The Antichrist a Man or System (Jeff Unsworth)
There are differing views when it comes to the antichrist that will be revealed at the end of this age.
The question arises, is this referring to a literal person or is it speaking about a power or system?
We are told in Daniel 9:26,27. 26:And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 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, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
This seems to be suggesting that this antichrist will be a person.
In Revelation Ch 13, speaking of the antichrist. The word “His” ( Greek. Auto— ow-tos ) is used eleven times. It is a personal pronoun relating to a person rather that a thing.
The word “Him” ( same word Greek Autos ) is used six times.
Also
(2 Thess. 2:3) "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, ”the Son of Perdition"
The title ”the Son of Perdition" is only given to two individuals in the scriptures. One was Judas Iscariot and the other is the antichrist.
John 17: 12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled”.
This title diagnoses his personality and exposes his awful character. It tells us he will be possessed of a twofold nature: he will be a man, and yet more than a man. He will be Satan's parody of the God-Man. He will be an incarnation of the Devil. Not only a human degenerate, but the offspring of the Dragon.
2 Thess. 2:8 "And then shall be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of His coming"
(Rev. 11:7) "And when they shall have finished their testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them"
The "Lamb" is the Saviour of sinners; the "Beast" is the persecutor and slayer of the saints.The "Lamb" reveals Christ as the "harmless" One (Heb. 7:26) The "Beast" manifests the Antichrist as the cruel and heartless one. (Greek. “Therion”) He will be like a wild animal.
"Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the Bloody and Deceitful Man" (Psa. 5:6) This bloody and deceitful man makes a formal covenant with them (Dan. 9:27) and after three and a half years, he breaks his covenant (Psa. 55:20)
(Dan. 7:8). "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another Little Horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this Horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things" (Dan. 9:26). "And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary"
The antichrist will be revealed in his time (2 Thess. 2:6) "And now we know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time" . Christ was a Man, a real Man, "the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5); so also will the Antichrist be - "that Man of Sin" (2 Thess. 2:3).
Contrasts between Christ and antichrist
1. One is called the Christ (Matt. 16:16); the other the Antichrist (1 John 4:3).
2. One is called the Man of Sorrows (Isa. 53:3); the other the Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3).
3. One is called the Son of God (John 1:34); the other the Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:3).
4. One is called the Seed of woman (Gen. 3:15); the other the seed of the Serpent (Gen. 3:15).
5. One is called the Lamb (Isa. 53:7); the other the Beast (Rev. 11:7).
6. One is called the Holy One (Mark 1:24); the other the Wicked One (2 Thess. 2:8).
7. One is called the Truth (John 14:6); the other the Lie (John 8:44).
8. One is called the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6); the other the wicked, profane Prince (Ezek. 21:25).
9. One is called the glorious Branch (Isa. 4:2); the other the abominable Branch (Isa. 14:19).
10. One is called the Mighty Angel (Rev. 10:1); the other is called the Angel of the Bottomless Pit (Rev. 9:11).
11. One is called the Good Shepherd (John 10:11); the other is called the Idol Shepherd (Zech. 11:17).
12. One has for the number of His name (the gematria of "Jesus") 888; the other has for the number of his name 666 (Rev. 13:18).
In their respective Careers.
1. Christ came down from heaven (John 3:13); Antichrist comes up out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 11:7).
2. Christ came in Another's Name (John 5:43); Antichrist will come in his own name (John 5:43).
3. Christ came to do the Father's will (John 6:38); Antichrist will do his own will (Dan. 11:36).
4. Christ was energised by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14); Antichrist will be energised by Satan (Rev. 13:4).
5. Christ submitted Himself to God (John 5:30); Antichrist defies God (2 Thess. 2:4).
6. Christ humbled Himself (Phil. 2:8); Antichrist exalts himself (Dan. 11:37).
7. Christ honoured the God of His fathers (Luke 4:16); Antichrist refuses to (Dan 11:37).
8. Christ cleansed the temple (John 2:14,16); the Antichrist defiles the temple (Matt. 24:15).
9. Christ ministered to the needy (Isa. 53:7); Antichrist robs the poor(Psa. 10:8,9).
10. Christ was rejected of men (Isa. 53:7); Antichrist will be accepted by men (Rev. 13:4).
11. Christ leadeth the flock (John 10:3); Antichrist leaveth the flock (Zech. 11:17).
12. Christ was slain for the people (John 11:51); Antichrist slays the people (Isa. 14:20).
13. Christ glorified God on earth (John 17:4), Antichrist blasphemes the name of God in heaven (Rev. 13:6).
14. Christ was received up into heaven (Luke 24:51); Antichrist goes down into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20).
At the end of this age, there will be a world system, a political, religious and monetary system that will be headed by a man ( the antichrist ) and a religious prophet, ( the false prophet ).
It seems quite clear also, that “the beast of Revelation is one and the same as the antichrist.
The little horn refers to him and the two horned beast is the false prophet.
This antichrist will claim to be the Messiah and will in the first instance, bring seeming peace by enticing words but then at the mid point of the seven years covenant, he will break the covenant and his real character will be revealed.He will set up the abomination of desolation in the Holy place and declare that he is God.
Jesus tells us in Matt 24: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
The world will be taken in and “all the world wondered after the beast”.Revelation 13:3: “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”.
He will be a very charismatic, persuasive person, able to hoodwink the world into accepting him as messiah.His characteristics show that he is a man.
He has a mouth and he speaks, he lies, he persecutes, he deceives, he demands worship, he makes a covenant, he breaks the covenant. He makes war and he kills. He profanes God, he has a will.
These are just a few of the characteristics that prove that the antichrist to come, will be a literal man.
The Bible tells us that the false prophet will cause everyone to take a mark in the hand or forehead and he will be recognisable by the number of his name 666.
Rev 13: 16 - 18:
16: And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
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.
