ESCHATOLOGY & APOCALYPSE
a.) Prophetic Codings
Biblical prophecies may not be understood without familiarity with their terminologies, coded language, and historical placement. The following are very important to know:
- Prophetic double reference: a situation whereby prophecy was spoken concerning a person that is a mirror image of another person such that the prophecy or parts of the prophecy applies to them both. Have a look:
Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God ; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
[13] Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
[14] Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so : thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
[15] Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
[16] By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
[17] Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
[18] Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
[19] All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Note: This prophecy directly addressed the “King of Tyrus” but verses 12-16 evidently addressed an angelic being and not a human being at all. In actual fact, Lucifer was the person these verses addressed and the King of Tyrus just happen to share similarities and was the one addressed in verses 17-19.
Most apocalyptic statements in the Bible therefore, have both present-tense and future-tense fulfillments; like the destruction of Jerusalem Temple
Symbolic Language: this is always a puzzle to be decoded and like parables are intended part of prophetic messages; e.g. Daniel, Ezekiel, John, etc visions
John used symbolism heavily in his writing similar to a secret coding obscure to the Romans. Babylon refers to the city of Rome, a common early Christian practice coz of Rome’s oppression. Babylon was OT persecutor of Jews. “She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you” (1Pet. 5:13)
- Some actions or people’s experiences are prophetic; e.g casting lot on David’s clothes is a Messianic prophecy that happened to our Lord Jesus Christ.
They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. [19] But be not thou far from me, O Lord : O my strength, haste thee to help me.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
- Chronological Complexities: E.g. Christ’s answers in Matt. 24:4-25:46 are not recorded in the questions order. Also the the book of Revelation isn’t written in chronological order.
b.) APOCALYPTIC EVENTS
- The Second Coming of Christ
- The millenium reign
- Armageddon
- The great white throne judgment
- The New Heaven, New Earth & New Jerusalem
c.) THE ANTI-CHRIST’S ORIGIN & TERRITORY.
Supporting Scriptures:
2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn,were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words…
11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time…
17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings[c] which arise out of the earth.18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’..
19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;
20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21 “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said:
‘The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute[d] the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
26 ‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.
7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.
10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.
11 He even exaltedhimself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the dailysacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.
12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days;[a] then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”..
19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.
20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the male goat is the kingdom[b] of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.
22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power…
23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”
24 “Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
25 “Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”
14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
11 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)
2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Warring Kings of North and South
5 “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. 6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority,[a] and neither he nor his authority[b]shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her inthose times. 7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. 8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes[c] and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.
9 “Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.
11 “And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of hisenemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men[d] of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces[e] of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troopsshall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power.
17 “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones[g] with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not standwith him, or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. 21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the force[h] of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall bemoved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
The Northern King’s Blasphemies
29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.
“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the dailysacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry outgreat exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 Andsome of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them,and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.
36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.
The Northern King’s Conquests
40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
Daniel 11:21 This contemptible conqueror is generally identified as Antiochus Epiphanes, the younger son of Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, and is a type of the final antichrist referred to in Dan. 11:36; II Thess. 2:3-12; I John 4:3; II John 7; and Rev. 13:5-8. “He [Antiochus Epiphanes] stirred up the Jews by robbing the temple and setting up a statue of Jupiter in the Holy of Holies. He also pulled down the walls of Jerusalem, commanded the sacrifice of [forbidden] swine, forbade circumcision, and destroyed all the sacred books that could be found” (John D. Davis, A Dictionary of the Bible).
Daniel 11:36 The antichrist is in view from this point in the prophecy to the end of the chapter. The details listed here do not fit what is known of Antiochus Epiphanes. See II Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:5-8.
13 Then I[a] stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns,[b] and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue[c] for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe,[d] tongue, and nation.8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.14 And he deceives those[e] who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or[f]the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is666.
1 Then I looked, and behold, a[a] Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having[b] His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundredand forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed[c] from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit,[d] for they are without fault before the throne of God.
7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.[c]
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on[d] the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
The Second Coming of Christ
- Teaser: Our Lord used earthly examples to simplify His messages; we therefore, need to understand historical backgrounds and Biblical culture to grapple with His message (John 3: 12).
