonymous said:

    When Tim and I were first believers, all that name- the- 5th- horn- on- the- Beast’s- head teaching was in vogue. Then it sort of seemed to fade away. Or maybe we just faded away from brothers who fixated unhealthily that way.
    I think most of the Revelation and other prophetic books will make sense in hindsight, just like the Messianic prophesies. Now, we can see, “of course, the Messiah comes twice, first as sacrifice, then as King!” But, it would have been hard to figure that without the New Testement. But, if they’d just had their eyes on God, I think they wouldn’t have missed it. That’s what it seems the Revelation is saying to us, as well as the other “end-times” scripture: Be ready, be waiting. Be faithful. The one thing that is sure, that I tell my kids to remember in case I die, is that when Jesus returns, he’s not going to walk around healing people, or be interviewed on TV, to not be deceived if they see this happening. When he returns, it’s going to be to take us home, the world as we know it will be over forever. Come soon, Lord Jesus.
    Another thing that I often wonder about is, why does the church call the Satanic end-of-time ruler The Anti-Christ? That title is never once given to whoever or whatever that thing is in scripture. It’s called The Beast. (Rev. 13) I know the spirit of Anti-Christ is mentioned in 1 John, but when referring to false doctrine in the church.
    What’s always intrigued me in scripture is the seeming fatal head wound he has. If that’s literal, which being the simpleton I am, I always think it is, I often wonder if it’s some beloved public figure, who’s been assasinated. Who wouldn’t be thrilled if Abraham Lincoln or Kennedy returned to set up government? Don’t worry, I won’t write a series of novels on this idea. Michele

    May 13, 2005
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  4. Joe Glenn said:

    I know it is potentially unseemly of me as a Christian to impose the description of the end-times in Revelation to this era, because I have the vague understanding that this is what Christians have been doing for centuries to their error. However, I can’t help but getting an eerie feeling when I hear the description of the “Babylonian Prostitute” (Babylon The Great) and how it seems to depict a nation, once great and God fearing that steadily slouched toward Gammora and I can’t help but think of America. See:Revelation 18. What do you think?

    http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=73&chapter=18&version=31

    I know, I know, you can read alot into the scriptures here. But doesn’t the fact that there is again a National Israel indicate that we are nearing the end? What (potentially) fits the description of the Great Babylon other than the USA.

    Forgive my apocalyptic ramblings.

    Anyway, some food for thought.

    May 16, 2005
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  5. Bo Salisbury said:

    Michele said “That’s what it seems the Revelation is saying to us, as well as the other “end-times” scripture: Be ready, be waiting. Be faithful.”

    Actually, that’s it in a nutshell. I like this quote:

    “I know that some are always studying the meaning of the fourth toe of the right foot of some beast in prophecy and have never used either foot to go and bring men to Christ. I do not know who the 666 is in Revelation but I know the world is sick, sick, sick and the best way to speed the Lord’s return is to win more souls for Him.”
    Vance Havner

    Joe, Some say Babylon is literal… the literal city Sadaam Hussein was excavating and restoring — even though he has been overthrown, they see Babylon being rebuilt (including a seaport serving the Persian Gulf). Chuck Missler says it will be the center of religion, commerce and military power, but he’s been wrong on so many things. Others say it’s Rome or the Roman Catholic church… some say it’s the world system.

    Israel and their relationship to the land is a real study.

    Pros for Israel, God’s people, inheriting the land at the time of the end:
    1) prophecies which have yet to be fulfilled.
    2) a nation called “Israel” serving as a homeland for Jews from all over the world — that would have been unthinkable before the rise of Zionism in the late 1800’s
    3) Modern Israel’s amazing survival, military victories and emergance as a regional power to be reckoned with

    Cons:
    1) Israel did receive all the promises God made to Abraham (more than once):
    Joshua 21:43 ¶ So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.
    Joshua 21:44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them.
    Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

    2) Abraham and others are “longing for a better country — a heavenly one.”
    3) In many propphecies, Israel’s return to the land was conditioned on faith and obedience. They have rejected Messiah, by and large.

    We’ll get into that as we go through the Apocalypse.

    May 18, 2005
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  6. I still think Bill Gates is the Anti-Christ.
    Either that or he and Oprah are the Zombie King and Queen.

    May 19, 2005
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  7. Bo Salisbury said:

    If Bill Gates isn’t *the* antichrist, he’s certainly an antichrist… look at the seven plagues he’s caused with XP! And, we’re trusting him with the new X-Box? I think I see a trojan horse…

    May 19, 2005
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  8. John said:

    The Risen Chirst is the Antichirst, the first beast that had the fatal wound that had been healed.

    Paul of Tarsus was his false prophet, the second beast who was servent to the first beast and extended its authority everywhere, making the world and all its people worship the first beast.

    If you don’t believe me, read the Bible and no! you will not die if you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods.

    “The number (name) of the beast: it is the number (name) of a man” Revelation 13:18 i.e. Jesus Christ.
    “Take care that no one deceives you (the twelve chosen); because many will come using my name and saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many” Mathew 24:4

    We know that the Antichrist has a false prophet:
    “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits. It is not those that say to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When that day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!” Mathew 7:15-23

    “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16
    “You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22
    “If they have called they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?” Matthew 10:25
    “’If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before you.’” John15:18

    Who does the world hate, Yahweh God or the serpent?
    No, The serpent was the original Christ, the lamb slain from the foundation of the World. Yahweh God is the Dragon, The Risen Christ is the Antichrist and Paul of tarsus is the False Prophet.

    “On these grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world men have shown that they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.
    And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God” John 3:19-21

    August 26, 2006
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  9. pietyhill said:

    So, Yaldabaoth is the dragon of the apocalypse, then? Ah, yes… The Apocryphon of John… You posed the question… Here’s the answer: the world hates Yahweh, of course.

    It’s always fun to speculate and gnostics seem to be able to come up with just as much wackiness as hyper-dispensationalists!

    August 26, 2006
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