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Who
Is
The
Anti-Christ?
the Beast -
666 - "the
Man of Sin"
"And
the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice; if any
man worship the beast and his image, and receive his MARK in
his forehead
or in his hand, And
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and
they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and
his image, and whosoever receiveth the MARK of his name."
(Revelation 14:9-11)
The
Beast in Bible Prophecy
Who
is this Beast that forces the world to worship him and
receive his Mark?
Identifying
the Beast of Bible Prophecy doesn't take a degree in theology
or biblical languages. A King James Version of the Bible and
some careful comparison of Bible passages will do.
The Bible
clearly depicts the Beast as an enemy of God and His government.
Through an understanding of prophetic symbols, we may identify
him. Examining Revelation 13:1-10 we find that the Beast:
 Rises
from the sea.
Resembles
a leopard, a bear, and a lion.
Has
seven heads with ten crowned horns.
Receives
a deadly wound in his head, which eventually heals.
Speaks
blasphemous words.
Rules
and oppresses for 42 prophetic months or 1260 years.
Receives
authority and power from the dragon, identified in
Revelation
12:9 as the devil.
This
Beast sounds like a world-class monster!
Who is he? Who is the anti-christ?
An
important principle in understanding Bible prophecy is to allow
the Bible to interpret itself. For instance, the Beast is seen
rising from the sea, which in prophetic language means peoples,
multitudes, nations, and tongues (Revelation 17:15). By
application, this power would arise from a densely populated
area.
Next, we
turn to the Old Testament prophet, Daniel, for some help in
understanding what the lion, the bear, and the leopard
represent. In Daniel, chapters 2 and 7, we find a description of
world superpowers in succession: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece,
and an unnamed fourth power. In each chapter the same nations
are represented, but with different symbols. In chapter 7 they
are represented as a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a beast with
ten horns.
By
comparing Daniel's vision with John's, we find a ten-horned
beast in both visions with a similar description. The successor
of Greece was the Roman Empire. Is this the ten-horned Beast of
Daniel, chapter 7 and Revelation, chapter 13 ? Partially.
THE
BEAST IS THE EMPEROR'S CHILD
The old
Roman Empire does not exist today, but an entity which evolved
from it does - Constantine's child, the Roman Catholic Church.
Its popes still believe they hold spiritual authority over the
entire world. The fourth beast is papal Rome. The remaining
symbols will verify this.
Why does
Revelation 13:1 use the descriptions of Babylon, Persia, and
Greece to describe papal Rome? Daniel saw the lingering
influence of the first three empires: "As concerning the rest
of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their
lives were prolonged for a season and a time" (Daniel 7:12).
How did
papal Rome resemble Greece, Persia, and Babylon? Greek
philosophy seeped into the teachings of the church. The Emperor
Constantine practiced a Persian form of Sun worship known as
Mithraism.
When he
made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire, he
legislated the veneration of Sunday to unite his pagan and
Christian subjects. The papacy wholeheartedly embraced the new
"Lord's day." Eventually, a death decree was passed
against those who would not comply, like the decree of
Nebuchadnezzar on the Babylonian plains of Dura.
The seven
horns were seven tribes who made up the Western Roman Empire and
whose kings gave the papacy its political strength. There had
been ten tribes, but three were destroyed and plundered by the
papacy when they refused to obey its mandates (Daniel 7:8).
What were
the Beast's great words of blasphemy? Pope Leo XIII said of
himself and his papal predecessors, "We hold upon the earth
the place of God Almighty." The popes and the
priests they ordain claim power to forgive sins.
The Bible
teaches that it is blasphemous for a mere man to claim this
divine prerogative (Mark 2:7). Yet, the modern papacy, which is
so readily admired by the world, still claims this power. John
Paul II reprimanded Catholics for accepting the "widespread
idea that one can obtain forgiveness directly from God," and
exhorted them to confess more often to their priests.
The
papacy boldly claims divine infallibility. During the ages of
papal supremacy, countless millions of sincere Christians, who
dared to question this claim, were eliminated.
The iron
rule of the papacy continued until she received her deadly wound
in 1798 when Napoleon's army captured and exiled the pope.
This was exactly 1260 years (42 prophetic months) from the year
538 when Vigilius, Bishop of Rome, put the papacy into political
power in Western Europe.
THE
BEAST MAKES A COMEBACK
The Beast
Makes a Comeback
"And I
saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly
wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the
beast"
(Revelation 13:3).
From its
humbling blow 200 years ago, the papacy has made an astonishing
comeback. Great nations of the world now send ambassadors to the
Vatican, and their leaders seek audiences with the Pope.
The
re-emergence of the papacy in world politics is no human
accomplishment. The Bible clearly states, "...and the dragon
[the devil] gave him his power, and his seat, and great
authority" (Revelation 13:2). No other explanation can be
given for the charismatic return of the papacy to world
prominence, nor the power it will hold when "all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in
the book of life..." (Revelation 13:8).
Many
world leaders believe the modern papacy bears no resemblance to
the ancient papacy. The history of papal persecutions is
considered a relic of the dark ages for which even John Paul II
has apologized. Yet, the Bible predicts that the world will be
forced - on pain of death - to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome's unscriptural authority over every
man's conscience
and over the Word of God. (Revelation 13:8, 11, 12).
DOES
THE BIBLE REVEAL WHO IS THE ANTI-CHRIST?