In the Biblical Jewish culture, marriage has three stages:
a.) Contract: the father chooses a bride while his son and the girl are young and pay the dowry–why Mary was addressed as Joseph’s wife even though it was betrothal. The girl remains in her father’s house. Note: Christ said, “him that my Father gave to me….”
b.) When they are grown enough, the boy began to prepare a place for the bride but the Father reserves the power to give go-ahead to bring the bride. When the boy’s friends ask him, “When are we bringing your bride?”. He responds, “Only my father knows”–the same answer the Lord gave the Disciples on His return date.
c.) When father finally gives his go-ahead, the groom goes to the bride’s house in company of his friends to bring home his bride in a bridal procession.
e.) Date is set for the marriage feast where friends were invited as it was in Cana. It usually took days.
The second coming of Christ fits perfectly into this Jewish wedding format which we shall use as our template as summarized here below:
i.) Betrothal (contact sealed by parents)
ii.) Preparation
iii.) Marriage procession to hubby”s house accompanied by friends
iv.) Marriage feast (Bema judgement)
Lastly, our Lord’s first coming was shrouded in prophetic mysteries which held prophets agitating on where He will come from–Bethlehem, Egypt or Nazareth. As it turned out to be, He came out of all!
Matthew 2:5-6,14-15,23 (KJV)
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, [6] And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. [14] When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: [15] And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. [23] And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
To understand our Lord’s second coming in depth, we shall consider:
- What the Prophets said about our Lord’s Return
- What Christ Himself said
- What the Apostles said
1. When is our beloved Savior coming back?
Of course, we don’t know the exact time but we are given signs to know the season. However, there are three major views on the season of His coming:
a.) Pre-tribulation view: i.e. Christ will rapture us before the emergence of the Anti-Christ.
b.) Mid-tribulation view: the Anti-Christ will come first but at the point he started to torment the people the rapture will take place.
c.) Post-tribulation view: Rapture is same as the second coming of Christ & it takes place at the end of tribulation.
Note: The mid-tribulation is out of it as it has no discernible scripture backing. However, the Pre-tribulationists hold the Post-tribulationists as heretics & vice versa largely because of the popular notion that the Anti-Christ will preside over a one-world government as a world dictator. He will therefore, torment everyone that will not worship him or obey him. However, if we can prove that the Anti-Christ will not actually rule over the whole planet earth, then when he comes is largely irrelevant and in fact, it would be fun for Christians who live outside his territory to witness his emergence. So, let’s settle this first:
2.) The Origin of the Anti-Christ
Where he comes from: Syria; a subset of Greece
i.) Greece was a subset of the Roman Empire
ii.) Roman Empire comprised of the territories of Media, Persia, Greece & beyond
Daniel 7: 7–11, 19-27 says the Anti-Christ will come from the Roman Empire region; Daniel 8: 5-9 says the Anti-Christ will come from the Syria aka The Seleucid Empire; Apostle John’s vision says he will come from the Old Roman empire. These visions are not contradictory because neither the Seleucid empire nor the Roman Empire would be in existence by the time the Anti-Christ would come but God was using archetypes to describe him to us. Since Scriptures always agree, the true placement of Anti-Christ origin is where these two empires overlap. Superimposing the maps of these empires at their widest shows that a small section of the Seleucid empire fell within the Roman empire; they are today’s Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, parts of Jordan, Syria & parts of southern Turkey. Without doubt, this is where the Anti-Christ will come from. In fact, Dan. 11 refers to the Anti-Christ as the King of the North which is the old Syria aka the Seleucid kingdom but more on that later.
Map of Mid-East
http://www.worldatlas.com/
Map of the Seleucid Empire (note the years)
http://iranpoliticsclub.net/
http://www.mst.edu.au/course_
http://www.preceptaustin.org/
Map of the Roman Empire
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/
http://library.thinkquest.org/
i.) The Anti-Christ Territory
3.) ONE WORLD PRESIDENT ANTI-CHRIST?
There is the common teaching today that the Anti-Christ will preside over a one-world government, one-world religion & one-world currency. Really? Come with me.
Argument For
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
Revelation 13:7-8,12-15 (KJV)
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
[8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
[12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
[13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
[14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
[15] And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Well, reading the above passages on the Anti-Christ on the face value is enough to conclude that the Anti-Christ will actually rule over the whole world as a World-Dictator. However, consider the following:
i.) Gen. 41: 57
And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn ; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
ii.) 1 Kings 10: 24
And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
iii.) Jeremiah 27:6-7 (KJV)
And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. [7] And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
iv.) Luke 2:1 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
v.) John 12:19 (KJV)
The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
The Point: It is obvious that “all countries”, “all lands”, “all the earth”, “all the world”, “all nations” & “the world” were used in a limited sense. These statements are Synecdoches commonly seen in the Bible–Old & New Testaments both.
Furthermore, let’s examine other cases of Synecdoche in Daniel & John’s writings.
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. [38] And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. [39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. [40] And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things : and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
The Amplified Bible puts it this way:
37 You, O king, are king of the [earthly] kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory.(D)
38 And wherever the children of men dwell, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens—He has given them into your hand and has made you to rule over them all. You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold.
39 And after you shall arise another kingdom [the Medo-Persian], inferior to you, and still a third kingdom of bronze [Greece under Alexander the Great] which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom [Rome] shall be strong as iron, since iron breaks to pieces and subdues all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these.(E)
The Point: On the face value Daniel prophesied that The Babylonian, Grecian & The Roman empires will rule over all the earth in turn. However, it is historical fact that none of these empires came close to that but did in fact, rule over only their empires. The Synecdoche also obviously applies to Daniel’s prophecy on the Anti-Christ.
4.) Extent of his territory
We now know where the Anti-Christ would come from; but where will he rule over?
i.) Daniel said that ten kings will arise from the Roman Empire before the Anti-Christ will surface to subdue three of them (Dan. 7: 23-25)
ii.) John’s vision corroborated that ten kings will submit their authority to him in the region of the Old Roman empire (Rev. 17: 12
iii.) Daniel however, referred to the Anti-Christ as the king of Syria (i.e. the Seleucid Empire)
Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. [2] And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. [3] And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. [4] And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. [5] And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. [6] And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. [7] But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: [8] And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north. [9] So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. [10] But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress. [11] And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. [12] And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it . [13] For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches. [14] And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. [15] So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. [16] But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed. [17] He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side , neither be for him. [18] After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. [19] Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. [20] Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. [21] And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22] And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. [23] And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. [24] He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea , and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. [25] And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. [26] Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. [27] And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. [28] Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits , and return to his own land. [29] At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. [30] For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. [31] And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice , and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. [32] And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits . [33] And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. [34] Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. [35] And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. [36] And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. [37] Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. [38] But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. [39] Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. [40] And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. [41] He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. [42] He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43] But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. [44] But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. [45] And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
5.) Note: Prophetic double reference is at play here:
Daniel 11:3 There are many good reasons for identifying this mighty king as Alexander the Great, as well as identifying the other characters according to their relationship to the events of those times. “But the mere similarity which exists between certain things predicted here and what actually occurred in the times of the Ptolemies of Egypt is not sufficient to limit the fulfillment of the prophecy to those times—certainly [we find here what] was characteristic of Alexander, but there is nothing in the context which makes it necessary to limit the passage to him. Some autocrat may arise ‘in the latter days’ to whom it will apply with greater force than it did to Alexander.” (Charles Ellicott, A Bible Commentary).
Daniel 11:20 The reference here is undoubtedly to Seleucus Philopator [a king of Syria], the eldest son of Antiochus the Great and his immediate successor (Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament).
Daniel 11:21 This contemptible conqueror is generally identified as Antiochus Epiphanes, the younger son of Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, and is a type of the final antichrist referred to in Dan. 11:36; II Thess. 2:3-12; I John 4:3; II John 7; and Rev. 13:5-8. “He [Antiochus Epiphanes] stirred up the Jews by robbing the temple and setting up a statue of Jupiter in the Holy of Holies. He also pulled down the walls of Jerusalem, commanded the sacrifice of [forbidden] swine, forbade circumcision, and destroyed all the sacred books that could be found” (John D. Davis, A Dictionary of the Bible).