There are
many sincere Catholics who serve God to the best of their
knowledge as taught by the Roman Catholic priesthood. Yet,
today, God is seeking to enlighten all His children to the
truths in the Bible, whatever faith they hold. No church,
priest, or pastor can remove our obligation to follow God and
His Word.
The Bible
reveals that the papacy will not accomplish its return to
religious supremacy without assistance. To aid in the papacy's
quest for worldwide dominance comes a second beast (Revelation
13:11). Described by John as lamblike, it manifests Christian
principles and works deceptive miracles to "prove" that
worshiping the Beast is worshiping God! (Revelation 13:11-14.)
Then, as if her "proof" is not enough, she will force the
world to accept the authority of the papacy.
WHO
IS THE BEAST ANTICHRIST 666 ?
The Beast
with the Split Personality
Who is
this lamblike beast who will speak and act like a dragon? How
will this beast enforce the religious and political supremacy of
the papacy?
We are
given ample clues as to the identity of the second beast of
Revelation, chapter 13.
- In
contrast to the first beast, it comes from the earth, or
from an unpopulated region of the world.
- Its
horns, the symbols of its authority, are lamblike or gentle.
- Although
it begins like a lamb, it ends as a dragon.
- It
has the political power to force the inhabitants of the
world to worship the first Beast and to receive his Mark.
WHERE
WILL THE ANTI-CHRIST COME FROM?
Only one
nation fits this description: The United States of America. What
other nation has emerged from a previously unpopulated area and
championed the Christian causes of freedom and representative
government like the United States? And, what other nation has
the political power to force its agendas, through economic
boycott or sheer military strength, like the United States?
One
hundred years ago, Protestantism was so strong in American
politics that no one believed the Vatican and the United States
would ever cooperate in world affairs. But recent history bears
a far different story. Public outcries from Protestants about
exchange visits between the U.S. and the Vatican are now
strangely absent. Instead, conservative Catholics and
Protestants are allied in a culture war against the advocates of
abortion, same-sex marriage, and pornography.
The
administration under former President Ronald Reagan openly
admits to secret agreements with the Vatican to bring down
European Communism. For the United States - the most Protestant
nation in the world - and the Vatican, no historical impediment
remains for their cooperation in enforcing the Mark of the
Beast.
References:
- 1.
Pope Leo XIII, "Encyclical Letter" of June 20, 1894.
- 2.
Schanche, Don A. , "No Forgiveness 'Directly From God,' Pope
says," Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1984,
p. 11.
- 3.
Time, February 24, 1992.
VACANT
SEAT NUMBER 666 IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
WHO
IS THE ANTI-CHRIST - WHO WILL FILL THE SEAT 666 ?
The
Vacant Seat Number 666 in the European Parliament
Report on
the opening of the Fifth Elected Parliament of Europe in
Strasbourg and its occupancy of the new Parliament Buildings.
Ian R.K: Paisley, M.P., M.E.P.
The
recently elected Fifth Parliament of Europe met on Tuesday, 20th
July, 1999, in its new glass building which cost the taxpayers
of Europe an as yet uncalculated sum of billions of Pounds. The
first meeting, due to begin at 10.00 a.m., did not start until
10.30 because the amplification system, which cost millions of
Pounds, was defective. No doubt more defects in this Crystal
Palace will be manifested in the days to come.
Incidentally,
the Members of the European Parliament had no say whatsoever in
where the building was to be located, what its design was to be,
what amount of money was to be spent on it, or how it was to be
furnished.
The
French Government forced it both upon Members of Parliament and
upon the Governments of European Union countries, Germany and
the United Kingdom being made to foot the exorbitant bill. These
two countries are Europe's pay slaves.
The
prophetic significance of the European Union has been revealed
as the saga unfolds.
First,
the sign which it chose as its symbol was the Woman riding the
Beast. This comes from a prophecy in Revelation 17. The
depiction of the harlot woman was reproduced on the centenary
stamp of the European Union, in a huge painting in the
Parliament's new building in Brussels, and by a huge sculpture
outside the new European Union Council of Ministers Office in Brussels.
The
new European coinage, the Euro, bears the same insignia. The
Tower of Babel has been used on the posters emanating from
Europe - a truly suggestive prophetic sign.
Now,
a massive Crystal Palace tower (officially called the Tower
Building) houses the Fifth Parliament of Europe.
It
is certainly a building of the Space Age. The seats of its
massive hemicycle are designed like the crew seats in the Star
Trek space machines. There are 679 of them - but wait for it!
While
these seats are allocated to Members, one seat remains
unallocated and unoccupied. The number of that seat is 666. The
relevant section of the seating-plan provided to each Member
reads as follows:
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SEAT NUMBERS & MEMBERS
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-
 655
Couteaux
-
656
Fitzsimons
-
657
Hyland
-
658
Kuntz
-
659
De La Perrière
-
660
Marchiani
-
661
Montfort
-
662
Quiero
-
663
Souchet
-
664
Thomas-Mauro
-
665
Zissener
-
666
-------
-
667
Cappato
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Revelation
13:18: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man;
and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." That is
666.
Today
this scripture is being fulfilled before our very eyes.
The
Antichrist's seat will be occupied. The world awaits his full
and final development. The Lord will destroy him by the spirit
of His mouth (the Word of God) and by the brightness of His
coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8). The coming of the Lord draweth
nigh.
2
Thessalonians 2:8: "And then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even
him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders."
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