Daniel 11:36 The antichrist is in view from this point in the prophecy to the end of the chapter. The details listed here do not fit what is known of Antiochus Epiphanes. See II Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:5-8.
6.) My Conclusion: The Anti-Christ will rule over a region that partly belonged to the Roman Empire & the Old Syria (the Seleucid Empire). That place the region to include parts of Eastern Europe & the following nations that are located in the then Seleucid Empire: Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, modern Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, some parts of Pakistan.
Essentially, therefore, the Anti-Christ will rule over the Mid-East plus the Islamic & poor nations of the Eastern Europe. This area share common culture, faith & affinity & are in most part more comfortable with monarchical system of governance.
Please, Note:
1.) Saudi Arabia, Yemen & Oman weren’t part of the Seleucid empire. Saudi Arabia was a harsh desert area populated by nomadic tribal societies but Mecca & Medina became popular 7 AD through the influence of Islam. It became a nation 1932 when the kingdoms of Hejaz & Nejd came together. It wasn’t in existence in Daniel’s day & John’s vision was limited to the Roman empire aspect of the Anti-Christ. Perhaps it may come under the Anti-Christ territory.
2.) Scriptures say that the Anti-Christ will confirm covenant with Israel but will break it 3.5 yrs later (Dan. 9: 27). Prophets recognize this to mean that Israel will finally accept him as the Messiah to come because he will bring peace to Israel as both Israel & Arabs would come under him as one nation. Currently, Jesus Christ is repudiated by Israel as an impostor & they are actively expecting Christ to come. The first one was a spiritual Savior but they want a political savior & they will have him in the Anti-Christ before he reveals his satanic color to them.
3.) The Arab league is looking for Arab unity; imagine when they achieve that with all the oil money:
i.) It’s achievement will produce the Anti-Christ.
ii.) A united Arab nation would be prosperous & strong
iii.) America will be financially weakened.
4.) We saw him in Dan. 11 (the king of the north) at battles with the king of the south (Egypt) showing that Egypt wasn’t part of his kingdom though he will eventually run over Egypt. In fact, Dan. 11: 36-45 refers to no one in history but the Anti-Christ and the passage shows that he will fight and overrun some nations south of his kingdom including Egypt & African countries but that some nations in the region will still escape him.
36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself(AO) above every god and will say unheard-of things(AP) against the God of gods.(AQ) He will be successful until the time of wrath(AR) is completed, for what has been determined must take place.(AS) 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.[d]
40 “At the time of the end the king of the South(AT) will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm(AU) out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.(AV) 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land.(AW) Many countries will fall, but Edom,(AX) Moab(AY) and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt,(AZ) with the Libyans(BA) and Cushites[e] in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at[f] the beautiful holy mountain.(BB) Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
Things to Watch
Global Evangelization
Note shaking the dust
– Note Islam as a denial of Christianity
The nation Israel
Revived nation; one not twelve tribes
Revived language
Revived Jerusalem Temple (@Jehovah-Jirey where Solomon & Zerubabel temples stood now housing the Dome of the Rock Mosque)
United Arab state
(1 John 3: 1-3; tit. 2: 13; Ps 63: 1-2
Important Event to Watch for the Second Coming
1. Jewish Temple
Luke 21: 24: Christ won’t return until Jerusalem is back in Jewish hands & under Jewish control.
– May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the new nation Israel in fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy 2,600 years earlier; 37:12.
– June 1967 in the 6 day war, Israel took over Jerusalem including the site of the Temple during Jesus’ time. The Temple site currently hosts the mosque of Omar aka the Dome of the Rock–Muslim lore as where Mohammed ascended to heaven & there 3rd most sacred site in all Islam.
-Importance
1. The Bible indicates that the last Jewish Temple will be rebuilt on this site as its precursors, Solomon & Zerubbabel’s Temples, the latter which stood in Christ’s time (Dan. 9:27; 11:31-32)
2. Sacrifice will be restored for 3.5 yrs before Anti-Christ’s desecration & his declaration to be God (2 Thess. 2:4). Note our Lord’s reference to Daniel & note “when you see”; Matt. 24:15-16
The dead in Christ
The grave
The witch & Samuel
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